Defense lawyers for the alleged "Cannibal Cop" appear to be as quick and efficient as a George Foreman grill. After just one day of work, Gilberto Valle's attorneys rested their case and prepared to let the jury decide if the former cop's online conduct crossed the line between macabre fantasy and horrifying reality. Perhaps realizing that his fate would soon be in the hands of twelve people who might not believe his Google searches for “human meat recipes" were perfectly innocent, Valle broke down in tears after the jury left the room.
During the single day of arguments, the defense showed video testimony from Sergey Merenkov, the Russian man who started the darkfetish.net website which Valle frequented. Merenkov testified that the most popular topics on his website were asphyxiation, "women in peril," feet and cannibalism. But Merenkov insisted the site is "about fantasies only,” adding: “Fantasies should remain fantasies and not transfer to the criminal realm, so to speak.”
The whole case hinges on whether Valle's obsession with cannibalism was fantasy, or whether he planned to kidnap and eat women in real life. Prosecutors say Valle's plans were actionable, and that he conducted surveillance and drew up specific plans for several potential victims. Files for multiple targets were found on Valle's computer, as well as Google searches made by his wife, including “My husband doesn’t love me,” “My husband likes porn I find scary,” and “My husband is a sexual sadist.”
Valle's defense argues that all of this was just harmless role playing, and that "there is just no evidence outside the chats, and the chats are all fantasy." At his lawyers' urging, Valle declined to testify, telling the judge that he had decided it was in his best interest to remain silent. Live and learn, right?
Closing arguments are expected to begin Thursday, with the case going to the jury on Friday.
