Gilles Tetreault: And I tried to run and all of a sudden my legs wouldn't work I just fell, boom right on the gravel driveway. He writes extensively about what he's going to wear, the weapon that he chooses. His trial attracted particular media attention because Twitchell had allegedly been inspired by the fictional character Dexter Morgan. I didn't really go into anything more, but I think that was enough. Here's a few words from the director Mark Twitchell. Twitchell posed as a woman on the Plenty of Fish dating site and set up a meeting with John Altinger, 38, on October 10, 2008. Det. Bill Clark: Ultimately Mark Twitchell drove around with it, according to the "SK Confessions" document. So he was, you know, just a typical local guy who had dreams of making it big in Hollywood and really no red flags. Gilles Tetreault: I can't do this, I gotta fight back so I got up and I ripped the tape off my eyes. Det. Host Jian Ghomeshi brought up the case of Mark Twitchell, who was convicted in 2011 of luring, murdering and dismembering an Edmonton man. Steve Lillebuen exchanged dozens letters with Mark Twitchell during a three-year period. DETECTIVE [interrogation]: Altinger Does that name ring a bell to you or mean anything to you? BILL CLARK [to Twitchell in police car]: So, in order to finish the movie, we have to find the body, take it back to the people, the family done. Joan Adelman and Michelle Harris are the editors. They divorced within 4 years. Mark Twitchell, The Dexter Killer Whose Obsession With The TV Show Led Him To Murder. What Tetreault didn't realize was that he had been weakened by the effects of a stun baton. The evidence in The Dexter Killer case and newly revealed letters from police stated that Mark wanted to be like the fictional character Dexter Morgan. On the day he disappeared, Johnny Altinger had forwarded the directions of where he was going to friends. Goin', "Yeah, this isn't right. Twitchell, then 29 years old, a married man with a young daughter, had used the garage as a set for a recent movie project. Gilles Tetreault: And he tore a piece of tape and he covered my eyes with it. Both Lillebuen and police say that Twitchell's fascination with the TV killer Dexter Morgan carried over into his real-life crimes. Twichells first-degree murder trial contained a key piece of evidence entitled SK Confessions, which meant Serial Killer Confessions. As Twitchell tells it, he was forced to kill Altinger in self-defense. And it was a little taste of his own medicine, I guess. And then, not showing up for work? You have entered an incorrect email address! Bill Clark: And we first drove to his parents' house where he had been staying. Weeks, then months, passed and still no luck. I think he is different than Dexter. Bill Clark: We had a, you know, luminol tests done on the floor. DET. But I said I couldn't do it. "He had this kind of processing kit that was very similar to what Dexter uses.". I I've shacked up with this really rich lady She's even gonna buy me a new car so I'm just looking to unload mine how much do you have on you?". Mark Twitchell is serving a life sentence for killing Johnny Altinger in 2008. But what was real and what was fiction? Bill Clark: It's a missing persons case. ", " Star Wars dolls, paraphernalia, suits, outfits, he had it all - and he bought and sold them constantly," his ex-landlord, Jody Kimbrell, said in a telephone interview from Peoria, Ill., southwest of Chicago. contained a short cameo with actor. Showtime is a division of Paramount Global, which owns CBS. We actually demanded that he tell us. MARK TWITCHELL [graduation video]: "I'm glad I got to work with you all and I hope I see you all in the industry.". Bill Clark: So, I know that this diary we have is true. Police believe that Johnny Altinger was hit over the head with this pipe shortly upon entering the darkened garage. Bill Clark: And there are some things that were, you know, raisin' your Spidey senses in this one. It read "I went through great lengths to bring my wife over to the comfortable belief I wasn't cheating on her.". Mr. Altinger's body has not been found, but police say they have enough evidence to lay a charge and believe he was killed in a manner similar to the script. But Twitchell claimed he could explain everything. Part of the report included a return trip by Tetreault to the garage in which the incident had taken place. Susan Zirinsky and Judy Tygard are the executive producers, First published on April 23, 2022 / 11:12 PM. She thinks she knows what made Twitchell tick. Author Steve Lillibuen sold the rights to his book "The Devil's Cinema" to a film company. The show follows the adventures of Dexter Morgan, a blood-spatter expert by day and psychotic knife-wielding vigilante butcher by night. Bill Clark: It was unbelievable. In the end, the jury took just five hours to find Mark Twitchell guilty. Renee: He said, "You cut her up in little pieces. She graduated from Oberlin College, where she earned a double degree in American History and French. That doesnt change the fact that his crimes, and Dexters fictional ones, have obvious parallels. And when it was done and I watched, I went, "Wow, that guy interviewed well.". They were now convinced it was no screenplay, but rather a diary of