5 - Trick or Treat

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Man in the Black Mask – Episode 5: Trick or Treat

Introduction

In Episode 5, titled "Trick or Treat," of The Man in the Black Mask podcast series by NBC News, host Keith Morrison delves into a chilling real-life mystery that unfolds alongside the production of a horror film. This episode explores the unsettling intersection between fiction and reality when a filmmaker's obsession with creating a terrifying narrative seemingly spills into real-life violence.

---

Background of Mark Twitchell

Mark Twitchell, a creative and passionate young director, was deeply immersed in the world of horror filmmaking. Known among his friends as a "geek culture" enthusiast, Twitchell's life revolved around creating and enjoying science fiction and horror stories.

Keith Morrison [00:57]: "His whole life was devoted to make believe scary stories. He was a strange fellow in his way, if also harmless."

Twitchell's dedication to storytelling was evident as he worked tirelessly on his latest project—a frightful film about a serial killer donning a hockey mask. His peers described him as charismatic and driven, yet there was an undercurrent of skepticism about his ability to translate his imaginative ideas into reality.

Steve Lillibuan [05:17]: "Mark Twitchell looked like a really clean-cut guy. He, you know, had a schoolboy haircut and he could be anyone's son."

---

The Disappearance of Johnny Altinger

As Twitchell immersed himself in his creative pursuits, a man named Johnny Altinger went missing near the set of Twitchell's film. Police investigation quickly linked Twitchell to Altinger's disappearance when it was discovered that Twitchell had purchased Altinger's car. Despite this connection, no other complaints or concerns about Twitchell surfaced, making the case perplexing.

Keith Morrison [04:09]: "Thrown to the ground by members of Edmonton police services SWAT team who slapped a pair of handcuffs on Mark Twitchell and drove him downtown and charged him with the murder of the still very missing Johnny Altinger."

---

The Arrest of Mark Twitchell

On Halloween night, Twitchell was arrested without a body being found, which immediately raised doubts about the validity of the charges. The absence of physical evidence made the prosecution's case fragile, leading many to suspect that Twitchell, known for his penchant for pranks, might be orchestrating a publicity stunt for his film.

Steve Lillibuan [07:12]: "A lot of people thought this was a hoax."

Twitchell's friends and colleagues were baffled by the allegations, remarking on how his clean-cut appearance and harmless demeanor did not align with the image of a cold-blooded killer.

Sean Storer [08:26]: "He had no idea what he's doing. It’s not that he doesn't have a clue. He just didn’t have the skills."

---

Media Reaction and Investigation

The media frenzy intensified as reporters like Steve Lillibuan from the Edmonton Journal began to investigate the case. Twitchell's Facebook page painted the picture of a passionate filmmaker, further fueling the doubt surrounding the murder charges. The situation seemed almost cinematic, blurring the lines between Twitchell's fictional creations and real-life events.

Steve Lillibuan [06:57]: "This idea that you would have what the police was alleging, a filmmaker who would randomly pick total strangers and that they would become a victim of a horrendous crime ... it was just extraordinary. It didn’t seem like it could be real."

---

The Interrogation

Twitchell's interrogation was a pivotal moment in the case. Detective Bill Clark took a hardline approach, bombarding Twitchell with questions and accusations. The interaction was tense, with Twitchell maintaining his composure despite the aggressive tactics employed by the detectives.

Detective Bill Clark [09:23]: "Why you're here. You know that you're charged with first-degree murder."

Twitchell remained silent for hours, communicating only through his lawyer. The detective's persistence led to a second detective, Paul Link, taking over the interrogation in a more conversational manner, attempting to break through Twitchell's stoic facade by discussing his screenplay, "SK Confessions."

Detective Paul Link [13:19]: "The fact that, you know, I was one of the guys that said this could be a hoax... there's a lot of investigators in the office. I thought this was just a hoax that was going to be a movie."

