Mark Latunski is accused in the gruesome murder of a beloved Michigan hairstylist he allegedly met on Grindr named Kevin Bacon. Authorities have now released graphic details about the homicide but be forewarned that they’re extremely disturbing.
When detectives went to Latunski’s house, to put it mildly, they found a house of horrors complete with accusations of cannibalism. Bacon, 25, a hairstylist from Swartz Creek, went missing for several days before being found deceased in December 28 at Latunski’s home in Bennington Township, Michigan. Latunski was arraigned on December 30, but the new details were released on January 6, 2020. Bacon is not the actor with the same name, to state the obvious.
Friends and loved ones are remembering Bacon’s empathetic and creative personality, which was as vibrant as his hair colors. Meanwhile, bizarre pictures of Latunski wearing a leather kilt have turned up on social media. He went by the name Olykos Kai Lukas on social media and plastered his Facebook page with pictures showing him wearing the kilt. “Those who really know me call me a straight arrow. I am a chemist and an experimentalist,” he claimed on Facebook.
He’s charged both with open murder and body mutilation. His lawyers contend he’s legally insane.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Detectives Discovered Bacon Hanging From the Ceiling Rafters by His Ankles
Kevin Bacon
The horrific details were contained in court documents, and they show that, when detectives went to Latunski’s home to check on Bacon’s welfare, they stumbled on a terrible scene.
The court records, shared by Friends and Community Shiawassee County News and Views (and reported by other news sites), reveal that detectives discovered Bacon “hanging deceased and naked from the ceiling.”
They placed Latunski into custody. He was interviewed by detectives and allegedly “admitted to the murder of Mr. Bacon,” the court documents allege. “Mr. Latunski stated he used a knife, stabbed him in the back one time, then slit his throat. Afterwards, Mr. Latunski stated he wrapped rope around the ankles of Mr. Bacon, and hung him from the rafters on the ceiling.”
Horrifically, cannibalism is alleged.
“Mr. Latunski admitted to using the knife to cut off Mr. Bacon’s testicles which he later consumed,” the court documents allege.
The Mark Latunski fact and theory Facebook page has posted a series of photos it says show Latunski’s pictures from dating sites, as well as his Facebook page.
2. Latunski, Who Claimed to Be a Chemist, Was Separated From His Partner
Mark Latunski with his estranged partner.
Latunski was recently in a serious relationship. According to MLive, Latunski married Jamie J. Arnold in 2016 after meeting him on Grindr. Arnold told WNEM-TV that he wants people “to know the truth that I am not running, that I am in full cooperation. That I am willing to do whatever I have to do to bring justice.”
He expressed shock, telling the TV station: “When it’s somebody when you met is this kind gentle soul and they turn into this monster, you don’t want to believe it.” Arnold told WNEM that he separated from Latunski because of his lifestyle, adding, “There were times I would come home and there was someone there… He tried to get me involved. I made dinner and went to bed. I had to get out. I couldn’t take that lifestyle anymore.”
To MLive, Arnold said, “To my knowledge, I couldn’t force him to see a therapist or take medication. Never in a million years did I think he’d be capable of doing such a horrendous crime.” He said that, last July, Latunski was arrested for not paying child support. The site reported that, at his arraignment for murder, Latunski said his name was “Edgar Thomas Hill,” but the victim’s father isn’t buying it and believes Latunski is playing a “mental health card” to try to get off.
MLive reported that Latunski was once fired from a job selling lubricants.
On LinkedIn, Latunski described himself as a self-employed chemist. “Mark D. Latunski received a B.S. in Chemistry from Central Michigan University. He worked in the barrier resins division of The Dow Chemical Corporation in Midland, Michigan characterizing the rates of decomposition of polymeric materials,” he claimed on LinkedIn.
He further claimed on the site that he “obtained an M.S. in Chemistry from Iowa State University of Science and Technology while studying Physical Organic Chemistry and the mechanisms of free radical processes. Mark Latunski embarked on industrial chemistry as a formulary chemist developing environmentally-friendly inks and coatings. As a Research Chemist for Flint Ink, he holds multiple patents for lithographic inks. In 2007, he joined American Chemical Technologies as their Lab Manager and focusses (sic) his technical efforts on all aspects of the tribology of biodegradable and fire-resistant lubricants.”
