Dexter-obsessed student guilty of murder after stabbing woman 78 times in Airbnb kill room

Benjamin Day, 20, pleaded guilty to murdering Maria Saceanu in a plastic-lined Airbnb room in Tividale, West Midlands. He modelled the attack on fictional serial killer Dexter.

Forensics student built plastic 'kill room' to murder Airbnb victim in West Midlands

A 20-year-old forensics student who became obsessed with fictional serial killer Dexter has pleaded guilty to murder after stabbing a 24-year-old Romanian woman 78 times in a plastic-lined Airbnb room, metro.co.uk reports.

Benjamin Day, of Yeadon Close, Redditch, Worcestershire, changed his plea at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Tuesday, admitting the murder of Maria Saceanu. He had originally been expected to claim self-defence.

Day rented a room at an Airbnb in Tividale, West Midlands, and spent several hours preparing what prosecutors described as a "kill room" — stapling plastic sheeting to the walls to facilitate clean-up and avoid leaving forensic traces. He brought to the scene knives, scissors, a mask, an apron, disposable gloves, plastic sheeting, duct tape, a staple gun and cleaning chemicals.

Ms Saceanu suffered 78 knife wounds, a number of which were inflicted after her death. She died as a result of wounds to her neck causing damage to her carotid arteries or jugular veins. Wounds to her hands were described in court as "consistent with efforts to protect herself."

Modelled on Dexter in meticulous detail

Opening the Crown's case before the guilty plea was entered, prosecutor Rachel Brand KC told jurors that Day's actions were those of a copycat. "He had become fascinated with a particular television drama series — an American series — and his actions were those of a copycat, imitating the things he had seen in that programme," Brand said.

The similarities to the TV show were extensive. Day had transferred his university course from journalism to applied biology and forensics — mirroring Dexter Morgan's role as a forensic scientist. He purchased and wore a khaki T-shirt matching the character's distinctive clothing, changed into it before Ms Saceanu arrived, and prepared the kill room using a staple gun and duct tape exactly as depicted in the series. An apron, plastic visor and gloves — items also used by the fictional killer — were found at the scene.

A canvas roll containing knives was recovered from the bedroom. Prosecutors also cited dismemberment attempts and microscope slides containing what was believed to be the victim's blood, which Day had apparently planned to keep as a trophy — another detail drawn directly from the television series.

Day had lured Ms Saceanu to the address and, according to the Crown, had planned to dispose of her body without trace. He placed her possessions in a black bin bag in preparation for disposal.

Caught on camera lying to officers

Day left the Airbnb at around 12.30am on 21 December last year, walked some distance from the property and called 999 at 12.50am requesting medical help for a hand wound he had sustained while dismembering the body.

Footage released by West Midlands Police shows Day bleeding onto the ground from the injury and telling officers he could not remember where he had parked his car — which was parked outside the house containing Ms Saceanu's body. In a separate clip, Day can be heard saying "I have got four fingers thankfully."

An officer questioning Day's account can also be heard on the footage, filmed near the junction of Highview Street and Brewery Street in Dudley. During conversations with police, Day claimed he had driven to the Dudley area to look for a woman in a bar, and said the injury to his hand had been caused by an animal that "might have been a fox."

Day was arrested at 3.42am at Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley, where he was seen wearing the Dexter-style khaki top. He nodded towards the arresting officer as he was detained.

Change of plea came after hour-long delay

Day had been expected to mount a self-defence argument, telling investigators he had arranged the plastic-lined room to film a tribute to Dexter for TikTok. After an hour-long delay to proceedings on Tuesday, however, he returned from the cells to the dock and entered a guilty plea, appearing to smirk as he nodded towards the court clerk.

The change of plea came approximately three hours after jurors had been shown footage of Day's false account to police.

Detective: 'Shocked experienced officers'

Detective Inspector Matt Marston, of the West Midlands Police Major Crime Team, who led the investigation, said Day had planned the murder in meticulous detail. "It was a pre-planned brutal attack on a defenceless woman lured to the room he had rented," Marston said. "Day had flagged down officers where he offered them a fabricated story about the reason why he had received an injury to his hand. Officers were suspicious and he was quickly detained."

Marston added: "The details of this case shocked experienced officers and our thoughts continue to go out to the heartbroken family of Maria at this time."

Brand told the court the prosecution did not claim to offer a full psychological explanation for the killing. "We don't pretend, ladies and gentlemen, to be able to give you the deep-seated psychological reasons why he decided to kill another person — that's not our remit," she said.

Day has been remanded in custody and faces a mandatory life sentence.

Source: The Sun