Newspaper condemns Twitchell, Crown says in closing

Aspiring filmmaker Mark Twitchell Edmonton plotted the murder of Johnny Altinger "to become a serial killer" and the jury has no choice but to convict of first degree murder, Prosecutor General Avril Inglis said in his closing argument Monday.

Death of Altinger has no accidents and no act of self-defence as Twitchell said last week, she told the jury.

Twitchell, 31, admitted using an online dating site to attract the Altinger, 38, a garage leased to South Edmonton in October 2008 and stabbing in self-defence. Twitchell said he dismembered the body and remains in a sewer of Edmonton North of dumping.

"He planned lure Mr. Altinger for the sole purpose to kill him". -The Crown April Inglis Attorney

"The plan was to become a serial killer and nothing else," said Inglis. "The plan was to attract, to neutralize to remember, to extort, and then to the murder of his victims."

"He expected lure Mr. Altinger for the sole purpose to kill him."

All evidence points to a carefully planned murder, Inglis said, evidence, including SKconfessions, a 42-page document maintains the Crown is of Twitchell diary and confession.

Johnny Altinger shows an undated photo. CBC

The document describes a murder in similar circumstances in almost all the details on the death of Altinger.

Inglis said jurors any information they have received only from Twitchell, a proven liar, must bear no weight.

"This was not a plan for a film, a book or an urban legend." "The simplest explanation is the correct explanation," she said.

"The truth is obvious and it has been proven beyond reasonable doubt".

Earlier Monday, the Twitchell lawyer told the jury that it must be absolutely certain that his client is guilty.

"You may be suspicious about his conduct and what has happened in this garage in 2008, said Charles Davison in his final argument." You might even think events unfolded as in what it is called the SK document.

"Even if you think that probably happened the way it happened in this document, is not proof beyond a reasonable doubt."

"Things have been written for the purpose of making a better story."-Twitchell lawyer Charles Davison

A large part will be to know if jurors believe that SKconfessions is a newspaper or a version fictionalized real events, said Davison.

There are different enough that the jury must see that the document was not intended to be a completely accurate and true things account which was passed, he said.

"Things have been written for the purpose of making a better story."

The story was supposed to be the progression of the character to become a serial killer and intended to shock the reader, he said.

This is how dead the Altinger rose from one of self-defence as described by Twitchell, to a described in the document, thrill kill said Davison.

Davison suggested the killing and disposal of the Altinger was too inept to be a carefully planned murder.

He noted Twitchell rental garage in his own name.

"Which makes sense if it will commit intentional murder planned, reflected?"

"There will be only one conclusion, that you can reach," Davison summarized. "You simply cannot be sure of what had happened the night of October 10 in the garage."

"It is a non-guilty which the verdict only appropriate to return.".

The judge will be the jury Tuesday morning.

Janice Johnston return records the CBC links to accessibility

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