Joseph Jorgenson is accused of killing Manijeh “Mani” Starren, 33, a mom of three, inside of her St. Paul apartment in April, police said.
A 40-year-old Minnesota man has been charged with the murder of his ex after her dismembered body was discovered in a storage unit, St. Paul Police said in a statement.
Joseph Jorgenson is accused of killing Manijeh “Mani” Starren, 34, a mom of three, inside of her St. Paul apartment in April, police said.
Starren was reported missing from family in early May, cops said. The family reportedly told police she was “afraid” of her boyfriend and that she had seemed paranoid and scared the last time they spoke with her, the New York Post reported.
Security footage obtained by police allegedly shows Starren attempting to flee her apartment on April 21 around 6 p.m., according to an affidavit of probable cause obtained by Inside Edition Digital.
Jorgenson went after her and cops say forced her back into the apartment, after which she was never seen again, according to New York Post.
At a press conference last week, St. Paul Sgt. Mike Ernster said, “Jorgenson is the only one that comes out of that unit, and Mani is never seen again. He did not report her missing to police. Instead, he just went on with his life without saying anything to anyone.”
In the past, cops say Starren told her son’s father that Jorgenson had once wrapped a rope around her neck and that she fled her apartment after “things got out of hand,” according to the affidavit.
Cops said that neighbors reported seeing Starren with a black eye and red marks on her throat and when a neighbor offered to call the police, Starren told her that “it will just make things worse,” the affidavit said.
Starren had struggled with drug addiction and mental health issues, family members said, according to the New York Post.
On Monday, June 26, a search warrant was executed in Maplewood by the Saint Paul SWAT team. When SWAT made entry, Jorgenson started a fire, eventually fought with officers and attempted to disarm them, cops said. Two officers suffered minor injuries.
Jorgenson was arrested and police began a search of the apartment which did reveal blood evidence, cops said.
The investigation continued and revealed a connection to a storage facility where St. Paul Police executed a search warrant on June 28 and located human remains, cops said.
The Forensic Services Unit and the Ramsey County Medical Examiner responded to the storage unit and processed the unit as a crime scene and transported the grim discovery to the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office for further examination.
The remains were identified on June 29 as Manijeh Starren, 34, of Saint Paul, Minn. and her death was ruled a homicide.
Jorgenson has been charged with one count of second-degree murder by the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office in relation to the death of Starren. He was also charged with arson, threats of violence and disarming an officer, during the June 26 arrest.
“Any crime that occurs in our community is horrific. A homicide is among the worst of all crimes for family, for our community, and even our investigators,” said Saint Paul Police Chief Axel Henry. “Our department is committed to bringing those who cause harm to justice, and now a very dangerous person is under arrest. The apprehension of this suspect illustrated the danger he posed to the public, and the dedication of our officers to protect our community.”
The Ramsey County Attorney’s Office tells Inside Edition Digital that Jorgenson has not entered a plea in any of his charges and is being held on $5 million bail.
His next court appearance is late next month and there he is expected to enter a plea.
Jorgenson is being represented by Ramsey County Public Defender John Reimer. Inside Edition Digital reached out to Reimer for comment and has not heard back.
The Ramsey County Attorney John Choi tells Inside Edition Digital in a statement, “Our hearts go out to the victim’s family and friends. The tireless work of our partners in law enforcement, especially the Saint Paul Police Department, made charging this tragic and horrific case possible; we appreciate the hard work of investigators and also our prosecution staff in quickly bringing forward these new charges.”
This is the 18th homicide of the year in Saint Paul.
Cops say that Jorgenson may also be connected to another woman’s disappearance, according to police.
Police said at the press conference last week that Fanta Xayavong, 33, disappeared in July 2021 and was last seen with Jorgenson.
“She does have a connection with Jorgenson, and, to put it bluntly, we’re concerned for her safety also,” Ernster said.