murder. Tetreault, who has written a book about his ordeal, spoke to "48 Hours" recently. So how did this young Canadian filmmaker end up accused of horrific acts? The newfound evidence including letters reveals how this psycho killer planned the murder(s). They wouldn't elaborate. In fact, he seemed guilty of nothing more than wanting to brag about his film career. The day after Twitchell was arrested in connection to Altinger's death, police found a suspiciously deleted file on Twitchell's computer labeled "SK Confessions". Tetreault fought back in a violent struggle and escaped the horrific scene, but didn't report the attack until seeing the hockey mask at a police press conference following Altinger's death. MARK TWITCHELL movie interview]: "The word has gotten around that I'm making a 100 million dollar movie for 60 grand, and some production and directing jobs have already come my way.". Updated on: April 26, 2022 / 11:45 AM What's he gonna do? You know, the fight for my life . "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. At that instant, I knew there was no date.. Mark Andrew Twitchell was born in Edmonton, Alberta, on July 4, 1979. In 2008, John Brian Altinger, 38-year-old former White Rock, B.C., oilfield equipment manufacturer known to his friends as Johnny, interacted with Mark on the dating website Plenty of Fish. Twitchell wrote numerous letters to the journalist, with Lillibuen telling CBS Newsthat he found themurderer of Johnny Altingerto be very responsive to letter writing. There was actually some substance in these letters? There is no key. Twitchell also wrote the script of Day Players and shot a short horror film called House of Cards at the garage he rented in the south end of Edmonton. And I liked it.. Twelve years ago, Twitchell was a fresh-faced radio student at NAIT. Throughout their correspondence, Lillibuen continued to grapple with what drove Twitchell and then Twitchell told him: Steve Lillibuen [reading letter]: "There is no key. But just one week later, another man, Johnny Altinger, would answer a similar dating ad and disappear. Julia Cowley: And while he's technically not a serial killer he was headed in that direction if they hadn't have caught him. That profile had caught the attention of a woman named Renee from Cleveland, Ohio. Steve Lillibuen: He blames Johnny, saying it was Johnny's reaction to his attempt at this promotion is what happened. contained a short cameo with actor. Steve Lillibuen: Which, you know, I find quite surprising considering that the way he ended up in prison I believe it's been taken down since then. Det. Gary Altinger: I've met a woman named Jen. So obviously that's what we're gonna look for first. I mean look at this profile.". He had a table set up for his victims. Apart from this, Marks case was featured in the American magazine Crime Watch Daily. What was the release date of "Star Wars: Secrets of the Rebellion": On October 3, 2008, Gilles Tetreault followed directions to a location in Edmonton where he was supposed to meet a woman named "Sheena" he met online. Bill Clark: We got an undercover operator to work the internet and pretend he was gonna an investor. While Twitchell was not initially a suspect, he told cops an unlikely story that Altinger sold his Mazda 6 to him for 40 Canadian dollars. The directions led police directly to Mark Twitchells door. Steve Lillibuen (reading letter): "Nobody would side with Dexter Morgan if he went around slaughtering schoolteachers and mail carriers on a whim.". Sheena had refused to tell Tetreault her exact address, giving him only driving instructions. It says that Jeremy Bulloch is in the movie and it says it's coming out in June. filmmaking. Det. Mark Twitchell was nothing like author Steve Lillibuen expected. He had no history of violence and was hardly a suspect. We Det. Troy Roberts [watching interrogation video]: You didn't get much of a reaction, did you? I said- I told myself I'll do it tomorrow. The only witness the defense called was Mark Twitchell and he had one unbelievable tale to tell. What other line is there to cross? Johnny Altinger's blood was found in the trunk of Mark Twitchell's family car a discovery which led to the filmmaker's arrest on Halloween day in 2008. Mark Twitchell was nicknamed the Dexter Killer for his methods of emulating the Showtime dramas lead Dexter Morgan, a fictional character played by Michael C. Hall. Mr. Twitchell, 29, was arrested on Halloween and charged with the first-degree murder of Johnny Altinger, a 38-year-old pipeline-industry worker originally from White Rock, B.C. Steve Lillibuen [reading letter]: He wrote to me "As you are aware, Dexter has almost nothing to do with my case.". He spoke to them about his career in filmmaking, his wife, Jess, and his 8-month-old daughter, Chloe. After cursorily shoving aside my human sensibilities, I dealt with his remains in a disrespectful manner that traumatized me forever.". In March of 2011, Mark Twitchell went on trial for the murder of Johnny Altinger. Troy Roberts: You guys were driving around and there was a camera trained on him in the back of the police car. Driven by this desire and his passion for the TV show Dexter, Twitchell started plotting out a Dexter-like murder. Det. He didn't have to. Twitchell graduated