Burnsville man charged in the murder and dismemberment of his 82-year-old Mother
BURNSVILLE, MINNESOTA - The Office of Dakota County Attorney, Kathey Keena, announced today they have charged 56-year-old Troy Michael Mitteness of Burnsville, Minnesota with one count of Murder in the Second Degree (Intentional) in connection with the fatal stabbing death and dismemberment of this Mother, 82-year-old, Sandra Viola Mitteness. The incident Mitteness is being charged with occurred back in June of 2022.
According to the press release from Keena's office this afternoon, Kathey Keena says, “The facts alleged in this case make it one of the most horrific and disturbing cases I've experienced in the course of my 34-year career. I wish to thank the Burnsville Police Department for their doggedness into the investigation of the disappearance of Ms. Mitteness without which this case may have gone unsolved. My deepest sympathy is extended to the other family members and friends of Ms. Mitteness for their great loss.”
Mitteness had his first appearance in court today, where he received his charges and a bail that was set at $2,000,000 by Judge Karen Asphaug. Mitteness's next court appearance is set for July 20, 2023, at 1:30 PM in Hastings, Minnesota.
The Investigation
According to the Criminal Complaint, in late June 2023, the Burnsville Police Department was investigating reports of mail theft that were allegedly committed by Mitteness. Through their investigation, it was discovered that money from the mail thefts he allegedly committed was deposited into an account that belonged to his Mother, Sandra Mitteness. When the police asked Mitteness where is Mother was so they could talk to her about the money that was deposited into her account, the criminal complaint states that Mitteness told police she was in Millbank, South Dakota, and that she had died back on June 14, 2022. When the police executed a search warrant on Mitteness's house in regard to the mail theft investigation, police found an obituary stating his Mother had died on June 14, 2022. Police also found an envelope from a funeral home with the obituary for his Mother. Police contacted the funeral home about Ms. Mitteness, and the funeral home stated that they did not provide any post-mortem care or funeral service for Ms. Mitteness. Additionally, police contacted friends and relatives of Mitteness and his Mother, who all confirmed they had not seen Ms. Mitteness in several months. It was at this time, the Burnsville Police Department opened a missing persons case for Ms. Mitteness as they continued to try and find her.
The Burnsville Police reported they conducted several more interviews with family members of Mitteness and his Mother. In their interviews, several family members stated they believed Ms. Mitteness has passed away in the last 12 months because Mitteness had told them that. According to a number of family members, Mitteness had told them that his Mother had fallen down the stairs in June of 2022 and was in the Hospital. When the family tried to visit Ms. Mitteness in the hospital, Mitteness told them she had COVID and the family members couldn't visit her according to the criminal complaint. The Burnsville Police Department was informed by family members that Mitteness had sold Ms. Mitteness's car to a relative after Mitteness had said she passed. According to the family member who received the car, Mitteness was trying to get rid of the car quickly and even offered to give the car away for free. The family member told police he received the car and then sold it to another third party. The Burnsville police were able to locate the new third-party owner, who still had a procession of the vehicle. The new owner allowed the police to examine the car, and through the use of an alternative light source, found preliminary indications that there was a presence of blood in the trunk of the car according to the criminal complaint.
On July 6, 2023, the Burnsville Police Department executed another search warrant on Mitteness's home. During the search warrant, police officers collected physical evidence including preliminary tests on the stairs of the home that indicated the presence of blood. Samples were collected for later testing. Police officers also collected a mattress and box spring from the home that reportedly had large dark red stains that were swabbed and also indicated the presence of blood on them.
Admitting to the Crime
Following the search warrant and investigations, Burnsville detectives met with Mitteness at the Dakota County Sheriff's office where he was advised of his Miranda rights according to the criminal complaint. After being advised of his Miranda rights, Mitteness agreed to speak with the Burnsville detectives and then confessed to killing his Mother at his home back on June 2, 2022. According to Mitteness, he murdered his Mother because he had spent all of her money and his Mom was starting to become suspicious of her finances, and had asked to see her financial records. Mitteness admitted to police that he had researched how to kill an elderly person without the use of poison and how to stab someone quickly to make their death quick and painless. Through his research, he decided he would stab his Mother while she was in her bed. Mitteness admitted he had used a large kitchen knife and after she had been dead for a couple of days, he dismembered her and placed her in several plastic bins in his garage. He then drove from his home in Burnsville, Minnesota to Appleton, Minnesota where he discarded his Mother's body parts in a ditch as he drove so he wouldn't get caught he told police according to the criminal complaint. Mitteness also admitted he discarded two bins behind a dumpster at an abandoned rest stop along Highway 7 near Wilmar, Minnesota.
According to the criminal complaint, officers drive to the location of the once-abandoned wayside which was now private property after property owners had bought the land. According to the criminal complaint, officers spoke with the new property owners, who stated they did locate two plastic bins behind a shipping container that they moved to a burn pile. Officers located the burn pile and the plastic bins, which they collected as evidence. The bins were the same bins officers also located in Mitteness garage during the search warrant they executed on July 6, 2023.
