Former roommate arrested 15 years after college student Anita Knutson found stabbed to death

Police in North Dakota said Wednesday they have arrested a woman who was the former roommate of an 18-year-old college student who was killed nearly 15 years ago. Anita Knutson, a student at Minot State University, was found stabbed to death in her apartment on June 4, 2007.

The Minot Police Department said that Nichole Rice, 34, was in custody. Rice was at work on Minot Air Force Base as a civilian when she was arrested without incident, Police Chief John Klug said at Wednesday evening news conference.

"It was a relief," Klug said of the arrest.  "It was good to know that finally the one case that we've had hanging out there that we just could not get to a solution was finally over."

Rice, who was Knutson's roommate at the time of her death, is charged with murder and is being held at the Ward County Jail, police said.

There was never enough to arrest her but I would say she was always a person of interest in this case," Klug said when asked if Rice had previously been cleared.

On June 4, 2007, Knutson's father had called the police because he hadn't heard from her in several days, KXNET-TV reported. In the yard outside her apartment, Anita's father showed police a sliced window screen that led to her bedroom window.

When police arrived at the scene, they found Knutson stabbed to death in her bedroom, covered with a large housecoat.

"My heart goes out to the family," Klug said. "I wish we could have solved this sooner but at the same time I'm glad to say that we have the person responsible for the murder of Anita Knutson in custody."