The search for the person who killed Anita Knutson continues...and it may continue for quite some time if it mirrors the last murder in Minot that took time to solve.

It is a name we all know well...Richard McNair.

When he killed a man at a Minot grain elevator in 1987 he was on the loose for three months before his capture.

As Perry OIson shows us, patience can pay off for investigators...

(Perry Olson - KX News) It has been over a week since MSU student Anita Knutson was murdered at her north Minot apartment and the search is on for her killer. It is a rare situation...but one that area law enforcement has delt with before.

(AMW) "His name...Richard McNair"


When Richard McNair murdered a man in Minot. He was on the run for three months, but a mistake by McNair proved to be his downfall.

(Sheriff Vern Erck - Ward County) "He was renting a storage shed here in Minot and in the three months he made a big mistake by not paying rent."


That mistake led to his arrest and Erck hopes something like that will happen to break the Knutson murder soon as well.

(Sheriff Erck) "If you are diligent and do your crime scene right and everything sometimes the big break will come down the road. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes it is good police work, you never know what is going to happen."


Getting to that closure can be frustrating and time consuming...but Erck says he has a good feeling in this case.

(Sheriff Erck) "I've got a lot of faith and I've been to some briefings and they are doing lots of good detective work and I'm sure it will come to a conclusion hopefully shortly here."


That would make this longtime law enforcement official and everyone else very happy. Perry Olson, KX News.

Of course McNair in now a free man after escaping from federal prison over a year ago.

He still remains on the run. watch the video | save this article / add to your favorites list