Grindr murderer Mark Latunski’s defence team requested that he undergo a psychiatric evaluation before being brought to trial, a request granted by the Shiawassee County judge on Thursday, January 8, 2020. Latunski is accused of killing, mutilating and partially consuming Kevin Bacon, who he met on the dating app, on Christmas Eve.

After being reported missing on Christmas day by his family, Bacon’s naked body was later found in Latunski’s home on December 28. Bacon’s corpse was discovered hanging from the ceiling by his ankles with his throat slit and body parts missing, which Latunski had cannibalised.

When law enforcement questioned Latunski he admitted to inviting Bacon to his home on Christmas Eve where he then stabbed the victim in the back and cut his throat before hanging his body from the ceiling and removing and consuming his testicles. 

Latunski’s attorney, Shiawassee County public defender Doug Corwin, explained that his client had to undergo mental competency exams in prior cases taken against him and as a result had received treatment. Furthermore, Corwin noted that his client is insisting his name is not Mark Latunski but rather “Edgar Thomas Hill” and that Latunski is in fact his nephew.

Based on the judge’s orders, Latunski will be moved from the Shiawassee County Jail to the Centre for Forensic Psychiatry for evaluations over the next 60 days to determine whether or not he is fit to stand trial. If Latunski is found to be unable to stand trial he will remain in custody and receive treatment until he is competent enough to appear in court. 

Speaking on the case, defence attorney Corwin explained the procedure saying; “Theoretically if he (Latunski) was found incompetent, he’d be hospitalized in a controlled setting as long as it takes. They would have to find him not to be a danger to release and I can’t guess how long that’ll take. In my experience, especially in a case like this, it’s going to take a little longer, the Forensic Center is pretty backed up right now, so there’s a delay in getting people down there to get evaluated.”

Although the possibility that the vicious Grindr murderer could evade prison time seems not only unjust but also terrifying to many, cases using the insanity defence makeup around 1% of all felony cases in the US with only about 30 of these cases being successful a year.