from the Radio and Television Arts program at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in 2000. And then in this case because he learned from Gilles that the Taser didn't work, he hit him over the head with a lead pipe. Joss Hnatiuk met Mark Twitchell on a Star Wars fan message board. Steve Lillibuen [reading letter]: He writes, "I killed Johnny Altinger in a horrific accident of self-defense. The hockey mask wearing man had ordered him to the ground at gunpoint. Mark Andrew Twitchell was born in Edmonton, Alberta, on July 4, 1979. In May 2013, it was reported by the National Post that Twitchell had purchased a television for his prison cell. Following the narrative, police believe Altinger was then stabbed and dismembered on a makeshift autopsy table. WebCheck out this great listen on Audible.com. Little did they know the case was about to take an unusual turn. Lillibuen points to "SK Confessions," where Twitchell describes how he turned that garage into a kill room, set up a makeshift autopsy table, had plastic sheeting, and a processing kit similar to the one Dexter Morgan used. Steve Lillibuen: Mark Twitchell wrote to me quite extensively about his interest in "Dexter." In October 2008, Mark Twitchell put his dark side into action. Troy Roberts: These weren't ramblings of a crazy man. So, investigators called Twitchell again. Over the course of almost three years, they exchanged dozens of letters. Then a year-and-a-half after Johnny Altinger disappeared, Twitchell, while awaiting trial, broke his silence and gave the police a map. A staff writer for All That's Interesting, Kaleena Fraga has also had her work featured in The Washington Post and Gastro Obscura, and she published a book on the Seattle food scene for the Eat Like A Local series. Get this over with? I said, "None of the blood splatter was from us.". Twitchell stabbed and bludgeoned his victim before cutting him up and partially burning the body. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); We're a Digital Platform offering the Latest Updates and News from Entertainment, Technology, Lifestyle and Food Industry. They said they would have a mannequin or a dummy to run the sword through, and when I got there, there was none. Lillebuen wrote a book about the case titled "The Devil's Cinema: The Untold Story Behind Mark Twitchell's Kill Room.". From having a kill room to using plastic sheeting Twitchell, a self-proclaimed Dexter fan, killed like the character did. Once Johnny went to the concerned place, Mark stepped him, before cutting him apart, partially burning him and then dumping his remains in garbage bags into a storm sewer. First look at Britain's biggest EVER stage for King Charles' coronation concert, Souness fights back tears as he announces emotional retirement on Sky Sports, Sky Sports' Martin Tyler slammed for 'racist' comment about Spurs star Son, Iconic high street favourite to return after 4 years as shoppers 'can't wait', News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. Lillibuen points to "SK Confessions," where Twitchell describes how he turned that garage into a kill room, set up a makeshift autopsy table, had plastic sheeting, and a processing kit similar to the one Dexter Morgan used. Mark was born in Edmonton, Alberta and always dreamt of making blockbuster films. Suffice it to say that I crossed the line on Friday, he wrote. Bill Clark [with Roberts at sewer]: And he had marked an "X," "X" marks the spot, and took us right to this sewer cover here. Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) and later gained a MARK ANSTEY [to reporters]: To date we do not know who this victim is. Chris Heward: My character was killed with a samurai sword. The "Dexter" garage. It's a rare look inside the mind of a killer. Episode 265: In October 2008, 38-year-old Johnny Altinger was looking for love online and, thinking hed found it, was lured to his death in a dingy south Edmonton, Alberta garage. In the document, the killer wrote about his kill room, explaining that it included "several rolls of painters plastic sheeting" and a 45-gallon steel drum "for the body parts" as well as a "game processing kit" containing multiple different knives and a serrated saw "for the bones". Det. It's like I remember getting the phone call at the police station just thinking "holy crap.". I'm dead.". Gilles Tetreault: Right. Police would not say whether Mr. Altinger's killing was filmed or comment on reports that Mr. Twitchell's production company, Xpress Entertainment, had earlier purchased off the Internet a high-voltage telescoping stun baton. At first, Lillibuen didn't want to push Twitchell away with too many probing questions about his crimes. According to "SK Confessions," the killer then broke into Altinger's apartment and sent out those emails about taking an exotic vacation. Bill Clark: One of the things they had found was a hockey maskthe "SK Confessions" talked about how Mark Twitchell had worn this mask when he attacked both victims. The next year, Twitchell married an American woman and moved to Illinois. Renee: That he killed somebody. Julia Cowley: I think he identified with Dexter to some degree. However, he abandoned his right to appeal in 2012. They can never fail to surprise us. Twitchell himself admitted