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Editor’s note: This story contains graphic details.
A man known to stroll his California neighborhood dressed as a woman has been accused of cooking the flesh and bones of his 73-year-old murdered wife.
According to police in Oceanside, north of San Diego, Anna Faris was found dead in her home at 11:10 a.m. Friday after neighbors reported a foul odor coming from the residence.
When officers went inside the home, they said they found the dismembered remains of the deceased woman cooking in pans in the couple's kitchen.
The heat was still on when authorities gained entrance to the residence, according to a complaint read by Katherine Flaherty, deputy district attorney with the County of San Diego.
See more stories at NBCSanDiego.com
Investigators also found Faris' head in the freezer and a workbench used for the mutilation in the bathroom. Near the workbench was a saw, a boning knife, other cutting instruments and pieces of bone in a plastic bag.
Flaherty said there was no evidence of cannibalism.
Detectives said they located the woman’s husband, 68-year-old Frederick Hengl, in downtown Oceanside Friday. He voluntarily went with officers for questioning.
“After a brief conversation, police realized he was in the process of dismembering his wife’s body,” Flaherty said.
NYC cannibal case tests lines of fantasy, threat
Prosecutors believe Hengl killed his wife on or between Nov. 1 and 16.
In court on Wednesday, he pleaded not guilty to three charges filed against him, including first-degree murder and committing an unlawful act with human remains. His bail was set at $5 million.
Police said they’re familiar with the couple, but hadn’t been to the residence recently on calls of domestic violence.
However neighbors told NBC 7 on Friday that the couple was known for some unusual tendencies.
“The husband is actually known for dressing up like a woman and walking around the neighborhood. It's just a permanent fixture, I guess. It doesn't freak us out anymore,” said resident Jason Chandler. “[The wife] stands out here with a knife and she takes her clothes off out here on the corner.”
“She always carried around a knife. Just really weird; hostile,” recalled neighbor Eric Chavez.
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Bizzare to say the least, totally sicko. I'm begining to think of California as one big phunny farm.
"Flaherty said there was no evidence of cannibalism."
Well, there's hope.
Sorry, it is usually Florida in the headlines, not California.
This story makes me want to just dig into my Thanksgiveing dinner.
What side dish do you serve with cooked wife ? Also red or white wine ?
As a person who recently moved OUT of California, that is one screwed up state with a LOT of screwed up people. Blatant homosexuals, cross-dressers, all calling themselves normal, as this guy probably did.
Like this only happens in California? Ever hear of Ed Gein or Jeffery Dahmer? That was in Wisconsin! How about Herman Webster Mudgett (aka Dr. H. H. Holmes) his main hunting ground was Chicago?
They don't bother anymore to put the Chicago murders on the news anymore as nobody can count that high. This whole country is losing it............
For Bill 765872: I think White wine and I also have a killer recipe for dressing to go with.
Sorry folks just couldn't resist.
My wife wouldn't cook! Had to eat her raw!
Can't we just leave the mentally ill alone? They aren't hurting anyone dressed as the opposite sex, or dressed in only a knife standing on a corner, or evading funeral costs.
(jesus, sometimes we just have to give the local police some credit for not having a complete mental breakdown. By the time they arrive home, I'm sure their spouses have long stopped asking, "How was your day, dear?")
Yes. There are cases where the police go into shock. Sadly, you don't want to go hugging your local police. They aren't supposed to let you.
And who can blame them? It would even be difficult to say, "Look, I'm not crazy, I just want to give you a hug."
Right, they'd buy that.
I would suggest fava beans and a fine quinte (sp?)
Robin Steele--- it's Chianti, for chrissake!!
What's with everybody cooking their wives lately? Newest culinary craze?
WTF is wrong with people? It keeps getting worse and worse. What's next?
Just take the bastard out in the street and shoot him in the head. End of problem. And yes, let all those weirdos that vote for someone like Obama and Pelosi watch. Maybe they will learn something.
Congrats alan. You must be so proud of both your IQ points.
He sounds right at home in California
People, get a grip. Calif. has more residents than Canada and many other nations as well. Hence, there will be more sick people there than in, say, Andorra. There are sick people in all 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico. Those states with the most people will have the most sick people. The population is increasing, so there will be more sick people doing sick things, but most of us are not sick and do not dismember other people or go about in clothing inappropriate to our gender. And yes, Timothy1Mil, it is shocking, but we do have many "blatantly homosexual" people in our nation, and some of them have been known to behave as strangely as some of our country's blatantly heterosexual people. Take a deep breath everyone and try to bear in mind that, as they say, planes that crash make bigger news than all the others that land safely.
Actually, we haven't had a cannibal in a while in this state.. TX, FL, OH have all had their episodes.. but this is the first of this nature here in generations. We were well past due for a true crazy to surface... of course, I think Charlie Manson still graces one of our maximum security prisons...
