Cannibal Stalks Victim on Grindr to Ritualistically Butcher Him
Kevin Richard Bacon was born on November 28th, 1994 to parents Carl and Pam Bacon. He had one older sister named Jenny. Jenny called him KK since she couldn’t say Kevin when she was younger. Carl wanted his son to have the same initials as him, KB, but didn’t want him and his sons simply to be Carl Senior and Carl Jr.
Instead, Carl and Pam picked Kevin. They weren’t even thinking of actor Kevin Bacon of Foot Loose fame at the time, but their son’s name had already stuck when they realized. Kevin and his father Carl bonded over their love of model cars. When he got older, Kevin kept them on display in his room because they meant too much for him to donate or throw them away.
He also enjoyed playing with his sister’s Barbie dolls. He especially loved styling the doll’s hair, which eventually led him into hairdressing as a career path. At 12, he would offer to do his sister’s hair, his mom’s hair, and the hair of his female friends. Kevin was close with his family, but had a very special bond with his grandmother, Anne.
She was diagnosed with cancer in her older years, and Kevin made it his mission to make sure she still felt beautiful, spending quality time with her and helping her decide which wigs to buy. When she died, Kevin chose her burial clothes and did her hair and makeup himself. Kevin joined his school’s marching band and could play three instruments.
He was the trumpet section leader in his senior year. He also took up a psychology class because he was interested in learning about mental health. Kevin first came out in middle school. Some of his relationships carried on as usual, but others were turbulent. Jenny admitted to the latter.
She didn’t take it well at first, but opened up after she had time to grow. Kevin had a dog named Hannah, a cat named Smokey, which he nicknamed Pokey. He was also close with his parents’ cat, Fuzzy. Before he graduated high school, Kevin was given the tongue-in-cheek titles of class gossiper and most dramatic. He was recognized more genuinely for his academics and creativity.
He was among the top 10 in his grade and had a poem he wrote published in a book. After high school, he graduated from the Sharp Academy of Hair Styling in Grand Blank, and he attended the University of Michigan’s Flint campus. He found hairdressing work in a few places, but was employed at the uniquely used salon in Schwarz Creek at the time of the events of today’s story.
Kevin was decorated with tattoos, makeup, colored hair, and the occasional wig. One of his earlier tattoos was a hummingbird in honor of his grandmother, Anne, whose favorite bird was the hummingbird. He also had a rose tattoo for his other grandmother, Pat. Kevin loved his family, but he wasn’t happy living in Schwarz Creek.
For a time, he just didn’t know where else he could go. That changed when he visited one of his college friends after she moved to Chicago. There he saw firsthand the sense of community and family in the city’s gay neighborhoods, and he decided this was where he wanted to live. It would take him time to save up some money between his hair stylist salary and college expenses.
Kevin’s friends have said that he struggled with his finances and feeling stuck and that hookups were his escape. He was also struggling with dangerous thoughts, was hospitalized once after Odin, and again when he felt those ideation thoughts racing to meet him. Kevin didn’t have the best luck with relationships. His friends later said that Kevin was a magnet for broken partners and believed that he could just fix them.
One allegedly saw Kevin as a convenient, free chauffeur. Another was emotionally volatile and constantly accused Kevin of infidelity. One of his friends named Vanessa said about him, “Kevin’s biggest thing was he just always wanted to feel loved and he never felt accepted by, you know, men and things like that.
” I think that’s probably why he was always on the dating apps. It’s hard seeing your friend like that. He was really upset about his most recent breakup. He just wanted so desperately to not feel like that. After finishing beauty school and while attending the University of Michigan, Kevin stayed with his parents. Over time, he grew restless and unhappy.
He felt like he didn’t have enough independence under his mother’s watchful eye. Also, his aunt had moved in after his grandmother Pat’s death, so the space felt more crowded. Moving out wasn’t exactly the cure all Kevin had hoped for. His financial problems piled up, and he needed to move four times within one year.
Jenny suspected that Kevin was possibly bipolar, but he never got an actual diagnosis. >> On Christmas Eve of 2019, Kevin styled his sister’s hair at the salon. Then the two of them met with her mother. Pam was going to host a Christmas Eve dinner at the family home, and Kevin was planning on attending. Then he learned another guest would be present, whom Kevin was not very fond of, and he decided he would rather not go if the guest would be in attendance.
