Web1.8M views 3 years ago Mark Twitchell was a film maker from Canada, who, one day, decided he wanted to turn one of his short films into a reality. At the time, Renee was upset with her ex-husband's new wife. "He had this kind of processing kit that was very similar to what Dexter uses.". Mark Andrew Twitchell (born July 4, 1979) is a Canadian filmmaker convicted of first-degree murder in April 2011 for the murder of John Brian Altinger. His trial attracted particular media attention because Twitchell had allegedly been inspired by the fictional character Dexter Morgan. Apart from this, Marks case was featured in the American magazine Crime Watch Daily. Bill Clark: So, I know that this diary we have is true. He wouldn't. KILLER Mark Twitchell has become known as the Dexter Killer due to his obsession with the TV show. 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. During questioning, filmmaker Mark Twitchell appeared to be eager to help investigators. Steve Lillibuen: I asked him a lotta softball questions just about who he was, his family, his upbringing -- all that kinda background detail. DETECTIVE: And we end up going to that garage because of a missing person who supposedly went there. However, he abandoned his right to appeal in 2012. Troy Roberts: That was part of your plan, you're thinking he grabs my jacket, and I can get free . So anytime I'd seen one I'd always have my flashlight with me and would get out and actually take a look. The police, not believing this story, impounded Twitchell's laptop and car, and found Altinger's blood in the car's trunk. Det. Mark Andrew Twitchell was born in Edmonton, Alberta, on July 4, 1979. Bill Clark: We found out he was telling his wife he was going to work every day. He added, It sometimes scares me how much I relate.. Probably one of the biggest pieces, a piece of tooth that was found inside there. Under director, it has Mark Twitchell. Bill Clark: You know, one of the first things we did was check the police records figuring hopefully someone called the police on this. Steve Lillibuen [reading letter]: He writes, "I killed Johnny Altinger in a horrific accident of self-defense. These are the words of Mark Twitchell, written to investigative journalist and author Steve Lillibuen: Steve Lillibuen [reading letters]: "It would appear that I'm unique in the world. DETECTIVE [interrogation]: Altinger Does that name ring a bell to you or mean anything to you? Police say Twitchell was fascinated by the fictional character in the hit Showtime series "Dexter." He's very charismatic. Two weeks after the disappearance of Johnny Altinger at a garage film set, police had sharpened their focus on filmmaker Mark Twitchell. Twitchell appeared to be eager to help. Twitchell graduated from the Radio and Television Arts program at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in 2000. And I'm going away with her to Costa Rica and I'll call you at Christmastime.". Mr. Twitchell went to school in Edmonton and did postgraduate studies in radio and television in the Alberta capital. John Altinger. Steve Lillibuen [reading letter]: He wrote to me "As you are aware, Dexter has almost nothing to do with my case.". Julia Cowley: Yes. ", Det. I'm dead.". 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. Gilles Tetreault: He's about 6 foot and this black and gold hockey mask painted all painted up on his face. His interest in the show was raised numerous times during his trial. Steve Lillibuen: I learned really quickly that he preferred to talk through writing. More Details To Know, Gucci Family Story: A Heated Battle For House Of Gucci & Maurizios Murder, Lil Meech and Summer Walker Seemingly Confirm Romance, Bamboozle 2023 Canceled A Week Before Scheduled Dates, Fans Rejoice as Andrew Rannells and Tuc Watkins Reignite Their Relationship, Eva Green Wins $1 Million Lawsuit Against Producers of Failed Film A Patriot, Ed Sheeran Announces Intimate Subtract Tour in Support of New Album: Venues and Ticket Options Revealed, Citadel Episode 3: Release Date and Time on Prime Video. Bill Clark: Gilles Tetreault was online on the plentyoffish.com website Which is a dating site. It was actually he was probably going to kill me. Gilles Tetreault: I'm scared that he might want to finish what he started and come after me. Steve Lillebuen exchanged dozens letters with Mark Twitchell during a three-year period. June 10th actually. ", Lillibuen read one of Twitchell's letters: "I killed Johnny Altinger in a horrific accident of self-defense. At a glance, Mark Twitchell seemed perfectly normal. He had a table set up for his victims. Lillebuen said: "He had a kill room set up with plastic sheeting. He had no history of violence and was hardly a suspect. Cops say his fascination with the fictional TV killer carried over into his real-life crimes. Steve Lillibuen: He has very much that salesman slick behavior, he knows how to put it on to get people to like him. In 2007, Twitchell directed Star Wars: Secrets Of The Rebellion, a full-length fan film prequel to Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. 