2 killed at St. Paul sober house identified, suspect faces murder charges

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Two men killed at a sober house in St. Paul last week have been identified. Meanwhile, the 32-year-old suspect is in custody charged with murder.

According to the Ramsey County Medical Examiner's Office, the victims in the double homicide on the 1100 block of Lawson Avenue East are 40-year-old Jason Murphy and 56-year-old Jon Wentz, both from St. Paul.

Joseph Sandoval, 32, was charged with two counts of second-degree murder for allegedly killing both men last Thursday afternoon.

Both victims, one a handyman doing work at the property and the other a resident, appeared to die from multiple lacerations and stab wounds, police say.

According to the criminal complaint, officers stopped Sandoval as he was leaving the house and saw he had blood on his clothing and lacerations on his face and hands. He told officers he had ingested fentanyl and that the TV told him to kill the men. While being transported from the hospital to Ramsey County Jail, Sandoval allegedly told an officer, "I just wanted a quiet room."

Sandoval has pending felony charges in Hennepin County, including multiple assault charges and one first-degree burglary charge.

This was the 30th and 31st homicide of the year in St. Paul.