Individuals with sadistic intentions kidnapped a man, mutilated him, and left him in the desert, later disclosing their motives.
Michael S, who remains anonymous for his safety, was a thriving marijuana dispensary owner in California until his ordeal. His life took a drastic turn when he was kidnapped.
In 2012, the 28-year-old Michael was at home with his housemate, Mary Barnes, when intruders broke into their residence.
He was abducted, beaten, and tortured with a blowtorch and taser while being taken to the Mojave Desert.
The abductors zip-tied his penis, severed it, and sprayed him with bleach, all while allegedly mocking him.
This horrific crime is explored in ABC News’ documentary Wicked Game: Devil in the Desert, which debuted on February 4.
You might wonder why Michael was singled out for such brutal treatment.
The kidnappers suspected that Michael had hidden $1 million in the desert and tortured him to extract its location.
Despite enduring excruciating agony, he consistently denied having any money.
After the kidnappers left, Mary managed to cut herself free and flagged down a driver, who turned out to be a police officer.
The Kern County Sheriff’s Department found Michael, who was bleeding and barely conscious.
Ryan Peters, a former Newport Beach Police Department detective, and Matt Murphy, a former homicide prosecutor, took charge of the investigation to apprehend the culprits.
Peters stated to ABC News: “At the very beginning of the investigation, we basically had nothing.
“We have this absolutely horrific crime, and they interview Michael, who’s like, ‘Guys, I pay my bills. I have no enemies. I’m nice to people. I’ve never slept with anybody’s wife.’ My detectives are looking for any possible angle, like, who did this?”
Kyle Shirakawa Handley emerged as a suspect, with Peters noting: “We slowly, methodically, kind of start going through these things. And what we’re finding is that they’re white towels with bleach all over them. We test these towels for blood and they’re coming back positive.”
DNA analysis of items in the van linked Hossein Nayeri to the crime, identifying him as the mastermind behind the kidnapping.
Nayeri and Handley were handed life sentences without parole, while their accomplice Ryan Kevorkian received a 12-year sentence.