The Man in the Black Mask - Ep. 4: The One Who Got Away

Summary

Summary of "Dateline Originals – The Man in the Black Mask - Ep. 4: The One Who Got Away"

In Episode 4 of "The Man in the Black Mask" series titled "The One Who Got Away," Dateline Originals presents a gripping true crime narrative that intertwines the lives of a seemingly ordinary man and a calculated predator. Hosted by Keith Morrison and featuring insights from key individuals involved in the case, the episode delves deep into the events leading up to a harrowing attack, the subsequent investigation, and the lingering questions that remain unresolved.

---

Introduction

Keith Morrison sets the stage with a compelling teaser:

Keith Morrison [00:00]: "Friday night on Dateline. A beloved doctor, an accused killer. How could they be the same man?"

This introduction hints at the complex duality of the main character, Jill's Tetro, a respected doctor who finds himself entangled in a sinister plot.

---

Background: Jill's Tetro and His Move to Edmonton

Jill's Tetro, once entrenched in the close-knit community of a prairie town, relocates to Edmonton in search of better opportunities. The transition, however, isn't as smooth as anticipated.

Gilles Tetro [00:22]: "Jill's Tetro was lonely. He'd been miserable too, and sad. But now mostly just lonely in the big city. He did not know. How he got that way is a story that's been told before and will be again."

The sense of isolation becomes palpable as Tetro navigates his new environment, estranged from the familiar faces of his hometown.

---

The Downfall: Marital Struggles and Loneliness

Tetro's personal life takes a downturn as his marriage with Sheena deteriorates.

Sheena [01:04]: "My wife and I moved up here, get a better living."

The marriage strains under the pressures of city life, leading to a painful separation.

Sheena [01:06]: "She just fell out of love with me. I guess."

Gilles Tetro [01:19]: "Boom. It's like a kick in the gut when that happens."

This emotional turmoil leaves Tetro yearning for companionship, setting the stage for his foray into online dating.

---

Online Dating: Meeting Sheena

Seeking solace and connection, Tetro joins the online dating platform, Plenty of Fish, where he encounters a captivating woman named Sheena.

Sheena [01:33]: "So that's how I decided to join this online dating website."

Their initial interactions are marked by flirtation and eagerness, with Sheena displaying a forward demeanor.

Sheena [01:35]: "She had blonde hair and she was shorter than I was, about 5, 6."

As their online rapport intensifies, Sheena proposes an in-person meeting, outlining precise instructions for their rendezvous.

Sheena [03:20]: "Go through the back alley, and she'd leave the garage door open for me."

Despite creating an elaborate plan, Sheena withholds her phone number, citing safety concerns.

Sheena [03:42]: "She basically said that for security reasons she had people that she met before that stalk doctor. And so for security reasons, she didn't want to give me her phone number."

---

The Date: A Night of Terror

Tetro arrives late to the appointed meeting spot, a partially open garage, heightening his anxiety.

Sheena [04:11]: "I thought, oh, my God, I hope she can forgive me because I'm going to be a little late."

Inside the dimly lit garage, the facade of a simple date unravels into a nightmare.

Sheena [05:30]: "I touched the knob to open the door, and all of a sudden somebody attacked me from behind."

An assailant dons a black and gold hockey mask, wielding a stun gun, initiating a brutal assault.

Sheena [05:27]: "I touched the knob to open the door, and all of a sudden somebody attacked me from behind."

The struggle is intense, with Tetro attempting to defend himself despite being overpowered.

Sheena [07:24]: "I actually started tearing up and it was like life flashed before my eyes."

---

The Struggle for Survival

As the attack unfolds, Tetro grapples with fear and desperation, determined to survive.

Sheena [07:02]: "I was terrified. I didn't know what to do. Is like, oh my God, I think I'm going to die."

Realizing the stun gun is ineffective, Tetro seizes an opportunity to fight back, moments of clarity amid chaos.

Sheena [08:37]: "So you suddenly realized it was fake gun."

The confrontation intensifies as Tetro discovers handcuffs on the ground, signaling the assailant's intent to subdue him further.

Sheena [08:45]: "I think I'm high on adrenaline now, and I'm like, I'm going to break this gun."

In a pivotal moment, Tetro attempts to disable the assailant, leading to a physical altercation that teeters on the edge of survival.

---

Unexpected Intervention: Trevor and Marissa

During the altercation, Tetro encounters Trevor and Marissa, a couple walking their dog. Desperate, he pleads for their assistance.

