
Kevin Bacon, 25, of Swartz Creek, Michigan, and Mark Latunski, 50, of Morrice, Michigan. [Photo credit: WEYI/ Shiawassee County Jail]
Corunna, Michigan: On Thursday, September 22, 52-year-old Mark David Latunski appeared in court, against the recommendations of his attorney, and plead guilty as charged for the December 2019 murder of 25-year-old Kevin Bacon.
His jury trial had been scheduled to begin on October 18 of this year.
In October 2020 Latunski was deemed fit for trial. Despite the finding, his attorney, Mary Chartier and her co-counsel Kurt Krause had been intending to pursue an insanity defense.
"While this is not an outcome that Mr. Krause and I think is in Mr. Latunski's best interest, we do have to following Mr. Latunski's wishes," Chartier said according to the Associated Press. "We have discussed this matter and consistently he's been very clear, more than once, multiple times, on his choice and on his reasoning."
One of the charges to which Latunski plead guilty was open murder. In Michigan that charge includes both first and second-degree murder. A hearing scheduled for October 18 will determine which charge will apply to Latunski.
Shiawassee County Prosecutor Scott Koerner disclosed that the decision ultimately was in the hands of the judge. "What happens at that degree hearing is that the judge will make a finding of whether it's first-degree or second-degree murder or manslaughter."
Latunski faces the possibility of life in prison.
According to Fox2 Detroit, police allegedly suspect that there could have been additional potential victims out there but that they may been too frightened to come forward.
A neighbor that spoke with Fox2 seems to corroborate that possibility when he told the station of an incident that had happened in November when a man appeared on his front porch, covered in blood.
"He's got purple hair, he's wearing a leather skirt and he's got a couple of belts across his chest," Michael Parks told the station. "This gentleman is grasping my arm with deathly fear, [screaming] 'help me, keep him away' just screaming at the top of his lungs 'he wants to hurt me, he wants to hurt me.' Another vehicle pulls in my driveway and out comes, who I now find out is Mark, wearing a leather skirt, belts across his chest, no shoes, no shirt on, his beard is braided. Very odd-looking gentleman."
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