A man who identified as a cannibal carried out a gruesome act by killing, dismembering, and cooking his friend’s body parts, including his brain with butter. The perpetrator, Peter Bryan, transformed a serene London residence into a nightmarish crime scene when he brutally murdered 43-year-old Brian Cherry, claiming it was part of a “voodoo ritual.” Police were horrified to find evidence of the heinous act, including brain tissue in a frying pan at the scene. This shocking incident occurred shortly after Bryan’s release from a secure mental health facility in 2004.
The chilling series of events began in 1993 when Bryan, then 23, fatally attacked 20-year-old Nisha Sheth with a hammer at a West London clothing store. Despite being diagnosed as a schizophrenic with violent tendencies, he was deemed to have diminished responsibility and was placed in a secure psychiatric hospital. Over time, doctors believed his condition had improved, eventually leading to his supervised release into the community, a decision that would have fatal consequences.
In 2004, Bryan resided in a hostel in East London and befriended Brian Cherry. However, this friendship took a horrifying turn when Bryan brutally murdered Cherry in his flat, dismembering his body and cooking his brain. Bryan nonchalantly admitted to the act when confronted by authorities, stating his desire to taste human flesh.
Subsequently, Bryan was transferred to the secure hospital Broadmoor for treatment and later committed another brutal assault on another patient, Richard Loudwell. As a result of his crimes, Bryan was handed multiple life sentences with the judge ruling that he should never be released due to his extreme danger to society.
Investigations into the case exposed a series of oversights, lack of communication, and misguided assessments that jeopardized public safety.