They were interested in speaking with anyone who had worked on "House of Cards," where actor Chris Heward's character meets an untimely, bloody end in the film. Ex-wife of filmmaker charged in death alleged 'extreme' mental Michael McHugh is the producer-editor. He worked as a Canadian filmmaker and was convicted of first-degree murder in April 2011. He proved himself highly disorganized and erratic during the filming. Bill Clark: He looked pretty comfortable in the interview. This is what happened to me. Chris Heward: My character was killed with a samurai sword. Det. Troy Roberts: And what were you thinking when when you heard this? Bill Clark: Ultimately Mark Twitchell drove around with it, according to the "SK Confessions" document. He worked as a Canadian filmmaker and was convicted of first Gilles Tetreault: That's when I was ready to fight I punched him and I felt really weak. Throughout their correspondence, Lillibuen continued to grapple with what drove Twitchell and then Twitchell told him: Steve Lillibuen [reading letter]: "There is no key. Mark Twitchell Little did they know the case was about to take an unusual turn. The Devil's Cinema Penguin Random House / My Space. But was the document a screenplay? JUSTICE DONE What Tetreault heard next came as an even greater shock. Mark Twitchell, John Altinger: Dateline NBC Replays Copycat Det. Det. contained a short cameo with actor. Mark Twitchell was an Edmonton native who wanted to become a filmmaker. Altinger, thinking he was meeting a woman, was lured to Twitchells kill room in his garage-turned-film-studio. Twitchell's film has never been released. Twitchell had attempted to lure another victim to his kill room earlier that month. 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. Mark Twitchell - IMDb Gradually though, Marks life went from making the stories through film to Det. Gilles Tetreault: I stuck the key in the ignition and then I just sped away. It's a rare look inside the mind of a killer. You know, be careful And John said, "Yeah, well, here's the directions. News of the arrest shocked friends and family of both the accused and the victim. He had a table set up for his victims. Detective Clark hoped Twitchell would provide the final chapter. Twitchell's story may be coming to the big screen. BILL CLARK [interrogation]: So, as you know Mark, we're just here trying to find this John fellow. Under director, it has Mark Twitchell. But he maintained a core Dexter Killer Mark Twitchell was an aspiring filmmaker whose scripts bore a striking resemblance to his crimes. Movie's over. Eventually, Twitchell revealed his true identity. Canadian Wannabe Serial Killer Mark Twitchell - Medium "I'd ask him one question and I'd get 10 pages back as an answer.". Det. 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. And then, in a search of Twitchell's belongings, police found his laptop. I believe your husband's got somethin' to do with it and this quite possibly you know, could be a homicide." Police discovered Twitchell spent countless hours making elaborate Halloween costumes. Dont worry about neighbors thinking youre a burglar.. Goin', "Yeah, this isn't right. But what was real and what was fiction? "Mark has way too much in common with Dexter Morgan" read Twitchell's status. WebCheck out this great listen on Audible.com. And it was a little taste of his own medicine, I guess. I'm like "Wow, why was my punch so weak? Star Wars: Secrets of the Rebellion 2008 - Theiapolis 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. Det. Mark Twitchell, The Dexter Killer Whose Obsession With The TV Show Led Him To Murder. Steve Lillibuen: Mark Twitchell wrote to me quite extensively about his interest in "Dexter.". 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. What's he gonna do? Lillibuen said: "He wrote me probably 30 or 35 different letters - up to about 350 pages like an entire book worth. I start hearing different things like a jingling noise and stuff like that my head is just racing, like it's like thinking, "What's goin' on? Tetreault, who has written a book about his ordeal, spoke to "48 Hours" recently. The names and events were altered slightly to protect the guilty. Det. That doesnt change the fact that his crimes, and Dexters fictional ones, have obvious parallels. Twitchell What's going on? At first, Lillibuen didn't want to push Twitchell away with too many probing questions about his crimes. In 2007, Twitchell directed Star Wars: Secrets Of The Rebellion, a full-length fan film prequel to Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. They wouldn't elaborate. His friends, having broken into his condo and finding no evidence he had packed for a vacation, alerted the police. Mark Twitchell : The Dexter Copycat - YouTube Are we parked right on top of the sewer where you dumped the body? Bill Clark: They learned, of course, the garage is rented out to an individual named Mark Twitchell. By now, Renee had called police. She graduated from Oberlin College, where she earned a double degree in American History and French. Bill Clark: You know, one of the first things we did was check the police records figuring hopefully someone called the police on this. 