I like to think that I bring a variety of different cases and stories to my blog to capture your interest. We've seen me cover such very heartbreaking and tragic cases over the years and sometimes the downright bizarre and this post falls into pretty much the bizarre category. I don't know what on earth possessed me to write about this case, I'm not sure if it was a previous request or something I planned to cover myself but it was on my list of cases to explore.
I'm not going to lie, for years this case (which I discovered years ago thanks to my Mum having decided to watch a 'thriller' with me that was on the TV thinking it was just a run of the mill Serial Killer drama, only to discover it was two guys having....shall we say an 'interesting date' which ended up with one guy eating the other....quite literally! For years I was haunted by that sentence shouted out by the victim ''BITE MY THING......BITE MY THING'', anyway, back to the actual case) had crept up every now and then in my mind and for some reason have decided that now is the time to write about it, brace yourselves if your unfamiliar with this story, it's crazy, it's graphic. it's confusing and it's gruesome, don't say I didn't warn you.
So, with all that being said let's grit our teeth (and I don't mean that in any offensive way) and push forward with this story.
Armin Meiwes was born on the 1st of December 1961 in Kassel, Germany, the youngest of three boys and the apple of his mother's eye. In the beginning all was well with the family until the day that Armin's father walked out, abandoning his wife and children. Armin was witness to his father getting in his car and driving off, a memory which haunted him for years afterwards and he constantly questioned himself why his father didn't want to be with them anymore.
With his father no longer around, Armin's overbearing mother got worse with her controlling behaviour and negative attitude. His older brothers couldn't wait to leave home and suddenly Armin found that it was just himself and his mother. Very much a Norman Bates and Mrs Bates situation with the mother being very headstrong and strict with her son. Armin's mother tried to treat him like he was her husband and personal slave. From a young age he was expected to cook, clean, do the shopping and carry out various duties that would be expected of someone so much older. It wasn't much of a childhood for him so he would find whatever time he could to get lost in books and fairy tales, especially 'Hansel and Gretel'. He adored that story and became fixated on the idea of what it would be like to eat another person. Part of the story of Hansel and Gretel (which originates in Germany) involves two naughty children who find a witch's cottage in the woods, the cottage is magical because it's made of sweet candy. The children begin to eat parts of the house and the witch decides to get her revenge on the children by eating them. It's a very dark, disturbing story if you sit and really think about it. I remember as a child being told this story at school and sort of brushing it off but as an adult I think it's not really appropriate for younger children today.
So Armin was becoming obsessed with the idea and fantasy that he could eat human flesh. He wanted to kill someone, dismember them and cook and eat parts of their body. It was a horrifying secret he kept to himself but the red flags were there. He would often play with dolls and take the heads off or make bodies out of marzipan where he would stab and cut up the pieces pretending it was actual flesh.
Armin became a bit of an Incel being stuck at home a lot with his mother (who enjoyed putting him down and ridiculing him, she made no secret that she hated men), having to run errands for her and jump whenever she clicked her fingers. His only joy was his deep, dark fantasies and when the internet came along he rejoiced because he wondered if there was anybody else out there who had the same wants and desires as him.
When it came to relationships, no women were on the scene. There was the odd one or two times where there was a possibility that something could have developed with someone but for some reason it never worked out especially because his mother would make it impossible by her behaviour to any female that might have a friendship with Armin. He was basically banned from having a girlfriend. Armin was terribly confused about what he actually wanted, he had a stint as a soldier but that didn't work out and he soon found himself depressed and dependent on alcohol. When his mother died in 1999 he was suddenly left with all of this freedom and began to explore his sexuality, apparently these fantasies about eating human flesh ever since he was the age of just eight years old, grew more intense and he was determined to do it. He would randomly ask people if they thought he was gay which was often met with a stunned reply, when asking a neighbour that very same question, the neighbour explained that was a very personal question that only he could answer himself. Feeling lonely he found some comfort online on forums, chat rooms and message boards. Armin seemed to have a natural talent when it came to computers and building websites. It turned out that there was people out there just like him who were online, having these same thoughts.
