Juanita Gomez: Mother who killed 'possessed' daughter by forcing crucifix down her throat convicted of murder

Jurors recommend life sentence without parole

Juanita Gomez, 50, reportedly told investigators she believed her daughter was possessed by the devil (Reuters)

A woman who killed her daughter by shoving a crucifix down her throat because she thought she was possessed by the devil has been found guilty of first degree murder.

A jury in Oklahoma City convicted 51-year-old Juanita Gomez on Thursday of killing Geneva Gomez, 33. They recommended a life sentence without parole.

The 33-year-old woman’s body was discovered on the floor of her mother’s Oklahoma home in August 2016.

She had been laid out in the shape of crucifix with a cross on her chest, according to police who found her.

The victim’s former boyfriend, Francisco Merlos, who gave evidence at the trial, also reportedly told the court about the state he saw her lifeless body in when he visited her mothers’ house.

According to reports by The Oklahoman, he told the court “you couldn’t even recognise her face” before calling 911.

The medical examiner said that the Geneva Gomez, who had injuries to her head and face, died from “blunt force trauma”, News9 reported.

Gomez, 51, reportedly told police that bruises on her own hands and arms were from when she was fighting to “rid Satan from her daughter’s body".

She also told them she forced a religious medallion and a cross down her throat and that she had punched her daughter repeatedly in the face, according to court documents.

In footage from her arraignment in 2016, Gomez said numerous times that she believed in God, before complaining about the conditions in her jail cell.

Speaking about the lawyer she claimed to have, she said: “Yes sir he believes in God like me.”

The mother was found able to stand trial, a psychologist found, after she admitted pretending to have memory problems to appear incompetent.

Neighbours believed the mother and daughter had a good relationship, News9 reported.

Associated Press contributed to this report