Sheena [15:46]: "I yell to them, there's a man after me. He's trying to mug me. Please help me."

Their response, however, is paralyzed by an immediate bad feeling, leading them to distance themselves from the unfolding horror.

Trevor [15:54]: "And it was just an instant bad feeling. It was like everything in my body just tensed up."

This inaction inadvertently aids Tetro by momentarily distracting the assailant, granting him a fleeting chance at escape.

---

The Escape: A Narrow Narrowing Path

With adrenaline surging, Tetro makes a break for his truck, managing to flee the immediate danger despite severe injuries.

Sheena [15:11]: "I made my legs move and then I ran off."

The escape, however, is fraught with physical pain and emotional trauma, leaving Tetro grappling with the aftermath of the attack.

Sheena [21:45]: "I feel sick. I feel like I want to throw up, but I can't."

Upon reaching home, the reality of his injuries and the psychological impact sinks in.

---

The Aftermath: Silence and Regret

Despite surviving the attack, Tetro grapples with feelings of shame and a desire to move past the traumatic event without seeking help.

Sheena [23:49]: "I felt almost ashamed. It was like, I can't believe I got duped by this woman. It's like, I just want to put this behind me."

This reluctance to report the incident to authorities leaves critical questions unanswered and allows the perpetrator to remain at large.

---

Investigation: Linking Fiction to Reality

Detective Bill Clark highlights the eerie parallels between Tetro's real-life assault and the fictional accounts in Mark Twitchell's "SK Confessions," suggesting Twitchell's potential involvement.

Detective Bill Clark [05:13]: "I mean, it was chilling. He's telling me things, and I know what's coming next. I've read the SK Confessions, and everything Jill is telling me is almost like he wrote it himself."

Despite similarities, crucial elements, such as Twitchell's intentions and his connection to the attack, remain shrouded in mystery.

---

Unanswered Questions and Lingering Mysteries

The episode concludes with unresolved tensions surrounding Twitchell's motives and whereabouts. The investigative team is left puzzling over the missing elements that tie the author directly to the attack.

Detective Bill Clark [26:25]: "He talked about dumping the body in a sewer. And then it ended."

The absence of concrete evidence and Twitchell's unexplained disappearance perpetuate the enigma, leaving listeners to ponder the true extent of the masked man's plans.

---

Conclusion

"The One Who Got Away" masterfully intertwines personal tragedy with investigative intrigue, presenting a narrative that blurs the lines between reality and fiction. Through meticulous storytelling and firsthand accounts, Dateline Originals invites listeners to navigate the complexities of fear, survival, and the enduring quest for truth in the shadowy corridors of true crime.

---

Notable Quotes:

• Keith Morrison [00:00]: "A beloved doctor, an accused killer. How could they be the same man?"

• Sheena [07:30]: "I'd rather die my way than his way."

• Detective Bill Clark [05:13]: "I've read the SK Confessions, and everything Jill is telling me is almost like he wrote it himself."

These quotes encapsulate the episode's central themes of duality, survival instinct, and the unsettling mirroring of fiction in real-life crimes.

---

Structure and Attribution:

The summary is organized into clear sections, each focusing on a pivotal aspect of the narrative. Direct quotes are seamlessly integrated with appropriate speaker attributions and timestamps, enhancing the reader's understanding and engagement with the story.

Transcript

[Keith Morrison]

Friday night on Dateline. A beloved doctor, an accused killer. How could they be the same man?

[Gilles Tetro]

People aren't putting this puzzle together. I was stunned.

[Sheena]

Pursuing justice is worth it.

[Keith Morrison]

Friday night on Dateline at 9, 8 Central, only on NBC.

[Gilles Tetro]

Jill's Tetro was lonely. He'd been miserable too, and sad. But now mostly just lonely in the big city. He did not know. How he got that way is a story that's been told before and will be again.

[Sheena]

My wife and I moved up here, get a better living.

[Gilles Tetro]

Growing up, they'd known just about everybody in their little prairie town. Now in Edmonton, they were surrounded by strangers. How many people did you know? Anybody?

[Sheena]

I didn't know anybody. Nothing. Nobody.

[Gilles Tetro]

No family?

[Sheena]

No family at all.

[Gilles Tetro]

But at least Jills figured they had each other. Except life is not always kind.

[Sheena]

She just fell out of love with me. I guess.

