MMA Fighter Pleads Guilty To Tearing Friend's Heart Out

The trial of Jarrod Wyatt has been cancelled thanks to a plea agreement reached just days before the scheduled start date. The former MMA fighter was reportedly willing to plead guilty early on to the second degree murder of his friend, Taylor Powell, but because prosecutors wanted a first degree murder conviction, preparations began for a court room showdown. Luckily for the family of the victim, that prep work proved to be in vain.

More than two years ago, Wyatt, Powell and two of their friends drank psychedelic mushroom tea. A few hours later, Wyatt was discovered by police completely naked and covered in blood. He told authorities he’d just killed Powell and ripped out his heart. The victim was later discovered with the skin on his face cut off and his tongue and heart ripped out. According to The San Jose Mercury News, an autopsy found much of the damage was inflicted while Powell was still alive.

Wyatt has long denied there was any premeditation to the murder, but in the end, he decided to plead guilty in order to spare everyone involved a trial. He’ll serve fifty years to life in prison, and given the heinous crime scene photos and specifics of what happened, it’s highly unlikely he’ll be released on his first few attempts at parole.

Wyatt’s incarceration won’t bring Powell back, but hopefully, it will bring his family a little peace of mind and a sense of justice.