DET. Twitchell's film has never been released. It was shortly before Johnny Altinger disappeared. 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. Renee: He was a filmmaker and he was working on a new thing called "House of Cards.". Mark Twitchell, a fringe filmmaker accused in a slaying that matched one of his scripts, spent earlier years feverishly hawking and buying When they found Altingers blood in Twitchells car, they arrested him on Oct. 31, 2008. But he claimed Altinger became enraged at being tricked, and he accidentally killed him in self-defense. Bill Clark: They learned, of course, the garage is rented out to an individual named Mark Twitchell. Troy Roberts [watching interrogation video]: You didn't get much of a reaction, did you? DETECTIVE [interrogation]: Altinger Does that name ring a bell to you or mean anything to you? Det. 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. Police began digging deeper into his background. "He had this kind of processing kit that was very similar to what Dexter uses.". Steve Lillibuen: He just said straight out, "If you're gonna be writing a book about me, you might as well come straight to the source.". Mark was arrested on October 31, 2008, and was charged with first-degree murder on the first day. Seven days after Tetreault was attacked, police say Twitchell wasn't going to make the same mistake twice. Bill Clark[driving]: So, all these manhole covers were pulled off in this alley. John was very, very, very responsible. of the Rebellion (2007), a fan film for the Star Wars franchise that 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". On October 31, 2008, Mark Twitchell was charged with the first degree murder. So, I'm like, "Oh no, what am I gonna do now. "Dexter" on his mind, Twitchell drew a portrait of Michael C. Hall the actor who plays him. What's Mark Twitchell's psyche? Suffice it to say that I crossed the line on Friday, he wrote. filmmaking. You wanna tell us where the body is now? They divorced within 4 years. ", " 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. 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. John Altinger. He was now obsessed with the TV show Dexter. 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. So, police kept searching on their own, looking in sewer after sewer. Are we parked right on top of the sewer where you dumped the body? Renee [reading Facebook message]: "We all have a dark side, some darker than others and you're not the only one to relate to Dexter. Both Lillebuen and police say that Twitchell's fascination with the TV killer Dexter Morgan carried over into his real-life crimes. Twitchell had attempted to lure another victim to his kill room earlier that month. I believe your husband's got somethin' to do with it and this quite possibly you know, could be a homicide." Mark Twitchell - IMDb WebStar Wars: Secrets of the Rebellion was directed by Mark Twitchell, a Canadian producer, actor, and director. 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? You put her in trash bags, like Dexter." WebMark Twitchell had turned his obsession with Star Wars into making a fan film. Thats about people with criminal minds. Sheena had refused to tell Tetreault her exact address, giving him only driving instructions. DET. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Residents saw him flee the building, chased by a man wearing a hockey mask that was decorated in slashes of black and gold. Bill Clark: When you you read all the experts' books about these type of individuals is they tend to like the media attention. Soon after the divorce, Mark Twitchell returned to Edmonton to spearhead a low-budget $60,000 Though Twitchell claimed that the death of Johnny Altinger in October 2008 was self-defense and that hed only been trying to film a movie a movie about luring men to a garage and killing them police found a script hed tried to delete describing the murder scene in precise, chilling detail. And then you just go in through the garage.". I have never heard of this thing. In June 2010, as Mark Twitchell prepared to take the stand at his trial and argue that he had "accidentally" killed Johnny Altinger in self-defense, he decided to finally disclose the location of Altinger's body. He was then stabbed to death. He sort of describes it in seductive language. Det. Altingers remains were put into garbage bags and dumped in a storm sewer. Mark already faced a maximums sentence of life in prison with no parole for 25 years so the court didnt find any need to proceed with more charges, and this charge was dropped against him. Mark Twitchell : The Dexter Copycat - YouTube It's a rare look inside the mind of a killer. Det. View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro. However, he abandoned his right to appeal in 2012. Tetreault decided he wasn't waiting to find out. Steve Lillibuen: I asked him a lotta softball questions just about who he was, his family, his upbringing -- all that kinda background detail. Cops say his fascination with the fictional TV killer carried over into his real-life crimes. I still think about the stun gun. Renee: And I wanted her dead, at the time. At the time, Renee was upset with her ex-husband's new wife. Gilles Tetreault: I couldn't believe it. Twitchell stated that he had caught up on everyDexterepisode that he missed since he was arrested and convicted. She graduated from Oberlin College, where she earned a double degree in American History and French. Heward left the garage film set unharmed but rattled. Mark Twitchell worked with a tight-knit group of guys on various film projects. Twitchell stabbed and bludgeoned his victim before cutting him up and partially burning the body. Bill Clark: Ultimately Mark Twitchell drove around with it, according to the "SK Confessions" document. In early 2011, Mark Twitchell faced charges of the first-degree murder for killing John Brian Altinger. From having a kill room to using plastic sheeting Twitchell, a self-proclaimed Dexter fan, killed like the character did. So, he dragged me back to the garage. Det. Mark Twitchell was an Edmonton native who wanted to become a filmmaker. The Dexter killer, whose real name is Mark Andrew Twitchell is a Canadian filmmaker who is convicted of the first-degree murder of John Mark Twitchell Retired FBI criminal profiler Julia Cowley didn't work on this case, but she spoke with Detective Clark and reviewed Mark Twitchell's writings and letters for "48 Hours." 