Jessica Rae Sacco: 5 Arrested for Murder, Dismemberment

By Sami K. Martin, Christian Post Reporter Monday, April 09, 2012

Five men have been arrested in the murder and dismemberment of 21-year-old Jessica Rae Sacco. Her boyfriend and his four friends have been indicted on charges of murder after Sacco was found dead in her apartment.

Matthew Puccio reportedly stabbed Sacco, placed a plastic bag over her head to suffocate her, and then dismembered her body. Four other men stood by and watched as Puccio carried out the murder, saying that they were helpless to stop him.

Sacco's limbs were spread out across Ohio and Kentuky, while her torso was left in the bathtub, where it was discovered by neighbors. Puccio's defense is that Sacco asked him to kill her after sending threatening text messages. The two had dated for 18 months before it soured.

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Puccio faces charges of aggravated murder, felonious assault, felony gross abuse of a corpse and misdemeanor abuse of a corpse, and tampering with evidence and possession of criminal tools, reports the Associated Press. His bail is set at more than $532,000 according to NBC, and he faces life in prison if found guilty.

His accomplices stand accused of gross abuse of a corpse, abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, obstructing justice and failure to report a crime. Their bails range from $30,000 to $42,500.

Puccio told the Springfield News Sun that he met Sacco on Facebook.

"I was just trying to meet new people, make new friends. I was having a rough time. My ex-fiancé walked out on me, took my son, my daughter," he said.

"I've been asking myself these questions the entire time," he replied when asked about wounds he suffered during the attack. "I still can't come up with answers. The average person would have fought back, or at least dialed 911. She never did," he explained.

He claims it was a mercy killing and was surprised when his friends agreed to help him dispose of her body.

"It shocked the [heck] out of me. I figured they'd be the first to call the cops on me," he explained. Paccio revealed that he alone dismembered Sacco's body while the others "cleaned up. I just sat there and broke apart."