The strange case of the missing man and his bizarre emails | Forensic Files

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case file [Music] our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents if you feel at
anytime you need support please contact your local crisis center for suggested phone numbers for confidential support
please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website on the night of Friday October 3 2008
Canadian couple Trevor and Marissa were out walking their dog in the quiet suburban district of Mill woods in
Edmonton South suddenly a young dark-haired man staggered into their path from the direction of a nearby
alley way he was hunched over his shirt was torn and he had a large welt honey sweaty face he collapsed and rolled
around in what the couple thought was an overly theatrical manner then stood up and screamed there's a guy attacking me
he's mugging me please help me he cried out that's the guy as a second hooded man wearing a black hockey mask with
gold markings emerged from the alleyway the man tapped his mask is though too adjusted then slipped behind a fence he
peered over the top and called out to the injured man come on Frank come back though he sounded a lot harder than
friendly Trevor and Marissa felt uneasy suspecting this scenario was a setup to mug them the couple hurried away as the
disheveled stranger cried out can you at least help me get to my car Trevor wanted to help the couldn't shake his
suspicions that it was a trap hey Ian Marissa rushed home where they called the police
officers were dispatched to the alleyway but the two men were gone and nothing seemed out of the ordinary they
monitored the situation over the coming days but received a note word from the alleged victim or further sightings of
the assailant in the hockey mask [Music] [Music] thirty-eight-year-old Johnny Altinger
lived alone in a small apartment in Edmonton where he was employed as a pipeline worker for oilfield equipment
manufacturer Argus machine his night shifts were spent in quality control a job he neither loved nor hated but which
gave him satisfaction although they lived in different cities he remained close with both his mother
health Frieda and his older brother Gary and had a close-knit group of friends some of whom stretched back to grade
school they described to Johnny as good natured light hearted generous thoughtful quiet and affectionate with
an optimistic outlook that he used to help others that docked a more positive attitude in their own lives Johnny had a
number of hobbies but the two that drew most of his attention were motorbikes and computers he owned two bikes a Honda
500cc and a Yamaha 1200 cc sport touring bike his free time was spent going on rides playing paintball doubling in New
Age spirituality and enjoying the music of Elton John at age 12 Johnny begged his mother to buy him a
Commodore 64 an 8-bit home computer sparking what would become a lifelong passion from then on he was an early
adopter of computing tech constantly upgrading his systems through the various hardware and software iterations
he was always willing to help out his less tech-savvy friends and family with his brother Gary Altinger stating
countless times he would sacrifice his own responsibilities to rescue me by word-processing term papers essays and
other important assignments while I was attending university I owe much of my academic success to John
Johnny made many online friends who eventually became his friends in real life too and by his 30s he was
participating in online dating he joined the two most popular free sites at the time plenty of fish and a lava life and
went on several dates of varying success while remaining optimistic that he'd find his perfect match someday on plenty
of fish Johnny connected with a 35 year old woman named Jen who sought fun times
her profile pictures depicted an attractive woman in a bikini although johnny was aware that photos
could be misleading be enter between the pair indicated they were a good match and today organized the date for the
night of Friday October 10 2008 Jen didn't provide a street address for their made up instead giving precise
turn-by-turn directions to a set location a 10-minute Drive away from Johnny's apartment she had written
although this sounds exciting I have to make sure you're not some kind of weed oh and so far he seemed to be fairly
well put together but anyone can lie online Jen instructed Johnny to park in the driveway that looks like a forest
and sneaked through a partially open garage door making sure to press a button to close it behind him she
explained that a blanket would be spread out on the floor as a friend was using the space as a workshop that weekend by
following her directions Jen would be able to see Johnny before letting him into the house quote maybe this is
paranoid on my part but I have to look after myself my first instincts about people are never wrong and I know to
trust them I want to play very much but I have to be cautious as I'm sure you can understand if you're ok with this
let me know if not we'll have to miss each other on a lighter note though if we really
get on you said you had four days off how long can I keep you for if I choose maybe you should pack for a few days
lol Jen shortly before he left for his date Johnny found his longtime trusted friend Dale Smith Dale thought the
messages from Jen were suspicious and joked that Johnny should call him once he got there to let him know he was safe
when Johnny arrived at the garage a short time later he was met by a friendly and jovial man who explained he
was using the location to direct films he showed Johnny around the set where he was currently making a movie about a
serial killer and to let him hold a fake gun that was among various prop weapons
on a metal table the man told Johnny that Jen had been held up in traffic and didn't know what time she would be back
disappointed Johnny had at home and called Dale recounting the failed date in his typical light-hearted manner
shortly after Johnny hung up Dale received an email message from his friend that read she's home now I'm
heading over again eager to hear the outcome of the day Dale left in numerous messages for
Johnny on voicemail and text but he didn't respond to any Dale hoped that it had gone better than expected and his
friends just didn't have time to reply by Sunday his enthusiasm turned to concern when Johnny failed to meet first
scheduled motorbike lesson friends often quipped that Johnny was so reliable you
could set your watch by him and it was completely out of character for him to simply not show up without explanation
on Monday morning Dale finally received an email from Johnny that read I've met an extraordinary woman named Jen who has
offered to take me on a nice long tropical vacation we'll be staying in her winter home in Costa Rica phone
number to follow soon I won't be in town until December 10 but I will be checking
my email periodically Dale was stunned Johnny would never skip work to take an impromptu holiday and he didn't like
warm destinations once returning from a trip to Hawaii complaining of the heat Dale knew if Johnny was truly leaving he
would take a few minutes to call if only to ask Dale to store his beloved motorbikes furthermore Johnny never
signed off emails with his name preferring to finish with a wisecrack about his friend believing Johnny did
not author the message Dale tested the sender by responding with a query asking who would pick up Johnny's brother from
the airport when he came to visit Gary wasn't actually coming and Johnny would know this that Dale didn't get a reply
[Music] other friends had also received to the abrupt farewell email from Johnny H
