Man who decapitated his girlfriend with a machete in front of others is found guilty

A Shakopee, Minnesota, man who decapitated his girlfriend with a machete nearly two years ago was convicted of first-degree murder last Thursday.

A court found that Alexis Saborit, 44, attacked his girlfriend America Thaye, 55, on July 28, 2021. The man first struck her with an 8-pound dumbbell while they were in a vehicle near downtown and then decapitated it with a machete.

The attack was seen by people who were in other cars and nearby houses. One of the witnesses even recorded video that appeared to show Saborit pulling a headless body out of the car, ditching a machete, and running away.

According to court documents, one of the witnesses claimed that he saw the man "standing outside the passenger door hitting the victim with a weight."

“Then, I saw the man cutting the passenger with a large knife. He pulled a decapitated body and a head out of the vehicle," he added.

On the day of the attack, the couple was headed for a court appearance on felony charges alleging Saborit set fire to her Shakopee apartment during a confrontation with police.

Thayer was pronounced dead at the scene after police arrived. “Officers quickly took Alexis Saborit, (then) 42, into custody on suspicion of second-degree murder,” the statement added.

Nearly two years later, the court judge found that the “nature of the assault” proved that Saborit intended to kill Thayer, and that the machete, the threats prior to the murder, and the “turbulent” relationship showed premeditation.

A review hearing is scheduled for June 1.