Colorado man gets life in prison for killing and dismembering his mother

Ari Liggett was convicted of killing his mother in 2012 and storing her dismembered remains in boxes in the back of her car was sentenced to life in prison without parole on Friday.

Jurors in Colorado found Liggett guilty of killing his mother and storing her remains in boxes in the back of her car.

"The only place for Liggett is prison. His family believes strongly that they would be in grave danger if he were ever free," said prosecutor Brian Sugioka at the sentencing hearing.

Ari Liggett and his mother, Beverly Liggett, were reported missing in mid-October 2012. Two days later, Greenwood Village police spotted Ari Liggett driving his mother's SUV and stopped him. Her remains were found in two plastic storage bins in the back of the vehicle.

Prosecutors say Liggett poisoned his mother with cyanide and got rid of the evidence by dismembering her body in the bathtub before placing her remains in plastic tubs full of olive oil.

Liggett had pleaded not guilty by reason of mental insanity, with his lawyers arguing he suffered from a mental health disease that had never been properly diagnosed. 

Public defenders for Liggett presented evidence that he was diagnosed with a developmental disorder at the age of 5, and had been hospitalized five times due to issues with mental health.

Liggett repeatedly told officers they could not prove he was sane. He said he believed people were demons and that he didn't know the difference between right and wrong.