replied asking him to get in touch but none heard back like Dale one was suspicious as to who
had sent the email as Johnny usually called her sunshine and the message was missing his telltale signs including the
joke or smiley face he entered their correspondence with that same day an update appeared on Johnny's Facebook
page that Red John is taking off to the Caribbean for a few months see you all when I get back his
relationship status was also changed to in a relationship that evening Johnny's boss received an email from him that
read greetings well I've certainly enjoyed my time at Argus I have another offer that is just
too good to pass up so this is my notice that I will no longer be continuing my employment with your fine organization I
thank you for the opportunity and to rest assured I would not be leaving unless this new path I've chosen was
truly life-altering thank you John halting uh there was no further contact from Johnny over the following days his
boss wrote back to him John there are many rumors floating around about what you have run off to do all I need to
know is where to forward your last check good luck in your endeavors wherever they may be
Johnny ignored the message and his $1500 final paycheck went uncollected meanwhile his msn messenger status
changed - I've got a one-way ticket to heaven and I'm never coming back and his Facebook page was updated once more to
say Johnny's wondering why anyone would leave Sun and surf to come home to snow and stress Kerry Lynn Souza was the wife
of one of Johnny's friends although she had never met him she decided to reach out to Johnny over Facebook in an effort
to assist his friends in a private message she wrote hi John please respond as soon as you
get this or at least call Dale everyone is concerned for you thanks Kerry Lynn surprisingly she received a prompt reply
that read no need to be worried I'm on vacation and loving it the Internet is much easier to use than phones due to
terrible reception and cost I just need to get away for a while and on with someone wonderful I'll try to get in
touch with Dale as soon as possible but in the meantime let him know I'm having the time of my life
Kerry Lynn provided Johnny with a call collect phone number he could reach Dale on and told him to ring by 6:30 p.m. or
they would be following up with Edmonton City police when the call never came the
police were alerted but they weren't overly concerned they accepted Johnny's explanation that he had gone on holiday
with a woman he had met online unconvinced Johnny's friends decided to break into his apartment to search for
clues they arrived at Johnny's four-story condo where his motorcycle sat uncovered in the outdoor parking lot
of the complex his red Mazda 3 to 3 was missing they broke a window to gain access to Johnny's apartment finding
dirty dishes in the sink a paintball gun resting on his unmade bed an open CD case on the white leather couch in the
lounge room his motorcycle jacket hung over the back of a kitchen chair and his helmet on the table the mess itself
wasn't unusual as Johnny was known to tidy up when he expected guests yet the overall state of the apartment did not
correlate with a person who had gone on holiday for an extended period of time Johnny's laptop was missing and
strangely so was his printer in a surprise discovery a desk drawer contained his passport confirming he
could not have gone to Costa Rica the group returned to the Edmonton police with the evidence they had
gathered realizing the circumstances of his alleged departure didn't add up police opened a missing-persons file for
Johnny Altinger on Friday October 17 2008 one week after his last confirmed communications a search for his car at
the airport came up dry and his name was absent from the passenger lists of all departing international flights the
detailed instructions gen email Johnny for their first date provided the strongest the lead
detective Bill Clark was surprised to learn that Johnny had forwarded the instructions to two friends before going
out including Dale Smith who recalled his friend saying something like if anything happens to me you'll know where
to look there were constant warnings to women on dating sites to exercise caution and to let someone know where
they were going but it was far less common for men to do so the directions led detectives to a garage in a laneway
in the residential area of Mill Woods in the city's southeast they arrived close
to midnight finding the building locked with a combination padlock the windows were covered up but one constable peeked
through a small hole and could see a light on inside there didn't appear to be anyone in there and the interior was
clean they knocked on the door to the adjoining house but there was no answer an application for a search warrant
was denied as there was no evidence a crime had been committed however police inquiries led to Kirk side real estate
who confirmed the garage had been leased to mark Twitchell an independent film maker on the evening of Saturday October
18 police called mark and told him there was a problem with the garage he was renting the director readily agreed to
come and open it up at around 11:30 p.m. and maroon-colored Pontiac Grand Am sedan pulled up outside
the garage and Mark Twitchell emerged he was agitated as he had to pull over twice while on his way over to answer
calls from Kirk side real estate from which he surmised that someone had been using the garage with the Audi's
knowledge and to left the lights on as Mark went to let the police into the building he expressed surprise that the
padlock on the door explaining it was different from the one he'd been using his combination padlock with silver on
the outside with a black plastic dial in the center that this one was pure metal
mark said he didn't know the combination and allowed officers to break it off mark explained that he rented the garage
for one hundred and seventy-five dollars a month the residential space was rented
to temporary foreign workers while someone else lived in the basement mark didn't have any contact with the other
people in the building as they entered the garage her strong smell lingered inside indicating something had recently
been burned in there do de Remy nated from an oil drum in one corner that had scorch marks and contained charred
remains mark said he ordered the barrel to use as a garbage can and it had not been scorched when he had last seen it
he also noted that several things were out of place most of his roll of duct tape had been used all his garbage bags
were gone and an unopened bottle of cleaner was now half empty all the windows were covered from the inside
into when the roller doors were closed it was impossible to see in mark explained that in late September he had
filmed a scene for his short psychological thriller about a serial killer titled house of cards as it
occurred at nighttime he had to block out the daylight that poured into the building
there were a few red spatters about the garage which mark clarified were remnants of fake blood the attending
officers decided to call their staff sergeant and while waiting muck which all chatted with constable christopher
maxwell in a police car preparing his written statement there was a pleasant conversation mostly centered on mark's
bill making and interest in the Star Wars movie franchise when asked if he would be willing to come back to the
station to answer some questions mark agreed it was around 3:30 a.m. when Detective Mike table interviewed mark
Twitchell he was forthcoming and helpful though seemed more interested in talking
