Bio

Alexander James Letkemann was born on June 21, 1989. Before the murder of Daniel Sorensen, he lived in Westland, Michigan, and was described in news reports as a young man who played guitar and had been involved in bands. He attended Churchill High School in Livonia but left school in 2006. Reports stated that he had previously been charged as a minor in possession of alcohol.

People who knew Letkemann described him as social and musically interested. A former classmate said he was funny and enjoyable to be around, while a neighbor described him as polite. These descriptions were reported after his arrest because the crime appeared inconsistent with how some people in his community had known him.

Letkemann became connected to Jean Pierre “JP” Orlewicz, a teenager from Plymouth Township. Orlewicz was later described by prosecutors as the main planner and direct attacker in the killing of Daniel Sorensen. Letkemann later said that Orlewicz had discussed the killing in a casual way and that he did not believe it would truly happen. He also wrote from prison that he had been using drugs and alcohol before the crime, though he said he did not want to blame his actions only on intoxication.

According to later reporting, Letkemann said he agreed to help because Orlewicz promised to forgive a $100 debt. He claimed he thought the plan would not actually be carried out. However, he admitted involvement by pleading guilty to second-degree murder and agreed to testify against Orlewicz to avoid a mandatory life sentence.

Murder Story

On November 7, 2007, Daniel Sorensen, a 26-year-old man from River Rouge, Michigan, was lured to the garage of Orlewicz’s grandfather in Canton Township. Prosecutors said a tarp had been placed on the floor and that items such as knives, a hacksaw, and a blowtorch were prepared before Sorensen arrived. Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said the evidence suggested the killing was done for the thrill of it.

According to prosecutors and trial testimony, Sorensen was attacked inside the garage. Orlewicz was accused of stabbing him repeatedly and cutting off his head with a hacksaw. Authorities said Sorensen’s hands and feet were burned with a blowtorch, apparently to make identification harder. His torso was wrapped in a tarp, placed in a pickup truck, taken to a secluded area in Northville Township, and set on fire. His head was later found in the Rouge River.

Letkemann’s role became central to the prosecution’s case against Orlewicz. Letkemann pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on April 1, 2008, and agreed to testify. He said Orlewicz had planned the killing and that he, Letkemann, was involved because of a debt and poor judgment. He also helped clean up and move the body. Reports state that he later helped police locate where Sorensen’s head had been discarded.

Orlewicz claimed at trial that he killed Sorensen in self-defense, but the jury rejected that explanation. On April 16, 2008, Orlewicz was convicted of first-degree murder, felony murder, and mutilation of a corpse. He was later sentenced to life in prison without parole. Letkemann’s testimony was an important part of the prosecution’s case.

On April 23, 2008, Letkemann appeared before Wayne County Circuit Judge Annette J. Berry for sentencing. The judge asked why he had helped in a plan that ended with Sorensen being stabbed, beheaded, and burned. Letkemann responded, “I can’t even find a reason for myself.” The court sentenced him to 20 to 30 years in prison, which was the term recommended under his plea agreement.

After sentencing, letters written by Letkemann from prison were reported publicly. In one letter, he wrote that if he had believed violence was really going to happen, he would not have agreed to go there. He also wrote that the plan had been discussed in a casual way, and he claimed drugs, alcohol, debt, and poor judgment affected his decision-making. Still, he stated that he refused to place all blame on intoxication.

Letkemann remains imprisoned for his role in Daniel Sorensen’s murder. A 2022 report citing prison records listed him at Kinross Correctional Facility in Michigan and stated that his earliest possible release date is in 2027.