Kevin returned to his apartment and confided in his friend and roommate Michelle. She changed the subject in an attempt to cheer him up, but Kevin eventually opened the Grinder app up on his phone. There, he connected with Mark Latunky, a man twice his age who lived a short drive away. Mark invited Kevin over for a visit, and Kevin agreed in a spur-ofthe- moment decision.
He left between 5:15 and 5:20 in the evening. A doorbell camera caught brief surveillance footage as Kevin exited through the front door. Nothing out of the ordinary happened within that first hour after he left. He texted Michelle to let her know he was out and to cover for him if his mother asked about his whereabouts. He said, “Okay, well, I’m going to be out for a while.
Actually, this is going to be fun. He’s inviting more men. Not sure when I’ll be back. Probably will be out late. So, if mom calls you, I’m sleeping.” Haha. Michelle replied, “Okay, that’s fine.” with two crying, laughing emojis. >> To the average person, Mark Latunky seemed normal. He attended college in Michigan from 1987 to 1991 and got his master’s degree in Iowa in 1995.
He got married in 2001 to a woman named Emily. He proposed to her under a hickory tree and said he wanted his love to last as long as the hickory tree had been standing and longer. They bought their family home during their engagement at 703 West Tyrell Road in Maurice, Michigan. The foundation was unstable, so they built a new foundation and added a basement.
Mark always wanted a project to work on, and the house was his project when he wasn’t clocked in at work. Together, they had four children. Mark was a chemist and had a comfortable salary. Emily said he was calm, hardworking, passionate, and very kind. But the man she once fell in love with took a turn for the worse. 2010 to 2012, Mark was diagnosed with many mental health issues such as depression, schizophrenia, and borderline personality traits.
He had medication for his conditions that stabilized him. He was not consistent in taking it every day. Eventually, he chose to go off his medication. He would talk to himself, neglect his hygiene, threaten to give up family pets, accuse his wife of infidelity, and that his children weren’t actually his. It was also noted that he watched gory films exclusively.
Since his diagnosis, he had been committed four times to different mental health hospitals. Emily said she first noticed something wrong with Mark in 2010. It was her son’s birthday party, and Mark told the guest stories about a massive trust fund that he was going to inherit. He thought he had a whole other separate identity, and he only went by Mark Leonsky for his protection.
She had no idea what he was talking about, but he said it all with such confidence that Emily was afraid for his well-being. At the time, Emily said Mark was going through a stressful period, and she suspected it affected him more than she thought it did. She convinced him to commit himself again to a facility, and Mark returned 5 days later with medication that he refused to take.
He also admitted to Emily that he cheated on her with multiple men, even paying for services. Emily tried to make her marriage work with counseling, but Mark wore her down when he didn’t take it seriously. Finally, she approached him in 2012 to ask for a divorce. Towards the end of his marriage, Mark stopped taking his meds altogether, and he spiraled even more.
He once refused to return the children after his visitation. Emily needed to go through the process of getting a court order to have her kids returned to her. The house was empty when police arrived. Mark took the children to a water park. He answered his phone when police called and stated where he was and that he would not come back or return the kids to Emily.
He was charged with attempted kidnapping for the stunt, but those charges were dropped. He was only permitted supervised visits, and he chose to sever contact with his ex-wife and children rather than be supervised. He married a second time to a man named Jaime Arnold and tried to reconnect with his children in 2018, but veered off that path after he lost his job.
Mark claimed his boss wanted him to put contaminants into products. In 2019, he and Jaime separated because Mark was cheating and becoming more and more erratic. Jaime told the press in 2020, and I quote, “We’re not together anymore because he started saying some very unusual and unreasonable things, accusations.
He claimed that the neighbor was polluting our water. He claimed that his family was not his family, that his biological family was not his, that his children were not his.” He said, “I can no longer bathe in the house because it was toxic.” Mark spent his time apart from his husband offering services on escort websites while evading child support payments.
On October 10th, 2019, Mark held a 48-year-old man named James Carlson captive in his basement. James knew Mark’s husband, Jaime, and had flown in from New York to hook up with Mark. Instead, Mark tied James down and locked him in the basement and said James wasn’t going anywhere. James waited until he was sure Mark was asleep to escape from the house, which he managed by using a butcher knife to saw through his restraints.
