Minnesota DFL State Senator Nicole Mitchell (Woodbury) is on the witness stand Thursday in Becker County, answering some pointed questions about her reasons for breaking into her stepmother's home.
Mitchell is charged with breaking into the home of Carol Mitchell, her stepmother, in Detroit Lakes in April of 2024.
Mitchell claimed she was trying to retrieve some of her late father's possessions after her attempts to contact Carol, who has Alzheimer's, were ignored.
Prosecutors pressed Mitchell about why she didn't call Becker County officials for help if she believed her stepmother's condition was worsening instead of breaking into her home.
"I don't think that works how people think it works," Mitchell said on the stand. "I mean, I've literally called. One, I don't usually do that for stuff for myself. I just feel weird about using my position for personal things."
Mitchell also doubled down on her claims that her stepmother's Alzheimer's disease had been impacting her judgement.
"I had just been trying to ask her once in a while, like, you know, have you thought about your plans for when we get a little bit further down the road? She didn't want to seem to think about her plans," Mitchell claims. "She kept saying, 'well, my Alzheimer's is really mild. I just got diagnosed.' Even when it was starting to get farther back."
Mitchell recalled some of the moments leading up to her stepmother's Alzheimer's diagnosis as well.
"Carol was usually the driver and Dad was driving a little bit more," she said. "She had been staying at the house too when they'd, I mean she came along when they came to visit. And by the end of the year, she was convinced one of her cats couldn't be left overnight, and so she quit coming on the visits."
Mitchell also revealed that she has a key to the home. But made the decision to break into the home instead.
"I don't know that it was locked because it came open pretty easily," Mitchell said. "So it opens up and what do you do? I entered the home."
She talked about what was going through her mind at the time, and what it was like standing over her stepmother.
"I know this sounds creepy. I sat and listened to her breathe for a couple of seconds, kind of like when I check on my kids at night and they're breathing. And I can hear them and I know they're OK," she explained.
Other testimony has focused on festering financial issues between Nicole and her stepmother.
Mitchell taking the stand Thrusday comes as the defense continues to present its case following the prosecution resting Wednesday afternoon. The case was expected to last around a week but could potentially drift into next week.