Throughout the interrogation, Twitchell displayed minimal emotion, raising suspicions about his true intentions and emotional state.

Mark Twitchell [17:54]: "Just out of curiosity, does a person not get in trouble for the hoax as well?"

His cryptic comments suggested a deeper connection between his life and his fictional narratives, leaving investigators unsure of his motives.

---

The Aftermath: The Follow-Up

The following morning, detectives decided to press Twitchell further by driving him to various locations linked to his screenplay, hoping to trigger a confession. This unorthodox approach included visits to his childhood home, his sister's residence, and finally, the scene of the alleged murder.

Detective Bill Clark [24:38]: "We just took him for a drive. Says you're show us where the body is, you're gonna show us where Johnny is."

However, Twitchell remained uncooperative, showing no emotional response or willingness to disclose information about Altinger's whereabouts.

Mark Twitchell [26:35]: "Seriously, let's just go back to station. When you think we can do that."

The detectives' attempts to correlate Twitchell's life with his fictional work did not yield the desired breakthrough, leaving the case unresolved by the end of the episode.

---

Conclusion

Episode 5, "Trick or Treat," masterfully intertwines the eerie parallels between Mark Twitchell's fictional creations and the real-life mystery surrounding Johnny Altinger's disappearance. Keith Morrison presents a narrative that challenges listeners to question the boundaries between illusion and reality, as the investigation into Twitchell's involvement in the crime reveals more questions than answers. As the episode concludes, the mystery remains unsolved, setting the stage for the series' final installments.

Keith Morrison [31:00]: "Mark Twitchell may have just figured out how to end his story happily. Happily for Mark Twitchell. That is coming up next in our final episode of the man in the Black Mask."

---

Notable Quotes:

• Keith Morrison [00:57]: "He was a strange fellow in his way, if also harmless."

• Steve Lillibuan [05:17]: "Mark Twitchell looked like a really clean-cut guy. He, you know, had a schoolboy haircut and he could be anyone's son."

• Sean Storer [08:26]: "He had no idea what he's doing. It’s not that he doesn't have a clue. He just didn’t have the skills."

• Mark Twitchell [17:54]: "Just out of curiosity, does a person not get in trouble for the hoax as well?"

• Keith Morrison [31:00]: "Mark Twitchell may have just figured out how to end his story happily. Happily for Mark Twitchell. That is coming up next in our final episode of the man in the Black Mask."

---

This summary provides an in-depth overview of Episode 5, capturing the essence of the discussions, key moments, and intriguing questions that make "Trick or Treat" a compelling installment in The Man in the Black Mask series.

Transcript

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[Narrator]

Devices early ctmobile.com Every morning we choose how to begin our day. I think about the people at home. They tune in because they are curious. They care about their world and they care about each other.

[Detective]

There's always something new to learn, whether a news event or a new recipe.

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[Keith Morrison]

Together, it makes the rest of the day better.

[Narrator]

We come here to make the most of today. We are family. We are today.

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Watch the Today show with Savannah Guthrie.

[Keith Morrison]

And Craig Melvin, weekdays at 7am on NBC. Ask his movie friends. They would have told you it's all made up. Of course, it was just a clever bit of spooky nonsense conjured up in the most unusual mind of Mark Twitchell. Man's whole life was devoted to make believe scary stories. He was a strange fellow in his way, if also harmless. Even his friends and colleagues would tell you that them and the curious reporter who checked him out.

[Steve Lillibuan]

He was in that kind of clique of people that would go to, you know, Star wars conventions or they would dress up for the premiere of a movie. You know, everyone's got someone like that in their family who's just, you know, a big sci fi nut or whatever.