[Gilles Tetro]

That's not easy.

[Sheena]

That's not easy at all.

[Gilles Tetro]

Was it a difficult breakup?

[Sheena]

It was. For me. It was, yeah.

[Gilles Tetro]

You would have made the choice to ever stay?

[Sheena]

Oh, definitely. I tried to make the marriage work, but she. She didn't want to. She wanted to move on.

[Gilles Tetro]

Boom. It's like a kick in the gut when that happens.

[Sheena]

Yeah. That kind of what led to me feeling lonely and wanting to meet people. So that's how I decided to join this online dating website.

[Gilles Tetro]

What was it called?

[Sheena]

Plenty of Fish.

[Gilles Tetro]

The same dating site Johnny Altinger had been using.

[Sheena]

That's when I met this girl. She seemed. When I saw her profile, she seemed very attractive. She had blonde hair and she was shorter than I was, about 5, 6.

[Gilles Tetro]

Sheena was her name.

[Sheena]

We started talking back and forth for a bit online. Online, yeah. And all of a sudden she became really forward and asked me what I was doing the following Friday. I said, well, why do you have in mind? And she messaged back. She said, how about dinner and a movie? So she asked me if I could pick her up. I just can't remember everything we talked about, but yeah, but I kept asking.

[Gilles Tetro]

She's flirtatious in her book.

[Sheena]

Oh, definitely. Yeah. Like how very flirty. She said something like, oh, if the date goes well, you never know what can happen.

[Gilles Tetro]

Oh, Jill's had no idea. I'm Keith Morrison and this is the man in the Black Mask, a podcast from Dateline. Episode four, the One who Got Away. Newly single and alone in a big city. Gilles Tetro couldn't believe it when he connected online with a woman with a name so alluring. Sheena.

[Sheena]

She looked beautiful in her profile and.

[Gilles Tetro]

She wanted Jills Wanted to see him as soon as possible. Sheena sent him directions to her place. It was a bit complicated, she said, because she lived in a basement apartment that faced the backyard. So best to come in that way.

[Sheena]

Go through the back alley, and she'd leave the garage door open for me. I'd go through the garage to the other side, get into the yard and go knock on the back door to pick her up.

[Gilles Tetro]

But what if he couldn't find her place, he wondered. What if he was delayed? He asked for her cell phone number. No way, said Sheena.

[Sheena]

And she would not give me her phone number. She basically said that for security reasons she had people that she met before that stalk doctor. And so for security reasons, she didn't want to give me her phone number.

[Gilles Tetro]

And Sheena had made it clear she wanted Jills to pick her up right at 7. Except now he was late, 15 or 20 minutes late. His one chance with this beautiful woman. And was he blowing it already?

[Sheena]

I thought, oh, my God, I hope she can forgive me because I'm going to be a little late. Because she said, be on time. First date. Yeah, exactly.

[Gilles Tetro]

Beyond time.

[Sheena]

Yeah, beyond time. And I'm already late. So I tried to get there as fast as I could.

[Gilles Tetro]

And then, as hope was fading, he saw it. The alley, the one she told him about. And there was the garage with the big door partly open, just as she said it would be.

[Sheena]

The door was high enough so that I didn't have to crawl under it. I just had to squat under and I get into the garage.

[Gilles Tetro]

That hour at that time of year?

[Sheena]

Yes.

[Gilles Tetro]

Is there any light?

[Sheena]

Yeah, actually it was quite light out still. But once you got into that garage, it got kind of dark.

[Gilles Tetro]

So in that dim light, late and anxious, Jill's made a beeline through the garage doors toward the door leading to the back patio. And this, said Detective Bill Clark, is when Jill's Tetro's account merges seamlessly with the story in SK Confessions.

[Detective Bill Clark]

I mean, it was chilling. He's telling me things, and I know what's coming next. I've read the SK Confessions, and everything Jules is telling me is almost like he wrote it himself. That's how precise the story writing is.

[Sheena]

Of the SK Confession.

[Gilles Tetro]

So you know what's coming next. And he says, what's coming next?

[Detective Bill Clark]

That's right.

[Sheena]

I touched the knob to open the door, and all of a sudden somebody attacked me from behind. I kind of turn back to look to see what's going, and I see this man wearing this black and gold hockey mask. And this guy was much bigger than me, prodding me with this stun gun. And I still get chills to this day. I just got one, actually. Just seeing him wearing this mask.

