2 charged with first-degree murder in Chase Co.

It began with a report of a missing Imperial, Nebraska, woman and escalated from there.

After finding the body of Annika Swanson, 22, on Sunday, Nov. 24, first-degree murder charges have been filed against two adults, one of whom is a former Imperial resident and Chase County, Nebraska, Schools graduate.

Chase County Sheriff Kevin Mueller said first-degree murder charges were added Monday afternoon to a host of other charges against 24-year-old Kevin Scot German, of Colorado Springs, and 22-year-old Keonna Nilsa Carter, of Taylorsville, Utah.

German is a former Imperial resident, graduating from CCS in 2014.

The pair is also charged with use of a firearm to commit a felony, kidnapping, first-degree false imprisonment, terroristic threats and third-degree assault.

Both were being held in Fort Collins on $1 million, 10% bonds pending extradition to Chase County.  

Mueller said Swanson’s remains were found in a pasture about 5 miles south of Imperial Sunday night with assistance of the Nebraska State Patrol and other agencies. Mueller said the evidence was processed by NSP forensic technicians and investigators.

An autopsy was completed to determine cause of death, and results were not yet released.

Recap of incidents

Here is the report issued by the Chase County Sheriff’s Office, along with information taken from the formal complaints, on events leading up to the arrests:

About 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21, the Chase County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by an Imperial resident saying he hadn’t heard from his 22-year-old daughter for approximately a week and was concerned for her safety.

At that time, the sheriff’s office began a missing person’s investigation with multiple people interviewed. Sheriff Mueller said these were individuals who the sheriff’s office believed might have information on her whereabouts.

After the interviews, it was determined that Eve Ambro-sek, a 20-year-old female, was also the alleged victim of an assault and kidnapping, as was Swanson.

Russell Mann, 43, of rural Enders, Nebraska, was arrested as a result of this investigation for allegedly committing two counts of accessory to kidnapping, both Class IIA felonies.

Mann was incarcerated in the Chase County Jail with a $250,000, 10% bond set.

After it was believed Swanson may have met with foul play, an organized search began in a rural area south of Imperial Thursday night.

By mid-morning Friday, Nov. 22, and after obtaining and executing several search warrants, a more organized search commenced in the rural areas.

The Chase County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by Chase County Emergency Management, Nebraska Game and Parks game wardens, and a search and rescue team from Torrington, Wyoming. The Wyoming team was able to provide a cadaver dog along with a tracking dog to help in the search.

The search continued all day Friday but was unsuccessful in locating Swanson.

During the course of the investigation and search efforts, however, arrest warrants were obtained for German and Carter in relation to several kidnappings and Swanson’s disappearance.

It was determined the two suspects were likely in Fort Collins, where the sheriff’s office received assistance from the Fort Collins Police Department and its Crimes Against Persons Team and Criminal Impact Team.

German and Carter were apprehended in Fort Collins Saturday afternoon by Fort Collins police.

A Chase County deputy was dispatched to Fort Collins to work with detectives in order to interview the suspects and develop additional leads, Sheriff Mueller said.

The investigation is ongoing, Mueller said, but all three arrests are related.

“The entire case is all one big case that just kept building from the original missing person report,” he said.

Anyone with information  related to the incident should contact the Chase County Sheriff’s Office, 308-882-4748, or the Nebraska State Patrol, 308-535-8047.

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