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. The strange story about the red car, the serial killer movie being filmed for Clark it could only mean one thing. Dexter Killer: Everything about Mark Twitchell, the Killer who wore a Hockey This story is based on true events. Police began digging deeper into his background. He was now obsessed with the TV show Dexter. The only witness the defense called was Mark Twitchell and he had one unbelievable tale to tell. 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. Julia Cowley: He's not killing bad guys. Steve Lillibuen: Twitchell's been dubbed "The Dexter Killer" because of the numerous links between the television series and the real-life crimes. It says that Jeremy Bulloch is in the movie and it says it's coming out in June. Altinger, thinking he was meeting a woman, was lured to Twitchells kill room in his garage-turned-film-studio. Det. MARK TWITCHELL [graduation video]: "I'm glad I got to work with you all and I hope I see you all in the industry.". Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Mark Twitchell worked with a tight-knit group of guys on various film projects. But was the document a screenplay? Tetreault, who was 33 at the time, was excited to meet the woman who called herself "Sheena.". Det. So how did this young Canadian filmmaker end up accused of horrific acts? Police believe that Johnny Altinger was hit over the head with this pipe shortly upon entering the darkened garage. WebMark Twitchell had turned his obsession with Star Wars into making a fan film. Embarrassed and confused, Tetreault convinced himself that perhaps it wasn't as serious as he first thought. This is the greatest feeling I ever felt in my life, because then I knew I had a fighting chance to get away. The Devil's Cinema Penguin Random House / My Space. Armed with the directions, police were led directly to that garage. BILL CLARK [to Twitchell in police car]: So here we are back at the killing garage. Inside The Story Of Sawney Bean And His Clan Of Cannibal Killers That Inspired 'The Hills Have Eyes', What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. Which is a it's actually a full-blown feature that's actually gonna have a decent budget in the neighborhood of about three-and-a-half million . MARK TWITCHELL: Yeah. Det. Tetreault, who has written a book about his ordeal, spoke to "48 Hours" recently. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. Mark Twitchell, a filmmaker turned into a killer, is now counting his days in prison in 2022. And hypothetically, how would you get away with it? In 2017, he was allowed to join an online dating website for inmates. After cursorily shoving aside my human sensibilities, I dealt with his remains in a disrespectful manner that traumatized me forever.". The recently aired CBS episode delves into this aspiring serial killers psyche. DET. Bill Clark: He looked pretty comfortable in the interview. 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. After a brief scuffle, Tetreault was able to overpower his attacker and escape from the garage. Throughout their correspondence, Lillibuen continued to grapple with what drove Twitchell and then Twitchell told him: Steve Lillibuen [reading letter]: "There is no key. "Dexter" on his mind, Twitchell drew a portrait of Michael C. Hall the actor who plays him. He next tried to dump them into the river but was afraid of being seen. Why didn't I tell somebody where I am?". Lillebuen said: "He had a kill room set up with plastic sheeting. WebMark Andrew Twitchell (born July 4, 1979) is a Canadian filmmaker convicted of first-degree murder in April 2011 for the murder of John Brian Altinger. Part of the report included a return trip by Tetreault to the garage in which the incident had taken place. Troy Roberts: So, I mean, you spoke to him a couple of times a day online? When they found Altingers blood in Twitchells car, they arrested him on Oct. 31, 2008. Bill Clark: It's almost like, at times, Mark Twitchell lives in a fantasy world. It read "I went through great lengths to bring my wife over to the comfortable belief I wasn't cheating on her.". living in the Midwest before returning to Canada to pursue a career in 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. Detective Clark was relentless, taking Twitchell on a tour of his old neighborhood. Mark was arrested on October 31, 2008, and was charged with first-degree murder on the first day. What was the release date of "Star Wars: Secrets of the Rebellion": Det. Mark Andrew Twitchell was born in Edmonton, Alberta, on July 4, 1979. Police cameras were rolling as a forensics team processed Twitchell's family car and the garage he rented. Desperate for some answers, Johnny's friends broke into his apartment. 