It was through one of these message boards that he began chatting with other men with similar fantasies. Armin (42) was after younger men and when he planned on making one of his fantasies come true, (which was to kill and eat a dead man's flesh) he advertised for young men to have a date with him to discuss certain matters involving these disturbing things but was getting no luck so he raised the age range and this is where he met 43 year old Berlin Engineer, Bernd Jurgen Brandes. Armin later claimed that around 200 men had responded to his advertisement for a man to be (as he advertised it) 'Slaughtered and Consumed'. A lot of the men that Armin had spoken to previously about the possibility of cannibalistic sex etc, would claim to be up for it and then get cold feet as soon as plans became serious, it seemed to that some of the men just wanted to fantasise about being eaten or eating somebody else but when realty came in they couldn't face it. Armin would drop these people like a bad habit if he felt they were not as passionate as he was about it. He took the whole gruesome caper very seriously and had everything all set up and ready to go like scene out of the horror movie 'Hostel'.
There was no pretence on the part of Armin, he was straight to the point in what he wanted and what he expected from the other person and Bernd 100% agreed at the time. The arrangement was that the pair would meet at Armin's home and at some point during the proceedings, Bernd would take some pills and they would cut off his penis, put it in a frying pan and they would both eat the flesh. This is exactly how it began.
As horrendous as this case is, you couldn't help but feel some sort of sympathy for these two guys, Armin being abandoned by his father and it was actually revealed later that on the day his father left the family, Armin tried to run after his car and stop him. It was a terrible memory that haunted him and to have his mother who hated men and bullied him not only at home but in public, having him at her beck and call until her death, there was no love in his life and this is what it all came to, him having these disturbing thoughts and actions. There was heartache on Bernd's side too, his mother committed suicide when he was a child and he struggled for years with his sexuality, realising that he was gay and when he confided in his father, his father disowned him. So the pair of them cut quite tragic figures who had been terribly abandoned and it led them onto this disturbing path, they were only in their 40s and so quick to throw their lives away in such a gruesome fashion.
On the day of the meeting (9th of March 2001), Bernd had travelled by train to where they arranged to meet, they'd only been talking online for a few weeks and had never officially met but here they were, two strangers at a train station about to take part in this horrific murder/experiment, whatever you want to frame it as but both were in agreement all the way leading up to this and still in agreement at the train station. No threats were made, no coercion, Bernd voluntarily travelled there and explained previously what he wanted done with his body.
The journey to Armin's house took around an hour so in that time they talked and became a bit more relaxed in each other's company. When they got to the house they didn't waste any time getting undressed and had sexual intercourse but it didn't quite go the way that the pair had planned. It was quickly becoming another situation for Armin in which someone who claimed to be just as enthusiastic as he was about making this fantasy a reality, suddenly getting cold feet and changing their mind, he had dealt with it many times online and became frustrated but could clearly see that Bernd was having second thoughts and agreed to make the hour-long journey back to the train station with him. As soon as they got to the train station however, Bernd changed his mind again and was adamant that he really wanted to do it this time. Armin wasn't so sure and didn't want to have more of his time wasted but Bernd insisted and even suggested purchasing some sleeping pills and alcohol to help dope him up a little to make everything less painful.
Armin agreed to give it another try and was surprised to see back at his home just how quickly Bernd was insisting that things get moving. He was practically shouting at him to cut his penis off. The whole gruesome ordeal was recorded on video camera and Bernd screamed in agony as the knife cut through him. Armin claimed (and as could be seen by investigators who later studied the video) that Bernd's screaming was short lived. Maybe it was the combination of sleeping pills, alcohol and shock that numbed some of the pain that Bernd's body was going through in that moment.
Armin's lawyer would later say that (as he was one of the people who had the unfortunate task of viewing this horrific video that was reportedly four hours long), after the penis was cut off and there was a gaping wound with blood pouring out everywhere, Bernd seemed to be almost like in a blissful state, enjoying seeing his own penis butchered, the remains on a plate and the bloody scene. It must have been horrendous for investigators to have to view that footage, it's hard enough for me to even write it, you get visions in your mind that you don't want. Horrific to say the least.
As unbelievable as all of this is, as if this wasn't bad enough, the remains of Bernd's penis was then chopped up and thrown in a frying pan. Armin decided to season the fried penis (can't believe I'm saying that) with salt, pepper and some garlic before serving it up on two plates. There was an issue with the fried penis, they found it to be too chewy and had trouble with the texture and decided to just throw it away. So their fantasy was to cut off a penis, cook it and eat it and after all of that they just throw it in the bin?
