No one has been arrested or charged for the crime, a fact that has been festering with family members and law enforcement alike who would like an answer, closure, to who is responsible for the murder.

Numerous suspects have been investigated and interviewed, some multiple times. The lengthy list includes a maintenance man, roommate, roofing workers, a jogger, dance partners, college students, a group of Spanish-speaking men and others. Police continue to check every possible lead but, thus far, without any favorable results. The mystery of who killed Anita Knutson remains painfully unsolved.

The case has attracted the attention of crime watchers throughout the country. There was even a caller in Los Angeles County who responded to a crime show and speculated that Knutson’s killer could have been the deadly work of the infamous “Chiller Killer,” Michael Gargiulo. Gargiulo is believed to have killed 10 or more women from Illinois to California.

Today Gargiulo is behind bars in California, but he wasn’t during the time of the Knutson murder. Local investigators are well aware of Gargiulo though, especially since he cruelly stabbed his victims multiple times with a knife and had no apparent motive other than the sick satisfaction of killing. No robbery. No sexual assault.

This constant reminder of the unsolved Anita Knutson murder case remains on a small bookcase at the Minot Police Department, where it is viewed by officers several times a day. Kim Fundingsland/MDN

Knutson died from knife wounds. She was found on her bed in her northwest Minot apartment. The door was locked. The screen was cut and placed outside the apartment. A small, blood-stained knife was found in a sink. There was no evidence of robbery or sexual assault. The deadly work of the “Chiller Killer”?

Police say no, not to their knowledge. Their extensive investigation, and the exhaustive work of other law enforcement agencies throughout the country, has never placed the serial killer Gargiulo in North Dakota. Someone else, investigators believe, is responsible Knutson’s death. But who?

“It is something that haunts you,” said Dave Goodman, Minot Police investigator. “There’s a constant daily reminder in our office. There’s a case file on a book shelf with Anita’s picture on it. We walk by that several times a day and are reminded that this is a major case, a major unsolved case. We don’t like that. We don’t want to retire with the Knutson case unsolved. It bothers a lot of us.”

Goodman is the lead investigator on the Knutson case. He is also one of the few remaining Minot Police officers who were involved with the Knutson case from the beginning and is the third lead investigator.

“We’ve looked at the case over and over again the past 10 years. The case is still open,” said Goodman. “We’re equally frustrated as the community is. We are still looking at different ideas of how to investigate the case.”

According to Goodman, no one has been cleared in the case, which he says has produced a “large circle” of possible suspects. At times the number of suspects has been narrowed but police have never been able to build what they would consider a provable case against anyone.

“We didn’t have the evidence to support our suspicions or our theories at that time so we have to look again at the whole big circle,” explained Goodman.

Knutson didn’t show up for her work shift at a Minot hotel on a Saturday. Her body was discovered the following Monday. A coroner ruled the time of her death as Sunday. Her whereabouts on Saturday remains a mystery, especially since she was known to be prompt and reliable. Had she been able to report to work on Saturday she would have done so say investigators and family members.

“It’s odd and something that we’re aware of,” stated Goodman. “Do we have an answer to that? We have theories of what could have taken place. That’s one of the things on the list that doesn’t quite make sense. I wish I had an answer for that.”

“She was so responsible. It didn’t make sense that she didn’t go to work. She always did,” said Karen Leier, an aunt who was very close to Knutson and who continues to keep Knutson’s memory alive.

“Do I think it will be solved?” asked Leier. “I’m of the belief that somebody has to come forward with knowledge. We loved her and she was close to me. She was just a sweetheart. I’m not going to give up no matter what, as long as I am able.”

Have investigators talked to the killer? They don’t think so, but cannot definitely rule out the possibility. Doing so would hamper their investigation.

“It’s a possibility that we’ve talked to the killer,” said Capt. John Klug, Minot PD. “I don’t think you can ever say, until we solve it, that we talked to him right out of the chute. I don’t second guess what has been done. Technology, investigative tools, techniques have all changed a little bit. Ultimately, for every one of us, we ask what else can we do? What can be done to solve this case, not just for us but for the family to give them the closure that they need for what happened to their daughter.”

Investigators say they have DNA taken from the crime scene, likely from the murder weapon, a small knife, left behind by the killer. What investigators won’t say is how large the DNA sample is and how complete it is. Also unknown is what the DNA has been compared to, such as a known data base.

Klug described DNA evidence as “a kind of tricky thing” adding that “there’s been rumors on both sides that we have DNA or we don’t have DNA. Maybe that’s a question we leave out there.”

Releasing all evidence to the public is not something investigators do. A bit of evidence here and there perhaps, but always holding enough in reserve to secure their investigative process and ensure definitive results. Regardless of whether a sufficient sample of DNA was gathered from the crime scene, police say they have plenty of other evidence.

“The crime scene told us a lot as far as what we were looking at,” said Goodman. “I can tell you we processed the crime scene and collected evidence. The crime scene told us a lot about what type of crime we were looking at. I feel we know the motivation behind the crime.”

Goodman didn’t elaborate on what he believes is a possible motive for Knutson’s murder. He has been careful not to jeopardize his investigation while, at the same time, releasing as much information about the murder to the public that he feels is appropriate.

“I wish I could share everything. We want to solve this but we have to be careful what we say,” explained Goodman. “We haven’t forgotten about her and I don’t know that we will ever forget about her. We are continuing to look into things.”

A rule of thumb for investigators is that the best window in which to solve crimes, or at least determine a person or persons of interest, is in the first 48 hours. However, many crimes are solved outside of that time-frame as well. Police still anticipate they will receive a meaningful lead in the Knutson case. They just don’t know when.

“As people get older they start thinking, ‘I don’t want to die with this on my conscience.’ Maybe it’s a dying declaration,” said Klug. “There are a number of things that could break the case. It might be somebody that hears a story or a friend that confides in them. The important part for us is keeping it out there front and center.”

Leier agrees.

“All we can do is keep trying. I sort of have that way about me,” remarked Leier. “Not everybody likes it or appreciates it. I don’t really care. I believe we have to keep her name out there and just keep doing it.”

In the end, if and when the case is solved, it will likely be due to someone coming forward with a lead. It could be a story, something overheard in a conversation or something seen.

“There’s not any information that’s out there that’s not worth our time,” said Klug. “Anybody with information, if they know anybody connected with Anita, that might help us.”

Goodman says he has learned that some people have the feeling that what they have to say isn’t important and couldn’t possibly help in the search for Knutson’s killer. However, says Goodman, even a tiny bit of seemingly immaterial information could mean a lot to investigators.

“Please, spend our time. Come and discuss it with us,” urged Goodman. “We’ll decide whether it is important. We’d be happy to do that.”

“Please, solve it. We don’t care who solves it. We just want it solved,” added Klug.

A new director at the State Crime Lab has been looking into the evidence in the Knutson case and has brought a new approach to the investigation. Furthermore, advances continue to be made in ways to evaluate physical evidence, such as DNA. But, in the end, say investigators, it is a tip from the public that could blow the investigation wide open, help put a murderer behind bars and provide closure for a grieving family.