TheDenverChannel.com









Denver News
E-Mail News Alerts
Get breaking news and daily headlines.
Browse all e-mail newsletters
Related To Story
Jeremiah Raymond Berry
Jeremiah Raymond Berry is suspected in the death of his father, who is missing.

Report: Son Dismembered Dad After Being Raped

Jeremiah Berry Says His Father Wanted Son To Become Wife

POSTED: 2:55 pm MDT May 16, 2008
UPDATED: 7:42 pm MDT May 16, 2008

A 20-year-old man accused of killing and dismembering his father told police that after his father raped him, he shot his father, skinned and decapitated him and then fed his flesh to coyotes, according to court documents obtained by the Cortez Journal.

Jeremiah Berry was charged Wednesday with second-degree murder. Police started searching for Jack Berry, 42, on April 28, after family members in Arizona claimed he had been missing for some time.

Deputies with Montezuma County Sheriff's Department later found body parts -- some encased in concrete -- at various locations in the county.

According to a search warrant affidavit, on April 29, Jeremiah Berry confessed to police. He said that on or about Feb. 19, his father told him that God instructed him that his son needed to get a sex change and become his wife, according to the affidavit obtained by the Journal.

Shortly after that, he was raped, Jeremiah Berry said.

He said after the assault, his father threatened to take him to the mountains and "make 'Jerry' his girlfriend," the affidavit said. His father also threatened to kill him and the rest of his family, the Journal reported.

Jeremiah Berry said he shot his father in the back of the head and then stabbed him 199 times with a knife and dismembered him with an ax, according to the affidavit. Jeremiah Berry said he removed the head, the hands and the feet and skinned the body, feeding the flesh to coyotes.

For the next two days, Jeremiah Berry carried the body out of the canyon in five-gallon buckets, the affidavit said. The two buckets containing his father's head, hands and feet, he put in a storage room at a local dog kennel.

Police seized the buckets with a search warrant and a CT scan showed that one bucket -- which was encased in concrete -- contained what were believed to be a man's hands and feet, according to the affidavit.

Cortez is about 250 miles southwest of Denver, in the Four Corners region.

Read more about this story from the Cortez Journal.


Links We Like

Sponsored Content
Before you splurge on that pricey remodeling project, beware. It may not pay you back when it's time to sell. More

Employers generally have options when it comes to hiring. Makes sure you present yourself as professionally as possible, or else. More

Want to lose weight? Get a diet and fitness plan customized for you from Jillian Michaels of TV’s Biggest Loser. MoreClick Here

The signs of Cancer can sometimes be very subtle. Here's a guide to help you recognize them early. More

MyReport Network

E - News Registration focus group
  My Report Network: Tell your story on 7NEWS. Sign up to be a member of our My Report Network
Sponsored Links

MyReport Network

E - News Registration focus group
  My Report Network: Tell your story on 7NEWS. Sign up to be a member of our My Report Network

Shop Your Insurance

SAVE up to 30% on Insurance
Paying too much for insurance? Get quotes from multiple companies and choose the best plan for you. Start saving now!

Insurance Type:


Zip Code: