Man Sentenced To 25 Years To Life For Murdering Mother, Dismembering Her Body
MAYWOOD (CBSLA.com) — A 21-year-old man Wednesday was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for murdering his mother, whose dismembered body was found in a freezer in their Maywood apartment.
Moises Meraz-Espinoza was convicted in June of first-degree murder for the February 2011 killing.
Meraz-Espinoza, who was 18 at the time, walked into the Huntington Park police station, told officers he murdered 42-year-old Amelia Espinoza and put her body in a freezer in the home they shared.
Coroner's officials said Espinoza died of asphyxia and neck compression. Her body was skinned with a knife and box cutters and was dismembered with a saw, police said. Her organs had been removed and never recovered, according to Deputy District Attorney Heba Matta.
Authorities believe the murder may have been related to Satanic worship, as a Satanic bible containing a human sacrifice chapter was found inside the home and the suspect got a tattoo of a Satanic cross behind his left ear while in prison, police said.
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