A Minnesota male admitted to killing and dismembering two former girlfriends in what has been called “heinous acts of cruelty.”
On Thursday, 41-year-old Joseph Steven Jorgenson of Woodbury appeared in a Ramsey County courtroom to plead guilty to two counts of second-degree murder. Woodbury is about 15 miles east of St. Paul.
‘I was very drunk at the time, and yes — in the heat of the moment — I was … yes [trying to kill her].’
Jorgenson is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 28 for sentencing and is expected to be sentenced to 40 years in prison for each woman’s death — the maximum allowed by law. The sentences likely will be served concurrently.
“These heinous acts of cruelty took the lives of two young women and forever altered the future of their friends and family,” Ramsey County Attorney John Choi said in a statement. “We commend the diligent work of those in law enforcement as well as our staff who worked tirelessly to bring about charges leading to convictions supported by the available evidence and, ultimately, a measure of closure for each victim. We extend our heartfelt sympathies to their surviving family and friends.”
Jorgenson will go to prison for decades for killing 34-year-old Manijeh “Mani” Starren and 33-year-old Fanta Xayavong.
Starren’s father reported her missing to police on May 1, 2023.
In June 2023, police found the remains of Starren in a storage facility in Woodbury. The slain woman was discovered in a cooler and large backpack inside a storage locker, according to police.
Investigators allegedly determined that Jorgenson had a romantic relationship with Starren.
Police reportedly identified Jorgenson as the last person to have been seen with Starren — and the primary suspect in her disappearance.
The Minnesota Star Tribune reported that surveillance footage showed Jorgenson entering and leaving Starren’s apartment 28 times. He allegedly was seen on video carrying two duffel bags and a suitcase to a pickup truck in April 2023.
Surveillance video allegedly showed Starren running from her apartment on April 21, 2023. Police said footage captured Jorgenson running after Starren, grabbing her, and pushing her back inside the apartment. Prosecutors said there is no footage of Starren ever leaving her home again.
KARE previously reported that investigators suspect Jorgenson used Starren’s bank card to purchase a large quantity of cleaning supplies from a nearby Dollar Tree store.
After obtaining a search warrant for Jorgenson’s Google account, police discovered searches on how to clear cookies from an Android phone, what police do with missing person reports, and “lime for soil,” according to the complaint.
Multiple people who had visited Jorgenson’s Twin Cities-area home between July and September 2021 told authorities that his house smelled “terrible,” the complaint also said.
The Associated Press reported that investigators found keys inside Jorgenson’s home, which led law enforcement to a storage facility in Woodbury. Authorities said they found dismembered human remains in two separate coolers and a large duffle bag inside Jorgenson’s storage unit.
The Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed — based on dental records and tattoos — that the remains were of Starren.
Jorgenson was arrested and charged with Starren’s murder in June 2023.
After learning that Jorgenson had been charged in Starren’s death, a tipster contacted law enforcement regarding the disappearance of Xayavong.
Xayavong — another former romantic partner of Jorgenson — was last seen alive in July 2021.
NBC News reported that Xayavong’s remains were found on July 6, 2023, in a storage unit in Coon Rapids — approximately 25 miles northwest of St. Paul.
The medical examiner determined Xayavong’s cause of death to be “multiple sharp and blunt force injuries” and was classified as a homicide, according to the Pioneer Press.
During the trial, Jorgenson said he choked Starren to death after she asked him to leave her apartment.
Jorgenson told the courtroom that he was drunk and arguing with Xayavong before striking her in the head with his knee.
“I was very drunk at the time, and yes — in the heat of the moment — I was … yes [trying to kill her],” Jorgenson said of Xayavong’s murder. “I did feel bad about it immediately afterward, but my intent at that time was to kill her.”
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Murder, Dismemberment, Dismembered body, Dismembered, Crime, Minnesota, Confession, Prison time
