CAC beats ex-wife to death in front of their five kids because he didn't want them to go to church...
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Former Prosecutor Charged with Murdering Ex-Wife in Front of Their Children Claims He’s Not a Risk to His Kids
AARON KELLERAug 26th, 2022, 8:33 pm
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Anders Leland Odegaard, 31. (Image via a Marshall County, Minnesota booking photo.)
A onetime prosecutor charged with second-degree murder in connection with the fatal beating of his ex-wife reportedly told a northwestern Minnesota judge on Thursday that he “objected” to a move by prosecutors that could result in a tougher sentence if he’s convicted.
Anders Odegaard is charged with fatally attacking Carissa Odegaard with a knife or a spatula. The attack occurred Tuesday, according to a criminal complaint and an attached affidavit obtained by Law&Crime. Those court documents, and Carissa’s family (via an online post), together indicated that the victim had been declared braindead by doctors. Her body was reportedly being kept alive for some time after the attack until her organs could be prepped for donation.
The documents lay out a bloody and violent scene witnessed by several of the couple’s children. A fit of choking is alleged to have occurred. The narrative insinuates that a bloodied Anders tried to immediately wash his clothes after the alleged murder and then met a police officer at his door wearing only his boxers. One of the couple’s children washed blood off of his little brother in the denouement of the melee, according to sheriff’s deputies.
“Defendant caused the death of the victim who was found to be not breathing and had severe head trauma with blood pooling on the floor by the victim’s head,” the complaint says in summary.
According to Fargo, North Dakota television station KVLY, Odegaard also told a judge this week that he was neither a risk to public safety nor a risk to his five children — at least some of whom allegedly witnessed the violent and deadly attack.
A court document signed Thursday indicates that a judge disagreed; a checked box on the form indicates that the defendant’s release would “endanger public safety” unless significant strings were attached to any pretrial departure from custody.
The defendant can post bail by offering a combined $250,000 cash and $2.5 million bond with most of the usual conditions attached. Among them were the surrender of a passport, an agreement to remain in the state of Minnesota, and that the defendant would have “no contact with his minor children until further order of the court.”
A judge ordered a $5 million cash or surety bail with fewer conditions attached — a whopping and nearly insurmountable figure.
Regardless of bail, the judge ordered the defendant to have “no contact, direct or indirect,” with the family of the crime victim.
The court docket indicates that the defendant was a first declared ineligible to be represented by a public defender, but that decision was quickly changed.
The next hearing in the matter is scheduled for Aug. 30 at 9:00 a.m.
Carissa Odegaard. (Image via KVLY-TV screengrab.)
An amended criminal complaint and affidavit obtained Friday by Law&Crime spells out the allegations against the defendant.
It indicates that a responding police officer met two of the five Odegaard children a passerby near the residence where the fatal beating occurred.
The passerby “said the two boys told him to call 911 because their mom was bleeding really bad and needed help,” the document reads.
It continues:
“Deputy McMahon asked the Defendant to come out to speak to him,” the affidavit indicates. “The Defendant came out from the kitchen area and was standing in just his gray boxer style briefs.”
Again, from the affidavit:
“I don’t feel right,” the defendant again allegedly repeated. He was then arrested for domestic assault as a preliminary charge.
The constabulary then returned their attention to the couple’s five children. Three of the children were “waiting in the victim’s running vehicle” while the other two remained with the passerby. The children were told they would be taken to the police station.
The scene was then described this way:
The second police interview with the couple’s 9-year-old son revealed more information, the affidavit indicates. That child was referred to only by his initials.
The affidavit continues:
The final lines of the law enforcement synopsis divulged the following:
As Law&Crime previously noted, the defendant was a onetime prosecutor who reportedly lost his job; he also worked for a brief time as a public defender. He is a licensed attorney in both North Dakota and Minnesota.
The charging documents are embedded below for reference. The case is number 45-CR-22-202 in Marshall County, Minnesota.
Former Prosecutor Charged with Murdering Ex-Wife in Front of Their Children Claims He’s Not a Risk to His Kids
AARON KELLERAug 26th, 2022, 8:33 pm
8 comments
SHARE
Anders Leland Odegaard, 31. (Image via a Marshall County, Minnesota booking photo.)
