Man accused of eating murder victim’s body parts found competent to face charges

Colin Czech, 29, was arrested April 28 after a gas station employee near Charleston Boulevard and Las Vegas Boulevard South reported seeing a man “eating the face” of another man lying on the ground near a bus stop.

A criminal complaint identified the man killed as Kenneth Brown. The complaint accused Czech of “punching and/or striking” Brown, and “causing his head to strike the concrete.”

Czech’s defense attorney requested a mental health evaluation for the suspect, and two doctors found that he understands the charge he faces and is able to assist his attorney in his defense, District Judge Christy Craig said during a brief court hearing on Friday.

Police had received two 911 calls from convenience store employees the morning of April 28. One person reported that a man had tackled and punched a customer in the parking lot of a 7-Eleven, at 1100 Las Vegas Blvd. South, and that the man was banging his head on the concrete and “appeared paranoid.”

Recordings of the 911 call show that the employee told police he wanted “somebody to come get him now,” after the employee said Czech had been standing in front of the store for hours. The employee told the dispatcher that he had broken up a confrontation between Czech and another man, and that the victim had retreated inside the store and appeared OK.

About 45 minutes later, just after 5:30 a.m., an employee at the nearby AM/PM store at 333 E. Charleston Blvd. reported seeing a man on top of another man, “eating the face” of the victim, police said.

Czech later told investigators that he was homeless and that he had been in a fight with a “shape-shifter,” according to an arrest report. He also said he was “tweaking” and had been “hearing voices in his head.”

He also told police that he ate the victim’s “eyeballs and ears,” the report said.

Craig ordered Czech to appear in court again on June 5.

Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240.