The mystifying elements of murder

One of the situations in crime investigation involves the interview process, and the news and social media services have allowed the public to become a fly on the wall in these proceedings. 

The police have a problem, a missing person, and they have a strong scent of foul play, sometimes a whack in the nose with the stench of death. The police have to go through the process of interviewing a person of interest, or a suspect, or an alleged murderer.

When the trial of Mark Twitchell in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, was being prosecuted in the Criminal Court of the Queen's Bench in the Provincial Court of Alberta, the police interviews prior to his arrest made the rounds, and the public saw his behaviour after the murder and before he was charged with the first degree murder of Johnny Atlinger. It is a fact that this was a murder conducted with amazing alacrity and aplomb by a relatively unstoppable (until 'after the fact') moron, in the City of Edmonton, on Oct. 10, 2008. It was carried out in a rented garage on the south-side of Edmonton by a self-confessed Star Wars movie buff.  By all appearances the so-called movie set-slash-garage was rented for murder, and murder was done under cover of atrocious film-making (atrocious in the Ed Wood sense), and a whole lot of specious plotting.

The mystifying element to the bloody atrocity was the faux double life led by the perpetrator. He is a cartoon character in real-life, setting up shows, himself as the central caricature, a role immediately present when the cops start doing the interviews, as these appear in the video-tapes. He's a performer of atrocious deeds, and is the director, the stage hand, doorman to the performance, or would most certainly do so if he thought it was contributing to the outcome of the  'something or other' that he's unempathetically doin', which was attempting one murder and doing another.

The trial is a case that began with the disappearance of Johnny Atlinger on Oct. 10, 2008. Johnny Atlinger didn't just disappear at that date because he was killed without mercy, and that's the thing that makes this trial so interesting. Police interviews of Mark Twitchell before he was arrested and charged with murder contain about six hours of video interview that comes across as conversational dialogue between a couple of guys in a room, except Mark is on curtain call.

The detectives were adept in breaking down character even when they are caricatures. This character was never in focus in Mark Twitchell's mind because of the interviewing technique and the set-up of interviews. They have a physically exhausted prime suspect who they are treating as a person of interest but they are dragging it out; the interviews are 4 hours, then 6 hours within the same 24-hour period.

Twitchell is tired, and the detectives are leading him gently through interrogation, and Twitchell is compliant throughout the interrogations, which he is probably treating as casting calls. It is Twitchell's opportunity to lead the cops into various digressions, but not once do they show any regard for his dissembling narratives. Nor can any reasoning viewer discern an actual character in Mark Twitchell, but that is largely due to the police interrogators and their ability to keep pulling the real person back from the dissembling two dimension Twitchell pining for a role.

This trial has given Canadians an insight into the police interview techniques by allowing the evidence to be presented on video as two Edmonton Police Service homicide detectives engaged the murderer Mark Twitchell in an intensive questioning process, to which he submits without a lawyer, and does so for a lengthy examination before he breaks down and probably realizes he's a fucking idiot for not asking for a lawyer a lot sooner. At the end of these long interviews he finally asks for a lawyer.

The reader requires some background on the first degree murder charges involved here. Johnny Atlinger was lured into a garage by a woman named 'Sheena', whereas Atlinger was a person who spent a lot of time on PlentyofFish so he must have been meeting with some success. So is Mark Twitchell one such user, historically, for dates that included a date that led to a miserable marriage, and within the time-frame of the murder, for victims. Mark Twitchell's wife Jess was found on Plenty of Fish. So is the girlfriend of Mark Twitchell, Traci, and she's also a Facebook user, as are they all. Aren't we all?

The interviews of Oct 20, 2008, took place before the police gathered the evidence that pointed to Mark Twitchell, including DNA evidence found on butchery tools in his possession in the rental property he frequented for the purpose of making films. "You're there on the 10th. Is that the day you're trying to clean up all the corn syrup and stuff?" (Gag scene.)

"And on the tenth when are ya there?"

"Some time between three and five and five-thirty," says Twitchell.

That's the crime scene the detective is trying to zero in on, the Friday afternoon or early evening when Johnny Atlinger's disappearance is practically immediately discerned.
 

The two detectives spent those hours under close scrutiny of their own cameras with a primary suspect in a perplexing disappearance. It's not a stretch to suggest that the disappearance was more perplexing than it might normally be simply because the disappeared was a person of interest in his own right, as a sexual predator.