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. Weeks, then months, passed and still no luck. The recently aired CBS episode delves into this aspiring serial killers psyche. ", Lillibuen read one of Twitchell's letters: "I killed Johnny Altinger in a horrific accident of self-defense. At his garage, they found an eerily Dexter-like scene that included plastic sheets on the window, a blood-splattered table, and cleaning supplies. The police, not believing this story, impounded Twitchell's laptop and car, and found Altinger's blood in the car's trunk. Twitchell himself admitted to killing Altinger and authoring the document but he stated that he did it in self-defence. Despite comparisons to the fictional TV character Dexter Morgan, in a letter to Steve Lillebuen, Twitchell writes, "As you're aware, Dexter has 'almost nothing' to do with my case. No root cause there is no school bully or impressionably gory movies or Showtime television series to point the finger at. Court documents filed in Peoria noted that Mark married Megan Twitchell, a U.S. citizen, in Edmonton on Jan. 4, 2001, and they eventually moved to the Illinois city, where they worked at American Electronics Appliance. Steve Lillebuen authored the book The Devils Cinema which focussed on the complete case. MARK ANSTEY [to reporters]: We have not found John Altinger's body. ", Det. The hockey mask wearing man had ordered him to the ground at gunpoint. Questions Lillibuen hoped might be answered when he got a call out of the blue from Mark Twitchell himself. Maybe Mark Twitchell wanted to kill like Dexter, and maybe he didnt. 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. That identical strange message had gone out to all of Johnny's friends as well. Bill Clark: He talked a lot about how he loved the show "Dexter.". Joan Adelman and Michelle Harris are the editors. His friends, having broken into his condo and finding no evidence he had packed for a vacation, alerted the police. Interestingly, the document police had found in Twitchell's laptop titled "SK Confessions" also referenced a crumbling marriage and secrets. A star only in his own warped mind | Edmonton Journal Extra: Jimmy Siokos on Mark Twitchell - CBS News These letters help us delve into the horrific mind of an aspirational serial killer who could have killed many if he had not been caught on time. Twitchell's first film project, a "Star Wars" fan film, had received some media buzz back in 2007. Jimmy Siokos tells "48 Hours Mystery" about what it was like to work with Mark Twitchell on a "Star Wars" fan film. He's very charismatic. Yet Twitchell continued to make excuses. John was very, very, very responsible. filmmaking. Mark Twitchell He had no history of violence and was hardly a suspect. But Twitchell claimed he could explain everything. I am a keen observer and an ardent reader. So, there was obviously troubles in paradise there, we knew that Mark Twitchell had been having an affair with an old girlfriend and lying to his wife about having a job. ", Lillibuen read one of Twitchell's letters: "I killed Johnny Altinger in a horrific accident of self-defense. Steve Lillibuen: He has very much that salesman slick behavior, he knows how to put it on to get people to like him. Bill Clark: And we first drove to his parents' house where he had been staying. Twitchell's response to Hall's comments was to downplay his fascination with the "Dexter" character. "I crossed the line and I did something and I liked it". Det. His landlord said he and his wife were model tenants, even after they were divorced in late 2004 and Mark Twitchell moved into another unit in the townhouse complex. The names and events were altered slightly to protect the guilty. Troy Roberts: What are you thinking when you hear that? June 10th actually. Luminol tests later revealed excessive amounts of human blood that wasn't visible to the naked eye. So he was, you know, just a typical local guy who had dreams of making it big in Hollywood and really no red flags. Get this over with? Bill Clark: I don't think he ever imagined in a million years what would happen to him in that garage. We did a film about killin' a guy in here and I filmed it all. Altinger, thinking he was meeting a woman, was lured to Twitchells kill room in his garage-turned-film-studio. Det. Tetreault, who was 33 at the time, was excited to meet the woman who called herself "Sheena.". The directions led police directly to Mark Twitchells door. contained a short cameo with actor. 