[Keith Morrison]

But does that make you a nut or just a person who enjoys pure, clean fun? The point was, Mark Twitchell loved it all. Loved writing the story, loved making the movies, loved dreaming up a universe of dark and dangerous characters. A would be master of misdirection is what he was. Mind you, it was true that some guy named Johnny Altinger was missing and possibly dead, and police thought it was curious that he, Twitchell, had bought the man's car. But that was about it. Nobody else had come forward to complain about him. Anyway, when the events of this tale occurred, it just happened to be Halloween, Mark Twitchell's favorite Day of the year. For months in between filming this and that, he'd been hard at work creating what might have been his best Halloween costume ever. A very respectable iron man. Get up. Sadly, he was forced to put on the finishing touches at his parents place after his wife discovered he'd been having an affair, then kicked him out. But for now, for one grand night, all that could be forgotten. In a few hours, he'd make his big entrance to a huge Halloween party where he would surely wow them all. But first, that afternoon, there was business to attend to. A meeting with a group of potential investors at a nearby coffee house. Investors so hard to come by, these seem to drop down like manna from heaven. Or so Mark Twitchell had been led to believe by the friendly and persuasive man who'd called him. But of course, investor was not quite the right word for that caller. More like investigator.

[Narrator]

Our guy pretended he was going to invest in his moviemaking business.

[Keith Morrison]

Somebody wants to give you 30, $35,000. Come and meet me.

[Narrator]

Yeah, come and meet me.

[Keith Morrison]

And so, with a light heart and a jacket to ward off the autumn chill, Mark Twitchell sauntered down the sidewalk toward the coffee shop.

[Narrator]

And in swoops the tactical team and takes him down by surprise.

[Keith Morrison]

Thrown to the ground by members of Edmonton police services SWAT team who slapped a pair of handcuffs on Mark Twitchell and drove him downtown and charged him with the murder of the still very missing Johnny Altinger. No Halloween party for Mark Twitchell. Instead, there was a press conference at which a senior police officer announced Twitchell's arrest, but never said why. Only that investigators believed Altinger had been murdered and that Twitchell had put a.

[Narrator]

Lot of thought into it and a.

[Legal Disclaimer Voice]

Lot of work into it.

[Keith Morrison]

A press conference. Thin on detail, except for one, oddly, about Mark Twitchell's TV viewing habits.

[Narrator]

We have a lot of information that suggests he's definitely idolizes Dexter.

[Keith Morrison]

What did that mean? I'm Keith Morrison, and this is the man in the black mask. The podcast from Dateline. Episode five, Trick or Treat.

[Steve Lillibuan]

It really just exploded on Halloween.

[Keith Morrison]

That's the voice of Steve Lillibuan. Steve covered the police beat back then for the big paper in town, the Edmonton Journal. But he never encountered a story like this before the arrest of the local filmmaker and the suggestion that he idolizes Dexter. On Halloween, no less. Crazy assignments were handed out. There was work to be done.

[Steve Lillibuan]

One of the first things we did in the newsroom is we just went to Mark Twitchell's Facebook page and we saw a person who was incredibly driven. A person who had a lot of charisma and was really into this, I guess you would call it like a geek culture. You know, he was into Star wars, he was into sci fi stuff, he was into making costumes, but nothing sinister.

[Keith Morrison]

Certainly didn't come off like a cold blooded killer, let alone a Dexter type.

[Steve Lillibuan]

He looked like a really clean cut guy. He, you know, had a schoolboy haircut and he could be anyone's son. So that was almost part of the extraordinary part about it was just how normal Mark Twitchell did look and how horrendous these allegations were coming from the police. And the two didn't look to add up.

[Keith Morrison]

It seemed like, well, seemed like the plot of a movie.

[Steve Lillibuan]

So this idea that you would have what the police was alleging, a filmmaker who would randomly pick total strangers and that they would become a victim of a horrendous crime and, and in a way that was replicating actual Hollywood, you know, mythology, this idea of a horror film, it was just extraordinary. It didn't seem like it could be real.

[Keith Morrison]

And maybe it wasn't because a bit more digging turned up a few salient facts about Mark Twitchell. Sorts of things that could make a reporter sit back and contemplate the possibility somebody made a mistake.

