Texan jailed for eating mother's heart

A Texas man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for murdering his mother, cutting her open and eating part of her heart.

Joey Cala, 41, pleaded guilty on Monday to bludgeoning his mother to death then cannibalising parts of her body in 2001.

Cala's sister said that he had killed Lydia Cala for her money - although there was no evidence that his mother, a retired teacher, had anything more than a modest income.

Cala's lawyer, Robert Ford, had hammered out a deal under which his client would plead guilty, but punishment would be capped at 30 years, in order to spare his life.

Mr Ford had been planning an insanity defence for Cala if the case went to trial and, given a history of mental instability, prosecution lawyers were fearful that this could have succeeded.

"He could have been sent to a state hospital, where he would be evaluated each year. There was that chance that he could be out in the community in a year or two," said prosecution lawyer Jay Lapham.

"The plea agreement assured us of prison time," he added.

Eligible for parole

State Judge George Gallagher opted to give Cala the maximum penalty under the deal, but he could still be eligible for parole in 15 years.

Cala's sister, Lydia Loggins, said she hoped her brother would remain behind bars.

He was looking up and it appeared he was having a conversation with someone, but no-one else was in the house

Kevin Meador, police officer

"As far as I'm concerned, he should never get out of prison. Joey has ruined our family. I still love him, but it will take a long time to forgive," she said in a victim's statement to the court.

A medical examiner told the court that Cala had beaten his mother to death, probably with his hands or feet, in the house they shared in Hurst, a suburb of Fort Worth.

He then cut open her chest and abdomen and removed some of her organs.

Satan worship

When police called to the house they found Cala in his mother's bedroom, standing naked over her corpse, covered in blood.

"He was looking up and it appeared he was having a conversation with someone, but no-one else was in the house," Hurst patrol officer Kevin Meador testified Wednesday.

A police report stated that an officer had seen Cala eat a piece of his mother's heart and according to the medical examiner's testimony parts of the heart had been chewed on.

Cala said that he worshipped the devil and that they had interrupted his sacrifice, police reported.