Hibbing man sentenced to more than 8 years for death of girlfriend

HIBBING, MN. (Northern News Now) - A Hibbing man charged with killing his girlfriend has been sentenced.

Eric James Jarvis, 47, has been sentenced on Thursday to over eight years in prison for first-degree manslaughter for the death of Kari Jo Petrich, 44.

He previously pleaded guilty to the charge last month.

According to the criminal complaint, on June 26, 2022, Hibbing Police responded to the apartment Jarvis shared with Petrich twice.

Both times, officials say the couple was arguing and seemed intoxicated.

Police then responded to the apartment for a third time at approximately 12:55 a.m. on June 28 to find Petrich’s body with severe bruising on her face, blood on the carpet, and a glass shard by her head.

Jarvis told officers it was possible Petrich had died on the night of June 26, 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.

In a statement, the St. Louis County Attorney’s Office thanked Petrich’s family for their cooperation throughout this process and their bravery in delivering powerful victim impact statements. It further hopes that the resolution of this matter brings them some level of closure.

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