[Steve Lillibuan]

A lot of people thought this was a hoax.

[Keith Morrison]

And why would a lot of people think that?

[Steve Lillibuan]

Mark Twitchell was known as a prankster. He loved pulling pranks, he loved telling jokes, he loved, you know, pulling someone's leg. And with that, the police told us that they did not have a body. So the obvious question was, how are you going to prosecute someone for first degree murder with no body? And here this guy is a prankster and, you know, he's a filmmaker. Maybe it was some kind of prank with the film. That's something his, his own friends were wondering and, and talked about quite often.

[Keith Morrison]

Like the actor Sean Storer.

[Sean Storer]

I thought he was just trying to hype this new movie that he's gonna do and he'll be found not guilty. Found not guilty. And at the end of the day, he walks away not guilty. But he has all this publicity around him. And what better way to start a movie off than to have your name on the tip of everybody's tongue?

[Keith Morrison]

So maybe the police had been duped, totally pranked. Or would they feel silly when they figured that out? No way Mark Twitchell could actually pull off a complicated Dexter like murder scheme. Because as Sean couldn't help but notice, Twitchell was not exactly the brilliant director he seemed to think he was.

[Sean Storer]

He had no idea what he's doing.

[Keith Morrison]

He just doesn't have a clue.

[Sean Storer]

It's not that he doesn't have a clue. He just didn't have the skills. He didn't have the ability to bring it all together. If you didn't have the smarts to pull off a movie with a really low budget, you don't have the smarts to pull something like that off.

[Keith Morrison]

Murder somebody that is in some horribly clever way that avoided detection but blunder into a prank gone wrong. Sure, said friends. That sounded just like Mark. As for Twitchell himself, he would do his talking through a lawyer, he said to those policemen who arrested him. Fine, said the detectives. But they kept asking him questions anyway. As was their prerogative according to the Canadian Charter of Rights. They kept at Mark Twitchell for six hours that Halloween night. Here was Detective Bill Clark.

[Narrator]

We're gonna explain to you what's going on here today, Mark. Okay. Why you're here.

[Keith Morrison]

The room in which they were sitting, Detective Clark and a mute Mark Twitchell was tiny, 6ft by 6ft. Suspect Twitchell was wearing a simple green T shirt and black jeans. He faced Detective Clark head on. No choice, really.

[Narrator]

You know that you're charged with first degree murder. Lots of the charges will be laid on you tonight.

[Keith Morrison]

Their talk began just after 6:30, while excited kids took their loot bags door to door and Mark Twitchell's fans gathered to watch him come strutting into that costume gala, clad in his handcrafted Iron man outfit. Instead, he was closed off in a room the size of a closet while an energized Bill Clark fired off one question after another loaded with implied accusations.

[Narrator]

Did you film this murder? Are we going to find that on all those tapes and the hard drives we've taken?

[Keith Morrison]

The look on Mark Twitchell's face suggested he had grown to dislike Bill Clark.

[Narrator]

One of the things that we notice in people who are sociopaths, which I. I really think you're a sociopath.

[Keith Morrison]

In response to that broadside, Twitchell slouched in his chair, arms folded across his chest, motionless, staring straight ahead as Clark continued to chew away at him.

[Narrator]

I mean, this is all modeled after Dexter. You know that, Mark. You know, eerily, you kind of look like the guy. I look at that picture, I saw that one on your website, and you guys kind of even look the same.

[Keith Morrison]

Sometimes. As everybody knows, a face will give clues to what's going on inside. Twitcho looked, well, certainly not scared, not even defensive, if anything, maybe annoyed, bored, put out By Clark's aggressive performance, certainly. And the horrible timing of the arrest, it being Halloween night after all. The only thing Twitchell had to say.

[Mark Twitchell]

To Clark was, I won't be saying anything.

