A woman was arrested and charged with felony aggravated battery after being accused of scalping a mohawk-wearing teenage girl who was a fellow member of a punk clique.
Marianne Dahle, 26, allegedly used a 4-inch knife to cut away the crown and back of the scalp of the 16-year-old victim, apparently as punishment for her disrespectful behavior toward women. The teen survived.
Dahle is accused of tying up the teenager — who identified herself to reporters only as Sheila — and cutting away a 6-by-8-inch section of her scalp.
Sheila said she underwent skin grafts and anticipated another surgery to repair the damage. Authorities did not release the girl’s name.
Dahle surrendered at the Ada County Jail, where she was being held on $25,000 bond. If convicted, she could be sentenced to 14 years in prison.
Dahle was visiting Kirkham Hot Springs in central Idaho with the girl and a teenage friend when the attack occurred Jan. 18. The teen spent two weeks in the hospital and is now recovering at home.
Act of retaliation
Bill Braddock, chief deputy of Boise County, said Dahle was retaliating for behavior she considered offensive to women.
He said the victim, Dahle and the girl who witnessed the attack belonged to the same punk clique. In their group, he said, those who disrespect women are not allowed to have their hair in a mohawk.
He also said Dahle appeared to be exerting psychological control over teenage members of the clique, and added that there were “sexual overtones.”
Police would not release many details for fear it would harm the prosecution’s case.
Dahle allegedly dropped the teen off at St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center in Boise, Braddock said. Authorities recovered the scalp, which had been left behind at the hot springs, but doctors were unable to reattach it, Braddock said.
The case has been difficult to investigate because it has taken deputies time to win the trust of witnesses and friends of the victim. Some witnesses are afraid of retaliation.
Braddock said he only agreed to discuss the incident so the public could help authorities find Dahle.