A Minnesota lawyer accused of beating his ex-wife to loss of life in entrance of their kids has been charged with second-degree homicide.
An 8-year-old who witnessed Tuesday’s lethal assault informed officers that his dad and mom had been arguing about whether or not his mom, Carissa Odegaard, may take the kids to church, in keeping with a possible trigger assertion filed in Minnesota’s ninth Judicial District Court docket.
Anders Odegaard, 31, didn’t need her to, the kid informed authorities, in keeping with the grievance. The kid mentioned his dad and mom additionally fought about his 2-year-old brother, whom his mom was holding through the assault, in keeping with the doc.
The couple had 5 kids collectively starting in 2013 and divorced final 12 months, in keeping with a courtroom submitting. Carissa Odeegard was awarded sole bodily custody of the kids, they usually had been each given joint authorized custody.
Anders Odegaard was recognized within the submitting because the state’s lawyer for Mercer County, North Dakota. It wasn’t clear if he nonetheless labored for the workplace. A message searching for remark was not instantly returned.
In keeping with the assertion, the kids had stayed with their father the evening earlier than within the small northern Minnesota metropolis of Warren. When their mom got here to select them up at 5 p.m. the following day, they received right into a struggle that started outdoors and moved into the house, one of many kids informed authorities, in keeping with the assertion.
Anders Odegaard grabbed a knife or spatula and struck his ex-wife, one of many kids mentioned. One other baby informed authorities his dad and mom had been “tackling” one another, and he may see that his mom was minimize, in keeping with the assertion. The boy additionally noticed his father choking his mom, who informed him to name 911, the assertion mentioned.
“There was so much a blood throughout, and he stepped over his mother,” the assertion mentioned. “He mentioned that he did faucet on this mom’s foot, however she did not reply to the contact.”
One of many kids grabbed the 2-year-old from their mom and two of them flagged down a passerby who referred to as 911, in keeping with the assertion.
When deputies arrived at Anders Odegaard’s residence, he was carrying boxer briefs and supplied one response to their questions, “I do not really feel proper,” in keeping with the courtroom doc.
It wasn’t instantly clear if he has a lawyer to talk on his behalf.
Carissa Odegaard was taken to a hospital in Fargo, North Dakota, the place she was discovered to have “no important mind operate.”
Her grandfather informed NBC affiliate KVLY of Fargo on Wednesday that she had died.