He took his phone and Mark’s car keys, ran outside, then called 911 to report what had happened to him. If the call sounds contradictory to what we said earlier, keep listening and we will address that. >> Well, I broke out and I need a ride on this guy. I’m by hit on me. I know. We went out to the car. dropped.
Uh, we went to the store, had soda. I woke up in the basement. >> Okay. >> He obviously drugged me. I think this is a cop because that looks like an extra bright light. So, I am now putting this down. I am unarmed. It is on the guard rail. Yes, sir. I am. I’m not armed. I’m just really [laughter] happy. >> Police found James and asked for his account again.
James allegedly said he didn’t know Mark at all. No charges were filed. James said the police dropped him off at a gas station without his wallet or a way to get back home to New York. He had to use a nearby bus station’s phone to call Mark. And surprisingly, Mark returned his thing so he could go home.
6 weeks later, on November 25th, Mark had another man in his home. His name is not publicly known. It is reported that he was 29 years old. >> I’m trying to escape from some guy who had me chained up in his basement. >> He had you chained in his basement? Where are you calling from? >> I don’t know. >> The man burst through Mark’s doors and ran outside carrying his phone and speaking with 911.
Mark chased after him. Man was wearing a leather kilt and was covered in blood. According to some sources, the man told the operator, “He’s after me.” He approached one of Mark’s neighbors and asked for an address to give the operator. >> Is he after me? >> Hey, I need you to go to somewhere safe. If you can run up to somebody’s house.
Are you in the road? I have some state troopers that aren’t very far away. [laughter] >> I see the trooper right there. He’s just Yeah. >> Police arrived as Mark appeared. The articles that reported this man was bleeding say he had his injuries attended to. Mark was questioned at the scene.
He said he only pursued the man because the kilt was expensive. This man also didn’t press charges against Mark, so Mark wasn’t arrested. January of 2020, the state police were asked why they let Mark go twice without an investigation. David Kaiser, a since retired police lieutenant, said neither of the callers wanted the officers there out of embarrassment.
He said, “A lot of times people have a professional life and personal life. They don’t want to entwin the two. Their personal life is very secret, very protected.” James would later file a lawsuit against Mark in June of 2020 and his attorney, John Marco, was not happy with this lieutenant statement. He said, “That’s just not true.
” Okay? You don’t call the police unless you need the police and you want them there. But the lawsuit was thrown out without prejudice in 2022 after James legal team withdrew from the case and James didn’t retain new counsel. Lawyers filing said the attorney client relationship could not continue. There are contradictory elements between James’ 911 call and the lawsuit.
For example, said in the call, he hadn’t met Mark before that day, but the lawsuit states James met Mark through Jaime. James first falls asleep in the car and wakes up in the basement, but later wakes up to spend some time together with Mark. We don’t know if these contradictions are what caused the lawyers to withdraw.
Until James files a new suit, if he does at all, we can only speculate. Kevin could not have known the death trap he was walking into until it was too late. Mark stabbed him with a knife before he cut his throat. After Kevin died, Mark desecrated his corpse by mutilating and partially cannibalizing him in the basement.
The same basement that held James captive, where he beat another man bloody and where his children used to play. Mark spent Christmas Day with his aranged husband Jamie and their friends and was as normal as he could be. According to Jaime, Kevin was supposed to meet his family on Christmas morning for breakfast.
He didn’t show up and no one could get in contact with him, so his family reported him missing. They police investigators and even the local news aided in the search. His family suspected if Kevin were dead or dying, he may be in or near farmland, railroads, or fields. >> He’s just one of the nicest guys I know and most compassionate and understanding person I know.
>> This is very unlike him to just fall off the face of the earth. He’s always in communication with somebody. He was supposed to be at our house uh Christmas morning for brunch and he was a no-show. when he wasn’t no show. He asked his roommate to wake him up and she looked out and he couldn’t find his car out and he was supposed to be back that night.
>> Initially, I thought maybe he overslept somewhere. He was up late having fun and then as time went on and it was just not like him to not contact anybody and not contact or come home. >> Meyers was the last to see and hear from Bacon. He told her he was meeting up with someone he met on a dating app.
So, I was really scared and I can’t even imagine what he might be going through. He could be anywhere at this point. So much time has passed. >> Friends and family just hoping he returns home safe. >> He’s my best friend I’ve ever had. He’s someone I can tell everything to. And we always share everything about each other to one another.
