The “tragic” story of Minnesota State Senator and former Air Force Reserve Lieutenant Colonel Nicole Mitchell, who has been charged with burglarizing her stepmother’s home, has spread across the U.S. in the past week, with Mitchell awaiting further investigation from a Capitol ethics committee.
The Democrat, 49, was arrested on April 22, 2024, on a first-degree burglary charge, which carries up to a 20-year prison sentence, after allegedly breaking into her stepmother’s home, and trying to take her father’s ashes.
A complaint to the Minnesota Senate Subcommittee on Ethical Conduct states police were dispatched at 4:45 a.m. to the home of Mitchell’s stepmother in Detroit Lakes.
Newsweek has contacted the Minnesota State Senate and Mitchell’s legal representatives via email for comment.
Becker County Sheriff’s Office
Mitchell was said to have been found in the basement of the property wearing all-black clothing and a black hat. A flashlight was found that had been “modified with a black sock to control the amount of light.”
Officers said a basement window was propped open with a black backpack, containing Mitchell’s Minnesota driver’s license, a Minnesota Senate ID card, two laptops, a cellphone, and Tupperware containers.
A criminal complaint states that while being detained Mitchell told her stepmother, “something to the effect of, ‘I was just trying to get a couple of my dad’s things because you wouldn’t talk to me anymore.'”
Mitchell told police she had begun making her journey to the property at 1 a.m., stating she wanted various items of her late father that her stepmother had refused to give to her, including his ashes.
Police later found that one of the laptops in her bag brought up her stepmother’s name when switched on. The senator said her stepmother had given it to her “way back when,” a claim that was denied.
Appearing in court on April 23, Mitchell was released on multiple conditions, including that she makes no contact with her stepmother.
In a post on Facebook on April 24, 2024, the senator denied the burglary allegations, saying that she had been “prompted” to check in on a family member.
“Regarding the recent news: Like so many families, mine is dealing with the pain of watching a loved one decline due to Alzheimer’s and associated paranoia,” Mitchell said.
“Over the weekend, I learned of medical information which caused me grave concern and prompted me to check on that family member. I entered a home I have come and gone from countless times in the past 20 years, where my son even once had his own room.
“Unfortunately, I startled this close relative, exacerbating paranoia, and I was accused of stealing, which I absolutely deny.
“Thank you to all my friends (and colleagues of both parties) for the kind words of support and for trusting my character even before I had a chance to respond.
“This has been a true tragedy for our family and my hope is it can return to being a private matter.”
In an email to Axios, lawyer Bruce Ringstrom Sr. said that the first-term senator had “no interest in resigning.”
In a statement published on Sunday, Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy called the situation “tragic” adding that Mitchell would be relieved from committee assignments and caucus meetings while investigations continued.
“This is a tragic situation, and there are still questions that need to be answered,” Murphy wrote.
“The legal investigation is ongoing, and last week, we referred her case to the Senate Subcommittee on Ethical Conduct.
“While the case is under review both in the Senate and in the courts, Senator Mitchell will be relieved of her committee assignments and removed from caucus meetings.”
Mitchell joined the Air National Guard out of high school, trained by the military as a weather observer, then forecaster. She transferred from the National Guard to the Air Force Serves in 2003 and has flown to Hurricanes Charley, Katrina, Wilma, and Harvey.
She also has an extensive career in TV meteorology, including for the Weather Channel, CBS, and local stations KSTP-TV and Minnesota Public Radio.
Mitchell was elected to the Minnesota State Senate in Senate District 47 in 2022.
A report by Minnesota Public Radio states that her next court date is scheduled for June 10.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.