Miami cannibal attack

Last updated
Miami cannibal attack
Omni night skyline.jpg
Arts & Entertainment District neighborhood, where the attack took place.
Location Miami, Florida, United States
Coordinates 25°47′14″N80°11′12″W / 25.78728°N 80.18656°W / 25.78728; -80.18656 (West terminus of the MacArthur Causeway in Miami, Florida)
DateMay 26, 2012 (2012-05-26)
1:55 – 2:13 p.m. (EDT)
Attack type
Cannibalistic
Deaths1 (the perpetrator, shot)
Injured1 (Ronald Poppo, bitten)
PerpetratorRudy Eugene

On May 26, 2012, Rudy Eugene attacked and maimed Ronald Poppo, a homeless man, on the MacArthur Causeway in Miami, Florida. During the 18-minute filmed encounter, Eugene accused Poppo of stealing his Bible, beat him unconscious, removed his pants, and bit off most of Poppo's face above his beard (including his left eye), leaving him blind in both eyes. [1] As a result of the incident's shocking nature and subsequent worldwide media coverage, Eugene came to be dubbed the "Miami Zombie" and the "Causeway Cannibal." [2] The attack ended when Eugene was fatally shot by an officer of the Miami Police Department.

Contents

Although friends and family filled in details of Eugene's life, the reason for the attack remains unclear. Eugene, 31, employed at a car wash at the time, was divorced and had a series of petty criminal arrests from age 16, with the last in 2009. While police sources speculated that the use of a street drug like "bath salts" might have been a factor, [3] experts expressed doubt, since toxicology reports were only able to identify small amounts of marijuana in Eugene's system, leaving the ultimate cause of his behavior unknown. [4] Poppo, 65, a graduate of Manhattan's Stuyvesant High School, was homeless and had long been presumed dead by his estranged family.

Attack

On the morning of May 26, 2012, 31-year-old Rudy Eugene drove to Miami Beach, Florida, to Urban Beach Week. [5] After spending 30–40 minutes at the site, as filmed on security video in and around the car, [5] he abandoned it around noon and began to cross the 3-mile-long (4.8 km) span of the MacArthur Causeway, stripping himself of his clothing and disposing of his driver's license as he advanced westward, according to eyewitnesses. [6] His vehicle was eventually discovered and towed by Miami Beach police. Inside the car, police discovered a Bible and five empty water bottles, which they believed had been recently consumed. [5]

Eugene, who eventually became completely naked, discarding even his shoes and his Bible at the crime scene, [5] encountered 65-year-old Ronald Poppo at approximately 1:55 pm. Poppo had been lying underneath the elevated Metromover people mover viaduct when Eugene began to pummel him, strip him of his pants, and bite his face. The attack unfolded at the west end of the MacArthur Causeway, near the headquarters of The Miami Herald in the Arts & Entertainment District neighborhood of Downtown Miami. [7] It was at first believed that neither Eugene nor Poppo [2] knew the other before their encounter, until a July 2012 publication revealed that Eugene had met Poppo while working for the homeless community of Miami. [8] A passing cyclist, Larry Vega, came upon the scene and alerted authorities via 9-1-1. [9] A few minutes later, Miami Police Department officer Jose Ramirez [10] arrived and, after doing a double take at the spectacle, [11] warned Eugene to desist from attacking Poppo. Eugene ignored the officer's warnings and, instead, reportedly growled at him, then resumed biting his victim. [9] The attack ended at 2:13 pm with Officer Ramirez shooting Eugene once at first, which proved ineffective, and then another four times. The ordeal was captured by a security camera on The Miami Herald building. [12] Surveillance video shows that the attack continued for 18 minutes before help arrived. [11]

Aftermath

Poppo was admitted to Jackson Memorial Hospital in critical condition, with 75–80% of his face above the beard missing [9] [11] and his left eye gouged out. [13] He underwent facial reconstruction surgeries that took months to complete, but he remained permanently disfigured and blind. [14] To help with the costs, a fund was set up and has collected $100,700 since July 17, 2012. [15] Poppo spoke to police, whom he thanked for saving his life, on July 19, explaining that Eugene, whom he hardly knew, approached him in a friendly manner but then, complaining he couldn't "score" at the beach and "souped up on something," started to talk about how they were going to die, accused Poppo of stealing his Bible, and, suddenly and without provocation, attacked and strangled him with wrestling holds, and then "plucked out" both his eyes. [16]