Toronto's dark find on a day in the park

It is Wednesday August 15th, 2012, and approaching midday. Rich vibrant green spruce trees, some tinted with white rise from the grass,stopping at a grey uneven road. There is an aroma of pureness in the air at Hewick Meadows Park, West Toronto. A group of hikers are enjoying a stroll near the Mississauga`s Credit River in the park. On the rivers edge amongst leaves and dead fallen branches they make a grisly discovery. Half submerged in the murky water is a severed human foot.

"There’s definitely something amiss," said Inspector Randy Cowan of Peel Regional Police.

The decomposition of the severed foot suggested it had remained undiscovered in the park for several weeks. The presence of yellow nail varnish on the toes of the victim pointed towards the foot belonging to a female. On March 27th 2004 a hiker discovered the body of 9 year Cecilia Zhang in the same park. Four months later a visa student Min Chen 21 originating from Shanghai,China was charged with her murder. Police confirmed that the size of the severed foot outruled the victim being a child. But who is she ?

The Police began the arduous task of scouring the park and river for evidence and more remains. Police search dogs and members of Peel Regional police search team,waded through the murky river as a helicopter scanned the area. On Thursday 16th August 2012 a second find was made,police stated they had found the remains of a decapitated human head.It is hard to believe a place of such natural beauty where deers roam and people gather to enjoy the summertime would be the site of something so horrible. Mid afternoon on Friday 17th August 2012 Police made a third discovery a pair of human hands,one hand was located close to where the foot had been found on Wednesday downstream along the Credit River ,the other hand,even further downstream and quite a distance from the other body parts.

"The liklyhood of it being the same person is common sense wise, preety high !" said Sargent Pete Brandwood of Peel Regional Police

Dismemberment is a horrible business, it takes apart society's trust in their own safety limb by limb. Imagery of deep gashes ,blood gushing to the floor,painful screams and maniacal laughter, Canada is no stranger to being drenched in blood. On 31st December 2011 in Edmonton, the dismembered body of Misty Lynn Ward 27 was found in a bathtub,her blood coating the floor and the walls. The tenant of the apartment where she was discovered ,Joshua James Houle was later charged with second degree murder. She is one of many to suffer such a gruesome end.

In Montreal on July 26th 2012 the father of Jun Lin ,hugged a box containing his sons remains at his funeral and wept his eyes worn by grief and exhaustion. Jun Lins death hit global headlines when his headless torso was discovered in a suitcase his other body parts mailed to Government offices and schools. Luka Rocco Magnotto is charged with committing an indignity to a human body and also faces a charge of first degree murder. Could this case be connected ?

"There is no evidence at all to indicate that there is any connection to that incident" said Constable George Tudos.

On Saturday 18th August 2012,at West Highland Creek , 37 miles from where the body parts were found , a golfer Cameron James was searching for golf balls when he came across a "pungent smell". On further investigation he discovered it to be a decomposing human calf. The next day a Toronto Star reporter almost tripped over a garbage bag floating in the creek whilst reporting Cameron Jame's gruesome find - it contained more human remains. In total one arm,two calves and a thigh were found over that weekend. Was this a second victim ?

"We have a female victim, unfortunately we've been able to find portions of her body in two jurisdictions," said Sargent Pete Brandwood, speaking to the CBC on Monday August 20, 2012.

Forensic teams continued to examine the remains, closer study would hopefully provide investigators with more answers such as the weight,height and DNA of the victim. Meanwhile police sifted through piles of missing person reports in the hope of finding her identity .

On Tuesday August 14th, a day before the first body part was found, Guang Hua Liu, 41, mother of three, was reported missing by her boyfriend, Ken, she was described in the report as being 5"1, roughly 108 lbs in weight with tattooed eyebrows and long straight brown hair. Liu was last been seen the previous Friday at 6.30 pm after being dropped off at the Spa she owned, the Forget Me Not Holistic Spa on Englinton Avenue East which she had owned since May. On Tuesday August 21st Police released information that it was missing Guang Hua Liu who's body had been dismembered and disposed of in the river. The unfortunate woman finally had an identity now the questions remain - Who did this ? and why?

Chillingly evil domestic violent crime occurrence in the UK

Imagine never setting your eyes on your children again, never seeing the sun set and rise, smelling the sea air as it crashes against the rocks but not seeing it. For Tina Nash, 32, from a small town in Hayle, Cornwall, UK, this is a stark reality and it is now only in dreams she regains her vision, because on the April 21st, 2011 she lost her sight. 

