Minn. man accused of killing his co-worker after she allegedly turned down his romantic advances
11/02/2022 3:15 pm PDT
ST. CLOUD, Minn. (TCD) -- A 36-year-old man was arrested after he allegedly shot his co-worker in the neck after she continued to turn down his romantic propositions.
According to St. Cloud Police Department, on Oct. 24 at 6:59 a.m., officers received a call about a shooting in the parking lot of a business on the 400 block of Lincoln Avenue NE. When they arrived, police found a 28-year-old woman deceased from an apparent gunshot wound. Officers reportedly attempted lifesaving measures, but she was declared dead at the scene.
Police identified the suspect as Michael Jordan Carpenter and located him at a residence in Sauk Rapids at 9:50 a.m. He was taken into custody for questioning and St. Cloud Police recovered a gun while arresting him. Carpenter was booked into the Benton County Jail for second-degree murder.
The victim was later identified as Nicole Hammond.
According to court documents cited the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Carpenter and Hammond worked together at a textile business. The night before she was killed, Hammond reportedly told Carpenter in text messages that she "did not want to be touched by" him.
KARE-TV, which cites the probable cause affidavit, reports Hammond also said she did not want him to "make things uncomfortable at work." Carpenter had reportedly been pursuing Hammond romantically over the last month, but she rebuffed him.
Hammond’s obituary states she felt "very proud" that she was "in the process of starting her own jewelry business."
She "enjoyed working on her car" with her father, as well as "hiking, kayaking, photography, beading, traveling and the ocean."
Carpenter’s bail is reportedly set at $4 million.
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