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In the latest episode of Dateline: Who Killed Mindy Morgenstern?, correspondent Keith Morrison revisits the 2006 killing of a 22-year-old college senior whose death stunned the small town of Valley City, North Dakota. Mindy Morgenstern, known for her upbeat personality and commitment to her faith, was found strangled and stabbed in her off-campus apartment.
According to a NBC News report dated February 15, 2023, her body was discovered by friends after she failed to respond to calls. The scene raised immediate suspicion due to a belt around her neck, a broken knife in her throat, and the strong odor of Pine-Sol, possibly used to destroy evidence.
As explored in Dateline: Who Killed Mindy Morgenstern?, law enforcement initially considered multiple suspects, but DNA under her fingernails led to Moe Gibbs, a neighbor and local corrections officer.
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According to the Oxygen.com report dated March 4, 2022, Gibbs had a violent past and was later linked to other crimes. The episode airing on May 16, 2025, outlines how investigators narrowed in on Gibbs and secured a conviction after two trials.
Dateline: Who Killed Mindy Morgenstern? explores how Toni Baumann and Danielle Holmstrom went drinking near Valley City on September 13, 2006
On the night of September 13, 2006, Toni Baumann and Danielle Holmstrom headed to a bar near Valley City, North Dakota. As Dateline: Who Killed Mindy Morgenstern? explores, this casual outing quickly took a grim turn. Baumann’s boyfriend, who disapproved of some of her friendships, called during their night out.
To avoid conflict, she told him she was with Mindy Morgenstern, their responsible, churchgoing friend. When he asked to speak to Mindy, Baumann and Holmstrom drove to her apartment, only to find no response at the door.
Upon entering, Baumann saw her friend lying motionless. According to a NBC News report dated February 15, 2023, Baumann screamed for help, prompting neighbours to rush in. Authorities later confirmed that 22-year-old Mindy Morgenstern had been strangled and stabbed in her off-campus apartment.
Her body was doused with Pine-Sol and left in the hallway. As noted by the Oxygen report dated March 4, 2022, the official cause of death was “incised wound of neck/asphyxia.”
The investigation turns to someone close
The episode Dateline: Who Killed Mindy Morgenstern? explains that detectives interviewed friends, coworkers, and neighbors while collecting DNA samples from those in her building. Eventually, material found under Mindy’s fingernails matched Moe Maurice Gibbs, a neighbor and Barnes County Jail corrections officer.
According to The Sun report dated February 10, 2023, Gibbs had a criminal record and had changed his name from Glen Dale Morgan Jr. in 2005. His DNA also matched that from an unsolved 2004 sexual assault in Fargo.
Following his arrest, more allegations surfaced. Female inmates accused Gibbs of sexually assaulting them while he was employed at the jail. He was later charged with multiple counts of sexual assault, one count of rape, and one count of first-degree murder.
Though his initial trial in July 2007 resulted in a hung jury, a second trial in October 2007 concluded with a conviction. Prosecutors argued that the DNA under Mindy’s fingernails was the result of a struggle during an attempted assault.
They also introduced testimony from a former inmate, Jeremy Leopold, who claimed Gibbs confessed, saying, "I'd do it again," as cited in The Jamestown Press report dated July 5, 2007.
What Dateline: Who Killed Mindy Morgenstern? reveals about the trial and the aftermath
During the trial, inconsistencies in Gibbs’ timeline raised further doubt. His wife, Christina Judd, testified that he failed to deliver a drink she requested at 12:33 p.m. until after 1:00 p.m., a window that prosecutors identified as the likely time of the murder. Though Gibbs denied involvement, his DNA and timeline proved critical.
In 2019, Mindy’s mother, Eunice Morgenstern, published a book about her daughter’s life and the case. Eunice wrote the book as a part of her grieving process to document the facts of the trial. Dateline: Who Killed Mindy Morgenstern? airs May 16, 2025, at 9:00 p.m. CT on NBC, featuring new interviews and investigative insights.
Stay tuned for more updates.
