Crime

15 Years After N.D. College Student Was Stabbed to Death in Her Apartment, Police Charge Roommate with Murder

Anita Knutson, a student at Minot State University, was found stabbed to death in her apartment on June 4, 2007

Published on March 17, 2022 05:09 PM

North Dakota police have arrested a woman who they say killed a 18-year-old college student in her apartment.

Anita Knutson, a student at Minot State University, was found stabbed to death in her apartment on June 4, 2007. According to NBC News, she had been stabbed multiple times, and a bloody knife had been left behind in a sink.

Adding to the mystery: The apartment's front door had been locked, and her roommate claimed to be gone for the weekend. Nothing seemed to be missing from the apartment, but the screen from Knutson's bedroom window had been slashed.

For nearly 15 years, the case has remained open. Authorities have long said that Knutson's roommate, Nichole Rice, was a person of interest, but they didn't have enough evidence for an arrest.

On Wednesday, the Minot Police Department announced that Nichole Rice had been taken into custody and charged with Felony Intentional Murder. Now 34, Rice was a civilian worker at Minot Air Force base when she was arrested without incident.

In a Wednesday evening news conference, Minot Police chief John Klug said that the arrest was a relief. "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."

"There was never enough to arrest [Rice], but I would say she was always a person of interest in this case," Klug said. "I wish we could have solved this sooner but at the same time I'm glad to say that we have the person responsible for the murder of Anita Knutson in custody."

PEOPLE confirms that Rice is being held without bond. She has not yet entered a plea and online arrest records do not reflect an attorney authorized to speak on her behalf.