about his film career he shared how he'd aligned up a list actors and the co-producer who worked on the 2001 heist
film Ocean's eleven for an upcoming comedy and discussed these plans to submit house of cards to festivals or
pitch it to investors in the hopes they would fund a feature-length version or television series he described the scene
in the garage detailing how the production crew had made large quantities of fake blood using corn
syrup and food dye creating a realistic but messy result Detective table pointed
out the coincidence that mark was filming a serial killer movie in the very place a man had disappeared from
mark agreed stating I've got this weird tool because it just doesn't sit right so the first thing I start asking myself
is who knows about what we do there and what our schedule looks like mark provided a list of people who had
worked on house of cards and others who had access to the garage he said the last time he had been there
was Friday October 10 the day Johnny Altinger z' friends the last confirmed contact with the missing man when asked
if he knew of someone called Johnny Altinger mark was certain he had never heard the name the detective provided
details about Johnny's last known activity in tau he had gone to the garage to meet Jen but instead
encountered a man working on a film mark appeared baffled claiming not to know anybody by the name of Jen a rudimentary
background check revealed that mark Twitchell came from a good home and had no history of violence or criminality
although there was an old bankruptcy that would soon be discharged after the lengthy interview mark was released with
instructions to contact police if he recalled anything that may assist in their search for Johnny Altinger the
next day detective tabla received a three-page email from mark Twitchell in which he recalled several strange
occurrences he believed to might be related to their investigation weeks earlier marks car was broken into
while he was at a show with a friend named Joss who had worked on production jobs on house of cards and designed the
film's website the offender stole marks sunglasses the loose cash kept in the cup holder and a bunch of receipts one
was for financial services company Western Union and featured marks residential address while two others
related to the garage and twisted it's address then on the night of Sunday October 12 mark returned home after
visiting his in-laws to find at the front door to his home unlocked he didn't notice anything missing or any
signs of an intruder and chalked it up to paranoia and fatigue on Wednesday October 15 mark had just driven to a
petrol station to fill up a jerrican and had pulled over to answer a call when a
stranger tapped on his window the Caucasian man was around a 6 feet 2 inches tall medium build with black mid
lane fare mark rolled down his window and the men asked if he'd like to buy his car a red Mazda 3 2 3 as he was set
to receive a brand-new BMW from a sugar mama he had hooked up with the men wanted to get rid of his master before
taking off and an all-expenses-paid a vacation and offered to sell it to mark for whatever cash he had on him
mark replied that he only had $40 and was surprised when the men accepted the small payment although suspicious mark
permitted the man to follow him to the garage he described in the email to Detective table quote he's even killed
disposition all but disappeared when we got to the garage and I was getting a weird vibe from him the man was
obviously keen to get going hinting marked the Mazdas keys registration and insurance before taking
off mark quickly realized the car had a manual transmission which he didn't know how to
operate and had his friend Joss collect the Mazda and store it mark finished up his email writing I don't mind saying
this is all seriously stressing me out identity theft is the first concern my home being compromised is now another
one and we're strongly considering getting an active security system installed next week I feel violated and
angry that anyone was rooting around in my personal stuff without my knowledge and now I'm greatly worried that they
likely know where I live my car has a distinctive appearance and an easily identifiable custom plate and I'm
wondering if this fellow who pawned the car off on me had seen mine before and he might have been waiting for me or
following me I just don't know anymore he could have been the person who broke into my car as well there's a hundred
different scenarios rushing through my head right now and I'm not a fan of any of them
[Music] detective table shared marks email with his colleagues he odd stories only
served to heighten their suspicions and take a closer look at the director 29 year old Mark Twitchell lived with his
wife Jess into their 8 month old daughter in a home they had purchased the previous year Jess had insisted on
the move the shared loathed to their previous neighborhood and threatened that their
marriage might not last should they remain there mark got a mortgage to secure a new
split-level home with a white picket fence in the Riverside district of st. Albert Jess was marked second wife the
couple had met through an online dating service and married in 2006 by 2008 their relationship was strained and they
were sleeping in separate bedrooms Jess was unhappy about mark's filmmaking efforts which took up a large amount of
his time for little financial gain it was part of mark's identity he was a regular cosplayer dressing up in
costumes as Wolverine predator and nearly every major Star Wars character while attending sci-fi and fantasy
conventions where he took photos with the stars of his favorite series one particularly elaborate costume of the
transformer bumblebee won him over three thousand dollars in prizes for radio Halloween contests he later sold it for
a substantial amount but his obsession came at the expense of his family so jess insisted they start attending
couples therapy Marc also agreed to weekly one-on-one sessions with a psychiatrist and it seemed as though
that were working despite their problems Marc regarded Jess as a wonderful mother
to their daughter whom he believed was exceptionally adorable [Music] on Monday October 20 mark Twitchell
visited the Edmonton Police Service headquarters for a second interview that was performed by the Forces star
interrogator Bill Clark known as the pit bull a 30-year veteran detective schooled in the old school style of
grilling suspects mark acknowledged his legal right to have a lawyer present but
deemed it unnecessary every facet of mark story was probed including his encounter with the unknown man who sold
him a Mazda 3 to 3 for $40 he recalled the seller had a Celtic knot tattooed on his neck about 3 inches in diameter the
Mazda was later located in the possession of mark's friend and crew member Joss and confirmed to be Johnny
Altinger vehicle detective Clark switched gear and changed his line of questioning narrowing his focus on
Johnny Altinger he pressed mark asking him questions like what do you think happened do you think somebody has done
something to harm him do you think he's really missing Mark's response to H was that he didn't know
when asked how do you think the results of this investigation are gonna come out
on you he replied well positively I would think I've been trying to tell you guys everything that I know the
bombardment of questions continued leading into the possibility Johnny had met with foul play and marks opinions of
the person who would carry out such a crime mark believed the perpetrator should go
to prison with no mercy when asked the point-blank if he had any involvement in Johnny's disappearance mark responded no
