A man has been arrested and charged after cutting off his mother’s head with a knife and setting her corpse on fire, and he is trying to justify his actions by stating that he believed she was the devil.
Lionel Justin Gore, 34, an Ohio resident, is being charged in the death of his adoptive mother, Diane Gore, according to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies were called to the scene of a structure fire at a home on Cemetery Drive in New Matamoras. Upon arriving, they spoke with Diane’s sister, Stephanie Williams, who informed them that when she arrived home, she witnessed Lionel running out of the house, covered in blood.
According to Williams, when she spoke with Lionel, he said: “Get out of the way or I’ll kill you next.”
She also informed the investigators that she attempted to enter the burning house to find her sister, but the fire was too intense.
7 News reports: “Lionel’s 6-year-old nephew also reportedly stated that he witnessed his uncle sawing Diane’s neck with a small knife before he went to get a larger one. The juvenile was able to escape the home without injury.”
Upon entering the home, firefighters found Diane’s body in what they believe to be the master bedroom of the house. The state fire marshal’s office later reported that her severed head was laying next to her torso.
While fleeing the scene, Lionel crashed into two police cruisers before being arrested and brought to a local hospital. He was being held under guard there when he allegedly told a detective, “I cut her head off and set her on fire,” according to the affidavit.
A sheriff’s report indicates that Lionel killed Diane because the “Holy Spirit told him to as she was the devil.”
Along with murder charges, Lionel will likely be facing charges of arson and child endangerment.
The investigation into the incident is currently ongoing.
