Jury Convicts State Senator in Break-In at Stepmother’s Home

Jul 19

A jury on Friday found State Senator Nicole Mitchell guilty of felony first-degree burglary and possession of burglary tools after a break-in at her stepmother’s Detroit Lakes home.

Mitchell was arrested in the early morning hours of April 22, 2024, after her stepmother, Carol Mitchell, called 911 to report someone crawling on the floor of her bedroom.

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Officers with the Detroit Lakes Police Department arrived to find Mitchell in the basement, dressed in black with a flashlight tucked into her waistband.

The senator told police she had gone to the house to retrieve items belonging to her late father and later claimed it was also a welfare check due to concerns over Carol’s mental health. Her defense attorneys maintained she was acting out of care, citing Carol’s diagnosis of Alzheimer’s and insisting there was no intent to commit a crime. But jurors sided with prosecutors, who argued Mitchell’s actions were deliberate, unlawful, and driven by unresolved family conflict.

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“If somebody believes she was there to steal, she never would have gone upstairs,” defense attorney Bruce Ringstrom Jr. told jurors during closing arguments. “Going upstairs means welfare check.”

Prosecutors said otherwise. “Rod Mitchell’s sudden passing was shocking and an ignition point to an already delicate relationship between the defendant and Carol Mitchell,” said Becker County Attorney Brian McDonald. “But disputes are settled in court, not with crowbars.”

Body camera footage played during the trial showed Carol Mitchell demonstrating how she found the senator crawling by her bed. Jurors also heard from Detroit Lakes Police Chief Steven Todd, who acknowledged that officers had failed to preserve all evidence and didn’t obtain warrants for Mitchell’s phone or car. Carol Mitchell, who testified during the trial, appeared confused at times and struggled to recall specific details. Testimony about her condition was mixed—one relative downplayed health concerns, while another supported the defense’s claim of worsening symptoms.

The trial began Monday with jury selection, and opening arguments were presented Tuesday. After closing arguments concluded Friday morning, jurors began deliberating around 12:40 p.m. and returned with a verdict just after 4 p.m.

Following the verdict, Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy said the outcome “brings clarity to the situation,” adding that Mitchell had previously told colleagues she would resign if convicted and said she expects her to follow through. Senate Republican Leader Mark Johnson called Mitchell’s continued presence in the legislature a “stain” and said she should be expelled if she does not resign.

Mitchell’s sentencing date has not yet been announced.

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