'Jealous cannibal killed and ate younger woman for flirting with her husband'

A jealous cannibal killed and ate a waitress who she believed was flirting with her husband, police say. Natalia Baksheev is one half of the so-called "cannibal couple" along with husband Dmitry.

The gory duo confessed to killing more more than 30 people over two decades in Krasandor, southern Russia.

Police found an array body parts and photographic evidence of cannibalism at their house, situated on a military academy run by the Russian government.

One photo shows a human head served on a plate of oranges. Another is a selfie of Dmitry, aged 35, with a victim's severed hand stuffed into his mouth.

Police also found human remains kept in pickle jars in the couple's fridge and packs of meat in the freezer.

The meat in the pickle jar is believed to belong to 35-year-old waitress Elena Vashrusheva, their final victim. The pictures are too disturbing to publish.

Vashrusheva was drinking alcohol and relaxing with the couple when Natalia, aged 42, reportedly flipped out and accused the younger woman of trying to seduce Dmitry.

The husband and wife team then killed, ate and preserved Vashrusheva. The pair confessed to that crime along with multiple similar offences over a twenty year period. However, they have since retracted their statements under the advice of lawyers.

The jaw-dropping case has rocked Russia and the rest of the world following the couple's initial confession towards the end of last month.

It has cause huge embarrassment for the Russian Ministry of Defence, who accommodated the couple on the Military Aviation Academy where Natalia worked as a nurse.

Natalia and her road sweeper husband Dmitry are reported to have never allowed anyone into their living quarters. Fellow residents at the academy reported a smell of ether coming from their rooms, which was possibly used to knock out their victims.

A colleague said: "Each time we tried to enter their room, they started wild shouting and crying. Natalia is a scandalous woman – aggressive – so we did not risk it."

But the most alarming development has been widespread reports from locals that Natalia operated a small food business on the side, and sold human meat pies to local restaurants.

The couple's victims were mainly drawn from the Krasandor area. Some lived close by while others were snared by the couple, who would trawl dating sites looking for appetising targets.

Third suspect in cannibal couple case

In a further stunning twist, police now believe the couple did not act alone and have arrested a third suspect, according to Crime Russia.

The third detainee has not been named but was reportedly a co-defendant with Dmitry on a previous theft charge. He has only been connected to one of the murders, according to lawyer Alexei Avanesyan.