Nichole Rice is a North Dakota woman arrested in the 2007 cold case murder of her roommate. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. She wrote, I wish they would catch the person that took Anitas life. People named Nicole Rice. Rices defense argued that she was not a flight risk because of family ties and her lack of a criminal record. x>1hR*@etGA T*A Your News Leader will have more later today. Nicole Rice (nickel) See Photos. My heart goes out to the family, Chief Klug said at Wednesdays press conference announcing the arrest. Talbott also noted a number of statements made by people who knew both Rice and Knutson at the time who said that despite being very close when they were younger, the pairs relationship had grown toxic since they moved in together. "It was good to know that finally the one case that we've had hanging out there that we just could not get to a solution was finally over.". "Witness 1 said that Nichole told her details about the scene that would not have been known to Nichole or anyone outside of the investigation," the complaint said. Dog mom. Anita Knutson, a student at Minot State University, was found stabbed to death in her apartment on June 4, 2007. Rice is the only person ever charged in the murder of Knutson, who was stabbed to death 15 years ago. Video related to nichole rice, anita knutson murder suspect: 5 fast facts you need to know, UNSOLVED: North Dakotas Anita Knutson cold case, At only 18, Anita Knutson was living on her own, working two jobs, and putting herself through college at Minot State University in North Dakota. x>1hR*@etGA T(A reportedly fought with the victim, telling her once that she was going to get the victim out of their apartment, according to court documents. Cold Cases. Powered by. << /Type /XObject /Subtype /Image /Width 1696 /Height 2200 /Interpolate true She was working at Minot Air Force Base as a civilian employee at the time of . Copyright Minot Daily News | https://www.minotdailynews.com | 301 4th St SE, Minot, ND 58701 | 701-857-1900, We tried to actively investigate Anitas case for the past few years, and finally, with the help of Cold Justice, we were able to move forward and regain focus. x+TT(T0 B3C#sK#TpL3C=S3R2=s k ) P*PTM WQUT North Dakota, about 40 miles south of Minot, that Saturday night into Sunday morning, and when she left the bar . They are usually either out fishing or hunting during their free time. CBSNews. NicoleRice. During a party with his friends, Knutsons murder came up, the tipster said. According to her now-deleted Facebook page, she was born in Velva, North Dakota, and lived in Minot. Her body was covered with a housecoat, police said. P*@ T The sample was tested against a number of persons of interest, but Rice was the only individual who could not be excluded by investigators. her Judge Richard Hagar ruled there was enough evidence to proceed to trial, and Rice pleaded not guilty. 34-year-old Nichole Rice, formerly Nichole Thomas, was taken into custody while she was working as a civilian on Minot Air Force Base. She told police she was with her parents at their home in Velva, North Dakota, over the weekend Knutson was killed, but statements from her and family members were inconsistent, the complaint said. Anita Knutson was an 18-year-old Minot State University student when she was stabbed to death. Rice's story about the last time she saw Knutson also kept changing, he said. Shes now charged with her murder 15 years after Knutson was killed. There was never enough to arrest her. P*@t T" This was contradicted by a number of people who indicated that Nichole did not like Anita. When asked about Cold Justices role, Knutson said they provided support. On "Cold Justice," airing Saturdays at 8/7c on Oxygen, prosecutor Kelly Siegler and investigator Steve Spingola probed that mystery as they tackled the series' 100th case. Update From Today: 34 year old Nichole Rice, Anita's former roommate, has been charged with the murder. /Length 154660 /Filter /FlateDecode >> A witness told police in September 2008 that after Knutsons murder, Rice referred to her as a f***** b**** and a f****** little c***. According to the affidavit, the witness also said Rice had said she was at her parents farm all weekend, but the witness had seen her in a bar in Ruso on June 2, 2007, until the early morning of June 3. or. Rice, then Nichole Thomas, was 19. PQ9GH. View photos, directions, registry details and more at The Knot. Her page showed her with dead deer and other animals she had killed. However, over the first weekend in June of 2007, Anita's family couldn't get in touch with her which was extremely out of character. . She was a civilian employee at Minot Air Force Base at the