GRAND FORKS, ND – After a week of testimony and years of speculation, Nichole Rice has been found not guilty in the 2007 stabbing death of Anita Knutson. The verdict, delivered today by a Grand Forks County jury, brings a dramatic conclusion to a case that remained unsolved for nearly 15 years before Rice’s 2022 arrest.
Rice, 36, had been charged with Class AA felony murder, accused of killing her then-roommate Knutson in their northwest Minot apartment in June 2007. However, the jury deliberated for 5 hours and 25 minutes before reaching a not guilty verdict, signaling that prosecutors had not met the burden of proof required for conviction.
Throughout the trial, the prosecution pointed to alleged inconsistent statements from Rice and an ex-boyfriend’s claim that she drunkenly confessed to the murder years after the fact. However, the defense successfully argued that there was no direct forensic evidence linking Rice to the crime, that the confessions were unverified, and that law enforcement had failed to explore other possible suspects in the years following the murder.
The verdict comes nearly three years after Rice’s initial arrest and follows a lengthy pretrial process filled with motions, postponements, and a change in venue due to concerns over public bias.
What’s next? With Rice now cleared of all charges, questions remain over whether the case will be reopened to pursue other leads. The nearly 17 year old case remains unsolved.
