A 56-year-old Minnesota man admitted he killed his mother because he had spent all her money and she was becoming suspicious.
Troy Michael Mitteness has been charged with second-degree murder after he confessed to killing his 82-year-old mother, Sandra Viola Mitteness. He was already locked up for theft, mail theft, and check forgery when he was charged for the murder.
Mitteness informed the police that he had looked into how to kill an older person without resorting to poison, choosing to stab her in the neck in her sleep. A few days after the act, he dismembered her body, put the remains in plastic bins, and discarded them at various points along the state highway. He admitted to leaving two bins at an abandoned rest stop on Highway 7, heading towards Willmar, Minnesota.
The Burnsville Police Department initially launched an investigation into Mitteness for mail theft. In the course of this investigation, officers found that stolen money had been deposited into the account of Sandra Mitteness. When they tried to reach out to her, her son first claimed that she was in South Dakota before confessing that she had passed away on June 14, 2022.
Blood evidence in Sandra’s car, which Mitteness had sold, as well as on the stairs of their shared home, was found as the investigation progressed. Large, dark red stains were also found on a mattress and box spring at their home.
The family hadn’t seen Sandra for around a year and believed Mitteness’ claim that she was dead. Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena described this case as one of the most harrowing in her career and commended the Burnsville Police Department for their dedication.
Mitteness is being held at Dakota County Jail with a bond of $2 million. His court appearance for an Omnibus Hearing is scheduled for July 20.