Grand Rapids Man Charged with Beheading Hibbing Man

Grand Rapids Man Charged with Second Degree Murder

Itasca County authorities have charged 35-year-old Joseph Christen Thoresen,
of Grand Rapids with the murder of a Hibbing man.

The charge stems from allegations that Thoresen assaulted 20-year-old David Haiman with a baseball bat, a knife and a machete and caused his death on or about June 21,2016.

At the hearing, upon the recommendation of the prosecutor, the court set bail in the amount of $2,000,000 without conditions or $1,000,000 with conditions.

The maximum sentence for the crime is 40 years in prison.

Thoresen’s next court appearance is set for July 5th.

Below is a copy of the criminal complaint describing what authorities believe happened:

On June 24, 2016, at 11:56 p.m., Officer Cowan observed a vehicle traveling in Deer River with an obstructed license plate and the passenger was not wearing his seat belt.

Said officer initiated a traffic stop and noted that the suspect vehicle tried to flee from said officer.

Said officer noted that the suspect vehicle approached speeds over 90 mph before the driver turned onto Itasca County Road 128, lost control of the vehicle, and went into the ditch.

Said officer noted that the vehicle was driven out of the ditch and traveled north on C.R. 128 at speeds over 60 mph.

Said officer noted that the vehicle traveled on C.R. 128 for about 6 miles before sliding into the ditch.

During the pursuit, said officer noted that the passenger door was opened, that the passenger lost his shoe when trying to get out, that the passenger door closed and the vehicle continued to flee said officer.

Said officer noted that the driver and passenger exited the vehicle.

Said officer noted that the driver ran into the woods, was later located at a nearby house, identified as T.M.C., arrested, and transported to jail.

The passenger, later identified as Joseph Christen Thoresen, was ordered by gun point to the ground, placed into handcuffs and later released.

Said officer spoke with T.M.C. T.M.C. stated that he fled from officer, that Thoresen pulled a knife and told him to keep going and to not stop.

Said officer noted that a knife was not located on Thoresen or in the vehicle.

T.M.C. stated that Thoresen told him that he killed the vehicle owner several days earlier, that he hit him over the head with a baseball bat and stabbed him in the lungs, that he cut off his head, and that he dragged his body into the woods.

Said officer later received information that the suspect vehicle was owned by David A. Haiman from Hibbing and that he had been reported missing to the Hibbing Police Department.

On June 26, 2016, Investigator Johnson spoke with Captain Halverson of the Hibbing Police Department.

Said captain stated that on June 25, 2016 at 7:36 p.m., D.A.H. was reported missing, that D.A.H. had not shown up for work, and had not been seen in the last five days.

On June 26, 2016, said investigator spoke with T.M.C. T.M.C. stated that this past Tuesday or Wednesday, Thoresen came to his residence in a vehicle that belonged to D.A.H.

T.M.C. stated that Thoresen told him that he and his girlfriend, later identified as K.D.G., were riding with D.A.H. in his vehicle and went into the woods.

T.M.C. stated that Thoresen told him that he had D.A.H. check the oil, that he hit him on the head with a baseball bat, and that he stabbed him in the lungs with a black machete with holes in it. T.M.C. stated that Thoresen told him that he cut off D.A.H.’s head and put it in a bag and then threw it in the woods.

T.M.C. stated that Thoresen told him that he dragged D.A.H.’s body into the woods.

T.M.C. stated that he did not initially believe Thoresen. T.M.C. stated that a day or two later, Thoresen and K.D.G. showed up at his residence with a blood-covered bat and left the bat at his residence.

T.M.C. stated that he got scared and burnt the bat in his fire pit on Friday morning.

T.M.C. stated that he also found a shoe in his yard, that he does not know who the shoe belongs to, and that he threw the shoe in the fire.

T.M.C. stated that Thoresen told him that the machete used in the killing is in his apartment.

T.M.C. stated that Thoresen and K.D.G. brought a bag of property to his residence, including a laptop, school bags, a Galaxy 3 cell phone and a brown wallet.

