Idaho Woman Contacts a Cannibal for Research Paper. Then, She Receives a Friend Request From Her Subject. ‘This is Like a Deer Interviewing a Lion’
Idaho Woman’s Research on Cannibal Leads to Unsettling Friend Request
An Idaho woman, researching cannibalism for a college paper, contacted a convicted cannibal for an interview. To her shock, she later received a Facebook friend request from the subject, a man serving time for murder and cannibalism. The woman, who remains anonymous, described the experience as “like a deer interviewing a lion.”
She had reached out to the inmate, Kevin, via a prison correspondence service to gather firsthand accounts for her academic work. After a series of letters and a phone call, she thought the interaction was over. Then, the friend request appeared. “I felt a chill,” she said. “This wasn’t just an academic exercise anymore.”
Key details from the incident:
- Research purpose: The woman was writing a paper on the psychology of cannibalism.
- Contact method: She used a prison pen-pal program to initiate correspondence.
- The request: The inmate found her personal social media profile and sent a friend request.
- Reaction: The woman declined the request and expressed deep unease, noting the “predator-prey” dynamic.
The incident highlights the unexpected dangers of academic research involving violent criminals, where digital boundaries can be easily crossed. The woman has since tightened her online privacy settings and advises other researchers to never use personal accounts when contacting incarcerated subjects.