Missing Gay London Cop Found Dead, Dismembered

A gay London cop who went missing a week ago has been found dead and dismembered. An Italian man has been arrested in connection to the murder, according to The Sun.

Police said they found body parts belonging to Gordon Semple, 59, dissolving in a bath of acid at the home of 49-year-old Italian man Stefano Brizzi, who was arrested Thursday. Other body parts reportedly belonging to Semple were allegedly dumped in the River Thames.

Authorities continue to look of Semple's body parts in the Thames while police remove cooking pans from Brizzi's home, which are suspected to have been used to boil down human flesh. The Sun reports there were no signs of cannibalism, though the newspaper notes the incident is similar to gay serial killer Dennis Nilsen, who boiled his victims.

The Sun reports Semple allegedly met Brizzi on a gay dating website and went to his home in South London earlier this month. The newspaper adds Brizzi is suspected of killing Semple over a dispute and allegedly got the idea to use acid to get rid of the body from the TV show "Breaking Bad."

Police were called to Brizzi's home after neighbors complained of a smell.

A source told The Sun: "Gordon's body had been placed in a bath of acid. But that did not do the job and so an effort was made to boil parts away on the cooker."

Semple lived with his partner Gary Meeks and was an officer with the Metropolitan police for more than 30 years. He was last seen on April 1 on CCTV near Brizzi's home. According to the Guardian, Semple went to work on April 1 and visited the Shangri-La hotel in the Shard building later that day.

"It will take some time for cause of death to be established," Metropolitan police commander Alison Newcomb told The Sun.

The Guardian reports Brizzi has been charged with murder and will appear in court on April 11.

Semple was "a much loved partner, brother, brother-in-law, uncle and cousin," says a joint statement from Meeks and Semple's brother Ronnie. The statement also says "our world will be a worse place without him."