Man shoots, kills co-worker who rejected his advances, MN cops say. He’s prison bound

A man has been sentenced to life in prison in the death of a co-worker who rejected his repeated advances, Minnesota authorities say.

Michael Carpenter, a 38-year-old convicted in August of first-degree premeditated murder and second-degree intentional murder, will not be eligible for parole, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced.

He was sentenced nearly two years after his co-worker, 28-year-old Nicole Hammond, was found dead in a puddle of blood outside her workplace, according to the St. Cloud Police Department. Hammond had been been shot in the neck.

An investigation revealed that in the month that preceded her death, Hammond “repeatedly” rejected Carpenter’s advances, McClatchy News reported. On the night before the Oct. 24, 2022, shooting, she texted him saying she did not want to be touched or manipulated by him, police said.

Carpenter was seen by one witness jogging to his vehicle and driving away after the shooting, police said. A second witness saw him putting on the same clothes officers later found him in, according to the affidavit.

Carpenter told investigators he ran toward Hammond’s car when he heard the gunshot, but ran away when he was “way too traumatized” after seeing her body, court records show.

“He didn’t render aid, go to work, nor did he call 9-1-1,” police said.

The CEO of Dubow Textile, where Carpenter and Hammond worked, said staff “had zero clue there (were) any troubles” between the workers, KSTP reported.

Ellison said in a statement he was pleased Carpenter was held “fully accountable for the crime he committed.”

“My thoughts are with Nicole Hammond’s friends, family, and community today,” he said in a statement. “Nicole was a talented, kind, and caring soul who loved art and nature. She will be missed by many.”

Hammond was in the process of starting her own jewelry business, according to her obituary.

“Nikki was a very talented writer and also enjoyed working on her car with her father, Steve,” the obituary said. “Nikki loved hiking, kayaking, photography, beading, traveling and the ocean.”

St. Cloud is about a 70-mile drive northwest from Minneapolis.

This story was originally published September 23, 2024 at 8:15 AM with the headline "Man shoots, kills co-worker who rejected his advances, MN cops say. He’s prison bound."