Nichole Rice found not guilty in 2007 Minot State University stabbing

Nichole Rice was found not guilty Wednesday of murdering her Minot State University roommate Anita Knutson in 2007. Rice was accused of stabbing Knutson in her off-campus apartment. After nearly two decades, the trial was relocated to Grand Forks County due to case publicity. The defense argued lack of physical evidence, while prosecutors claimed Rice staged the crime scene and had inconsistent alibis. Rice did not testify in her own defense, and her attorney described the case as “20 years of hearsay.” The jury deliberated for a short period before delivering the not guilty verdict, concluding a long-standing cold case investigation.