ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Minn. (TCN) — A 56-year-old man has been convicted of raping and killing a 38-year-old mother of two in her home nearly 39 years ago.
The St. Louis County Attorney’s Office announced that on Jan. 31, a jury found Michael Carbo guilty of two counts of first-degree murder while committing first-degree criminal sexual conduct in connection with the death of 38-year-old Nancy Daugherty. He is scheduled to be sentenced in March. The charges carry a mandatory life sentence with parole eligibility after 17 years.
In 1986, Carbo, who was 18 at the time, reportedly entered Daugherty’s home at around 3 a.m. and raped and fatally strangled her in her bed. Investigators worked on the case for years, but it went cold.
The Star Tribune reports that using advancements in testing, investigators found Carbo’s DNA in semen and skin samples at the scene. Authorities also discovered the defendant’s fingerprint on the toilet lid.
A jury initially convicted Carbo in 2022, but he appealed. In May 2024, the attorney’s office said the Minnesota Supreme Court reversed Carbo’s conviction, “finding that Mr. Carbo should have been allowed to present alternative-perpetrator evidence.” According to the Star Tribune, Daugherty’s friend Brian Evenson was a suspect in the case, but he was never charged.
The second and most recent jury trial began on Jan. 13.
In a statement, County Attorney Kim Maki said, “Our thoughts go out to the family of Nancy Daugherty. This has been a long road to justice. The family of Ms. Daugherty has shown the utmost strength, and we thank them for their support from the beginning to the end.”
MORE:
- Jury Convicts Carbo of 1986 Chisholm Cold Case Homicide – St. Louis County Attorney’s Office
- Iron Range man on trial a second time for cold-case murder finally testifies – The Minnesota Star Tribune
Source: True Crime Daily
