Hibbing man charged with murder after girlfriend’s death

HIBBING, MN -- A Hibbing man has been charged with murder after his girlfriend’s death.

Eric Jarvis, 46, is being held at the St. Louis County Jail and made his first court appearance Friday.

He’s accused of killing Kari Jo Petrich, 44.

According to Hibbing Police, they responded to Meadowview Apartments around 3:41 a.m. Sunday on a report of a disturbance.

Authorities say Jarvis and Petrich had called 911. Jarvis requested the “calvary” and asked for an ambulance. Petrich said she didn’t need an ambulance and Jarvis was being belligerent.

According to court documents, dispatchers said both parties sounded intoxicated.

When authorities arrived at the apartment, Jarvis answered the door but wouldn’t allow police to come in.

Court records show Petrich was laying on the ground in the living room, but eventually got up and moved to the couch.

Jarvis asked police to take Petrich to detox and denied that they were fighting.

“Both Jarvis and Petrich were clearly intoxicated but there was no indication of any criminal action on either part, so officers cleared the scene,” according to court documents.

Later that same day, around 10:22 pm., officers were called to the apartment again. Jarvis was asking Petrich be taken to detox.

Officers arrived and waited for some time outside the door. They could hear Jarvis and Petrich verbally fighting.

Eventually, officers knocked at the door and talked to Petrich, who told officers Jarvis had hit her on the head and that she was bleeding.

Officers said they didn’t see any injuries on Petrich. They asked Petrich what he wanted since he was the one who called 911. He said he didn’t want anything so the officers left.

Then, 24 hours later, around 12:55 a.m. Tuesday, officers responded to their apartment for a third time after Jarvis called 911 and said Petrich was unconscious and wouldn’t wake up.

Officers arrived and found Petrich dead, with severe bruising on her face, blood on the carpet, and a glass shard by her head.

Officers asked Jarvis if he hurt Petrich. At first he said he didn’t know, but then said “we probably fought.”

When officers informed Jarvis Petrich was dead, he put out his hands to be arrested.

Jarvis told officers it’s possible Petrich had died on Sunday night, a full day before he called police.

A medical examiner’s initial report indicated Petrich died of blunt head trauma, adding that with timely medical intervention, her death could have been avoided.

Family told police they believed the two had been in a relationship for about nine months. They also said they had noticed evidence of alleged abuse in the past and Petrich had told others she was scared of Jarvis.

In January 2022, Jarvis was convicted of disorderly conduct after throwing his phone at Petrich.

He was originally charged with domestic assault, but it was lowered after he agreed to plead guilty.

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