Man drinks spiked tea, tears out friend's beating heart

A man in the US ripped out a friend's heart while he was still alive as he "needed to stop the devil". Jarrod Wyatt, 26, also cut out Taylor Powell's tongue and tore most of his face in the vicious assault.

Powell bled to death after his heart was taken out, The Telegraph reported on Tuesday.

The police found him standing naked over Powell's body with body parts, including an eyeball, lying in the flat in Klamath, California. The incident took place in March and the pre-trial hearings are on.

Wyatt said he had drunk a cup of tea spiked with hallucinogenic mushrooms and after the attack, he threw the heart into a fire along with other organs that he had removed from the body.

He said he was fearful Powell was still alive and he "needed to stop the devil".

The coroner said Powell was alive when the heart was taken out after his chest had been cut open with a knife.

A third friend had called the police after noticing a mood change in Wyatt.

Justin Davis said he returned to the flat to find Wyatt naked and covered in blood. He also noticed an eyeball lying in the middle of the floor and saw Powell's body.

Wyatt has been charged with first degree murder and torture.