Fergus Falls woman gets probation in Lake Alice stabbing case

A Fergus Falls judge has put Alyse Luetta Carlson on five years of probation and ordered 135 days in local custody for a stabbing near Lake Alice, a sentence that keeps the 33-year-old under court supervision long after the August 2024 attack.

Carlson pleaded guilty in March to second-degree assault. Her jail time will not be served all at once. Instead, the sentence breaks the 135 days into three 45-day stretches, with the first set to begin in May 2026, the second in May 2027 and the third in May 2028. In plain terms, the punishment gives Carlson repeated stays in custody over three years while the court retains control through probation.

The case started on August 12, 2024, when Carlson was speaking with the victim and another person near Lake Alice in Fergus Falls. The victim told investigators that a sharp pain hit the side, then saw Carlson holding a knife. The victim walked to the emergency room after the stabbing, where Fergus Falls police noted a puncture wound about three-quarters of an inch thick near the abdomen.

After treatment, an Otter Tail County deputy used a double-blind photo array, and the victim identified Carlson and the other person at the scene. That sequence, from the initial contact to the medical record and the identification procedure, built the timeline prosecutors used to move the case forward.

The sentence is not a brief county-jail term alone. It is a long probationary order tied to a violent offense, which means Carlson will remain under court supervision while serving the staggered custody terms. If she violates probation, the case stays active before the court, and the sentence remains subject to enforcement over the full five-year period.

The Lake Alice setting has given the case added weight in Fergus Falls. The lake has been a focal point for residents since the city’s early settlement in the late 1860s, and the City of Fergus Falls has described it as a beloved part of the community that has drawn picnickers and ice skaters for generations. City records also say Lake Alice remains part of ongoing water-quality work, underscoring its place as both a neighborhood landmark and a civic asset.

That local significance makes the stabbing more than just another criminal case file. It connected a familiar public place, a serious injury and a sentence that will follow Carlson for years.