[Gilles Tetro]

It was the moment Gilles Tetro understood he had been caught by a horror movie come to life. It was just like the penny dropped. You realized, this isn't a date.

[Sheena]

I've been lured to this garage.

[Gilles Tetro]

It's an attack.

[Sheena]

That's right. Right then and there.

[Gilles Tetro]

Would he live? Would he die? He didn't know. Jill's Tetro was simply terrified.

[Sheena]

Very terrified. Yeah. It was the most horrible feeling. I've never. I've never been mugged, ever. Or attacked.

[Gilles Tetro]

Yeah.

[Sheena]

So you don't look like you're a fighter type. I'm not normally, no.

[Gilles Tetro]

And you're not a very. Forgive my saying, but you're not a large person.

[Sheena]

I'm not. Yes. And this guy was much bigger than me. He was about 5 10.

[Gilles Tetro]

How tall are you?

[Sheena]

I'm about 57 or 5 8. And he was stun gunning me on my chest, all over my chest. And whenever he triggered it, it just turned blue.

[Gilles Tetro]

He's wearing this pocking mask.

[Sheena]

Yeah. This guy was terrifying.

[Gilles Tetro]

You know, some slasher movie guy.

[Sheena]

Yeah. And so I tried to make a run for it. And that's when he actually pulled out a gun.

[Gilles Tetro]

What is that like when somebody pulls a gun on you?

[Sheena]

I was terrified. I didn't know what to do. Is like, oh my God, I think I'm going to die. Then he yells, get down on the ground. Put your face down. Close your eyes and put your hands in the back. I don't know where he had it, but he took out duct tape and he ripped off a piece. And then that's when he covered my eyes with it.

[Gilles Tetro]

And just about then, Jill's Tetro decided he had come to the moment of his own death.

[Sheena]

I actually started tearing up and it was like life flashed before my eyes. And it was quite emotional. I'm like, oh my God, my family's never going to see me again. I never told anyone where I was going that day. And all of a sudden he comes towards the back of me by my legs. And so I hear his belt jiggling. I immediately thought, he's going to rape me. So I'm like, you know what? I better fight for my life. I said, I'd rather die my way than his way. I knew he's gonna pull the gun out again. And you know what? If it kills me, it kills me. So I get up and rip off the duct tape. And I yell at him, I said, I can't do this. I'm not going down like this. And he started yelling at me, get back down on the ground. Back down on the ground. So I just darted for the gun, grabbed the end of it, and pushed it away from my body. It was the best feeling I ever felt in my life because I felt plastic when I grabbed it.

[Gilles Tetro]

Just immediately, immediately.

[Sheena]

So you suddenly realized it was fake gun.

[Gilles Tetro]

And in that moment, he, Jills became the attacker.

[Sheena]

And I think I'm high on adrenaline now, and I'm like, I'm going to break this gun. And I kind of see it bending a little bit. And that's when I. I look down, and on the ground, there's these black metal handcuffs. And that just set me off because I'm like, wow, he was actually going to handcuff me now.

[Gilles Tetro]

I'm like, that's what the clinking was?

[Sheena]

Yeah, that's what it was. I had no idea. And it just made me even more angry. I went down, grabbed the cusp, put it around my knuckles so that I have some kind of weapons that I could strike him with. But I realized he's wearing that hockey mask, so the only way to be effective was I'd need to hit him in the back of the head because this hockey mask was on my front.

[Gilles Tetro]

Like somebody wearing armor.

[Sheena]

Yeah. Yeah, exactly. So I decide that the cuffs are no good, and it's getting him very angry and more agitated. So I decide I'm just gonna throw these handcuffs to the corner of the garage where there's a whole bunch of junk over there, and make it a little harder for him to go get these cuffs in case he needs to use him again later. And that's when he grabbed me by the arms. And we're kind of struggling all over the garage, so I tried to kick him, but as I did that, he saw me going to do that, so he actually went and swiped my leg, and I almost fell down, and I almost lost my shoe. And I'm thinking, wow, I can't get down. If I get down on the ground, I'm. I'm.

[Gilles Tetro]

You're cooked.

[Sheena]

Yeah, exactly.

[Gilles Tetro]

His adrenaline had been pumping so ferociously, he was quite unaware of how the shocks from the stun gun or cattle prod or whatever it was had sapped his strength.