And he’s just one of the nicest guys I know and most compassionate and understanding person I know. Investigators found his car, clothes, keys, and phone in a parking lot in front of a dollar store. They told the press that they looked into the dating apps on Kevin’s phone, but they couldn’t find anything of substance. We know this now to be untrue, as they did find out Mark’s identity through the Grinder messages.
Since the investigation was ongoing and there wasn’t a suspect, it’s possible law enforcement wanted to keep their cards close to their chest for the time being. The messages themselves aren’t public, but it’s reported they were very explicit in nature. Investigators reached out to Grinder for help in their investigation, but the company was not as open as they hoped.
Carl at first didn’t mention Grinder by name, but said the company was rather uncooperative. He shared that they didn’t give us any info during the initial investigation. There’s no regulation of law on how they operate and how accountable they are to people’s activities on their apps. When they got a hold of the Grinder messages, the path led them straight to Mark’s front door.
He was shirtless and wearing a leather kilt when he greeted the investigators, possibly the same one worn by his previous victim a month prior. He introduced himself as Wilk Olos Vilkas. Mark led the investigators inside and gave them a free reign of the residence. A short time later, they found the basement door.
Downstairs was Kevin’s corpse, mutilated and hanging from the ceiling like an animal in a slaughter house. Mark was confronted and he readily admitted to his crime. Law enforcement announced Kevin’s death in Mark’s arrest on X, formerly Twitter, which read, “Missing person Kevin Bacon has been located. MSP has been working with our local law enforcement partners.
Kevin Bacon was located deceased early this morning at a house in Bennington Township, Shyawasi County. A 50-year-old male from Bennington Township has been lodged for open murder. Mark was read his rights, but he decided that he would rather not remain silent. He explained that he picked Kevin up in the parking lot and took him to his house to hook up, but he killed Kevin only because Kevin wanted him to.
Mark said he stabbed Kevin in the back and only cut his throat because he didn’t want to see Kevin suffer. Then Mark went into detail about what he planned to do with Kevin’s remains. He had already castrated Kevin postmortem and consumed his parts. He would turn Kevin’s muscles into jerky and use the blood and bones as fertilizer.
The investigators went through Mark’s phone and bank records. Mark had bought a dehydrator online and the package was already on the way to his house. The police work with the post office to take the package into evidence before it was delivered. >> Investigators and attorneys also caught on quickly that Mark was delusional.
He stopped referring to himself as Wilk Olosilas and instead said he was Edgar Thomas Hill, a member of a noble family in Wales. He said that Mark Latunksky was just a pseudonym he used to keep himself safe from external threats. Mark’s attorney, Doug Corwin, wrote in his request for a mental health evaluation, stating, “The defendant is so overwhelmingly fixated on conspiracy theory involving multiple nations/countries and involved in multiple trust accounts.
” Mark didn’t express remorse for what he had done. He insisted that Kevin wanted to die and even asked Mark to be the one to do it. Attorney Corwin even pushed for an additional charge of assisted sword that YouTube has literally taken down our videos for saying someone with self-cancelling, we’ll say, is a felony in the state of Michigan.
The attorney wanted the judge to allow Mark to plead guilty to this charge instead of murder. But this idea that Mark was just helping Kevin out was easily disputed in the Grinder messages. Kevin cautiously asked Mark if he would be safe meeting him and going to his house. Mark reassured Kevin that he wouldn’t be harmed.
The judge denied the request for this additional charge. Shortly after his arrest, Mark was found unresponsive in his cell. He was breathing, but it took smelling salts to bring him back to consciousness. He was taken to a hospital for examination, but he returned to jail a few days later. It was reported that Mark hadn’t eaten much, if anything at all, since he was booked, but his attorney denies this.
Attorney Corwin said, “It is rumored that Latunksky had been on a hunger strike. These rumors are false. Mr. Latinsky is eating appropriately.” Furthermore, Mr. Latonsky is under camera surveillance and monitored by jail staff around the clock. Mark first tried to plead insanity. Attorney Corwin addressed a judge by saying he believes he’s named someone else.
He believes he’s from a royal family out of Wales, from the Thomas clan. And just the nature of the crime itself, what he did and how he did it has come out. Just by that nature, as an attorney, I have to send him for an evaluation. At first, the courts ruled in Mark’s favor. But that decision was reversed in October of 2020 after another evaluation, and Mark was determined to be competent enough to stand trial.
