By Kim Choe
There may be more fiction than truth to claims that a German sailor has been eaten by cannibals in French Polynesia.
The story began when burnt human remains were found in the ashes of a campfire on the island of Nuku Hiva in the Marquesas group, 1400km northeast of Tahiti.
The reports have upset the peaceful island, where until now there hadn't been a single murder reported in 100 years.
Stefan Ramin's round-the-world sailing trip came to a premature end on the remote island, after the 40-year-old failed to return from a goat hunt with a local guide.
His girlfriend Heike Dorsch complained that the guide returned alone, chained her to a tree and sexually violated her.
Then last week, charred human bones, teeth, and metal fillings were found in a campfire - sparking a flurry of reports that the German man was a victim of cannibalism.
But a journalist who works in the area says the claims have shocked the island community, which is far from primitive despite its remoteness.
"The introduction into consumer society means today Marquesians prefer a good cheeseburger to a human being," says Alex W du Prel.
But the Western media has jumped on the story, with headlines suggesting the ancient ritual might still be in practice.
One psychology lecturer says there has always been a morbid fascination with cannibalism, from the fictional Hannibal Lecter to the true story of American serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer.
"It's the titillation effect - what do murderers do? What do real evil people do? They do things that are way beyond the rules of ordinary society," says Ruth McManus, Canterbury University psychology lecturer.
"So there's that fascination of how people break really big rules, and why they do it."
There's no proof that Ramin was eaten, but police are still looking for his guide Arihano Haiti, who they believe was the last person to see him alive.
3 News