[Sheena]

And I'm thinking, what? Why am I so weak? My muscles just couldn't move, and I was just so weak. He goes forward and tries to headbutt me. That's when he says, because you didn't cooperate, this is the way it has to be. And then he starts punching me in the head.

[Gilles Tetro]

Jill's stumbled backwards with every blow, closer and closer to the open garage door.

[Sheena]

I'm letting him punch me, punches me again multiple times on the side of the head. And I moved again. And all of a sudden I looked at the door and he grabs my jacket. So then I slipped out of my jacket, rolled underneath the garage door and finally made it out of that garage. So I start to try to run and all of a sudden it was like my legs were paralyzed and I just couldn't move and I just fell right on my face. And it's like being in the nightmare.

[Gilles Tetro]

Where you can't get away from the bed.

[Sheena]

Yeah, I'd start crawling away on this unpaved driveway. Sure enough, he comes back underneath the garage after me and grabs my legs and he starts dragging me back and I'm like, oh no, what am I? Just I have nothing left. There's nothing else I can do.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

They called it the happiest place on the high desert, home to a tight knit group of 30 somethings who like to party.

[Sheena]

It starts as a Playboy Channel fantasy, but this is real life where passion.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Leads to murder and a killer seeks God's help with the COVID up. I'm Josh Mankiewicz and this is Deadly Mirage, an all new podcast from Dateline.

[Keith Morrison]

All episodes are available now to listen at. Subscribe to Dateline Premium on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Dateline premium.com hi everyone, it's.

[Jenna Bush Hager]

Jenna Bush Hager from Today with Hoda and Jenna reminding you to check out my podcast Open Book with Jenna and this week's episode I sit down with Oscar and Emmy award winning actor Jamie Lee Curtis. She joins me to talk about her path to sobriety, what it was like growing up with famous parents and the books that changed her life. You can listen to the full conversation now by searching Open Book with Jenna. Wherever you get your podcasts, finding the.

[Keith Morrison]

Perfect gift for a true crime podcast fan can be tricky. What do you get for someone who loves twisty mysteries, determined detectives, and secrets hiding secrets? All great stuff, but hard to wrap. So we put all that and more in a subscription to Dateline Premium. You'll actually be giving three gifts in one ad. Free listening to all Dateline podcasts, early access to all new episodes, and exclusive bonus content. You are so generous. Just go to datelinepremium.com and give the gift of Dateline available on Apple Podcasts Spotify and more.

[Adriana Brock]

It's just what I wanted. How did you know?

[Keith Morrison]

Dateline premium.com.

[Adriana Brock]

It fits perfectly and I love the color.

[Gilles Tetro]

Jill's Tetra was exhausted from his fight with a masked man. Paralyzed from repeated shocks from a cattle prod or stun gun, and quite powerless as his attacker pulled him across the gravel driveway toward his apparent doom. Here's Gills.

[Sheena]

And so he drags me back and throws me back into the garage underneath the door.

[Gilles Tetro]

But the author of SK Confessions admitted he too was exhausted.

[Mark Twitchell]

My energy was depleted and the human survival instinct is one of the most powerful forces on earth.

[Gilles Tetro]

And sure enough, in one last surge of adrenaline fueled energy, Jills fought back.

[Mark Twitchell]

He tried to grab my mask and came quite close to pulling it off.

[Gilles Tetro]

Which created a brief life saving opportunity. The masked man momentarily let go of Joseph's leg.

[Sheena]

And I'm thinking, hey, he doesn't have a hold on me anymore. So I'm like, this is my chance. I can maybe get away again. And then I rolled back underneath the garage door. I got back up and in my head I was like, there's no way. I am not running this time.

[Gilles Tetro]

Legs carry me.

[Sheena]

Yep. And I made my legs move and then I ran off. But it wasn't really running. I think it was more like a jog. I turn left and to my surprise, there's actually a walking path right beside this house. So I get onto the walking path and I'm so weak. I stumble and I fall down. I get back up and I look up, there's this couple walking their dog. They're coming towards me and I yell to them, there's a man after me. He's trying to mug me. Please help me.

[Gilles Tetro]

They were of course Trevor and Marissa, who you'll recall described their encounter with Jills this way.

[Trevor]

He looked at me and said, I'm being robbed.

[Sheena]

Can you help me?

[Trevor]

And it was just an instant bad feeling. It was like everything in my body just tensed up. I felt bad. This is a bad situation. I knew right away something was wrong.

