CORTEZ — A 22-year-old man accused of killing and dismembering his sexually abusive father will spend three years in prison after pleading guilty in an agreement with prosecutors.
Jeremiah Raymond Berry pleaded guilty to manslaughter and menacing Friday during an emotional court hearing in which family members and attorneys described him as a troubled young man who was the victim of years of abuse.
“Jeremiah stopped a cycle of abuse. He’s not a cold-blooded killer,” said his mother, Rita Gallegos. “His father was a monster, and Jeremiah was a victim.”
Berry, who cried throughout his sentencing hearing, had been charged with second-degree murder for the February 2008 death of his father, 42-year-old Jack Berry. Jeremiah Berry had faced 48 years in prison if convicted of that charge in Montezuma County.
He had previously pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the murder charge, which was dismissed.
Jeremiah Berry shot his father in the head and then dismembered his corpse to feed parts of it to coyotes, according to court documents. Authorities said they also found some of Jack Berry’s body parts encased in a bucket with concrete.
