A Phoenix man with a history of mental illness is accused of beheading his wife, mutilating her two dogs, hacking off his own forearm and plucking out his eyeball.
Police said the man’s wife, Trina Heisch, 49, who also had suffered from mental illness, was beheaded in the apartment and her headless body was found in a walk-in closet Saturday, the Arizona Republic’s website, azcentral.com, reported.
George Loney, Heisch’s friend and neighbor, told the paper that he went to check on her Saturday morning because he hadn’t heard from her in a few days. In the past, police had responded several times to the apartment on calls from neighbors about domestic disputes.
The victim’s 43-year-old husband was nude when he answered the door, Mr. Loney said.
“I didn’t realize his arm was cut off until probably a minute or two into the conversation after I proceeded to ask him ’What was wrong? What was wrong? What was wrong?’” Mr. Loney said, the Arizona Republic reported. “He told me he killed three of his family members but that God had forgiven him so it was OK. ’Let me have a drag of your cigarette,’ he kept telling me.”
Mr. Loney then called 911.
“It’s like ’The [Texas] Chainsaw Massacre,’” said Mr. Loney, the New York Daily News reported.
By the time the police arrived at the apartment, the victim’s husband had gouged out his own eyeball. Police said the man’s arm injury was also self-inflicted. They are considering him a suspect and have not released his name.
“Police said Heisch and her husband met in a mental-health facility and had a history of mental illness, domestic violence and drug abuse,” KPHO reported. “Police said the suspect was arrested in 2003 for attempting to kill a family member, and Heisch had been arrested in March for domestic violence assault.”
Phoenix police spokesman Sgt. Trent Crump described the inside of the apartment as an “absolutely horrific scene,” the Arizona Republic reported.
Sgt. Crump said the suspect was taken into custody and to a hospital for surgery.
Police told KPHO.com that the suspect would be booked when he is released from the hospital.
• Maria Stainer can be reached at mstainer@washingtontimes.com.
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