time of her arrest, according to Klug. Rice, Anita's roommate at the time she was killed, is charged with murder and is being held at the Ward County Jail. By Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling | Feb. 28, 2023, 9:24 a.m. (ET) Talbott said in the affidavit that police received numerous tips about Knutsons murder over the years, including information regarding party attended by Nichole. Talbott wrote, Law enforcement had been told that Nichole admitted to the murder, but the person or people that heard this admission was unknown to law enforcement. Police have since identified the person as a man Rice dated in 2008 or 2009. The States case also relies on a DNA sample collected from the murder weapon. Rice will be charged with the murder of 18-year-old Anita Knutson. Rice had . One witness told police Rice was at a bar in Ruso, North Dakota, about 40 miles south of Minot, from the night of June 2, 2007, until early June 3, 2007, the complaint said. "It's good in one way, but it's making everything come back again," Knutson said. The sample was too small to be tested against the law enforcement database, but could be analyzed with other samples side by side. View more. In March, law enforcement was able to identify the person who heard the alleged confession as a former boyfriend of Rice.Law enforcement officers in 2022 interviewed some of the same people with whom they talked earlier, including Rice and members of her family, and said that they gave statements that were inconsistent and contradictory, including where Rice was around the time of Knutson's death.Judge Richard Hagar has ordered Rice back in court on Nov. 16. endobj P*px>]Ip*@ Nothing of value was taken from the room, the complaint said. |*bT Nichole Erin Rice, 34, appeared Thursday afternoon in Ward County District Court on a Class AA felony charge in connection to the 2007 death of her 18-year-old roommate, Anita Knutson. A pocket knife with dried blood on it was found near the bedroom window, court documents said. The affidavit said: Nichole told witness 1 that after she left the club in Ruso, she had to Minot to her apartment to get some clothes that night. Rice initially maintained she was at her parents' farm near Velva, North Dakota, the weekend of Knutson's murder, but subsequent statements from her and family members over the years were inconsistent, Talbott said. Anita Knutson was found stabbed to death in her home when her father asked for a wellness check because he hadn't heard from her in a few days, according to KXMB. A page related to that job has also been deleted. She last replied to a text at 4:48 a.m. and her phone records showed a text was sent to her at 4:53 a.m. that was never read by Knutson. Email sourisvalleybowmen@hotmail.com for membership fees. MINOT An unsolved murder draped over the Minot Police Department for 15 years finally resulted in an arrest this week. by Anne Tyler. Prosecutors suspect Knutson was killed either June 2 or June 3, 2007, according to the complaint. Rices arrest affidavit states that witnesses recall that Rice and Knutson had a strained relationship and that Rice admitted to a man she dated briefly that she had done it.. 'In the world today, there is a lot of sadness, and when I seen this show on a rough day I had for business, I was laughing,' replied the world famous DJ. It just took a little bit of refocusing and a lot of paying attention to the fine details. Nearly 15 years after 18-year-old college student Anita Knutson was found murdered in her off-campus apartment in Minot, North Dakota police have made an arrest in her case. As of February 10, 2022, 27 secretaries of state were born in the state where they were serving, while 12 secretaries of state were born elsewhere. At the time, she was Knutson's roommate. MINOT, N.D. - Your News Leader is learning new details about the suspect charged in Anita Knutson's 2007 death, including a prior incident of bail jumping. No items, including valuables, were missing from the apartment, suggesting theft was not a motive, Talbott said. The Minot State University student was found face down in her bed and had two stab wounds to the chest, according to court documents.Rice was arrested in March at the Minot Air Force Base where she worked as a civilian.Rice was always a person of interest, but until this year there had not been enough evidence to arrest her, Minot Police Chief John Klug said at the time she was taken into custody.Besides the work of his investigators, Klug credited help from "Cold Justice," a television series that sends its detectives to work alongside local law enforcement on unsolved homicide cases.According to the affidavit, investigators had been told that