E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSView more videos at: http://nbcnewyork.com.
NEW YORK -- A New York City police officer accused of plotting to kidnap and cannibalize women had been having dark fantasies since he was a teenager, but had no intention of ever turning those thoughts into reality, his attorney said at the start of his federal trial.
Attorney Julia Gatto also said Monday that Officer Gilberto Valle, who faces 20 years to life in prison if convicted, talked online about torturing his own wife and her female friends and colleagues.
What turns him on is "the idea of a woman -- oiled, bound, laid out on a platter with an apple in her mouth, about to be cooked," Gatto told jurors in opening arguments. "That's his dirty little secret."
She argued that Valle was engaged in online sexual fantasy role play involving a little-known Internet subculture where people with unconventional desires gather to act them out in cyberspace but with no intention of ever carrying out criminal acts.
"There are literally thousands and thousands of people doing the same thing, online, every day," she told jurors, saying that government investigators misunderstood what they found on his computer.
Federal prosecutors countered that Valle, who has pleaded not guilty, took the plot beyond fantasy and into real life when he "engaged in surveillance of some of the women he was targeting."
Prosecutors say Valle, 28, improperly accessed a federal law enforcement database to get information about one woman, and met a second woman -- a former classmate -- for brunch.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall Jackson also said Valle searched online for homemade recipes for chloroform to subdue victims and recipes for cooking human flesh.
"Make no mistake," Jackson told jurors. "Officer Valle was deadly serious."
Valle's estranged wife testified Monday that she placed web tracking software on the couple's computer last fall after she said he began acting strange. When asked what she discovered, she burst into tears.
Kathleen Mangan-Valle, 27, said she found pictures of herself and her female friends and colleagues, attached to emails her husband sent discussing extreme brutality and murder.
"I was going to be hung up by my feet and my throat slit," Mangan-Valle testified, choking back tears.
She said Valle also discussed kidnapping one of her friends and delivering her to a New Jersey mechanic for torture and murder. Another was to be "burned alive" and two more would be "raped in front of each other to heighten their terror," she added.
Mangan-Valle continued to cry as she quoted emails she said she found in which her husband discussed "driving a spit through their wombs over and over again."
"He kept saying the suffering was for his own enjoyment,'' she said, sobbing.
This story was originally published on Tue Feb 26, 2013 8:28 AM EST
Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.
Leave a Comment:
And just how did he pass the psychological exam?
Like they all do he scored below 75 on the I.Q. test. hit a target 6 out of 250 times and had his own dealer.
Amen. NY's "finest". And that ain't sayin' much.
I.A. Scooter Tramp. Morning, he did manage to get on the force, so probably got at least average, but zero in common sense!
Murderers can come from any sector, including professors, doctors,celebrities,military,actors, royalty, sports, rich, religious and lawyers. So, it shouldn't surprise us it is police.The defense claiming it is just a dark fantasy role playing also should not be a surprise. If the defendant planned his fantasy, selected his victims, even by breaking the law, went out and got the materials, met his victims and shared with another exactly how he intended to kill his victim, how is society supposed to trust he was only "role playing" and NOT actually going to kill his victim? Most role playing involves everyone knowing they are involved.Here, victims are left out of that loop but exposed to all the dangers without permission.
After all, he has done the same steps a real life murderer would have done. Mimicking what a murder does, except the final stage, is in fact acting like a murderer. Posing the same threat to the victim, and using them. With the very real literal potential to actually take the final step.
For society does not know, if murderers are in face role players who proved to be unable to stop themselves in time to back down. Having in fact fantasized countless times killing another person.Long before they take the final step. Like the defense says, if it walks like a babe, talks like a dame and looks like a doll, well it must surely be a flame broiled wild salmon with a twist of lemon! Anybody want a slice of lovely breast meat.....or tender thigh? Made the candy ginger sauce myself!
EMMA 3; agree , the screening process for NY city law officers must be really bad; this guy is a total nut case, and his Lawyer admits to the jury, he has been a nut case all his life, there is something really wrong with the system; (l.a. cops shoot up car of paper delivery lady, New York, several wounded by gunfire from cops, etc.)
Not surprised he's NYPD...... half the time they ARE the problem. Can't tell you how many times I've walked passed an officer texting as someone is pissing on the street 20 feet away. Disgraceful and lazy.
