Grindr Killer Convicted Of Cannibalism And Murder
A Michigan man has been convicted of the murder of a man he met through Grindr.
Warning: This story has details of a violent murder and cannibalism, which might be distressing to some readers. 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.
On Wednesday, October 19, Mark David Latunski, 53, was found guilty of first-degree murder for dismembering and murdering Kevin Bacon, 25. Latunski is expected to be sentenced to life in prison.
The murder occurred on Christmas Eve 2019 and Bacon’s family had reported him missing when he did not show up on Christmas Day.
On December 28, 2019, police discovered Bacon hanging naked from the ceiling by his ankles, in a hidden basement room of Latunski’s home.
Latunski had eaten parts of Bacon’s body.
A Crime Of Cold Calculation
In September 2022, Latunski pleaded guilty to murder and mutilation of a body. Because of this, a degree hearing was scheduled to determine whether Latunski was guilty of first-degree murder, second-degree murder or manslaughter.
Circuit Court Judge Matthew Stewart was tasked with deciding the degree of homicide.
First-degree murder must be premeditated and requires that the perpetrator understand the consequences of the crime.
In handing down the ruling of first-degree murder, Stewart said, “The court finds that this is a crime of cold calculation. Kevin Bacon’s death was Mark Latunski’s design.”
According to Mlive.com, Shiawassee County Prosecutor Scott Koerner argued in favour of first-degree murder because Latunski had time to change his mind before killing Bacon.
Koerner argued that this was “not what Kevin wanted. Kevin wanted a fetish. He wanted to be protected. He wanted to make sure he was going to go home.”
Latunski’s defence attorney Mary Chartier argued against first-degree murder because Latunski didn’t understand the consequences of his actions because he invited the police into his house while Bacon was hanging in the basement.
Chartier said, “A person in Mr Latunski’s shoes, in his mindset, has to have fully evaluated the consequences of the killing.
“The police found a dead body hanging in his basement that he confessed to killing and he thinks it is a ‘big misunderstanding’. He did not measure the consequences at all.”
Latunski’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 15, 2022.
