Nichole Rice

GRAND FORKS – The trial of Nichole Rice for the 2007 murder of Anita Knutson cleared the final hurdles Tuesday afternoon and at long last moved forward with opening statements and witness testimony.

Deputy Ward County State’s Attorney Tiffany Sorgen said in her opening statement there had been bad blood between the two roommates, whose relationship had grown toxic leading up to Knutson’s murder. Sorgen acknowledged the distance in time between Knutson’s death and Rice’s arrest but assured the jurors investigators had “found the right person.”

“Nichole Thomas Rice stabbed Anita Knutson twice in the chest, killing her. You’re going to hear from a number of witnesses to establish this timeline,” Sorgen said. “You’re going to hear whispers from the past across the void of time that lead to these charges.”

Rice’s attorney Richard Sand also addressed the jury, saying what happened to Knutson was every family’s nightmare. However, Sand said the charge against his client was driven by pressure on the Minot Police Department and Ward County State’s Attorney to charge a suspect due to the involvement of the “Cold Justice” true crime documentary series.

“They didn’t charge Nichole. They didn’t charge Nichole because she didn’t do it. Nichole got charged after a national media circus descended on Minot,” Sand said.

Sand spent the majority of his opening statement drawing attention to the defense’s alternative suspect Devin Hall, who was identified as a likely suspect in Knutson’s murder in an analysis by the FBI. Sand said his client served as a more interesting suspect versus an individual like Hall, which was an easier sell in the true crime media marketplace.

“The state is going to talk to you about what they call a toxic roommate relationship,” Sand said. “The evidence is going to show that people like Nichole don’t kill people over stuff like that. They don’t shove knives into their sternums. The evidence is going to show you Nichole Rice didn’t do this. This entire case toward Nichole has been an abortion of justice and it can stop now. Anita deserves justice, but justice is out there. It’s not here. This is just a show.”

First witnesses

The state’s first witnesses were Anita Knutson’s adoptive parents, Sharon and Gordon Knutson. Sharon Knutson said she adopted Anita when she was 6 months old and testified regarding her daughter’s schooling and aspirations to become a teacher.

Sharon Knutson said she hadn’t met Nichole Rice before she and Anita moved into their apartment together but spoke to her daughter daily. Knutson also testified regarding the friction between Rice and her daughter, saying at one point Anita asked her father to install a lock on her bedroom door.

Knutson said the last time she spoke with Anita on the phone was Friday, June 1, 2007. After Anita didn’t respond to subsequent calls, Knutson asked her husband to drop by at Anita’s apartment on Monday, June 4, 2007, and check on Anita.

“He called one of my neighbors in Butte and had her come and stay with me while he told me on the phone what he found. He found Anita dead,” Sharon Knutson said.

Gordon Knutson related the events of June 4, 2007. Knutson said he arrived to find the apartment locked and Anita’s vehicle parked outside. Knutson testified he sought out the apartment’s manager to see if they could unlock the door but was informed she could not do that. Knutson said later a maintenance worker informed him that Anita’s apartment had a broken window screen, which led him to peer through the apartment’s bedroom window.

“We walked not to the door but where the window was. I seen Anita. She was just laying in bed just inside the window,” Knutson said. “I told the manager to get the door open. I just went in and the door was open to the bedroom and I walked in. I checked her, and put my hand on her leg and she was cold. I told the landlady to call the police.”

The Knutsons were both briefly cross examined by Sand but were the only witnesses to testify on Tuesday.

Hagar asked the jury to report back at 1 p.m. today, with the morning blocked out for the parties to work out various issues before testimony continues this afternoon.