Following Haarmann's arrest, rumours circulated that Haarmann ate the flesh of his victims, or sold it on the black market as pork or horse meat.[34] Although no evidence was ever produced to confirm these theories, Haarmann was known to be an active trader in contraband meat,[35] which was invariably boneless, diced, and often sold as ground meat.[36] When asked where he obtained the meat, Haarmann sometimes said he had obtained the produce from a butcher named "Karl", although investigators would later note that the stories Haarmann told his acquaintances regarding the origins of this individual varied.[37][38]