A 21-year-old Texas man remained jailed Friday after authorities accused him of killing and decapitating his wife.

Jared Dicus has been charged with murder in the death of 21-year-old Anggy Diaz.

Waller County Sheriff Troy Guidry said authorities found Diaz's body Wednesday afternoon at a home the couple shared in a rural area near Magnolia, located about 44 miles (70 kilometers) northwest of Houston.

"It's a gruesome crime," Guidry said.

Dicus was found at the murder scene and arrested, Guidry said. The sheriff told reporters that Dicus later confessed to the killing. Investigators believe a kitchen knife was used in the slaying.

Court records did not list an attorney for Dicus who could speak on his behalf.

Guidry said authorities are still trying to determine a motive.

Diaz's friends told KHOU-TV that she was an immigrant from Nicaragua who had been working two jobs to help pay for her mother's cancer treatment back home.

Waller County Judge Trey Duhon said a statement on Facebook that he had married the couple in October.

"I'm greatly saddened and shocked by the news of this tragic event and my prayers are with all of their families," Duhon said.