A onetime prosecutor charged with second-degree murder in connection with the fatal beating of his ex-wife reportedly told a northwestern Minnesota judge on Thursday that he “objected” to a move by prosecutors that could result in a tougher sentence if he’s convicted.
Anders Odegaard is charged with fatally attacking Carissa Odegaard with a knife or a spatula. The attack occurred Tuesday, according to a criminal complaint and an attached affidavit obtained by Law&Crime. Those court documents, and Carissa’s family (via an online post), together indicated that the victim had been declared braindead by doctors. Her body was reportedly being kept alive for some time after the attack until her organs could be prepped for donation.
The documents lay out a bloody and violent scene witnessed by several of the couple’s children. A fit of choking is alleged to have occurred. The narrative insinuates that a bloodied Anders tried to immediately wash his clothes after the alleged murder and then met a police officer at his door wearing only his boxers. One of the couple’s children washed blood off of his little brother in the denouement of the melee, according to sheriff’s deputies.
“Defendant caused the death of the victim who was found to be not breathing and had severe head trauma with blood pooling on the floor by the victim’s head,” the complaint says in summary.
According to Fargo, North Dakota television station KVLY, Odegaard also told a judge this week that he was neither a risk to public safety nor a risk to his five children — at least some of whom allegedly witnessed the violent and deadly attack.
A court document signed Thursday indicates that a judge disagreed; a checked box on the form indicates that the defendant’s release would “endanger public safety” unless significant strings were attached to any pretrial departure from custody.
The defendant can post bail by offering a combined $250,000 cash and $2.5 million bond with most of the usual conditions attached. Among them were the surrender of a passport, an agreement to remain in the state of Minnesota, and that the defendant would have “no contact with his minor children until further order of the court.”
A judge ordered a $5 million cash or surety bail with fewer conditions attached — a whopping and nearly insurmountable figure.
Regardless of bail, the judge ordered the defendant to have “no contact, direct or indirect,” with the family of the crime victim.
The court docket indicates that the defendant was a first declared ineligible to be represented by a public defender, but that decision was quickly changed.
The next hearing in the matter is scheduled for Aug. 30 at 9:00 a.m.
Carissa Odegaard. (Image via KVLY-TV screengrab.)
An amended criminal complaint and affidavit obtained Friday by Law&Crime spells out the allegations against the defendant.
It indicates that a responding police officer met two of the five Odegaard children a passerby near the residence where the fatal beating occurred.
The passerby “said the two boys told him to call 911 because their mom was bleeding really bad and needed help,” the document reads.
It continues:
“Deputy McMahon asked the Defendant to come out to speak to him,” the affidavit indicates. “The Defendant came out from the kitchen area and was standing in just his gray boxer style briefs.”
Again, from the affidavit:
“I don’t feel right,” the defendant again allegedly repeated. He was then arrested for domestic assault as a preliminary charge.
The constabulary then returned their attention to the couple’s five children. Three of the children were “waiting in the victim’s running vehicle” while the other two remained with the passerby. The children were told they would be taken to the police station.
The scene was then described this way:
The second police interview with the couple’s 9-year-old son revealed more information, the affidavit indicates. That child was referred to only by his initials.
The affidavit continues:
The final lines of the law enforcement synopsis divulged the following:
As Law&Crime previously noted, the defendant was a onetime prosecutor who reportedly lost his job; he also worked for a brief time as a public defender. He is a licensed attorney in both North Dakota and Minnesota.
The charging documents are embedded below for reference. The case is number 45-CR-22-202 in Marshall County, Minnesota.
AARON KELLERAug 26th, 2022, 8:33 pm
8 comments
SHARE
Anders Leland Odegaard, 31. (Image via a Marshall County, Minnesota booking photo.)
A onetime prosecutor charged with second-degree murder in connection with the fatal beating of his ex-wife reportedly told a northwestern Minnesota judge on Thursday that he “objected” to a move by prosecutors that could result in a tougher sentence if he’s convicted.
