WARREN, Minnesota — A man has been charged with second-degree murder, after being accused of fatally beating his ex-wife in front of their kids.
According to court documents, Anders Odegaard, 31, of Warren, Minnesota, is accused of allegedly killing Carissa Odegaard on Tuesday.
Carissa was taken to Sanford Hospital in Fargo, North Dakota, where she was listed with "no significant brain function," according to a criminal complaint filed in Marshall County.
The complaint states Anders and Carissa Odegaard had been divorced for about 2 years, and have five kids together, all aged from 2 to 9 years old.
Per the complaint, all five children were staying at their father's house waiting for their mother to pick them up to bring them to church.
Investigators say the children told police their parents got into a "big fight" and their father tackled their mother and "started choking her," which is when the mother told them to "call 911." The complaint says Carissa Odegaard was also holding her 2-year-old son during the time of the assault.
One child also said this was not the first time he had seen his father hit his mother.
Two of the children ran outside and tried to find help. The criminal complaint says the children flagged down a passerby to call 911 because "their mom was bleeding really bad and needed help."
A deputy responded to the family's residence and talked with Anders Odegaard who had "blood in his hair," court documents say. Police say he would only say that he didn't "feel right."
Court documents say "both the kids that saw the assault take place said they saw their father on top of their mother hitting her or choking her."
The complaint says Anders Odegaard was arrested at the scene and taken to jail.
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