I used to love her, but I had to cook her.
And I can still hear her complain !
Gee whiz, and they wonder why we get nervous when all the Californians want to move up here? Sorry but if I see a old crazy hag undressing on the corner with a knife, she would have been nice and safe in jail. Likewise for that freak husband of hers. Sure, when you see something that aberrant most normal people would call the police maybe? In California, no one thinks to call the police over glaring cases of mental illness, but they call for a bad smell??? And because no one thought those people were abnormal enough, one's dead and the other looks totally confused about it. Way to go, neighbors. Well done.
Annie, thank you for the correction , but that was kind of rude. I have a rule about that ;). Spell check will take you but so far, and I don't much care for wine, or whine for that matter.
@Robin... if you don't know how to spell it, don't tell the "joke". Grammar police can be annoying, but even worse are the people who can't differentiate between they're, their and there; who toss in apostrophes at random places where they never belong; and who tell "jokes" without even bothering to Google it to make sure they spell it correctly!
I don't get what him cross dressing has to do with the fact he murdered and cooked his wife. Apparently this was a regular ocurrance, the dressing up thing not the cooking his wife.
What they left out of this article is that the wife used to stand naked on the street corner wielding knives. At least that was what was in the previous article to this one.
Allllll rightythen....
Ya think? Wonder how long into the "brief conversation" they were before police had this epiphany?
Well at least if they make a movie about this case, John Hurt could play this guy without any makeup! The resemblance is scary in that pic in the article.
I wonder if he is related to Jeffrey Dahmer.
"“After a brief conversation, police realized he was in the process of dismembering his wife’s body,” Flaherty said.
Ya think? Wonder how long into the "brief conversation" they were before police had this epiphany?"
I would have hoped they had figured it out BEFORE they even talked to him.
How unfair it is that such people don't get the same healthcare, housing and mobile phone as me. How dare I not want to have my hard earned wages taken away to make this injustice go away. Of course such productive California Obamaphone voters are entitled to everything I work my rear off for. Vote Obama. It's easier than working.
Miaw, what has your rant got anything to do with this article? Do you just want to rant and share your stupidity or what? No where does it state in this article about the things you are ranting about. Get a clue for God's sakes.
Miaw, you look at life through an extremely bitter lens. That is a crazy rant.
To.Miaw""""
What is wrong with you people ...you still ain't one of the 1 % and never will be ...
The Obama Phone?
Updated on Nov. 5, 2009
Q: Has the Obama administration started a program to use "taxpayer money" to give free cell phones to welfare recipients?
A: No. Low-income households have been eligible for discounted telephone service for more than a decade. But the program is funded by telecom companies, not by taxes, and the president has nothing to do with it.
FULL QUESTION
Welfare recipients, and others, can receive a free cell phone, but the program is not funded by the government or taxpayer money, as the e-mail alleges. And it’s hardly new.
How It Works
(snip)
The SafeLink program has actually been offering cell phones to low-income households in some states since 2008, not beginning "earlier this year," as the e-mail claims. But the program is rooted in a deeper history.
The president has no direct impact on the program, and one could hardly call these devices "Obama Phones," as the e-mail author does. This specific program, SafeLink, started under President George Bush, with grants from an independent company created under President Bill Clinton, which was a legacy of an act passed under President Franklin Roosevelt, which was influenced by an agreement reached between telecommunications companies and the administration of President Woodrow Wilson.
Wilson Phones, anyone?
http://www.factcheck.org/2009/10/the-obama-phone/
The free phone, now sometimes called the Obama phone, is funded by taxes on every person who actually pays for phone service. Get it? It is paid for by our taxes on our phone service and has greatly expanded in the last few years. Hence the name "Obama phone" fairly named or not.
For christ's sake, can you sore loosers get over politicising everything and blaming persident Obama? It makes you all look like idiots.
Fawna.... we capitalize Christ....its losers not loosers....and are you making a statement or asking a question? You really shouldn't call people loosers and idiots....its that whole 'glass house' and 'pot calling the kettle black' thing.....
I know, I know..... I'm nitpicking...I could not help myself.
Welcome to Mexifornica.
The guy is white, what does Mexico have to do with that?
That sound, oddly, sexual.
I never envy the job of the police officer who has to walk in on THAT.
How terrible.
mmmm..... pass the turkey please
I gotta stay away from headlines like this when I first log on
To Rontron and TimothyMil: Pretty ACCURATE evaluations of california, especially Southern California. HolyMackeroly, This place would make Sigmond Freud Hire a HUGE Staff Just to Cope.....
I don't understand some bloggers comments on this story.
Maybe every user should be required to put their real name and city & state on their comments. I bet a lot of the nonsense would slow way down. It's real easy to say stupid things when your anonymous.
