America Thayer (left) is seen in a Facebook image. Alexis Saborit (right) is seen in a Scott County, Minn. jail booking photo.
A man who police say admittedly chopped off his girlfriend’s head made his first appearance in a Minnesota courtroom on Monday.
Alex Saborit, 42, stands accused of murder in the second degree for the late July decapitation of 55-year-old America Mafalda Thayer.
Prosecutors say the victim was trying to break up with Saborit when she was brutally killed on the streets of Shakopee, Minn., a suburb of the Minneapolis and St. Paul metropolitan area on the afternoon of July 28.
Largely a formality due to the circumstances of the alleged crime and a prior ruling on his detention, Saborit’s initial court appearance outlined the conditions that the defendant must abide by if he is ever able to post millions in bail.
According to local ABC affiliate KSTP, the allegedly confessed killer had his bail set at $2.5 million last month during a bail hearing, and he is still being detained pending trial in the Scott County Jail. Minnesota’s constitution mandates that judges set some sort of bail.
In the Land of 10,000 Lakes, “[a] defendant appears before a judge and the judge determines the amount of bail,” according to an informational sheet produced by the state legislature. “The defendant can then post the total amount of bail, a third person can post the bail on the person’s behalf, or the defendant can contract with a bail bonds company to post a bond for the defendant.”
In most cases, a bail bonds company would accept roughly 10-percent of bail in order to post a bond on behalf of a criminal defendant. In this case, that would amount to some $250,000.
In the event Saborit can come up with that kind of money, the order of release stipulates that he must keep the court and his attorney apprised of any change of address. Additionally, the defendant would be barred from leaving Minnesota, would not be allowed to consume any alcohol or “controlled substances not prescribed by a physician.”
Saborit would also be ordered not to have any contact with the residents of his apartment or to travel to the residence noted in his criminal complaint. In this theoretical release scenario, the defendant would be expected not to use or possess any guns and to surrender any firearms he owns within three hours of being released.
Two handwritten notes on the order explain that Saborit has signed off on the release of information in the case and that he will need a Spanish language interpreter going forward.
“Furthermore, Defendant is not to drive a motor vehicle without a valid Minnesota driver’s license, valid insurance, is to remain law-abiding, and shall keep a copy of this Order on their person at all times,” a bit of boilerplate near the end of the court document notes.
The phrase “remain law-abiding” is underlined on the order.
According to the order, Saborit’s next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 25. The Scott County Attorney’s Office told Law&Crime that this next court date will be an “Omnibus Hearing”—the second hearing that follows an initial appearance where a variety of matters ranging from evidentiary issues to discovery.
As Law&Crime previously reported, witnesses obtained video of the alleged victim being beheaded. Those videos were then shared online. Saborit allegedly confessed to the killing immediately after being taken into custody.
A public defender for Saborit declined to comment on this story.
Aaron Keller contributed to this report.
[Image of America Thayer via Facebook, Alexis Saborit via Scott County, Minn. jail booking photo]
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