As police investigated the disappearance of one of Joseph Jorgenson’s girlfriends, they quickly discovered that another former partner of his had also mysteriously disappeared. A Minnesota man has pleaded guilty in Ramsey County District Court to murdering and dismembering his girlfriend, putting her remains in a storage unit … twice.
Joseph Jorgenson, 41, confessed to murdering two separate girlfriends after a police investigation into the disappearance of one led to the discovery that she wasn’t the first girlfriend of his to have disappeared.
During a hearing in court on January 2, Jorgenson admitted to the killings of Manijeh “Mani” Starren, 34, and Fanta Xayavong, 33. Both women were mothers, with Starren leaving behind three children and Xayavong two.
He is expected, per a plea agreement seen by ABC affiliate KSTP, to receive two 40-year sentences — the maximum allowed by law — to be served concurrently on two counts of second-degree murder.
What started as a missing persons report on Starren quickly escalated into something much more horrific as police allegedly uncovered surveillance footage capturing the violent last moment she was seen alive with Jorgenson outside of her apartment.
“These heinous acts of cruelty took the lives of two young women and forever altered the future of their friends and family,” said Ramsey County Attorney John Choi 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.”