While I agree with all of you (cops are lazy, and this guy is SUPER sick), I am not sure they will have enough to convict. This is just the rational side of me talking, but the emails are covered by free speech, and even if he met with one, or more of the women, that is also not enough to prove that he was intending to carry out his fantasies. If, on the other hand, he bought material to further the plan, or actually created the homemade chloroform, then it would be an easy verdict of "guilty". There is already no question that he is guilty of unauthorized use of a law enforcement database.
In other words, being a sick F, is not criminal, but if you take actual actions on it, then it is another story.
Off the pig. If this had been an Arab dude researching how to make bombs, he'd never see the light of day again. It's time to stop pretending that cops don't commit crimes, and that they're not held to a lower standard.
Prosecution for fantasy? Wow. We need to be careful what we are unleashing here as a precedent.
I know I know...I think the guy's twisted and off the wall and possibly dangerous too and his fantasies repel me to no end, BUT...he didn't actually harm anyone and that is the test in the final analysis.
Conspiracy to commit...maybe. Very dangerous territory here. Thought crimes. Caution, I say. I'm open to argument on this one to be sure.
He needs some serious counseling intervention no matter what.
Nope. Prosecution for stalking.
@denver bill 2, he is not even charged with stalking. He is only charged with one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping, which requires that you show proof that he furthered the plan of action, and with misuse of a law enforcement database. Just meeting a woman probably does not substantiate the conspiracy charge, and certainly is not stalking.
No doubt this guy is a real sicko, but the case is tenuous, at best, unless new evidence comes out that he he took steps to actually put this plan into action.
Enma3- Your question is worthless!!! I previously said on another post when it also invloved a police officer doing these type of things...There will always be psychos getting through/past that so called "Exam"!!! And you agree Saxon with Enam3?!?! Ignorance & or naiveness is greater than I thought!!! Also like I've said about our male minds that we are "wired" @!$%#ED up (as this and many other stories prove my point!!!) and that is just an unfortunate fact!!! Just remeber me when you hear the next sick & twisted incident commited by a male, cop or not just the fact that he will be a male which commits a horrendous crime. So again, NO exam will weed out the crazies just the complete dumb ass psychos that werent smart enough to pass it in the first place, now if those guys got through the exam then I would be worried!!
Who executed the psychological? Apparently he is sick and demented. Again people, it's time to learn; STOP putting your information on the internet, stay off social media if your are doing things, that you want and should be clandestine. It's a no brainer, when you put your personal thoughts and actions on the internet, you are forfeiting your right to privacy. I don't think they have a case for the fantasies, but using the police computer to gather facts for personal use appears to be his crime. Everything is traceable on the net. old school is what works, meet people in the park or a bar and talk face to face.
Anyone with half a brain can pass the psychological exam.... It is easy to answer what you know they want to hear and keep your answers consistant when asked the same question that is worded a different way throughout the exam.
Wow, only one comment so far... Apparently until he actually eat a woman, its not news worthy..
well i.....nope....wont go there......
You already did.
Actually guys, 48.3% of women in America are battered at some point. And I've been eating mine plain for all these years.
Sirlafalot, you made me laugh out loud! Excellent pun! Thanks
Old joke
The problem with certain fantasies is that sooner or later just the mental images are not sufficient and some people will need to act out on this @!$%#.
Yeah, we all have fantasies. Every time I buy a lottery ticket, I fantasize about how I would live if I won. But this garbage about violence against women and putting women on a spit? That's just totally @!$%#ed up. This guy needs to be in a prison mental hospital. At least. Keep him away from the rest of humanity.
well he did join to protect and serve so.....he got it half right.
Wow, one sick guy. Convicted or not woman would be wise to stay away from this sicko.
This boy is sick, lock him up for good before he actually do something.
Future-crime?
Omg! To think there are sick bastards like that out there. That poor woman. Her husband that was supposed to love and protect her..sick!
Ahh DeeDee!!! Dont be so naive!!! Unfortunately our world is full of these guys!!! Just be careful, it could be a neighbor of yours, I wouldnt trust most males if I were a female cuz thats just the way it is. Be safe ladies!!
I agree everyone has 'fantasies' but most are not about 'the dark side of life'. With this type of fantasy, there is a high probable chance the person may in fact act it out in real life. But this is definitely a mental issue. No one with any right mind, sits around thinking about doing these terrible things. If he is convicted, he will probably not get much time to serve, so when he gets out he will have a lot more horrible fantasies.
