A Minnesota man accused of murdering his girlfriend and dumping her dismembered remains in an ice cooler has been linked to the disappearance of a second woman, authorities say.
Joseph Jorgenson, 40, was arrested last week during a standoff with police as they raided his Maplewood home looking for Manijeh “Mani” Starren, 34, who had been reported missing on 1 May, the Saint Paul Police Department said.
Mr Jorgenson was initially charged three felonies including arson and trying to disarm a police officer by taking his AR-15 rifle after resisting arrest.
Police analysed surveillance video at at the apartment, and found that Starren tried to flee the address on 21 April. She was never seen alive again.
Her remains were found wrapped in plastic bags in a cooler at a storage facility in Woodbury that had been rented in the name of Mr Jorgenson’s roommate, according to court documents.
After charging Mr Jorgenson with second degree murder, St Paul police said they hold grave fears for Fanta Xayavong, 33, who was last seen with him before her disappearance in 2021.
Manjieh ‘Mani’ Starren was reported missing by her family in May. Her remains were found in coolers in a Minnesota storage facility, and her former boyfriend Joseph Jorgenson has been charged with her murder— (Facebook)
“To put it bluntly, we’re concerned for her safety also,” Saint Paul Police Department spokesman Sergeant Mike Ernster told a press conference Friday.
Ms Xayavong is described as 5’4’ and 120 pounds, and her last known location was Shoreview, police said.
According to a criminal complaint, police studied Mr Jorgenson’s social media posts, ATM transactions, and phone activity after receiving a missing persons report for Starren, a mother of three.
They found footage from 21 April that showed her boyfriend chase her out of the address and push her back in, police said.
“Jorgenson is the only one that comes out of that unit, and Mani is never seen again,” Mr Ernster said. “He did not report her missing to police. Instead, he just went on with his life without saying anything to anyone.”
Fanta Xayavong, 33, has been missing since 2021. Police have linked her disappearance to Joseph Jorgenson— (Facebook)
The complaint states that Mr Jorgenson was seen carrying two duffle bags and a suitcase from her apartment, and loading them into a pick up truck.
Crime scene technicians detected large amounts blood on a sofa and in the floor of the living room and kitchen indicating someone had been “seriously injured or killed” at the address.
Extensive efforts had been made to try to clean up the apartment, the criminal complaint stated. Police believe Mr Jorgenson purchased cleaning supplies on Starren’s bank cards from a Dollar Tree store.
His internet search history allegedly showed he had looked up “jugular”, how to clear cookies from an Android phone, what police do with missing person reports and "lime for soil”, which can be used to speed up body decomposition.
Investigators also found disturbing messages sent by Mr Jorgenson to the missing woman on Facebook, according to the affidavit.
In one written days before her disappearance, he wrote: “Hope u die of a kidney infection u b**** c*** terrible f****** mother.”
When police raided his home on 26 June, police said Mr Jorgenson attempted to barricade himself in his bedroom and allegedly started a fire.
After police sprayed a chemical irritant into the room, he allegedly ran out yelling that he had a weapon and was going to kill officers.
According to an affidavit, he told police Starren struggled with drug addiction and was supposed to have checked herself into a treatment facility.
Starren’s family have set up a GoFundMe account to cover her funeral expenses.
“We also cannot fathom the pain the family is feeling at this point, but we do hope that this investigation's result wil bring them some level of solace,” Mr Ernster said on Friday.
