Brief Overview
| What began with disturbing videos of animal cruelty quickly spiraled into a global manhunt for a man capable of something far worse. While law enforcement worked tirelessly to track him down, it was an unlikely group of internet users—online sleuths and animal lovers—who helped piece together the clues and raise the alarm before the world truly understood the horror to come. In this post, we explore the case of Luka Magnotta—how he used the internet to feed his craving for attention, and how that same internet turned against him, exposing his crimes and leading to his capture. |
Table of Contents
Who Was Involved:
Internet Sleuths / Animal Rights Activists
| Deanna Thompson (Screen name: Baudi Moovan) A data analyst from Las Vegas and one of the leading internet sleuths. Featured heavily in the Netflix documentary. | John Green (Screen name: BodyMovin) A former casino worker from Los Angeles who worked closely with Deanna. Helped track clues in the videos and gathered intel. | Anonymous internet groups from Facebook and YouTube Created forums and threads to analyse clues in Magnotta’s animal abuse videos. Pushed authorities to investigate before the murder occurred. |
Law Enforcement & Legal Figures
| Canadian Police (Montreal Police Service): Detective Claudette Hamlin One of the Montreal detectives involved in the homicide investigation. Interpol and International Law Enforcement Issued a Red Notice for Luka Magnotta once he fled the country. Worked with police in Germany, France, and other countries during the manhunt. | Berlin Police: Officers arrested Magnotta on June 4, 2012, at an internet café in Berlin after he was recognized while reading news about himself. |
Part 1: Who Was Luka Magnotta?
Luka Magnotta, born Eric Clinton Kirk Newman on July 24, 1982, in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, led a life that appeared fractured from the beginning. His story is not just one of brutality and infamy—it’s also one of obsession, deep psychological unrest, and a relentless pursuit of notoriety.
From an early age, Luka’s life was marked by instability. His parents divorced when he was young, and he was reportedly raised primarily by his grandmother. His mother was described as emotionally distant and obsessed with cleanliness, while his father, who struggled with schizophrenia, was largely absent. The family environment was, by many accounts, cold, chaotic, and isolating. Luka himself would later be diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, schizophrenia, and narcissistic personality traits—a combination that can lead to deeply distorted thinking and behaviour.
In his teens and early adulthood, Magnotta struggled with poverty and identity. He worked briefly as a stripper, adult film actor, and escort, using various aliases. It was during this time that he began altering his appearance—plastic surgeries, changing hair styles, and even mimicking the look of celebrities like James Dean. There was a deep sense that he didn’t know who he was—or hated who he was—and tried instead to become someone else entirely.
But what truly stood out was Luka’s hunger for fame. He carefully crafted a web of fake online personas, posting rumours about himself on fan forums, fabricating links to high-profile individuals, and even falsely claiming he had been in a relationship with infamous school shooter Karla Homolka. Every move he made online seemed calculated to draw attention, regardless of whether it was positive or deeply disturbing.
In 2010, Luka Magnotta posted a video online that horrified viewers—he was seen killing two kittens by sealing them in a vacuum bag. The video sparked outrage, and an informal group of internet sleuths and animal lovers formed with one mission: find the man behind the screen. But rather than shy away from the attention, Luka leaned into it. He began taunting his pursuers, uploading more videos and leaving subtle clues in the background—hints of where he might be, daring them to catch him.
What drove Luka Magnotta to escalate from animal abuse to murder?
Many believe it was a toxic mix of narcissism, mental illness, and obsession with infamy. Luka wanted to be remembered—he just didn’t care what for. His acts were not crimes of passion or revenge. They were carefully staged performances, designed for an audience. He wasn’t trying to hide; he was trying to be seen.
By the time he posted the now-infamous “1 Lunatic 1 Ice Pick” video in 2012, Luka had constructed his own twisted narrative—a real-life horror movie with himself as the star. The murder of Lin Jun was filmed, edited, and shared online as if it were a piece of art. It was grotesque, calculated, and deeply disturbing.
In the end, Luka Magnotta was not just a killer—he was a man who built his identity through the internet, and ultimately undermined himself with the same digital breadcrumbs he used to seek validation
If You Dont Want To Read Have A Listen Instead:
Part 2: The Kitten Videos That Sparked an Online Hunt
Before Luka Magnotta became known as an international killer, he was already infamous in the darkest corners of the internet—for reasons that horrified and enraged animal lovers around the world.