[Sheena]

And I'm hunched over trying to get my breath and they look stunned. They didn't know what was going on. And to me it felt like it was taking the masked man forever to come after me. He comes towards me. I'm standing close to the couple. I tell him, hey, that's the man.

[Trevor]

And then as I looked up, the attacker almost actually ran into me. It's like every nightmare you had as a child after watching Scary Movie, every nightmare you've ever had. All of a sudden it's right here. Like this mask standing there.

[Sheena]

Once he saw the couple there, he goes, hey, Frank. Or come on, Frank. That's what the guy in the mask said to me. Hey, come on, Frank. And then he pretends like he's gonna lift the mask off like we're playing, but he doesn't. And then he turns around and he starts walking back to the garage.

[Gilles Tetro]

So he's making out like you've just been having fun, right? Which is when Marissa and Trevor took off, believing somehow that it was all an act and that they had been the intended targets of a mugging.

[Sheena]

I couldn't believe they weren't going to help me out. So I'm like, I yelled towards them, I said, aren't you going to help me out?

[Gilles Tetro]

But Marissa and Trevor had already helped, whether they knew it or not, merely by stopping. When they did, they may have saved his life. And the masked man was gone. For the moment anyway. Jill's had time to catch his breath and regroup and get help.

[Sheena]

I can go on to the street, flag a car down, or I could go to a neighbor's house. Maybe they might help me out.

[Gilles Tetro]

Or he could have called the police on his cell phone, which was still sticking out of his back pocket. But Jill's did not do any of those things. No, but Jill's decided to do instead was go back to the garage.

[Sheena]

For some reason, thought it was the best thing at the time was to actually go back to the garage on my own because I figured I had the advantage and he didn't know the couple had left me. So I go back, start going back, and from a distance, I can see him pacing back and forth in the garage.

[Gilles Tetro]

But he's not looking out.

[Sheena]

No, no, he's still. He's completely in the garage and he's pacing back and forth.

[Gilles Tetro]

Just see his feet down.

[Sheena]

I just see his feet.

[Gilles Tetro]

The man could see him any second. Jill's looked at the door, at the pacing feet, at his truck, his mind worrying.

[Sheena]

So I'm thinking, okay, once I slam the door, I gotta do everything at the same time.

[Adriana Brock]

Let the Today show make you a gift giving expert. I'm Adriana Brock, Shop Today editorial director. My team tests thousands of products and recommends only what we love. And everyone on your list will too. From carefully curated holiday gift guides to exclusive deals for Today show insiders find what they really want this year. So relax and text shop to 34318 and we'll make your holiday shopping a breeze. Text shop to 34318 hi, everyone.

[Jenna Bush Hager]

I'm Jenna Bush Hager from Today with Hoda and Jenna. And I'm excited to share my new podcast, Open Book with Jenna. Each week, celebrities, experts, friends and authors will share candid stories with me about their lives and new projects. Guests like Stephen and Evie Colbert, Nicholas Sparks, Emily Henry, and more. Like a good book, you will leave feeling inspired and entertained. Join me for my brand new podcast, Open Book with Jenna. New episodes of Open Book with Jenna are released every Thursday. Listen now on Apple Podcasts.

[Gilles Tetro]

Hello, I'm Keith Morrison from Dateline. If you're a fan of true crime, then you need to know DATELINE is back with an all new season. And that means all new mysteries in our Dateline NBC podcast. Great storytelling with a twist and more. Much more. New episodes available every Tuesday on the Dateline NBC podcast. Follow now. Maybe he was in shock or had a concussion or was just stun gun silly. Whatever the reason, Jill Settro became fixated on getting to his prized truck, a black Ford Ranger parked right on that gravel driveway outside the garage where Jill's had just fought for his life.

[Sheena]

So I decided the smartest thing was to actually go back and get into my truck because I'd be safer in a locked vehicle. You'd have to break the windows to get to me.

[Gilles Tetro]

So, willing himself into silence, Jill's tiptoed across the crunchy gravel driveway. The masked man just a few feet away on the other side of that partially opened garage door.

[Sheena]

I get the keys out of my pocket and I quietly open the door and quietly get in.

[Gilles Tetro]

So you're trying to do all of.

[Sheena]

This without even hearing you, right? You're sneaking, right? So I'm thinking, okay, once I slam the door, I gotta do everything at the same time. So that's what I do. I slam the door, start the truck up right away and lock the door and then put it into reverse and I peel out of that driveway and I took off.

