Cannibal serial killer tells court he ate human heart as part of 'ritual sacrifice'

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A monstrous cannibal serial killer has chillingly confessed to dismembering his victims and consuming a human heart as part of grotesque 'ritualistic sacrifices'.

Jason Thornburg is facing the possibility of the death penalty after admitting to the murder of three individuals, whose bodies he kept under his bed at a Texas motel before setting them alight in a skip.

The 44 year old was convicted of capital murder on Wednesday, leaving it in the hands of the jury to determine if he will be condemned to death row or sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. During the trial, Thornburg's defence team contended that he was insane when he committed the September 2021 murders of David Lueras, Lauren Phillips, and Maricruz Mathis.

Firefighters stumbled upon the horrific scene of the three charred bodies after extinguishing a dumpster fire in Fort Worth, Texas. Following his indictment in December of the same year, Thornburg revealed to detectives his compulsion to perform "ritualistic sacrifices", confessing to having consumed the heart of one victim and parts of others prior to their incineration.

Authorities also disclosed that Thornburg admitted to the May 2021 killing of his roommate Mark Jewell in a house explosion, as well as the 2017 death of his girlfriend Tanya Begay in Arizona. These additional murders were brought to light during the sentencing phase of his trial, which commenced on Thursday.

Thornburg referred to the acts as a "human sacrifice to God", claiming to have an extensive understanding of the Bible, as stated in a court affidavit revealed. Additionally, it was revealed that he attended a leadership conference led by one of his victims, where he expressed his desire to become a Christian missionary to fulfill "a sense of destiny that must be achieved" on a worksheet, reports the Mirror.

Thornburg is currently awaiting sentencing at the Tarrant County, Texas court, while the families of his victims are prohibited from speaking publicly until the conclusion of the sentencing phase.

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