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. A pool of blood that police found in Mark Twitchells garage. But Twitchell had underestimated the police. Both Lillebuen and police say that Twitchell's fascination with the TV killer Dexter Morgan carried over into his real-life crimes. Police believed Mark Twitchell's garage resembled a scene right out of the Showtime series "Dexter." Exactly one month after he was attacked, Gilles Tetreault walked into the Edmonton Police Department and told police his incredible story. Troy Roberts: These weren't ramblings of a crazy man. GILLES TETREAULT [police interview]: After this all happened, I realized how lucky I was. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. Mark, on the other, hand used media for his appeal. 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. WebMark Twitchell IMDbPro Starmeter See rank He graduated from a radio and television program at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) and later gained a small In 2007, Twitchell directed Star Wars: Secrets of the Rebellion, a full-length fan film set a few days before Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. So, I'm like, "Oh no, what am I gonna do now. Gilles Tetreault: I'm scared that he might want to finish what he started and come after me. And a week later, another man, 38-year-old Johnny Altinger, went to meet a date at Twitchells garage. After cursorily shoving aside my human sensibilities, I dealt with his remains in a disrespectful manner that traumatized me forever.". Three weeks after Altinger's disappearance, police charged Twitchell with first-degree murder. Renee: He said, "You cut her up in little pieces. Twitchell also faced an attempted murder charge for his alleged attack on Gilles Tetreault, a computer company contractor. Joss Hnatiuk met Mark Twitchell on a Star Wars fan message board. Mark Twitchell From having a kill room to using plastic sheeting Twitchell, a self-proclaimed Dexter fan, killed like the character did. The search of the car also led police to discover a deleted file on Mark Twitchell's laptop called "SK Confessions." In 2007, Twitchell directedStar Wars: Secrets Of The Rebellion, a full-length fan film prequel to Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Mark, in the meantime, had prepared his kill room set up in his garage-turned-film-studio. This time, he managed to get into his truck. Bill Clark: Well, John's friends were concerned. When Tetreault got home, he discovered the profile on the dating site had been deleted. Britsh actor Jeremy Jimmy Siokos tells "48 Hours Mystery" about what it was like to work with Mark Twitchell on a "Star Wars" fan film. Some information may no longer be current. The message that Gilles Tetreault received from Sheena, who was really Mark Twitchell. The public's attention drew to him after he was allegedly known to be inspired by Dexter Morgan, a fictional character. Probably one of the biggest pieces, a piece of tooth that was found inside there. This is the story of my progression into becoming a serial killer. It contained all details about Marks planning, failed attempts, successful attempts and even the process of how he dismembered the body and disposed of the remains.. The detached garage had been rented by Mr. Twitchell and had been used by him recently to shoot a short, low-budget movie about a man who is lured online to a garage, trussed up and tortured for his computer passwords, then hacked to bits. Mark Twitchell, the Canadian movie maker turned killer who was inspired by the TV show Dexter, is the focus of another engrossing episode of Dateline NBC. 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.". And tomorrow came and I wasI felt so ashamed that I got duped. In 2013, he purchased a television for his prison cell and stated that he had caught up on every Dexter episode that he missed since his arrest. Both Lillebuen and police say that Twitchell's fascination with the TV killer Dexter Morgan carried over into his real-life crimes. In the interview, police noticed that Twitchell had a lot of energy, considering the time of night. He graduated from a radio and television program at the Twitchell denied knowing anything about a missing man or a red Mazda and he had no problem with the police wanting to search the garage. Bill Clark: And there are some things that were, you know, raisin' your Spidey senses in this one. Mark Twitchell was born in Edmonton, Canada but spent several years Troy Roberts: How do you get away with it? Mark Twitchell Gary Altinger: When I received that email And this e-mail was completely out of character. Those directions led police directly to that garage, which turned out to be rented to an aspiring filmmaker named Mark Twitchell. But it was Twitchell's Facebook page comparing himself to TV's fictional serial killer Dexter Morgan that really raised eyebrows. Fortunately, it took police far less time to catch up with Mark Twitchell than it took their