The Murder of America Thayer
America Mafalda Thayer, 55, was stabbed and beheaded in her vehicle in broad daylight, near the busy intersection of Fourth Avenue and Spencer Street in Shakopee, Minnesota . Her estranged boyfriend, Alexis Saborit, 42, has been indicted for her death. His trial is expected to begin on January 25, 2023.
The Discovery of America Thayer
On July 28, 2021, at approximately 2:30 p.m, Shakopee law enforcement was dispatched to the intersection of Fourth Avenue and Spencer Street regarding a report of a headless victim being thrown from a dark-colored vehicle. When the police arrived, they found a female body on the sidewalk with her dismembered head nearby. Several witnesses gave statements of what they witnessed. All witnesses stated that a dark-colored vehicle pulled up to the intersection, and the driver exited the vehicle. He opened the passenger door and began attacking the passenger; his arm making a chopping motion. The attacker discarded what would later be identified as the victim’s head before removing her body from the vehicle. The attacker left on foot, heading down a nearby alley.
Police recognized the victim and knew that she had an estranged boyfriend, Alexis Saborit, who had a penchant for violence and blade type weapons.
Investigators began searching the surrounding area. They located a discarded white t-shirt and tennis shoes, both containing blood stains. They also located a leather sheath commonly used for a machete. As police continued their canvass, Saborit was located walking one and a half miles from the initial crime scene and was taken into custody.
On July 29, 2021, investigators received a telephone call from a local resident. She stated her dog had found a suspicious object in her backyard. Investigators located a machete hidden in the bushes in her backyard. It had what appeared to be blood evidence that would later be confirmed to belong to America Thayer.
Criminal History of Alexis Saborit
On July 23, 2017, police were dispatched to a residence in Chaska, Minnesota for a possible domestic violence complaint. Officers discovered an intoxicated Saborit physically restraining Thayer. They learned he had also physically assaulted her just prior to their arrival. According to the Criminal Complaint, which you can find here, Saborit had been convicted on previous Domestic Abuse-Battery charges in Louisiana on December 6, 2011.
On a domestic abuse Release Order/Bail Hearing document dated July 24, 2017, the terms outlined included no contact with the victim, no substance abuse, and remain law-abiding until his Omnibus Hearing. The document also stated that Saborit had an ICE hold. You can find that document below.
According to the American Civil Liberties Union website, an ICE hold means “a written request that a local jail or other law enforcement agency detain an individual for an additional 48 hours after his or her release date in order to provide ICE agents extra time to decide whether to take the individual into federal custody for removal.
On July 27, 2017, Thayer wrote a letter to the court, requesting the no contact order be removed. The court granted her request and removed the no order contact.
On October 17, 2018, a 9-1-1 telephone call was made, regarding a man who was brandishing a knife in front of a bar called Babe’s Place in Shakopee, Minnesota. Police arrived and discovered the intoxicated man in question. When officers searched him, they found a 3-inch folding knife and a 10-inch kitchen knife. Police placed Saborit in handcuffs and put into a police car. No one at the bar wanted to press charges, so police had thought to place him in protective holding until Saborit sobered up. When transferring him from one police vehicle to another, Saborit slipped out of the handcuffs and flee. Police apprehended and transported him; prosecutors charged Saborit with one count of Obstruct Legal Process-Interfere with a Peace Officer, and one count Fleeing a Peace Officer by a Means Other Than a Motor Vehicle. You can find the Criminal Complaint below.
On November 9, 2020, law enforcement was dispatched to the local business called the Pullman Club. The complaint was regarding a man smashing vehicle windows with a baseball bat. Witnesses informed officers that the man had gone to his apartment, which was near the club. Officers discovered the man pouring diesel fuel from a gas can out of his second-story apartment window. A standoff ensued, during which the man threw a machete and baseball bat out of the window before lighting the apartment on fire. Officers talked the man into exiting through a window and placed him in custody while fire personnel extinguished the blaze. The man’s identity was discovered to be Alexis Saborit. You can find the Criminal Complaint for this incident here.
The Confession of Alexis Saborit
Alexis Saborit confessed to murdering America Thayer during a police interview, following his arrest. Saborit explained that he and Thayer had met earlier that day at Memorial Park in Shakopee to discuss his scheduled court appearance on the outstanding arson charges from his November 9, 2020 incident. Saborit stated he expected Thayer to accompany him and speak on his behalf, but while on their way to the court proceeding, she changed her mind. He said that told him she “wanted to get rid of him and end their relationship” and that he had killed her because he believed she was abusing him by trying to end their relationship.
Alexis Saborit has been charged with one count of first-degree murder and one count of second-degree murder with intent. During his arraignment, Saborit asked the judge if he could be deported instead of facing charges in Minnesota. The judge denied his request and set Saborit’s bail for $2.5 million.
Saborit and his legal team are pursuing a verdict of not guilty by reason of mental illness. Two different evaluations by separate psychologists have determined a basis for this defense. His trial took place on January 25, 2023.
Trial
Alexis Saborit waved his right to a trial by jury. The prosecution and the defense presented their cases to District Court Judge Caroline Lennon. Both parties agreed to submit written closing arguments to the court.
Saborit is due back in court on March 22, 2023.
Remembering America Thayer
America Thayer was well known in her small neighborhood. She was a hard worker that worked overtime hours when necessary, at her position at the My Pillow store in Chaska, WI. A close friend of Thayer’s, Nicky Kendrick, was quoted as saying, “She was soft spoken, so funny, and always had amazing stories. She always went out of her way to say hi to me when she saw me. She was just truly the kindest to everyone. I haven’t met anyone as genuinely kind as America was since my late grandma.” Other friends and co-workers, in much the same way, remembered Thayer. Her death has shocked and devastated the people in Thayer’s life.
