Cannibal killer lured victim and ate his genitals
Kevin Bacon went on a date believing he’d be safe but met a gruesome death
At over 6ft tall, often with brightly coloured hair, Kevin Bacon stood out from the crowd. The flamboyant hairdresser loved to express himself through his creative wardrobe. As well as working his way up from a receptionist to a stylist at his local salon, Kevin, 25, also studied psychology at the University of Michigan-flint where he volunteered as a peer educator in the gender and sexuality centre.
He appeared to be full of confidence, and was a familiar face in the small suburb of Swartz Creek, Michigan. But Kevin longed to be part of a bigger gay community where he could meet more people that he could relate to. He was saving up to move to Chicago to be near friends.
The dating app Grindr, used predominantly by the LGBTQ+ community, was a welcome distraction for Kevin. He’d tell his friends about the encounters he’d had after chatting with men on the app. Kevin had suffered some mental health problems over the years and his friends knew that he was searching for acceptance and, ultimately, love.
On 24 December 2019, Kevin told his housemate Michelle that he’d been on
Grindr and had matched with a date. At around 5pm, he got in his car and set off.
The next morning, on Christmas Day,
Kevin’s family waited for him to arrive for a prearranged festive breakfast, but he didn’t show up. Concerned, they reported him missing and his roommate confirmed that he hadn’t returned the previous night after heading out to meet a stranger.
Over the next three days, friends, family and the police searched tirelessly for Kevin. People came in from other towns and scoured farmland and railway tracks, while appealing for information.
Police then found Kevin’s car parked at a Family Dollar store about five miles from his home. Inside, they found his wallet and mobile phone. When they looked at the messages, they spotted the conversation between Kevin and a man called Mark Latunski.
Hanging upside down
Latunski lived in rural Bennington Township, about 20 miles from Kevin’s home. Officers set off to visit him in the hope he might know where Kevin was. When Latunski answered the door, on 28 December, he was calm and
allowed them inside to search the property.
Down in the basement, they found a secret room. And inside, Kevin’s naked, dead body was hanging upside down by his ankles from a rope tied to the rafters. His throat had been slit and there were cuts to his body where he’d been mutilated.
Latunski admitted he’d stabbed Kevin in the back then hoisted his victim upside down and cut off part of his testicles. In a cannibalistic act, he’d then cooked and eaten the genitals.
Latunski talked about how he was planning to use Kevin’s blood and bones to fertilise his plants, and added that he was hoping to use his muscles to make “jerky”. It was later reported that a dehydrator being delivered to the property was intercepted by the postal service.
Latunski was arrested and taken into custody. It turned out the divorced dad-offour, who has chemistry qualifications, had a history of mental health problems – and, seemingly, a fetish for violence.
Two men had come forward in the
Latunski was hoping to use Kevin’s muscles to make ‘jerky’
previous months to say they’d fled from Latunski’s home. The first had woken, after meeting Latunski at a bus station, to find himself tied up in his basement. The second also claimed that he’d been held against his will at the house. Both had managed to escape and had reported the incidents, but neither had pressed charges.
When questioned, Latunski claimed that Kevin had asked him to end his life, and that’s why he’d slit his throat. But according to reports, it was clear from the messages on Kevin’s phone that he was trying
to protect himself by asking Latunski to confirm that he’d be safe on their date.
When Latunski was charged with murder, along with disinterment and mutilation of a dead body, Kevin’s shocking death and the grisly details spread far and wide.
In fact the actor Kevin Bacon, who acknowledged that he shared the same name as the victim, even posted a tribute on his Instagram account.
Alongside a picture of Kevin, he wrote, “For obvious reasons I’m thinking this morning about the
friends and family of this young person Kevin Bacon. His life was taken from him much too soon. His love was hairdressing. I bet he would have done a great job on this mess on my head. RIP KB.”
In early 2020, Latunski’s defence tried for an insanity plea, but it was denied. He was due to stand trial in October 2022, but then, in September, he pleaded guilty. The plea involved a judge deciding, during a two-day hearing, whether it would be a first-degree or second-degree conviction.
The prosecution described how Kevin was lured to his death, and that Latunski had ordered the dehydrator so he could create human jerky. “That’s not what Kevin wanted – Kevin wanted a fetish,” they said. “He wanted to be protected. He wanted to make sure he was going to go home.”
The defence claimed that Latunski wasn’t capable of understanding the consequences of the murder and had even gone to a festive party after the killing, with Kevin’s blood still on his clothing.
But the judge ruled that the killing was premeditated, so he was guilty of first-degree murder. “The court does not find this crime committed in the heat of passion,” he stated. “This court finds this is a crime of cold calculation. Kevin Bacon’s death was Mark Latunski’s design.”
World shattered
In December 2022, Latunski, 53, faced sentencing. Kevin’s family were able to have their victim impact statements heard when they were read out on their behalf. His parents, Pamela and Karl, were in court.
Kevin’s mum had written, “Our world has been shattered. Even though we have such great memories of our son, our lives will never be the same, or will our family.
“I don’t understand why anyone could want to hurt my son, especially in such a horrific and unbelievable way. He would have done anything for anyone, even if he had to use his last penny.”
The judge sentenced Latunski to life without the chance of parole. He told Kevin’s family, “I know nothing can ease your suffering and I know that the weight of your pain is without measure. But it is my goal that perhaps today’s sentence will be a small amount of comfort in what I know is an enormity of hurt.”
The case highlighted the dangers of consensual sexual “hook-ups” and the safety concerns around apps that connect strangers. Michigan police reiterated the importance of meeting in public places and keeping friends and family informed.
Tragically, Kevin had made a date with a killer.