Left: Sarah Carda (GoFundMe); Right: Mike Carda (Chisago County)
"He has a gun."
Those were Sarah Jane Carda's last words. According to a criminal complaint and probable cause affidavit filed in Chisago County, Minnesota, the 35-year-old woman was shot three times in the head at her home in Fish Lake Township, a small town located roughly an hour's drive up the interstate north of Minneapolis. Her husband, Mike Larry Carda, 39, stands accused of one count each of murder in the second degree, attempted murder in the second degree, and assault with a dangerous weapon in the second degree.
A sheriff's deputy was outside the house when Sarah Carda was killed on Oct. 6. Law enforcement had been called to the house, and the deputy was standing outside a bedroom window at the time, trying to get inside.
She had reported her husband's alleged domestic violence before. She had a case pending against him and he was under a court order that barred him from contacting her, authorities say.
In the probable cause affidavit obtained by Law&Crime, prosecutors explains what occurred at the house on Elmcrest Avenue when a Chisago County Sheriff's Office deputy arrived in response to yet another domestic incident just before noon on Friday.
Even outside the house, from 40 yards away, the sound of an argument was audible to the deputy, the document says.
The home itself was known to contain "a large number of weapons," according to the affidavit. After first meeting with someone whose daughter also lived inside the residence in the driveway, the deputy repeatedly knocked on the front door, tried to enter through the front door but found it locked, and announced his presence by stating his affiliation with the "Sheriff's Office," according to the affidavit.
But, for awhile at least, none of those entreaties resulted in a response. Then the deputy knocked on a bedroom window.
"Immediately after knocking on the glass, a female's voice said 'he has a gun,'" the affidavit reads. "[The deputy] then heard gun shots from the bedroom. He backed away from the window he had just knocked on and three more rounds were shot through the same window from the bedroom. He had backed away only two feet from where the bullets had gone through the window. The bullets had exited at 'head-level.'"
The deputy then heard a seventh shot – this time muffled – according to the court document. While waiting for backup, the deputy used a PA system to try and get Mike Carda to leave the residence. That and other efforts did not work. Eventually, the SWAT team arrived.
The sheriff's office used a drone to survey inside the house.
"Repeated efforts were made to get the occupants to come out," the affidavit reads. "A window was ultimately removed and a drone was flown into the home. The drone entered the bedroom and provided live video of the bedroom. A female was on the bed with a head wound. She appeared to be dead. A male was also observed in the bedroom as well as two long guns on the floor at the end of the bed."
Mike Carda was repeatedly told he was under arrest by sheriff's deputies but wouldn't budge, the document alleges. He was finally removed the bed by a police dog, the affidavit says. He was arrested and a handgun was allegedly found where he had been laying.
Mike Carda is being detained in lieu of $2 million bail at the Chisago County Jail. The defendant appeared in court via video conference on Monday. His next court appearance is slated for Oct. 24.
"After 17 years of providing unconditional love and support, the person she should have been able to trust the most ended her life," the victim's sister, Melissa Stockness, wrote in a GoFundMe to help the family with funeral expenses – and other related expenses.
"Any donations received will go directly to our parents to help with the cost of home repair or complete demolition, funeral costs, Sarah's student loans and lawyer fees as we navigate the unknown," the fundraiser notes.
Sarah Carda was a registered nurse when she died.
"Sarah served the community as a nurse for over 15 years," the GoFundMe reads. "The past 9 years supporting and working alongside law enforcement as the Isanti County Jail Nurse. Prior to that, she assisted adults with disabilities, transitional care and nursing homes. Outside of being a nurse, Sarah loved music, being outdoors, her dogs and adored her nephews. She was the best aunt, always making them laugh and smile."
Any remaining funds collected by the deceased woman's family will be donated to the Domestic Abuse Project, a non-governmental organization focused on providing various forms of therapy to victims and witnesses of domestic violence, the GoFundMe says.
The victim was also mourned by her co-workers.
"Words cannot fully describe the shock and pain our agency and community are feeling," Isanti County Sheriff Wayne Seiberlich wrote in a press release. "We pray that Sarah's loving memories bring you strength and comfort during this difficult time."
The sheriff also noted that October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Sarah Carda's death, he said, is a "tragic reminder."
According to the Star Tribune, the pending domestic violence case against Mike Carda alleged that he threw his wife to the ground, pinned her against the wall, and stopped her from calling 911 in July.