Rice had admitted to the murder, but that the person or people that heard the admission were unknown. Klug said in the past, staffing and timing issues prevented the department from focusing as needed on the cold case murder. But I would say she was always a person of interest in this case.. It was good to know that finally the one case that weve had hanging out there that we just could not get to a solution, was finally over., Nichole Rice, Anita Knutson Murder Suspect: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. She was arrested at the Minot Air Force Base, where she works, the Minot Daily News reports. Becher would bolster his argument by citing a number of reports from prior investigators and even analysts from the FBI who theorized that Hall was the most likely suspect to have broken in and killed Knutson. The full affidavit of probable cause can be read here. As Nichole Rice's defense team waited to enter the courtroom, Rice and her husband, Dallas, entered the courtroom, hand in hand. P*@ T P*px>]Ip*@ She was covered with a robe and had two stab wounds that caused her to bleed to death, according to a criminal complaint filed against Rice. The chief did not get into details about what led them to Rice or a motive. She pleaded guilty and was ordered to complete 30 hours of community service, one year of unsupervised probation, and to pay $380 in fees. He told police he hadnt heard from his daughter in days, which was unusual, police said. Rice, who was Knutson's roommate at the time of her death, is charged with murder and is being held at the Ward County Jail, police said. So to me, this was a young girl with a great future that was taken away from her family way too soon. After nearly 15 years, police have arrested a suspect in the 2007 killing of 18-year-old Anita Knutson in Minot, North Dakota. MINOT (AP) A woman accused of fatally stabbing her roommate 15 years ago in Minot pleaded not guilty Thursday after a judge determined there was sufficient evidence to send her to trial on felony murder. Witness 1 said that Nichole told her details about the scene that would not have been known to Nichole or anyone outside of the investigation team. P*@. < Nichole Rice, born Nichole Erin Thomas was charged with murder, a class AA felony in North Dakota. The court issued a bench warrant for her arrest after she failed to appear in court and had not paid the $451.01 in fines and fees by the due date. In Thursdays hearing, Becher said regarding that particular tip, Rice said someone might blame her for the murder, not that she did it.. Current Minot Police Chief John Klug was the arresting officer at the time and wrote in his report that Hall had said, Ive been in a lot of houses here.. Editors Note: This article was updated to include information about Rices first court appearance. Rice will be back in court April 21 for her preliminary hearing and arraignment. The story is developing, and police have . I must also thank all of the officers, the staff and everybody else at the Minot Police Department who has picked up the slack while everybody else has been busy working this case.. Many people wanted to be close to Anita. Rice is charged with Class AA murder in the June 2007 stabbing death of Knutson, who was a childhood friend and her roommate at the time. About a month before her death, Knutson had her father install a lock on her bedroom door, saying she "didn't feel safe" without it, Talbott said. Charles Crane/MDN Anita Knutson was an 18-year-old Minot State University student when she was stabbed to death. Rice is being held at the Ward County Jail without bond. Video Nichole rice minot nd. #5 in Minot, North Dakota, Rice, then Nichole Thomas, was 19. She has also gone by Nichole Bakken. A pocketknife with dried blood on it was found on the bed, close to the wall and open window. Police said nothing was disturbed beneath the window, and it did not appear anyone went through the window., According to the affidavit, A number of individuals indicated that there was a lot of tension between Anita and Nichole. In making the announcement, Minot Police Chief John Klug said, Although most of the detectives who worked the original scene and investigation have retired, we have not forgotten about this case. The chief went on to say Rice was always considered a person of interest. The birthplace of eight secretaries of state was unknown. 