Illegal Immigrant Who Beheaded His Girlfriend Is Found Not Guilty Due To Mental Issues

SCOTT COUNTY, Minn. (FOX 9) - The illegal immigrant from Cuba who decapitated his partner in broad daylight in a Shakopee neighborhood two summers ago was deemed not guilty of murder because of mental illness. A ruling not sitting well with the victim’s family.

Alexis Saborit, 42, was convicted of first-degree premeditated murder in court on May 11 in the death of 55-year-old America Thayer. However, Judge Caroline Lennon ruled on Saborit's mental competency on Monday, citing in part psychologists determined "[Saborit's] mental illness prevented him from understanding his actions were morally wrong," the order reads.

According to the charges, someone called 911 after seeing a man, later identified as Saborit, throw a headless body out of a car at the intersection of 4th Avenue and Spencer Street around 2:30 p.m. on July 28, 2021. When officers arrived, they found Thayer’s body lying on the ground next to the car with her head lying next to her.

Officers found what appeared to be a sheath for a large knife in a nearby yard. They found a knife in a trash can in an alley in the area. Officers located Saborit a short distance away from the scene and took him into custody.

The indictment reveals Saborit allegedly told a friend just days before the murder, "I’m going to chop her f---ing head off" and then laughed. Saborit also told investigators Thayer was threatening to leave him, so he killed her with a knife to her neck.

The judge’s findings
Saborit was initially charged with intentional second-degree murder but was later indicted on first-degree murder. Saborit waived his rights to a jury trial in January 2023, and the judge issued the verdict in the case on May 11.

Saborit and his attorney have claimed mental health issues throughout the court process. But in the judge’s initial finding of facts, she listed evidence that he made deliberate decisions the day of the attack, including the weapons he used.

"[Saborit] used both an 8-pound dumbbell and machete during his assault. [His] decision to put down the dumbbell and use the machete is evidence of a deliberate mental thought process," the judge wrote.

However, the defense filed a motion in court on July 12 stating Saborit should be found not guilty by reason of mental illness because both the court-appointed and state-issued psychologist determined "[Saborit's] mental illness prevented him from understanding his actions were morally wrong."

The order discusses Saborit's history of mental illness, including his hospitalizations for "bizarre delusions" as early as March 2013. He suffered a traumatic brain injury after being in a coma from a car crash in 2017 and began experiencing auditory hallucinations and paranoid delusions.

After the crash, he was hospitalized in May 2020 for believing there was a camera in his head after the crash and everyone could hear what he was thinking, according to court records. He was also diagnosed with various mental health disorders, including manic psychosis and delusional disorder, among others.

The defense argues since no expert testimony or evidence challenged the psychologist’s opinions he was mentally ill at the time of the crime, he should not be held criminally liable.

The judge sided with the defense and issued a ruling for not guilty by reason of mental illness on July 17. The judge ordered him Saborit to remain in Scott County Jail until he can be transferred to another facility.

He is scheduled to make an appearance in court Tuesday afternoon.

Victim's family dismayed
"It is tough to understand how somebody can commit cold-blooded murder, plan to do it, tell everyone they’re going to do it, have a motive to do it, and then somehow be considered insane," Charles Thayer, son of America Thayer, told FOX 9’s Paul Blume at the Scott County courthouse on Tuesday.

In his victim impact statement, Charles Thayer detailed the history of mental, emotional, and physical abuse he said his mom suffered for years at the hands of Saborit. The abuse ultimately ended in the gruesome murder just blocks from the courthouse.

The family believes Saborit should rot in prison. Doctors though, concluded he was mentally ill, and District Court Judge Caroline Lennon agreed, finding he cannot be held criminally responsible for what happened.

"I just don't know what world or society we are living in anymore," said Charles Thayer. "I just want this to be over with, for myself and my family."