A Minnesota man has been sentenced to life in prison for the fatal shooting of his co-worker in their workplace parking lot after she rejected his advances.
On Friday, the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office revealed the sentencing of Michael J. Carpenter, 38, for the murder of 28-year-old Nicole Hammond.
A carpenter smirked prior to his sentencing, having smiled upon entering the courtroom, according to local Fox affiliate KMSP.
“He smirked so much it’s like now I want him behind the walls,” said Terri Anderson, Hammond’s mother, the outlet reported. “I just want him to pay for what he did to her.”
On October 24, 2022, at approximately 6:59 a.m., St. Cloud Police officers arrived at the scene following reports of gunfire outside a textile factory located in the 400 block of Lincoln Ave NE.
Upon arrival, first responders reported seeing the victim “laying in the parking lot with a puddle of blood around her head.” She unfortunately passed away at the scene, despite efforts to save her. Police observed that the driver’s side door of Hammond’s vehicle was ajar, and they discovered a spent shell casing along with keys in close proximity to the body.
A witness reported to the police that as they were entering the company parking lot, they observed Carpenter exiting his vehicle and heading towards the southern part of the lot. A witness reported hearing a gunshot from that area and observed Carpenter fleeing to his car and driving off.
Investigators found multiple text messages on Hammond’s cellphone exchanged with Carpenter the night prior to the shooting. These messages suggested that Hammond was not interested in any physical contact or manipulation from Carpenter, according to the affidavit.
“She also informed him to not make things uncomfortable at work,” police wrote in the court document. “Officers also found a text from [Hammond] to another person who stated that the defendant was mad at her. In speaking with various co-workers, they indicated that the defendant had made numerous advances toward [Hammond] but his advances had been repeatedly rebuffed over the course of the past month. Co-workers also described the defendant as having a bad temper.”
During the interviews with the victim’s co-workers, it was revealed that one of them had been on the phone with Carpenter. He acknowledged that he was aware Hammond had been shot and mentioned that he was “not doing okay.” During the phone call, Carpenter mentioned he was at his sister’s house when police arrived and took him into custody.
Authorities discovered a 9 mm handgun and matching magazines in his vehicle, which corresponded to the shell casings located near Hammond’s body.
During a police interview, Carpenter refuted the allegation of shooting Hammond.
The man found guilty of murder claimed he was approaching her vehicle when he “heard a gunshot” and then “saw someone in a hat helping [Hammond].” A carpenter reported witnessing a significant amount of blood and felt too shaken to assist or contact emergency services, opting to leave the scene instead.
“The defendant also admitted to officers that he did not sleep well the night before, as, he kept waking up due to the text argument that he had with [Hammond],” the affidavit states. “The defendant stated that he was upset about that text conversation.”