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College student's cold case murder file shows no leads after acquittal

On March 26, 2025, a jury found Nichole Rice not guilty, and the Minot Police Department says the investigation now appears closed in Minot, North Dakota.
After renewed interviews in 2022, investigators refocused on Nichole Rice, noting reported drunken confessions to at least two people and text messages showing long-running animosity.
Forensic testing turned up two black hairs from Knutson’s hand, a cut window screen likely staged, and a Fury 'Sitting Bull' 4.25-inch knife traced to Montana, while DNA was compared with at least 36 people without a conclusive match.
Minot police said investigators have exhausted leads but remain hopeful for new credible information, and T. Kvigne, spokesperson for the Minot Police Department, expressed commitment to justice and sympathy for Anita Knutson's family.
Decades of attention have not produced a conviction, and investigators warn the case may never be solved, despite FBI help and tips from billboards and national media; a Native American 17-year-old suspect was not prosecuted for the murder.

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Duluth News Tribune

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College student's cold case murder file shows no leads after acquittal

MINOT, ND — Anita Knutson’s murder nearly 19 years ago may never be solved. The only person officially charged with her killing was found not guilty in March 2025, and cannot be charged for the same crime twice. The case is closed. Investigators have exhausted their leads, but remain hopeful for new “credible information,” T. Kvigne, spokesperson for the Minot Police Department, told Forum News Service. “At this time, with the not guilty verdict…

14 hours ago·Cherokee County, United States

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