Sword and Scale Nightmares - God Bless America

Episode Date: July 31, 2024

In the idyllic town of Shakopee, where the Minnesota River winds its peaceful course, and a community finds solace, tranquility turns to terror when a horrifying crime rocks the neighborhood to its core. A young woman witnesses a night-marish scene right outside her home and shares it, sending shockwaves through the town and beyond.

A close community thrives in the tranquil town of Shakopee, Minnesota, where the gentle flow of the Minnesota River weaves a tapestry of serenity. Steeped in Native American heritage, but also representing a blend of history and modernity, life in Shakopee has always been characterized by peace and charm. But on one fateful afternoon, the town was about to be shaken to its core. From the windows of their homes and the sidewalks below, the residents witnessed something so unsettling it sent shockwaves through the entire neighborhood. Gasps of disbelief echoed through the air as they tried to make sense of the spine-chilling

scene that unfolded before their eyes. Welcome to Sword and Scale Nightmares. True crime for bedtime. It was midsummer on a very residential street in Shakopee, Minnesota. Charming homes lined the sidewalks and cars intermittently drove along the street. It was an exceptionally clear day. It also appeared to be an ordinary afternoon in the tranquil neighborhood of 337 Fourth Avenue East when a young resident was going about her day, unaware that it was about to take a horrifying turn. She goes about her activities inside her home, but hears an unusual commotion outside that immediately catches her attention.

Startled, she wonders what could possibly be happening on such a busy and peaceful street. Curiosity gets the better of her, and she can't resist investigating the source of the noise. With her cell phone always within reach, as most young people do nowadays, she cautiously approaches her living room window and pulls back the curtains to peer outside. What she witnesses in that fleeting moment something straight out of a chilling B-list horror movie. Shock and disbelief overcome her, and she can't help but gasp in terror. She quickly activates her phone's camera, zooming in on the alarming scene unfolding before her eyes. The words, Oh my God, repeatedly escape her lips as she tries to comprehend the gruesome

sight. Feeling a mixture of fear and the need to alert others, she instinctively posts the footage on Snapchat, accompanied by a desperate pleas for anyone nearby to come and offer assistance. The urge in her voice resonates through the video as she hopes for help or answers, but she later learns that this movie wasn't a good one, and her good intentions, or maybe neutral intentions, only create more alarm. As the footage circulates online, passers-by and vehicles also catch sight of the hideous

scene. Some can't help but slow down or stop to understand the magnitude of the situation unfolding. One car even comes to a halt, its occupants visibly disturbed by what they see. Shocked and unsure of how to respond, they eventually drive off, likely dialing the authorities or alerting others to the disturbing incident. The Scott County 911 operator has heard it all, but probably not like this. She asks about the emergency, and an agitated male voice responds that he is on 4th Avenue. He reports that a gray four-door sedan, something like a Sebring, was traveling in front of him, and he just

saw a man of possible Hispanic descent heading eastbound in an alleyway, leaving the scene. He's wearing a white t-shirt and has maybe multiple tattoos. He's also wearing a hat. The caller tries to continue, but interjects that he's freaked out. The dispatcher hearing the panic in the caller's voice can almost hear his heart pounding through the phone as she urges him to remain calm and give her as many details as possible. Looking for reassurance, he turns to a firefighter who's just arrived and hesitantly asks, is this real?

Or some kind of sick prank? The firefighter's response was sobering. Um, yeah, looks real to me, he answers in a grave tone as he shuffles away to do this or that. As the weight of reality starts to sink in, the caller's body trembles with shock and a wave of dizziness comes over him as he begins to turn pale. His heart is pounding like a drum in his chest and his vision is blurred momentarily. Meanwhile, he's still on the line with the 911 operator. The dispatcher's urgency to understand the situation intensifies despite the presence of fire personnel at the scene. despite the presence of fire personnel at the scene. The caller's account of the terrifying events unfolds with chilling clarity. He recounts that he was driving his truck when he noticed

the car in front behaving erratically, swerving before finally pulling over. Intrigued and also concerned, he slows down, almost to a stop on the quiet street trying to comprehend what is happening. Peering through his window, the caller is confronted with a sight that sends shivers down his spine. Inside the car, a man is furiously chopping away at something with a massive knife. The description of the man as wacko emphasizes the alarming nature of the scene. The 911 operator can sense the caller's distress and quickly grasps the gravity of the situation. Still, in shock, the caller reveals that the man in the car proceeds to pull a lifeless body out of the vehicle and carelessly tosses it onto the street. The impact of the bruised and bloodied corpse hitting the pavement sends a chilling thud

through the air, further adding to the horror. The caller's voice trembles as he relays the most nightmarish part of the scene. He opens his window for a better view and he witnesses the man reach back into the car, this time pulling out the lifeless head of the victim. The ghastly image of the head held by its hair shocks him to his core. He can't help but notice the long, thick and blonde curly hair, now drenched in blood, adding to the macabre scene he's currently witnessing. The dispatcher can hear the caller's fear and repulsion as he struggles to process the