Poppo lost his eyebrows, his nose, parts of his forehead and cheek, and his left eye, and was left totally blind due to the damage to his remaining right eye. [17] He underwent numerous surgeries to repair the damage to his face. After rehabilitation, he put on 50 pounds (23 kg), and relearned how to dress, eat, shower, and shave. He was granted permission to stay at the medical facility indefinitely. [18]

Inconclusive toxicology-investigation

Although the autopsy revealed no human flesh in Eugene's stomach, a number of undigested pills were discovered that have not been identified. [19] Although police sources had speculated that the street drug "bath salts" might have been involved, preliminary toxicology reports were positive only for the presence of cannabis. [5] [20] Authorities did not necessarily find the negative results conclusive; Broward County Sheriff Al Lamberti expressed a belief that some new drug not yet tested for played a role, while nationally noted toxicologist Barry Logan said Eugene's behavior was consistent with "bath salts" and that toxicologists "are not testing for everything that may be out there." The director of toxicology at the University of Florida, Dr. Bruce Goldberger, said, "We are not incompetent. We have the tools, we have the sophistication and know-how. But the field is evolving so rapidly it is hard for us to keep track. It's almost as if it is a race we can never win." [21]

Perpetrator

Rudy Eugene
Rudy Eugene mugshot Miami-Dade County.tiff
Eugene in 2009.
Born(1981-02-04)February 4, 1981
Miami, Florida, U.S.
DiedMay 26, 2012(2012-05-26) (aged 31)
Miami, Florida, U.S.
Other namesCauseway Cannibal [22]
Miami Cannibal [6]
Miami Zombie [23]

Rudy Eugene (February 4, 1981 [24] – May 26, 2012) [25] was born at the Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Florida. [24] He was of Haitian descent through his immigrant parents, who divorced months after his birth. Eugene never made contact with his father, who died when he was six. [26] As a child he attended the Bethel Evangelical Baptist Church with his families on most Sundays. [26] Eugene attended North Miami Beach High School in the 10th and 11th grades, [27] and he played on its football team in the late 1990s. [28] [29] At the age of 17, he transferred to North Miami High School. [30] After graduating, Eugene acquired money from such sources as selling CDs and jobs at McDonald's and in telemarketing. His last known employment was washing cars at a local automobile dealership. [31] Eugene had expressed interest in establishing his own mobile car wash business. [31] [32]

Eugene's marriage, from 2005 to 2008, ended in divorce, with his wife reporting that there had been domestic violence in the relationship. The divorce was granted on January 8, 2008, and there were no children from their relationship. [33] Eugene was estranged from his ex-wife until his death. [34] [35]

Criminal history

Eugene had been arrested eight times since he was 16, with the first arrest being for an assault in 1997. [33] [36] On February 25, 2004, Eugene broke a table, smashed items around the house, and pushed his mother out of the kitchen. Afterward, his mother told officers that he had said, "I'll put a gun to your head and kill you." This crime led to his serving probation for resisting an officer without violence. [37] The remaining charges were mainly related to marijuana, which he had expressed a desire to quit. [38] His final arrest was in September 2009. [27] [28]

Victim

Ronald Poppo
Ronald Poppo, 2004 Mugshot.jpg
Poppo in 2004.
Born
Ronald Edward Poppo

(1947-05-17) May 17, 1947 (age 77)

Ronald Edward Poppo (born May 17, 1947) [6] was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He attended Manhattan's prestigious Stuyvesant High School, where he was a member of the Latin Club and worked in the guidance office. [39] A former classmate reported that, after high school, Poppo enrolled at nearby City College but he dropped out in late 1966. [40] Poppo became homeless in early 1976. [41] On May 24, 2012, two days before the attack, workers from the Miami Homeless Assistance Program discovered him and offered him the services of the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust. However, Poppo declined assistance. [41]

At the time of the attack, Poppo's family - including his daughter [40] - had not heard from him in over 40 years. [41] During that time, they assumed that Poppo was dead and suspected that he had killed himself. [42] They were shocked to learn he was still alive at the time of the incident. [39] Poppo has since completed treatment and was last residing in a Medicaid facility. He received nutritional and occupational therapy and started to learn to play the guitar. [43]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human cannibalism</span> Practice of humans eating other humans

