Joseph Jorgenson, a 41-year-old Minnesota resident, confessed to the brutal murders of two women he had been romantically involved with, Fanta Xayavong, 33, and Manijeh “Mani” Starren, 34. Jorgenson’s admission of guilt to second-degree murder charges came on Thursday, and he now faces a potential 40-year prison sentence for each crime.
Jorgenson detailed the chilling circumstances of the murders in court. He and Xayavong had been cohabiting in a townhouse in September 2021 when a heated argument escalated to violence. Jorgenson admitted to beating Xayavong until she lost consciousness. Upon realizing she was dead, he dismembered her body and concealed her remains in a storage unit.
Jorgenson expressed remorse for his actions, telling the judge, “I felt bad about [the murder] immediately afterward, but it was my intent at the time to kill her.” He also confessed to killing Starren during a dispute, choking her to death before dismembering her body with a razor blade. He initially hid her remains in his apartment before moving them to a separate storage unit.
The investigation into the women’s disappearances began when Starren’s family reported her missing to the Saint Paul Police Department after losing contact with her. The mother of three was last seen on April 21, 2023, in surveillance footage with Jorgenson outside her apartment. The footage showed Starren fleeing from her apartment, with Jorgenson pursuing her, catching her, and forcing her back inside.
Saint Paul Sgt. Mike Ernster stated at a press conference, “Jorgenson is the only one that comes out of that unit, and Mani is never seen again. He did not report her missing to police. Instead, he just went on with his life without saying anything to anyone.”
In June, a search warrant was executed at Jorgenson’s residence. During the search, Jorgenson started a fire and attempted to disarm officers before being arrested on unrelated charges. Subsequently, police were led to a storage facility in Woodbury, Minnesota, where they discovered dismembered remains in two coolers and a duffel bag. The remains were later identified as Starren’s.
While investigating Starren’s case, authorities found Xayavong’s remains in a separate storage unit approximately 35 miles away. Jorgenson was identified as a person of interest in her disappearance. A concerned citizen who knew Xayavong and was worried about her safety tipped off the police, leading to the discovery of her remains. The individual reported that Xayavong had been in an abusive relationship with Jorgenson and had lost contact with her.
Xayavong, a mother of two, was remembered as a “beautiful soul” who “gave selflessly when it came to others,” according to a GoFundMe page set up in her memory. Jorgenson’s sentencing is scheduled for February 28.