Unless there is evidence that he actually made preparations to carry out this fantasy there is no case. Otherwise this is no more a plot to kill and eat a person than any of many gruesome and bizarre stories and movies are to actually commit those acts. There have always been descriptions of shocking crimes, from the writings of Edgar Allen Poe to the Hostel and Human Centipede movies. Surely the writers of those stories did research to make their plot more realistic too. The only difference is that the cop did his writing in a special website instead of publishing in the mass media.
No case perhaps, but at the very least, his fantasies - about "slow cooking" a bound woman while she's alive, and eating her, indicate that he should not in any way continue to be a police officer.
Since he hasn't actually committed the murders that I believe he was about to do, let's put him away in a mental institution for the rest of his life. He definitely needs to be removed from society forever.
When he gets out of jail his Union will get him his job back.
If his "fantasy" was to harm a federal employe he would be in Gitmo.
Funny.... in all these mass shootings- and horrible other types of crimes, everyone says "If only someone could have spotted the signs beforehand"... or "Why couldn't someone have stopped this?" Well, folks- here's a prime example of catching someone BEFORE they had a chance to carry out their crimes- and what do we do???? DEFEND HIM!
No.... we'd rather wait until he's killed a bunch of people, then wring our hands and bemoan our system for not stopping him BEFORE he comitted his crimes.
Oh, and cry for more gun control.
Give me a break.
Wes- Well posted!!!
We all know that a defense attorney will concoct any story and lie with authority in an attempt to exonerate a suspect, and will do it all for MONEY. Lawyers should be limited to patent inquiries and copyright infringement cases.
Holy crap, what a sick, twisted f*ck!! Lock him up and throw away the key. No norman functioning member of society fantasizes about this. I feel bad for his wife and her friends.
As a man thinks, so he becomes.
spayneuteryourpets- True true!!!
News flash here : not all lazy, sicko cops are in New York or any other major city. They are everywhere.
I live in a small town that is like those written about in creepy novels. I know first hand that the chief is a lying sociopath. I suspect most of the force are not to be trusted at any time in any circumstances.
The next time one shows up on my porch uninvited and unannounced, he better have an ironclad warrant in his hand.
Hey jkatze- We think alike or better said know better!!! It is unfortunate but very true!!! Sickos, cops or not are every where!!! Hence my previous postings. Stock up on some ammo out there, sounds like you would need it way out there before any "sane" cops or help got to you. Hell, if they would beleive you is another story!! Take care out there!!
There are plenty of mental defectives in every law enforcement agency. The narcissists and power trippers are drawn to that job likes flies to manure.
Maybe instead of asking if you want to have sex with animals on their background checks they should ask if you have fantasies about killing people....
Since when can you prosecute someone for what they are thinking? I can understand the accessing the records part but trying to convict someone for thinking about or writing about a crime doesn't make them a criminal. This guy is definitely whacked but I don't think that is a crime. Otherwise I know loads of people that should be in jail.
Ahh Bob- I can say true about what youre saying!!! I too know some that would be in jail for their thoughts!! But in this case here, according to reports, this guy started acting on his sickness which I beleive he was about to do, so for this cock sucker...GUILTY!!!
So, Bob- with that mentality, we'd better quit asking how to prevent mass killings, for until they actually commit their acts of violence, we are powerless to do anything to stop it. Let's just take all the guns away from the law abiding, normal thinking mentally healthy citizens and quit worrying about stopping crimes before they occur. Because until you commit the crime, you are guilty of nothing.
As long as we have that mentality, we will have mass killings in schools and theaters and churches.
You can't have it both ways.
....so this guy's fantasy's are sick, but LGBTS's fantasy's are normal......yeah right......
It is scary to think of where this kind of prosecution could lead. However, if someone said they were going to blow up a building, looked up how to make their own c4, and was seen inspecting the building site, id say you would have a pretty good case.
This is a huge win for the individuals that tracked and exposed him. Thankfully, he will never have the pleasure of going through with his fantasy. Even if he is found Not Guilty, or gets back out onto the streets, they'll watch closely so that he won't be capable to go through with any of it.
There is a line between fantasy and reality. Once you cross that line, it is difficult to go back. It sounds to me like he has a serious psychological problem. A fetish is a fetish, and people with fetishes often cannot help it, but actually wanting to kill people is creepy & dangerous. This should be a warning sign for any woman who wants to do anything with him. He needs professional help.
All actions are born from thought, It was only a matter of time. And being a cop would have only assisted him in his sick endeavors.