Copycat Killers: True Crime Stories of Killers Who Took Morbid Inspiration From Movies and the Media

By Eliza Toska

Discover some of the most twisted, horrific true tales of murder that were inspired by movies and TV shows.

In this book, you’ll discover the crimes, killings and macabre acts carried out by individuals who were inspired by their favourite characters from the big screen. From the teen who slaughtered his mother and sister carrying out a Halloween inspired murder to the two young girls who attempted to stab their friend to death in the name of a fictional online character, you’ll discover crimes you’ve never heard of, all carried out by people who took their love for fiction and turned it into a terrifying reality.

There’s the tale of the man who took his love for Taxi Driver to a whole new level by trying to slaughter the President. You’ll also learn about the man who adored a fictional villain from a classic movie so much that he killed two wives 13 years apart, both in a brutal fashion. Then there’s the heartbreaking tale of the gang of youths who adored a horror franchise so much they tortured and mercilessly killed a young woman who thought they were her friends.

Copycat Killers delves into the inspiration behind horrifying murders and tells the tales of inspiration gone awry; when life imitates art in the worst ways imaginable. Be warned - some stories include disturbing details.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Eliza Toska
• Release date: Jul 26, 2022
• ISBN: 9791221379129

Book preview

Copycat Killers Volume 1: True Crime Stories of Killers Who Took Morbid Inspiration From Movies and the Media

By Eliza Toska

The right of Dimension Books as the publisher and owner of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. No part of this publication may be reproduced whatsoever in any format without the prior written consent of the publisher. Any use/distribution of this book without Dimension Books’ permission is theft of the author's intellectual property. This book is for entertainment and informational purposes only.

Although research, from a number of sources, has gone into this book, neither the author nor publisher will be held responsible for any inaccuracies. To the best of the knowledge of the author and publisher, all information contained within this publication is factually correct, derived from researching these cases thoroughly. The author may offer speculation and/or opinion throughout this book about the cases covered. The editors, author, and publisher disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this book. In no way does this publication place any blame on movies, TV shows, or fictional characters for the crimes outlined in this book.

This book is written in British English.

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Preface

Sometimes the opposite is true for the well-known saying, ‘art imitates life’.

Real-life often imitates art, too, and for the people I’ll tell you about in this book, this means imitating gruesome horror movies, fictional characters created on the internet and violent protagonists from blockbuster films. I’ll tell you about Thierry Jaradin, who got revenge on a woman who spurned his advances by dressing up in the Ghostface costume from Scream to impale her 30 times. Then there’s the cult classic movie Natural Born Killers, which has been linked to a number of copycat crimes from people who took it upon themselves to make the fictional tale of Mickey and Mallory a reality.

Merging my intrigue of true crime and my love of cinema, Copycat Killers delves into the crimes that drew inspiration from fictional tales. These real-life crimes, which often supersede the horror of the movies they’re mimicking, are a macabre but intriguing category of true crime.  Some of the crimes outlined in this book are disturbing to read and describe acts of sickening violence; please bear this in mind before proceeding. Now, let’s look at some of the most depraved killers who took morbid murderous inspiration from movies and the media.

Slender Man

Two young girls lured their friend into a desolate forest and brutally stabbed her 19 times in an attempt to prove themselves to the fictional horror character Slender Man.

Slender Man is a supernatural character that has become something of an icon in the online world. The freaky-looking man, along with his mysterious backstory, started as a creepypasta in 2009. (Creepypasta is horror urban legend stories shared among fans on the web.) Slender Man is depicted as a disturbingly thin, abnormally tall character that simultaneously resembles a human yet is nothing like a human at all. His face is completely devoid of features and merely has a white, blank canvas where his eyes, nose and mouth ought to be. He’s often portrayed as having tentacles or tendrils protruding out of his back, something he uses to capture unwitting children. He wears a smart, black suit and is frequently portrayed as holding hands with a small child. He lives in the woods, and this is the place he procures his young victims.

Tales of Slender Man and his origins differ depending on who you talk to, but one main part of the narrative always stays the same: he’s a child abductor who enjoys traumatising and stalking young children. The idea of Slender Man caught fire on the internet, and as well as hundreds of fan fiction stories being uploaded, the ghoulish character has also spawned his own movies and videogames.

While there are plenty of horrific folklores out there, such as Candyman or Bloody Mary, Slender Man really caught the attention of children and teenagers in a whole new way. The success of the Slender Man fable is likely down to its encouragement for fans of the story to collaborate on it and thus form a type of community. Slender Man and his true motives and desires are opaque enough for fans to be able to adapt his story and mould a new backstory for him, sharing them with a hungry group of fellow enthusiasts.

There were two young Slender Man devotees in particular who took his tales of horror and decided to turn them into a macabre and bloody reality.

On the warm, sunny morning of May 31, 2014, a man riding his bike along the roadside in Waukesha, Wisconsin, came across a sight he’d never forget. Doing a double-take on the horrific sight he’d happened upon, he soon realised his eyes weren’t deceiving him: he really did see a child laying in the grassy area beside the road, and she was covered in a lot of blood. The man didn’t know it yet, but the 12-year-old girl he was rescuing was the survivor of a horrific attack in the name of fictional child-abductor, Slender Man.

Just 24 hours before the discovery, Payton Leutner had been having the time of her life, enjoying her best friend’s birthday celebrations. She had no idea - and how could she have - that this fun birthday slumber party was really a sinister ruse to get the preteen alone and in the woods. Once she was vulnerable among the trees and leafy land, Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier planned to do unthinkable things to the innocent youngster.

Morgan, the brains, and Anissa, the loyal follower who agreed with everything her best friend said, had been mapping out this murder for months. The 12-year-olds had to carry out this brutal crime to prove to Slender Man that they were worthy, that they were dedicated to him. By sacrificing a child for him, they’d forever be one of his Proxies - someone who serves him and carries out his deeds for him.

Two years prior to this, when the girls were 10, Payton saw Morgan sitting alone at lunchtime and went and perched herself next to her. She couldn’t bear the thought of someone sitting alone in the cafeteria and went out of her way to ensure the seemingly friendless young girl had someone to talk to. This kind gesture was the beginning of a fast friendship. The pair were soon barely apart, always sleeping over at each other’s house, having secret jokes, and spending time drawing their favourite cartoon characters. The fun would abruptly come to an end with the introduction of