detective Clarke continued to apply pressure but Mark remained firm after a short break at the interrogations two
and a half hour point detective Clarke explicitly accused mark of being involved stating that detectives had
since spoken with residents in Mill Woods who reported seeing mark changed the lock on the garage a week and a half
earlier furthermore the oil drum he had purchased to use that the site as a garbage can was known in the industry as
a burn barrel and contained the charred remnants of a pair of eye glasses which johnny was known to wear mark appeared
rattled but continued to deny the allegations and eventually asked if he was free to go with no hard evidence
detective Clarke was forced to release mark who shrugged and nodded when told his car was being seized as part of a
search warrant detective clock told him it's gonna eat at you if you're a normal person it's
gonna eat at you mark replied you'd be surprised what I can live with after his interrogation mark Twitchell
finally engaged the services of a lawyer the following day police were granted permission to search his home and
vehicle in Mark's Pontiac they found a half-empty jerrican of petrol into Toshiba brand a laptop covered in
spider-man stickers which appeared to be stained with blood similar staining was discovered on the
upholstery in the trunk and on an 8-inch long hunting knife there were cryptic instructions written
on post-it notes such as ship phone wallets on return address of victim destroy wallet contents and kill room
clean sweep bends roughly drawn maps with one marking a path from marks home district of st. Albert to the crossroads
near Johnnie halting his apartment in the back seat was a paperback from author Jeff Lindsay's darkly dreaming
dexstar book series which depicts the fictitious double life of Dexter Morgan in his daily life
Dexter maintained a normal facade as a forensic blood spatter analyst privately he was a vengeful serial killer who
targeted individuals that were harmful to society he went to great lengths to conceal these crimes restraining his
victims and dismembering their bodies in rooms covered in plastic before dumping
their remains at sea luminol used throughout the Mills budda garage exposed a large patch on the floor and
several spatters on the wall similar spots were found on an open bottle of ammonia that market purchased but denied
using as well as several other incriminating items including a long metal table various knives scissors and
sores as well as a selection of butcher tools that were part of a heavy-duty carving
kit including knives shears Forks and a rib spreading device the coiled end of a
metal pipe appeared to contain traces of blood and tissue detectives spoke with Marc's friends and associates some of
whom suggest that the situation might be a publicity stunt to promote house of cards describing mark as someone who
would do anything to get noticed others had received an email from mark discouraging them from speaking with
police with the evidence mounting against him a covert surveillance team watched mark
24/7 and two calls to and from his cell phone were monitored however nothing in his behavior aroused suspicion motive
remained a mystery as their prime suspect appeared to be an ordinary family man who had no history with or
connection to Johnny Altinger meanwhile investigators searched police records from the mill Woods area and its
surrounds for anything that could be connected to their case they learned of a peculiar report made earlier that
month on Friday October 3 wherein a couple witnessed the man referred to as Frank being accosted by an individual
sporting a hockey mask investigators working the Altinger case considered the possibility the couple had encountered
Johnny but the incident occurred a week before his date with Jan the laptop found in mark Twitchell's car was
examined with experts recovering a deleted text file titled SK confessions the forty five page document read like a
personal diary and began with the following disclaimer 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
the author explained that his inability to feel empathy had made him an expert at lying and deception by age 30 he
fantasized about being a serial killer who not only got away with murder the profited financially from his crimes
he initially planned to prey on married men who were seeking to have affairs stating in one way I'd be taking out the
trash doling out justice to those who want some level deserved what they got but after analyzing the risks he decided
to instead target single men in their 30s looking for love as he believed they would have expendable income and to be
easily seduced moreover as these men typically lived alone their disappearances wouldn't be detected
immediately the author researched and planned each step methodically he wanted his murder weapon to be simple elegant
and beautiful and chose a well-crafted hunting knife with an eight-inch blade that he found at a military surplus
store a hunter's gain processing kit containing tools designed to butcher large animal carcasses provided him a
clean way to dismember bodies he described finding the perfect location to carry out his crimes a quote
double detached garage for rent in the south of the city tucked away in a quiet neighborhood on a lot with a house
occupied by tenants who couldn't even read English much less speaker once his so-called little workshop of Horrors was
ready to kill Oh crafted online dating profiles to procure victims first to downloading an IP blocker so nothing
could be traced back to him he decided to carry out his murders on Fridays when he was supposed to be at a psychiatrist
appointment ensuring his wife would be none the wiser quote it was a very convenient and perfectly credible cover
story and I saw the merit in keeping the illusion going for the purpose of my late night freedom so every Friday
I were to leave the house and prep for a kill while my wife was convinced my shrink was working his magic I even
added the special performance of seeming lighter and more relaxed when I walked back into the house it was only
partially an act since I did in fact feel good about my evening just not in the way she quite expected the weekend
also provided him time to clean and ensured his victims disappearance initially went unnoticed as quote most
people are not hard and fast expected to be anywhere on the weekend the author's
first victim was a man he referred to as Frank whom he'd lured to the garage after masquerading as an attractive
blond woman online his second victim Jim arrived while preparations were still underway forcing the killer to get him
to leave later that night Jim messaged his date again still interested in getting together now
ready the killer invited him back to the garage in the story the killer received
a call from his wife Tess just as he was finishing up dismembering his victim he
told his wife he was at the gym but had to improvise when she pointed out that it closed an hour earlier telling her he
was at another gym in a different part of town investigators noted that the name tess rhymed with the name of mark
Twitchell's wife the story concluded with the killer using Jim's keys to access his apartment which was described
exactly like Jonny's he took cash from a dresser and a few other items of interest including a printer and a
laptop he was pleased to discover the device was still logged into Jim's email and social media accounts quote
I couldn't have had an easier time I changed the audio response on his email to say he had decided to run away with
the woman he hooked up with on Friday to go on a two-month vacation to the Caribbean
armed with this new evidence detectives visited mark Twitchell's home and confiscated a number of items including