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.. Mark directed Star Wars: Secrets of the Rebellion (2007), a full-length fan film prequel which was set a few days before Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Right away I'm saying to myself this is a bunch of crap. 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 Steve Lillibuen, a college professor and an investigative journalist, was covering the trial for the Edmonton Journal and went on to write a book, "The Devil's Cinema," about the case. Clark listened while Twitchell told him how he came into possession of a red car a detail he failed to mention when he spoke with police earlier. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. ", "SK Confessions" told the story of a man who was lured to a garage and stabbed to death a plot strikingly similar to "House of Cards. On October 3, 2008, Gilles Tetreault drove to a garage in Edmonton, believing that he was about to meet a woman named Sheena whom hed met on a dating site called PlentyOfFish. We're gonna take a drive. But he claimed Altinger became enraged at being tricked, and he accidentally killed him in self-defense. 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. Police believed "SK" was shorthand for "serial killer. Troy Roberts: How do you get away with it? living in the Midwest before returning to Canada to pursue a career in It sometimes scares me how much I relate. Twitchell started running a dating website Plenty of Fish in 2008 and that is when the real trouble started. Det. You know, we had a lot in common. 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. So, I'm like, "Oh no, what am I gonna do now. Twitchell stabbed and bludgeoned his victim before cutting him up and partially burning the body. He graduated from a radio and television program at the He wouldn't do this to us. MARK ANSTEY [to reporters]: We have not found John Altinger's body. His trial attracted particular media attention because Twitchell had allegedly been inspired by the fictional character Dexter Morgan. Det. Then, the Dexter Killer lured his victims in. GILLES TETREAULT [police interview]: I was off balance, I couldn't run I fell down on the gravel driveway and, uh, basically crawling. When not at work, you can find me at the stable. Michael McHugh is the producer-editor. Cops say his fascination with the fictional TV killer carried over into his real-life crimes. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. MICHAEL C. HALL (audio): it is horrifying to entertain the notion that something you did inspired that. And a week later, another man, 38-year-old Johnny Altinger, went to meet a date at Twitchells garage. There is no key. Tetreault was thrown back in the garage, but he surprised himself by rolling out again. Det. BILL CLARK [interrogation]: So, as you know Mark, we're just here trying to find this John fellow. The short film featured a killer luring men to a garage and murdering them. Renee: And I wanted her dead, at the time. Det. Heward left the garage film set unharmed but rattled. Jimmy Siokos tells "48 Hours Mystery" about what it was like to work with Mark Twitchell on a "Star Wars" fan film. Renee [reading email]: "There's an enormous missing person, possible homicide investigation going on centralized around a location I've rented for film work. Troy Roberts: And when did you grow concerned. 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. Or was it in fact Mark Twitchell's confession of murder? When I looked at the weapons that was my first sign. filmmaking. In October 2008, Mark Twitchell put his dark side into action. OFFICER [to Twitchell outside garage]: Bring back any memories? MURDERER Mark Twitchell has become known as the Dexter killer due to his obsession with the TV show. They wouldn't elaborate. "SK CONFESSIONS" PASSAGE: "Please stop hitting me oh my skull.". 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. Julia Cowley: He's a depraved individual, and he knows that. But the police were more interested in Twitchell's latest production: a suspense thriller called "House of Cards," where a hockey masked serial killer lures a man to garage via the internet and kills him. Movie's over. Mark Twitchell was nothing like author Steve Lillibuen expected. The killer then attempted to burn the remains in a barrel but failed. Twitchell's response to Hall's comments was to downplay his fascination with the "Dexter" character. What led to this happening? But the question remains was Twitchell inspired to kill by the TV show? You know, the fight for my life . ", Renee: He said over the weekend he did something, and he liked it. Twitchell's film has never been released. Mark represented himself as a woman and allured Johnny into meeting him. The closer police looked, the more the lines blurred. