Chisago County man accused of killing his wife, shooting at deputy enters Alford plea
MINNEAPOLIS — A Minnesota man entered an Alford plea in the fatal shooting of an Isanti County nurse last October.
Mike Carda, 40, entered the plea on Friday for second-degree murder in the death of his wife, 35-year-old Sarah Carda, according to court documents. He also pleaded guilty to second-degree attempted murder for shooting at a responding deputy. The Alford plea allows for a defendant to accept a plea bargain while maintaining their innocence.
Deputies were called to the Cardas home on the 42000 block of Elmcrest Avenue in Fish Lake Township around noon on Oct. 6, 2023, for a disturbance.
Charges say a Chisago County deputy had knocked on the door and announced himself to no response. He went to a bedroom window and knocked on the glass. After knocking, the deputy heard a woman inside say, "He has a gun," before several gunshots were fired. As the deputy backed away from the window, more shots were fired through the glass.
The deputy retreated and numerous law enforcement agencies responded, including the Chisago County SWAT Team. After more than four hours, authorities arrested Mike Carda.
Mike Carda's sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 22.
At the time of her death, Mike Carda had a pending domestic assault case involving Sarah Carda and was subject to a domestic abuse no-contact order.
According to the National Coalition of Domestic Violence, one in three women and one in four men have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner.
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.
