Suspect in Monday Morning Shooting Charged With Second Degree Murder

(KNSI) — The suspect accused of killing a woman in the parking lot of a business on Monday has been charged with second-degree murder.

According to the criminal complaint, at 6:59 a.m., police responded to a report of a shot being fired in the parking lot of a business on the 400 block of Lincoln Avenue Northeast in St. Cloud. There they found the 28-year-old victim lying on the ground next to her car. First responders attempted life-saving measures, but she was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy showed the woman had been shot in the neck.

A witness told police they saw their coworker, 36-year-old Michael Jordan Carpenter, get out of his car and walk toward the south end of the parking lot moments before they heard a gunshot. They said they saw Carpenter jog to his vehicle and drive away.

Investigators say they searched the victim’s phone and found several text messages between her and Carpenter saying she didn’t want him to touch her or manipulate her and said not to make things uncomfortable at work. Another text message on her phone showed her telling someone else he was mad at her. Other coworkers said Carpenter made advances toward her in the last month, which she had repeatedly rebuffed.

The criminal complaint says another coworker was on the phone with Carpenter and told him the woman didn’t show up for work that day and that she had been shot, which he said he already knew. Carpenter told the coworker he was not doing well and was at his sister’s house, where he was taken into custody.

A search warrant of Carpenter’s car allegedly turned up a .9mm pistol, and a loaded magazine was found in a carrying case on the driver’s side rear seat. Investigators said the ammunition matched a shell casing found next to the victim.

In a sworn statement, Carpenter admitted walking toward the woman’s vehicle when he heard a gunshot and saw a person in a hat standing next to her. He said he was traumatized, so he left, did not go to work, did not call 911 and did not try and help her. He said he was upset and hadn’t slept well the night before due to the ongoing argument with the victim. He made several contradictory statements, according to police. He told a coworker he thought someone had been shot, so he left. Investigators say Carpenter didn’t clock in for work and didn’t step foot in the building but somehow knew the woman had not punched in. He told his mother he saw his friend get shot at work and also said when he got out of his car, he saw people helping the woman on the ground next to her car, which investigators say would be impossible due to lighting conditions and blocked line of sight.

Carpenter is due in court Wednesday morning.

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