Anders Odegaard is charged with fatally attacking Carissa Odegaard with a knife or a spatula. The attack occurred Tuesday, according to a criminal complaint and an attached affidavit obtained by Law&Crime. Those court documents, and Carissa’s family (via an online post), together indicated that the victim had been declared braindead by doctors. Her body was reportedly being kept alive for some time after the attack until her organs could be prepped for donation.
The documents lay out a bloody and violent scene witnessed by several of the couple’s children. A fit of choking is alleged to have occurred. The narrative insinuates that a bloodied Anders tried to immediately wash his clothes after the alleged murder and then met a police officer at his door wearing only his boxers. One of the couple’s children washed blood off of his little brother in the denouement of the melee, according to sheriff’s deputies.
“Defendant caused the death of the victim who was found to be not breathing and had severe head trauma with blood pooling on the floor by the victim’s head,” the complaint says in summary.
According to Fargo, North Dakota television station KVLY, Odegaard also told a judge this week that he was neither a risk to public safety nor a risk to his five children — at least some of whom allegedly witnessed the violent and deadly attack.
A court document signed Thursday indicates that a judge disagreed; a checked box on the form indicates that the defendant’s release would “endanger public safety” unless significant strings were attached to any pretrial departure from custody.
The defendant can post bail by offering a combined $250,000 cash and $2.5 million bond with most of the usual conditions attached. Among them were the surrender of a passport, an agreement to remain in the state of Minnesota, and that the defendant would have “no contact with his minor children until further order of the court.”
A judge ordered a $5 million cash or surety bail with fewer conditions attached — a whopping and nearly insurmountable figure.
Regardless of bail, the judge ordered the defendant to have “no contact, direct or indirect,” with the family of the crime victim.
The court docket indicates that the defendant was a first declared ineligible to be represented by a public defender, but that decision was quickly changed.
The next hearing in the matter is scheduled for Aug. 30 at 9:00 a.m.
Carissa Odegaard. (Image via KVLY-TV screengrab.)
An amended criminal complaint and affidavit obtained Friday by Law&Crime spells out the allegations against the defendant.
It indicates that a responding police officer met two of the five Odegaard children a passerby near the residence where the fatal beating occurred.
The passerby “said the two boys told him to call 911 because their mom was bleeding really bad and needed help,” the document reads.
It continues:
The deputy told the children to remain with the passerby while he attempted to contact the defendant.
“Deputy McMahon asked the Defendant to come out to speak to him,” the affidavit indicates. “The Defendant came out from the kitchen area and was standing in just his gray boxer style briefs.”
Again, from the affidavit:
By then, other officers began to arrive on the scene, the document continues.
“I don’t feel right,” the defendant again allegedly repeated. He was then arrested for domestic assault as a preliminary charge.
The constabulary then returned their attention to the couple’s five children. Three of the children were “waiting in the victim’s running vehicle” while the other two remained with the passerby. The children were told they would be taken to the police station.
The scene was then described this way:
The affidavit then shifts to record the perspective of another responding officer, Deputy Mark Ellerbusch.
One of the children, identified as a 2-year-old boy, refused to speak with both Ellerbusch and with Sheriff Jason Boman. Law enforcement learned eventually that the victim was holding this child when she was attacked, the affidavit explains.
The second police interview with the couple’s 9-year-old son revealed more information, the affidavit indicates. That child was referred to only by his initials.
The affidavit continues:
A third child, an 8-year-old, also spoke with the police. Again, from the affidavit:
Two other children were described in the affidavit as having been in the aforementioned vehicle and therefore did not see the attack occur.
The final lines of the law enforcement synopsis divulged the following:
Second-degree murder in Minnesota is an “intent to effect the death of that person or another, but without premeditation.” It is punishable by up to 40 years in prison.
As Law&Crime previously noted, the defendant was a onetime prosecutor who reportedly lost his job; he also worked for a brief time as a public defender. He is a licensed attorney in both North Dakota and Minnesota.
The charging documents are embedded below for reference. The case is number 45-CR-22-202 in Marshall County, Minnesota.