The video went viral within niche online communities, particularly among animal rights activists and forum users. Many were traumatized. But a few decided to take action.
These weren’t police officers or professional detectives. They were ordinary people—data analysts, gamers, cat lovers, coders, even casino employees—who refused to look away. They formed groups on Facebook and Reddit, determined to uncover the identity of the man in the video. Some were driven by rage, others by a sense of justice, but all shared one belief: if someone can do this to a defenceless animal, they can—and will—do worse.
Two people in particular emerged as key figures in this grassroots effort: Deanna Thompson, a data analyst from Las Vegas using the screen name Baudi Moovan, and John Green, an online sleuth from Los Angeles. Neither had law enforcement training, but both had an eye for detail and an unshakable sense of purpose.
They began meticulously analysing every frame of the video, looking for anything that might reveal the location—a brand of cigarette, a pattern on a bedsheet, a plug socket, a poster on the wall. Clue by clue, pixel by pixel, they started building a profile of the man behind the cruelty.
But Magnotta wasn’t hiding—not really. In fact, he began taunting the group, feeding the flames of their obsession. He posted more videos, each more disturbing than the last. In one, a kitten was drowned in a bathtub. In another, a snake devoured a live kitten. Each time, Luka left behind tiny breadcrumbs—clues he knew they would chase. It became a cat-and-mouse game, only this time, the mouse wanted to be found.
At one point, he even infiltrated the Facebook group tracking him, pretending to be another concerned user. He watched them discuss him. He baited them. And he manipulated the narrative to escalate the attention he so desperately craved.
Despite repeated reports, authorities were slow to act. After all, these were just internet videos. There was no confirmed identity, no location, no formal complaint that law enforcement could act on—until it was too late.
The sleuths feared it all along: that the next victim wouldn’t be an animal—it would be a person. And in 2012, that fear became reality with the murder of Lin Jun.
The kitten videos were not just disturbing—they were a warning. A prelude to something much darker. But they also ignited one of the most determined internet-based manhunts in modern history. The people behind the screen refused to forget what they had seen. And they refused to let Luka Magnotta get away with it.
If You Dont Want To Read Have A Listen Instead:
part 3: The Murder of Lin Jun and “1 Lunatic 1 Ice Pick”
By the time Luka Magnotta posted the video titled “1 Lunatic 1 Ice Pick” in May 2012, his actions had already crossed every imaginable moral line—but now, they had crossed the line into murder.
Soon, the victim was identified as Lin Jun, a 33-year-old international student from Wuhan, China. He had been studying computer science at Concordia University in Montreal. Lin was described by those who knew him as quiet, kind, and hardworking. He had gone to Luka Magnotta’s apartment after responding to a Craigslist ad—a decision that tragically cost him his life.
The murder occurred on May 24, 2012, but it wasn’t until days later that the world began to piece together what had happened. On May 29, a severed human foot was mailed to the Conservative Party of Canada’s headquarters in Ottawa, while a hand was sent to the Liberal Party. More body parts were found later, including in a suitcase dumped behind Magnotta’s apartment building in Montreal.
Magnotta had already fled the country.
The video, combined with physical evidence and Magnotta’s digital footprint, sparked a global manhunt. Interpol issued a Red Notice, and law enforcement across multiple countries joined the search. But long before official agencies connected the dots, internet sleuths already knew who was behind the video. They had been tracking Magnotta for years, warning authorities of what he might be capable of. Still, the sheer cruelty and spectacle of the murder shocked even those who had followed the case closely. Magnotta didn’t just kill—he recorded, edited, and published the act like it was a twisted movie trailer. This wasn’t an attempt to hide his crime—it was an attempt to broadcast it.
And it worked. Within hours, forums lit up. News agencies took notice. And police began confirming what the internet community had already feared: Luka Magnotta had killed a man—and had wanted the world to watch. This was no longer just a crime—it was a performance. A deeply disturbed one, but a performance nonetheless, starring a man who had built his identity online through lies, manipulation, and horror.
The murder of Lin Jun was a turning point. It turned an anonymous predator into an international fugitive. And it validated the warnings that online sleuths had been shouting into the void for years: Luka Magnotta was dangerous. And now, it was too late to prevent the worst.