horrifying sight before him. The seriousness of the situation is undeniable and it's evident that the caller has just witnessed a scene straight from a nightmare, one that will undoubtedly haunt him for the rest of his life and create some sort of trauma till his dying days. As authorities begin arriving to start the investigation, residents would be left wondering who could commit such an unthinkable act and whether they were even safe in their own homes. The quiet façade of the neighborhood had been shattered and a cloud of uncertainty loomed over the once calm community, forever changing the lives of those who had witnessed the unsettling scene on that fateful day. The As if the 911 caller's account wasn't appalling enough, the female caller who videotaped the

incident had an even better view. From her vantage point, the killer, seemingly fixated on creating a ghoulish spectacle, picks up the severed head by its long curly blonde hair and, with a disturbing display of inhumanity, places it on top of the body, as if orchestrating a grotesque tableau for a haunted house at Halloween. But the gruesome staging is far from perfect, and as if fate itself intervened, the head rolled off the makeshift perch, landing with a sickening thud near the abandoned vehicle. She catches the fugitive on camera and is able to give an even more detailed description of his appearance. She lists his clothing as white shoes, black skinny jeans with rips in them, red underwear, a white long-sleeved shirt, black gloves, and a black stocking cap. The police are already mobilizing in response to the mounting reports and pleas for help.

Within minutes, a flurry of law enforcement officials arrive at the scene, quickly cordoning off the area to ensure the safety and privacy of the residents. A sense of urgency pervades the atmosphere as they erect the protective tarp around the affected section of the street, shielding the onlookers and protecting the victim's identity. One after another, callers report seeing the killer on foot. One witness, known only as RP, nervously discloses the encounter he has just witnessed. That guy you're looking for?

The one who did the stabbing? I saw him. RP stammered, trying to provide crucial information to the investigators. He was running past the school and then he jumped the fence on 10th and Spencer. RP continued, struggling to recall the details. I think that's Spencer, or no, that's 4th, I think. The investigator pressed for more details trying to piece together the puzzle and asked when he saw this.

It had only been fifteen minutes earlier. RP kept going with the bizarre circumstances leading up to the encounter, describing how he had been making fun of the man, unaware of the sinister events that just took place. I was just looking at him, mocking him, thinking, look at that motherfucker run. RP confessed, his voice tinged with guilt but also fear. More crucial details spilled out as RP remembered that the perpetrator jumped the fence near the high school and close to the cemetery. He was also able to tell the officers that the killer was heading toward the football or baseball fields. Then he painted a picture of the suspect's appearance, one

that was almost exact to other accounts, other than saying he was wearing a wife-beater rather than a long sleeve shirt. Funny how we've all just accepted the naming of a particular type of shirt as a wife beater. But that's a story for another day. But there was one more detail RP had yet to offer. It was that the fugitive had reddish hands. Like they had liquid on them. Or something. Something like blood. The officer wants RP to accompany him and point out exactly where he saw the suspect. But RP is terrified of becoming the next victim, so he respectfully declines. Investigators quickly checked out the scene of the incident.

Most of the blood pooled on the hot pavement while tiny streams flowed down where the street dipped. They promptly noticed that the passenger side of the car was also covered in red spatter They knew they needed to track down its owner and when they did it led them to a nearby travelodge hotel Where he was allegedly living based on the eyewitness accounts and the description that matched the wanted individual and his vehicle, a detective responded to the Travelodge hotel and learned Alexis Sabaret had been staying in room 237.

There the owner said he last saw Alexis the previous night and wasn't sure whether he was still in the room. Additional officers arrived and began setting up surveillance on the hotel. While observing the area, the detectives noticed a vehicle leaving the hotel's parking lot. The passenger's seat was reclined, obstructing a clear view. As they circled around and positioned themselves parallel to the car for a closer look, it was clearly not Alexis. But just as they rerouted and headed back to the travel lodge, and headed back to the Travelodge, the detective and his partner spotted him, crossing some train tracks in their peripheral vision.

As they closed in on him in the parking lot, the detectives acted swiftly and decisively. With guns drawn, they confronted him, demanding him to lie flat on the ground, a scene reminiscent of a tense movie standoff. Complying with their orders, Alexis surrendered without resistance. At the same time as the cops were questioning Alexis, the investigation continued. Police soon learned that few helpful answers would come from him. But when they interviewed one of his friends, they began to understand. Ben said he knew both the killer and the victim. They were a pair of his

friends, and he was just with them earlier in the day. According to a friend, Alexis had a court appointment, but made it clear to him and Alexis' girlfriend that he did not want to go. He remembered they were arguing about this, but he felt it was all straightened out by the time he left them, and about to be deported. According to Alexis, his girlfriend was okay with that. His girlfriend was named, ironically, America Thayer, and he had indicated that she wanted him to be deported.

