A New York police officer has been arrested on charges of plotting to kidnap, cook and eat up to 100 women.
Gilberto Valle, a New York Police Department officer for six years, discussed his plot with a co-conspirator who was cooperating with FBI officers.
According to a criminal complaint filed in a Manhattan federal court, the pair discussed using chloroform to knock their prey out before bringing them back to Valle's kitchen where the officer said he had a big enough oven to cook his intended victims.
He also discussed using a spit over an open fire.
Valle was arrested yesterday at his home in New York's Queens borough.
"The allegations in the complaint really need no description from us. They speak for themselves," FBI acting assistant director Mary Galligan said.
"It would be an understatement merely to say Valle's own words and actions were shocking."
The FBI said it learned about Valle's plan in September after intercepting emails and instant messages from his home computer.
A search of his computer allegedly revealed files kept on at least 100 women, each with a name and photograph and often personal details such as address and descriptions.
Valle is believed to have used law enforcement databases to gather his list.
The FBI said it had identified and interviewed 10 of the proposed victims and that the women knew Valle.
One was his girlfriend.
During one online conversation that took place in July between Valle and the unidentified co-conspirator, Valle was asked: "How big is your oven?"
Valle allegedly answered: "Big enough to fit one of these girls if I folded their legs."
Further discussing the culinary aspects of the plot, the co-conspirator allegedly asked Valle what his "favourite cut of meat" was and advised against using a spit over a fire.
"Spitting kills the girl. Have to put her into a kind of cage," the co-conspirator wrote.
"I was thinking of tying her body onto some kind of apparatus," Valle allegedly responds.
The complaint alleges that Valle was the one preparing to do the kidnapping, for which the co-conspirator would pay him $5000 a victim.
"This is very risky and will ruin my life if I'm caught," he allegedly wrote. "I really need the money and I can't take under $5,000."
Discussing kidnapping one target, Valle wrote: "I love that she's asleep right now not having the slightest clue of what we have planned. Her days are numbered."
He then added: "She does look tasty, doesn’t she?"
Chief Manhattan federal prosecutor Preet Bharara said: "Gilberto Valle's alleged plans to kidnap women so that they could be raped, tortured, killed, cooked, and cannibalised shock the conscience.
"This case is all the more disturbing when you consider Valle's position as a New York City police officer and his sworn duty to serve and protect."
Sources: AFP, New York Post, New York Daily News
Author: Erin Tennant, Approving editor: Fiona Willan
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