Perp of Gruesome Murder May Be Released Due to COVID-19
READ TIME: 4 MIN.
Canadian Luka Magnotta had his 15-minutes of infamy in 2014 when he was labeled the "cannibal porn star" for having murdered, dismembered, and eaten his lover. He was also accused of killing cats and posting videos on the internet, which led to a world-wide search in 2012 that became the basis of the Netflix true-crime documentary, "Don't F**k With Cat," that aired last year.
Magnotta received the "porn star" moniker for having shot at least eight scenes and photo shoots in between 2004 and 2009, the National Post reported earlier this year.
He was convicted of murdering Lin Jun, a 33-year-old computer engineering student from China. He filmed the murder, dismembered the body, and mailed his feet and hands to the headquarters of Canada's Conservative and Liberal Parties, as well as to two elementary schools. "He also shockingly filmed himself eating his victim," writes the Daily Mail.
The move to release the inmates came on a recommendation by government medical professionals who claimed that "jails and prisons don't meet physical distancing guidelines for coronavirus and they want as many inmates as possible to be released."
"However, the Union of Canadian Correctional Officers, which represents federal prison guards, hit back saying releasing prisoners would not solve the potential spread of COVID-19 and would only increase the risk to Canadians," writes the Daily Mail.
Magnotta's story is chronicled in the three-part Netflix story that follows the search for his identity after the cat videos first appeared. "The series documents internet sleuths' search for the man in the videos, which turned into a world-wide manhunt after Magnotta escalated his crimes,"
Post-murder, he fled to Europe where he "was eventually apprehended in an internet cafe, where he was discovered reading news stories about his crimes," writes Esquire. "In 2014, he was convicted of Lin" s="" murder,="" and="" sentenced="" to="" life="" in="" prison.="" Magnotta="" will="" be="" eligible="" for="" parole="" in="" 20="" years. "In the Netflix series, police investigators and amateur web sleuths alike theorize that Magnotta–who was reportedly fascinated by serial killers and a fan of films like 'Basic Instinct' and 'American Psycho'–committed his crimes out of a perverse desire for notoriety and fame. And Magnotta has become infamous: A poll of newsrooms found him named Canada's 2012 Newsmaker of the Year, a designation that sparked controversy," reports Esquire.
In a letter to a friend obtained by the Toronto Sun in 2015, he compared his prison to a college campus. "Our doors are open 90% of the time so for me I feel like I'm in a university setting."
And while in prison, he married another inmate, 36-year old Anthony Jolin, in June 2017, in what appears to be a marriage made in psycho heaven. At the time of the marriage, Jolin was serving a life sentence for having, with another convict, murdered a third in a prison shower. "No motive was given for the murder but the Halifax Examiner suggested that John and his co-conspirator were white supremacists," writes the Toronto Sun.
Speculation is that the pair met two years earlier when Magnotta used the dating service, Inmates Connect Inc., aimed for convicts to meet someone, reports Toronto Sun. A month later, he took his profile down, saying he found his "prince charming."
Magnotta's profile featured two pics of him in an unbuttoned white shirt. He describes himself "as a single white male" seeking a "single white male, 28-38 years of age, white and in shape."
He further specified' target='_blank'> "One who is loyal, preferably educated, financially and emotionally stable for a long term committed relationship." Once married, the couple were awarded conjugal visits.
"When you are a de facto partner with someone, technically you are entitled to private family trailers. So spend three days with your spouse," former inmate and social reintegration worker Daniel Benson told the Canadian newsite TVA.
"I do not want to make any value judgment on Mr. Magnotta, but with the offense he committed ... leaving that person alone with his spouse unattended for 2-3 days, I have a certain (unease)."
