A man in the US has been accused of performing a ritual to bring a dead woman back to life by stabbing her in the heart and then not telling police about the body for days. Though the incident happened last month, 34-year-old Stephen Joseph Anderson was arrested on Wednesday.
According to NBC29, the accused met the woman, 33-year-old Rebecca Lynn Lambert, at a park close to his house in November. The couple went into Mr Anderson's bedroom and allegedly took methamphetamine. He reported to the police that he left her to take a shower, and when he returned to the bedroom, he found Ms. Lambert dead.
Court documents state that Mr. Anderson then attempted to resuscitate the woman by performing a ritual that involved stabbing the woman's heart with a 5-inch knife, KPHO reported. On November 14, he was reportedly spotted in the middle of the street with a knife and hammer. Officers, who arrived at the scene moments later, told him to drop the knife, which he did.
Police said Anderson was then taken to a mental health facility where he called his mother and told her to keep his kids away from his bedroom. When his concerned mother went to his residence, she found Ms. Lambert's body and called 911, KPHO reported.
Anderson was later released from the facility and arrested at his home on Wednesday. Police said he admitted to the allegations and was booked into jail.
He has been charged with one felony count of disorderly conduct, one felony count of mutilation of a body, and a misdemeanor count of failure to report a death, KPHO-TV reported. He also faces a possible charge of being a prohibited possessor of weapons since he is a convicted felon and is not allowed to have a knife.