Berlin Teacher Charged With Murdering And Eating Man He Met On Gay Dating App

A 41-year-old school teacher from Berlin has last week faced court, after he was charged with murder and dismembering the body of the victim, who he had met on a gay dating site. It is alleged that the accused ate parts of the victim’s body before dumping other remains  in various locations around Berlin.

Trigger warning: The story has details of a murder and cannibalism that might be disturbing to some readers.

Stefan R, who was arrested in November 2020,  had met the victim, Stefan Trogisch (43) through the popular German online gay dating site PlanetRomeo. The pair had met in person on September 5, 2020 –  the same day Trogisch was reported missing by his flatmates.

A Gruesome Discovery

Soon after Trogisch was reported missing, ‘human remains’ started to be uncovered across parts of Berlin.

On November 6^th  a ‘leg bone’ was found by a group of walkers in a park near the Schonerlinder Chaussee area of Berlin. Police also found remains with flesh tissue in the Pankow borough that helped identify the victim. Police dogs led their handlers to Stefan R’s flat.

And while some parts of Stefan Trogisch body have so far been found, other parts, including the victim’s penis is still to be found, a court was told last week.

The investigation also uncovered Stefan R’s extensive search history on the dark-net for keywords and terms associated with cannibalism.

Chillingly, Stefan R‘s username in these forums “MasterButcher79″  was the same used on PlanetRomeo through which he met Stefan Trogisch.

Accused Refuses To Answer Questions During Trial

During a police raid on Stefan R.’s apartment in November 2020, investigators also discovered 25 kilos of sodium hydroxide- a cleaning agent that is also “suitable for dissolving human tissue”

The court heard how Stefan had “cut up the body”, in his own apartment. Prosecutor Martin Glage went on to add that police found a vast quantity of Trogisch’s blood during the search.

Glage told the court that Stefan R had murdered Stefan Trogisch “because he was looking for sexual satisfaction through the killing and wanted to eat parts of the corpse”.

The first day of the trial before judge Matthias Schertz , lasted only 16 minutes, and ended after Stefan R refused to answer questions.

“He will not get involved at this point,” Stefan R’s defence attorneys Kristina Beulich said.

Stefan R will next face court on August 17, with a verdict to be handed down in October. If convicted Stefan R faces life imprisonment.

If you feel distressed reading the story, you can reach out to support services.

For 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14

For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.