Don’t F**k with Cats true story: How online sleuths unmasked cat killer Luka Magnotta
The real story behind Netflix's horrifying true crime documentary.
The true crime genre is one of the most popular on Netflix, with the streamer constantly producing new series about murderers, serial killers, con artists, cult leaders and thieves.
And one that we just can't get out of our heads is Don't F**k With Cats, a three-part docuseries that was first released on the streamer in 2020.
Don't F**k With Cats tells the story of one of Canada’s most infamous crimes – the 2012 murder of Chinese computing engineering student Jun Lin by Luka Magnotta, who courted infamy before the killing by circulating videos of himself killing kittens.
The Netflix series chronicles the events leading up to the horrific crime, as well as the world-wide manhunt for Magnotta that was carried out by amateur online detectives.
So, what exactly did Luka do and how was the cat killer found? Here's what you need to know about the real-life case...
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Don't F**k with Cats true story: Who is Luka Magnotta?
The name with which Magnotta gained notoriety is not actually the one he was born with – originally he went by Eric Kirk Newman. His parents were still teenagers when he was born in 1982, and later separated, providing two very different stories as to Magnotta's childhood: while his mother claims that his father was abusive – and even a "proud Nazi" – the father himself, who says he was suffering from schizophrenia, claims that any abuse came at the hands of Magnotta's mother's family.
Magnotta was homeschooled for much of his childhood, and was then bullied upon attending school for the first time – eventually leading to him dropping out before gaining a qualification. He later spent time in mental hospitals, and was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.
Around the time that he changed his name – apparently to reinvent himself – he had been working as a stripper and actor in addition to appearing in porn films, while he unsuccessfully chased acting and modelling work.
Things took a chilling turn around 2010, when Magnotta began to post a series of disturbing videos in which he was seen to torture and kill cats, including suffocating and drowning them. It is at this point that the documentary series joins the story.
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What did Luka Magnotta do with Lin's body parts?
After the videos surfaces, a group of internet users led by Las Vegas-based data analyst Deanna Thomson and John Green from Los Angeles, began a search to find Magnotta – scared that his behaviour could further escalate and become even more violent. This led to a world-wide manhunt, as Magnotta evaded authorities and began to commit more serious crimes.
It culminated in the horrific murder of Jun Lin, whose death Magnotta posted video of online.
Magnotta then sent various parts of Lin's body to institutions including the headquarters of Canada's two major political parties.
Was Luka Magnotta caught and where is he now?
Yes, after fleeing to Europe, Magnotta was arrested while reading news stories about his crimes and was convicted of Lin's murder in 2014.
He was given a life sentence with no eligibility for parole for 25 years, and is currently incarcerated at the Archambault Institution, a maximum security prison in Quebec, Canada.
Don't F**k with Cats is currently available to stream on Netflix.
Looking for something else to watch? Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what's on tonight.
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