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ID's 48 Hours episode titled The Dexter Killer highlights the crimes of filmmaker Mark Twitchell as one of the strangest copycat killers in history. He was convicted for the murder of Johnny Altinger. Twitchell's imitation of the Showtime drama Dexter's star Dexter Morgan and his technique earned him the moniker "Dexter Killer."
The episode preview reads:
"Just over a decade after Mark Twitchell was convicted of murdering Johnny Altinger, who prosecutors say he lured into a garage, stabbed and dismembered, Troy Roberts takes a rare look inside Twitchell's mind through his writings."
Twitchell, a 29-year-old Canadian budding filmmaker, earned a date with 38-year-old Johnny Altinger by impersonating a woman in an online chat room. He then killed Johnny Altinger in cold blood.
Twitchell assaulted and stabbed his victim before meticulously dismembering him on a table in his garage. He was convicted in 2011 and sentenced to life in prison.
Dexter Killer Mark Twitchell became a killer after getting influenced by a crime show
Mark Twitchell, the infamous famous Dexter Killer, was found guilty of killing John Brian Altinger in the Dexter Morgan style after getting influenced by a show called Dexter. It was alleged that his fascination with the fictional killer served as the inspiration for his actions, giving rise to the moniker "Dexter Killer."
Twitchell, a Canadian filmmaker who was born in Edmonton, Alberta, on July 4, 1979, was detained and found guilty of murder in April 2011. Mark received his degree in radio and television arts from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in 2000.
Mark Twitchell reportedly impersonated a lady on the dating website Plenty of Fish in 2008 and set up a meeting with John Altinger. The victim, thinking that he was meeting a woman, was supposed to meet Twitchell in his "kill room" garage.
Twitchell stabbed John with a knife and then battered his body. He dismembered the body parts, burned parts of the body, and dumped the bones in a storm drain.
After 38-year-old Johnny Altinger mysteriously disappeared in October 2008, Mark came under the investigators' attention. The instructions Johnny provided to his friends pointed to a garage that Mark had hired. Also, before he went missing, John had mentioned to a friend that he met a filmmaker instead of a woman for his date.
Authorities quickly discovered that Mark was a married man with a child, but his marriage was rocky. The ensuing investigation made him the prime suspect in the case, given his obsession with the show Dexter. Moreover, John's car was found in his possession.
Incriminating evidence found on Mark Twitchell's hard disk indicated his involvement in murder
Mark Twitchell told authorities that he recently used the garage as a set for a movie called House of Cards. The narrative revolved around a murderer with a hockey mask who uses the internet to entice a man into the garage and then murders him.
Cops later discovered a deleted file called SK Confessions on his hard disk. The file also mentioned his failing marriage to wife Jess and a survivor named Gilles Tetreault.
The only thing the police required was tangible evidence, as all circumstantial evidence appeared to be pointing towards Mark Twitchell. They discovered this when they found biological evidence in the garage and John's blood in Mark's trunk.
In court, Mark said that the whole event was planned to develop into an urban legend, which would then generate some interest for his film. He claimed that his intention was simply to frighten the men and let them go, but Johnny wasn't delighted to learn about the lie, and the two got into a fight.
Mark allegedly struck Johnny in the head with a pipe before the latter yanked it away and struck Mark back. Mark then claimed that he stabbed Johnny to defend himself.
He said he panicked afterwards and tried to burn the body, but failed and had to throw it into a sewer. Twitchell then broke into the victim's house and sent phony emails to everyone.
Mark was convicted of first-degree murder in April 2011 and was given a life sentence with the option of parole after 25 years. Mark reportedly continued to watch Dexter while serving time in prison.
Mark Twitchell aka the Dexter Killer's case will air on ID's 48 Hours.
