Tag Archives: True Crime

Dexter’s fate: Canadian connections?

Dexter Morgan’s final resting place revealed in the series finale stunned a lot of fans, but was the controversial twist ending also a veiled reference to Mark Twitchell — a convicted killer who replicated the show in real-life?

The ultra-violent Showtime television series concluded its eighth and last season with a bizarre final scene that nobody was expecting (warning: spoilers ahead).

In short, Dexter survives sailing into a hurricane and turns up looking like some kind of lumberjack, hiding in a cabin in the wilderness. He has a big beard and is wearing flannel.

The ending stirred up stereotypical images of Canada and fans across social media were quick to point out that silly connection:

And that Monty Python song:

Of course, Mark Twitchell, who built his own Dexter-inspired kill room and assumed the fictional serial killer’s identity online, is from western Canada. He is also a big fan of Wolverine, the Marvel character who once worked as a Canadian lumberjack.

Mark Twitchell, known as the "Dexter Killer," dressed up as Wolverine for Halloween.

Mark Twitchell, known as the “Dexter Killer,” once dressed up as superhero Wolverine (in flannel) for Halloween in Canada.

Is there some kind of Dexter-Lumberjack-Wolverine-Twitchell connection here? Did the show finally acknowledge the “Dexter Killer” case in this round-about way after declining to provide in-depth official comment on the convicted murderer for several years?

There is some evidence to back up this wild theory.

Scott Buck, who co-wrote the final episode, has given Dexter fans a bit of a hint on what he was really thinking when filming that controversial last scene.

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Ned Kelly Award Shortlist

MELBOURNE — The Devil’s Cinema has been shortlisted for the Ned Kelly Award in true crime writing for its portrait of would-be serial killer Mark Twitchell and his “life lived as performance.”

The judges of Australia’s top crime writing prize have a lot of great things to say about the book:

Lillebuen delves into difficult psychological ground, but manages to portray a life lived as performance. … Well judged and chilling. A highly detailed narrative about a puzzling subject. … The depth of research and analysis results in giving credibility to a story so bizarre it might otherwise be relegated to a work of fiction.

This nomination from the Australian Crime Writers Association comes only a few weeks after the book won Canada’s Arthur Ellis Award in non-fiction crime writing.

It’s been a dream run to see this story connect with so many readers and critics, both in North America and now across Australia.

Thank you!

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Arthur Ellis Award: A Devil of a Win

TORONTO — The Devil’s Cinema has won the Arthur Ellis Award — Canada’s top literary prize in crime writing — as a “well-paced, hard-to-put-down, real-life thriller” exploring the Mark Twitchell criminal case and “Dexter Killer” trial.

Here’s what the jury had to say in its award citation:

“A well-written and researched exploration of a very dark side of a young would-be filmmaker. … The horrific crimes and the trial of Edmontonian Mark Twitchell is deftly presented by Steve Lillebuen in a book that is a well-paced, hard-to-put-down, real-life thriller.”

The award is an incredible honour. I come from a breaking news background, so getting the chance to write the book in the first place was like jumping off the treadmill and straight into a marathon. To have my first attempt at running this race recognised by the Crime Writers of Canada is such a thrill and a real mix of luck and gratitude.

I’ve already thanked many people since the award was announced on May 30th in Toronto. But I must make special mention of the dozens of sources who agreed to be interviewed.

Journalists can’t document history unless sources will cooperate. So many people did. This is their tragic story, and I’m thrilled it has resonated with so many readers around the world.

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