Texas Wife Killer Found Dead in Prison Cell After Gruesome Decapitation
A Texas man convicted of decapitating his newlywed wife has been found dead after hanging himself in a Houston prison cell. Jared James Dicus, 24, was discovered deceased on Friday evening at the Wainwright Unit in Houston County, bringing a grim conclusion to a case that shocked the local community.
Horrific Crime and Swift Justice
Dicus was sentenced to 40 years in prison in August 2024 after pleading guilty to the brutal murder of his 21-year-old wife, Anggy Diaz. The couple had married in October 2022, but their union ended in horrific violence just four months later on January 11, 2023.
The crime was discovered when Dicus's parents called emergency services after finding Diaz's body in a small cottage behind their family home where the young couple was living. The cottage, located near Magnolia, Texas approximately 45 miles northwest of Houston, became the scene of one of Waller County's most disturbing recent crimes.
Gruesome Discovery and Investigation
Waller County Sheriff's deputies responding to the scene found Diaz's body next to the bed in a substantial pool of blood with multiple stab wounds from a kitchen knife. Most horrifically, her head had been severed from her body. Officers discovered the severed head in the home's shower along with the murder weapon.
At the time, Waller County Sheriff Troy Guidry stated: 'Everything happened on the property. And all parts and pieces were recovered and submitted for evidence.'
Prison Death and Final Moments
On the evening of January 16, correctional staff at the Wainwright Unit found Dicus hanging from the neck in his single-person cell according to an official state death report. Despite attempts at life-saving measures, these proved unsuccessful. Emergency medical services staff officially pronounced him dead at the scene shortly before 11pm.
Further details regarding his behaviour prior to the hanging have not been made public by authorities. Dicus had been in prison for just over one year and four months when he was found dead. His sentence would have made him ineligible for parole until 2043 at the earliest, meaning he would have been 63 years old upon release if he had served his full term.
Chilling Behaviour After the Murder
Just hours after decapitating his wife, Dicus displayed remarkably calm behaviour by stealing a beer from Chepes Meat Market, a convenience store where Diaz had previously worked before becoming a fitness coach shortly before her death. Surveillance footage captured the murderous husband arriving at the store around 11.40am, taking a beer from the refrigerator, walking past the counter without paying, and consuming the drink in the parking lot.
Later that same day, Dicus walked into his parents' home and said something that prompted them to search the cottage on their property. It was during this search that they discovered Diaz's body and immediately contacted law enforcement.
Turbulent Relationship History
The couple's relationship was marked by significant turbulence and domestic strife. At a press conference shortly after the murder, Sheriff Guidry revealed that his department had responded to several domestic violence calls at the couple's property prior to the fatal incident.
Dicus's unstable behaviour was further evidenced just two months before the murder when he was arrested on a DWI charge. According to court records, after being brought to the local jail he threatened a police officer and other staff members. The records also indicate he was punching windows out of frustration, forcing authorities to place him in a restraint chair.
Victim's Background and Social Media Facade
According to friends of the slain wife, Diaz was an immigrant from Nicaragua who was working two jobs to help pay for her mother's cancer treatment back in her home country. Despite the couple's serious underlying problems, their relationship appeared deceptively strong and positive on social media platforms.
Just two weeks before her murder, Diaz posted a picture of herself and her husband on Christmas Day to her Instagram account, wishing friends and family a 'happy merry Christmas.' Dicus responded to the post with: 'Merry Christmas my beautiful wife, my trophy.'
Diaz's final Instagram post, a photograph of her lunch, was shared just hours before investigators believe she was killed. The contrast between this online presentation and the violent reality of their relationship highlights the complex and tragic nature of this case.
