Euless man says he mutilated victims' bodies, ate human heart as part of 'ritualistic sacrifices'
FORT WORTH, Texas - A Tarrant County jury must now determine whether a Euless man convicted of killing three people, dismembering them and burning their bodies will receive the death penalty. He told police the killings were "sacrifices."
Victim's families filed out of a Tarrant County courtroom Thursday after another gripping full day of testimony in the trial against suspected serial killer Jason Thornburg.
Thursday, the punishment phase began right after a jury found Thornburg guilty of capital murder Wednesday. Now, his attorneys are trying to save his life.
The same Tarrant County jury will decide whether Thornburg will be put to death or spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Bodies found at Euless hotel (2021)
In September 2021, Thornburg killed three people, dismembered their bodies and stored them under his bed at a Euless motel. He then set the bodies on fire inside a Fort Worth dumpster.
The dismembered bodies of two women and a man were found in burning dumpster in Fort Worth. (2021)
Thornburg admitted to investigators he was being called to "commit sacrifices" and even ate a victim's heart and other parts of the bodies, which was detailed during the guilt-innocence phase of the trial.
Thornburg's attorneys argued he was insane at the time of the September 2021 murders and had a severe mental disease.
When Thornburg was arrested for the motel murders, he reportedly confessed to police he killed both his roommate in May 2021 during a suspicious home explosion and his girlfriend in Arizona back in 2017.
The two previous murders were brought up Thursday afternoon in court. Prosecutors called two Fort Worth investigators to the stand to testify about the confession.
Attorney Russell Wilson, who is not associated with this case, offered his insight.
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"They are bringing those up now likely to argue that he killed on more than one occasion," he said.
Wilson says for the death penalty, the jury would have to decide Thornburg is a future danger. He says the defense will likely argue Thornburg can be in a controlled environment in prison.
"If you were either medicated or kept in an area for a person who suffers from mental problems, then you would argue that person is not a future danger because they would be confined to prison for the rest of their life," he said.
The victims’ families cannot speak publicly until the punishment phase is complete.
Testimony will resume Friday at 8:30 a.m. The trial will likely go into next week.