A man in Michigan is guilty of first-degree murder and faces life in prison without parole.
Mark David Latunski, 53, pleaded guilty in September to the killing of a 25-year-old man he met via Grindr. However, his “open murder” plea meant it came down to a judge to determine whether it be first-degree, second-degree, or manslaughter.
Shiawassee County Judge Matthew J. Stewart listened to a day and a half of testimony. He issued his decision October 19. The facts of the case are particularly gruesome.
Related: Man charged over Grindr Christmas Eve murder and mutilation case
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The murder of Kevin Bacon
On Christmas Eve 2020, Kevin Bacon, a hairdresser, told his roommate, Michelle Myers, that he was meeting up with a man at around 5pm. He said they’d arranged to meet via Grindr.
Later, Myers received a text from Bacon’s phone saying he was having fun and might not be back for a while. However, when he failed to show up for breakfast on Christmas Day, his family became concerned. They contacted the police later that day.
Police investigations led them to the Bennington Township, MI home of Latunski. In Latunski’s basement, they found Bacon’s body strung up by the ankles. He had stab wounds and his throat was cut. Latunski had eaten some parts of Bacon’s body.
It emerged this was not the first time police had visited Latunski’s home. In October 2019, a man called authorities after he fled the house, saying he’d woken up in the basement and thought he might have been drugged.
In November 2019, police stopped Latunski, wearing just a leather kilt, when they caught him chasing another man down the street.
Questions over Latunski’s mental state
Latunski’s legal team raised questions about whether their client was sane enough to stand trial. However, in October 2020, officials deemed him mentally fit after he underwent months of psychiatric treatment.
Much of last week’s hearing centered on whether Latunski planned the killing or not.
Shiawassee County Prosecutor Scott Koerner pushed for first-degree murder. He recounted testimony Latunski gave to officers, saying he’d discussed purchasing a dehydrator to make jerky out of Bacon’s muscles.
“That’s not what Kevin wanted. Kevin wanted a fetish,” Koerner said. “He wanted to be protected. He wanted to make sure he was going to go home.”
A police witness testified that Latunksi had made searches for several cannibalism-related subjects in the days before Bacon’s killing. He also purchased an ESEE hunting knife hours before meeting Bacon.
Mary Chartier, Latunski’s lawyer, argued that her client could not have known the consequences of what he was doing. She pointed to the fact he’d allowed cops into his home, despite knowing he had Bacon’s body hanging in his basement.
Judge Stewart concluded, “The court finds that this is a crime of cold calculation. Kevin Bacon’s death was Mark Latunski’s design.”
Latunski will be sentenced on December 15.
Chrisk
Yeah, I’d say the hunting knife and the dehydrator to turn Bacon into Jerky is pretty damn premeditated.
CatholicXXX
And that’s what happens when you glorify serial killers.
nitejonboy
Well I hear that Turkey bacon is a lot less salty
bachy
I know photos can’t tell you everything, but c’mon, people: one look at that Grindr photo of Latunski and I would have dropped my phone in horror. I mean, what would someone need to see in a photo to be put off a liaison? Your potential Grindr paramour pointing a gun at the camera?
jt1990
Exactly! It’s always been my impression that many gay men are much like the white trash women who sleep around the trailer park. The more unsightly, and possibly deviant and dangerous, the greater the appeal! There’s other ways to break your parents heart, don’t risk your life to do so
stanley
What is “horror” in that picture? Ooo… he’s wearing leather so scary. Basic. This is why I don’t use hook up apps. Judgy people who think kink begins and ends with a harness.
It is terrible what happened to Bacon. Victim blaming does nothing.
dbmcvey
Hey jt1990. GFY.
RyanMBecker
That’s not my thing and I don’t find him attractive, but there’s a significant segment of the gay population who enjoy leather. And bondage. Just recently, a patient ask me if sounding was safe. I had no idea what that was so I Googled it. It took a lot of strength to not look shocked (and disgusted) in front of him.
In my previous life, I did sexuality research and one of my resources was a forensic journal. There are things in there that you couldn’t even imagine. One 22 yo gay man gave himself a cement enema. Dumb twink forgot that once the cement hardens, even the most dilated anus won’t let it out. My point is that the victim might have been looking for leather daddy. And to be fair, most leather s/m practitioners are just regular people outside the bedroom (and dungeon). Two of my coworkers, one gay and one lesbian, are pretty open about their hobby.
JoshGL
“Exactly! It’s always been my impression that many gay men are much like the white trash women who sleep around the trailer park.”
You need to mix with a wider group of friends.
nitejonboy
I’m sorry forgive me ahead of time but I just can’t..
okay, so he literally “ Brings home the bacon “. Decides he likes the taste of it, eats the bacon, probably for breakfast that morning, then is charged with murder..for murdering Kevin Bacon, You know i know I know there’s nothing beyond third degree murder, but it woulda been just so fitting to be charged with the “ sixth degree “ murder of Kevin Bacon.
Okay I’m done, I’ll go pack my bags for hell now. Very sorry
Vince
All well and true but I’d like to know why Kevin Bacon was roommates with Michael Myers of all things. Seems that this guy loved living in danger.
skyreader
Please show even a smidgen of respect for the victim of this horrible crime. Some things aren’t funny and can’t be made funny.
Terrycloth
Reminds me of the Luca Magnotta Canadian case in May 2012 where he dismembered his dates body ate parts and mailed parts to police stations..he never got death penalty is now 40 yrs old and in prison
Aunt Sharon
And made some of the dullest porn you’d never want to see.
Kangol2
Very Dahmeresque. One man got away, reported this monster to the cops and…nothing happened. Another time, cops caught him chasing a man down the street and…nothing happened. Now they find a man strung up in his basement, partially eaten, and bled out. No time for joking about this sicko.
This is beyond horrifying but the question remains, like all of those gay men killed up in Toronto by a serial killer, and the cops would not take the murders seriously, why couldn’t one of them do his/her/their job and follow up on threads if they have multiple warnings about someone like this?
ondaboat0069
Your comments, which you obviously think are funny or tongue-in-cheek, disgust me and any other gay person with a sense of moral being. Queerty should take them done and suspend your ability to post. You may think this is free speech but it is that of obnoxious children.
Capawok
I very much agree.
Not everyone is a comedian….
Useless
Also agree. “Clever” comments should not preclude empathy.