Episode 40: ISSEI SAGAWA Scholar, Necrophile, Cannibal, Porn star

Renee Hartevelt was a beautiful 22-year-old college student studying French poetry when fellow student Issei Sagawa shot her in the back of the head, assaulted and mutilated her corpse, and ate large parts of her.

Though quickly apprehended, Issei would never go to trial, in fact he would become a celebrated author, painter and porn star, exploiting his crimes and turning them into a profitable cottage industry.

Today, ladies and gentlemen, we bring you the terrifying, disgusting, and truly bizarre tale of Issei Sagawa, the Kobe Cannibal. Scholar, necrophile, cannibal, pornstar.

His story is both disturbing and deeply fascinating, a journey from sickly, introverted child indulging in the worst fantasies, to Shakespearean scholar, to murderer and cannibal, to celebrity.

Buckle up, we’ll bring you all the gut-wrenching details, exploring Japanese folklore and the psychology of vorarephilia along the way. Keep your hands and feet in the ride, it’s a doozy!

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Creepy Amusement Park theme by Brandon Fiechter and Derek Fiechter, used by permission and with many thanks.

References:

Canniba 2017 documentary film by Verena Paravel and Lucien Castaing Taylor

Interview with a Cannibal - VICE Video: Documentaries, Films, News Videos

The Cannibal That Walked Free - video Dailymotion

Uwakizuma: Chijokuzeme (1992) [Uncut] – rarefilmm | The Cave of Forgotten Films

THE CELEBRITY CANNIBAL: ISSEI SAGAWA THE MAN THAT ATE HIS CLASSMATE AND WALKED FREELY by Aaya Al-shukri

Eat Thy Neighbor: A History of Cannibalism by Daniel Diehl and Mark P. Donnelly

Cannibals: True Stories of the Horrifying Killers Who Feast on Human Flesh by Jimmy Lee Shreeve

The Most Bizarre True Crime Stories Ever Told: 20 Unforgettable and Twisted True Crime Cases that Will Haunt You by Jack Rosewood

Japanese Cannibal Who Got Away With Eating and Raping a Dutch Woman Is Dead (vice.com)

Issei Sagawa Dead: Why Notorious Cannibal Killer Never Saw Jail (newsweek.com)