[Keith Morrison]

Stalemate of sorts. But then another detective entered the room to take Twitchell's dinner order. Well, now, that was a different story.

[Detective]

What would you like to eat? You want a sub sandwich? A hamburger? What would you like?

[Mark Twitchell]

Well, I don't know where you get it from.

[Detective]

We can get Mr. Sub Subway. McDonald's just, oh, down the street.

[Mark Twitchell]

Okay. Wedding Road Sub, I guess.

[Detective]

Okay, what do you like?

[Mark Twitchell]

Chicken, turkey, steak and cheese.

[Detective]

Steak and cheese. Sub?

[Mark Twitchell]

Sure.

[Detective]

Prefer subway or Mr. Sub?

[Mark Twitchell]

Subway, I guess.

[Detective]

And what do you like to drink?

[Mark Twitchell]

Coke.

[Detective]

Coke, sure. And anything else?

[Mark Twitchell]

No, that'd be fine.

[Detective]

Okay.

[Keith Morrison]

And when Twitcho's order later arrived, a foot long steak and cheese sub, he tore into it like he hadn't a care in the world. As if he was on the set of one of his low budget movies, taking a break between scenes. And then Detective Clark started in again with his pesky questions and annoying comments.

[Narrator]

You made a lot of mistakes. You never considered the fact that your victim would email his friends and tell them where he was going.

[Keith Morrison]

It went on like this for hours. Less an interrogation than a monologue. Certainly not a dialogue. Mark Twitchell said nothing. Then, sometime in hour three, Bill Clark left the room. His aggressive questioning wasn't getting them anywhere. And in his place, a detective named Paul Link settled into the chair facing Mr. Twitchell. By comparison with Clark, Detective Link was practically chummy.

[Detective]

You're obviously a bright guy. You're very intelligent. You know, you've. You're in the movie industry trying to make a go of it. Written some scripts. People are accepting your work. You're getting people to work for you.

[Keith Morrison]

And that script, by the way, that SK confession story, said Detective Link. Well, that was baffo a work of art.

[Detective]

It's a fabulous script. It's actually fascinating. Okay, and that's what I'm saying when I talked about this being a movie. You could send this off and get your foot into the door. Whether it be at Paramount, Fox, Warner Brothers, whoever. I mean, you could send this to the Dexter people. Maybe this will be an episode.

[Keith Morrison]

Mark Twitchell linked his hands behind his head and stared at the far wall. Silence. So Detective Link started reading SK Confessions out loud. Like a creepy bedtime story.

[Detective]

This story was based on true events. The names and events were altered slightly to protect the guilty.

[Keith Morrison]

And that's when Mark Twitchell finally decided it was time for a word or two from him.

[Narrator]

Foreign.

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[Keith Morrison]

Now they had the final answer. Or did they?

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[Keith Morrison]

Or do you? Yes, actually, you do.

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[Keith Morrison]

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[Keith Morrison]

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[Keith Morrison]

To subscribe, download Start today from the App Store on your Apple device now. Terms apply. Cancel anytime through Apple under profile settings Crammed into an interrogation room not much bigger than a storage closet, Detective Paul Link began reading SK Confessions to its presumed author, Mark Twitchell, hoping it might trigger some sort of reaction. And for one brief moment, it did.

[Detective]

This story was based on true events. The names and events were altered slightly to protect the guilty.

[Mark Twitchell]

This is the fiction?

[Detective]

You're saying that's fiction?

[Keith Morrison]

Was Twitchell about to reveal that? All of it? The disappeared man, the apparent attack in a goalie mask, the homicidal ramblings in SK Confessions. That all of it was a hoax, A publicity stunt? There was a pause. Twitchell seemed to be concentrating. Detective Link broke the silence.