several swords a box for stun baton sales receipts for a butcher knife and handcuffs an air pistol with baby blue
pellets and to draft designs for a metal chair and table a search of the basement
office uncovered a black hockey mask featuring three gold stripes and a cutout chin it was sitting on a pile of
clothes near Mark's computer which they also seized there appeared to be bloodstains on a pair of his jeans and a
sweatshirt they were also burned to DVD copies of the second season of popular television
series Dexter based on the darkly dreaming Dexter books mark Twitchell's wife Jess informed detectives that her
husband was having an affair with an ex-girlfriend named Tracy whom he'd met at college in 1997 at the time he had
lied to Tracy about his age into background and convinced her to date him even helping design her three inch
Celtic cross tattoo but she ended the relationship after uncovering his deception the pair reconnected in the
fall of 2008 with Mark concealing their daytime trysts by telling his wife he was at work
Jes believed her husband was working through his issues during psychiatrist appointments on Friday evenings but when
she phoned mark on the night of Friday October 10 he claimed he was at a gym that she knew to be closed at the time
he clarified he was at their old gym which stayed open later she couldn't recall what time he returned home but
spent most of the following day with him noting his mood was normal and he was quote easygoing kind of relaxed Jess
revealed their marital problems began after a conversation in September during which Mark revealed that he was unsure
if he could feel empathy in an effort to understand Jess told the story of a woman who mistakenly left her baby in
the car resulting in its death as a mother herself Jess expressed a great deal of empathy for the woman but Mark
felt nothing this upset Jess who suggests that he go to therapy Mark's apathy appeared to be an ongoing issue
as his first marriage ended with divorce papers citing his extreme and repeated mental cruelty
a document on Mark Twitchell's computer titled profile of a psychopath appeared to be a self-evaluation against traits
listed in the DSM for a manual used to help diagnose mental health disorders in the document mark detailed his efforts
to deceive those around him including telling people he was at work when he was really spending his time in cafes he
had falsified documents to obtain a mortgage which he paid off using money investors had supplied for his films he
described the psychological torture he had inflicted on his wives manipulating them to believe he's infidelity was all
in their heads when Jess caught him logged into a dating web site mark claimed he had been hired to write
an article about it and set up an elaborate series of fake email correspondence and even hired an actor
to play the role of the articles editor in an attempt to maintain the ruse another document investigators
downloaded from Marc's computer was the screenplay for house of cards it detailed the story of Roger a family man
lured to a garage under the guise of meeting a woman here connected with than an infidelity dating website once there
he's confronted by a man quote dressed in a large black PVC apron with gloves and sporting a black street hockey mask
with yellow streaks across it painted to look like a bear claw scratch with the mouth cut out roger is then tortured
murdered and dismembered by the masked man after the gory kill scene the script cut to a suburban house in a twist
ending that revealed the killer was a writer quote he closes Microsoft Word and a website showing the inside
workings of a female profile on achievers dating site is the last thing to shut down he puts the laptop into his
carrying case and des leans over to close a duffel bag containing gloves a stun gun and a black Mouth wife's hockey
mask with yellow streaks on it the screenplays final line was it's true when they say the best way to succeed is
to write what you know the actor who played that deranged murderer in mark short film was identified as Robert
Barnsley who told police he had fun on set and enjoyed playing a serial killer Chris Huard played Roger and recalled
feeling uneasy during filming due to the use of real weapons on set including a stun baton knives and a samurai sword
DNA swabs taken from Johnny Altinger --zz cutlery cuts raises and two nail clippers were compared with forensic
evidence found on the various items belonging to mark Twitchell returning a match on October 31 the director was
arrested and charged with the first-degree murder of Johnny Altinger investigators believed to SK confessions
in the house of cards gripped to be admissions of guilt but because mark could argue both were works of fiction
they needed to prove the events outlined had actually occurred SK confessions referred to a victim
named Jim who police were certain was Johnny Altinger but it also told of the author's first victim a man he called
Frank this name was also mentioned in the mills wood police report taken on Friday October 3 police suspected the
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in sk confessions the author described waiting for Frank while wearing his mask which served the dual purpose of hiding
his identity and protecting him from blood spatter he wrote my kill room was perfectly
prepped plastic sheeting taped together and around my table a large green cloth screwed into the drywall ceiling to
shield view of it from my guests line of sight and to shield me - of course I now
stood but a few feet away from the front door which I had locked of course the plan was to wait in the shadow of my
curtain until he approached the door and shot him with the stun baton followed by
a sleeper hold that would Sapa way his consciousness so that I could tape him up and set him on
my table at the allotted time Frank entered the garage through the half-open roller door several pages
recounted what happened next and ensuing scuffle the wounds the killer inflicted
how Frank managed to break free and to the killer's frustration when he slipped them flag to be on a couple who didn't
assist but provided an opportunity for him to escape this retelling in SK confessions under the matching statement
provided by the couple who happened across the attack indicated that Frank was a real person in an effort to find
him investigators went public with the story newly separated at age 33 shield tetro was looking for love when he
joined plenty of fish in September 2008 he encountered the profile of a user called spiderwebs an attractive girl
next door blonde in her 30s who was new to Edmonton and wanted to meet people Jill sent her a message and she
responded immediately introducing herself as Sheena she invited him on a date and the pair scheduled to meet on
Friday October 3 for dinner and a movie sheíll agreed to pick schoener up although she wouldn't provide an address
or phone number citing safety reasons instead she gave directions to her home that he could access through the
property's detached garage Jill didn't tell anyone about their arrangement making his way to Shana's Mill Woods
property as soon as he finished work on the appointed day he parked in front of the garage and headed inside reaching a
rear door that led out into the yard as he touched its handle someone grabbed him from behind and repeatedly struck
his head with a blunt object assuming he was being marked Jill turned to face his
attacker who was sporting a black hockey mask with gold markings the assailant pressed the button type weapon against
the Jill causing electrical currents to surge through his body the Taser had a little impact and Jill
