Idaho, US: A man has been charged with murder and cannibalism after allegedly microwaving a 70-year-old man’s body parts, cops say. The accused, James 'Jimmy' David Russell, 39, from Idaho, is said to have believed that eating victim David M Flaget "would cure his brain".
Under Idaho state legislature, "any person who willfully ingests the flesh or blood of a human being is guilty of cannibalism." Individuals found guilty of cannibalism in Idaho can face up to 14 years in prison.
Upon searching Russell's residence, police found pieces of Flaget's body, a bloodied glass bowl and knife, and a blood-stained microwave.
Authorities found Flaget upside down in the passenger seat of his truck with body parts missing and his wrists duct-taped together, prosecutors said. The accused, Russell had a short stand-off with cops, according to the Shoshone News-Press, and simply told authorities, “It’s private property and we don’t like non-family on it,” when he surrendered.
Bonner County Detective Phillip Stella said: "When dealing with death and carnage it's a shock to our conscience. "As far as I know, this is the first cannibalism charge in Idaho."
The investigation is ongoing and Russell is expected to appear before a judge on December 28.
