A judge sentenced a Texas man who pleaded guilty to decapitating and dismembering his 21-year-old wife to 40 years in prison this week.
Jared James Dicus, 23, agreed to a plea deal in which he waived his right to appeal the verdict, the sentence and the possibility to raise an insanity defense in exchange for the sentence, the district attorney announced.
A court-ordered examination found Dicus competent to stand trial.
Dicus was charged with the January 2023 murder of Anggy Diaz, 21, his wife of three months.
Sheriff deputies found Diaz's remains in their home.
Her body was found on the floor near a bed in a pool of blood with numerous stab wounds in her back and "what appeared to be the head of the victim to be in the shower," KRIV-TV reported, citing court documents.
Waller County Sheriff Troy Guidry said Dicus used a kitchen knife to kill his wife.
"Everything happened on the property. And all parts and pieces were recovered and submitted for evidence," he said, KRIV-TV reported.
A GoFundMe to pay for a funeral for Diaz said she was "always with a smile, and cheerful personality."
The District Attorney’s Office said it discussed the 40-year prison sentence agreement her family prior to the plea and sentencing.
"Heinous crimes like this one will not go unanswered, we will seek justice for the victims of domestic violence and send a message to the perpetrators that here, we fight for our victims," Waller County Criminal District Attorney Sean Whittmore said.
Dicus will be eligible for parole in 2043.
