Suspect Accused of Dismembering Homeless Man Killed in Police Shootout

A man suspected in a Kentucky homicide was killed in an officer-involved shooting just five months after he allegedly dismembered a homeless man, according to authorities. The suspect was indicted on murder charges after investigators linked him to the fatal stabbing and dismemberment of a man in 2025.

A 21-year-old Kentucky man, identified as Michael Hristov, was indicted on charges of murder, abuse of a corpse and assault in connection with the killing of Michael Howard, according to Louisville Metro Police Department Chief Emily McKinney during a May 27 press conference.

According to a Reddit post and reports from People, authorities were investigating whether a possible serial attacker in Louisville had targeted homeless people and left satanic symbols near victims’ bodies. On Christmas Day, a homeless man survived a nonfatal stabbing.

On Dec. 26, police discovered Howard’s body at a homeless encampment in Louisville, Kentucky. Howard was found nude, with satanic symbols allegedly carved into his body. Investigators said his genitals and eight toes had been severed, with seven toes recovered near the body. Authorities determined he was killed on Dec. 24.

The Louisville Metro Police Department then obtained footage of the nonfatal stabbing, identifying Hristov as a suspect. Authorities discovered that he had a history of trouble with law enforcement at the local as well as federal levels. Hirstov allegedly would torture animals, had a “fascination with serial killers,” “Ideolized mass shooters,” and made statements about wanting to “hunt homeless people,” according to McKinney.

Authorities then obtained warrants for his home, scooter, and technology. They recovered his scooter on March 7th and collected his backpack from his home. The backpack had blood on it, which was later confirmed to match Howard’s DNA.

Louisville Metro Police Department investigators also discovered that the IP address associated with the Reddit post was the same as Hridtov’s and that he allegedly made the December post. There were 21 posts about him. An iCloud account also showed an image of a severed toe.

Hristov was indicted on May 13th for murder, abuse of a corpse, and assault. LMPD and SWAT teams went to Hristov’s home to execute the warrant the next day. When the officers arrived, Hristov began shooting at officers from inside his home. He then called 911 dispatchers, saying he was armed and wanted the officers to shoot and kill him.

For around 20 minutes, the SWAT team tried to peacefully resolve the standoff until Hristov exited the home wearing a helmet and a ballistic vest. The officers asked Hristov to drop the weapon when he stepped outside; however, Hristov did not comply with the orders given by the authorities, and as a result, he was shot down by one of the officers of the Louisville Metro Police Department, identified as Officer Beau Gadegaard.

The investigation into the case is ongoing by the Louisville Metro Police Department in order to determine if Hristov was linked to other attacks on homeless people.