managed to swipe it away at which point the masked man pulled a gun from his pocket he ordered Jill to get on the
ground and fastened two duct tape over his eyes when he obeyed when Jill heard a jingling sound similar to that of a
belt buckle he decided to fight back he staggered to his fate ripped the duct tape from his eyes and grabbed his
assailants gun only to discover it was made of plastic Jill scuffled with his attacker who
punched him in the head Jill managed to slip out of his jacket freeing him from his attackers grasp he
rolled under the garage door and tried to run but he's the leg muscles were weight from the Taser and he fell onto
the gravel driveway the attacker reached under the door grabbed his legs and started dragging
Jill back in when he let go for a split second to duck beneath the door Zeile stood and staggered down the alley
towards a nearby walking path where he encountered a couple walking their dog although his cries for help caused the
couple to flee Zeile was able to get to his car and escape his adrenaline wore off on the drive home so he pulled over
and passed there when he came to 15 minutes later he continued home where he treated his wounds and rested upon
waking a few hours later he logged into his plenty of fish account to download the communications between himself and
Sheena only to discover her profile and messages had been deleted the only evidence he had of their interactions
were the directions she provided to the garage which he had copied and pasted it
into a separate document she'll called his ex-wife and told her about his ordeal she urged him to report
it to authorities and he agreed but by the next morning he felt embarrassed and ashamed over the following days Neal's
pain subsided and he convinced himself the incident was likely just a botched mugging and nothing more serious friends
and co-workers who heard about the incident and saw his injuries implored a shield to speak to police but he just
wanted to move on the following month on Sunday November 2 she'll read an article
about the murder of Johnny Altinger in the Edmonton Journal newspaper in a police appealed for the accused first
victim to come forward and - recognizing the similarities to his own ordeal Jill
went to the Edmonton Police Station his story matched the attack on Frank as described in SK confessions almost the
word for word zeal Tetro later wrote in his memoir the one who got away I realized that I
should be the one that was killed worse I started to think that if only I would have gone to the police
John Alton young might be alive if I had just gone like I said I would nobody would have been killed guilt
overwhelmed me two days later on November 5 Edmonton Police received a series of chat logs from a woman named -
Rene from Cleveland Ohio she had been interacting with a Facebook account that featured an image of fictional killer
Dexter Morgan as its profile picture as a fan of the show Rene hoped the profile belonged to actor
Michael C Hall who portrayed the character in the television series she came to learn it was actually run by an
indie filmmaker called mark into their conversations grew sinister over time when Rene shared her fantasy about
cutting up her ex's new wife and drawing circles in her blood mark gave her detailed instructions on how to carry
out the act and to get away with it he told her to build a kill room lined with plastic just like Dexter then lure her
target in and disabled her with a stun baton he advised Rene to wrap her victims remains in duct tape placed them
in extra-strength garbage bags and incinerate the body he also suggested pulverizing the jaw bone and removing
teeth and finger tips to avoid identification in a message sent on October 5 two days after the botched
attack on Jill Tetro Marc informed Renee that a stun baton was ineffective and a
sturdy pipe would work better he also told her a hunter's game processing kit comes with everything you
would need to cut the body into nice manageable pieces on October 10 hours before Johnny Altinger disappeared mark
wrote sorry this is so short but I'm juggling six things right now and it's time to shift down to five four days
later he explained this weekend I made the rounds two to family Thanksgiving events and I've also had something else
keeping me busy but I'm really concerned about telling anyone because of the implications suffice it to say I crossed
the line on Friday and I liked it she last heard from him on October 27 via an email informing her there was a missing
persons investigation possibly a homicide centered on the garage he used however he was confident police wouldn't
find anything and told her not to ask about the details adding of course all my recent delves into the darker fiction
don't look good in all of this after police confirmed that the victim frank in sk confessions was geo tetro
they were more certain than ever that Jim was Johnny Altinger with the document revealing his fate on Friday
October 10 2008 the author disclosed that when Johnny returned to the garage later that night to meet his date he
cheerfully announced I guess I'm just the glutton for punishment to which the author replied you have no idea the
story continued describing how the killer violently struck Johnny to the back of the head with a pipe quote I
could feel my predator self take over that one single notion was the end-all be-all I had committed now and - there
was no going back after enduring hours of beatings Johnny offered money in exchange for freedom and the promise not
to go to police instead the killer removed his hunting knife from its sheath and stabbed
attorney multiple times before placing his body on the custom-made metal table he dismembered him using the hunters
game processing kit an act he considered a relatively unexcited event that he made fun by talking and seeing to
himself he explained how he would have purchased an incinerator to destroy Johnny's remains but the high cost
forced him to make do with a steel barrel and a jerrycan of gasoline to kill her place to the drum in his car
and took it to his parents place in North Edmonton where he said it a lot in the center of the yard
the story ended abruptly after the author realized that the body wouldn't completely burn however a file found on
a desktop computer at mark Twitchell's parents home appeared to be a continuation of the writings the new
text began the sewer of course how obvious no one ever goes down there following this revelation police and
city workers combed Mark's parents property and inspected the surrounding sewer system but found no evidence of
Jonny halting as remains over the next 18 months mark remained in prison as his trial
lived drawing pictures and writing stories to pass the time investigators had all but given up on recovering
Johnny Altinger body when shortly after 6:00 p.m. on Thursday June 3 2010 homicide detectives were called to meet
mark and his lawyer at the remand Center during the meeting mark passed the detectives a piece of paper that
contained a map of North End mminton and the words location of John halting as remains
the map had directed officers to an alleyway just one block from where police had carried out their search in
November 2008 there they peered through a sewer grate at what appeared to be two
pieces of human remains below less than half of the bones of a human body were recovered later confirmed to be those of
journey Altinger mark Twitchell's trial began the following year on Wednesday March 16 2011 the prosecution presented
their case that mark had lured strangers to his specially designed to kill room where he attacked them by replicating