[Detective]

The fact that, you know, I was one of the guys that said this could be a hoax, okay? There's a lot of investigators in the office. I thought this was just a hoax that was going to be a movie. Let's say it was a hoax, okay? And you get arrested, you're charged and the police do a thorough investigation, all of a sudden, Johnny Altenser appears on the scene. That would make a pretty good movie.

[Keith Morrison]

As well, right now. Twitchell leaned forward, picked up the bottle of Coke sitting on the table, slowly unscrewed the cap, took a swig, and then just as slowly, screwed the cap back on before placing the bottle back on the table. And then he asked a question.

[Mark Twitchell]

Just out of curiosity, does a person not get in trouble for the hoax as well?

[Detective]

Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. Why do you ask?

[Mark Twitchell]

Nice.

[Detective]

Yeah. There would be a couple charges. Obstruct justice. Public mischief would be another one.

[Keith Morrison]

He said, and then lapsed again into silence, motionless, chin still resting on his hand. Seeing that Mark Twitchell had no more to say, Link changed course.

[Detective]

It's not done, Mark. The script's not done. How do you want this to end? And you want me to tell you what happens at the end, Mark? The police, they go out with the person responsible. They go to the body. That's what we're gonna do. Mark, you need to finish the script. We can do this tonight. We can bring some lights. We can do it the first thing in the morning. It's up to you.

[Keith Morrison]

Twitchell uncrossed his arms, looked at the fingernails of his right hand, and then said something. Well, kind of surprising.

[Mark Twitchell]

Don't get me wrong. I respect you guys. I respect what you do. I understand what this is about. I just can't say anything.

[Detective]

You think sitting there waiting it out, it's gonna make a difference?

[Mark Twitchell]

Maybe not.

[Keith Morrison]

So there were two options now, said Detective Link. Option one, wait for the lawyer, continue to say nothing, which is your legal right. Or option two, tell them the end of the story, what happened to Johnny.

[Detective]

Alting her, you move on, you're accountable. You finish what you started. Don't look like a fool. Comes down to two options, Mark Twitchell.

[Keith Morrison]

Stared at the floor and literally twiddled his thumbs. Detective Link pressed on.

[Detective]

Mark, I'm asking a question. What do you wish to do? What do you want to do right now?

[Keith Morrison]

28 minutes later, Mark Twitchell finally broke his silence.

[Mark Twitchell]

Man, you're preaching to the choir. Option two is where I'm leaning, but I just can't do anything until tomorrow after I talk to my lawyer.

[Detective]

So, okay, so option two. You're receptive to option two.

[Mark Twitchell]

I just need to consult first, and that's basically it.

[Detective]

Okay.

[Mark Twitchell]

Like I said before, so I don't know what happens now.

[Detective]

Okay, so option two would mean we'd go out during daytime hours, cover the body, put closure to it and then move on and finish the script and then it's done. You're okay with that?

[Keith Morrison]

Mark Twitchell laced his fingers atop his head, stared at the ceiling, and said nothing more. Had he just admitted to murder? The evidence in that garage suggested that poor Johnny Altinger had been killed and cut up in ways eerily reminiscent of yes, Dexter. Did this mean Twitchell would cooperate now? Officially confess and show them where he dumped Johnny's body? Tantalizingly close now. Detective Link got up to leave the room and then turned to Twitchell and.

[Detective]

Asked, would you like some water? How you make it out?

[Narrator]

You got water?

[Mark Twitchell]

No, I'm good. Yeah.

[Keith Morrison]

By then it was about midnight and sensing success, Detective Link arranged for a bigger room and a bed.

[Detective]

Any questions about anything?

[Mark Twitchell]

No.

[Keith Morrison]

Concerns?

[Detective]

Issues? We'll see in the morning. Have a good night's sleep, okay?

[Keith Morrison]

Okay then. Detective Link shook Twitchell's hand and walked out of that tiny room, hoping that within a few hours Mark Twitchell would take him to Johnny Altinger's grave.

[Mark Twitchell]

Foreign.

