From the Saborit file: What we know so far

I have been trying to advance our understanding of the beheading of America Thayer by Alexis Saborit in Shakopee, Minnesota last week incrementally in several posts. My previous posts can all be accessed here.

I want to summarize what I have learned — facts and inferences and tentative conclusions — working on the story so far. My summary in bullet point form is below with the criminal complaint in the 2020 arson case embedded at the bottom. This is most of what we know so far in this heartbreaking and enraging case, I think:

• This case presents two sides of immigration — legal and illegal.

• Saborit was an illegal alien from Cuba who entered the United States in Texas via Mexico. America Thayer was a legal immigrant (also from Cuba) who changed her name to America when she became a citizen.

• ICE did its job — it flagged Saborit coming in when he crossed in 2007 and subsequently procured two deportation orders on him.

• ICE was unable to deport Saborit because Cuba wouldn’t take him back.

• This case seems to reflect the limitations of immigration law when it is functioning as currently prescribed.

• Now ICE has been disabled by Biden. It is a demoralized agency that is prevented by the administration from fulfilling its mission.

• Numerous Minnesota ICE officers have decamped for the IRS.

• At the time he murdered America, Saborit had several convictions for domestic assault in Louisiana as well as Minnesota. He had been convicted of assaulting America in Minnesota in 2017 and released on probation. I do not believe he served any time on that conviction.

• Saborit was charged with arson for setting his apartment on fire in November 2020. Police had been called to a nearby bar where Saborit had been seen bashing out car windows with a baseball bat. He wielded gasoline, a baseball bat and a machete when police came to apprehend him at his apartment. I have posted the criminal complaint in the case below.

• Saborit was charged with three felonies in the arson case and released on a $75,000 bond.

• In April Saborit violated one of the conditions of his release (no alcohol) and was arrested on a warrant application indicating he presented a risk of harm to others.

• Saborit was released the next day on the same conditions and an additional $50,000 bump in the bond.

• Saborit’s mental health had been put in issue by his attorney throughout the arson case. He told me he had a sense for “wacky clients,” a category in which he obviously placed Saborit.

• Saborit should never have been released in the arson case without a determination that his release posed no serious threat to others.

• Saborit’s mental health was evaluated for purposes of trial in the arson case. The report remains confidential.

• America was an abused woman. Saborit was convicted of domestic assault against her in 2017. Despite his Louisiana record of such assaults, he served no time on this conviction.

• At the time of her murder America was working at MyPillow in Shakopee.

• Saborit beheaded America when she told him she wanted out of the relationship.

• Saborit beheaded her in broad daylight on a busy residential street in Shakopee with several witnesses around.

• At the initial hearing on the murder charge last Friday Saborit asked in Spanish to be deported to his country rather than stand trial in Minnesota. A sick joke.

• As far as I can tell, the Star Tribune has not yet reported that Saborit was an illegal alien or otherwise explored the underlying arson case. A sick joke x 2.

• I have worked on this story with Alpha News editor Anthony Gockowski. After I reviewed the court file in the arson case at a public access terminal earlier this week, Anthony sent me the criminal complaint in the arson case below.

Saborit Arson by Scott Johnson on Scribd