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. Julia Cowley: Mark Twitchell cannot be rehabilitated. Julia Cowley: Yes. Det. Horse riding is another passion that keeps me going. 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. Gilles Tetreault: Finally, I look back, and that's when I see this man kinda hovering over me with a hockey mask There's just this chill down my back, as I wow, this is no date. The names and events were altered slightly to protect the guilty. Stars Wars stuff all over the unit, but hey, whatever people collect, they collect.". And he was stunned that I got up and started yelling at me to back down on the ground. 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. Renee: That he killed somebody. Bill Clark: They had been livin' and basically sleeping in separate bedrooms. We don't know if foul play's happened here. 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. But there was one clue that would give police their first big break in the case. He next tried to dump them into the river but was afraid of being seen. I'm like "Wow, why was my punch so weak? Something goin' on here.". ", "The Dexter Killer:" Inside the mind of a murderer. Why didn't I tell somebody where I am?". They were now convinced it was no screenplay, but rather a diary of murder. He was also lured in the same manner as Altinger. No root cause If I 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., Nobody would side with Dexter Morgan if he went around slaughtering schoolteachers and mail carriers on a whim.. Renee: We talked about you know, serial killers and, you know, the psychology behind a serial killer. Twitchell stabbed and bludgeoned his victim before cutting him up and partially burning the body. An initial search of the garage uncovered what appeared to be blood spatter, which Mark Twitchell told police came from the "House of Cards" execution scene he was filming. Bill Clark: Gilles Tetreault was online on the plentyoffish.com website Which is a dating site. That identical strange message had gone out to all of Johnny's friends as well. Gradually though, Marks life went from making the stories through film to Twitchell himself admitted to killing Altinger and authoring the document but he stated that he did it in self-defence. What Tetreault didn't realize was that he had been weakened by the effects of a stun baton. Twitchell, then 29 years old, a married man with a young daughter, had used the garage as a set for a recent movie project. Steve Lillibuen: I learned really quickly that he preferred to talk through writing. Mark Twitchell June 10th actually. Twitchell stated that he had caught up on everyDexterepisode that he missed since he was arrested and convicted. I think he is different than Dexter. A pool of blood that police found in Mark Twitchells garage. We we don't have a body. Twitchell was impounded by the police when they found Altingers blood in his cars trunk. His interest in the show was raised numerous times during his trial. ", Steve Lillibuen [reading letter]: "It's what it is and I'm what I am.". ", Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell case: A timeline of events, Lamar Johnson: "I am a freed man and a blessed man", Chad Daybell's kids claim he was "fooled in worst, most deadly way possible", Moms chatting at a water park help crack a cold case murder, Letters from Mark Twitchell: Inside the mind of a killer. Bill Clark: It's a missing persons case. Tough guy Mark Twitchell peed his pants he was so scared. That's changed slightly I now know that you killed John Altinger. Gary Altinger: I've met a woman named Jen. DET. We're gonna take a drive. View our online Press Pack. Star Wars toys over the Internet before his wife divorced him, alleging "extreme and repeated mental cruelty. Feb 11, 2012. Though his assailant had a gun, Tetreault decided to take his chances and fight back. Det. This is the greatest feeling I ever felt in my life, because then I knew I had a fighting chance to get away. No root cause there is no school bully or impressionably gory movies or Showtime television series to point the finger at. That's because police were still looking for Johnny Altinger's red Mazda. Cops arrested Twitchell on October 31, 2008, and charged him with first degree murder. Lillebuen said: "He had a kill room set up with plastic sheeting. Bill Clark: You know, one of the first things we did was check the police records figuring hopefully someone called the police on this. When I looked at the weapons that was my first sign. What was the release date of "Star Wars: Secrets of the Rebellion": In 2007, Twitchell directed Star Wars: Secrets Of The Rebellion, a full-length fan film prequel to Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Renee: I thought it was gonna be like a working relationship, a working friendship. 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. Det. Det. 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. He worked as a Canadian filmmaker and was convicted of first-degree murder in April 2011. Steve Lillibuen: still is adamant that this was not a planned and deliberate murder and to be frank, he is wrong. Steve Lillibuen: Yes absolutely. Their only lead was Mark Twitchell's film set garage. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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. Mark said, Its what it is and Im what I am. The Dexter Killer is still serving his sentence in Saskatchewan Federal Penitentiary and still enjoys watching Dexter. We actually demanded that he tell us. MARK TWITCHELL [interrogation]: I'm working on a comedy right now. "He had this kind of processing kit that was very similar to what Dexter uses.". 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. Twitchell claimed he bought the red Mazda for just $40, and that it was parked at a friend's house. MURDERER Mark Twitchell has become known as the Dexter killer due to his obsession with the TV show. Steve Lillebuen who wrote The Devils Cinema read a part of Marks letters that read as: It would appear that Im unique in the world. Patti Aronofsky is the senior producer. After this, the actor who played Dexter stated he did not think Dexter glamorized a serial killer.