Former Prosecutor Charged with Murdering Ex-Wife in Front of Their Children Claims He’s Not a Risk to His Kids
AARON KELLERAug 26th, 2022, 8:33 pm
8 comments
SHARE
Anders Leland Odegaard, 31. (Image via a Marshall County, Minnesota booking photo.)
A onetime prosecutor charged with second-degree murder in connection with the fatal beating of his ex-wife reportedly told a northwestern Minnesota judge on Thursday that he “objected” to a move by prosecutors that could result in a tougher sentence if he’s convicted.
Anders Odegaard is charged with fatally attacking Carissa Odegaard with a knife or a spatula. The attack occurred Tuesday, according to a criminal complaint and an attached affidavit obtained by Law&Crime. Those court documents, and Carissa’s family (via an online post), together indicated that the victim had been declared braindead by doctors. Her body was reportedly being kept alive for some time after the attack until her organs could be prepped for donation.
The documents lay out a bloody and violent scene witnessed by several of the couple’s children. A fit of choking is alleged to have occurred. The narrative insinuates that a bloodied Anders tried to immediately wash his clothes after the alleged murder and then met a police officer at his door wearing only his boxers. One of the couple’s children washed blood off of his little brother in the denouement of the melee, according to sheriff’s deputies.
“Defendant caused the death of the victim who was found to be not breathing and had severe head trauma with blood pooling on the floor by the victim’s head,” the complaint says in summary.
According to Fargo, North Dakota television station KVLY, Odegaard also told a judge this week that he was neither a risk to public safety nor a risk to his five children — at least some of whom allegedly witnessed the violent and deadly attack.
A court document signed Thursday indicates that a judge disagreed; a checked box on the form indicates that the defendant’s release would “endanger public safety” unless significant strings were attached to any pretrial departure from custody.
The defendant can post bail by offering a combined $250,000 cash and $2.5 million bond with most of the usual conditions attached. Among them were the surrender of a passport, an agreement to remain in the state of Minnesota, and that the defendant would have “no contact with his minor children until further order of the court.”
A judge ordered a $5 million cash or surety bail with fewer conditions attached — a whopping and nearly insurmountable figure.
Regardless of bail, the judge ordered the defendant to have “no contact, direct or indirect,” with the family of the crime victim.
The court docket indicates that the defendant was a first declared ineligible to be represented by a public defender, but that decision was quickly changed.
The next hearing in the matter is scheduled for Aug. 30 at 9:00 a.m.
Carissa Odegaard. (Image via KVLY-TV screengrab.)
An amended criminal complaint and affidavit obtained Friday by Law&Crime spells out the allegations against the defendant.
It indicates that a responding police officer met two of the five Odegaard children a passerby near the residence where the fatal beating occurred.
The passerby “said the two boys told him to call 911 because their mom was bleeding really bad and needed help,” the document reads.
It continues:
The deputy told the children to remain with the passerby while he attempted to contact the defendant.
“Deputy McMahon asked the Defendant to come out to speak to him,” the affidavit indicates. “The Defendant came out from the kitchen area and was standing in just his gray boxer style briefs.”
Again, from the affidavit:
By then, other officers began to arrive on the scene, the document continues.
“I don’t feel right,” the defendant again allegedly repeated. He was then arrested for domestic assault as a preliminary charge.
The constabulary then returned their attention to the couple’s five children. Three of the children were “waiting in the victim’s running vehicle” while the other two remained with the passerby. The children were told they would be taken to the police station.
The scene was then described this way:
The affidavit then shifts to record the perspective of another responding officer, Deputy Mark Ellerbusch.
One of the children, identified as a 2-year-old boy, refused to speak with both Ellerbusch and with Sheriff Jason Boman. Law enforcement learned eventually that the victim was holding this child when she was attacked, the affidavit explains.
The second police interview with the couple’s 9-year-old son revealed more information, the affidavit indicates. That child was referred to only by his initials.
The affidavit continues:
A third child, an 8-year-old, also spoke with the police. Again, from the affidavit:
Two other children were described in the affidavit as having been in the aforementioned vehicle and therefore did not see the attack occur.
