ST. PAUL, Minn. – A suburban Maplewood man was charged with killing his girlfriend, cutting up her body, and hiding the remain for 14 weeks in a cooler inside a rented storage shed. Charged was Joseph Steven Jorgenson, 40. His girlfriend, 34-year-old Manijeh “Mani” Starren, hadn’t been heard from since April 21. Her family reported her missing in early June. Here is a chronicle of what the criminal complaint cites as evidence:
> April 21: Video from an apartment surveillance camera show Starren fleeing. Jorgenson is chasing her and grabbing her and pushing her back into the apartment.
> There is no video of her Starren ever coming out.
> April 21 to 28: Video showed Jorgenson coming and going from hepartment 28 times.
> April 28: Video shows Jorgenson carrying two duffel bags and a suitcase from her apartment, loading them into a roommate’s pickup truck, and climbing into the passenger seat.
> Jorgenson used Starren’s bank card to purchase a large quantity of cleaning supplies from a nearby Dollar Tree store. Another purchase: Lime, which can be used to accelerate the decomposition process and reduce the odors,
> June 26. Jorgenskin was arrested at his apartment.
Starren. Her family offered this image of Mani Starren to investigators after reportig her missing a couple weeks after not hearing from her.
> May: Tenants at Jorgenson and his roommate’s apartment on Century Avenue in Maplewood reported bad odors from the apartment.
A manager and a maintenance employee saw Jorgenson moving large black duffel bags that looked to contain a dead body.
> In the shared apartment, investigators found a key and opened to a storage unit 30 minutes away in Woodbury. The unit was rented in the roommate’s name. Inside were two coolers and a duffel bag that contained human remains.
> The Ramsey County medical examiner confirmed the remains belonged to Starren through dental records and tattoos.
> June 26: Jorgenson was arrested at his Maplewood apartment.