T.M.C. stated that he believed the items belonged to D.A.H. T.M.C. stated that Thoresen threw him the wallet, that the wallet was empty, and that the wallet is
near the porch to his residence.

T.M.C. stated that Thoresen and K.D.G. took the rest of the property with them when they left his residence.

T.M.C. stated that Thoresen told him that he tied up D.A.H. in his apartment.

Said investigator received information that June 21, 2016 is the last time there was any activity on D.A.H.’s cell phone.

Said investigator received information that June 20, 2016 is the last time there was any activity on D.A.H.’s Facebook page.

On June 26, 2016, said investigators went to Thoresen’s and K.D.G.’s apartment in Grand Rapids.

Investigator Weller spoke with Thoresen. Thoresen stated that he has not had any contact with D.A.H. for two to three weeks.

Thoresen later showed said investigator his cell phone, and said investigator noted a
text conversation between Thoresen and D.A.H. on June 20, 2016. Thoresen was arrested and transported to jail.

Investigator Johnson located K.D.G. sleeping in a bedroom. Said investigator later spoke with K.D.G. K.D.G. stated that Thoresen and D.A.H. went to the front of the vehicle, that the hood was opened, and that Thoresen struck D.A.H. with a baseball bat and stabbed him with a large black knife in the abdomen and lower back.

K.D.G. stated that Thoresen cut off D.A.H.’s head and threw it in the woods. K.D.G. stated that Thoresen dragged D.A.H.’s body into the woods.

K.D.G. stated that Thoresen’s pants were covered in blood from the knee down, that the knife had holes in it, that it has blood on it, that it is under her bed and that her finger prints will be on the knife because she moved it.

K.D.G. stated that the killing occurred near Ball Club and is not familiar with the area. K.D.G. rode with Investigator Weller to the Ball Club area.

During the ride, K.D.G. stated that after the killing, they drove back to their apartment and Thoresen cleaned up the blood.

Said investigator noted that K.D.G. identified the area where the killing took place.

Said investigator received information that D.A.H.’s torso was located at 9:30 a.m., and that D.A.H.’s head was located at 10:30 a.m.

Said investigator received information that D.A.H.’s torso and head were located in Itasca County in the vicinity identified by K.D.G. Officers noted trauma to D.A.H.’s torso and head and noted that it appeared that D.A.H.’s torso appeared to have been dragged to the location where the torso was found.

Officers executed a search warrant at T.M.C.’s residence, and seized multiple items including a knife and bags located in the woods near the fire pit that contained men’s clothing and multiple forms of identification cards for D.A.H.

Officers executed a search warrant at Thoresen’s and K.D.G.’s residence.

Officers noted suspected blood and other physical evidence consistent with an altercation in the bedroom.

Investigator Weller spoke with K.D.G. She stated that Thoresen told her that D.A.H. was coming over, that she was upset and told Thoresen that D.A.H. raped her in their bedroom.

She stated that D.A.H. arrived at their apartment that day, that she confronted D.A.H., that she punched D.A.H., that D.A.H. agreed to be tied up and beat up, that she tied up D.A.H. with rope in the bedroom, she punched D.A.H. in the face and broke his nose and kicked him in the gut, that she untied D.A.H., that Thoresen punched D.A.H. and repeatedly told D.A.H. that should not have raped “my girl.”

She stated they talked about “scoring some bud”, that they left in D.A.H.’s car, that Thoreson drove D.A.H.’s car, that she was the front passenger, that D.A.H. was in the back, and that a baseball bat and a knife were in the back seat.

She stated that they drove to Deer River and smoked some bud with some people she would not identify, that they drove to Ball Club and smoked meth with an unidentified friend, that they drove around in the woods, that D.A.H. repeatedly called them worthless pieces of -hit and called her a slut, they Thoresen and D.A.H. argued, that there was some car trouble, that Thoresen got out and opened the hood, that D.A.H. got out and they argued, that she heard a loud thud, that Thoresen stabbed D.A.H. multiple times, that she tried to stop Thoresen, that D.A.H. was on the ground groaning and asking for her, that Thoresen took a large knife from D.A.H.’s belt loop and cut off D.A.H.’s head, and that this was “not my Joe.”