Dent Woman Pleads Not Guilty in Otter Tail River Assault Case

Miranda Paige Odgers had been arguing with a woman over a boyfriend when, prosecutors allege, the confrontation turned physical in the Otter Tail River during Fourth of July celebrations last summer. Nine months after witnesses watched two women punch a victim held beneath the surface and one bystander physically pulled the suspects away, Odgers appeared in Otter Tail County District Court and entered a not-guilty plea.

The remote hearing took place on March 31 before Judge Sharon Benson. Defense attorney Schan Sorkness represents Odgers, 24, of Dent. A not-guilty plea means the case proceeds to a jury rather than resolving through a plea agreement with prosecutors.

The next scheduled step is jury roll call on June 25, 2026, when potential jurors are summoned to the Fergus Falls courthouse to begin the selection process. Trial testimony is set to begin July 7, 2026, nearly one year to the day after the assault.

The stakes were raised further on January 13, 2026, when Otter Tail County Attorney Michelle Eldien filed a motion in district court signaling the prosecution's intent to seek aggravated sentences. Eldien cited two factors: that the victim was treated with "particular cruelty," and that the attack was carried out by a group of three or more people. Under Minnesota's sentencing guidelines, if the jury finds those factors proven, Judge Benson would be empowered to sentence above the presumptive guidelines range. Third-degree assault under Minnesota Statute 609.223 already carries a maximum of five years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

The assault was reported to the Otter Tail County Sheriff's Office on July 6, 2025, two days after it happened. Court documents state the victim told deputies she had been on the river when Odgers and co-defendant Isabelle Serena Needham grabbed her, held her underwater, and struck her in the head and neck repeatedly. Toward the end of the attack, an unknown third woman allegedly joined in. Three witnesses gave separate accounts to law enforcement: one told deputies he watched two women punch the victim while she was being held beneath the surface; a second told police he stepped in and physically pulled the suspects off the victim; a third recognized the victim once she surfaced. She was taken to a hospital and diagnosed with a concussion, with bruising on her head and neck.

Both Odgers and Needham, of Fergus Falls, were charged with one felony count of third-degree assault (aid and abet) on October 29, 2025, and each made a first court appearance on December 1, 2025. Needham, when questioned by deputies, acknowledged that Odgers and the victim had been arguing over a boyfriend but denied that either of them held the victim underwater. Whether Needham's case will be heard by the same jury has not been confirmed in recent court filings.

The trial window falls on the same stretch of summer when the Otter Tail River draws the county's largest holiday crowds. Jury selection begins June 25 at the Fergus Falls courthouse, with the case expected to open before a jury on July 7.