If You Dont Want To Read Have A Listen Instead:
Part 4: How Internet Sleuths Helped Crack the Case
While police departments across borders raced to identify and capture Luka Magnotta, a different kind of investigation was already well underway—driven not by law enforcement, but by internet users who had been watching him for years.
These weren’t professionals. They were ordinary people with laptops, full-time jobs, and an unshakable sense of purpose. Many of them had first encountered Magnotta in 2010, when he posted videos online showing kittens being killed. Outraged by the cruelty—and frustrated by the lack of official response—they had begun working together in a loosely formed online task force. They created Facebook groups, Reddit threads, and YouTube compilations. They scoured every frame of his videos, hunted for visual clues, and cross-referenced global details—from vacuum cleaner brands to electrical outlets—in an effort to pinpoint where the videos were filmed.
The Luka Magnotta Case Is Still Talked About Today In Popular Reddit Communities
Two key figures led the charge: Deanna Thompson, a data analyst from Las Vegas operating under the screen name Baudi Moovan, and John Green, an amateur sleuth from Los Angeles. The two were from vastly different backgrounds, but they shared a common obsession: stopping Luka Magnotta before he escalated further.
They weren’t wrong to worry.
When Magnotta uploaded the video titled “1 Lunatic 1 Ice Pick,” those online investigators recognized the style immediately. The music, the filming angles, the calculated horror—it all fit Magnotta’s disturbing pattern. And although law enforcement was now actively involved, it was these sleuths who were first to publicly connect the dots and loudly declare, “We know who this is.”
They had amassed a massive file on him long before the murder took place. Using online image searches, travel records, and his own obsessive self-promotion, they had mapped his movements across countries, linking Magnotta to hotels, apartments, and even specific pieces of furniture and artwork seen in his background videos.
But Magnotta wasn’t just the subject of the investigation—he was watching the investigators.
He frequently checked the Facebook groups dedicated to exposing him, infiltrating them under fake accounts to taunt the very people trying to catch him. He even sent anonymous emails to media outlets, mocking the online detectives and threatening to escalate. It was a chilling cat-and-mouse game—but this time, the “mouse” was actively participating, guiding the chase while feeding his ego.
After the murder of Lin Jun, Magnotta fled Canada and travelled to Europe using a fake passport. But his digital footprint, coupled with the relentless work of internet sleuths, narrowed the net around him faster than he expected.
On June 4, 2012, Luka Magnotta was finally arrested in an internet café in Berlin, Germany. Ironically, he had been using a computer to search for news articles about himself at the time—consumed with the very attention he had always craved.
Though the capture was carried out by German police, many believe the internet sleuth community played a pivotal role in getting there. Without their early identification, persistent tracking, and constant pressure on authorities, Magnotta may have remained just another anonymous predator online. This case marked one of the clearest examples of a crime where the internet didn’t just document the horror—it helped bring justice. The same platforms that Magnotta used to build his warped online persona became the very tools that brought him down. The sleuths weren’t perfect. They made mistakes. They disagreed. But in the end, their persistence and collaboration helped stop a killer.
And the world was watching.
If You Dont Want To Read Have A Listen Instead:
Part 5: Trial, Conviction, and Aftermath
After Luka Magnotta’s arrest in Berlin on June 4, 2012, the international media frenzy quieted—but only briefly. The man who had horrified the world with his online videos, evaded capture across multiple countries, and taunted both police and internet sleuths, now had to face the justice system.
Magnotta was extradited to Canada just weeks later under tight security. Upon arrival, he was placed in solitary confinement at a Montreal detention centre. The evidence against him was overwhelming—the video, the dismembered remains, the flight, the online trail—yet the legal process was meticulous and deliberate. Prosecutors and defence attorneys prepared for what would become one of the most chilling and closely watched trials in Canadian criminal history.
The Trial Begins
In September 2014, more than two years after the murder, Luka Magnotta’s trial began in a Montreal courtroom. The case was presided over by Justice Guy Cournoyer, and the jury consisted of 12 members who would be tasked with determining not only guilt, but criminal responsibility.