to killing Altinger and authoring the document but he stated that he did it in self-defence. Steve Lillebuen authored the book The Devils Cinema which focussed on the complete case. Det. They found Mark Twitchell guilty of first-degree murder, and he was sentenced to a minimum of 25 years in prison. But he claimed Altinger became enraged at being tricked, and he accidentally killed him in self-defense. Bill Clark and "48 Hours" contributor Troy Roberts watch Twitchell's reaction as Clark told him "I now know that you killed John Altinger. Heartbroken dad issues warning after son, 13, dies in TikTok challenge, Red flag after possible suspect in missing brothers case made eerie request, Two dead and four injured after 19-year-old 'opens fire at prom after party', $80k reward offered for shooting suspect Francisco Oropesa after five killed, 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Cops say killer Mark Twitchell is obsessed with the TV show Dexter, Mark Twitchell was sentenced to life in prison in April 2011. Renee: He was a filmmaker and he was working on a new thing called "House of Cards.". He had taken his vehicle; it couldn't be found. It's the same mask, everything. Twitchell graduated from the Radio and Television Arts program at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in 2000. Concerns for Altingers safety were raised when friends and family received an email claiming to be from him, saying his date had taken him on an extended trip to Costa Rica. WebHe was found guilty during a jury trial in 2011 and sentenced to life in prison. The police, not believing this story, impounded Twitchell's laptop and car, and found Altinger's blood in the car's trunk. In a twist, a man came forward after the arrest to say he was lured to the garage a week before Mr. Altinger disappeared. MARK ANSTEY [to reporters]: We have not found John Altinger's body. Gilles Tetreault: And it's the same hockey mask that I saw. We could see what looked like pieces of human torso down there. Twitchell stated that he had caught up on everyDexterepisode that he missed since he was arrested and convicted. According to investigative reporter, Steve Lillibuen, Twitchell enjoyed communicating through writing. Mark Twitchell was a Canadian filmmaker with big dreams and a production of a Star Wars prequel. And I'm going away with her to Costa Rica and I'll call you at Christmastime.". So of course the police have tossed my house and impounded my car Not fun considering they won't find anything ". Bill Clark: When we got the word that the DNA matched, we briefed our tactical teamour arrest team, and we had officers ready to make the arrest. Right away I'm saying to myself this is a bunch of crap. Bill Clark: No, he's uh well he knows not to say anything he's talking to his lawyers. In April 2011, Twitchell was found guilty of first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years. Investigators followed it to an alleyway just a half block away from where they had stopped the search. Det. So, police kept searching on their own, looking in sewer after sewer. "I'd ask him one question and I'd get 10 pages back as an answer.". Police began digging deeper into his background. Altinger also informed his friends that he is going to meet this woman with whom hed been chatting. Gilles Tetreault: It was dark then I kind of looked around for the door she told me to go through and that's when somebody came out attacked me from behind. He even talked about driving around with him and pulling up beside people at red lights and looking at them thinking that "they don't know I have a dead body in the trunk of my car.". Experts say it's a long shot, but it worries Tetreault. Renee: I thought it was gonna be like a working relationship, a working friendship. One of the biggest mistakes I think that he made was he had no idea how we do our job and that was a huge advantage to us. According to investigative reporter, Steve Lillibuen, Twitchell enjoyed communicating through writing. Twitchell posed as a woman on the Plenty of Fish dating site and set up a meeting with John Altinger, 38, on October 10, 2008. Twitchell also faced an attempted murder charge for his alleged attack on Gilles Tetreault, a computer company contractor. Bill Clark: You know, one of the first things we did was check the police records figuring hopefully someone called the police on this. Renee: We talked about you know, serial killers and, you know, the psychology behind a serial killer. In the interview, police noticed that Twitchell had a lot of energy, considering the time of night. And then, in a search of Twitchell's belongings, police found his laptop. I am Mallika Singh, a lawyer and writer by profession. Then, the Dexter Killer lured his victims in. This time, he managed to get into his truck. Twitchell even posed as Dexter Morgan on Facebook. I mean, she was emotional. According to CBC, a woman who met Twitchell through the Dexter Morgan Facebook page testified that they shared their love for the TV show through online messages. ", Renee: He said over the weekend he did something, and he liked it. Store officials confirmed Mark Twitchell worked there as a sales rep from 2002 to 2004 until he was "released."
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