The date was set for July of 2021, and he was facing a life sentence if found guilty. Jenny started a now deleted GoFundMe for Kevin’s funeral with a goal of $20,000. It got the attention of an unlikely donor. Kevin was a fan of beauty and makeup influencer Jeffree Star. He even had a tattoo across his chest with the phrase beauty killer in homage to one of Jeffree Star’s albums.
The fundraiser caught the influencer’s attention. He made a post on X that said, “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. But Jeffrey didn’t just share the fundraiser with his fan base.
He also donated $20,000. He wrote in his donation, “I love you. Rest in peace, Angel.” The excess donations were about $14,000, totaling to over $34,000 in funds. He uploaded a video statement to Snapchat sharing his thoughts and criticizing both Grinder and the local Schwarz Creek government for what he believed to be in action.
Pam Bacon was grateful for the donation, saying, “We’re appreciative because I don’t know what Kevin had for insurance or anything through work. It’s a blessing and we’re appreciative of everybody who has donated.” A Grinder spokesperson said that the company and staff were heartbroken and horrified to hear about this terrible tragedy and share our condolences with Mr.
Bacon’s family and friends. While for privacy reasons we do not offer public comments on individual user accounts or our direct interactions with law enforcement, we remain fully committed to working with law enforcement anytime we are contacted as part of an investigation. Kevin’s father urged people who use dating apps to be safe when they meet someone new.
Tell someone you trust where you’re going and who you’re meeting with, no matter how secure you feel meeting a stranger. Jeffree Star wasn’t the only celebrity to offer condolences. Actor Kevin Bacon made a post on Instagram on December 30th. He wrote, “For obvious reasons, I’m thinking this morning about the friends and family of this young person, Kevin Bacon.
His life was taken from him much too soon. His love was hairdressing. I bet he would have done a great job on this mess on my head. RIP KB. >> Kevin’s funeral was held on January 3rd, 2020, and was buried in Bendle Cemetery. His headstone was engraved in the front and back with stylus tools, animals, stars, a trumpet, and text reading, “A natural born star, the best of [music] the best, as well as forever and always in our heart of hearts.
Love, Mom, Dad, and Jenny.” Like stars outshine the darkest night, love outlasts a single lifetime. Kevin’s parents, Carl and Pam, planned to use the leftover funds to set up a scholarship in their son’s memory. They got to say their piece to the press 3 days after Kevin’s funeral. They’re afraid that the coverage surrounding the murder would tarnish Kevin’s memory.
And Carl plead with the press and general public to remember him as they did. >> And I understand that the events what was released today shows Kevin had a dark side. But those who knew and love Kevin did not know that side. Uh those who knew him knew his good side who he knew that he loved and cherished everybody he touched.
and um he he touched a lot of lives in the past and during his short life. Um it’s unfortunate that his dark side uh is what took his life and he met the wrong people that way that that that took that took him too soon from from us. I’d like to say that um please um don’t do not destroy his reputation. He he obviously got into something that He wasn’t prepared for >> he wasn’t prepared for and we we we were >> we all make mistakes.
>> Yeah, we all make mistakes. >> Um it it’s it’s it’s gut-wrenching to to hear the details and and we’re we’re just beside ourselves. We we I don’t think we’ve had the time >> to process everything. >> Yeah. To process everything. It’s all been kind of it’s been so fastpaced the past few days.
For his birthday in February, Carl asked friends and family to donate to the Mental Health Foundation. He raised $133 for the organization. Mark’s house was sold in auction for more than $100,000, which was $20,000 over the initial price. Buyer Steve Deal didn’t own the house for very long before it fell back into the Latonsky family’s hands.
The bid was made on his behalf by his son, Alex. Alex said in an interview that there were still human remains in the house he had to clean. His lawyer advised he couldn’t share pictures of the interior. He said, “I never sold the home back. Mark bought his crime scene back.” Mark’s brother, Paul Latunksky, may have assaulted Steven, Alex, or both when they tried to move in.
Paul was Mark’s conservator charged with preserving and protecting his brother’s assets. There was a shotgun in the altercation allegedly wielded by Paul, but there were no shots fired. Paul was arrested on felony charges, but they were dismissed one month later. In December of 2020, the University of Michigan mailed aostumous Bachelor of Arts degree to Kevin’s parents’ home.
