Mom's Head's on the Concrete...Over There

“Mum's head is on the concrete over there? Can they sew the head back on?" Jessica Camilleri asked police this question as she stood in the front yard outside her home. Moments earlier, Jessica attacked her mother, Rita, with knives in the kitchen of their St. Clair home.

Jessica continued, "There's nothing you can do? She's a goner? Cos I know doctors can do miracles. They can't resew her head?"

She went on to tell police that she wanted to give her mother “a taste of her own medicine.” She then asked “Do I get the death penalty?”

Daughter Stabs Mother 200 Times, Decapitates Her Head

Body cam footage captured the bizarre moments after Jessica stabbed her mother nearly 200 times with several different kitchen knives, including a butcher knife. She claimed that she acted in self-defense when she decapitated her mother's head from her body on that hot July night in 2019.

Several of the knives broke as Jessica stabbed her mother due to the amount of force she used.

Camilleri Summons 000 for Help

Camilleri dialed 000 after she decapitated her mother. She told the 000 operator that her 57-year-old mother tried to stab her, leaving no other choice but to defend herself.

Police found Camilleri was covered in blood, holding a bottle of water, and standing in the middle of the street. They questioned the 27-year-old who told them she killed her mother and pointed to the decapitated head.

Police found Rita’s head in the front lawn of the neighbor’s house.

They recovered her body in her own kitchen.

Camilleri told officers she was going to show her mom’s decapitated head to the neighbors but dropped it because she was holding cell phones in her head. She left the head lying on the concrete.

She went on to tell police she and her mother got into an argument because Rita wanted to send her to a mental hospital. She estimated that she stabbed her about 85 times. That number turned out to be much closer to 200 stab wounds to her body.

Jessica Camilleri Arrested

Camilleri was arrested. Police soon learned the woman had a history of threatening to decapitate people. Camilleri often made prank calls to people, saying mean and vicious things to the person on the other end. She enjoyed horror movies, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre being her favorite. Camilleri often rewound certain parts of the movie to watch over and over again. And, on at least one occasion, she attacked her aunt and the aunt’s mother-in-law.

Jessica argued with her mother often. It seemed everything Rita did upset Jessica in some way.

On the bodycam video Jessica is heard telling the officer:

"She's had enough of me. She was at her wit's end. I want everyone to know this. I have hurt a lot of people in the past, but I have never laid a finger on my mum until tonight. I understand she has had enough of me, because I am a piece of work. My mum lost her patience.”

"I wanted to give her a taste of her own medicine, but not to kill her.

"I had to keep stabbing her.

"I think that's what happened and then her head just came off."

Jessica Sentenced

Jessica was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to 21-years, seven months in prison.

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Resources & Additional Case Information --

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/jessica-camilleri-inside-the-true-horror-story-of-girl-who-beheaded-her-mother/P7FGAK645736FOH24MKEI2OSMQ/

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-03-12/jessica-camilleri-jailed-for-21-years-for-mother-dedecapitation/13241046