It feels like every week, society somehow finds a brand new rock bottom. One day it’s someone fighting a Walmart employee over expired Lunchables, the next it’s a Florida man trying to rob a gas station with an alligator. But every so often, a story comes along that makes even the most hardened true crime junkies pause mid scroll and mutter, “What in the actual hell did I just read?”
Unfortunately, this latest entry into our DISTURBING HEADLINES series drags us into one of society’s oldest and most deeply taboo subjects: necrophilia.
Reader discretion is heavily advised.
Fenris Lu, seen here in a Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office mugshot (source: Fox 10 Phoenix)
According to reports out of Arizona, 31-year-old Fenris Lu has been accused of breaking into the Maricopa County medical examiner’s office and allegedly engaging in sexual acts with multiple corpses inside the facility.
Authorities say officers with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office responded after reports of a possible burglary at the morgue. Security footage allegedly showed Lu opening 11 different body bags and having sexual contact with four deceased individuals.
During a search of the building, authorities reportedly located Lu inside the facility and took him into custody.
While court records have since been sealed, jail records obtained by KTAR indicate Lu was booked into the Maricopa County Jail on four counts of necrophilia, one count of burglary, one count of possessing burglary tools, one count of criminal damage, and one count of attempting to escape custody.
Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Dave Moyer released a brief statement regarding the investigation:
“Out of respect for those potentially impacted and to protect the integrity of the investigation, no additional details are being released at this time.”
And honestly, that may be for the best.
KPNX reports that Lu was scheduled to appear in court on May 20 but was not present because he was described as “high-profile and combative.” Prosecutors also stated during the hearing that family members connected to the victims are currently being notified about the incident, which somehow makes an already horrifying story even more heartbreaking.
According to KSAZ, Lu’s bond was set at $500,000, and his next court appearance is scheduled for May 29 as the investigation continues.
Cases involving necrophilia are rare, but they have long occupied a deeply unsettling corner of criminal history and horror culture alike. From exploitation cinema to real world serial offenders, the subject taps into a uniquely human fear surrounding death, bodily violation, and the idea that even in death, some people are still not safe from cruelty.
Still, behind the headlines, the shock value, and the grotesque details are real grieving families now forced to endure an unimaginable layer of trauma attached to their loved ones’ deaths.