[Gilles Tetro]

You put that car into drive and tore down that alleyway. What was it like?

[Sheena]

Oh, it was like an amazing feeling. I'm like, I can't believe I got away.

[Gilles Tetro]

Must have been shaking.

[Sheena]

Yeah, I was shaking. I started coming down off the adrenaline after a bit, and then all of a sudden everything started hurting.

[Gilles Tetro]

My ribs were hurting and Jill's began to feel woozy, sick to his stomach.

[Sheena]

And the punches he gave me, the side of the head, they started throbbing. And I'm just sweating. I feel sick. I feel like I want to throw up, but I can't. And I just, I couldn't drive anymore.

[Gilles Tetro]

So Joe's pulled over, drank some water. Maybe he wasn't out of trouble after all.

[Sheena]

And I'm so tired and in pain. So I rest a little bit.

[Gilles Tetro]

But not for long. A few minutes later, Gilles willed himself back onto the road, forced himself to drive home, where he stood, barely comprehending, in front of a mirror.

[Sheena]

I'm like, wow. I. My face is all swollen up on my left side, and I'm just red and I'm sweating.

[Gilles Tetro]

What in the world just happened? Why had he, of all people, been attacked? And who was that man who seemed to want to kill him? The man behind the mask.

[Sheena]

And then I. I decided, you know what? I need to go back onto that online dating website. I want to get as much information as I can so I can give this to police. And so I go back on. And all of a sudden, everything was gone. Her profile was gone. All the sent and received messages that I got from that person were all gone.

[Gilles Tetro]

What is it like to be sitting alone in your apartment in front of your computer with that realization in your head?

[Sheena]

I felt almost ashamed. It was like, I can't believe I got duped by this woman. It's like, you know what? I just want to put this behind me. I just don't want to think about it. I want to move on.

[Gilles Tetro]

And did not call the police.

[Sheena]

No, I. I didn't.

[Gilles Tetro]

And sure enough, the author of SK Confessions had anticipated perfectly what would not happen when his intended victim escaped. It was as if he had been reading the mind of the terrified Jules Tetro.

[Mark Twitchell]

It was the fear in his eyes that told me deep down he wouldn't report the incident.

[Gilles Tetro]

But why did that man in the black mask attack Chills in the first place? It must have been he himself who wrote about it later. And in such incriminating detail. Though for now, the why of it all wasn't the important thing to the investigators. What was important was proving that the man in the black mask and the author of SK Confessions and Mark Twitchell were one and the same. And most important, finding their missing man. Was he dead? Was he alive? Where was Johnny Altinger? SK Confessions described two vicious assaults. One of them, the attack on Jill's tetro, was accurate in every one of its bizarre details.

[Detective Bill Clark]

How he's tasered and it's not really working. And this is all in the SK Confessions. And then he gets knocked down and he gets duct tape put on his eyes.

[Gilles Tetro]

And of course, both in real life and in the story, the victim survived. But the other story in SK Confessions. In that one, the victim died a particularly horrible death. Was that story true, too? And was that what happened to Johnny Altinger? If it was, then where was his body?

[Detective Bill Clark]

The part we'd never had. We never had Johnny.

[Gilles Tetro]

Still no sign of him anywhere. Unless just about then, the tech people uncovered something else in the Twitchell laptop. It had been erased, of course. Buried so deeply, it might have disappeared forever. Three more paragraphs from SK Confessions in which the masked man leaves a clue. Truth or fantasy?

[Detective Bill Clark]

He talked about dumping the body in a sewer. And then it ended.

[Gilles Tetro]

In the next episode of the man in the Black Mask, our guy pretended.

[Detective Bill Clark]

He was gonna invest in his moviemaking business.

[Gilles Tetro]

So if he wants to give you 30, $35,000, come and meet me.

[Detective Bill Clark]

Yeah, come and meet me.

[Sheena]

Foreign.

[Gilles Tetro]

The man in the Black Mask is a production of Dateline and NBC News. Vince Sterling is the producer. Brian Drew, Deb Brown and Marshall Housefeld are audio editors. Justin Ratchford is field producer, Leslie Grossman is program coordinator. Adam Gorfin is co executive producer, Paul Ryan is executive producer, and Liz Cole is senior executive producer. From NBC News. Audio Sound mixing by Katie Lau. Bryson Barnes is head of audio production.