The final lines of the law enforcement synopsis divulged the following:
Second-degree murder in Minnesota is an “intent to effect the death of that person or another, but without premeditation.” It is punishable by up to 40 years in prison.
As Law&Crime previously noted, the defendant was a onetime prosecutor who reportedly lost his job; he also worked for a brief time as a public defender. He is a licensed attorney in both North Dakota and Minnesota.
The charging documents are embedded below for reference. The case is number 45-CR-22-202 in Marshall County, Minnesota.
Maybe I'm reading it wrong...
I don't see where church was involved here
She was coming from church to pick up the kids they got into a fight and he beat her to death while she was holding the youngest.
Am I missing something?
I don't see where church was involved here
She was coming from church to pick up the kids they got into a fight and he beat her to death while she was holding the youngest.
Am I missing something?
He did..he released her from her physical form to allow her to ascend beyond the clouds..
An so she became a priestess of zod ... I mean god
From the article in the op's post.
The 8-year-old child said the Odegaards started arguing because Carissa wanted to take them to church, and Anders didn’t want them to leave.
He could of killed her before she had all those kids. I guess there’s some solace in the fact they will grow ip destitute and turn to opioids and die.
religion is child abuse
"The mother was granted sole physical custody with the father having reasonable visitation time. The mother was described as self-employed, taking college courses, and earning $1,000 a month. The father earned more than $6,100 a month working for the Mercer County State’s Attorney’s office in North Dakota. The divorce records did not outline many assets but did outline loans and credit card debt. "
"
According to Fox 11, Anders once worked as the Mercer County State’s Attorney in North Dakota.
The Mercer County State’s Attorney’s Office told the television station that Odegaard held the job for three months, when he was fired in 2021. He then worked as a public defender and was fired again, before moving back to Minnesota, where he was in private practice, Fox 11 reported."
"
According to Fox 11, Anders once worked as the Mercer County State’s Attorney in North Dakota.
The Mercer County State’s Attorney’s Office told the television station that Odegaard held the job for three months, when he was fired in 2021. He then worked as a public defender and was fired again, before moving back to Minnesota, where he was in private practice, Fox 11 reported."
He looks like @lightbright
He's right, but I wouldn't have beat her. Just say no and that's it.
Yes it isreligion is child abuse
'None of it makes sense:' lack of evidence leads to controversial plea agreement in Anders Odegaard case
Anders Odegaard could be sentenced to about 18 years in prison for murdering his ex-wife. The lead prosecutor wants people to understand why.
MARSHALL COUNTY, Minn. — A Warren, Minnesota, man could be sentenced to about 18 years in prison for murdering his ex-wife — a sentence some consider too light of a punishment, but is actually heavier than similar cases in the past. The lead prosecutor wants people to understand why.
“I’m anxious for people to understand,” Donald Aandal said. “This is a very troubling case.”
An important factor in the sentence length is the state’s inability to prove 32-year-old Anders Leland Odegaard meant to kill Carissa Odegaard, his ex-wife. The circumstances of the attack, and her subsequent death, remain largely unknown.
According to an affidavit in the case, Odegaard was arrested on Aug. 23, 2022, after law enforcement found Carissa Odegaard bleeding and unconscious. Anders Odegaard was charged with murder after she died.
On Thursday, July 6, Odegaard gave an Alford plea to second-degree unintentional murder, one of his two charges. He offered the plea – which maintains his innocence but acknowledges there’s enough evidence to convict him – with the hope that he’s granted a plea deal.
The prosecution and defense outlined a plea agreement which, if accepted by the judge, would sentence Odegaard to 18 years in prison – close to six years more than what’s recommended in the state’s sentencing guidelines.
In Minnesota, it’s presumed inmates will serve two-thirds of their sentence before being released from prison, as long as they don’t commit any additional disciplinary offenses while in custody. This means Odegaard could be in prison for about 12 years. He’d spend the remainder of his sentence on parole.
The sentencing is scheduled for August. If the plea agreement is denied, Odegaard can withdraw his guilty plea and go to trial.
