Jurors in "cannibal cop" case shown sick images of torture and death

GlobalPost

NEW YORK – The prosecution rested its case Monday against New York City police officer Gilberto Valle, dubbed the "cannibal cop", following a day in which jurors were shown gruesome images and a video of women being tortured and eaten.

Jurors appeared uncomfortable and some covered their mouths as the court heard details in the case against Valle who is accused of conspiring to kidnap, kill and eat women, AP reported.

One video depicted a screaming woman made to appear as if she were being cooked alive over an open flame, Newsday reported. 

FBI computer forensics examiner Stephen Flatly testified that one cannibalism website allegedly visited by Valle promised customers they would "only receive the highest quality human beef."

Valle, of Queens, also allegedly searched on his computer for information on "how to tie up a girl," "human meat recipes," "how to chloroform a girl" and "huge cooking tray."

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The 28-year-old was charged last year with one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping, according to a federal criminal complaint, as well as using the National Crime Information Center database to access unauthorized data

His arrest came after his wife, Kathleen Mangan-Valle, allegedly discovered evidence of his cannibalism plot on his home computer.

She sobbed as she told the court last week her shock at discovering photos of torture and cannibalism, AFP reported last week.

She said she first noticed her husband was visiting websites on violent sexual fetishes while they were raising their young daughter.

Upon further probing, she realized her husband had exchanged "thousands of emails" with other death porn enthusiasts and had shared photographs of people they knew.

"Suddenly I was staring at pictures of me, at pictures of friends," she said.

In one plan discussed online, "I was going to be tied up by my feet and my wrists and my throat slit."

AP reported Monday that as soon as the prosecution finished its evidence, defense lawyers made a submission to the judge to acquit their client, saying prosecutors failed to present sufficient evidence.

The judge reserved his decision.

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