DULUTH — A Hibbing man pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in connection with the death of his girlfriend, Kari Jo Petrich.
Both had made 911 calls before she was found unresponsive in an apartment in June 2022.
Eric James Jarvis, 47, will likely be sentenced to more than eight years in prison at his Sept. 14 hearing, according to a news release from the St. Louis County Attorney's Office.
Petrich enjoyed gardening and home decor. She loved having all four of her children home at the same time and watching her grandchildren play with her dog, according to her obituary. She had worked as a certified nursing assistant at assisted living facilities.
According to the criminal complaint, officers from the Hibbing Police Department found Petrich, 43, lying on the living room floor with severe bruising on her face and bloodstains and glass shards in the carpeting. Jarvis had called 911 to request "the cavalry" and an ambulance in the days before, and she called back to report she didn't need an ambulance. Police responded to another call to the same address later that night.
Jarvis called 911 again a couple of days later — the morning Petrich was found dead. He told officers at the time, "we probably fought, dude. Like, we honestly probably fought."