Largely because children witnessed the crime, Odegaard’s case received widespread attention; Aandal received calls from all around the country. Public concern has been renewed with the potential 18-year sentence, he said.
“I understand why people are upset,” Aandal said. “… They have to understand that I’m constrained by the law, and the Constitution.”
Odegaard was originally charged with two counts of second-degree murder – one intentional and one unintentional. Throughout the case, no one has found proof of intent.
“You have to decide to do it,” Aandal said. “... He didn’t think about it before he did it.”
Actual events unclear
Not much is known about the events leading up to Carissa Odegaard's death, Aandal said. That day, the children were at Odegaard’s residence in Warren, when she texted that she wanted them back, Aandal said. Odegaard didn’t answer; Carissa left East Grand Forks and drove to his residence in Warren.In a victim impact statement, Carissa’s sister wrote that Carissa told her she planned to go to Odegaard’s residence that day “as an excuse to lay eyes on the kids, bring them food, and make sure they were all right.”
“Other than that, we don’t know,” Aandal said. “... We don't have a real clear view of what happened during the assault.”
Homicidal violence was determined to be her cause of death. She suffered an injury during the attack that killed her, but the coroner couldn’t confirm what caused the injury.
“We just don’t know, specifically, how the assault killed her,” Aandal said.
Though two of the children said they saw Odegaard hit their mother with a weapon, none was identified.
“We really don’t believe that happened, at this point,” Aandal said. “… She didn’t have anything to indicate that she was assaulted with any type of weapon.”
'No history of domestic violence'
One of the children told police their father hit Carissa Odegaard once before, according to the affidavit, but there’s no further evidence that there was a history of physical violence, Aandal said.“(Their divorce attorney said) she was not afraid of him,” Aandal said. “There had been no history of domestic violence.”
According to Carissa Odegaard's family and friends, she disclosed that Anders Odegaard was emotionally abusive and mentally unwell, but she never mentioned physical abuse.
However, she could have been experiencing physical abuse and didn’t tell anyone, Aandal said.
“That's one of the problems with domestic abuse,” Aandal said. “The victim is so controlled by the perpetrator that they don't get help when help is available.”
One thing that is known: She kept notes on her interactions with Odegaard and the time he spent with their children. According to these notes, the children didn’t want to be at their father’s house; they would call her crying. The prosecution found indications that Odegaard was mean to his children and thought it was funny, Aandal said.
“They preferred to be with their mother,” Aandal said. “That was pretty obvious.”
Carissa Odegaard wrote that the children would be returned to her home with their needs unmet, though this hasn’t been corroborated. She wrote Odegaard wouldn’t adhere to planned pickup and drop-off times, and he’d be angry if he tried to drop the children off early and she wasn’t home. She also mentioned that Odegaard would show up uninvited, demanding to take the kids.
Throughout Aandal’s decades-long law career, he’s seen similar behaviors in other divorced families.
“Non-custodial parents sometimes just take their parenting time because they want to make the other person mad,” Aandal said.
'He may never come out'
With no evidence of domestic violence, criminal record or substance use, it’s unclear what led Odegaard to attack his ex-wife, Aandal said.“I think that's one of the things that's so troubling to people on this case,” Aandal said. “None of it makes any sense.”
Though Odegaard hasn’t completed a psychological evaluation, Aandal suspects it would help explain what happened.
“I just don't think that anybody behaves like this without being mentally ill,” Aandal said. “... Looking at him, you can see there's something wrong.”
As Odegaard’s case progressed, Aandal was surprised no one requested a psychiatric exam. He believes the defense counsel chose not to pursue it because they suspected Odegaard would be found competent to stand trial.
“But I think a psychiatric exam would have clarified what, exactly, we’re dealing with,” Aandal said.
Once Odegaard is sentenced, Aandal believes prison staff will address possible underlying mental health issues.
“I have been involved in cases, as an attorney, where people complete their sentence and go to immediate mental commitment,” Aandal said. “... There's a chance he may never come out of custodial status. He may move directly from prison into a mental health facility.”
