Authorities charged a 40-year-old man with second degree murder June 30 after the remains of two women were found in storage units belonging to the same man.
The dismembered remains of Manijeh “Mani” Starren, 34, and Fanta Xayavong, 33, were discovered in two separate storage units belonging to the same man, Joseph Steven Jorgenson, 40, in Minnesota, according to a St. Paul police press conference in early July. Both women had reportedly been in “abusive relationships with Jorgenson” at the time of their individual disappearance.
Xayavong, a mother of two, disappeared in 2021, according to the Huffington Post. Those investigating her disappearance received a tip regarding Jorgenson, which was passed along to St. Paul police after Starren was also reported missing. Jorgenson was already a person of interest in Starren’s case, so investigators searched his storage units and found the dismembered remains of both women.
A neighbor of Starren’s stated she’d seen her with “a black eye and red marks on her neck,” and offered to call the police on her behalf. Starren apparently told her that this would “just make things worse.” Footage from outside Starren’s apartment reportedly showed her running away from Jorgenson, who caught up with her and dragged her back into the home. She was never seen on that camera again. (RELATED: Missing Oregon Mother Found Dead Outside Of Barn: Reports)
Jorgenson went back and forth to her apartment some 28 times in the week following and used her debit card to purchase a bucket, six boxes of plastic wrap, paper towels, garbage bags, and other types of cleaning products. He is currently being held on $5 million bail at Ramsey County jail.
The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact the BCA tip line.