An inmate is accused of killing his cellmate and consuming parts of his body, including an eye, ear, hand, and neck, citing panic as the reason for his actions.
The gruesome incident came to light during a routine check by a prison guard on February 8 at La Serena prison in Chile. Manuel Ignacio Fuentes Martínez reportedly chillingly confessed to the guard, saying, “Boss, I killed him.”
The lifeless body of Felipe Sebastián Sepúlveda Ramos was found in the cell, with severe injuries including missing body parts and bite marks on his neck.
Fuentes, 21, claimed that he had acted in self-defense against the 26-year-old Sepúlveda the previous day, using a concealed knife. Local media reported him saying, “He attacked me with a knife in the evening, and I defended myself by striking first, ensuring my safety by dodging his stabbing attempt.”
He continued, “I inflicted a fatal wound to his neck, causing convulsions. Realizing he was deceased after checking his pulse, I can only assert it was an act of self-preservation.”
During the early morning hours, Fuentes reportedly resorted to consuming parts of his victim out of panic and distress over his actions. He admitted, “I was overwhelmed by guilt and began consuming his flesh. I took out his eye, ate a portion of his hand and neck, followed by his ear. Subsequently, I covered him and slept beside him. When the guard entered the cell in the morning, the truth was revealed.”
His father, Manuel Fuentes, criticized the prison authorities for failing to address his son’s medical needs, citing his diagnosed neuropsychiatric condition.
Fuentes was serving a seven-year sentence for a robbery involving a 76-year-old woman and her nine-year-old granddaughter in La Reina in 2022. He had previously escaped from Puente Alto prison in 2023, leading to his arrest in Argentina and subsequent extradition to Chile.
Following behavioral issues, he was moved from a Santiago prison to La Serena. Fuentes’s mother, Paola Martínez, expressed remorse to Sepúlveda’s family, acknowledging the gravity of the situation and hinting at underlying reasons behind her son’s actions.
It later emerged that directives had been issued to transfer both inmates to separate facilities, but the transfers were not executed. Fuentes now faces charges of homicide and cannibalism.
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