A man was arrested while he was in the process of dismembering his dead girlfriend's decapitated body. Nicholas Scurria, 32, was taken into custody early Friday morning in Clifton Heights, five miles west of Philadelphia. Police responded to Scurria's next-door neighbor's call at 4:40 am complaining about screams and loud bangs coming through the walls.
According to a police report, the loud noise of fighting between the couple suddenly 'became quiet' and was replaced with 'sawing-like sounds' and sounds of 'the gathering or shifting of plastic material,' the neighbor said.
Police arrived at the scene to find Scurria sawing off the left leg of his girlfriend's body using a machete. The victim's body was already dismembered. He was found sitting on a mattress while doing the deed when officers burst in with their weapons drawn.
'This is absolutely horrible'
According to the police affidavit, the neighbor 'woke up to loud screaming in the neighboring apartment.' A roll of plastic wrap was also found next to her body. The report stated that 'police witnessed the suspect attempting to decapitate the already-deceased victim using a machete.'
Clifton Heights Police Chief Tim Rockenbach noted that the victim had suffered 'severe trauma to the head and neck,' before adding that the suspect's intention was to hide the crime.
"I've been an officer for 32 years, this is absolutely horrible. I believe his intent was obviously to hide the crime. And we were able to get there before he was able to flee as a result of that 911 call," Rockenbach said.
'She tried to cut my balls off'
As the police Scurria into custody at gunpoint, he screamed that the victim tried to cut his balls off. Later, Scurria told police that he shared the house with his girlfriend. The duo got into a fight after a break-up. He then allegedly beat her until she was unconscious.
According to a police report, 'he knocked the victim unconscious after repeatedly striking her in the face/head areas' and tried to hide and dismember her body. The identity of the victim is not known at the moment.
The Delaware County District Attorney's Office is investigating the case. Scurria was charged with first-degree murder, third-degree murder, criminal possession of a weapon, and abuse of a corpse.