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. And you can write it all down. Exactly one month after he was attacked, Gilles Tetreault walked into the Edmonton Police Department and told police his incredible story. Seven days after Tetreault was attacked, police say Twitchell wasn't going to make the same mistake twice. Julia Cowley: I think he identified with Dexter to some degree. Det. At that instant, I knew there was no date.. The story begins in October 2008. WebExtra: Jimmy Siokos on Mark Twitchell. Mark Twitchell, The 'Dexter Killer' Inspired To Murder By Voluntarily, the amateur filmmaker came down to the Edmonton Police Station to speak with detectives. Bill Clark: No, he's uh well he knows not to say anything he's talking to his lawyers. What's Mark Twitchell's psyche? It was a story without an ending. On one of his blogsites, Mr. Twitchell wrote last year that he felt he was answering a higher calling to re-energize a franchise that creator George Lucas had fumbled by focusing more on computer imagery than plotlines. Their email exchanges soon became dark. Twitchell claimed that Altinger's death was nothing more than a publicity stunt gone horribly awry. In May 2013, it was reported by the National Post that Twitchell had purchased a television for his prison cell. Det. Susan Zirinsky and Judy Tygard are the executive producers, First published on April 23, 2022 / 11:12 PM. No root cause If I really were capable of premeditated murder Normal, healthy, well-adjusted 30-year-old men I once heard the legend of another worthy victim I dealt with his remains in a disrespectful manner that traumatized me forever psychopathic serial killer I quickly grew to resent and hate this man. Twitchell's story may be coming to the big screen. 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? What's going on? He is lucid. Secrets of the Rebellion, a feature-length fan film prequel to Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Writing gives me a sense of freedom and independence. This is the story of my progression into becoming a, . 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., Joe Metheny: The Baltimore Cannibal Who Turned Human Victims Into Hamburgers, Did You Know That A Woman Started Fathers Day? His friends, having broken into his condo and finding no evidence he had packed for a vacation, alerted the police. Twitchell wrote numerous letters to the journalist, with Lillibuen telling CBS Newsthat he found themurderer of Johnny Altingerto be very responsive to letter writing. Mark Twitchell, The Dexter Killer Whose Obsession With The TV Show Led Him To Murder. Steve Lillibuen: He was newly married and a new father. When I saw that they were real, I thought, "This is off. 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. He also talked about some Star Wars fan fiction films hed made in the past, and how he was now funding his films through investors. There is no key. Star Wars - Secrets of the Rebellion. He became especially enchanted with the American TV show Dexter, which follows the story of a blood-splatter expert who kills murderers that avoided prosecution. He spent countless hours scouring the Internet, buying and selling Star And for Mark Twitchell, the aspiring filmmaker, there may be one final plot twist. He had an interest in film and graduated from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology with a bachelors degree in Radio and Television Arts in 2000. In 2007, Twitchell directedStar Wars: Secrets Of The Rebellion, a full-length fan film prequel to Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Steve Lillibuen: still is adamant that this was not a planned and deliberate murder and to be frank, he is wrong. It was shortly before Johnny Altinger disappeared. On October 31, 2008, Mark Twitchell was charged with the first degree murder. And they found everything just like as if he were going to return an hour or two later And with that information, then they went to the police, and they said, "Hey, listen. Twitchell graduated from the Radio and Television Arts program at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in 2000. Twitchell's film has never been released. ", Lillibuen read one of Twitchell's letters: "I killed Johnny Altinger in a horrific accident of self-defense. I said- I told myself I'll do it tomorrow. So of course the police have tossed my house and impounded my car Not fun considering they won't find anything ". He worked as a Canadian filmmaker and was convicted of first-degree murder in April 2011. Lillebuen wrote a book about the case titled "The Devil's Cinema: The Untold Story Behind Mark Twitchell's Kill Room.". But police had found a helpful clue during the search of Twitchell's home. Mark Twitchell was born in Edmonton, Canada but spent several years 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. On October 31, 2008, Mark Twitchell was charged with the first degree murder. Twitchell himself admitted to killing Altinger and authoring the document but he stated that he did it in self-defence. MARK ANSTEY [to reporters]: To date we do not know who this victim is. Steve Lillibuen: Mark Twitchell testified that this was all a big misunderstanding he had killed Johnny in self-defense .