Who was Sarah Carda? Minnesota jail nurse fatally shot thrice in the head by her husband at her home
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: A Minnesota woman, who worked as a nurse at the Isanti County jail, was fatally shot thrice in the head at her home in Fish Lake Township, a small town located roughly an hour’s drive up the interstate north of Minneapolis, according to a criminal complaint and probable cause affidavit filed in Chisago County, Fox 9 reports.
Her husband, Mike Larry Carda, 39, stands accused of one count each of murder in the second degree, attempted murder in the second degree, and assault with a dangerous weapon in the second degree.
The victim was killed while a deputy was trying to get inside
On October 6, a sheriff’s deputy was outside the house when Sarah Carda was killed. Law enforcement had been called to the house, and the deputy was standing outside a bedroom window at the time, trying to get inside. The victim had reportedly informed the police about the abuse she suffered at the hands of her husband.
She had a case pending against him and he was under a court order that barred him from contacting her, authorities say.
Prosecutors explained in a probable cause affidavit about what occurred at the house on Elmcrest Avenue when a Chisago County Sheriff’s Office deputy arrived in response to yet another domestic incident just before noon on Friday, October 6. The document states that even outside the house, from 40 yards away, the sound of an argument was audible to the deputy.
The home itself was known to contain 'a large number of weapons'
According to the affidavit, the home itself was known to contain “a large number of weapons." The deputy repeatedly knocked on the front door after first meeting with someone whose daughter also lived inside the residence in the driveway.
He tried to enter through the front door but found it locked, and announced his presence by stating his affiliation with the “Sheriff’s Office."
However, none of those prompted a result at least for a while. The deputy then knocked on a bedroom window.
“Immediately after knocking on the glass, a female’s voice said ‘he has a gun,'” the affidavit read.
“[The deputy] then heard gun shots from the bedroom. He backed away from the window he had just knocked on and three more rounds were shot through the same window from the bedroom. He had backed away only two feet from where the bullets had gone through the window. The bullets had exited at ‘head-level.'”
As per the court document, the deputy then heard a seventh shot, this time muffled. He used a PA system to try and get Mike Carda to leave the residence while waiting for the backup.
However, the deputy's effort did not work and eventually, the SWAT team arrived.
The sheriff’s office used a drone to survey inside the house
“Repeated efforts were made to get the occupants to come out,” the affidavit read.
“A window was ultimately removed and a drone was flown into the home. The drone entered the bedroom and provided live video of the bedroom. A female was on the bed with a head wound. She appeared to be dead. A male was also observed in the bedroom as well as two long guns on the floor at the end of the bed," the affidavit added.
When was Mike Carda arrested?
Mike Carda was repeatedly told he was under arrest by sheriff’s deputies, but he wouldn’t budge. He was finally removed the bed by a police dog, the affidavit stated.
He was arrested and a handgun was allegedly found where he had been laying.
Mike Carda is being detained in lieu of $2 million bail at the Chicago County Jail. He appeared in court via video conference on Monday, October 9, and his next court appearance is slated for October 24.
What did the victim Sarah Carda's sister say?
“After 17 years of providing unconditional love and support, the person she should have been able to trust the most ended her life,” the victim’s sister, Melissa Stockness, wrote in a GoFundMe to help the family with funeral expenses.
“Any donations received will go directly to our parents to help with the cost of home repair or complete demolition, funeral costs, Sarah’s student loans and lawyer fees as we navigate the unknown,” the fundraiser noted.