A northern Minnesota man convicted of beheading an Iron Range man along a rural road was sentenced to life in prison last week.
Joseph C. Thoresen, 36, of Deer River, was convicted Friday by jurors in Itasca County District Court of premeditated first-degree murder and first-degree murder while committing a felony in connection with the June 2016 death of 20-year-old David A. Haiman, of Hibbing.
Thoresen, who has been jailed, was then sentenced to life without parole and began serving that sentence Friday in St. Cloud prison.
His girlfriend at the time of the killing, Kayleene D. Greniger, 23, of Grand Rapids, Minn., pleaded guilty in February to second-degree murder for her role in the killing and remains incarcerated. Her sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 16.
Haiman was killed in an ambush near the town of Ball Club along a northern Minnesota road, his body left in one spot in the woods, his head dumped elsewhere, according to charges against both defendants.
Greniger told authorities that Thoresen was upset when she revealed to him that Haiman had raped her, according to prosecutors.
Haiman had gone to the apartment earlier that day, when the woman and Thoresen both beat him while leveling the rape accusation, the charges alleged. The three then left together and smoked marijuana and methamphetamine in the time leading up to the beheading.
Thoresen allegedly hit Haiman with a baseball bat, stabbed him in the torso and severed his head with a machete.
Greniger was in the car at the time of the killing and also hid the machete in the couple's apartment, the charges said.
She later led authorities to Haiman's torso and head, according to the charges.
Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482
