A 44-year-old Cuban illegal immigrant residing in Minnesota, Alexis Saborit, has been convicted of first-degree premeditated murder following the horrific public beheading of his girlfriend.
Court records indicate that Saborit waived his right to a jury trial, with Judge Caroline H. Lennon declaring him guilty on May 11. Saborit is scheduled for a review hearing on June 1 and faces a possible life sentence without parole.
Witnesses reported seeing Saborit and America Thayer, 56, together at Shakopee’s Memorial Park before the gruesome event unfolded a mile away. Saborit attacked Thayer with a machete and a dumbbell, leading to her decapitation in front of witnesses. He then dumped her headless body on a busy street.
After police found Thayer’s body with “stab wounds,” they apprehended Saborit nearby as he attempted to flee, and they found the murder weapon in a trash can.
The couple’s relationship was described as volatile in court documents, marked by frequent fights, allegations of abuse, and prior threats. Thayer had sought to end their 12-year relationship, and Saborit knew above her plans and was not happy about them. Charles Thayer, the victim’s son, expressed relief at the verdict, emphasizing that his mother did not deserve to die in such a heinous manner.
