34-year-old Nichole Rice, formerly Nichole Thomas, was taken into custody while she was working as a civilian on Minot Air Force Base. P*@ T He said that staffing issues and lack of resources interfered with achieving a breakthrough in the case in the past. endstream It was her second marriage. Items underneath the window were not disturbed, suggesting the window was not used to gain entry, but rather the suspect entered through the locked front door, Talbott said. North Dakota, about 40 miles south of Minot, that Saturday night into Sunday morning, and when she left the bar . B EOET The Minot Police Department said that Nichole Rice, 34, was . It was a relief. P*PTI QeT The States case also relies on a DNA sample collected from the murder weapon. Former roommate arrested in 2007 stabbing death of North Dakota woman. The sample was too small to be tested against the law enforcement database, but could be analyzed with other samples side by side. P*@ T Page 6 of 1295. Many people wanted to be close to Anita. County records show at the time, Rices last name was Bakken, her first husbands family name. 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. One friend heard Nichole say to Anita, prior to her murder, One way or another Im going to get you (Anita) out of this house.'. As Nichole Rice's defense team waited to enter the courtroom, Rice and her husband, Dallas, entered the courtroom, hand in hand. MINOT, N.D. - The woman charged with AA-felony intentional murder in the 15 . Although most of the detectives who worked the original scene and the investigation have retired, we have not forgotten about this case. Rice was Anitas roommate at the time of her murder. Anita Knutson Photo: Minot Police Department. She was working at Minot Air Force Base as a civilian employee at the time of . Nichole Rice is in custody and is believed to have been responsible for the 2007 murder, Minot police said in a press conference. |jT Im that girlIm not a criminal. She said she is a victim tooThis has changed my life foreverand I still hurtI focus as much as I can on knowing the people that know me and know what kind of person I am know I wouldnt hurt anyone.But Ill never be able to change those otehr peoples feelings., Nichole Rice, born Nichole Erin Thomas, has been married since December 2021 and has an adolescent daughter, her Instagram shows. NicoleRice. March 17, 2022. We tried to actively investigate Anitas case for the past few years and finally, with the help from Cold Justice, we were able to move forward and regain focus. P(*OsP*@@USU6T Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. See Photos. The North Dakota Supreme Court will not answer certified questions absent development of the factual record because doing so exposes the court to the danger of improvidently deciding issues. 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. |T MINOT, N.D. (KFYR) UPDATE 4:35 p.m.: Minot Police said they have arrested 34-year-old Nichole Rice, a former roommate of Knutson's, on a AA-felony charge of murder, in Knutson's death. They worked alongside Det. Police said a cut window screen may have been staged to make it appear the killing was a break-in. "It was a relief," Klug said of the arrest. P*@U*p*@ EOET P*@ T Rice, who also goes by Nikki Rice, studied cosmetology and has also worked as a hair stylist, according to her now-deleted Facebook page. Knutsons body was found by her father in the northwest Minot apartment she shared with Rice. MINOT, N.D. (KFGO) - Minot police have announced the arrest of a woman who they believe killed her roommate 15 years ago. Becher also said ticketing information from Amtrak indicated the man had arrived in Minot from Montana the day before and suggested he could have been present to commit the murder. Nichole Rice is a North Dakota woman arrested in the 2007 cold case murder of her roommate. her MINOT, N.D. (KVRR) The murder of an 18-year-old Minot State University student in 2007 is no longer a mystery. "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. Nichole Rice is a North Dakota woman arrested in the 2007 cold case murder of her roommate. Rice will be back in court April 21 for her preliminary hearing and arraignment. Nichole Rice to make initial appearance Thursday on charge in 2007 killing of Anita Knutson. As previously reported, the victim's father Gordon . 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. 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. x+TT(T0 B3C#sK#TpL3C=S3R2=s k ) reportedly fought with the victim, telling her once that she was going to get the victim out of their apartment, according to court documents. Includes Address (21) Phone (5) Email (3) See Results. Those interviewed recalled conflicts over an alarm clock and a fish tank, as well as Rice calling Knutson derogatory names to others. Log In. Reached by phone, Rice's father declined to comment. P*PTM WQUT Rice is being held at the Ward County Jail without bond. Anita Knutson was an 18-year-old Minot State University student when she was stabbed to death. Living in an apartment with a roommate, Anita was working two jobs and excited about summer break. |jT Shalom Baer Gee. 34-year-old Nichole Rice . Ward County States Attorney Rozanna Christine Larsons office said in a statement, The States Attorneys Office declines to provide too many details in this matter, as we prefer to try the case in a court of law rather than in the court of public opinion. BISMARCK - United