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[Keith Morrison]

Early ct mobile.com it was late past midnight when they broke into the farmhouse.

[Narrator]

Never in a million years would you.

[Mark Twitchell]

Think that you'd see your parents house.

[Narrator]

Taped off by that yellow tape and.

[Mark Twitchell]

They said you remembered being killed.

[Keith Morrison]

They left behind a wall of blood and a clue that took a case of double murder on a long, strange trip.

[Narrator]

She looked at me and she said I'm screwed.

[Keith Morrison]

Murder in the Moonlight A new podcast from Dateline Listen to Murder in the.

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[Keith Morrison]

Morning of November 1st, Edmonton homicide detectives pulled Mark Twitchell out of jail and put him in the back of an aging Crown Victoria, pointed a camera at his Face and said, okay, Mark, take us to Johnny Altinger's body. And in response, Twitchell said to Clark.

[Narrator]

Well, if I gotta go with you, I'll go with you. But not helping you out.

[Keith Morrison]

Just like that. The man had apparently changed his mind. Unless the almost not quite confession of the night before had been just a ruse all along. A Halloween trick designed to get him out of that tiny interrogation room and into a bed. Whatever it was, events in the morning made it clear there was no deal. Twitchell was admitting to nothing. But Detective Bill Clark, who was now behind the wheel, wasn't having any of it. He decided to take Twitchell on a this is your life kind of drive around town to all the locations mentioned in that series of horror vignettes called SK Confessions, hoping Twitchell would crack, give himself away.

[Narrator]

We just took him for a drive. Says you're show us where the body is, you're gonna show us where Johnny is.

[Keith Morrison]

It's pretty unusual to do that.

[Legal Disclaimer Voice]

Yeah.

[Narrator]

I mean, we for what we did, it. It was unusual. We're just trying to think outside the box and see if something might trigger him.

[Keith Morrison]

First stop Troll's childhood home, which is where we later spoke to Detective Clark on the blustery fall day.

[Narrator]

Drove right here, parked right in front of his parents house. And no reaction. No reaction at all.

[Keith Morrison]

Detective Bill Clark said Twitchell didn't seem the least bit concerned about the possibility his parents might come running out of the house at any moment to see what was going on. Instead, still wearing the clothes he had on the night before, along with an orange windbreaker, he leaned back, rested his head on his seat back, closed his eyes, and tried to nap. Then Clark said this to him.

[Narrator]

Oh, look who's here.

[Keith Morrison]

Twitchell opened his eyes, looked outside the window, and saw a TV news crew. They'd been hoping, apparently, for an interview with Mark's parents.

[Narrator]

Unbelievable timing.

[Mark Twitchell]

What is it?

[Narrator]

They don't even know who we have in the back of the car.

[Mark Twitchell]

Oh.

[Keith Morrison]

Clark stepped out of the car, leaving another detective inside with Mark Twitchell.

[Narrator]

It's a media Mark. There's nothing we can do about this. Entirely coincidental.

[Mark Twitchell]

They have a right and a calling.

[Narrator]

No, they have a freedom to be here. And there's nothing I can do about it. We can leave if you tell us we're where we should go.

[Mark Twitchell]

Let's go back to hq.

[Keith Morrison]

Mark Twitchell scrunched down in his seat, tried to hide his face behind his handcuffs. Didn't work.

[Mark Twitchell]

Seriously, let's just go back to station. When you think we can do that.

[Keith Morrison]

Two minutes later, Clark was back in the car and ready to go.

[Narrator]

Where do you want us to head to, Mark?

[Keith Morrison]

Station.

[Narrator]

The station. Body's not at the station, Mark. Where do you want us to go, Mark? Which way? We need to get this done. Do you know where? I shouldn't say that. Bad question. You know where. It's just. Where do you want us to go? Tell us what direction.

[Keith Morrison]

But Twitchell said nothing. He just stared out the window like a petulant teen forced to go on a road trip with his annoying parents who had control of both the car and the radio. In this case, the local news talk station which repeated one particular story again and again.

