Burnsville Man Sentenced to Life for Mother’s Murder

Sep 1

A Dakota County man has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for murdering his mother in Burnsville and later attempting to cover up the crime.

Court records show 58-year-old Troy Michael Mitteness was indicted by a grand jury in December 2024 on charges of first-degree premeditated murder and second-degree intentional murder.

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The charges stem from the June 2, 2022 killing of his mother, 82-year-old Sandra Viola Mitteness, at their Burnsville home on Riverwood Drive.

The case began to unfold in 2023 when Burnsville police were investigating Mitteness for mail theft. Officers learned that proceeds from the theft had been deposited into Sandra’s bank account and began asking about her whereabouts. Mitteness first told police she was in South Dakota, then later claimed she had died in June 2022. Investigators discovered an obituary at his home, but the funeral home listed denied ever handling her remains. Family members also told police they had not seen Sandra in months and had only been told by Mitteness that she had died.

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During a search of his home, police found blood evidence on the stairs and on a mattress, as well as tote bins similar to ones later recovered at an abandoned rest stop. When questioned, Mitteness admitted he had spent all of his mother’s money and killed her after she became suspicious. He told detectives he researched online how to kill an elderly person and decided to stab her in the neck while she slept. He admitted to dismembering her body days later, placing the remains in tote bins, and discarding them along a route toward western Minnesota.

In August 2025, following a jury trial, Mitteness was convicted of both first-degree premeditated murder and second-degree intentional murder. A judge sentenced him to life without parole. He was also ordered to provide a DNA sample and assessed $205 in mandatory court fees to be taken from prison wages.

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