What happened to Mindy Morgenstern? Details explored ahead of Dateline
In 2006, Mindy Morgenstern, a senior at Valley City State University, was found dead in her off-campus apartment in Valley City, North Dakota. Her friends, Toni Baumann and Danielle Holmstrom, discovered her body after she failed to answer calls throughout the day.
She was found with a belt around her neck and a broken-off knife still stuck in her throat, as per Oxygen. The crime scene showed signs of deliberate cleanup, with Pine-Sol poured over her body and the surrounding area.
As Dateline explores in its upcoming episode, investigators initially considered multiple suspects, including coworkers, acquaintances, and a friend’s boyfriend.
However, DNA evidence collected from under Mindy Morgenstern’s fingernails led to Moe Maurice Gibbs, a neighbor and local corrections officer. As per the Oxygen report dated March 4, 2022, Gibbs had a prior conviction and was linked to a 2004 unsolved sexual assault.
Dateline will revisit the sequence of events, the investigation timeline, and the legal proceedings that followed. The episode airs on Friday, May 16, 2025, at 9 pm CT on NBC.
The autopsy confirmed Mindy Morgenstern died from asphyxiation and neck wounds
According to the autopsy report referenced by multiple outlets, including The Sun report dated February 10, 2023, Mindy Morgenstern died from asphyxiation and incised wounds to her neck. There were no signs of sexual assault.
Her body was discovered by her friends Toni Baumann and Danielle Holmstrom in her off-campus apartment on the afternoon of September 13, 2006. They entered after repeated calls to her went unanswered.
"About two steps in, I saw something on the ground right in front of my feet. It was Mindy. And then I noticed something around her neck," Baumann later told Oxygen.
Investigators noted that her fully clothed body had been doused with Pine-Sol, which was also reported by Special Agent Mark Sayler in his testimony. A broken knife was found in her throat, and a belt was wrapped around her neck. Items like her wallet and phone were found scattered on the floor, but nothing appeared to be stolen.
DNA under her fingernails led to a corrections officer living next door
In the initial stages of the investigation, law enforcement considered multiple suspects. These included a friend's boyfriend with a criminal history, a man who allegedly made Mindy uncomfortable at her workplace, and a former boyfriend's father. However, the case shifted direction when forensic analysis identified DNA under Mindy Morgenstern's fingernails.
The DNA matched Moe Maurice Gibbs, a neighbor and corrections officer at the Barnes County Jail. His DNA also linked him to an unsolved 2004 sexual assault case in Fargo.
Gibbs initially claimed he had helped Mindy Morgenstern with laundry days earlier and denied involvement. His background revealed a prior military conviction under a different name, Glen Dale Morgan Jr., for attempted premeditated murder. Nevertheless, he was hired to work as a corrections officer.
Jury finds Gibbs guilty after second trial
Gibbs was first tried in July 2007, but the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict. A second trial began in October, where prosecutors emphasized Gibbs’ digital footprint and inconsistent timeline. His wife stated in court that she sent him a text message at 12:33 pm on the day of the murder, and he didn’t respond until around 1 pm.
Jeremy Leopold, a fellow inmate, testified that Gibbs had confessed, saying, "I'd do it again," as per The James Town Sun Press report. Gibbs was found guilty of first-degree murder on November 20, 2007, and received a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
The Dateline episode Who Killed Mindy Morgenstern? revisits the investigation and trial in detail. The episode will air on May 16, 2025.
