Minnesota senator wanted to collect her late father’s ashes when she broke into her stepmother’s house, charges say

MINNEAPOLIS — A Minnesota state senator and former meteorologist told police she broke into her mother-in-law’s house because she refused to give him items of sentimental value from her late father, including his ashes, according to burglary charges filed Tuesday.

Democratic Sen. Nicole Mitchell, 49, of Woodbury, was arrested Monday morning at her home in Detroit Lakes in northwest Minnesota. The arresting officer wrote in the complaint that he heard Mitchell say to his stepmother “something along the lines of, ‘I was just trying to get some of my dad’s things because you didn’t want to don’t talk to me anymore.'”

Mitchell was dressed in black and wore a black hat, the complaint states. The officer said he discovered a flashlight near her covered by a black sock, apparently modified to control the amount of light coming out of it.

The complaint, filed in Becker County District Court in Detroit Lakes, charges Mitchell with one count of first-degree burglary, a felony. She remained in jail ahead of her first court appearance Tuesday. Court records do not list an attorney who could comment on her behalf, but show she has sought the services of a public defender. She did not answer a call left on the jail’s voicemail system for inmates.

“I know I did something wrong,” Mitchell said in the complaint after being informed of her right to remain silent.

Mitchell’s father, Rod Mitchell, died last month, according to an obituary posted by a Detroit Lakes funeral home. He was married to Mitchell’s mother-in-law for 40 years, it is said.

Nicole Mitchell told the officer she was looking for photos, a flannel shirt, ashes and other items, but that her stepmother had stopped contact with her and they were not speaking, the complaint states. But it was the ashes that brought her “to this point,” they say.

The senator admitted she entered the home through a basement window that was propped open with a black backpack, according to the complaint. Officers found his Minnesota Senate ID card inside, along with his driver’s license, two laptops, a cell phone and Tupperware containers, according to the complaint. She said she was caught shortly after entering.

“Obviously I’m not good at this,” she was quoted as saying.

The mother-in-law said in an interview that she was afraid of her daughter-in-law and requested a restraining order against her. She also said that although most of her husband’s ashes were buried, she sent Mitchell a miniature container containing some of them.

Mitchell was arrested while the Senate was on Passover recess. His arrest comes at a delicate time for Senate Democrats, who hold just a one-seat majority with just under four weeks left in the legislative session. Its absence would make it difficult to pass any legislation lacking bipartisan support.

Mitchell’s arrest surprised Senate leaders. The Senate Democratic caucus said in a statement Monday that it was “aware of the situation and had no comment pending further information.”

Republican Senate Majority Leader Mark Johnson of East Grand Forks said he was shocked but knew few details.

“The public expects lawmakers to uphold high standards of conduct,” Johnson said in a statement. “As information is released, we expect that the consequences will match the actions, both in the courts and in his role in the Legislature.”

Mitchell worked as a meteorologist in the U.S. Army and for KSTP-TV and Minnesota Public Radio before being elected to the Senate in 2022 from a suburban St. Paul district. She still serves as a lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard, commanding a weather unit, her official profile states. She worked for The Weather Channel earlier in her career, her profile states.