Man Pleads Guilty to Killing & Dismembering 2 Girlfriends in 2 Years, Leaving Bodies in Storage Units

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."

The St. Paul Police Department first became involved with the case when Starren's father reported her missing on May 1, 2023. He reported they'd not heard from her since April. According to Starren's father, she struggled with mental health and addiction, but had not checked in, per The Minnesota Star Tribune.

Inside her apartment, police found blood. That combined with surveillance footage led them to Jorgenson as a possible suspect in what was considered a disappearance at that time, according to True Crime News. Footage showed Starren running from her apartment on April 21 with Jorgenson following her, per police.

In the video, Jorgenson reportedly "grabbed her, turned her around, and pushed her back into the apartment," according to the police affidavit. That was the last sighting of Starren alive, but Jorgenson was later seen walking in and out of her apartment, on one occasion with duffle bags.

When they attempted to apprehend Jorgenson as a suspect on June 26, 2023, police reported that he started a fire in his home and fought with responding officers. He was eventually detained and a search of his home uncovered more blood, per TCN.

As part of their investigation, as detailed in a probable cause affidavit, detectives spoke with a man who has a child with Starren. He detailed concerns for her safety, including an incident where Jorgenson allegedly "wrapped a rope around her neck and things got out of hand, and she ran from the apartment."

According to True Crime News, Jorgenson's landlord received complaints from other tenants in May 2023 about a "foul smell" coming from his apartment. They attempted to inspect it with a maintenance worker, but told police Jorgenson was "verbally hostile, and he physically denied access to a bedroom where the smell seemed to be coming from."

Both the manager and maintenance worker said they saw Jorgenson later that day removing bags from the apartment, adding that at one point it looked as if he was "carrying a dead body." Investigators found blood in a closet in the bedroom he did not allow access to, as well as evidence of "recent maggot activity."

A browser search history of Jorgenson's computer came up with topics like "how to clear cookies from Android phone," and "what do police do with a missing person's report," and "lime for soil."

Two days after Jorgenson's arrest, police executed a search warrant at a storage facility where they discovered human remains later identified as Starren's. Her remains, according to the arrest affidavit, were wrapped in plastic and inside of coolers, with the statement noting, "Great care had been taken to wrap the remains."

The St. Paul Police Department first got tipped off about Xavayong by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Human Trafficking tipline in May 2023, as detailed in a press release.

A caller, who'd heard about the charges against Jorgenson for Starren, said they knew Xayavong had been in an abusive relationship with Jorgenson and were concerned because they'd lost contact with her. With this, police opened an investigation into Xayavong's disappearance.

They uncovered messages between Jorganson and another individual where he purportedly admitted to breaking his hand by striking Xayavong, according to the Star Tribune.

That investigation quickly took police to another storage facility in Coon Rapids, MN, where they served a search warrant on a unit on July 6 and uncovered human remains that had been placed in styrofoam boxes. Her hands were tied behind her back.

Police also found knives they believed were used in her murder and dismemberment. The next day, the remains were positively identified as Xayavong's.

In court, Jorgenson not only confessed to the crimes, but detailed how he carried them out. He said that the death of Starren occurred after an argument when she asked him to leave her apartment.

As he explained to the court, he got upset and started hitting her and then choking her until she died. He admitted that his intent in that moment was to kill her.

After Starren's death, Jorgenson said he dismembered her body with a razor blade and first brought her to his apartment in Maplewood, MN before relocating her to the storage unit in Woodbury, MN, where police ultimately found her.

KSTP note that Thursday's court appearance was the first time Jorgenson was connected to Xayavong's death, but he pleaded guilty for her murder as well.

Jorgenson explained in court that he and Xayavong were living together in Shoreview, MN when they got into an argument. This was in September 2021, and it followed a very similar pattern. Jorgenson said he was "very drunk at the time" and beat her to death, admitting "in the heat of the moment" he was trying to kill her.

He said that he'd initially thought she was only unconscious, but discovered that she had died when he checked for a pulse. "I felt bad about it immediately afterward," he told the judge, "but it was my intent at the time to kill her," he told the judge, per CrimeOnline.

As part of his plea deal, charges of arson, threats of violence, and disarming an officer when police executed their search warrant on his home in connection to Starren's disappearance were dropped. His sentencing is set for February 28.