Scotland Police
After his girlfriend's truly grisly murder -- which was detailed by authorities -- the suspect pretended to be her in texts to her mom, searched for pornography and tried buying drugs, before calling police and making a chilling confession.
A UK postman has been sentenced for the brutal murder of his girlfriend, Phoenix Spencer-Horn.
Ewan Methven, 27, pleaded guilty to murder and attempted to defeat the ends of justice on June 17 in Glagow, before, on Monday, he was given a life sentence for Spencer-Horn's death. He was given a minimum of 23 years in prison, per the BBC.
In a letter to the judge before sentencing, Methven reportedly wrote, "I know how loved Phoenix was and how she made her family complete. I cannot believe I have taken her from them."
"You were a trusted member of her family, but you betrayed that trust and robbed her of life in the cruelest way," the judge said before repeating some of the horrifying details of Spencer-Horn's murder.
"It is enough to say that for reasons no one will ever understand, and in the flat you shared with her, you strangled her and stabbed her 20 times, 10 of these in the face," said the judge. "Not content with what you had done to her, you robbed her of all dignity in death by decapitating her and trying to dismember her, in an attempt to defeat the ends of justice."
"For two days after you murdered Phoenix, you indulged in drug abuse and watched pornography, pretending by text to her mother that you were her," he continued, saying he's "rarely read such outpourings of grief as are contained in the Victim Impact Statements from her family."
"The way you treated this innocent young woman after her death meant that her family did not even have the comfort of saying goodbye to her. I know that nothing I can say or do and no punishment I can inflict will ever be enough," he concluded, before revealing the life sentence.
Bernalillo County District Attorney
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View StoryPhoenix Spencer-Horn's Murder
The murder occurred on November 16, 2024, shortly after the pair ordered takeout to their apartment. Shortly before her death, Methven had texted Spencer-Horn saying her job as a waitress left him feeling "lonely."
Around midnight, a neighbor reported hearing "a loud noise and hurried footsteps," which is when police believe Methven attacked his girlfriend by stabbing her 20 times with three knives. He reportedly stabbed her in the chest, face and buttocks, before decapitating her and attempting to remove her limbs from her body.
Her murder, however, wouldn't be discovered for another two days, on November 18.
In the time between her grisly end and Methven calling police himself two days later, per prosecutors, he reportedly searched for pornography online 170 times, tried buying cocaine and drove around in the victim's car. He also allegedly texted the victim's mother, pretending she was still alive.
Facebook/Carroll County Sheriff's Office
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View StoryThen, he called police and confessed.
"I had a psychotic break and killed my wife," he reportedly said in his chilling phone call. "We were messing about, I take steroids and was taking cocaine and alcohol, I think there was something else in it ... it was f--king horrible."
"I just want to go to jail," he continued, saying he "totally blacked out," before adding, "I have been out my face, I can't remember what happened. I have been driving about all weekend."
Spencer-Horn's body was then found in the apartment, with Methven reportedly admitting, "I could not stay here with her like that. I tried to dismember her" as he was arrested.
While giving the sentence, the judge called out Methven for not giving more insight into why he killed his girlfriend, other than blaming drugs.
"I have this morning seen a letter written by you but it answers none of the questions which must be plaguing the family," said the judge. "You blame the effect of substances but that is no excuse."
Washington County Detention Center