SALEM, Ore. (AP) - A Salem man who stabbed a woman at a Buddhist temple has been sentenced to three years in prison.
Authorities said Jose Murillo and the woman broke into the temple last May 27 and smoked methamphetamine.
Shortly after midnight, Murillo told her he was hearing voices, and threatened to stab her if she didn’t help him find the voices.
Murillo stabbed the woman more than 10 times with a pocket knife, and forced her grandmother’s ring down her throat. The victim managed to escape and hide in a thicket of blackberry bushes, where she was later found by monks.
The Statesman Journal reports (https://is.gd/bIlOm6 ) reports Murillo pleaded guilty to burglary and assault, and a charge of attempted murder was dismissed.
Prosecutor Tiffany Underwood said the victim opposed the plea agreement, but there was a growing concern about the possibility of a mental illness defense.
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Information from: Statesman Journal, https://www.statesmanjournal.com
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