A Texas judge handed down a 40-year prison sentence to 23-year-old Jared James Dicus for the brutal murder of his recent bride, Anggy Diaz. The Waller County Sheriff’s Office reported that Dicus pleaded guilty to the crime that occurred in January 2023.
Following a disturbing 911 call from Dicus’ parents on the afternoon of January 11, 2023, deputies were led to a small cabin situated behind their house on Oak Hollow Blvd. in Magnolia, Texas. Inside, they found the decapitated body of 21-year-old Anggy Diaz in a grim scene. Blood was spotted all over the cabin and Diaz’s severed head was found in the shower.
As soon as deputies arrived at the location, Dicus was taken into custody. He confessed to the murder during the investigation. While a specific motive has not been disclosed by the authorities, they noted that the couple had previous domestic violence issues with calls made to the home in the past.
Mental health concerns were brought up during the pretrial phase, according to Waller County Criminal District Attorney Sean G. Whittmore. However, a court-ordered psychiatric assessment found Dicus mentally fit to stand trial. Dicus gave up his right to appeal and any potential insanity defense as part of his guilty plea.
Whittmore underscored the community’s hard stance against domestic violence, stating, “Waller County does not tolerate domestic violence. Heinous crimes like this one will not go unanswered, we will seek justice for the victims of domestic violence and send a message to the perpetrators that here, we fight for our victims.”
Diaz, a native of Nicaragua, was working two jobs to financially assist her family back home. Fond memories of her were shared by friends and colleagues. Her boss, Veronica Jimenez, described her as “a very bright girl, full of energy, never negative. She had so many goals in life.”
Diaz’s uncle and former legal guardian, Irvin Orellana, also spoke about her lively character, saying that she was “the light to our family” and her loss would leave a lasting void. A GoFundMe page was set up by the family to manage the costs of transporting Diaz’s body to Nicaragua and for her funeral.
The couple had been married only since October 2022, just three months prior to the horrific incident. Their relationship, which began at Diaz’s workplace, seemed content to those around them, but friends started noticing changes in Diaz’s behavior post-wedding. Surveillance footage from the day of the murder revealed Dicus shoplifting a beer from Diaz’s workplace, shortly before her body was found.
The horrific nature of the crime and the subsequent sentencing have deeply affected the local community. With Dicus not eligible for parole until at least 2043, attention now shifts toward recovery and justice for the family and friends of Anggy Diaz.
