Mark Twitchell
Encyclopedia
Mark Twitchell is a Canadian who was convicted of first degree murder in the death of Johnny Altinger. His trial attracted substantial media attention due to the fact that Twitchell was inspired by the character Dexter Morgan
, of the Dexter
television series, a forensic bloodstain pattern analyst
for the fictional Miami Metro Police Department who moonlights as a serial killer
.
. Altinger's boss received a resignation letter by email, but never got a response to his request for a forwarding address for Altinger's final paycheck. After growing more and more suspicious, several of Altinger's friends broke into his condo only to find his passport and luggage. A homicide investigation was soon launched by the Edmonton Police Service
.
, which was recovered from Twitchell's laptop despite being deleted. The document begins with the passage:
the victim's body and his numerous attempts to dispose of the remains. During his trial, Twitchell admitted to killing Altinger and authoring the document. However, he contended that he acted in self defense and that much of the document was a fictionalization of the events. He claimed that the mindset of the author, which portrayed the killing as deliberate and intentional, was sensationalized in an attempt to make a more compelling novel.
On June 17, 2011, an attempted murder charge against convicted killer Mark Twitchell was stayed in the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta. Crown prosecutors have one year to resurrect the charge, which was laid for an alleged attack by Twitchell on Edmontonian Gilles Tetreault almost three years ago.
Prior to the criminal trial taking place, Crown prosecutors and the defence also sought vast publication bans and sealing orders over the police evidence, preventing the media from reporting on the details of the case until the jury would hear it during the future trial. The media fought the application, but the judge eventually agreed to both a sealing order and publication ban, stating in his ruling that "there is a real risk that pre-trial publicity will undermine the accused's constitutionally protected right to a fair trial."
The jury pool was then polled through a "challenge for cause" procedure to determine if a potential juror had been influenced by extensive media coverage prior to the publication bans taking effect. When the bans were lifted, a substantial media presence attended and reported on the trial, including American television programs Dateline NBC
and CBS 48 Hours Mystery
. A forthcoming true crime book is also in the works by journalist and author Steve Lillebuen
.
After his first degree murder conviction, Twitchell used the extensive media coverage of his case as grounds for an appeal. He argued in his notice of appeal that "the media attention surrounding my case was so extensive, so blatant and so overtly sensationalized that it is unreasonable to expect any unsequestered jury to have remained uninfluenced by it, regardless of judges instructions in the charge." The result of his appeal has not yet been decided.
Dexter Morgan
Dexter Morgan is a fictional character in a series of novels by Jeff Lindsay, including Darkly Dreaming Dexter , Dearly Devoted Dexter , Dexter in the Dark , Dexter by Design , Dexter is Delicious and Double Dexter...
, of the Dexter
Dexter (TV series)
Dexter is an American television drama series, which debuted on Showtime on October 1, 2006. The sixth season premiered on October 2, 2011. The series centers on Dexter Morgan , a bloodstain pattern analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department who moonlights as a serial killer...
television series, a forensic bloodstain pattern analyst
Bloodstain pattern analysis
Bloodstain pattern analysis is one of several specialties in the field of forensic science. The use of bloodstains as evidence is not new; however, the application of modern science has brought it to a higher level...
for the fictional Miami Metro Police Department who moonlights as a serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
.
Background
Twitchell was an aspiring filmmaker in the fall of 2008. In September 2008 he shot a short horror film at a garage he rented in the south end of Edmonton.Murder
Johnny Altinger was a 38 year old male who worked at an oilfield equipment manufacturer at the time of his disappearance. He informed his friends that he was meeting a woman he had met on the online dating website plentyoffish.com. His friends became concerned when they received strange emails from Altinger, explaining that he had met a woman who was taking him on a long vacation to Costa RicaCosta Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
. Altinger's boss received a resignation letter by email, but never got a response to his request for a forwarding address for Altinger's final paycheck. After growing more and more suspicious, several of Altinger's friends broke into his condo only to find his passport and luggage. A homicide investigation was soon launched by the Edmonton Police Service
Edmonton Police Service
Edmonton Police Service is the municipal police force for the City of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.-Organization:The current head of the EPS is Roderick Knecht....
