Maplewood man pleads guilty to murders of 2 women who were found dismembered

Maplewood man pleads guilty to murders of 2 women who were found dismembered

Maplewood man pleads guilty to murders of 2 women who were found dismembered

A Maplewood man pleaded guilty on Thursday to the murders of two women he had been romantically involved with who later disappeared.

Joseph Steven Jorgenson, 41, was charged last year in connection with the death of 34-year-old Manijeh “Mani” Starren. Per a plea agreement submitted to the court on Thursday, he is expected to be sentenced to 40 years for the murder.

At Thursday’s plea hearing, Jorgenson was also charged with and pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in connection with the murder of 33-year-old Fanta Xayavong. As part of the plea agreement, he is expected to be sentenced to 40 years for this murder as well.

The two sentences will be served concurrently.

During the hearing, Jorgensen admitted to both murders and described how he carried them out.

In the spring of 2023, Jorgenson said he and Starren got into an argument. She asked him to leave her apartment, and he told court officials that he got upset and started hitting her. Jorgenson said he then choked her until she died and admitted he was trying to kill her.

Jorgenson said he then dismembered Starren’s body with a razor blade and brought her to his Maplewood apartment before moving her to a storage unit in Woodbury.

While Thursday marked his first appearance in connection with Xayavong’s death, he entered a guilty plea in her murder as well.

Jorgenson told court officials he and Xayavong were living together in a townhome in Shoreview in 2021. Around Sept. 1 of that year, they got into an argument, and he began beating her. At one point, he thought she had gone unconscious, so he checked her vitals and realized she was deceased.

“I felt bad about [the murder] immediately afterward, but it was my intent at the time to kill her,” he told the judge Thursday.

Jorgenson then dismembered Xayavong’s body and moved it to a storage unit in Coon Rapids.

There were aggravating factors considered in both cases, including that Jorgenson was in a romantic relationship with both victims, both murders happened in the victims’ homes, and he dismembered and hid their bodies.

As part of the plea deal, the state agreed to dismiss a third case in which he was charged with arson, threats of violence and disarming an officer when law enforcement executed a search warrant at his apartment in connection to Starren’s disappearance.

Jorgenson is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 28 at 11 a.m.

The social services organization Violence Free Minnesota provided the following statement:

“Violence Free Minnesota hopes that the perpetrator’s admission of guilt provides some measure or semblance of comfort for Fanta and Manijeh’s loved ones. Some of the details that were shared in the perpetrator’s statements, such as the manner of Fanta’s homicide, were not previously shared publicly. These details illustrate the risk that domestic violence victim/survivors can experience in abusive relationships. We had previously recognized Manijeh’s death in our 2023 Homicide Report, and found that she met all five of our documented risk factors for intimate partner homicide: strangulation, abuser’s access to firearms, abuser’s history of violence, victim’s attempts to leave, and the abuser’s threats to kill the victim.

“It is critical that all sectors of our communities work together to address and prevent domestic violence, from schools to healthcare to faith communities, and that victim/survivors and their loved ones are aware of the community-based advocacy services available to them. We are fortunate in Minnesota to have a 24/7, free and confidential Day One hotline that is available to victim/survivors and those who care about them. This hotline can assist with safety planning and resources at 1.866.223.1111. Relationship abuse is a public health issue and a social issue, and we should never see a situation where two victims are killed by the same person; nor should we continue to see any domestic violence homicides at all.

“We want people who see this story to remember not only the unacceptable nature of these deaths, but to also remember the victims of homicide for who they were in life. Manijeh was described as someone who loved hunting, fishing, and thrift shopping. Fanta was described as someone with a beautiful soul who gave selflessly to others and had a beautiful smile. Both were mothers. Both of them should still be here. Are thoughts are with their loved ones today and in the coming weeks as the trial and sentencing conclude.”


If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, several resources are available to offer help. For immediate help, contact:

More than 12 million people just in the U.S. are affected by domestic violence every year, according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

The organizations listed above can help connect victims to resources like safe shelter, advocacy, legal help and support groups.

The National Domestic Violence Hotline also offers tips for identifying abuse and supporting victims of abuse. CLICK HERE to see those.

Other organizations that can help include:

Minnesota also has a list of many other resources for victims of crimes that can be found HERE.