Testimony continues in the Nichole Rice murder trial, as prosecutors work to build their case against the woman accused of killing her college roommate, Anita Knutson, nearly two decades ago in Minot.
On Wednesday, key witnesses took the stand, including the apartment manager, who testified that only Rice and Knutson had keys to the locked apartment where Knutson was found stabbed to death.
Three Minot police officers also testified, with the defense raising other potential suspects during cross-examination. However, investigators detailed why each was ruled out, including a man delivering newspapers near the scene and another suspect arrested for rape around the same time.
The trial, which was moved to Grand Forks due to pretrial publicity, comes after Rice’s 2022 arrest, shortly after a national crime show profiled the case. The Minot Police Department said they agreed to participate in the program due to staffing shortages, which had limited their ability to investigate the cold case.
With about a quarter of the prosecution’s witnesses now having testified, the trial is expected to continue through next week.
