St. Paul police investigate a double homicide in the Payne-Phalen neighborhood in October of 2022. (FOX 9)
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - The St. Paul man who pleaded guilty to fatally stabbing two men at a sober living house in 2022 was sentenced Friday.
What we know
According to court records, Joseph Sandoval II, 34, was sentenced to 278 months with credit for 638 days already served for the first count of second-degree murder with intent. He was sentenced to 180 months for the second count of second-degree murder with intent. Sandoval is to serve the sentences consecutively, totaling 458 months, or about 38 years.
Sandoval will serve his sentence at Minnesota Correctional Facility - St. Cloud. He pleaded guilty to both murders in May.
The backstory
According to the charges, St. Paul police responded to a home on reports of a man screaming that another man had killed someone in their home. When officers arrived at the home, they found blood in the kitchen and the stairs leading to the basement.
One of the victims, a 40-year-old man, was found dead in the basement, while the other victim, a 56-year-old man, was found dead in the bedroom upstairs.
Officers saw Sandoval leaving the home with blood on his clothes and marks on his face and hands, court documents said. A bloody knife and hammer were also found at the scene.
A witness told police that he tried to enter the home but Sandoval tried to block him, saying it was "too messy." The witness then went into the basement after entering a side door and found Murphy's body. He told police he tried to escape but claimed Sandoval prevented him from leaving because he told him he would need his help "disposing of some things," according to court documents.
The witness said Sandoval put him in a choke hold and had a "crazed look in his eyes" but he was able to break away from Sandoval and ran to get help.
Sandoval allegedly told the officers during questioning he had just moved into the sober house, and he did not know anybody. He claimed that somebody tried to kill him and that person "got those other guys too." Sandoval then described hearing noises and "the TV said they’re going to kill me and told me to take the opportunity," the charges read.
The complaint says Sandoval appeared to be under the influence, he reportedly told officers he had taken fentanyl.
Sandoval's history of mental health issues and violence
Before the gruesome double homicide, Sandoval had a history of violence.
In March 2021, Sandoval was charged with intentionally running someone over and fleeing from police. He was found incompetent to stand trial and was civilly committed in that case.
Sandoval was released from a state-run inpatient facility in Anoka County later in December 2021. He was then placed in a "community setting" without giving the courts advanced notice. After the judge in his case was notified of the move, she ordered Sandoval to comply with a list of conditions for his release to the sober house. "Supervision by the Hennepin County Mental Health court judge" and "weekly updates" on his compliance were included in the conditions.