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North Dakota Cold Case: Who Killed Anita Knutson?
North Dakota does not have many cases that have gone cold. The state’s attorney general website lists 15 cold cases. Unfortunately, the murder of Anita Knutson is listed among these unsolved homicides.
Who Was Anita?
When she was a child, Anita was adopted by Gordon and Sharon Knutson. She had two adopted siblings and seemed close with her parents. It appeared that she was reliable, keeping in touch with her mom regularly. It was strange for Anita not to answer the phone.
When she was 18, Anita began studying at Minot State University. The freshman lived with a roommate in an off-campus apartment, but the relationship between the two was allegedly shaky. They got into at least one physical altercation, but apparently their relationship had been on the mend.
Anita was a hard worker with two jobs while she went to college. She also had a lot of friends.
June 4, 2007
On Friday, June 1, 2007, Anita apparently talked to Sharon. She told her mother she was going home after apparently spending time with a friend. On Sunday and Monday, Sharon tried to call her again. No answer.
The following Monday, Gordon went to his daughter’s apartment to check on her. Nobody answered the door, but Anita’s car was parked there. Gordon tried the door, but it was locked.
Alarmed, Gordon spoke to the manager of the apartment building. She said she couldn’t open the door for him, but they went to Anita’s bedroom window. The screen had been cut, and he could see the body of somebody lying on the bed. The manager let him inside.
Anita’s Death
Anita was found face down in her bed. The mattress and floor underneath, both stained in blood, appeared to be the only things out of place.
Anita had been stabbed and covered with a robe after the fact. Often, covering a body after committing homicide is a sign that the murderer knew the victim. It is often a method of depersonalization.
Police determined that Anita was likely killed on Sunday morning. Some articles have noted that Anita may not have shown up for work on Saturday, so this detail seems questionable.