Human cannibalism is the act or practice of humans eating the flesh or internal organs of other human beings. A person who practices cannibalism is called a cannibal. The meaning of "cannibalism" has been extended into zoology to describe animals consuming parts of individuals of the same species as food.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karl Denke</span> German serial killer (1860–1924)

Karl Denke was a German serial killer and cannibal who killed and cannibalized dozens of homeless vagrants and travellers from 1903 to 1924. He has been nicknamed the Cannibal of Münsterberg and the Forgotten Cannibal.

Poppo can mean:

<i>C.H.U.D.</i> 1984 American horror film

C.H.U.D. is a 1984 American science fiction horror film directed by Douglas Cheek, produced by Andrew Bonime, and starring John Heard, Daniel Stern, and Christopher Curry in his film debut. The plot concerns a New York City police officer and a homeless shelter manager who team up to investigate a series of disappearances, and discover that the missing people have been killed by humanoid monsters that live in the sewers.

<i>Cannibal Ferox</i> 1981 Italian horror film directed by Umberto Lenzi

Cannibal Ferox, also known as Make Them Die Slowly in the US and as Woman from Deep River in Australia, is a 1981 Italian cannibal exploitation horror film written and directed by Umberto Lenzi. Upon its release, the film's US distributor claimed it was "the most violent film ever made". Cannibal Ferox was also claimed to be "banned in 31 countries", although this claim is dubious. The title derives from the Latin ferox, meaning cruel, wild or ferocious.

<i>Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse</i> 2005 video game

Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse is a reverse horror video game developed by Wideload Games and published by Aspyr Media. It was released on October 18, 2005, for the Xbox video game console, and was released for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X in November that same year. The game was released on February 10, 2006, in Europe with distribution handled by THQ. The game was made available on Steam on May 17, 2007 and was later removed, but it became available for purchase again in March 2021 following an update which fixed several major compatibility and stability issues. It became available on Microsoft's Xbox Live Marketplace as an Xbox Originals on May 19, 2008, but was removed late 2012 due to technical issues.

<i>House of the Dead</i> (film) 2003 film by Uwe Boll

House of the Dead is a 2003 action horror film directed by Uwe Boll, from a screenplay by Dave Parker and Mark Altman. Based on The House of the Dead video game franchise, it stars Jonathan Cherry, Tyron Leitso, Clint Howard, Ona Grauer, Ellie Cornell, and Jürgen Prochnow. The film takes place on a fictional island infested by zombies, forcing survivors to fight their way off. Not a direct adaptation of the individual entries, Boll described the film as a prequel to the original 1996 game. House of the Dead was Boll's first film to be released theatrically, in addition to his first video game adaptation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MacArthur Causeway</span> Bridge in Florida, United States of America

The General Douglas MacArthur Causeway is a six-lane causeway that connects Downtown Miami to South Beach via Biscayne Bay in Miami-Dade County.

José Dorángel Vargas Gómez, also known as "El comegente", is a serial killer and cannibal in Venezuela. He was a homeless man who used to hunt passersbys at a park in the city of San Cristobal, Táchira. Once he was caught, he confessed to killing and eating at least eleven men over a period of two years preceding his arrest in 1999.

Cannibalism, the act of eating human flesh, is a recurring theme in popular culture, especially within the horror genre, and has been featured in a range of media that includes film, television, literature, music and video games. Cannibalism has been featured in various forms of media as far back as Greek mythology. The frequency of this theme has led to cannibal films becoming a notable subgenre of horror films. The subject has been portrayed in various different ways and is occasionally normalized. The act may also be used in media as a means of survival, an accidental misfortune, or an accompaniment to murder. Examples of prominent artists who have worked with the topic of cannibalism include William Shakespeare, Voltaire, Bret Easton Ellis, and Herschell Gordon Lewis.

<i>Cannibal Girls</i> 1973 film by Ivan Reitman

Cannibal Girls is a 1973 Canadian independent grindhouse comedy horror film, co-written and directed by Ivan Reitman and starring Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, and Ronald Ulrich.

