Nicole Hammond, St Cloud, Minnesota woman shot dead by Jordan Carpenter fellow textile co-worker outside place of work after repeatedly rejecting his advances. Had sent man text the day before demanding he stop trying to manipulate her.
A 28 year old woman was shot dead outside her workplace for ‘repeatedly’ rejecting a coworker’s relentless advances Minnesota police said.
Nicole Michelle Hammond died in the parking lot of her St. Cloud workplace on Oct. 24 after coworker Jordan Carpenter shot her in the neck, cops said.
Police arrived and found the victim lying on the ground ‘with a puddle of blood around her head,’ according to a probable cause affidavit, obtained by the Kansas City Star.
Witnesses told police they saw suspect Carpenter, 36, dressed in all black arrive outside the business shortly before they heard a gunshot then saw him abruptly drive off, the document says.
Carpenter was tracked down three hours later at his sister’s home in nearby Sauk Rapids, according to a statement by St. Cloud Police.
Had texted co-worker day before slaying demanding he stop
The suspect was in possession of a handgun and was arrested on murder charges.
The woman had texted the coworker only a day before the slaying, stating that she did not want to be touched or manipulated by Carpenter, the probable cause statement stated.
Hammond also sent a text message to a friend saying that Carpenter was mad at her.
Hammond had ‘repeatedly’ rejected Carpenter’s romantic advances in the month leading up to the violent murder, police said, asking him ‘not to make things uncomfortable at work.’
Police found a text Hammond sent to a friend saying Carpenter was mad at her.
The harassment was evident among other coworkers, who said Carpenter has a ‘bad temper,’ according to the media outlet. The alleged killer admitted to officers he was ‘upset’ about Hammond’s rejection the night before her death.
Inexplicably, the ongoing harassment was never reported to their employer, Dubow Textile Inc.
‘We had no idea…’
‘Unfortunately, we had no idea,’ CEO Rob Dubow told Fox 9. ‘Any time there is anything that requires our intervention we step in. But in this case, we had no indication that there was anything awry.’
It remained unclear why Hammond declined approaching management about the unwanted advances.
Carpenter did not admit to the slaying, according to the probable cause statement, but claims he had been walking toward Hammond’s car when he heard the gunshot.
The alleged killer told cops he ran away from the scene because he was ‘was too traumatized’ after seeing his love interest’s body.
‘He didn’t render aid, go to work, nor did he call 9-1-1,’ police said.
One of Hammond’s supervisors remembered her as a ‘beautiful, smart, determined young woman.’
Young woman’s life cut short
‘You deserved to live your best life but instead got your life taken from you,’ Savannah Shawn Townley posted on Facebook. ‘Our team is forever broken without you. Fly High Angel!’
Hammond was an avid hiker, kayaker and photographer who had planned to open her own jewelry business, according to her obituary.
‘Never give up on something you can’t go a day without thinking about, because when you put your whole heart into your wishes you will get where you want to be,’ Hammond once wrote.
She is survived by her parents, Steve Hammond and Terri Anderson, and siblings Amy, Chad, Troy and Cody Hammond.
Services will be Friday, November 4, 2022 at 11 AM in Sorensen-Root-Thompson Funeral Home, Aitkin.
Hammond remains in custody on one count of second-degree murder and is being held on $2 million bond, court records show.