1. Today's breaking news and more in your inbox. On March 17, at Rices initial hearing for the murder of Knutson, the states attorneys argued for a $1 million bail on the basis of similar cases being set at that amount, but did not mention Rices failure to appear in 2012. If you feel you have received this message in error, please contact the customer support team at 1-833-248-7801. Judge Richard Hager determined there was probable cause that Nichole Erin Rice, then 19, stabbed Anita Knutson, 18, at their apartment in early June 2007 and left her face down in bed, according to The Form of Fargo-Moorhead. Includes Address (21) Phone (5) Email (3) See Results. Investigators in North Dakota have made an arrest in the cold case murder of an 18-year-old Minot State University student in 2007. At about 3:25 p.m. 34-year-old Nichole Rice was arrested for murder and taken to our county jail. P("cP*@@SST Becher said the man was arrested June 11, 2007, in Minot after he entered an apartment and was found hiding with a knife. P*@ T Now 34, Rice was a civilian worker at Minot Air Force . Ultimately, youre looking back at at least dozens, probably over 100 statements that were taken., Klug told reporters, Really there hasnt been a lot of changes from the original investigation. Klug said detectives Carmen Asham and Mikali Talbott were most recently assigned to investigate the case. For nearly 15 years, Anita Knutson's family anxiously waited for North Dakota authorities to identify a suspect in the brutal murder of the 18-year-old Minot State University student inside her . Minot Police Department, Facebook. Nichole Rice is a North Dakota woman arrested in the 2007 cold case murder of her roommate. Talbotts testimony highlighted various facts and evidence from the scene that indicate the killer had access to Knutsons apartment in Minot, as well as a number of discrepancies in Rices statements and alibi for the night of the murder. MINOT, N.D. (KMOT) - Nichole Rice, the woman charged with murder in the 2007 killing of Anita Knutson in Minot, has pleaded not guilty. Judge Richard Hagar set Rice's bond at $120,000 cash or $250,000 for a surety bond. MINOT, N.D. Since Nichole Rice pleaded not guilty to the murder of Anita Knutson, which sent the case to trial, Rice's pretrial conference has been rescheduled twice now.The Ward County Clerk's office says it's likely the pretrial conference has been pushed back repeatedly because of the amount of evidence being submitted by the state and the defense. The police chief credits the tv show Cold Justice, which assists in unsolved homicide cases, with resources and experts in being able to solve the case. Statements received from Nichole were inconsistent and contradicted each other. Due to the resources, logistics, planning and experts they were able to provide, we were able to obtain an arrest warrant,. The checks were for the amounts of $51.19 and $29.82 respectively. |*bT |jT . 3,884 court search results for people named "Nicole Thomas" in the United States. On March 16, Rice was arrested for the 2007 murder of her then-roommate, Anita . \FOy Shalom Baer Gee. She wrote on Facebook she is a, Mom of 1 Married to my best friend. Nichole and Kevin Thomas, Nicholes father, previously told officers that Nichole was at her parents house from approximately 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 2 until the morning of June 4, 2007. So many exciting things to come! Minot police arrested Rice Wednesday. Find your friends on Facebook. endobj |T 4 0 obj Welcome to Nichole Thomas and Dallas Rice's Wedding Website! \FOy But said Rice was never officially ruled out as a suspect in Knutsons murder. Talbott also introduced a statement from a man that heard Rice make a drunken confession while at a party. Judge Richard Hagar has an off the record conversation with the defense and prosecution at the beginning of Nichole Erin Rices preliminary hearing. Section 38-08-08 (1), N.D.C.C., does not require allocation of oil and gas production from one spacing unit to another. One witness told police Rice was at a bar in Ruso, North Dakota, about 40 miles south of Minot, that Saturday night into Sunday morning, and when she left the bar, Rice said she was going back to her apartment to get some clothes. Its always a friendly competition, the page says. Prosecutors suspect Knutson was killed either June 2 or June 3, 2007, according to the complaint. . She is associated with being involved in the murder of her roommate, Anita Knutson. Nichole Erin Rice, 34, appeared Thursday, Sept. 8, in Ward County District Court on a Class AA felony murder charge in connection with the 2007 death of her 18-year-old roommate, Anita Knutson. It was a relief. That marriage lasted from June 2, 2010, to March 15, 2013. MINOT, N.D. - The woman charged with AA-felony intentional murder in the 15 . Minot Police Chief John Klug said Rice was never ruled out as a suspect and remained a person of interest during the investigation. 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