Carl proudly shared the degree in a Facebook post. That same month, and again the next year, Kevin’s family painted murals in his memory in Flint Rock. James Carlson filed a federal lawsuit against the Mark in June of 2020 for his kidnapping. His attorney, John Marco, was experienced in litigation against the state’s law enforcement.
He shared that there should have been further investigation. There should have been further followup. Just some basic police work and some basic follow-up, I think, could have changed this whole situation. And Mr. Bacon might be alive. It was a sentiment that Kevin’s loved ones agreed with. Michelle in particular expressed that if it was a woman who escaped from Mark’s house asking for help and claiming that she was held captive, police would have arrested Mark without question.
But since the victims were men, Michelle asked if the police only saw their plight as just gay guys doing stuff in a basement. Michigan is among a few states that have a charge called open murder. In Michigan, this means a judge or jury can determine in court if a defendant should face charges for firstdegree murder or seconddegree murder.
Victor Petrika is a psychiatric nurse practitioner, an assistant professor at Boston College. A&E spoke with him to hear his insights in Mark’s case. Petrika said that Mark was a very complex case that psychiatrists were clearly having a hard time nailing down. He continued, “If someone has a major mental illness, disorders like major depression or psychotic disorders, they generally have an aggressive style.
Cannibalization is more psychologically or psychosexually driven. You may call it even foreplay, and it’s more organized. The prosecution and defense often argued about what should and shouldn’t be admitted as evidence. Notably, they couldn’t decide if Mark’s past encounters could be used in their court arguments.
and it took Judge Matthew Stewart’s input to put the matter to rest. He decided these testimonies were valid as evidence despite the defense’s efforts to omit them. Mark’s trial was delayed multiple times for a litany of reasons. His lawyer called for another evaluation as the March 2022 date drew near, claiming that Mark’s mental capacity had worsened.
Two months later, Mark was again deemed competent and able to stand trial. >> In September of 2022, before his next scheduled court appearance, Mark told his attorneys that he wanted to plead guilty. His legal team had hoped for a different outcome. Attorney Mary Shardier addressed the court and judge, saying, “While this is not an outcome that we think is in Mr.
Latunksky’s best interest, we do have to follow Mr. Latk’s wishes. We have discussed this matter and consistently he’s been very clear more than once, multiple times on his choice and on his reasoning. Mark was found guilty of premeditated first-degree murder in October of 2022. Judge Matthew Stewart said the court finds that this is a crime of cold calculation.
Kevin Bacon’s death was Mark Leonsk’s design. Before Mark was sentenced, Kevin’s family got to read their victim impact statement. Jenny eventually published hers. She wrote in part, “On December 24th, 2019, it was the last time I saw my brother Kevin alive. I had to wait three long days to learn of Kevin’s murder, unaware to me that he was killed on Christmas Eve night. Kevin meant the world to me.
And I will never have another brother like him.” The day I learned of Kevin’s death, a part of me died with him because he was my first best friend, brother, and protector from cruel people who didn’t understand me like he did because of a disability that I was born with. No one will ever replace Kevin in my life because he was one of a kind and will always be missed.
There are things that Mark can’t ever take away from me, such as a love for cats and dogs, 25 years of pictures and memories, love for the Sims video games, love for a variety of music, love for coach purses and Harry Potter because I shared these common interests with Kevin. The things that I will miss most about Kevin are his beautiful smile, his generous heart.
He was my best friend. His love for music, compassion for animals and others, his unique talent for hair, and his love for life. Kevin will never be able to experience any of his future dreams and plans. Oozing Kevin will always be with me because I want to keep his life story alive, share my favorite memories of him, and help others know about the dangers of meeting people online.
Kevin’s life was cut way too short, but his memory and generosity will leave an impact on the people he knew and loved throughout his 25 years of life on Earth. Pam Bacon had her statement read out loud on her behalf. She said in part, “Our world has been shattered. Even though we have such great memories of our son, our lives will never be the same, or will our family.
I don’t understand why anyone could want to hurt our son, especially in such a horrific and unbelievable way. Now Christmas for our family will never be the same to us. Thanks to you taking our son and brother away from us. Even though we will finally get justice for Kevin, it still doesn’t feel like enough.
