MINOT, N.D. — The Nichole Rice murder trial, a case that gripped North Dakota for years, took a new turn this week when one of the jurors stepped into the spotlight. Ryan Chandler, a member of the Grand Forks County jury that acquitted Rice in March, sat down with Dateline NBC’s Blayne Alexander for an episode airing on May 2. His words, raw and heavy, offered a rare glimpse into the deliberations that set Rice free in the 2007 killing of her roommate, Anita Knutson.
Chandler didn’t mince words. He described the weight of the decision, the kind that keeps you up at night, knowing it would ripple through the Knutson family’s lives forever. The trial, held in Minot, had been a marathon of evidence, witnesses, and arguments, all circling back to that June day when 18-year-old Knutson was found dead in her apartment, stabbed multiple times. Rice, her roommate at the time, wasn’t charged until August 2021, after years of suspicion and police work that some called dogged, others called delayed.
The jury’s verdict on March 27 sparked a firestorm. Rice walked free, acquitted of murder, while Knutson’s family left the courtroom with no closure. Chandler, speaking to Dateline, laid bare the gravity of their choice. He talked about sifting through testimony, forensic reports, and timelines, trying to piece together a puzzle with too many missing edges. The episode, part of Dateline’s deep dive into the Knutson case, aired at 8 p.m. Central Time, promising viewers a closer look at a case that’s haunted Minot for nearly two decades.
Prosecutors had leaned hard on circumstantial evidence—Rice’s proximity to the crime, alleged inconsistencies in her statements, and a theory of jealousy or conflict gone deadly. But the defense punched back, pointing to gaps in the investigation, no murder weapon, and questions about other potential suspects. Chandler’s interview didn’t rehash every detail, but he made it clear the jury’s call wasn’t easy. It was methodical, grueling, and, for some, still unsettling.
The Dateline special also featured interviews with Knutson’s family, who’ve spent years pushing for answers. Anita, a college student with a bright smile and big plans, was remembered as more than a victim—someone whose loss still echoes in Minot’s tight-knit community. Chandler’s perspective, though, was the episode’s anchor, a juror’s voice cutting through the noise of a case that’s stirred debate and division.
Rice, now 38, has maintained her innocence since her arrest. After the acquittal, she returned to a life out of the headlines, though the Dateline episode may pull her back into public view. For Chandler and the other jurors, the trial’s shadow lingers. He told Alexander the experience changed him, a reminder of justice’s complexity and the human cost of every verdict.
The episode was promoted heavily by NBC affiliates, with coverage noting its focus on the Knutson case’s lingering questions. It’s the first time a juror from the trial has spoken publicly, and Chandler’s account is expected to draw viewers nationwide. For Minot, a city still wrestling with the case, it’s another chapter in a story that refuses to end.
Anita Knutson was killed in June 2007. Nichole Rice was charged with murder on August 5, 2021. The trial began on March 10, 2025. The jury delivered its not guilty verdict on March 27, 2025. Dateline NBC aired the episode on May 2, 2025.