'Cannibal cop': Police officer accused of plotting to kidnap, rape and eat women demands names of 20-plus suspected cannibal conspirators

Gilberto Valle's defence team say they need the names of his alleged co-conspirators so that it can conduct its pre-trial investigation

Gilberto Valle

A New York police officer accused of planning to kidnap, rape and eat women has demanded the names of the 20-plus suspected cannibals he is alleged to have plotted his attacks with.

Police say they possess thousands of emails and instant-messages sent and received by Gilberto Valle, in which he and others talk about their violent sexual fantasies.

Thus far, however, police have released only three names of alleged co-conspirators – Michael Vanhise, ‘Moody Blues’ and ‘Ali Khan’.

The New York Post reported public defender Julia Gatto as saying: “Three weeks before trial, the defence needs to firmly know the identity of Mr Valle’s alleged co-conspirators so that it can conduct its pre-trial investigation. “

She added: “Indeed, effective trial preparation could uncover facts critical to Mr Valle’s defence in that the individuals with whom Mr Valle was chatting likely will corroborate that they were engaging in fantasy role play with no intention of acting on their fantasies.'

Valle was originally reported to police by his estranged wife, who found internet messages detailing plans to kidnap, rape, cook and eat 100 female victims.

Police found the names of potential victims on a list, and a number of files on Valle’s computer, including one titled ‘Abducting and Cooking Victim I: A Blueprint’.

The document reportedly listed chloroform and rope as required materials, and explained how to fit an adult body into an oven.

In exchanges with his alleged conspirators, Valle is said to have expressed a desire to cook one of his named victims particularly slowly – “tying her onto some form of apparatus” and trying to “keep her alive as long as possible”.

There were also apparently descriptions of Valle’s wish to eat “girl meat” on Thanksgiving.

Valle’s defence team maintains the exchanges were little more than fantasies and point out that no women were hurt.

However, the FBI have established that women known to Valle appear on the list potential victims, and say two of them reported being “stalked in an intimidating way” by him.

Valle pleaded not guilty to all charges, including illegally accessing the National Criminal Database to search out potential victims.

He has been held without bail and if convicted faces life imprisonment.