"I feel like I’ve been buried alive." said Tina Nash when she spoke for the first time of her ordeal. "I actually look forward to going to sleep, because in my dreams, I have sight. It’s when I wake up that the truth hits home.”     

Last year her boyfriend Shane Jenkins, 33 ,subjected her to a 12-hour “premeditated, sustained and vicious attack.” as described by a Detective Inspector. For Tina life would never be the same because on the horrific night in question Jenkins gouged out her eyes.      

"I wonder if he brags that he's the last person I saw," said Tina, during a BBC interview. On Tina's birthday, Jenkins who now resides in a psychiatric unit spoke to the Daily Mirror stating, "I didn't start the whole thing that night. She's the one that attacked me. I'm not as evil as everyone has made out, I'm actually really chilled."     Why did Jenkins choose her Birthday to give his own account of events ? It appears even now he is intentionally attempting to control her life.      The night before the attack the couple had watched the horror film Hostel in which a lady has her eyes gouged out. On the night in question the couple had argued after Jenkins had attempted to hand some sleeping pills to a neighbour and Tina had left and gone to bed at her own home in Hayle, Cornwall, only later to be beaten unconscious in her sleep.      

"When I came round he was trying to strangle me and knocked me unconscious. I come round again and he was strangling me again and he knocked me unconscious again but when I came around again I realized what was going on and thought oh my god, he's trying to kill me.”      Tina then in desperation apologized and said she loved Jenkins, it was only then she was to realize the severity of her injuries when Jenkins chillingly described what he had done to her. “Your eyes are hanging out your head, you will never see your kids again, I'm going to get 20 years for this”      

Tina then felt her face only to realize one of her eyes was now out of the socket and hanging from her face and another punched deep into the socket. It was in that moment Tina Nash discovered she was blind. Other injuries included a fractured jaw and a broken nose. Yet despite her desperate pleas to be saved and for Jenkins to call an ambulance he did not release Tina for 12 hours. Doctors and surgeons battled for four weeks but couldn't save Tina's eyes. One eye was pushed so far back it had burst and she now wears a prosthetic eye in her left socket.      

Six foot four inch Jenkins who has the word "Outlaw" tattooed on his arm, owned a book about Raoul Moat a deranged murderer from Newcastle upon Tyne who shot three people with a sawed off shotgun before killing himself in July 2010. During Moat`s attack he had shot a police officer David Rathband who survived but was permanently blinded. Jenkins reportedly once told Tina, "If I am going down, I am going down for something worthwhile."      

This was not the first time Jenkins had been violent, three months before the attack he was reportedly charged with breaching bail after being charged with a domestic assault causing actual bodily harm. Pubs in Penzance, Cornwall (the Southwest of England), had repeatedly barred him for violent behaviour. "He once dragged someone outside, up the road, put a bench on his head and started jumping on it,” one barman said, “He ended up with a fractured skull and brain damage and I think he did some prison time for that but played the diminished responsibility card and was out in about 10 months. This was several years ago in his mid-twenties." Devon and Cornwall police refused to confirm this.      

Eight months into his relationship with Tina he had physically attacked her after she had found him with her friend dressed only in her underwear. As an explanation to the event he punched her three times. She then had fled to the bedroom and hid under the duvet but he attacked her again pressing his thumbs into her eyes but that time she had managed to escape. From then on in their relationship Jenkins had subjected Tina to repeated violent attacks, strangling and beating her, she had stayed with him out of fear.

Jenkins has been given an indeterminate sentence with a minimum of six years, which he is serving in a mental hospital. He admits he "went nuts" and "lost the plot" but continues to blame Tina for the assault. Tina has life changing injuries, she will never see her children again or the Cornish seaside but now lives independently with her two sons 4 and 14 and their new pet dog. She is striving to help other women who are victims of domestic violence by highlighting her own suffering at the hands of Jenkins, urging them to speak up. "Shane was not mentally ill when he attacked me, he was not drunk or under the influence of drugs."      

As she stood for the cameras last month, she was a completely changed woman from the victim who tearfully described her ordeal, she is now a survivor who continues to outstand locals with her positive attitude.      

"I urge anyone out there suffering domestic abuse to contact the police before it is too late. Don’t be frightened or embarrassed," said Tina.

Update 2022

Monster Shane Jenkin who gouged partner's eyes out in Hayle fails in freedom bid - Cornwall Live