A Minnesota man has admitted to killing and dismembering two of his ex-girlfriends in an act called “heinous brutality.”
On Thursday, Joseph Stephen Jorgenson, 41, of Woodbury appeared in a Ramsey County courtroom and pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder. Woodbury is approximately 25 miles east of St. Paul.
“I was very drunk at the time, and yes, in the heat of the moment, I… yes [trying to kill her]. ”
Jorgenson is scheduled to appear in court on February 28 for sentencing, and is expected to receive the maximum sentence allowed by law, 40 years in prison for each woman's death. The sentences are likely to be served concurrently.
“These heinous acts of brutality took the lives of two young women and forever changed the futures of their friends and families,” said Ramsey County Attorney John Choi. statement. “We recognize the hard work of our law enforcement officers and employees who worked tirelessly to bring charges that led to convictions supported by the available evidence and ultimately bring closure to each victim. We congratulate the family and friends of the survivors.”
Jorgenson will spend decades in prison for the murders of 34-year-old Manije “Mani” Staren and 33-year-old Fanta Xayavong.
Stalen's father reported her missing to the police on May 1, 2023.
In June 2023, police discovered Stalen's body at a storage facility in Woodbury. Police said the slain woman was found inside a cooler and a large backpack inside a storage locker.
Investigators reportedly determined that Jorgenson was romantically involved with Stalen.
According to reports, police identified Jorgenson as the last person seen with Stalen and the prime suspect in her disappearance.
Minnesota Star Tribune reported Surveillance camera footage showed Jorgenson entering and exiting Stalen's apartment 28 times. In April 2023, he was allegedly seen on video carrying two duffel bags and a suitcase into a pickup truck.
Surveillance camera video allegedly showed Stalen fleeing the apartment on April 21, 2023. Police said the footage showed Jorgenson chasing Stalen, grabbing him and pushing him back into the apartment. Prosecutors said there was no footage of Stalen leaving the house again.
Previously KARE reported Investigators suspect Jorgenson used Stalen's bank card to purchase large quantities of cleaning supplies from a nearby Dollar Tree store.
After obtaining a search warrant for Jorgenson's Google account, police discovered how to clear cookies from an Android phone, the police response to a missing persons report, and an investigation into “soil lime,” according to the complaint.
The complaint also said multiple people who visited Jorgenson's Twin Cities home between July and September 2021 told authorities that his home “smelled awful.”
Associated Press reported Investigators found the keys inside Jorgenson's home, which led law enforcement to a storage facility in Woodbury, police said. Authorities said they found dismembered human remains inside two separate coolers and a large duffel bag inside Jorgenson's storage unit.
The Ramsey County Coroner's Office confirmed the remains were Stalen's based on dental records and tattoos.
Jorgenson was arrested and charged with Staren's murder in June 2023.
After learning that Jorgenson had been charged in Stalen's death, a tipster contacted law enforcement regarding Xayavong's disappearance.
Jorgenson's other ex-girlfriend, Xayavong, was last seen alive in July 2021.
NBC News reported Xayavong's body was discovered on July 6, 2023, in a storage facility in Coon Rapids, about 40 miles northwest of St. Paul.
The coroner ruled that Xayavong's cause of death was “multiple sharp and blunt force injuries,” and the death was classified as a homicide, the paper said. pioneer press.
During the trial, Jorgenson said he strangled Stalen to death after she asked him to leave the apartment.
Jorgenson told the court that he got into a drunken argument with Xayavong and then hit him in the head with his knee.
“I was very drunk at the time, and yes, in the heat of the moment, I… yes [trying to kill her]”I definitely felt bad right after, but my intention at the time was to kill her,” Jorgenson said of Xayavong's murder.
Do you like Blaze News? Avoid censorship and sign up for our newsletter to get articles like this delivered straight to your inbox. Register here!