And you still get to live and do things because a pig like you can never have remorse. In your sick, twisted mind. You probably think you didn’t do anything wrong. But in reality, you took our world away. This Christmas, I hope you suffer like we have. I hope you feel pain because you are all alone with all the years yet to come. On Thursday, December 15th, 2022, Mark was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Judge Stewart told the courtroom, which included Kevin’s family, “Perhaps today’s sentence will be a small amount of comfort and what I know is an enormity of hurt.” While she was referenced often in articles, Emily Latunksky stayed away from the public eye until after the trial was over. same day that Mark was sentenced, she posted a statement on her Facebook profile highlighting a struggle with watching a man whom she loved turn into a monster.
Her statement partially read, “First, I want to say that I am so sorry to the Bacon family for what happened to your son. No family should have to go through the heartache of what happened. Kevin’s life mattered and it was cut short too soon. cut short by a man who most see as a monster, but I see as a broken man ravaged by the effects of an untreated mental illness that took complete control of his life.
When you look at him, you see a man or monster capable of a crime so horrific it made national and world headlines. I remember a man who loved his children and was so proud when each were born. I remember a father who brought home so many trash bags full of shredded paper that it filled a room just for his children to play in.
I remember a man who took his son to get fireworks every year because he knew how much he loved them. I remember a man who broke out a van window when his two-year-old daughter locked herself in and he didn’t want to take the time to look for keys because it was hot outside. [music] I remember a man who started traditions with his children that we continue today because my children remember and love the man he was. Mental illness took hold.
None of those who loved him could help. and we watched helplessly as he spiraled farther and farther into madness and delusional thoughts and became a man none of us knew. It breaks my heart to see what he has become. But I want everyone to know that his mental illness is real. I know it’s real because I watched helplessly as he got worse and worse and I had to make the hard decision to walk away.
The man Mark Leatonsky is now is not the man he was. He was Mark Leonsky’s son, brother, husband, friend, and father. In 2024, Emily and her daughter Eliza were interviewed for an episode of the A&E docu series The Killer in My Family. Also branded I’m related to a killer. The episode showed pictures of Mark before his arrest in 2019.
He was well-groomed, clean shaven, and dressed in polos and button-downs. Far from the man the public saw in the courtroom. Mark’s attorney was so shocked by his client that he started looking for work outside of the public defender’s office. He tried to run for a judgeship in 2024, but didn’t win the position.
Jenny wrote a book about Kevin to keep his memory alive and published it through Amazon self-publishing services. She went into detail about their childhood, her relationship with her brother, and the struggles he faced in adulthood. She wrote that Kevin asked if she would join him at a movie theater night he died, but she turned him down.
She regrets that decision deeply. Jenny penned letters to Kevin to help her get through her guilt and decided that she would use one of his favorite wedding color palettes when she falls in love and gets married in the future. Carl and Pam Bacon have divorced since their son’s death. In her book, Jenny alleges that her mother lashed out at her physically, which shattered an already strained marriage.
Jenny had sympathy for her mother, whom she claims never sought out professional help after Kevin died. But she calls her parents’ divorce a blessing because she said her mother had narcissistic tendencies that only got worse after she lost her son. Jenny went with her dad when he moved out, and she brought the dog and two cats with her.
Kevin’s cat, Pokey, chose Jenny, to be his new human companion, and his presence was a welcome solace as she grieved. Pokei died when he was 12 years old after a long life of snatching food off the table and demanding affection. Their dog Hannah passed when her health got worse. Fuzzy is still alive as of 2024 and has new animal siblings to keep him company.
Jenny remembers the last good deed Kevin did that Christmas Eve. A man walked into the salon, lost and desperate to get home. Kevin gave him the salon’s phone to make a phone call. Then he and the other stylist scraped together whatever cash they had and gave it to the stranger for gas so he could return home to his child for Christmas.
In 2025, meeting people for dates online is common place. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be safe when meeting someone new. We want you to be safe this holiday season. So, if you’re going to be meeting someone on a dating app, please make sure you let someone know who you’re with, where you’ll be, and when you’ll be back.
Something so simple could mean the difference between life and death. If Kevin’s story resonated with you, then please click here to check out the story of Sonia Exelby. She was a young woman from the UK that was murdered in Florida just this past fall after meeting a man online.
