Metheny was a large, heavily built man with a thick beard, which earned him the nickname “Tiny.” His intimidating appearance matched the brutality of the crimes he later confessed to.
Joe Metheny — “The Human Hamburger Killer”
Here are some photos of Joe Metheny, the Baltimore serial killer who became infamous for claiming he mixed human flesh with pork and sold it in hamburgers. These images typically come from police mugshots and prison records taken after his arrest in the mid-1990s.
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Full name: Joseph Roy Metheny
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Born: March 2, 1955 – Baltimore, Maryland
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Arrested: 1996
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Confirmed victims: 2 (though he claimed up to 13)
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Sentence: Life in prison without parole
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Died: August 5, 2017 in prison
Metheny shocked investigators when he allegedly claimed he ground the bodies of some victims, mixed the meat with pork, and sold it at a roadside barbecue stand. While widely reported, police were never able to fully verify the “human hamburger” claim, and some investigators believe he exaggerated parts of his confession.
A Serial Killer Who Turned Murder Into a Nightmare
In the dark corners of American true crime history, few stories are as disturbing as that of Joe Metheny, a man whose crimes shocked even seasoned investigators. In the 1990s, the massive Baltimore man—nicknamed “Tiny” because of his towering, obese frame—confessed to a series of brutal murders and a horrifying claim: that he had ground the flesh of his victims into hamburger meat and sold it to unsuspecting customers.
The case earned him one of the most chilling nicknames in criminal history: “The Human Hamburger Killer.”
The Troubled Life of Joe Metheny
Joseph Roy Metheny was born on March 2, 1955, in Baltimore, Maryland. His childhood was far from stable. His father died when he was young, and his mother worked long hours to support six children. According to family accounts, Metheny drifted further into isolation and depression as he grew older.
As an adult, Metheny worked blue-collar jobs and eventually became a forklift operator and truck driver. But his life was consumed by drug addiction, heavy drinking, and violent behavior.
By the early 1990s, he was living among homeless camps in South Baltimore and spending most of his money on crack cocaine, heroin, and alcohol.
What followed would turn him into one of the most infamous killers in the region.
A Murderous Rampage Begins
Metheny later claimed his killing spree began after his girlfriend disappeared with their child while he was working as a truck driver. Enraged and desperate, he began searching the streets and homeless camps where she once spent time.
During this search, he encountered two homeless men whom he believed knew where she was. When they refused to give him information, Metheny allegedly murdered them with an axe.
Although authorities later suspected him, there was not enough evidence to convict him at the time.
But Metheny’s violence was only beginning.
Targeting the Vulnerable
In the years that followed, Metheny preyed mostly on sex workers and homeless individuals, many of whom struggled with drug addiction. These victims were often marginalized people whose disappearances attracted little attention.
Investigators eventually linked him to the murders of Cathy Ann Magaziner and Kimberly Lynn Spicer, both killed in the mid-1990s.
The brutality of the crimes shocked police. Victims were strangled or stabbed, and some were buried in shallow graves near the pallet factory where Metheny lived in a trailer.
But the most disturbing part of the story was still to come.
The Shocking “Human Hamburger” Confession
After his arrest in 1996, Metheny began confessing to multiple killings. During questioning, he made a claim so disturbing that investigators could hardly believe it.
He said he dismembered some victims, mixed their flesh with pork, and served the meat in hamburgers at a roadside barbecue stand he operated.
According to his confession, the mixture of pork and human meat made the burgers impossible to distinguish.
Customers who stopped for a quick roadside meal had no idea what they were really eating.
It was a claim that horrified the public and quickly spread through headlines across the country.
However, authorities were never able to confirm all of these allegations, and some investigators believe parts of his confession may have been exaggerated.
The Arrest That Ended the Nightmare
Metheny’s downfall came after he kidnapped and attempted to rape a woman named Rita Kemper in December 1996.
She managed to escape through a window and run to nearby police officers. Her testimony led to Metheny’s arrest and ultimately exposed his crimes.
Once in custody, he began leading police to burial sites and confessing to multiple murders.
Despite claiming to have killed as many as 13 people, prosecutors were only able to secure convictions in two murders due to lack of physical evidence in other cases.
He was sentenced to death in 1998, though the sentence was later overturned and reduced to life in prison without parole.
Death Behind Bars
Joe Metheny spent the rest of his life behind bars at the Western Correctional Institution in Maryland.
On August 5, 2017, he was found dead in his prison cell at the age of 62.
His death closed the chapter on one of America’s most grotesque criminal stories—but many questions about his claims remain unanswered.
A Case That Still Haunts True Crime History
The story of Joe Metheny stands out even among the most notorious serial killers.
His crimes combined brutal violence, vulnerable victims, and a confession so disturbing that it almost sounds like fiction.
Whether every detail of his claims was true or not, the case remains a chilling reminder of how evil can hide behind an ordinary face—even behind a roadside burger stand.
