Mike Carda charged with murdering wife in Chisago County
FISH LAKE TOWNSHIP, Minn. — A 39-year-old Harris man has been charged with murdering his wife, a 35-year-old nurse who worked at a correctional facility in Isanti County.
Charges of second-degree murder were filed against Mike Carda on Monday, along with additional charges of second-degree attempted murder and second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon.
According to the Chisago County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to Carda's home on the 42000 block of Elmcrest Avenue in Fish Lake Township around noon Friday. The victim's mother, who was outside the house, said that she had heard arguing inside the home, and worried because there were a large number of weapons inside. She was visibly shaking as she told this to investigators.
As a deputy approached the home, he could hear yelling from inside, but was not able to hear what the man was saying. When he knocked on the glass of a side window, he could hear a woman say, "He has a gun." At that point, he heard three shots. While backing away from the window, the deputy said the suspect fired three more rounds through the same window where the deputy had just been standing, with the bullets exiting "at head-level."
The Chisago County SWAT Team, Chisago County Sheriff's Investigations Unit and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension responded to the scene.
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Ultimately, officers sent a drone into the home. Its camera saw what appeared to be a woman lying dead on a bed, with evidence of a head wound. She was later identified as Sarah Carda, and the suspected shooter was her husband, Mike Carda. A police dog was used to remove him from the home after he repeatedly refused to surrender.
The criminal complaint says that he already had a pending domestic assault case against him, and was subject to a no-contact order.
"When I first heard of what happened, I just couldn't wrap my head around how anyone would want to harm someone that was just so sweet," said Kya Henningson, who used to work with Sarah.
Tony Erickson grew up with Sarah with their families spending weekends together at their cabin.
"One of my favorite memories with her was when we were little, we had this hammock," Erickson said. "Somehow we got five of us squeezed in this hammock, and it's just such a peaceful memory."
Henningson and Erickson both say Sarah had the best laugh.
"She was always such a light," Henningson said. "When she was present, there was always laughter."
Erickson says Sarah was one of the most caring people so being a nurse fit her perfectly.
"Our hearts are broken and our agency is devastated as we grieve the loss of our fellow employee, partner and friend," Isanti County Sheriff Wayne Seiberlich said in a statement. "October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. This tragic event is a reminder for all of us. If you are a victim of domestic violence or know someone who is, it is important to seek help and resources immediately. The number to the National Domestic Violence Hotline is 800-799-7233."
Carda appeared virtually in court Monday morning from his jail cell, where he refused to respond to the judge despite being alert.
Local Domestic Violence Resources
Women's Advocates
- wadvocates.org
- Crisis Line: (651) 227-8284
St. Paul & Ramsey County Domestic Abuse Intervention Project
- stpaulintervention.org
- Crisis Line: (651) 645-2824
Minnesota Day One
- dayoneservices.org
- Crisis Line: 1-866-223-1111
Esperanza United
- esperanzaunited.org
- Bilingual crisis line: (651) 772-1611.
For anonymous, confidential help, people can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224.