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The middle of 2007 was dominated by headlines of some serious crimes in the region. Jim Olson has the story as he continues his look at the major news stories of the past year - today focusing on May and June... A highly publicized murder trial dominated the news in May and June in the area. Moe Gibbs, a jailer in Barnes County, was accused of murdering Mindy Morgenstern in 2006 at the apartment building where both lived. The trial was moved to Minot because of publicity in Valley City. The trial focused on DNA evidence from Gibbs found under the fingernails of Morgenstern - about the only physical evidence prosecutors were able to present. And the case was a difficult one for jurors, who eventually notified the judge they had deadlocked 6-6 on the verdict - creating a mistrial. Gibbs was not released however as prosecutors announced they would seek another trial in the case. In early June, the murder of a Minot State University student was reported - Anita Knutson had been found dead in her off-campus apartment. The case dominated the headlines - and the time of Minot Police investigators for weeks. It was the first murder case in Minot in more than a decade where a suspect had not been arrested within a few days. Investigators got hundreds of tips but could find no person or persons to charge with the crime. As of the end of the year, the Anita Knutson murder is still an open case - with investigators still hoping for the break that will lead them to the killer. As June began, friends of Jennifer Erickson of Plaza were grieving over her murder. But in this case, police made a speedy arrest, charging Jay Washek with the strangulation of the woman with whom he had a four-year old child. Police say he confessed to the crime, but his attorney has since sought to have that thrown out, while at the same time saying Washek is mentally not competent to stand trial. An arrest in May put to rest an 8-year old mystery. Dana Deegan was charged in federal court with killing her infant son and stuffing his body into a suitcase. A farmer near Mandaree discovered the suitcase and dead body and members of the Three Affiliated Tribes held a funeral for the child they named Baby Moses. A breakthrough this spring led to Deegan's arrest and, by year's end, she had pleaded guilty to second degree murder in the case. A remote farmhouse near Lignite, in northwest North Dakota, was the site of a murder-suicide in May. Kenneth Glendenning killed his wife Roberta before killing himself. The parents of a man murdered in Williston almost 25 years earlier finally saw a suspect in the case in front of a judge. Gary Gerth's parents were in the Williston courtroom as William See Walker was arraigned - over interactive television. See Walker eventually entered a guilty plea and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. 119 members of the 164th Engineer Batallion of the North Dakota National Guard got a memorable sendoff in June as they headed to Mississippi for training - and ultimately to Iraq to patrol roads and highways and clear roadside bombs. Among the group, a father and daughter, Jeff and Heather Barta - whose story caught the attention of CNN. The network did a story about the pair as they trained in Mississippi. The rains came to the region in May and June - culminating in a flooding downpour in late june that inundated the International Peace Garden. Damage was widespread - but quick repair work by park personnel helped get the facility back in shape in time for the Peace Garden's 75th birthday celebration in July. Travelers at Minot's airport got a shock in late June as scheduled flights were cancelled. The airline first blamed weather, but later reports said labor problems at the airline were to blame for the situation which caused Northwest to cancel more than 200 flights daily for several days. And a high school senior - the only senior at Froid, Montana High School, was featured on the Ellen Show in June. Roxie Britton had her moment in the spotlight - and got to explain what it was like being the only person in her senior class. Jim Olson, KX News. On Monday, Jim will continue his recap of 2007 with the big stories of July and August.