A 23-year-old man in Texas is facing a murder charge after police say he beat his mother to death during an attempted "exorcism."

Fort Worth officers were called to a home in Tarrant County after a 911 caller reported receiving a disturbing Snapchat photo of "a woman on the ground covered in something red, possibly blood", according to an affidavit.

When police arrived in the early hours of 18th April, they found Alexander Taylor Valdez sitting on the front porch, blood on his body and a Bible in his hand, as reported by The Independent.

"It was an exorcism," Valdez reportedly said as he exited the house.

When asked about the blood, he allegedly told officers, "I was doing witchcraft to kill my mom," and later admitted, "There is a dead body in there, it’s my mom."

Inside, police discovered the body of 58-year-old Teresita Sayson with visible trauma to her face and upper body.

A dead dog was also found nearby. Investigators noted a broken, bloodied jewelry box with hair matching the victim’s.

Friends of Valdez, who had seen the photo circulated in a group chat, were present at the scene.

After his arrest, Valdez declined to answer police questions and requested a lawyer.

He is currently being held at Lon Evans Corrections Center with bail set at $750,000 (£563,175).