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Joseph Thoresen. Thoresen is accused of decapitating another man after his girlfriend told him that the man had sexually assaulted her. (Itasca County Sheriff’s Office via AP)
MINNEAPOLIS » A northern Minnesota man faces a murder charge for allegedly beating and decapitating a man he believed raped his girlfriend.
According to a criminal complaint, Joseph Christen Thoresen beat David Haiman with a baseball bat, stabbed him, then used a machete to decapitate him as Haiman was groaning on the ground. Thoresen then dragged Haiman’s torso and threw his head into the woods, the complaint says.
The girlfriend told police that the group had smoked meth before the attack, the complaint said.
Thoresen, 35, made his initial appearance today on a murder charge in Itasca County District Court and remained in custody. Online court records do not list an attorney to comment on his behalf.
Haiman, 20, of Hibbing, had been reported missing Saturday after he didn’t show up for work and hadn’t been seen for five days, the complaint said. His torso and head were found Sunday.
According to the complaint, Thoresen’s girlfriend told police that when she learned Haiman was coming to the couple’s Grand Rapids apartment, she became upset and told Thoresen that Haiman had sexually assaulted her.
When Haiman arrived, the girlfriend tied him up and punched him, breaking his nose. She untied him, then Thoresen punched him repeatedly, the complaint said.
The girlfriend told police that the group left in Haiman’s car and drove to Deer River to “smoke some bud.” They also drove to Ball Club and smoked meth, the complaint said.
The girlfriend told authorities they drove into the woods and Thoresen and Haiman argued about car trouble. Thoresen allegedly told another acquaintance that he had Haiman check the oil, then he hit him in the head with a baseball bat and stabbed him, the complaint said.
The girlfriend told authorities she tried to stop Thoresen but he took a large knife from Haiman’s belt loop and cut off Haiman’s head.
You go Trump supporters.
Yes, because murderers have never been Democrats.
I thought meth smokers were shillary supporters?
@ honu – Trump supporters are the ones who are always being violently attacked.
IRT Usagi336: Not true, pay attention to the news in order to allay your ignorance. To be fair, both sides (supporters) have been perpetrators and recipients of violent attacks. Get your facts straight.
Which particular news stories are you referring to?
@ kauai – Don’t get your undies all bunched up. Every time I see the news, it’s Trump supporters being targeted. I really don’t care either way.
Uh, sounds like welfare recipients. Gotta be Obamanites, which will is the same as Hillarynites.
Why don’t all y’all go smoke some batu and go on a picnic together? Don’t forget the hardware.
Are these stories really news worthy? Stories like these are dime a dozen and occur nearly every day. Shouldn’t responsible news people be putting out better articles?
Stories like this are a dime a dozen??? Where do you live???? I have never heard of a story like this. How do we even know the guy did what they say. Maybe they are just crazy drug attics that made the story up? Now allie, this is scary!
not when one loses a head………..
sounds like Puna drama?
When people who judges a whole district by the actions and choices of a few, I guess aren’t aware that their stupidity is showing. I know a lot of people in Puna who are honest, hard working and confident in who they are and not deserving of the pot shots ignorant people makes on boards like this. The same people I see everyday trying to uplift their community’s values in making Puna a good place to live. It’s people like Allie that continually degrade districts like Wai`anae, Waipahu, Kalihi, etc without regards to people that are working hard in those area trying to bring about positive changes. Well, stupid is what stupid says…..Stupid.
It is the same argument for firearms.
Blame the guns and not the people using the guns.
Pass gun laws (read the fine print) that effect the law abiding citizens, over the criminals.
The “no-fly list” had congressmen & elected politicians” on that “no due process” list. No one knew who put them on that list, what was the evidence that was used, and there was no legal recourse.
Gangs, Organized Crime & Career Criminals never seemed to be effected by the ever expanding gun laws.
Mental health issues covered a full rainbow. This would include PTSD suffered by the military & veterans and active or retired law enforcement officers.
is that what happened to your mom?
Sounds like rez drama as the alcoholism and drug users outnumber the educated in those societies. Isn’t that a fact miss Mandan?!! Look it up.
Home-grown decapitation ISIL copy-cat?
Copycat?! He’d need a functioning brain to copy someone. He probably doesn’t even remember what he did, let alone why.
And there you have it, ladies & gentlemen, a new and improved way to deal with rapists.
That said….I really hope that guy was a rapist or that sucks for him.
They were Clinton supporters.
You are just so clever!
IRT lespark: Your lack of intelligence is showing. What a stoopeed thing to post. Grow up.
The Muslim Sharia Laws – beheading technique, is starting to become mainstream.
I wonder if that was the guy or if girl was making it up. And they are drug addicts too