In a shocking turn of events, a Texas man has been sentenced to death for a series of heinous crimes. Prosecutors have revealed that Jason Thornburg, 44, was found guilty by a Tarrant County jury of capital murder for the brutal killings that took place over seven days in Euless, Texas. These murders were not ordinary; Thornburg believed that the victims "needed to be sacrificed for religious reasons."

Details of the Gruesome Crimes

Thornburg lured each victim separately to a room he was renting at the Mid City Inn. He slit the throats of David Lueras, 42, and Maricruz Mathis, 33. Authorities said he also strangled Lauren Phillips, 34, and sexually assaulted her dead body. What's even more disturbing is that Thornburg ate a portion of Lueras' heart and cut off his penis. After the killings, he dismembered their bodies in the motel bathtub and stored the remains in trash bags under his bed. On September 22, 2021, he took the victims' remains in plastic storage tubs to a dumpster and set them on fire before driving away.The actions of Thornburg were truly methodical and sadistic. Assistant District Attorney Kim D'Avignon described him as such, adding that "hurting people is something he likes to do." Prior to the killings, Thornburg was seen reading the Bible outside his motel room, which prosecutors believe he used as a "weapon of choice" to get "vulnerable people to lower their guard."Police were able to track down Thornburg as the suspect based on a video that captured his Jeep Grand Cherokee in the area at the time of the dumpster fire. In court, Thornburg's defense attorneys argued that he should be found not guilty by reason of insanity and claimed he had schizophrenia. However, the jury was not convinced and found him guilty last month. A sentencing date has yet to be set.The families of the three victims faced Thornburg in court this week. Phillips' aunt compared him to "Satan," calling him a "liar, thief and a murdering coward." Lueras' sister described his actions as "horrific and unspeakable," while Mathis' sister said she will never forgive him.If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.