Over seven days in September 2021, Thornburg, then 44, killed David Lueras, 42, Maricruz Mathis, 33, and Lauren Phillips, 34, at a motel in Fort Worth, Texas. He then dismembered their bodies in the bathtub. After his arrest, he claimed he had been told 'by God' to commit the killings as 'human sacrifices'.
Thornburg, who was working as an apprentice electrician, slit the throats of two victims and strangled Lauren before violating her lifeless body. He ate part of David's heart, cut off his penis, and also ate parts of Lauren and Maricruz.
Bodies found and investigation
After dismembering the victims, Thornburg stored the remains in bin bags and plastic tubs under his bed, then moved them to a skip in Fort Worth. He set the bodies alight and drove away; firefighters called to the scene discovered the human remains. CCTV showed his Jeep Grand Cherokee close to the site.
Before his arrest, Thornburg cleaned the tubs and returned them to the shop where he had bought them. Police initially struggled to identify Lauren and Maricruz. Lauren's mother filed a criminal complaint against Thornburg, suspecting he had killed her daughter, who had two sons and had become Thornburg's friend while staying with him at the inn. That led to his arrest.
Trial and death sentence
Thornburg's trial began in November 2024. His defence argued for a not-guilty verdict on grounds of insanity. Prosecutors said he was legally sane, pointing to the careful disposal of the bodies and his evasion of arrest. On November 20, 2024, he was found guilty on three counts of capital murder, and the jury unanimously sentenced him to death after five hours.
The presiding judge said: 'Therefore, Jason Allen Thornburg, you have been adjudged by a jury to be guilty of capital murder. And the juror has answered the special issues making it mandatory that your punishment be death. Therefore, this court sentences you, Jason Allen Thornburgh, to death.'
