Rachael Foster

A district judge ordered a $1 million cash or corporate surety bond for a Minot woman on Monday, who has been charged in the shooting death of a man on Saturday, Oct. 18.

Rachael Kathryn Foster, 43, Minot, made her initial appearance in North Central District Court Monday, Oct. 20, before Judge Todd Cresap.

Foster faces a Class AA felony charge of murder-extreme indifference and possession of felony drug paraphernalia, a Class C felony.

According to court documents, Minot Police officers were dispatched to a southeast Minot residence shortly after 3 p.m. on Saturday for a reported shooting. A female suspect was reported leaving the apartment and entering another building, where she was eventually located, detained and identified as Foster.

According to one of the affidavits of probable cause filed in the case, Foster informed investigators she had a meth pipe on her person. The male victim was located and transported to a Minot hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The Minot Police Department has identified the victim as Lance David Phillips, 38, Minot.

According to court documents, there were two witnesses in the residence at the time of the shooting, and they stated they had not heard any threats being made by Phillips or any physical altercation between him and Foster. According to the affidavit of probable cause, Foster spoke with investigators and confirmed she shot Phillips twice.

Foster made her appearance in court over ITV. Cresap informed Foster her application for a public defender had been approved and reviewed the possible sentences for the counts against her. The count of murder comes with a maximum sentence of life without the possibility of parole.

Ward County State’s Attorney Roza Larson asked the court for a bond of $1 million due to the nature of the alleged crime, Foster’s lack of ties to the area, and because she is alleged to have had a train ticket in her possession when she was arrested. Foster didn’t dispute having the train ticket.

Cresap ultimately followed Larson’s recommendation and informed Foster she could pursue a bail hearing after her attorney is appointed.

A preliminary hearing in this case has been scheduled for Nov. 26.