It’s been nearly 20 years since 22-year-old Mindy Morgenstern was found murdered in her off-campus apartment in Valley City, North Dakota. A bright and cheerful college student, her sudden death shocked the local community and took investigators on a long and emotional path to find her killer—Moe Gibbs, a former corrections officer.
Who Was Mindy Morgenstern?
Mindy was a senior at Valley City State University. She was adopted as a baby and grew up on a farm in New Salem, N.D., with her parents Larry and Eunice Morgenstern. Mindy had a deep love for people, worked with children, and even coached youth basketball.
Despite being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in college, Mindy stayed strong and lived life with positivity and joy. Her mother described her as having a smile that could “look right through you.”
What Happened to Mindy?
On the evening of September 13, 2006, two of Mindy’s friends went to check on her after she didn’t answer her phone. When they reached her apartment, they found her dead on the floor.
Investigators found disturbing signs of a struggle. Mindy had a belt around her neck, and a broken knife blade was lodged in her throat. Her body was also covered in Pine-Sol cleaner, possibly to destroy evidence. According to the autopsy, she died from a combination of asphyxiation and neck injuries. There was no sign of sexual assault.
Who Is Moe Gibbs?
Moe Gibbs, a former Barnes County Jail corrections officer, was one of Mindy’s neighbors. Initially, he told police he had been home packing with his pregnant wife. However, DNA evidence later proved otherwise.
His DNA was found under Mindy’s fingernails and also matched evidence from an unsolved 2004 sexual assault in Fargo. This breakthrough turned attention toward him.
Further investigation revealed that Gibbs had changed his name from Glen Dale Morgan Jr. in 2005 and had previously served five years in prison for a drive-by shooting. After his arrest, several female inmates came forward and accused him of sexual assault while he worked at the jail.
What Was Moe Gibbs Charged With?
Gibbs was charged with:
- Seven counts of sexual assault (six from his time at the jail, one from Fargo)
- One count of first-degree murder in Mindy’s case
He pleaded guilty to the sexual assault charges. His first trial in July 2007 ended in a deadlock, as some jurors weren’t convinced by the DNA evidence alone. But in the second trial held in October 2007, he was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Where Is Moe Gibbs Now?
Gibbs is serving his life sentence at the North Dakota State Penitentiary in Bismarck. In 2008, he tried to appeal his conviction, claiming there wasn’t enough evidence, but his appeal was denied in 2010.