methods used by fictional serial killer Dexter Morgan whom he was obsessed with the SK confessions document was an
integral part of the prosecution's case with detective mark ents the going through the document line by a line and
identifying 301 passages that likely occurred in real life many witnesses took the stand including Trevor and
Marissa the couple who had interrupted the attack on Jill Petro following their testimony they met with the shield to
apologize for not assisting him and he forgave them the defense's major witness was Mark Twitchell himself his responses
were mostly dry and concise but he became animated and excited when discussing his film projects
he described house of cards as an ambitious and interactive project he called multi-format psychosis layering
entertainment or maple he wanted to build on the kind of buzz created by other experimental films such as the
Blair Witch Project which was marketed as being genuine found-footage rather than a professionally produced movie
Marc hoped to expand his serial killer short film into a feature and after its release he would pen a novel told from
the perspective of the film's producer the idea was to sow seeds of doubt as to whether the film was real or not he
began writing the novel calling it SK confessions as a homage to horror and supernatural fiction author Stephen King
the third step would be to harness social media creating posts from people who would allege to have almost to being
a victim of the hockey-mask killer themselves using a photo of a woman he had stolen from another plenty of fish
profile mark searched for someone to serve this purpose and found a shield tetra nock arranged the time for him to
come to the garage which he designed to resemble a kill room to provide the desired effect
he said he planned to fill geo lean on his elaborate plan but decided to switch it up by genuinely scaring him into
thinking he was about to be murdered he donned the hockey mask and used the stun
baton claiming he knew the implement would not cause significant harm the plan was always to let Jill go so that
when the house of cards movie and book were released his experience with the hockey mask killer would be convincing
mark said he kept the mask hoodie baton and handcuffs because he figured it would be best to come clean if shield
did report what had happened the following week he used the name Jenn and scheduled a date with his next target
journey halting Oh mark arrived at the garage at around 6 p.m. on Friday October 10 2008 using his laptop to
continue messaging Jonny who showed up earlier than expected mark threw up the smoke screen that Jen
was stuck in traffic and wouldn't be able to make it for at least 30 minutes so Jonny left
he wondered whether he should reveal the truth to Johnny over email or in person
and ultimately invited him back still posing as Jen when Johnny returned mark informed him that there was no Jen and
tried to explain his psychosis a layering idea Johnny was unhappy at having been duped and the two got into
an argument mark claimed that as he turned Johnny kicked him in the lower back before
grabbing a pipe and swinging it at him mark dodged to the first couple of swings but the third came down on his
elbow he wrestled the pot from Johnny and hit him on the top of the head with it as the fight continued mark grabbed a
knife hoping Johnny would back off instead he rushed forward and Mark stabbed him quote it was just the
sickest feeling ever I just started to fill this wet sensation around the hand still holding the handle and I let go
instinctively and - then I saw it sticking out of him upon realizing Johnny was dying mark
said it's one of those things when I'm just stuck there and can't decide what to do I'm just frozen by inaction
there's a war going on between screaming out in my head call 9-1-1 but at the same time how bad does this look take a
look around look at what this place looks like gnarrk said he panicked and decided to
use his film set to quote do things that had never been designed to do from this
point on he agreed that the dismemberment failed cremation and disposal of Johnny's body as well as
using his social media and email accounts to cover up his crime had occurred as written in SK confessions
however he sent the feelings described when cutting up the body we're exactly the opposite of the truth he felt weaker
not stronger like he was carrying a heavy burden he would never be able to share as for the messages mark sent his
Facebook friend Rene four days after Johnny's murder in which he wrote suffice it to say I crossed the line on
Friday and I liked it he insisted this was in reference to his affair with ex-girlfriend Tracey
in summary mark's attorney maintained that Johnny's death was accidental and in self-defense adding that SK
confessions was a work of fiction or at best have fictionalized version of real events
the prosecution pointed out the mark Twitchell's entire life was built on fantasy and allies and that his
testimonies should be taken with a grain of salt he lied to his wife his girlfriend and friends as well as ye'll
Johnny and the police the prosecutor remarked that Marc's assertions that he only aimed to recruit
strangers to help create an online urban legend where as ridiculous as the story
about the $40 Mazda on Tuesday April 12 2011 the jury found Mark Twitchell guilty of the first-degree murder of
Johnny Altinger in her victim impact statement Johnny's mother Alfreda explained that Johnny's telephone
company hadn't yet reassigned his number so she constantly rang it just to hear his voice mail greeting quote he was a
pure joy as a child it was an amazing journey watching him grow in every way and make his way through life there are
no words to describe the pain and feelings of horror one goes through I can't imagine the fear desperation and
pain Johnny must have endured as a mother I feel I can't think about it with the
going over the edge there is no joy in life it has been ripped away from me I fear this nightmare hint my grief will
continue until my dying day people have asked me if I wish there were still the death penalty and I must answer no my
wish is for the perpetrator of this unforgivable and horrific act to reflect on his actions and die a slow death
every day of his life in his stamen Garry halting a road I know my baby brother is never coming back for justice
to prevail it would only be right to mark Twitchell never see the light of day again not Twitchell was sentenced to
life in prison with a minimum of 25 years following the trial gary told the media of the grief his family had been
exposed to over the previous weeks in two years stating that it was something no human being should ever feel feel
freed are added that although there will never be closure quote we will move on to the next step I think start the hill
if that's possible mark Twitchell attempted to appeal his conviction on the grounds that extensive
media coverage who ruined any opportunity for a fair trial but the appeal was abandoned in 2012 in May 2013
it was reported that mark had purchased the television for his prison cell which
he used to catch up on every episode of Dexter that he had missed since his incarceration detective mark SD believed
the precautions taken by Johnny Altinger prior to his date with the Jen had ultimately saved others by sharing his
plans and whereabouts with friends and emailing them the directions to the garage he enabled police to swiftly
identify a mark Twitchell as their prime suspect ensuring he didn't have an opportunity to claim more victims
detective and he told Johnny's mother your son in a roundabout way was a hero he definitely saved a lot of grief for
other families [Music] you

