Miami cannibal attacker high on bath salts?
A naked man shot and killed by Miami police on Saturday when he reportedly refused to stop eating the face of another man wearing only a shirt may have been high on bath salts. Police have theorized that the "cannibal man," Rudy Eugene, may have been hallucinating as a result of a drug-induced mania, according to reports.
This story has been updated.
A naked man shot and killed by Miami police on Saturday when he reportedly refused to stop eating the face of another man wearing only a shirt may have been high on bath salts.
Police have theorized that the "cannibal man," Rudy Eugene, may have been hallucinating as a result of a drug-induced mania, according to reports.
Eugene may have suffered from an overdose of bath salts, which some have described as the "new LSD" and are pushed as having properties similar to cocaine and methamphetamine on users, reports said. The drug causes the body to heat up, making some people strip off their clothes, the Miami Herald reported.
The sale of bath salts has been banned in 20 states, including Pennsylvania, which also makes it illegal to possess bath salts.
Gov. Corbett said at a bill-signing ceremony in June 2011 that without the ban, bath salts and other synthetic drugs could have developed into "the most dangerous drug crisis since methamphetamine labs" popped up across the state.
Editor's note:
The commenters below have made some good points about there being a difference between bath salts and LSD. We've edited this story to try to make that clear.
Also, here are a few links to stories that breakdown the differences and provide details on what bath salts actually are.
-Josh Cornfield, assistant city editor
Contact Michael Hinkelman at 215-854-2656 or hinkelm@phillynews.com or follow on Twitter @MHinkelman.