Where is Nichole Rice now? Details explored ahead of Dateline on NBC
Nichole Rice’s connection to the Anita Knutson murder case continues to draw national attention nearly two decades later. On May 2, 2025, Dateline will revisit the chilling events that began in June 2007 when 18-year-old Knutson was found fatally stabbed in her locked apartment in Minot, North Dakota.
Early leads did not result in charges, and the case went cold for over 15 years. In March 2022, however, Nichole Rice was arrested after renewed investigations highlighted troubling details, including allegations that she had previously confessed to the crime.
The trial that followed in 2025 revealed conflicting narratives. While prosecutors argued that Rice had motive and opportunity, the defense emphasized a lack of direct evidence. Ultimately, a jury found Nichole Rice not guilty.
Since her acquittal, Nichole has largely remained out of the public eye. In terms of current status and whereabouts, very little has been publicly disclosed since the trial.
As per the Minot Daily News report dated April 26, 2025, Rice was living in North Dakota at the time of her arrest and trial and working on Minot’s Air Force Base and residing in the Minot area, and it’s presumed she has returned to her home region after the acquittal.
Nichole Rice and the Anita Knutson murder case: Arrest, trial, and acquittal
The tragic murder of 18-year-old Minot State University student Anita Knutson remained unsolved for over fifteen years, casting a shadow over the community of Minot, North Dakota. On June 4, 2007, Anita was found fatally stabbed in her locked apartment, with no clear signs of forced entry or robbery.
The front door, which needed a key to lock from outside, indicated that only someone with access, such as Anita, her roommate Nichole, or a maintenance worker, could have secured it.
At the time, police quickly identified Nichole Rice (then Nichole Thomas) as a person of interest, citing tension between the roommates and her detached behavior when questioned.
Despite these suspicions, the investigation stalled. Other potential suspects, including a maintenance worker who later died by suicide and a friend living out of state, were eventually ruled out. For more than a decade, the case remained cold until a new team took over in 2019.
Assisted by Cold Justice, Minot Police reexamined the evidence, concluding that the crime scene appeared staged. This revived scrutiny placed Rice back at the center of the investigation, as per the Minot Daily News report dated April 26, 2025.
Nichole Rice was arrested in 2022, and the trial began
The renewed efforts resulted in Nichole Rice’s arrest on March 16, 2022, while she was employed at Minot Air Force Base. Police publicly credited Cold Justice for their assistance during a press conference, as per a KFYR-TV report dated March 17, 2022.
Charged with Class AA felony murder, Rice was released on bond and awaited trial. During the trial, which began in March 2025, prosecutors presented a case built entirely on circumstantial evidence. They emphasized alleged confessions Nichole Rice made over the years to friends and acquaintances.
For example, former acquaintance Kristina Holler testified that Rice admitted during a party in 2008 that she and Anita had argued, which ended fatally. Prosecutors also pointed to hostile text messages and testimony about disputes between the roommates over daily annoyances.
However, the defense, led by Richard Sand, argued that no direct evidence tied Rice to the crime. He noted that male DNA found at the scene did not belong to Rice and criticized the investigation as flawed. Sand also claimed that media coverage, particularly from Cold Justice, influenced public perception and pressured authorities into making an arrest.
On March 27, 2025, after five to six hours of deliberation, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty. Nichole Rice broke down in tears as she was acquitted, ending a trial that had attracted national attention.
Where is Nichole Rice now?
Following her acquittal, Nichole Rice withdrew from the public eye. While she was living in North Dakota at the time of her trial, little information about her current whereabouts has been shared publicly. Rice has focused on returning to private life. She is married and has a young daughter, and it is presumed she remains in the region.
Nichole has not commented publicly since her acquittal, nor has her legal team indicated any plans for future civil action. Dateline’s two-hour special, Murder in Minot, airing on May 2, 2025, explores the entire case, including interviews with Anita’s family and law enforcement. Notably, Nichole Rice declined to participate in the program.
While Rice is free and legally cleared, the murder of Anita Knutson remains unresolved.
Stay tuned for more updates.
