A mother’s love is steadfast, unyielding even in the face of chaos. It can drive women to summon strength they never imagined, to fight battles no one else would dare take on, especially when it comes to their children. For Rita Camilleri, that love meant standing by her daughter Jessica, through years of escalating mental health struggles, violent outbursts, and a reality that grew more unpredictable by the day. Jessica Camilleri had been diagnosed with a range of mental illnesses and learning disabilities. From childhood into adulthood, her behavior became increasingly erratic and dangerous. Classmates, strangers, even people on the other end of a phone line became targets of her aggression. But ultimately, it was her own mother her fiercest protector who bore the brunt of Jessica’s final and most brutal act. In July 2019, inside their suburban home just outside West Sydney, Australia, Jessica launched a frenzied attack on her mother, an act so horrifying it shocked even seasoned investigators. What happened next pushed the tragedy into even more chilling territory.   Sources: The U.S. Sun – Slaughtered ‘Demon’ daughter who decapitated mum before removing nose and tongue found NOT guilty of murder” – Katie Davis - December 10, 2020 - ‘Demon’ daughter who decapitated mum before removing nose and tongue found NOT guilty of murder | The US Sun The New Zealand Herald – Jessica Camilleri: Inside the true horror story of girl who beheaded her mother – Candace Sutton – December 12, 2020 - Jessica Camilleri: Inside the true horror story of girl who beheaded her mother - NZ Herald CrimeOnline – Daughter who severed mother’s head, carved out eyeballs found not guilty of murder – Jonathan Anderson – December 13, 2020 - Daughter who severed mother’s head, carved out eyeballs found not guilty of murder – Crime Online The Sydney Morning Herald – Rita Camilleri was ‘butchered like she was nothing’, grieving daughter tells court – Jenny Noyes – February 17, 2021 - Rita Camilleri was ‘butchered like she was nothing’, grieving daughter tells court ABC News – Jessica Camilleri jailed for 21 years over mother’s decapitation – Jamie McKinnell – March 11, 2021 - Jessica Camilleri jailed for 21 years over mother's decapitation - ABC News NY Post – Woman who killed, decapitated her mother gets early release from prison after appeal – Nathan Schmidt – May 17, 2023 - Jessica Camilleri gets shorter sentence for beheading mother NCA News Wire - Inside mum killer Jessica Camilleri’s ‘excruciating’ prison attack – Adelaide Lang – August 19, 2023 - Convicted mum killer Jessica Camilleri violently attacks two female prison officers | news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site for latest headlines