He claimed they had been dating for several years and were living in the Travel Lodge in Shakopee. But America, the girlfriend, not the place, was abusive, he maintained. She stole from him, beat him, and even raped him. And now she wanted him to go. This is the reason why he always carried a bat, a knife or a weapon on him or in his car. America was dangerous and he had to protect himself somehow. Even his friend Ben acknowledged that Alexis was known to carry a knife.

Not just any knife, but a machete. So he was well armed, but the knife sheath lying in a yard close to the body, a knife plunged into the garden of a neighbor down the street from the incident, and the bloody clothing found in a nearby dumpster were only corroborating clues to the murder. When cops found a heavy dumbbell in the car Alexis and America were in earlier, they noticed blood and long curly blonde hair attached to it. The investigation would continue, but detectives were fairly certain that America was not at Music

Music At the heart of one of Shakopee's darkest days is a 55 year old woman named America Thayer. A petite figure with a vibrant spirit, a cascade of thick, golden curls flowing down her back. Recognizable to many, she was a familiar face, gracing the aisles of Dollar Tree and My Pillow, where she worked tirelessly, putting in an astounding 70 hours per week. But her allure extended beyond her striking appearance and hard work. She was known for her kindness, her infectious laughter, and her ability to weave enchanting tales that captivated those around her. She was a natural storyteller, and friends considered her one of the kindest souls they

had ever known. She too immigrated from Cuba, but was proud of her legal status. She loved this country. In fact, so much so that she changed her name to America. One of her closest friends described her as soft-spoken, so funny, and always had amazing stories, adding that she hadn't met anyone as genuinely kind as America since her late grandmother. However, behind the scenes was Alexis, with a tempestuous nature that hinted at a deeply

disturbed mind. The truth is that America did want Alexis to be deported, but only because he was crazy and angry. The day she was publicly and ruthlessly slaughtered, she was going with Alexis to his court appointment, which wasn't directly about deportation. Alexis was out on bail for arson and property damage due to a former showdown with police. Confronted with the topic of deportation, he lost it, And with the topic of deportation, he lost it, lost control of his own anger and faculties, shouting obscenities and threats while attempting to burn down his own apartment like a madman. Friends witnessed Alexis' growing paranoia and were aware of the escalating tension between

him and America on the day of her untimely demise. It all revolved around the court appointment. He just didn't want it to go, and he blamed America for pressuring him into it, believing she wanted to get rid of him. The confrontation turned fatal when Alexis, feeling cornered and threatened, unleashed his fury upon America. With a heavy eight pound dumbbell in his hand, he bashed the back of her skull with brutal force as the car pulled over.

But the horror did not end there. Armed with his companion machete, he resorted to unspeakable acts of violence, hacking into her body multiple times, and finally, severing her neck with a grisly display of savagery, until he says it was hanging there, and easy to rip the rest of the way off. According to Alexis's friend Ben, ominous signs of his malevolence were manifesting in the clear picture of premeditation. For Ben, he was running around laughing about his plan to chop her fucking head off days before her death. At first, Alexis was charged with intentional second-degree murder but was later indicted on first-degree murder. Alexis waved his right to a jury trial in January of 2023, and the judge issued the

verdict in the case on May 11th, guilty of premeditated first-degree murder. The verdict came in despite the defense's posture that Alexis had mental health problems. Mixed in with all his other claims were delusions that America was poisoning him, trying to make him fat, raping him, and putting secret cameras in his body. Yeah, in his body. Sounds almost like a targeted individual, wouldn't you say? But in a shocking turn of events, where the real nightmare unfolds, the Scott County District Judge reversed her ruling.

Because the evidence is clear that he felt he was justified in his actions due to his persecutory delusions and paranoia in his mental illness. A not guilty plea due to mental illness requires a two-part trial in Minnesota. In the first part, the court had to determine whether Alexis committed the murder. In the second part, the court had to decide whether he was criminally liable. Two doctors agreed that though he understood the nature and legal ramifications of the killing, he failed to appreciate the moral wrongfulness of the ridiculously heinous act.

Alexis's delusions continued, even after mental health treatment. He told one doctor that America died in a horrible accident when he tried to fix the car air conditioner using a machete to open it. When America tried to help him pull the machete out after it became stuck, it took on a life of its own and basically flew onto her neck. Yeah. Yeah. Crazy. That's just what Alexis Sabaret is. Crazy. And abusive.

Even though he was not found guilty, the town of Shakopee is tranquil once again. The sun sets over the Minnesota River and casts a warm light upon the streets where residents are no longer fearful for some reason. Even though he was found not guilty, Alexis Sabarat is safely confined in a psychiatric institution where he poses no danger to America. Either of them. Ever. Again.

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