Mark Latunski, a 53-year-old Michigan man, has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for the murder of 25-year-old Kevin Bacon, whom he met on the dating app Grindr in December 2019. Latunski admitted to killing Bacon, eating parts of his body, and hanging his corpse upside down in his basement.
Gruesome Crime Details
Latunski connected with Bacon on Christmas Eve and lured him to his home in Bennington Township. He later described the killing as a "crime of cold calculation," admitting to cutting off and eating part of Bacon's genitalia. Shiawassee County Prosecutor Scott Koerner said the killing was premeditated, and Latunski told police he discussed buying a dehydrator to make jerky from Bacon's muscles, as reported by Mlive.com.
Discovery and Investigation
Bacon was last seen on Christmas Eve when he told a roommate he was meeting a man from Grindr. His family reported him missing on Christmas Day, and his body was found in Latunski's basement, hanging by the ankles. Michigan State Police Det. Sgt. James Moore, who led the investigation, called it the most traumatizing scene of his career. "I had not seen anybody in person located in that manner that Kevin was found," Moore said.
Legal Proceedings and Sentencing
Latunski pleaded guilty to open murder in 2020. His lawyer, Mary Chartier, argued he did not plan the killing and did not understand the consequences of his actions. However, Judge Matthew Stewart ruled it was first-degree murder, stating, "Kevin Bacon's death was Mark Latunski's design." In 2022, Latunski was sentenced to life without parole, plus 11 months for disinterment and mutilation of a dead body, to be served concurrently.
