A Texas man was sentenced to 40 years in prison as part of a plea agreement after pleading guilty to murdering his newlywed wife.
Jared James Dicus's sentencing was handed down on Wednesday by Judge Gary Chaney after chopping 21-year-old Anggy Diaz's head off and leaving it in the shower in 2023.
Dicus, now 23, pleaded guilty to murder and his earliest parole date will not be until 2043. The Waller County District Attorney’s Office consulted with Diaz's family before finalizing the plea deal and sentencing.
During the pre-trial phase of the case, potential mental health issues were raised regarding Dicus's competency to stand trial, but he was considered competent to stand trial after a court-ordered examination.
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As part of the plea deal, Dicus waived his right to appeal the verdict, the sentence and any potential defense, including an insanity defense. He also waived any post-conviction writ of habeas corpus.
"Waller County does not tolerate domestic violence. Heinous crimes like this one will not go unanswered," Waller County District Attorney Sean Whittmore said in a statement. "We will seek justice for the victims of domestic violence and send a message to the perpetrators that here, we fight for our victims."
Diaz, who had worked as counter help at a local business, was originally from Nicaragua and was initially in the care of an aunt when she first arrived in the U.S., her family said last year.
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Dicus was charged in January 2023 with murdering Diaz after marrying her three months earlier. Waller County Sheriff's Office deputies found Diaz on the couple's bedroom floor in a pool of blood with multiple stab wounds in her back, and what appeared to be her head was located in the shower.
Waller County Sheriff Troy Guidry said evidence showed that a kitchen knife was the murder weapon and that "all parts and pieces were recovered."
After Diaz's death last year, Dicus confessed to investigators that he murdered his wife.
