An Ohio man has pleaded guilty to killing his mother with his nephew (age 6) watching and then setting her home on fire. According to him, the Holy Spirit told him that she was the devil.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to the home of Diane Gore. The affidavit states that Diane’s son, Lionel Justin Gore, 34, “came running out of the house covered in blood and stated, Get out of the way, or I will kill you next.”
A high-speed pursuit ensued after Lionel Gore stole his mother’s vehicle and headed towards West Virginia. After crashing into two patrol cars, he was arrested and taken to the hospital.
A detective then spoke with Lionel’s nephew, who was still at the home. According to him, he saw the uncle standing over his grandmother, “sawing her neck with a knife,” and then set the house on fire. Because of the smoke, he had to crawl out.
The body of Diane Gore was recovered. In the aftermath of the fire, fire marshals found her body lying beside her head.
According to investigators, Gore told them that Diane was not his mother, claiming that he was adopted.
During an interview with detectives at the hospital, he eventually admitted that he had cut off her head and set her on fire.
As a result, Gore was sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after 25 years.
Additionally, Gore was charged with four counts of aggravated arson, three counts of child endangerment, and one count of tampering with evidence.