The madness continued as Bernd continued to lose more and more blood, he was slowly dying and they both knew that to be the case but nobody bothered to call an ambulance because that wasn't part of their 'deal'. Instead, Armin decided to place Bernd in a hot bath, maybe as an attempt to speed up the blood loss but at the same time keep him warm in his way trying to make his death more comfortable? Who knows? Well, Armin left Bernd in the bath whilst he went into another room and read a Star Trek book. The idea was that Bernd would bleed out in the bath and then the next steps that they both previously agreed on, would be taken but again, things didn't quite go according to their plans.
After an hour of reading his Star Trek book, Armin thought it was the appropriate time to check on Bernd assuming by that time that he would be deceased, he was shocked to discover that Bernd was still alive, despite all of that tremendous blood loss, he was still conscious and alert. So he decided to leave him for a bit longer and when he returned, Bernd was still alive but was clearly fading in and out and after endless hours in the bath tub he requested to Armin that he be helped out as he could barely stand. As he tried to get out with Armin's help, he fell to the floor and continued to drift in and out of consciousness.
Yet more hours went by and Bernd was still alive, in and out of consciousness, moments when he would be alert and moments when he would be completely out of it. Armin appeared to be in a state of panic about what to do because all of their plans were not working out. In his mind, he would later say that he was in a state of panic because he had waited the majority of his life to live out his dream, his fantasy of finally getting to eat someone and then have them pass away and devour the remains. He claimed that he struggled between thinking about calling for an ambulance or just taking what was left of Bernd's life himself. In the recorded footage, investigators noted that Armin appeared to be very uncomfortable, stressed, confused and constantly walking back and forth, picking up a knife, putting it back down again, picking it back up, putting it down.
I wish I could say that all of this horror that you've just read was finally coming to an end and that Bernd died from the blood loss but sadly no, Armin gave up and cut his throat and more horror was to come. As the pair had agreed previously and all of these conversations and plans were all in evidence, Bernd was decapitated and his head was placed on a butcher's meat hook. Armin then cut open his body like he was about to perform an autopsy (again, all of this was recorded on camera) and removed his internal organs. The body was then cut in half and then sliced into chunks. Armin had a fascination with watching men in butcher shop windows as they carved up animal meat and had taken note of the tools they used and their cutting techniques. Armin slaughtered Bernd like he was a cow and organised the pieces of his flesh.
After all of this he cleaned himself up and the next part of the plan was to cook some of the remains. Armin said that he opted for a slice of Bernd's back and cooked that along with some potatoes, sprouts and red wine. This 'dinner' situation all took place at his dining room where he put on his best spread, lit some candles and used his best cutlery, almost like it was some sort of sick tribute but this was what they had agreed and the camera footage was to be, not only for Armin's pleasure (as he admitted later on to using it for masturbatory purposes) but it was his document of evidence that this gruesome arrangement was completely consensual on both parties.
(House of horrors, Armin Meiwes's home before it was destroyed by fire. Picture credit: AP News)Armin said that although he enjoyed the taste of the flesh it wasn't just about that, it was about Bernd becoming a part of him, he believed that eating his flesh would join them together for life. The rest of the remains were stored in a freezer and some were buried in his garden.
After this nightmare and having indulged his fantasy you would have hoped that it would have been the end for Armin, he'd done this sickening act, he murdered this guy and carried out this so-called fantasy but no, he was straight back on the internet looking for another opportunity to do all of it again. He became acquainted online with a student who was happy to be in conversation with Armin but soon became freaked out and contacted authorities.
It was clear that Armin's so-called fantasy was already out of control but the fact that he wanted to carry this on and have, who knows how many victims, is terrifying. It's also clear that these men were deeply disturbed. Bernd had cold feet and had to be doped up on pills and alcohol in order to go through with it. When the arrangement wasn't to plan and Bernd spent his last hours in agony bleeding to death, he should have abandoned the whole thing all together but he admitted himself that he did not want to stop for his own selfish reasons. He knew that if he was to call for an ambulance, he would be exposed and arrested, Bernd might have survived and the fantasy that they both claimed to have been dreaming about for years would have been destroyed. After alerted, authorities were on the scene and Armin's house of horror was searched from top to bottom, all the evidence there for the authorities to see, including the remains. The video tape was taken in and thoroughly studied frame by frame.
