Police in the Philippines have arrested three brothers in a gruesome case involving the alleged torture and murder of their own mother.
The three brothers -- Dante Amil, 35, Paroy Amil, 21, and Ibrahim Amil, 18 -- are accused of tying up their 56-year-old mother, Akrima Amil, killing her and then butchering her with machetes, according to the Philippine Star.
Investigators told the paper that the suspects ate parts of the victim’s body raw.
“One of her relatives said the victim’s eyes had been taken; her throat was slashed, and innards
were missing -- they said these appeared to have been eaten by the suspects,” local official Bai Suraida Mamaluba told the Philippines' News5.
Neighbors called police Wednesday after they heard "horrific" screams coming from Amil's home in Ampatuan for several days. Police found the woman's body drained of blood, with several internal organs removed.
The men deny killing their mother, but said they had ritually burned her in order to cure her of an illness that they believed was brought on by an evil spirit, according to Philnews.com.
Criminal charges against the brothers are pending. Police said they have no prior criminal records and will undergo mental health evaluations. They will also be tested for drug use.