Rudolph Franklin "Rudy" Crew is an American educator, academic administrator, and former government employee who currently serves as President of Medgar Evers College. A lifelong educator and public school administrator, Crew served as Oregon's first Chief Education Officer in 2012 and 2013. Appointed by Governor John Kitzhaber, Crew oversaw the integrated public education system in Oregon from pre-kindergarten through college and career readiness.

Armin Meiwes is a German former computer repair technician who received international attention for murdering and eating a voluntary victim in 2001, whom he had found via the Internet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julia Tuttle Causeway sex offender colony</span> Homeless encampment in Miami, Florida

The Julia Tuttle Causeway sex offender colony was an encampment of banished, registered sex offenders who were living beneath the Julia Tuttle Causeway—a highway connecting Miami, Florida to Miami Beach, Florida, United States—from 2006 to April 2010. The colony was created by a lobbyist named Ron Book, who wrote ordinances in several different Miami-Dade County cities to restrict convicted sex offenders from living within 2,500 feet (760 m) of schools, parks, bus stops, or homeless shelters. Since Book was also head of the Miami Homeless Trust, he was also in charge of finding housing for the released sexual offenders. Under these ordinances, the only areas where sex offenders could legally reside within Miami-Dade County were the Miami Airport and the Florida Everglades. Miami-Dade laws are significantly stricter than State of Florida laws on residency restrictions for sex offenders. Florida state law required that no sex offender could live within 1,000 feet (300 m) from "where children gather". Under that requirement, housing was possible; however, because of Book's lobbying, the Dade County Commission increased that number to 2,500 feet (760 m), thereby banishing hundreds of local citizens who then began gathering under the Julia Tuttle Causeway.

<i>alpha</i>-Pyrrolidinopentiophenone Chemical compound

α-Pyrrolidinopentiophenone is a synthetic stimulant of the cathinone class developed in the 1960s that has been sold as a designer drug and often consumed for recreational reasons. α-PVP is chemically related to pyrovalerone and is the ketone analog of prolintane.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of violence against LGBT people in the United States</span>

The history of violence against LGBT people in the United States is made up of assaults on gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender individuals (LGBT), legal responses to such violence, and hate crime statistics in the United States of America. The people who are the targets of such violence are believed to violate heteronormative rules and they are also believed to contravene perceived protocols of gender and sexual roles. People who are perceived to be LGBT may also be targeted for violence. Violence can also occur between couples who are of the same sex, with statistics showing that violence among female same-sex couples is more common than it is among couples of the opposite sex, but male same-sex violence is less common.

Bath salts are a group of recreational designer drugs. The name derives from instances in which the drugs were disguised as bath salts. The white powder, granules, or crystals often resemble Epsom salts, but differ chemically. The drugs' packaging often states "not for human consumption" in an attempt to circumvent drug prohibition laws. Additionally, they may be called as "plant food", "powdered cleaner", and other such products.

<i>Rise of the Zombies</i> American TV series or program

Rise of the Zombies, also known as Dead Walking, is a 2012 American zombie horror film from The Asylum and directed by Nick Lyon. Written by Keith Allan and Delondra Williams, the film was initially titled Dead Walking, but was eventually changed to Rise of the Zombies. The film stars Mariel Hemingway, Chad Lindberg, LeVar Burton, and Heather Hemmens, and first aired on Syfy on October 27, 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vitaly Zdorovetskiy</span> Russian-American comedian and YouTuber

Vitaly Zdorovetskiy, better known by his YouTube username VitalyzdTv, is a Russian-American YouTube personality, content creator and website owner. His YouTube videos, as of November 2021, have reached over 1.8 billion views and over 10 million subscribers, while his video blog channel has more than 270 million views and 1.93 million subscribers.