Case 126: Johnny Altinger

After 38-year-old Johnny Altinger goes on a date with a woman he met online, his friends start receiving strange emails. Things appear to have gone so well that Johnny decided to join the woman on an impromptu trip to Costa Rica. He even sends a resignation letter to his work, indicating that he has no immediate plans to return to Canada...

CREDITS

Narration – Anonymous Host Research and writing – Eileen Ormsby Creative direction – Milly Raso Production, scoring – Mike Migas and Andrew Joslyn

SOCIAL LINKS

Website https://www.casefilepodcast.com Facebook https://www.facebook.com/casefile Twitter https://twitter.com/case_file Instagram https://www.instagram.com/casefilepodcast Patreon https://www.patreon.com/casefile Casefile Presents https://casefilepresents.com

RESOURCES

For all credits and sources please visit https://casefilepodcast.com/case-126-johnny-altinger

Brief Summary

Mark Twitchell murdered Johnny Altinger after luring him through an online dating scheme, leading to a shocking investigation and trial.

Key points

A Distressing Encounter. Trevor and Marissa witness a man claiming to be attacked, but suspect a setup.
Johnny's Mysterious Vacation. Johnny sends an email announcing an impromptu vacation, alarming his friends.
Suspicion Grows. Johnny's friends break into his apartment, finding clues that suggest he didn't leave for a vacation.
Mark Twitchell's Alibi. Mark Twitchell is questioned by police about his garage rental and a missing man.
Interrogation Under Pressure. Detective Clark confronts Mark about his involvement in Johnny's disappearance.
Confessions of a Killer. Mark's deleted file reveals his dark fantasies of becoming a serial killer.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

I have to look after myself.

Jen expresses caution about meeting Johnny, highlighting her instincts.

7:55WatchOct 5, 2019

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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