Jarrod Wyatt, MMA fighter accused of ripping out friend's heart and tongue, pleads guilty to murder

(CBS/AP) CRESCENT CITY, Calif. - California prosecutors said mixed-martial artist Jarrod Wyatt pleaded guilty to murder and mayhem charges Thursday after being accused of ripping out his friend's heart and removing his tongue while the two were on hallucinogenic drugs.

Wyatt, 29, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder involving mayhem in the March 2010 death of his sparring partner, 21-year-old Taylor Powell, Del Norte County prosecutors said. He agreed to a plea deal in which he will serve 50 years to life in prison. His official sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 4.

"The earliest he'll be able to see a parole board is 2062," District Attorney Jon Alexander said. "We saved Taylor's family the agony from reliving the incident at the trial."

Wyatt's attorney, James Fallman, said his client didn't want to testify at trial and he didn't want his family to testify.

"We looked for an agreement that would at least give him the opportunity to be paroled someday," Fallman said. "As bad as 50 years to life sounds, it's better than life without the possibility of parole."

When police arrived on March 21, 2010 at a home at the mouth of the Klamath River, they found Wyatt naked and covered in blood. He told the officers, "I killed him," and said he had cut out Powell's heart and tongue, according to court documents.

The officers found Powell's body on the couch. His chest was cut open, and his heart, tongue and the skin of his face were gone, court records said. His heart was found charred in a wood-burning stove.

An autopsy determined the organs had been removed while Powell was still alive, the documents said.

Witnesses said the two ingested hallucinogenic mushrooms before the attack and believed they were involved in a struggle between God and the devil. Wyatt was reportedly convinced that the world was about to end and that Powell was the devil.

Wyatt entered duel pleas of not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity, prompting psychiatrists to evaluate his mental competence. In May, a judge ruled Wyatt was competent to stand trial.

More on Crimesider
June 16, 2010 - Jarrod Wyatt, MMA Fighter, Pleads Insanity in Grisly Murder
June 1, 2010 - Jarrod Wyatt, MMA Fighter, Allegedly Ripped out Friend Taylor Powell's Heart