Oklahoma man sentenced to life in prison for killing 4-year-old, uncle and woman whose heart he cut out and cooked

Oklahoma man who was released early from prison as part of a mass switch effort and weeks later admitted to killing a 4-year-old girl, her uncle and a woman he cut and cooked Heart was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday, according to court documents.

According to court documents, Lawrence Paul Anderson, 44, admitted to stabbing to death Andrea Lynn Blankenship, her uncle Leon Pye, 67, and her uncle’s 4-year-old granddaughter Kaeos Yates “on or about” the February 9, 2021 in Chickasha, Oklahoma. Anderson had been released from prison in January 2021.

Anderson also admitted to injuring her aunt, Delsie Pye, by stabbing her and gouging out one of her eyes.

Authorities say Anderson took Blankenship’s heart to his aunt and uncle’s house, cooked it with potatoes and tried to serve it to them before killing his uncle, wounding his aunt and killing the the couple’s granddaughter.

Anderson pleaded guilty on Wednesday to three counts of first-degree murder, one count of battery with a deadly weapon and one count of dismemberment, which reduced his death sentence to five counts of life in prison, three without parole .

Anderson’s attorney did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Anderson had been sentenced in 2017 to 20 years in prison for violating probation in a drug case, Oklahoman reported. Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt commuted the sentence last year to nine years in prison, and Anderson was released after serving just over three years.

Grady County District Attorney Jason Hicks criticized criminal justice reform that led to the commutation of hundreds of Oklahoma inmates.

“It’s time we did better,” Hicks said. “If we have the highest incarceration rate in the world, okay. We can look at our citizens and be honest with them and tell them you’re safe. I can’t tell people in my neighborhood today’ now they are safe.

The Associated Press contributed.