He confessed to murder, necrophilia, and cannibalism and then walked free. Discover the horrifying true story of Issei Sagawa and the Paris crime that shocked the world.

In 1981, Paris became the backdrop for one of the most infamous true crime cases in history.

Issei Sagawa, a Japanese graduate student at the Sorbonne, murdered and cannibalized his classmate, Renée Hartevelt, a 25-year-old Dutch student. Over several days, he consumed portions of her body before attempting to dispose of her remains in the Bois de Boulogne.

But the horror didn’t end there. Despite confessing in detail to murder, necrophilia, and cannibalism, Sagawa was declared legally insane in France and later released in Japan, never serving a day in prison.

In this episode of Chasing the Dark, we explore:

• The obsessive mind of Issei Sagawa

• How he stalked and murdered his victim

• The gruesome act of cannibalism that shocked the world

• And the international legal failures that let a confessed killer walk free

This is a story of obsession, darkness, and injustice, and a reminder that sometimes, the monster doesn’t hide.

Listener discretion is strongly advised.

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Show Notes & Sources

Sources for this episode include:

• French police investigation and court records (1981–1983)

• Psychiatric evaluations in France and Japan

• Contemporary reporting: Le Monde, The New York Times, The Japan Times

• Interviews with Issei Sagawa (1985–2013)

• Memoir: In the Fog (霧の中) by Issei Sagawa

• Sorbonne University enrollment and academic records

• Legal analysis of international jurisdiction and extradition limitations

• Biographical records of Renée Hartevelt from archives and news reporting

• Criminal psychology and forensic studies on paraphilic and cannibalistic offenders