Inset photos from left: Joseph Jorgenson, Fanta Xayavong and Manijeh “Mani” Starren (Screenshots from FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul)
Authorities have discovered the body of a years-long missing woman in a suburban Minneapolis storage unit during an investigation of a man charged with killing his girlfriend, whose dismembered remains were found last week in a separate storage unit miles away.
Police found the body of Fanta Xayavong, 33, on Thursday while serving a search warrant at a storage facility in Coon Rapids. Authorities named Joseph Steven Jorgenson as a person of interest in the case, who police believe the victim was last seen with, police said.
“Unfortunately, for the second time in a week, I’m here to report that we found a missing person deceased,” St. Paul Police Sgt. Mike Ernster said during a news conference on Friday.
The circumstances of her death were not revealed during the Friday news conference.
“Investigators are still doing the hard work of trying to determine the facts of this case,” Ernster said. “When that work is done, we will forward it to the appropriate authorities.”
Jorgenson has not been charged in Xayavong’s death. Ernster called him a “person of interest” in the case.
An email from Law&Crime on Saturday to his defense attorney seeking comment was not immediately returned.
Last week, police announced that Jorgenson was charged with one count of second-degree murder in the death of Manijeh “Mani” Starren, whose dismembered remains were found in two coolers and a duffle bag in a unit in Woodbury, Minnesota, about 35 miles away from the storage facility where Xayavong’s remains were found.
Starren, a 34-year-old mother of three, was reported missing in June after her family hadn’t heard from her since April 21, when police said she was last seen in video surveillance with Jorgensen outside her apartment. The video showed her running from her apartment and Jorgenson catching up to her, grabbing her, and pushing her back into her apartment, court documents said.
Police also executed a search warrant Friday at a home belonging to Jorgenson until September 2022.
“This search warrant is being conducted in an attempt to advance the investigation and to locate evidence of Xayavong’s death,” police said in a news release.
Police said the discovery of Xayavong’s remains came from a tip while investigating Starren’s disappearance. The information came from a concerned citizen who knew her and was concerned for her welfare. The person allegedly reported that she had been in an abusive relationship with Jorgensen and had lost contact with her.
Chief Axel Henry said the ongoing probe will likely span numerous cities and counties.
“Thankfully, cases like this are extremely rare, but they are reminders to all of us that monsters can be real, and we are committed as your police department to keeping our community safe from harm,” he said. “We will not be idle in the face of these types of dangers.”
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