PETA Asks Sheriff to Feed Alleged Cannibal Vegan Diet

PETA thinks it's got the perfect diet for a man accused of murder and cannibalism—a vegan one. As USA Today reports, the animal-rights group has caused a fuss with its letter to the acting sheriff of Indiana's Clark County suggesting the meat- and dairy-free meal plan for Joseph Oberhansley. The 33-year-old is accused of killing his ex-girlfriend and eating part of her body. The acting sheriff called the letter "cruel" and "insensitive" to the victim's family, but PETA says it's not a publicity stunt.

“We really want to take a situation that’s a tragedy and make it into something positive—to reduce the total violence in the world,” a spokesperson tells the Jeffersonville News & Tribune. The group maintains that prisoners on a vegan diet are less violent, and that it's particularly appropriate in this case given the charges. "We have to remember that every time we sit down to eat a meal with meat we're also eating someone's body," says the spokesperson. (It sounds like PETA's request will have as much success as its bid for a memorial to turkeys in Utah.)