News Minnesota
June 20, 2025 at 12:57 PM
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News Reporting
MARSHALL COUNTY, Minn. — A lawyer from Warren, Minnesota, was officially disbarred from practicing law in North Dakota on Thursday, June 19, in light of a 2023 conviction for the murder of his ex-wife.
The disciplinary board notified the North Dakota Supreme Court on Jan. 29 that it was recommending 34-year-old Anders Leland Odegaard be disciplined due to a criminal conviction. Odegaard was first admitted to practice law in the state in May of 2017; he remained licensed until the end of 2022, when he failed to pay his licensing fee for the following year.
Odegaard did not dispute the recommended disbarment, which was officially filed with the Supreme Court on March 25 of this year, according to the Supreme Court order.
He pleaded guilty to second-degree unintentional murder on Dec. 22, 2023. As a condition of Odegaard's plea, he was required to explain what happened Aug. 23, 2022, to cause the death of Carissa Joy Odegaard.
He told the court his ex-wife arrived at his residence that day to pick up their children and take them to an event for the evening. Anders Odegaard and Carissa Odegaard got into a disagreement that led to an argument, and ultimately became physical when Anders Odegaard struck her, he said. He explained that he punched his ex-wife in the face, breaking her nose and causing her to fall to the floor.
He agreed that she died as a result of the attack, but did not specify how. Donald Aandal, prosecutor in the case, explained Carissa Odegaard's death was caused either by a head injury or loss of oxygen.
On Jan. 29, 2024, Anders Odegaard was sentenced to 220 months, or a little more than 18 years. He is expected to serve approximately 12 years in custody and the rest on parole.
The victim's family spoke out against the sentence, expressing concerns for the minor children involved and the fact that some would not even be out of high school by the time their father is released from prison.
The sentence was determined appropriate by the prosecution, defense and judge for reasons including an inability to identify the exact cause of death, whether the crime was intentional and the fact that the sole witnesses — the children — would be unable to testify if the matter went to trial.
Warren lawyer officially disbarred in light of 2023 murder conviction
Anders Leland Odegaard pleaded guilty in December 2023 to the second-degree unintentional murder of his ex-wife, Carissa Joy Odegaard. He was sentenced to 220 months.
By Sav KellyJune 20, 2025 at 12:57 PM
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News Reporting
MARSHALL COUNTY, Minn. — A lawyer from Warren, Minnesota, was officially disbarred from practicing law in North Dakota on Thursday, June 19, in light of a 2023 conviction for the murder of his ex-wife.
The disciplinary board notified the North Dakota Supreme Court on Jan. 29 that it was recommending 34-year-old Anders Leland Odegaard be disciplined due to a criminal conviction. Odegaard was first admitted to practice law in the state in May of 2017; he remained licensed until the end of 2022, when he failed to pay his licensing fee for the following year.
Odegaard did not dispute the recommended disbarment, which was officially filed with the Supreme Court on March 25 of this year, according to the Supreme Court order.
He pleaded guilty to second-degree unintentional murder on Dec. 22, 2023. As a condition of Odegaard's plea, he was required to explain what happened Aug. 23, 2022, to cause the death of Carissa Joy Odegaard.
He told the court his ex-wife arrived at his residence that day to pick up their children and take them to an event for the evening. Anders Odegaard and Carissa Odegaard got into a disagreement that led to an argument, and ultimately became physical when Anders Odegaard struck her, he said. He explained that he punched his ex-wife in the face, breaking her nose and causing her to fall to the floor.
He agreed that she died as a result of the attack, but did not specify how. Donald Aandal, prosecutor in the case, explained Carissa Odegaard's death was caused either by a head injury or loss of oxygen.
On Jan. 29, 2024, Anders Odegaard was sentenced to 220 months, or a little more than 18 years. He is expected to serve approximately 12 years in custody and the rest on parole.
The victim's family spoke out against the sentence, expressing concerns for the minor children involved and the fact that some would not even be out of high school by the time their father is released from prison.
The sentence was determined appropriate by the prosecution, defense and judge for reasons including an inability to identify the exact cause of death, whether the crime was intentional and the fact that the sole witnesses — the children — would be unable to testify if the matter went to trial.
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