1989 Chisholm Cold Case Killer Sentenced Again After Appeal

CHISHOLM, Minn. — A 1989 cold case involving the murder of Nancy Daugherty in her Chisholm home was officially closed Friday after her killer was sentenced for a second time.

Michael Carbo Jr., 57, of Chisholm, will serve a mandatory life sentence for the rape and murder of Daugherty when he was 18 and she was 38.

Nancy Daugherty

In 2022, advances in DNA and the use of a publicly available genealogy databases led investigators to Carbo, according to a news release.

Carbo was initially found guilty at a jury trial, but a 2024 ruling by the Minnesota Supreme Court ordered a retrial after Carbo’s appeal, which concluded Carbo had not been allowed to introduce evidence of a possible alternative suspect.

But that appeal failed.

Carbo’s DNA was found inside Daugherty’s home and at the crime scene, according to investigators.  But at the time, Carbo told investigators he had never been inside the home and didn’t know Daugherty.

Carbo does have the possibility of parole after 17 years because that was the law at the time of the crime.

St. Louis County Attorney Kim Maki released a statement about the sentencing. It reads in part:

“While no sentence can erase the harm done, this outcome marks a meaningful step toward justice. It sends a clear message that delays do not equal impunity: those who commit crimes will be held responsible.”