DETROIT —The man accused of killing and cannibalizing his Grindr date was found unresponsive in jail after not eating, police say.
Mark D. Latunski, 50, was briefly hospitalized Tuesday evening after being found unresponsive about 5:10 p.m. at the Shiawassee County Jail, Shiawassee County Sheriff Brian BeGole said in an email.
Latunski was found during a routine cell check, BeGole said. He was breathing normally, however.
“After using smelling salts (sic) he quickly came around and was transported to the hospital as a precaution,” BeGole said. “After being evaluated he was returned to the jail a short time later.”
Michigan State Police were called to the jail after the discovery, Michigan State Police Special First Lt. David Kaiser said.
“It appears he has not been eating since he was lodged,” Kaiser said.
Latunski’s daily food consumption has been down since Friday, BeGole said.
BeGole said, when asked, that he would not call the lack of eating a hunger strike.
Extra precaution is taken when moving maximum-security prisoners, so MSP was called to aid with Latunski’s move to the hospital, BeGole said.
Latunski is accused of killing Kevin Bacon, 25, of Swartz Creek, who was found dead, naked and hanging by his ankles in Latunski’s Bennington Township basement on Dec. 28, 2019.
Bacon went missing after a Christmas Eve date with Latunski set up on the social media dating app Grindr, police say.
Latunksi once was a successful father of four, but has a history of mental illness and men fleeing from his home.
Police believe he cooked and ate Bacon’s testicles.
Latunski’s attorney has announced plans to seek an insanity defense. He currently awaits a competency evaluation.