fictional counterparts to catch up to Dexter Morgan. Twitchell, then 29 years old, a married man with a young daughter, had used the garage as a set for a recent movie project. On Halloween morning 2008, while Twitchell was putting the finishing touches on his Halloween costume at his parents' home, police were busy laying a trap. This is the greatest feeling I ever felt in my life, because then I knew I had a fighting chance to get away. He sort of describes it in seductive language. Detective Bill Clark knew his next move was finding the alleged victim who had escaped from Mark Twitchell's garage. The newfound evidence including letters reveals how this psycho killer planned the murder(s). Gary Altinger: I just thought right away after I had read this, that's gotta be the weirdest message I've ever received. Wow, yeah, this is this is the guy. "There was He had a table set up for his victims. 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. Soon after the divorce, Mark Twitchell returned to Edmonton to spearhead a low-budget $60,000 Det. And he did his best to erase his own memory. Det. 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. of the Rebellion (2007), a fan film for the Star Wars franchise that Det. Gilles Tetreault: I still think about the painted-up hockey mask. Patti Aronofsky is the senior producer. For the first time on television, Lillibuen is revealing the contents of Twitchell's letters. Det. Police soon discovered that the Twitchell marriage was already fractured. Two weeks after the disappearance of Johnny Altinger at a garage film set, police had sharpened their focus on filmmaker Mark Twitchell. When Gilles Tetreault went to meet his online date named "Sheena" at the set location of Twitchell's garage, he was attacked by Twitchell in a hockey mask. We WebHis name was Mark Twitchell and the aspiring filmmaker was renting a two-door garage (above) in Edmonton, Canada as his make-shift film studio. Twitchell began writing to Lillibuen before he was even convicted in 2011. Thats about people with criminal minds. And I liked it.. The 29-year-old Canadian man had a wife and a young daughter, and aspirations of becoming a filmmaker. It's a combination of a sexual motive and thrill killing. ", "SK CONFESSIONS" PASSAGE: "I grabbed him by the leg as if to drag him back into the garage caveman style.". It was shortly before Johnny Altinger disappeared. Renee: And I wanted her dead, at the time. Bill Clark: It was unbelievable. Twitchell posed as a woman on dating site Plenty of Fish and arranged to meet John Altinger, 38, on Bill Clark: They pulled off the hard drive a deleted file titled "SK Confessions. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Stars Wars stuff all over the unit, but hey, whatever people collect, they collect.". MARK ANSTEY [to reporters, holding up hockey mask]: We have some details on this male victim who was attacked, and we would like him to come forward. And then you just go in through the garage.". Mark Twitchell was nothing like author Steve Lillibuen expected. Following the narrative, police believe Altinger was then stabbed and dismembered on a makeshift autopsy table. DET. Author Steve Lillibuen sold the rights to his book "The Devil's Cinema" to a film company. If you want to delve into more details, watch the CBS 48 Hours Season 34 Episode 38: The Dexter Killer here. BILL CLARK [Mark Twitchell interrogation]: As I told you that night, I knew that you were involved in the disappearance at that time of Johnny Altinger. In March of 2011, Mark Twitchell went on trial for the murder of Johnny Altinger. I think he is different than Dexter. He was lured out on the promise to meet this guy at this coffee shop And when he got about three blocks from his house, the tactical team swooped in on him and took him down. Gilles Tetreault: She said "I'll just leave the garage door open for you. He spent countless hours scouring the Internet, buying and selling Star To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. Renee: We talked about you know, serial killers and, you know, the psychology behind a serial killer. Embarrassed and confused, Tetreault convinced himself that perhaps it wasn't as serious as he first thought. Gilles Tetreault: I couldn't believe it. DET. Once he arrived, police believe that Twitchell hit him over the head with a pipe, stabbed him to death, and then dismembered his body. We don't even know if we have a crime. This is who he is. I didn't really go into anything more, but I think that was enough. Apart from this, Marks case was featured in the American magazine Crime Watch Daily. Twitchell wrote numerous letters to the journalist, with Lillibuen telling CBS Newsthat he found themurderer of Johnny Altingerto be very responsive to letter writing. Bill Clark: We had a, you know, luminol tests done on the floor. He was also lured in the same manner as Altinger.