Father charged with murder after beating ex-wife in front of their children, authorities say

WARREN, Minn. (KVLY/Gray News) - A 31-year-old mother has died after a brutal attack, with her ex-husband being the main suspect in the assault.

KVLY reports the incident happened Tuesday night when police were called to a home with reports of a domestic dispute.

Authorities said Carissa Odegaard was reportedly attacked that evening by her ex-husband Anders Odegaard, 31, inside the home with their five children witnessing the incident.

According to court documents, a deputy at the scene spotted a man, later identified as Anders Odegaard, walking out of the kitchen with what looked to be blood smeared on his left eyebrow and blood in his hair. The deputy said he saw a woman’s body, later identified as Carissa Odegaard, near the front doorway suffering from severe head trauma.

Court documents said the couple’s children were at home when the attack happened, and Carissa Odegaard was holding their 2-year-old child.

Authorities shared that the couple’s 9-year-old child told investigators his parents got into an argument that evening. He believed his father grabbed a knife or a spatula and hit his mother. The 9-year-old told deputies his father has hit his mother before, but usually with his hand.

The child said his father told him to get out of the house and that’s when he ran to the highway to get help.

Carissa Odegaard was taken to a hospital for her injuries, but her family said she was pronounced dead Wednesday night.

According to court records, the couple separated in July 2020, and their divorce became final in October 2021 after being married for nearly 10 years. Several debts were also outlined in the couple’s court filings, most of which were from Anders Odegaard.

Authorities said Anders Odegaard was charged with one count of second-degree murder from Tuesday’s incident as their investigation continues.