Japanese serial murderer Issei Sagawa, also known as the “Kobe Cannibal,” passed away at the age of 73.
Renee Hartevelt, a Dutch student, was shot and sexually assaulted by Sagawa in 1981. He then devoured the body parts over several days, according to LAD Bible’s report.
He was finally allowed to go free despite never really being put on trial after being deemed unfit to stand on mental health grounds.
Sagawa’s Background
According to AFP, Sagawa’s younger brother and a friend claimed in a statement that he passed away on November 24 from pneumonia and that only family members were present at the burial.
They stated that there was not going to be a formal ceremony.
Sagawa, a 1949-born guy, previously acknowledged having entertained thoughts of consuming human flesh at a young age.
‘Simply a Fetish’
He said, “It’s simply a fetish.” He said that for instance, if a typical man liked a female, he would naturally want to see her frequently, be near her, smell her, and kiss her. For me, eating is really a continuation of that.
He said that he honestly doesn’t understand why everyone isn’t consumed with the want to devour other people. He had the opportunity to live out his sinister vision while studying abroad in Paris in the early 1980s, winning Hartevelt’s confidence and asking her to dinner before killing her in the neck.
Sagawa said he contemplated contacting an ambulance. Sagawa was apprehended while attempting to conceal his victim’s body in a bag and was charged with murder.
He was, however, found to be crazy and so considered unable to face trial; as a result, he was returned to his home in Japan, where he was sent to a mental institution. Due to a flaw, the court records were never made available to the authorities in his country of origin even after the charges had been formally dismissed in France.
As a result, there was no evidence against him, and he was free to go about his daily business in Tokyo and lead a somewhat normal life, although continuing to fantasize about eating people.
READ ALSO: Pennsylvania Doctor Sentenced of 6 Years Imprisonment for Providing Illegal Prescription
