The man arrested this past week for allegedly murdering a Minot woman in January has been ordered to be held without bond pending proceedings in the case against him.
Omar Mohamed Kalmio, 27, a Somali national who said he is in the U.S. under political asylum, was arrested in Grand Forks, where he was being held on an unrelated federal immigration charge.
Kalmio is accused of murdering 19-year-old Sabrina Zephier in her apartment in the 4000 block of South Main Street in Minot in the early morning hours of Jan. 28. The two had an infant child, who was discovered unharmed in the apartment with Zephier, who had been shot to death.
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Omar Mohamed Kalmio
According to court documents, a witness told police about arguments between Zephier and Kalmio on numerous occasions including just days before Zephier was slain. At least one of the arguments involved money, according to the witness.
During the course of investigation, it was discovered that Kalmio had been staying on an oil rig site near Williston, and Kalmio and several other witnesses were interviewed there on Jan. 28.
One witness reported hearing Kalmio on the phone between noon and 1 p.m., and hearing Kalmio on the phone in the bathroom. The witness asked Kalmio "what was up," according to the affidavit, at which point Kalmio allegedly responded that "his baby mamma was dead."
Co-workers of Kalmio reportedly told investigators that Kalmio had made statements regarding Zephier "ruining his life, getting pregnant on purpose, always taking his money and he was sick of it."
A witness also stated Kalmio described specific injuries to Zephier, which investigating officers who had interviewed them were not aware of at the time, and have never been released to the public.
The injuries allegedly described by Kalmio to the witness match injuries that were found in the autopsy of Zephier.
Other witnesses reported seeing Kalmio leaving the site residence in a company vehicle around 12:30 a.m. on the night of the murders.
Zephier's body was discovered shortly before 2 p.m. on that day.
Kalmio was transported to the Ward County Jail in recent days and made an initial appearance Tuesday morning before Judge Douglas Mattson in Northwest District Court in Minot.
Kalmio was wearing an anti-suicide smock and covering his face while being led from the jail to the courtroom and back to prevent being photographed.
Once the hearing began, Mattson ordered a court-appointed attorney to be assigned to defend Kalmio.
Although Mattson said he had been told the heavily accented Kalmio understands English, he took great pains to make sure Kalmio understands the legal process he has entered into, explaining more specific terms such as "arraignment."
Ward County State's Attorney Roza Larson asked that Kalmio be held without bond, citing his lack of citizenship and also that Kalmio is already on probation for violent crime convictions in Minnesota.
Police have made no arrests in the slaying of Zephier's mother, Jolene Zephier, 38; her brother Dylan Zephier, 13; and Jolene's boyfriend, Jeremy Longie, 22. All were discovered slain the same morning in a residence in Jefferson Mobile Home Park.
A preliminary hearing and arraignment for Kalmio has been scheduled for Sept. 15. He faces a maximum of life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted.