Minn. man sentenced for killing co-worker because she rejected him romantically

ST. CLOUD, Minn. (TCN) -- A 38-year-old man will spend the rest of his life behind bars for killing his co-worker in a premeditated attack after she asked him not to touch her.

The Minnesota Attorney General's Office announced Sept. 20 that a judge sentenced Michael Carpenter to the statutory amount of life in prison without parole following his conviction of the first-degree premeditated murder and second-degree intentional murder of Nicole Hammond. Carpenter shot Hammond in the neck "following a text message exchange in which Hammond requested not to be touched by Carpenter."

On Oct. 24, 2022, just before 7 a.m., St. Cloud Police Department officers responded to a business on the 400 block of Lincoln Avenue Northeast regarding a shooting. When they arrived, they found 28-year-old Hammond on the ground in the parking lot with a gunshot wound. She died at the scene.

Police said Carpenter fled the area after the shooting, but he was soon identified as the main suspect and arrested less than three hours later.

According to court records cited by KMSP-TV, on the night before the shooting, Carpenter texted Hammond in an attempt to pursue her romantically, but she turned him down. He had reportedly made similar comments in the month prior. Hammond responded and asked Carpenter "to not make things uncomfortable at work." She also told Carpenter not to "touch her" or "manipulate her."

Hammond's boss told KMSP he had "no idea" about Carpenter bothering Hammond.

KMSP reports Carpenter spoke at his sentencing following her family's victim impact statements and said, "I agree that she was a really amazing person. She was really nice and very caring."

Hammond's mother, Terri Anderson, said she thought Carpenter's comments were "quite shocking," adding, "If she was such an amazing girl to him and a beautiful girl and everything, this shouldn't have happened."

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