Arizona man tries to bring woman back to life by stabbing her in heart, police say

MESA, Ariz. — An Arizona man is accused of performing a ritual to bring a dead woman back to life by stabbing her in the heart and then not telling police about the body for days, authorities said.

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Stephen Joseph Anderson, 34, of Mesa, was arrested Wednesday and charged with one felony count of disorderly conduct, one felony count of mutilation of a body and a misdemeanor count of failure to report a death, KPHO-TV reported. Anderson also faces a recommended charge of being a prohibited possessor of weapons because he is a convicted felon and is not allowed to have the knife, according to online court documents.

Court records show that Anderson met the woman, Rebecca Lynn Lambert, 33, at a park near his house on Nov. 12. The couple went to Anderson’s bedroom and allegedly took methamphetamine, according to KPHO.

Anderson allegedly told investigators that he took a shower, and when he returned to the bedroom, Lambert was dead, the television station reported.

Court documents state that Anderson tried to revive Lambert by performing a ritual that included stabbing the woman’s heart with a 5-inch knife.

On Nov. 14, Anderson was observed in the middle of a street holding a knife and hammer, KPHO reported. Officers arriving at the scene moments later told him to drop the knife, which he did. Anderson was then taken into custody, according to the television station.

According to police, Anderson was taken to a mental health facility. In a telephone call to his mother, Anderson allegedly told her to keep his children out of his bedroom.

Curious, the woman went to the residence and found Lambert’s body, KPHO reported.

According to police, Anderson allegedly admitted to killing Lambert. He was then arrested and booked into jail, according to court records.

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