Man cooks human body parts; police find skulls, lower leg, hand: Social media reacts

Hungarian police have arrested a 30-year-old man suspected of collecting and storing human body parts. The National Bureau of Investigation detained him in Budapest. The man works as an orderly at a hospital, AP reported while citing a police statement issued on Tuesday.

During a search of his apartment, investigators made disturbing discoveries. Skulls, a complete lower leg and a human hand were recovered. A reconstruction of a human face prepared from facial skin was also seized.

Additional bones were found stored inside a suitcase. A heart preserved in a jar was also discovered. Police are working to determine whether it is of human or animal origin, according to AP.

The man admitted to collecting the body parts during police questioning. He told investigators he was particularly attracted to human remains. He also admitted to preparing food from such parts and consuming them.

Police described the man as passionate about anatomy and pathology. He reportedly enjoys dissecting animals. Investigators believe he obtained body parts both through his hospital employment and by digging up graves. Abandoned cemeteries in Slovakia and Hungary are suspected sources.

Police seized computers, laptops, tablets, mobile phones, SIM cards and data cards from the property. He is currently being held on suspicion of illegal use of human bodies.

All recovered body parts will be examined by forensic experts. Investigators noted that the range of alleged crimes may expand once the origin of every recovered item is confirmed.

Social Media Reactions

Social media reacted to the bizarre incident.

“As a lawyer, I'm trying to think what possible defence he could use that did not involve a terrible joke or an extremely offensive pun,” wrote a user.

“Is there hunger in Hungary?” quipped a user.

Another user wrote, “Wow, so this guy isn't just collecting them; he's *culinary* about it. Gravestone gourmet? That takes a special kind of dedication.”

“The scariest monsters aren't the ones in movies. They're the ones that look ordinary until the truth comes out,” came from another.

One user posted, “Hopefully, it was his family and friends that turned him in, otherwise…”

“This sounds like a plot twist from a bad horror movie, but it's real life,” commented another user.

One user referred to his profession, “That’s absolutely horrifying … this is beyond disturbing, especially since it's someone in healthcare.”

“We used to say you are what you eat, I think humans have officially found the one exception to that rule,” came a sarcastic comment.