[Narrator]

EPS homicide detectives are arrested and charged as suspect in connection with the disappearance of John Bryant Attinger. The 38 year old Attinger went missing on October 10th from the area of 40th Avenue and 57th Street. Charged with first degree murder, 29 year old Mark Andrew Twitchell. Twitchell was arrested yesterday without incident at a home in North Edmonton. A large cmp Continuing. This is just the start of the media frenzy, Mark. And it's going to continue on until the body surfaces doesn't end. So we could put an end to it today.

[Keith Morrison]

Next, they drove to the apartment complex where Twitchell's sister lived.

[Narrator]

Which one is history, Mark? This one. Next one.

[Keith Morrison]

And again they encountered a TV camera. Gotta be kidding me.

[Detective]

What are you afraid of?

[Mark Twitchell]

Nothing, I guess. But what's the point?

[Keith Morrison]

Twitcho's sister refused to come outside to talk to her brother. So again Clark started the car and 45 minutes later turned down an alleyway and pulled into a gravel driveway and parked next to a detached two car garage.

[Narrator]

So here we are back at the killing garage. The Dexter Garage. The Alberta Productions Alberta Film Industry Productions.

[Keith Morrison]

Of Dexter Here, police believe was the very place where Johnny Aldinger met his killer.

[Narrator]

Look familiar? Mark returned to the scene of the crime.

[Keith Morrison]

At which Mark Twitchell turned to the policeman beside him and and said, just hungry.

[Narrator]

Hungry? You just ate. You know what? I think we'll go take a look.

[Steve Lillibuan]

At the kill garage.

[Keith Morrison]

Nice. All four got out of the car this time. Three detectives and Twitchell. They ducked under strands of crime scene tape and walked into the courtyard separating the garage from the house.

[Narrator]

Bring back any memories? You want to tell us where the body is now? We'll get this over with. Get you back to the station.

[Keith Morrison]

There was no response from Twitchell.

[Narrator]

Okay, let's go to another actus.

[Keith Morrison]

So back into the car.

[Narrator]

Where do you want to go? Mark. Your choice.

[Keith Morrison]

No answer. So Clark just started driving and got Twitchell's girlfriend on the phone to see if she could convince him to give it all up.

[Narrator]

Hi, Tracy. How are you? You wanted to talk to Mark? Okay, it's up to you. I'll put him on the phone. Okay.

[Mark Twitchell]

Blue. Blue. Okay, I can't see anything at the moment.

[Keith Morrison]

Then Twitchell handed the phone back to Clark, who was now fresh out of ideas. The parents, the sister, the girlfriend, the crime scene, none of it worked.

[Narrator]

Absolutely. Showed no emotion at any time. Was almost disgusted that we were wasting his time.

[Keith Morrison]

Or maybe not quite. There was that one thing Twitchell said, a question, really, that indicated how he was going to spin the entire case. It was while he was being questioned by Detective Link, that Halloween night when it was almost like a light bulb went on and marked Twitchell's head.

[Mark Twitchell]

Just out of curiosity, does a person not get in trouble for the hoax as well?

[Detective]

Why do you ask?

[Mark Twitchell]

Does.

[Keith Morrison]

Oh, it was just nothing, is what Twitchell was suggesting with a casual shrug of his shoulders. Oh, but it was a very big deal, because Mark Twitchell may have just figured out how to end his story happily. Happily for Mark Twitchell. That is coming up next in our final episode of the man in the Black Mask.

[Steve Lillibuan]

I watched the live blog that they had and I was screaming my head off at home.

[Keith Morrison]

You liar.

[Mark Twitchell]

You liar.

[Keith Morrison]

Were you afraid that Shuri would believe him? Oh, yeah. The man in the Black Mask is a production of Dateline and NBC News. Vince Sterle 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, SA.