Minnesota Man Sentenced for Murder of His 82-Year-Old Mother

Burnsville, MN (MinnesotaNow)- A Minnesota man has been sentenced for the murder of his mother. 

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He was convicted at the conclusion of a seven-day trial last week. The jury deliberated for about nine hours before returning the guilty verdict.

Authorities investigating a mail theft case discovered evidence of the homicide in 2023. 

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Burnsville Man Sentenced for Killing and Dismembering 82-Year-Old Mother

58-year-old Troy Michael Mitteness of Burnsville was found guilty of first and second-degree intentional murder for the death of his mother, 82-year-old Sandra Mitteness. 

The criminal complaint says some of the proceeds from a parent mail thefts had been deposited into an account belonging to Sandra, which prompted Burnsville police to seek her out for questioning. 

The charges stated that her son initially told investigators she was in South Dakota, but he later claimed she had died in June 2022. Investigators located an obituary, but the funeral home listed denied ever providing any funeral-related services. 

Officers then found Sandra’s car and discovered evidence of blood in the trunk. That led to the execution of a search warrant at Troy Mitteness’ home, which uncovered additional blood evidence on the stairs inside the house, as well as on a mattress and box spring. 

Court documents say Mitteness later confessed to murdering his mother on June 2, 2023, by stabbing her in the back with a large kitchen knife while she was in bed. 

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Mitteness told investigators he then waited a couple of days before dismembering his mother’s remains and dumping pieces of her body in ditches and other locations while driving west of the Twin Cities toward Willmar. 

The investigation found Mitteness had begun researching online how to kill an elderly person with poison after spending all of his mother’s money and as she became suspicious about her finances. 

Minnesota law requires a sentence of life in prison without parole for a first-degree murder conviction. On Tuesday a Dakota County Judge handed down the life in prison sentence.