Authorities have launched an investigation after a woman’s body was found beheaded in a neighborhood outside of Minneapolis, Minnesota this week. 

America Thayer, 55, was found dead with her head decapitated on a sidewalk in Shakopee, a suburban area in the Twin Cities on July 28, Fox 9 reported. 

Officers responded to a call of a stabbing around 2:30 p.m. and when they arrived at the scene they found Thayer’s lifeless body lying on the ground. She was pronounced dead on the scene and law enforcement recovered a knife that was in a trash can located in a nearby alley.

A 42-year-old man who authorities believe to be Thayer’s boyfriend has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with her death, ABC 5 reported.

Authorities said the brutal attack was not random and believe the suspect identified as Alexis Saborit, was involved in a romantic relationship with the victim, KSTP reported.

On Friday, he made his first court appearance and a judge set his bail at $2.5 million. His next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 9.

Aside from this incident, the suspect currently faces arson charges for trying to burn down his apartment in 2020, and in 2017 was convicted on domestic assault charges, Fox 9 reported. 

Thayer was an employee at the Dollar Tree located in the area and one of her coworkers said that she had been in a relationship with the suspect for a while and that he was physically abusive toward her.

One of her coworkers, Faith Howie, said a month prior to the tragic incident, Thayer knocked on her door around 1:30 a.m. and asked if she could stay with her.

“’Can I sleep here tonight? I’m afraid he is going to get up and start in again,'” Howie recalled of a conversation with Thayer.

Thayer’s friend, Mikala Dickerson, asked that people remember her life and the way she lived instead of recounting the tragic incident.  

“With all the gruesome video going around and the pictures going around, we just needed a time for everyone to heal and come together and remember her for who she was, and not for what happened,” Dickerson said.