Minnesota State Senator Nicole Mitchell took the stand Thursday in her burglary trial, explaining why she entered her stepmother’s home without permission. Mitchell, who faces two felony charges for burglary and possession of burglary tools, told the jury she was only there to check on her stepmother, who has Alzheimer’s disease.
Mitchell was arrested on April 22, 2024, inside the home of her stepmother, Carol Mitchell. Prosecutors argue that she entered the home intending to steal, but Mitchell claims her only concern was her stepmother’s safety.
“I was worried in general,” Mitchell told the jury. “I decided to check and see how things were myself.”
Mitchell, a Democrat from Woodbury, said she noticed memory issues with Carol Mitchell back in 2020. Carol was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2022. After Carol’s husband, Rod Mitchell, passed away in 2023, she became more distant from Nicole and closer with other relatives. Nicole said her stepmother became paranoid and didn’t want her involved in handling Rod’s estate, even though her name was on probate documents.
In court, Mitchell’s attorney, Dane DeKrey, showed friendly text messages exchanged between Nicole and Carol in 2023, showing that their relationship was not always strained. However, by early 2024, tensions had grown—especially over the date chosen for Rod Mitchell’s burial, which conflicted with Nicole’s legislative duties.
Nicole became increasingly concerned for Carol’s well-being, especially after seeing medical records in April 2024 that showed Carol had gotten lost on her way to a medical appointment. She said this made her fear that Carol was no longer safe living alone or driving.
Instead of reporting her concerns to the state, which she said could take months to investigate, Nicole drove to Detroit Lakes herself. She said she planned to quietly check on Carol to avoid upsetting her.
Mitchell admitted to wearing all black and parking a block away so neighbors wouldn’t notice her. She also said she brought a prybar to open a sticking screen door, flashlight gloves for visibility, and two laptops—one for work and the other one she said she intended to return to Carol that morning.
When she got to the house, Nicole saw the door was blocked with a chair and bar, so she entered through a window. Once inside, she said she checked the basement and kitchen before entering Carol’s bedroom to look for her phone. Nicole said she was worried Carol might be deleting important information.
Carol woke up and found Nicole in the room. Nicole said her stepmother bumped into her and grabbed her, and she then ran to the basement.
During the 911 call and her own court testimony, Carol said she stepped on the intruder and called police. Nicole said she tried to shove her backpack out a window and was hiding in the basement bathroom when officers arrived. She was arrested at the scene.
On the stand, Nicole insisted she didn’t take anything from the house. “Stuff is never more important than the person,” she said tearfully. “I was just worried.”
When asked why she initially told police she was there to retrieve items that belonged to her father, Nicole admitted she lied.
“This is something I’ve had to anguish over for the last year,” she said, adding that she wanted to calm Carol down and avoid upsetting her more.
When her lawyer asked how the jury could believe her testimony now, Mitchell said: “Sometimes to protect family members, you have to lie.”
The trial continues as jurors weigh whether Nicole Mitchell was a concerned daughter—or unlawfully entered the home with other intentions.
