Inside the Gruesome 1999 Murder That Shocked Jackson, Michigan

Have you ever heard of something happening in town and thought to yourself, "That can't be real—it sounds like a movie plot."? I remember feeling that exact sentiment when I first heard about how Kevin "Kip" Artz had murdered his wife in Jackson, Michigan, where the act was committed, and how he disposed of her body.

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WARNING: We're going to get into some pretty gruesome details, so if you have a weak stomach, scroll on.

A Local Legend With a Horrifying Origin

So, living in Jackson, Michigan, for several years, I can tell you that for 25-plus years, the myth of what locals refer to as "The Kip's Taco Murder" has been exaggerated over time; however, the bulk of what seems like a rumor is true.

Brain Surgery, Paranoia, and a Fatal Night

On July 2, 1999, after a trip to the emergency room on June 29, 1999, Kevin Artz would be forced to take a break from running his restaurant, Kip's Pizza and Taco House, to have brain surgery, which, according to MLive, was done to repair a hemorrhage. Shortly after, on July 13, 1999, he would kill his wife.

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On the night of the murder, the couple was sitting at home when Kevin looked at Patti, but he didn't see his wife. Instead, he saw the devil. It was then that he grabbed a metal bar and bludgeoned her to death. If that isn't heinous enough, what he does with her body afterward makes this already disturbing case truly nightmarish.

The Gruesome Aftermath in Kip’s Pizza & Taco

Artz would take his wife's lifeless body from their apartment into the attached restaurant. It was there that, over the course of 2 days, he would dismember and cook her remains. It was also during this time that Patti's family had reported her missing.

Suspicious Behavior Raised Red Flags

Patti's family had explained to police it wasn't like her not to keep in touch, and they weren't buying Kevin's story, which was that she had left town to visit friends. Plus, he hadn't returned any of their phone calls or messages asking about her whereabouts.

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Couple that with the man having brain surgery a month prior, and they were right to be concerned.

Deputy Bisard’s Investigation Uncovers Horror

According to a Michigan State Court of Appeals document from April 2003, Jackson County Sheriff's Deputy Wayne Bisard, responding to a 911 call, entered Kip's Pizza and Taco at 2319 W. Main Street, just off of West Michigan Avenue, in Jackson, Michigan.

Deputy Bisard asked Kevin if he could look around, and according to Bisard, while nothing jumped right out at him, something felt off. After speaking with some higher-ups and trusting his intuition, he arranged for a return visit to the restaurant with Kevin's permission.

Catching Artz Red Handed

In a move that could only have been made to catch Kevin off guard, Deputy Bisard, along with his supervisor Thomas Fiero, showed up before their scheduled time to meet. It was then that they saw him carrying a white box out of the restaurant before walking out of sight.

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By the time they caught up to him, the box was gone. We'll get back to the box in a minute, but it was at this time that they entered the restaurant and were met with a horrific scene. Newspapers were covered with what appeared to be diluted blood from fresh meat near the oven. There was also a pan, with what appeared to be 'cooked material' still inside, and the scent of burnt flesh in the air.

The White Box and the Evidence Inside

Oh, and that white box. They found it on a nearby vacant home's porch. Inside, police would discover several severed human bones and flesh.

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Forensics would later show, despite his attempts to clean, chop, and cook away the evidence, that the restaurant, apartment, and sleeping bag Kevin used to carry Patti's corpse were covered in blood.

The Courtroom Battle: Insanity vs. Intent

In court, the defense would argue that Kevin was legally insane at the time of the homicide. Prosecutors would state that the murder was a direct result of an argument between the couple about Kevin's marijuana use.

Where Kevin "Kip" Artz Is Now

On March 15, 2001, a jury would find him guilty of Open Murder, and he was sentenced to life in prison, where he remains despite appeals.

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According to the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC), he is currently housed at the Saginaw Correctional Facility.