Kansas woman, 38, gets life in prison for decapitating her ex-boyfriend's mother, 63, with steak knives and leaving her head in the kitchen sink
A Kansas woman received life in prison Tuesday for decapitating her ex-boyfriend's mother with two steak knives and leaving her head in the kitchen sink.
Rachael Hilyard, 38, of Wichita, was sentenced in the 2017 death of 63-year-old Micki Davis in what prosecutors claimed was a planned killing.
Hilyard apologized at the hearing, which several of Davis' family members attended in person or watched via a Zoom call.
'I feel that even death would be too good for me now. ... Every day and every night I am sorry,' she said.
'I apologized to the many people that knew and loved Micki Davis, I apologized to her whole family, to her grandson, to all of her friends, to my neighbors, I apologized for who I became.'
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Rachael Hilyard, 38, (pictured left) was sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday in the beheading murder of 63-year-old Micki Davis (pictured right) in Wichita, Kansas, in April 2017. She apologized to the family before Judge Bruce Brown announced her sentence
Davis's family, however, branded Kilyard a 'monster' as they faced her once again in court before the sentencing.
'Mom taught us one of the worst 4 letter words you can say is hate. And I'm not gonna lie, I hate this monster and I think my mom would be okay with that,' said Jeremy Rush, Micki Davis's son, according to KAKE.com.
'I will never get over this anger, I will never not be angry.'
'The monster, she was a mother. She has scared her son, not just him I'm sure the whole family. Her actions were selfish and wrong in every way,' added Jacona Gillespie, Davis's daughter.
The judge on Tuesday decided that Hilyard's mental health issues did not relieve her of the 'horrific' crime.
'Mental health issues do not equate to crime. Having a head injury does not equal crime,' said Judge Bruce Brown.
'Your life isn't over and my charge to you at this point would be that you turn your life to a life of good.
'This case and the actions taken — I lack words for,' he added.
After she had received her life sentence, the family said they could never forgive Hilyard for what she had done.
'We knew we couldn't change that she had passed away. We had to move forward from that,' said Gillespie of her mother.
'We knew that's what it should be. But I don't know, just this case is so horrific that there shouldn't be any other verdict anyway, so that's how it was. Yeah, just glad, glad it's over with,' added Rush.
Davis's family, pictured, branded Kilyard a 'monster' as they faced her once again in court
Jeremy Rush, Micki Davis's son, said he hated Hilyard during the hearing on Tuesday
Jacona Gillespie, Davis's daughter, said Hilyard's actions were 'selfish and wrong'
Authorities said Davis was attacked after going to Hilyard's home to pick up some of her son's property on April 9, 2017.
Davis arrived at Hilyard's home with her nine-year-old grandson but the child ran away before his grandmother was beheaded and called for help.
The older woman's body was found in the garage while her head remained in the kitchen.
Before she was found guilty in February, Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said that Hilyard attacked the older woman with provocation.
She then grabbed a knife 'to finish what she started,' Bennett said.
He said Hilyard used a second knife after the first blade broke.
'For her own reasons, Rachael Hilyard had had it with Micki,' Bennett said.
Davis, pictured, was attacked after going to Hilyard's home to pick up some of her son's property on April 9, 2017. She her nine-year-old grandson with her who ran for help
Hilyard cut off the victim's head with two steak knives back in April 2017
Police found Davis' body in Hilyard's garage and her head in the kitchen sink. Testimony during the trial indicated Davis may have been unconscious but alive when Hilyard decapitated her
During her trial, Hilyard's lawyer, Quentin Pittman, had acknowledged his client killed Davis but said it was not premeditated, which is required for a first-degree murder conviction.
Her attorney said Hilyard thought Davis was dead when she severed her neck.
Hilyard claimed that Davis fell during a struggle over a painting and that she carried out the decapitation because she thought Davis was dead and wanted to release her soul from her body.
'I just freaked out, and we were wrestling into the garage, and we got into a fight,' she said.
'God was telling me to do it,' she earlier told police who questioned her about the killing:
But prosecutors noted a police interview in which Davis´ grandson described Hilyard jumping on and beating Davis with no warning.
Hilyard testified in February that she thought Davis was already dead and that she cut off her head to free her soul from her body. She also told cops god was telling her to do it
Testimony during the trial also indicated Davis may have been unconscious but was alive when Hilyard decapitated her.
Hilyard mentioned that she had been in a car accident in 2003 that left her with a traumatic brain injury, but she was quick to point out that it had nothing to do with 'it'.
In the days leading up to the murder, she made a series of bizarre posts on Facebook referencing serial murder and beheadings.
'Well this is how it feels to be insane. & i must say that i don't like it,' she wrote one week before Davis was killed.
'They can try to cut my head off,' she wrote in verse one evening, 'But what im sure/They don't know/Is that i knew more than you.'
'Well my Psychopathic Serial Killers for beginners in training class is over for the day...."whew" now for homework time or what kids?' another post after midnight reads.
'Please don't let them cut my head off,' yet another post an hour later reads.
A jury convicted Hilyard of first-degree murder in February. She will be eligible for parole after serving 50 years in prison.
Her trial was delayed several times as she underwent multiple mental evaluations.
She was treated at a state psychiatric hospital before she was declared competent for trial.