.
Trial
The key piece of evidence presented by the Crown at Twitchell's first degree murder trial was a document, entitled "SKConfessions" where the SK stood for Serial KillerSerial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
, which was recovered from Twitchell's laptop despite being deleted. The document begins with the passage:
"This story is based on true events. The names and events were altered slightly to protect the guilty. This is the story of my progression into becoming a serial killer."It goes on to describe in detail the author's extensive planning, failed first attempt, and successful second attempt at murdering a man by luring him to his garage using fake online dating profiles. It also describes the process of dismembering
Dismemberment
Dismemberment is the act of cutting, tearing, pulling, wrenching or otherwise removing, the limbs of a living thing. It may be practiced upon human beings as a form of capital punishment, as a result of a traumatic accident, or in connection with murder, suicide, or cannibalism...
the victim's body and his numerous attempts to dispose of the remains. During his trial, Twitchell admitted to killing Altinger and authoring the document. However, he contended that he acted in self defense and that much of the document was a fictionalization of the events. He claimed that the mindset of the author, which portrayed the killing as deliberate and intentional, was sensationalized in an attempt to make a more compelling novel.
Attempted Murder
Twitchell, convicted of first degree murder in the online luring death of Johnny Altinger, still faced an attempted murder charge for his alleged attack on Gilles Tetreault. Tetreault testified that he was lured off the website plentyoffish.com expecting a date with a woman, only to be attacked by a man in a mask with a stun baton when he arrived at a garage rented by Twitchell. Crown prosecutors had not immediately decided if they would pursue the charge of attempted murder upon securing a conviction of first degree murder. But a conviction of attempted murder would not add to the life sentence Twitchell had already received.On June 17, 2011, an attempted murder charge against convicted killer Mark Twitchell was stayed in the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta. Crown prosecutors have one year to resurrect the charge, which was laid for an alleged attack by Twitchell on Edmontonian Gilles Tetreault almost three years ago.
Media Controversy
Extensive media coverage of the case created debate both inside and outside of the courtroom with observers arguing in favour and against the media reporting on "sensational" details of the crime.Prior to the criminal trial taking place, Crown prosecutors and the defence also sought vast publication bans and sealing orders over the police evidence, preventing the media from reporting on the details of the case until the jury would hear it during the future trial. The media fought the application, but the judge eventually agreed to both a sealing order and publication ban, stating in his ruling that "there is a real risk that pre-trial publicity will undermine the accused's constitutionally protected right to a fair trial."
The jury pool was then polled through a "challenge for cause" procedure to determine if a potential juror had been influenced by extensive media coverage prior to the publication bans taking effect. When the bans were lifted, a substantial media presence attended and reported on the trial, including American television programs Dateline NBC
Dateline NBC
Dateline NBC, or Dateline, is a U.S. weekly television newsmagazine broadcast by NBC. It previously was NBC's flagship news magazine, but now focuses on true crime stories. It airs Friday at 9 p.m. EST and after football season on Sunday at 7 p.m. EST.-History:Dateline is historically notable for...
and CBS 48 Hours Mystery
48 Hours (TV series)
48 Hours is a documentary and news program broadcast on the CBS television network since January 19, 1988. The program originally presented documentaries of various events related to a particular subject occurring within a 48-hour period, and is credited as one of the first to air a "reality show"...
. A forthcoming true crime book is also in the works by journalist and author Steve Lillebuen
Steve Lillebuen
Steve Lillebuen is a Canadian author and journalist. He divides his time between Australia and Canada.- Background :Born in Edmonton, Alberta, Lillebuen graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Arts in literature and media studies. As a university student, he served as an...
.
After his first degree murder conviction, Twitchell used the extensive media coverage of his case as grounds for an appeal. He argued in his notice of appeal that "the media attention surrounding my case was so extensive, so blatant and so overtly sensationalized that it is unreasonable to expect any unsequestered jury to have remained uninfluenced by it, regardless of judges instructions in the charge." The result of his appeal has not yet been decided.