'House of Cards' murder: The email, the movie set and the fatal date that never was
EDMONTON, CANADA: 'Dateline: The Smoking Gun' Episode 4 will explore the shocking details of Johnny Brian Altinger's tragic murder by a master storyteller and sociopath filmmaker, Mark Twitchell. John was reportedly lured into a garage, stabbed, and dismembered in 2008. John informed his friends that he was going on a date with a woman he met on an online dating site but he didn't share further updates later on. However, John's friend sparked suspicion after they received an unusual email from his account three days after his disappearance. John had shared his directions before going on a date and his friends forwarded it to the investigators. The police reached the location which turned out to be the garage that aspiring filmmaker, Mark, rented for his film, 'House of Cards'.
The initial investigation of the garage unveiled what seemed to be blood spatter, which Mark casually claimed was a remnant from a film execution scene he was shooting. However, when police questioned one of the actors about the supposed fake blood, his response was a definitive "None." Luminol tests later an alarming amount of human blood hidden from view. Mark, an ardent fan of 'Dexter', had a garage that looked eerily reminiscent of a set from the show, raising eyebrows among the detectives. But the plot thickened further when John's blood was discovered in Mark's car, unveiling a chilling truth: Mark had murdered John in a manner strikingly similar to the premise of his own short film, which followed a man luring other men on the internet to a garage and killing them, disguised using a hockey mask.
Who was Johnny Altinger?
Johnny Altinger, a 38-year-old former oilfield equipment manufacturer from White Rock, British Columbia, lived a quiet life as a quality control inspector at a local machine shop in Nisku, Canada. With a love for race bikes, Transformers, and all things tech, he was a man of diverse interests.
In October 2008, he turned to the online world to seek companionship, chatting with a woman named Jen on the dating site Plenty of Fish. When she suggested they meet, she directed him to a garage tucked away in a back alley, instructing him to slip in through a partially open door. Though the location raised some red flags, Johnny was eager to pursue this new connection, unaware that his decision would lead him into a harrowing nightmare.
Did Johnny Altinger send the email to Dale Smith?
Johnny Altinger never sent the email that reached his friend, Dale Smith. The message claimed he was heading to Costa Rica with the woman he had just met, Jen. However, red flags immediately went up for Dale: the email lacked any contact details, and its tone felt off, far removed from John’s usual style.
Dale also recalled that Johnny wasn’t a fan of warm destinations; if he were going away, he would have asked Dale to look after his bike. Concerned, Dale tried to reach John via email but received no response. Taking matters into his own hands, he visited Johnny’s apartment, where he discovered his passport, suitcase, and shaving kit—enough evidence to file a missing person report and confirm that the email was a fake.
Where was Johnny Altinger's body found?
Mark Twitchell put forth every effort to defend himself in court, but his self-recorded video, which he claimed was merely a movie script, ended up being his undoing. The footage was filled with chilling hints that contradicted his narrative, painting a disturbing picture of his actions.
Mark disclosed the location of Johnny Altinger's body, claiming that the fatal encounter had been an accident, an act of self-defense gone wrong during his June 2010 trial. He provided handwritten directions on a Google map, detailing the route that led police to a manhole where he had discarded John's remains.
Uncover Johnny Altinger's tragic murder in 'Dateline: The Smoking Gun' on Thursday, October 24 at 8 pm on Oxygen