Magnotta faced five charges, including:
- First-degree murder of Lin Jun
- Committing an indignity to a human body
- Publishing obscene materials
- Mailing obscene and indecent materials
- Criminal harassment of Prime Minister Stephen Harper and other public officials (to whom he sent body parts)
The prosecution, led by Luc Leclair, laid out the case in harrowing detail. They showed the graphic video, presented DNA evidence, and called on witnesses who had seen Magnotta and Lin Jun together before the murder. They painted a clear picture: this was a premeditated, cold-blooded act meant to shock and disturb—and it was carried out by someone fully aware of his actions
The Mental Illness Defence
The defence, led by Lucien Bouchard, admitted that Magnotta committed the crime—but argued he was not criminally responsible due to severe mental illness. Magnotta had been diagnosed in the past with schizophrenia, and the defence claimed he was in a psychotic state at the time of the murder, unable to distinguish right from wrong.
Psychiatrists were brought in from both sides. Some supported the schizophrenia diagnosis, while others argued that Magnotta’s behaviour showed clear calculation, not psychosis. The way he fled, changed identities, and carefully edited and uploaded the murder video suggested he knew exactly what he was doing—and what the consequences could be.
After ten weeks of testimony and deliberation, the jury reached their verdict.
The Verdict and Sentence
On December 23, 2014, Luka Magnotta was found guilty on all five charges, including first-degree murder. The verdict came swiftly—just eight days of deliberation.
He received an automatic life sentence, with no chance of parole for 25 years, plus an additional 19 years for the other charges, to be served concurrently.
Aftermath
Magnotta is currently serving his sentence at Port-Cartier Institution, a maximum-security prison in Quebec.
But even behind bars, his name—and the case—continued to make waves.
In 2015, Magnotta reportedly married another inmate in prison. He has also remained a topic of morbid fascination in the media, especially after the release of the Netflix documentary “Don’t F**k With Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer” in 2019. The documentary gave the world a chilling look into how internet sleuths helped track him down, while also raising ethical questions about giving notoriety to killers who crave attention.
For Lin Jun’s family, the grief remains. His father, Lin Diran, delivered a heart breaking statement in court, describing the unbearable pain of losing a son so far from home, in such a horrific way. He said, “My life has been destroyed.”
The Broader Impact
This case was more than just a trial. It was a cultural reckoning—about the power of the internet, the psychology of a killer, the failures of law enforcement to act on early warnings, and the thin line between justice and spectacle.
Luka Magnotta wanted to be remembered. He achieved that—but not in the way he hoped.
If You Dont Want To Read Have A Listen Instead:
The Netflix Documentary and Public Reaction
In December 2019, Netflix released a documentary that reignited global interest in the Luka Magnotta case. Titled “Don’t F**k With Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer,”** the three-part docuseries didn’t just recount the murder—it focused on the people behind the screen who helped bring a killer to justice.
Directed by Mark Lewis, the series spotlighted the efforts of amateur internet sleuths—ordinary citizens who refused to look away after seeing Magnotta’s disturbing kitten videos. The documentary didn’t shy away from the graphic and disturbing nature of the crimes, but it told the story through a different lens: that of digital justice, obsession, and unintended consequences.
At the centre of the narrative were Deanna Thompson (a data analyst from Las Vegas) and John Green (a former casino worker from Los Angeles), the two sleuths who became the unlikely faces of a global manhunt. Viewers followed their journey through message boards, video clues, and the emotional toll that came with trying to stop someone they feared might kill. Their determination was palpable—and in many ways, it gave a voice to a community often dismissed as keyboard warriors.
If You Dont Want To Read Have A Listen Instead:
Final Thoughts: The Power—and Danger—of the Internet
The case of Luka Magnotta is more than just a disturbing true crime story—it’s a stark reflection of the digital age we live in, where the internet has become both a weapon and a shield, a tool for justice and a platform for destruction.
This is a story where the lines between fame and infamy disappeared, where a man used the internet not to hide—but to be seen. Luka Magnotta didn’t want to escape attention. He orchestrated it, counting on the fact that the internet would turn him into a household name. And, tragically, he was right.
But this story is also one of resistance—of people who used the very same platforms to fight back. The amateur sleuths, the digital detectives, the anonymous users on message boards—they proved that the internet can do more than spread chaos. It can connect people across continents. It can uncover clues, apply pressure, and, when law enforcement is slow to act, serve as an unofficial but powerful force for justice.
If You Dont Want To Read Have A Listen Instead:
Check out some of the other cases we’ve covered
Disappearance of Brian Shaffer
Discover the chilling mystery of Brian Shaffer, the medical student who vanished without a trace from a crowded bar in 2006.