References

  1. Richard Luscombe in Miami (30 May 2012). "Face-eating victim 'will recover' from horrific Miami attack". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 2012-06-07. Retrieved 2012-06-08.
  2. 1 2 "Friends of cannibal Rudy Eugene say he was not 'a face-eating zombie monster' as police reveal first picture of homeless victim in bizarre Miami attack". Herald Sun. Retrieved May 30, 2012.
  3. "Eugene's Friends Recall His Last Words To Them Before Causeway Attack". Miami CBS Local. May 31, 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-06-05. Retrieved 2012-06-09. Miami Police believe the 31-year-old was under the influence of something much more powerful than marijuana the day he walked on the MacArthur Causeway, shedding his clothes along the way. Authorities believe LSD, or possibly a designer drug known as "bath salts", may have been in Eugene's system when he chewed the face of his victim.
  4. "Medical examiner rules out bath salts in Miami face-chewing attack". Fox News. Associated Press. June 27, 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-06-28. Retrieved 2012-06-27. Lab tests detected only marijuana in the system of a Florida man shot while chewing another man's face, the medical examiner said Tuesday, ruling out other street drugs including the components typically found in the stimulants known as bath salts.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Jim DeFede (June 6, 2012). "Exclusive: Causeway Cannibal Had Bible, Recently Smoked Pot When He Attacked". Miami CBS Local 4. Archived from the original on 2012-06-09. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
  6. 1 2 3 Kennedy, Helen (30 May 2012). "Victim of 'Miami Zombie' attack graduated from Manhattan's Stuyvesant High School". Daily News . Archived from the original on 2012-05-30. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  7. "Victim in flesh-eating attack on MacArthur Causeway had hard life on Miami streets". The Palm Beach Post . 30 May 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-06-02. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  8. Bryan, Susannah (July 16, 2012). "'Zombie' Rudy Eugene and Ronald Poppo met before Miami 'Causeway Cannibal' attack, friend says". WPTV. Archived from the original on 2013-06-24. Retrieved 2012-07-18.
  9. 1 2 3 "Miami's 'growling cannibal' named as Rudy Eugene, 31". BBC News. 30 May 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-05-30. Retrieved May 30, 2012.
  10. "Victim in flesh-eating attack on MacArthur Causeway had hard life on Miami streets". Miami Herald. 31 May 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-05-30. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  11. 1 2 3 "Rudy Eugene Identified As Naked Miami Man Who Chewed Victim's Face (VIDEO, PHOTOS)". Huffingtonpost.com. 2012-05-29. Archived from the original on 2012-06-03. Retrieved 2012-06-08.
  12. "Security video shows entire Miami 'zombie' attack". CNN News . 30 May 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-06-02. Retrieved 31 May 2012. Post by: CNN news blog editor Mallory Simon, CNN's Adriana Hauser, CNN's Brad Lendon
  13. "Face-chewing victim will need months of treatment, long recovery". Fox News. 30 May 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-05-31. Retrieved May 30, 2012.
  14. "CBS Local "Victim Of Cannibal Attack Faces Surgery, Long Recovery"". Miami.cbslocal.com. Archived from the original on 2012-06-04. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
  15. Armao, Anthony (July 17, 2012). "Ronald Poppo Fund Raises $110,700 For The Miami Face-Eating Victim (DETAILS)". Global Grind. Archived from the original on 2012-07-20. Retrieved 2012-07-18.
  16. "Exclusive: For The First Time, Cannibal Victim Speaks". Miami CBS Local. August 8, 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-09-26. Retrieved 2012-09-30.
  17. Richard Luscombe in Miami (30 May 2012). "Face-eating victim 'will recover' from horrific Miami attack | World news". guardian.co.uk. London. Archived from the original on 2013-10-19. Retrieved 2012-06-08.
  18. "Two years after 'causeway cannibal attack,' where is Ronald Poppo now? | Local News - WPBF Home". 12 June 2014. Archived from the original on 2016-02-01. Retrieved 2015-09-15.
  19. "Rudy Eugene Autopsy: No Human Flesh, But Undigested Pills In Stomach". Huffpost Miami. June 9, 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-06-13. Retrieved 2012-06-13.
  20. "Medical examiner rules out bath salts in Miami face-chewing attack". Associated Press. June 27, 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-06-28. Retrieved 2012-06-27.