Armin was charged with murder and would have thought that would have been the end of it but the case proved to be a tricky as well as a disturbing one because Cannibalism is not classed as illegal in Germany plus they had the written/typed communication between Armin and Bernd as well as the videotape. They had Bernd on record agreeing to everything that took place and as sick as the whole thing was, he was reportedly enjoying what was happening to him but could that have been him delusional because his body was beyond pain? I can't imagine alcohol and sleeping pills having that much of a numbing affect if you've had your private parts cut off?
At the first sentencing, there was outrage because of the argument over consent and everything else, Armin was initially sentenced to only eight and a half years in 2004 but this was soon thrown out and after public outcry and another going over of the case, he was issued with a life sentence.
Armin has claimed in recent times that he regrets what happened and would never dream of doing such a thing again but is that the truth? He was so quick to get back online looking for another opportunity to do it again. He'd also been obsessed with all of this stuff since he was a young child and had admitted that he used the tape of that horrific set-up as a masturbatory aid. So he got off on the whole thing, that's what turned him on and he enjoyed it. If he was so regretful and horrified, he would have burned the tape and been full of remorse.
Armin is currently 63 years old and is still serving his sentence, various books have been written about him, many documentaries have been made and horror movies inspired by him. It's clear that the world continues to have this morbid fascination with him, not because anyone particularly likes what he did but because people cannot quite believe that such people exist among us, that there are people right now who are probably online somewhere having a conversation about fantasising about being eaten or eating other people, that men would contact another stranger on the internet with the promise of being 'slaughtered and butchered'. We face the frightening reality that such people exist amongst us and these guys are, on the other side of their lives, quite intelligent, successful men but this is how they get their kicks.
In April of 2023 Armin's name popped up in the headlines again but this time it was because of his house, someone had set fire to it and the property had been completely destroyed much to the delight of the locals. Apparently the house had become somewhat of macabre tourist attraction. The house had remained empty for years but some people would go and take selfies and the local community were sick and tired of it. What remained of the house was cleared away and the community is hoping that people will move on completely and forget.
I don't know what to say about Bernd, he seemed to be in such a messed up place in his life, the suicide of his mother and the rejection of his father leaving him to have this so-called ambition in life to be eaten and slaughtered by a stranger? It was a psychiatrist that man needed and it all seems such a shame. As for Armin, as much as I think that he prayed on vulnerable men online, his mother has a lot to answer for because ultimately she screwed him up. He didn't even know who he was as a person and the whole eating of other people's flesh because he wanted them to be a part of him speaks volumes of the legacy of being abandoned by his father, who is also to blame. One thinks of that significant memory that Armin speaks of when he recalls himself as a young child running behind his father's car trying to stop him from leaving. All of these things that happened to these men as children had a profound effect on their adult lives.
This was a very disturbing and complicated case to get though and I thank you for making it all the way through to this part. What are your thoughts about this shocking story? It's really difficult to understand and it all seems such a waste, could these men have been helped if they'd had the right mental health treatment? Thinking about what could have been if they hadn't have had such trauma in their childhoods?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below or in confidence at jocaledoniankitty@gmail.com
RIP Bernd Jurgen Brandes
Further Reading & Sources:
- Armin Meiwes: Article | The Guardian
- Cannibal | Book by Lois Jones
- The Most Bizarre Crimes Ever Told | Book by Jack Rosewood
- The Cannibal Killer | Book by Elijah Roberts
- Armin Meiwes: Article | Sky News
- Armin Meiwes: Article | London Evening Standard
- Armin Meiwes: Article | The Guardian
- Armin Meiwes: Article | The Independent
- Armin Meiwes: Article | New York Post
- Armin Meiwes: Article | AP News
Check out Newspapers.com and check out their incredible library of newspapers from decades ago right up until this very day.
This was a heavy case to get through and I hope you found it informative. You can find all of my socials here. I hope you will join me again in my next post, stay safe x
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