January 2, 2020
Young Man Found Dead After Alleged Grindr Date; Suspect Charged with Murder, Mutilation
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 4 MIN.
A 50-year-old suspect has been charged with murder and mutilation in the death of a 25-year-old University of Michigan student, reports MLive. The victim, Kevin Bacon (no relation to the film star), disappeared after telling his roommate that he was meeting with a man on Christmas Eve. Bacon told the roommate at about 5 p.m. on Dec. 24 that he had connected with the man on Grindr. A little more than an hour later he texted to let her know he would not be home until late.
But he never came home at all. Bacon's family became concerned when he did not join them for breakfast on Christmas Day, mlive.com reported. The family contacted authorities that same day. The victim's body was discovered in a private residence on Dec. 28. The house where he was found was in Benningon Township, Michigan, which is in the region of Flint.
Kevin's father, Karl Bacon, said at a press conference that his son died on Christmas Eve or in the early hours of Christmas Day. The victim's car was found previous to the discovery of his body, and his wallet and phone along with it. The news report said that police were tipped off when Facebook posts were sent to them. The exact nature of the posts was not disclosed.
50-year-old Mark Latunski was charged with murder in the case, and also with mutilation of the victim's body. No specifics were reported on the latter charge.
The young man's slaying prompted responses from celebrities. The actor Kevin Bacon took to Instagram to offer his condolences to the victim's friends ad family.
Noting that the victim had been a hairstylist, Bacon added, "I bet he would have done a great job on this mess on my head."
YouTube star and makeup artist Jeffree Star also posted on social media, having become aware that the victim was a fan of Star's work.
RIP KEVIN ???? I'm devastated to hear of the passing of someone from Michigan who lived their life fearlessly and was taken too soon ???? Please help his family in this horrible time: https://t.co/4sRUjumxtl #StarFamily https://t.co/FjVAxaaJgj– Jeffree Star (@JeffreeStar) December 29, 2019
Star encouraged his followers to contribute to a GoFundMe page established to help the young man's family with funeral expenses.
Media reports noted that the suspect is being held without bail and, if convicted, faces the prospect of life in prison.
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.
