Alexis Saborit found not guilty by reason of mental illness in girlfriend's beheading
SHAKOPEE, Minn. -- A man who was found guilty of first-degree murder in the first part of a stipulated facts trial after beheading his girlfriend inside a car, dumping her body and fleeing has now been found not guilty by reason of mental illness.
Because Alexis Saborit pleaded not guilty due to mental illness, the trial comprised two phases: one to determine his guilt, and one to determine his "state of mind and resulting culpability," per the court.
Saborit will be held at the Scott County Jail until he can be transferred to a psychiatric care facility.
A judge in May ruled Saborit did indeed commit the killing, but Monday, a judge found him not guilty by reason of mental illness. The judge noted Saborit's medical history includes a traumatic brain injury, "symptoms of mania in conjunction with psychosis" and a "significant history" of non-compliance with prescribed treatments.
Two doctors analyzed Saborit's case and determined he "was suffering from mental illness to the extent that it prevented him from understanding the moral wrongfulness of his actions during the alleged offense."
The judge found "no deficit in the experts' review of the record or the soundness of their analysis," per court documents.
The court earlier found Saborit attacked his girlfriend, 55-year-old America Thayer, on July 28, 2021, as they drove to a court appearance. Witnesses saw a man -- later identified as Saborit -- pull a headless body out of a car at Fourth Avenue and Spencer Street, dispose of a machete and run away.
He was found nearby and arrested.
If you or someone you know needs mental health help, call 988. There you'll reach a trained crisis counselor that can help. The National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI, also has resources online.
For anonymous, confidential help, people can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224.
Women's Advocates
Crisis Line: (651) 227-8284
St. Paul & Ramsey County Domestic Abuse Intervention Project
Crisis Line: (651) 645-2824
Minnesota Day One
Crisis Line: 1-866-223-1111
Esperanza United
Bilingual crisis line: (651) 772-1611.
