Disbarment sought for former prosecutor charged with killing his ex-wife

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The Minnesota Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility is seeking the disbarment of Anders Odegaard, an attorney who is alleged to have murdered his ex-wife in front of his minor children last year. On Aug. 9, Director Susan Humiston petitioned the Minnesota Supreme Court to disbar Odegaard, who formerly worked as a prosecutor in North Dakota, under Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem.

Odegaard attended the University of North Dakota Law School. He was admitted to practice in North Dakota in May 2017. In February 2018, Odegaard was admitted to practice law in Minnesota.

Odegaard was terminated as a prosecutor for cause, according to the Attorney General’s office. His wife Carissa also sought a divorce, which was finalized in 2021, according to court records. Odegaard also owed over six figures in student loans.

Back on August 23, 2022, a man was flagged down by two children who claimed their mother was badly bleeding and potentially deceased. After the man called 911, officers responded to Odegaard’s Minnesota home.  The children’s mother was unresponsive, had severe head trauma, and was bleeding profusely.

The children, who ranged in ages 3 to 9, claimed that Odegaard beat their mother, and said Carissa would never recover. She had no significant brain function, and her family made the decision to take her off of life support.

Odegaard was charged with two felony counts of murder in the second degree. On July 6, 2023, Odegaard entered an Alford plea (a guilty plea in which a defendant maintains their innocence but admits that the prosecution’s evidence would likely result in a guilty verdict if brought to trial) to second degree murder without intent. Under the terms of the plea agreement, he would be sentenced to slightly under 20 years, though he would serve less time than that in prison.

However, media outlets including the Grand Forks Herald reported that Judge Corey Harbott withdrew his acceptance of the Alford plea Tuesday,  after learning the victim’s family had not been notified of the plea agreement. The withdrawal delays sentencing, which had previously been scheduled for Tuesday, other media reports said.

Currently, Odegaard is at the Pennington County Jail in Thief River Falls, where he awaits sentencing. He has 20 days to answer the allegations in the petition.