Maplewood Man Admits to Killing, Dismembering 2 Women

ST. PAUL, MN — A Maplewood man has admitted to killing and dismembering two women in 2021 and 2023.

Joseph Steven Jorgenson pled guilty Thursday to two counts of second-degree intentional murder in connection with the killing and dismembering of Manijeh Starren in April 2023 and Fanta Xayavong in September 2021.

As part of the plea agreement with the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office, Jorgenson will serve two concurrent 480-month sentences, which is the statutory maximum for each offense.

Jorgenson dismembered and hid the bodies of each victim to conceal his actions, authorities said. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 28 at 11 a.m. in Ramsey County.

As part of the plea agreement, the RCAO will dismiss a separate arson case filed on June 28, 2023.

"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."

St. Paul Police received a missing person call from Starren’s father in April 2023. He reported that she struggled with mental health and addiction challenges but had not checked in as usual that day, authorities said.

Investigators visited her apartment and reviewed video surveillance, her social media accounts, and her EBT account history. They were eventually led to investigate Jorgenson as the primary suspect in her disappearance and likely murder.

While Starren's apartment looked "perfectly normal," the St. Paul Police Department's forensic technology was able to locate a substantial amount of blood not visible to the naked eye as it had been cleaned, authorities said.

Keys recovered from Jorgenson’s apartment led investigators to a storage facility in Woodbury where they located the victim’s dismembered remains in two separate coolers as well as a large bag, authorities said.

During the first homicide investigation, authorities uncovered evidence of a second victim, Fanta Xayavong, with whom Jorgensen had a relationship back in 2021.

Investigators found her remains in a separate storage locker in Coon Rapids and tied evidence back to Jorgenson committing the offense at his Shoreview residence. Prosecutors were able to obtain an admission of guilt regarding Xayavong’s death.

The Ramsey County Attorney’s Office said it has not received any additional homicide cases from law enforcement involving Jorgenson.