  21. Susannah Bryan (July 6, 2012). "Even experts question claim that Rudy Eugene was not on bath salts". Sun Sentinel. Archived from the original on 2012-08-20. Retrieved 2012-09-30.
  22. Kennedy, Helen (30 May 2012). "Chewed-face victim graduated from Stuyvesant – New York Daily News". Nydailynews.com. Archived from the original on 2012-06-07. Retrieved 2012-06-08.
  23. Elinor Brecher; Frances Robles; Melissa Sanchez (29 May 2012). "Victim of 'Miami Zombie' is a longtime homeless man". Tampa Bay Times . Archived from the original on 2012-05-31. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  24. 1 2 "North Miami Beach Police Department Incident/Investigation Report" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2013-10-23. Retrieved 2012-06-08.
  25. Weber, Katherine (31 May 2012). "'Miami Zombie Attack' One of Many Violent Cases Involving Bath Salts". The Christian Post . Archived from the original on 2012-06-01. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  26. 1 2 Burch, Audra D.S. (July 14, 2012). "The unraveling of Rudy Eugene, aka the causeway face attacker". The Miami Herald. Archived from the original on 2012-07-18. Retrieved 2012-07-18.
  27. 1 2 "Who Was Causeway Cannibal Rudy Eugene?". CBS Miami. Archived from the original on 2012-06-01. Retrieved May 30, 2012.
  28. 1 2 "Rudy Eugene allegedly attacked Ronald Poppo, eating his face". Today's THV. Archived from the original on 2012-06-02. Retrieved May 30, 2012.
  29. "Ronald Poppo Named As 'Zombie' Rudy Eugene's Miami Cannibal Attack Victim". International Business Times. Archived from the original on 2012-05-31. Retrieved May 30, 2012.
  30. Elinor Breacher; Nadege Green (1 June 2012). "Troubled lives clashed in 'Miami zombie' face-eating attack". The Miami Herald . Archived from the original on 2012-06-03. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
  31. 1 2 "Victim in flesh-eating attack on MacArthur Causeway had hard life on Miami streets". The Miami Herald . 29 May 2012. p. 2. Archived from the original on 2012-05-30. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  32. "Girlfriend: Face-eating man was drugged — or cursed". The Miami Herald. Archived from the original on 2013-04-13. Retrieved May 30, 2012.
  33. 1 2 "Miami 'zombie-like' face-chewing suspect Rudy Eugene was 'a beautiful person,' former classmate says". WPTV. Archived from the original on 2012-06-01. Retrieved May 30, 2012.
  34. WPLG Miami–Ft. Lauderdale "New video of face-eating attack released, Victim identified as 65-year-old Ronald Poppo" Terrell Forney, tforney@Local10.com Published On: May 29, 2012 10:43:57 AM EDT Updated On: May 30, 2012 12:53:16 PM EDT "New video of face-eating attack released". Local 10. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
  35. "Naked attacker who chewed man's face allegedly had history of violence". Fox News. 2010-04-07. Archived from the original on 2012-05-31. Retrieved 2012-06-08.
  36. Kennedy, Helen (28 May 2012). "Real-life Hannibal Lecter who ate face of naked homeless man identified as Rudy Eugene, 31". NYDailyNews. New York. Archived from the original on 2012-05-29. Retrieved May 28, 2012.
  37. "Rudy Eugene to Mother In 2004: "I'll Put a Gun to Your Head and Kill You"". Miami NewTimes. Archived from the original on 2012-06-01. Retrieved May 30, 2012.
  38. "Rudy Eugene identified as man shot dead by police while eating another man's face". National Post. Archived from the original on 2012-05-29. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
  39. 1 2 "Rudy Eugene Victim Ronald Poppo's Family Didn't Know He Was Alive". Huffingtonpost.com. 2012-05-31. Archived from the original on 2012-06-02. Retrieved 2012-06-08.
  40. 1 2 Mcshane, Larry; Cunningham, Jennifer H. (31 May 2012). "N.J. woman stunned to discover absentee dad was homeless man victimized by cannibal in Florida". NY Daily News. New York. Archived from the original on 2012-06-02. Retrieved May 31, 2012.
  41. 1 2 3 Breacher, Elinor (31 May 2012). "Victim in MacArthur Causeway attack among the 'chronic homeless'". The Miami Herald. Archived from the original on 2013-04-06. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
  42. Helen Kennedy & Michael Sheridan (May 31, 2012). ""I just thought he'd killed himself,' she says, after not seeing Ronald Poppo for 30 years." Sister of Miami cannibal's victim thought her brother died years ago". New York Daily News . Archived from the original on 2012-06-04. Retrieved 2012-06-05.
  43. "Two years after 'causeway cannibal attack,' where is Ronald Poppo now?". WPBF. Archived from the original on 2016-08-09. Retrieved 17 August 2016.