Judge orders mental exam for man charged in grisly slaying
CORUNNA, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan judge on Wednesday ordered mental competency and forensic evaluations for a man charged in the slaying and mutilation of a man he met through the dating app Grindr.
The judge ordered the exams for Mark Latunski, 50, during a probable cause conference in 6th District Court in Corunna. Latunski, who attended the hearing via a video feed, was arraigned Dec. 30 on charges of open murder and disinterment and mutilation of a body in the killing of Kevin Bacon, 25.
Latunski’s lawyer, Doug Corwin Jr., submitted a motion for Latunski to undergo competency and forensic evaluations, which Shiawassee Chief District Judge Ward L. Clarkson approved. Corwin had filed filed notices with the court Tuesday seeking an insanity defense and a psychiatric evaluation for Latunski.
The judge’s order calls for Latunski to be moved from the Shiawassee County Jail, where he’s being held without bond, to the Center for Forensic Psychiatry near Saline for the evaluations, The Flint Journal reported.
That process may take from 60-90 days, if not longer, and further court sessions are on hold until the report is submitted.
Bacon,’s naked body was found Dec. 28 hanging from the ceiling of Latunski’s Bennington Township home. Investigators allege in previous court records that Latunski admitted to stabbing Bacon in the back, slitting his throat and eating parts of his body.
Bacon’s roommate, Michelle Myers, told police Bacon met Latunski on Dec. 24 after connecting with him on a dating app. His family reported him missing the next day.
Divorce, custody and criminal records show a history of complaints about Latunski’s mental health. He was known to stop taking medication prescribed to treat his mental illnesses.
Court records filed by Corwin state that Latunski is “so fixated on a conspiracy theory including multiple nations/countries and involved in multiple trust accounts.”
Those records also state that Latunski “believes he is a noble person from the Thomas Clan of Wales” whose real name is Edgar Thomas Hill — a name he provided during the arraignment.
MDHHS seeking feedback during town hall on opioids Jan. 17
The Michigan Opioids Task Force and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) are hosting a town hall Friday, Jan. 17, from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., at Wayne County Community College Larry K. Lewis Education Center Auditorium, 8200 Outer Drive West in Detroit.
MDHHS and the Michigan Opioids Task Force will share its strategy to address the opioids crisis, seek information about how the opioid epidemic has impacted those in attendance and host a Q&A about the crisis response.
Information gathered during the town halls will help the state develop a crisis response that is flexible; effective to fit the needs of communities from Detroit to Grand Rapids to Marquette; and informed by the experiences of Michiganders affected by the crisis.
For more information about the state’s opioids response and available resources, visit Michigan.gov/opioids.
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