States Attorney Christopher C. Myers announced that on April 3, 2019, Nicole Marie Rogers, age 31, from Minot, ND, was charged by Indictment with two counts of Bank Fraud, Possession of Stolen Mail, and Aggravated Identity Theft.. Roger's initial appearance was before Magistrate Judge Alice R. Senechal, on March 26, 2019. Nichole stated she and Anita were best friends and she has never complained about Anita to anyone. And detectives Asham and Talbott did that. Those statements have changed several times and contradict each other. << /Type /XObject /Subtype /Image /Width 1696 /Height 2200 /Interpolate true Rice, then Nichole Thomas, was 19. According to the Ward County Sheriffs Department, Rice posted bond on Thursday evening. I really liked her, I know u 2 had yor ups and downs, no different they any of the other in yor class. She said when they make an arrest, it will be a much needed relief 4 everyone., Nichole Rice replied, Its just hard being the person everyone looks at. Anita Knutson was an 18-year-old Minot State University student when she was stabbed to death. P*@. < So its just a lot of time-consuming work and dedication to the community and Anita and the family., The chief added, Its unnerving to know that somebody is out there that murdered somebody and in this case there was not one person who had anything bad to say about Anita. Due to the resources, logistics, planning and experts they were able to provide, we were able to obtain an arrest warrant,. Log in or sign up for Facebook to connect with friends, family and people you know. She was scheduled to make her first court appearance on March 17, 2022. Rice, then Nichole Thomas, was 19. 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 was wearing only a pink bathrobe and had two stab wounds to the chest that caused her to bleed to death, according to court testimony and a criminal complaint filed against Rice. In June of 2007, after not hearing from Anita, Gordon Knutson grew worried about his oldest daughter. Minot Police Chief John Klug said Rice was never ruled out as a suspect and remained a person of interest during the investigation. The screen on the window in Knutsons bedroom had been cut open and was found face down on her bed with multiple stab wounds. endobj If you have any further information about Anitas case, please call the Minot Police Department at (701) 852-0111. The Minot Police Department said that Nichole Rice, 34, was in custody. He could not immediately be reached for comment by Heavy. Rice was Anita's roommate at the time of her murder. Knutson, a Minot State University student, was found dead on Monday, June 4, 2007, face-down in her bed at her and Rices northwest Minot apartment. Due to the resources, logistics and planning they were able to provide, we were able to obtain an arrest warrant for Nichole Rice, Klug said. P m*@ T I wish we could have solved this sooner, but at the same time, Im glad to say that we have the person responsible for the murder of Anita Knutson in custody.. Police in North Dakota said Wednesday they have arrested a woman who was the former roommate of an 18-year-old college student who was killed nearly 15 years ago. 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. Another person told investigators that Rice called her roommate derogatory terms, according to court documents. Rice is charged with Class AA murder in . Finally, my heart goes out to the family. View more. That marriage lasted from June 2, 2010, to March 15, 2013. Related To Marcy Thomas, Joe Thomas, E Thomas, J Thomas. Talbott wrote that Knutson had been texting with a friend on Sunday, June 3, 2007. Items near the window were not disturbed, suggesting the window was not used to enter the apartment, according to the complaint. After hearing the prosecutors and defenses arguments, District Judge Richard Hagar set Rices bail at $250,000 surety and $120,000 cash. He testified there was blood found on Knutson's bedroom window screen that had been cut, presumably after Knutson had been stabbed. Select this result to view Dallas Rice's phone number, address, and more. Tx>U5hS*@Ut'9 T)A According to North Dakota state law, the charge carries a potential sentence of life in prison without parole if she is convicted. I dont know that I would say she that she was ever cleared, Klug said. Anita Knutson. \EOWy It also states that Rices statements about where she was the night of the murder were inconsistent, as were her familys statements. by Anne Tyler. The full affidavit of probable cause can be read here. Rices Facebook shows she also spent time working at a car dealership. x]8q+qRc^^ |*bT Rice, who is now a 34-year-old married mother who works as a civilian employee at the Minot Air Force Base, was arrested on Wednesday, March 16, 2022 . stream P*px>]Ap*@ h P*PTM WQUT Judge Richard Hagar set Nichole Rice's bond at $120,000 cash, or a $250,000 surety bond. At the time when her father hadn't heard from her for a few days, which was . P*@. A MOM:T She was arrested at the Minot Air Force Base, where she works, the Minot Daily News reports. However, they didnt have enough evidence to arrest her, Klug said. x>1hR*@etGA T*A Klug did not go into detail about what job Rice had at the Air Force base and the Air Force hasnt commented about her employment status. Civilian employee at the Minot Police Department said that Nichole Rice is a North Dakota woman marriage from! 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