Bill Davis
Stanton, ND
Is that your real picture?
need a tissue?
Honey Booboo
Trailer Park, AL
Doug-
Yep that's my real picture. I'm a gun toting, cigar smoking poodle. By the way... is that YOUR real picture?
Henry-
Nope. No tissue needed. I don't cry for the stupid commenter's on here. Also, seems your having an identity crises. First your Uncle Henry and now claim to be a little chubby girl. I'm confused because you and Doug are twins according to your pictures.
My name's Doug Stouffer. I live in East Greenwich RI. I'm not enough in love with myself to post a picture. I comment how I want, when I want on here. I've never owned a gun, I don't need one any more than you do, Bill.
Are we both heroes now?
Doug-
Sure we are.
I don't know you personally so I have no need to attack you in any manner. Just like everyone else, your stating your opinion on this article.
My comment was to the writers who go out of their way to show indifference to a tragedy by making it the butt of jokes and then magically trying to sell it as being something to do with politics.
This story is just a sad situation of mental illness and criminal behaviour. Nothing more, nothing less.
You and your family have a happy thanksgiving. I mean that.
Lighten up there. If you think this dark humor is bad, try being in combat for 13 months with a bunch of jarheads trying to get by.
the article doesnt mention it but do we know if the suspect, while de-boning his wife, was wearing osha approved safety glasses? ive had bone in my eye before its no picnic.
Next season on American Horror Story........ That is just twisted beyond belief.
I'd sure hate to live next to these people. You just have to wonder if this is his first case of "cooking at home".
40, 50 years of drug and alcohol abuse. Its an everyday occurence folks. Society is getting more and more bizarre. Just wait until the effects of cell phone use start showing. Think not? More money spent to hide the facts than you can imagine. Now that the whackos have an entirely new idea to play with, we'll start seeing spouses in backyard barbecues, cooking shows, diet plans. Some Republican Congressman wanting to make it a law that you can cook and eat your spouse. Just a matter of time.....
Do you suppose the wife NEVER saw this coming?
The wife didn't see that saw.
What's up with all you whiteys wanting to cook your love ones and eat them?
Stop trying to race bait troll.
The other white meat
Race card...Politically correct...Anything else we can do for you folks?
I heard when the husband was questioned by the cops he said - "It tastes like chicken."
Statement of facts: Bizarre murders have occured in all fifty states.
Telephone payment assistance, called LifeLine Act, has been around since 1984. LifeLine was amended in 2006 to include cell phones.
According to RWNJs, anything they don't approve of is the work of Obama.
I have never understood why it is that some men who enjoy impersonating women also persist in wearing facial hair: Surely there's some aspect to it that I don't get (nor do I especially want to).
When I read stuff like this, I wonder if the Mayan's could be right?
The question is, do you cook it breast up or breast down?
Breast down, in a large crock pot. Quarter about six jumbo spanish onions. Place them in the pot first. Add one wife. Mix two cups chicken base with two cups Worcestershire sauce. Pour that over the wife. Add a little basil, oregano, thyme, and two cans of diced tomatoes. Dice six stalks of celery and about three pounds of baby carrots. Put this in the pot on top of everything else, sprinkle a little Old Bay over it. Cover and cook on medium heat for about ten hours. Serve with red wine. (Beer for those of you in red states).
How do people like this make enough not to be homeless? In California no less.
The house is only a few blocks from the beach and one block from City Hall. Houses there cost in the $400,000.00 range. I know the area. Rentals are expensive too. I was wondering how they paid for it also. (?) I read where he worked at Home Depot. Guess that's where he got the "tools".
He must have thought she was a real turkey.
Why is being a cross dresser relevant? Someone has watched too many movies.
It's not. Murder has become so common that they feel the need to add something to it to get people interested enough to click the page. I personally came here simply to say that him being a cross-dresser is completely irrelevant and real journalism is almost dead.
Cross-dressing itself isn't an indication of mental illness, but someone who walks around dressed as a woman in public while clearly making no effort to mask his masculinity is a little odd. That can sometimes be seen as a method of self-castigation, kind of like when Dad used to put diapers on his six-year-old and make them go that way outside for crying (being a baby!!!) It was clear from the neighbor's remarks that they knew the couple was peculiar (but not this peculiar). Again, it would very much surprise me if a cross-dressing husband and a knife-wielding woman practicing indecent exposure commonly would survive anywhere else without a couple trips to the psych ward to be evaluated. But in CA, apparently it's fine to act mentally ill and have no one care enough to contact the police. Or maybe the police didn't care enough to follow up on it. Who knows?? All I know is, please stay there.
No evidence at all.
Evidence of cannibalism would be parts of the corpse missing or perhaps some pieces with bite marks on them. Maybe they found all of the pieces of his wife.
A member of the LBGT's - go figure! {:-(}