A 55-year-old woman was decapitated in broad daylight on a sidewalk in Shakopee. The gruesome attack occurred at the intersection of Spencer Street and Fourth Avenue at approximately 2:31 p.m.
Minnesota woman decapitated on city streets in broad daylight
The call to police came in as a stabbing, but when they arrived on the scene, they found the bloodied body of America Mafalda Thayer, 55, on the ground with her head by her side.
According to court documents, several witnesses witnessed the attack.
Investigators found a large knife sheath tossed in a nearby yard and located a knife in a trash can in an alley near the scene.
Police immediately turned their attention to Thayer’s boyfriend, Alexis Saborit, 42, and arrested him on a charge of second-degree murder.
“At this time, investigators believe the suspect knew the victim and this was not a random act.” Extremely graphic images of the brutal murder were shared on social media on cell phones.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and SPD are handling the ongoing investigation into Thayer’s murder.
Sources who knew Thayer said domestic abuse had long been an issue in his relationship with Saborit. Court records showed he had a prior conviction for domestic assault in 2017.
At the time of Thayer’s murder, Saborit was out on bail on an arson charge for allegedly attempting to set his apartment building on fire last year.