3. Bacon’s Roommate Told Authorities That Bacon Said He Was Going to Meet a Man He Met Through a Dating App; Latunski Filled His Facebook Page With Pictures Showing Him Wearing a Leather Kilt
On Facebook, Latunski shared pictures of both him and his boyfriend wearing kilts and wrote, “After a hard work week, it’s time for some play. We are not looking for any trouble because we are the trouble that you are hoping to find!! ?”
In an August 2019 post, he wrote with a chart tracking sexual activity, “Men need sex to be healthy. Get that through your thick Evangelical Christian skulls. Don’t stop at my door unless you want a pile of ashes that every piece of Evangelical literature I could get my hands on was reduced to.”
With another post he wrote, “If I told you that I have underwear on with leather, would anyone believe me at this point? Never let your guard down lest you be fooled by a costume – perform a kilt-check and there is always a winner!!!! ?”
Mark Latunski
How did Bacon cross paths with Latunski? According to Click on Detroit, that happened through Grindr, which is an app for dating. And that information came to authorities through Bacon’s roommate.
According to NBC News, Bacon’s roommate received a text from a person claiming to be Bacon who indicated he was having fun and might not come home that night.
His family grew concerned when Bacon missed Christmas Day breakfast and contacted authorities, the news site reports.
4. Bacon Was Remembered for His Vivid Hair Colors, Empathetic Personality & the Way He Would ‘Brighten Up Any Room’
On Facebook, Kevin Bacon wrote that he worked at Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy and was a former hairstylist at Vintage Beauty and JCPenney. He studied Applied psychology at University of Michigan-Flint and studied at Sharps Academy of Hairstyling. He went to Swartz Creek High School and lived in Flint, Michigan.
Michelle Myers, Kevin’s roommate, wrote an incredibly heartfelt tribute to Kevin Bacon. “It’s hard to put into words how the last few days have been, how I’m feeling, and how things are right now. Kevin was my best friend and someone who I’ve been able to confide in for many years. He was one of my biggest supporters and someone who I felt like I could be myself around,” she wrote.
Myers vividly brought Kevin’s personality back to life. “Kevin could brighten up any room he walked into. He loved talking about hair, makeup, fashion, and music. He LOVED Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, and Jeffree Star,” she wrote. “He was amazing at making vivid hair colors look great and was passionate and creative about his hair work. He loved the color Tiffany Blue with a passion. He loved getting tattoos. He also loved his friends and family so much. He came to my band concerts at MSU and while I was in the marching band. He came to my senior recital and was my own personal hairstylist, even dyeing my hair the night before as a graduation gift.”
She recalled how she and Kevin “always were able to vent to each other. He was always so empathetic and gave me great advice and perspective when I needed clarity. He was like my own personal therapist. I remember asking Kevin not too long ago what his dreams were. If there were no limitations and he could be anything. He said he wanted to be a hairstylist for the runway and wanted to work as a hairstylist in a major salon in a big city. I believe he fully could’ve accomplished these dreams. He was so creative.”
She added: “Kevin has had an ongoing struggle with mental health. He wanted so desperately to be happy, but sometimes that was a real struggle for him. But he always wanted to better himself and sought help when he needed it. He was always honest and transparent about things. But he always put others first before himself and was self-sacrificial in his actions. He’d make others happy sometimes at the expense of his own happiness because he cared so much about his loved ones.”
In conclusion, Myers wrote: “He felt things so deeply and emotionally. He always put his heart into the things he did. He was so compassionate, caring, and loving. He was intuitive and intellectual. I wish it didn’t have to be like this. I am so thankful I was able to call Kevin Bacon my friend and like a brother to me. I’ll never find anyone else like him. He’s irreplaceable. I’m not ready to say goodbye to my Kevin.”
A GoFundMe page was set up by Kevin’s sister.
5. A Neighbor Described Seeing Latunski Once Chase a Man Wearing a Leather Kilt & Latunski Was Previously Accused of Kidnapping Some of His Children
Mark Latunski
Michael Parks, Latunski’s neighbor, told WILX.com that police responded to Latunski’s home in November when Latunski was seen chasing a man wearing a leather kilt, who ran from his house with a bloody face while screaming.
The television station reported that the man didn’t want to press charges.
According to WILX, Latunski was previously accused of taking two of his four children from his ex-wife, but the charges were tossed after competency hearings.
MLive reported that court records show Latunski “was known to stop taking the medication prescribed to treat his mental health illnesses,” which were described as “major depression, paranoid schizophrenia, and traits of a personality disorder in 2010 and 2012.”
MLive reported that, in the parental kidnapping case, Latunski was accused of taking his children to a hotel rather than giving them back to their mother.