Magnotta looking for love
Convicted killer posts dating profile to matchmaking website for inmates
Notorious killer Luka Magnotta’s decision to post a dating profile on a website dedicated to finding pen pals for federal inmates is “outrageous and offensive to victims of crime,” says a spokesman for Minister of Public Safety Steven Blaney.
In the online posting that went up Sunday, the convicted killer whose crime shocked the nation and left his victim’s family heartbroken, says he is looking for his “prince charming” — a “single white male, 28-38 years of age, white and in shape.”
Magnotta’s wish list includes “one who is loyal, preferably educated, financially and emotionally stable for a long term committed relationship,” according to the profile that was posted to Canadian Inmates Connect Inc.
“If you think you could be my prince charming, send me a detailed letter with at least 2 photos,” the profile says. “Only those I deem compatible will receive a response. Serious inquiries only please. All unsolicited mail will be discarded.”
Magnotta provides the mailing address for Archambault Penitentiary in Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines, Que. Federal inmates don’t have access to the Internet, and Magnotta’s profile was posted after he sent a written application along with the $35 annual fee for the website, according to the website’s owner.
Magnotta was convicted of firstdegree murder in December for killing Lin Jun in Montreal in May 2012, filming himself dismembering the body and then sending the severed hands and feet to the offices of both the Conservative and Liberal Party of Canada in Ottawa and two schools in Vancouver.
Magnotta’s profile includes a pair of photos that appear to have been taken during his days as a model. One photo is a close-up that shows him in a white shirt with the collar turned up and wearing a necklace. Another smaller and grainier photo shows a smiling Magnotta with his white shirt open to reveal his chest and abdomen.
In the profile, Magnotta describes himself as a single white male, 33, who is 5-foot-11 and 175 pounds with dark hair and blue eyes.
Under the section where it lists what the offender is convicted of, Magnotta’s profile says “not stated.” Magnotta lists his expected release date as 2037.
Magnotta is serving a life sentence and isn’t eligible for parole for 25 years from the date of his arrest. The earliest Magnotta can apply for parole is in 2037, although the odds he’ll be released then are slim.
In his statement, Public Safety spokesman Jeremy Laurin said that Blaney had asked Correctional Services Canada to “explore all options” to make sure people like Magnotta are not “able to further exploit individuals.
“The operator of this website should seriously reconsider the platform she is giving to convicted criminals,” Laurin added.
Heidi Illingworth, director of the Ottawa-based Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime, said her heart goes out to Jun’s family.
“Magnotta is a narcissist who craves notoriety, so this being printed in the media is giving him the attention he craves,” said Illingworth. “He will be pleased his modelling pictures are being printed in the papers again. He will likely get all sorts of hate mail and even some letters of admiration. It is a sad situation.”
Melissa Fazzina, the owner and operator of the website, said she understands through Magnotta’s contact person that he is not looking for attention.
“He is genuinely looking for what he states in his profile. He is looking for a long-term, committed relationship,” said Fazzina.
“I can understand people being upset with any inmate; it doesn’t matter who it is, there is going to be victims out there. I try to be sensitive toward that, but in my position, I can’t discriminate against inmates from joining according to their crime. They are all equally allowed to join, just like they can hopefully redeem themselves, and rehabilitate themselves and reintegrate back into society,” she said.
“I don’t think that by locking somebody up, forgetting about them, not allowing them to have the basic form of human contact ... I don’t think that should be taken away from inmates,” said Fazzina. “It keeps it on a different level from being locked up and dealing with inmates and cement walls all day.”
Fazzina admitted she was surprised when Magnotta wanted to join since media reports have suggested Magnotta was already receiving a large volume of fan mail.
“It is an original application that was mailed out to him. I don’t mail out applications to the public ... they have to go to the inmates themselves. So it is an original application that hasn’t been photocopied; he’s filled it out and signed it. He sent me a letter, as well, with instructions for a contact number who I have also verified,” said Fazzina, who created the website about 4½ years ago.
Fazzina said she plans to follow up with Magnotta the same way she does with any prisoner who joins her service. The website currently lists profiles for 101 male inmates and one female inmate. Many of the inmates have been convicted of murder or manslaughter.
The website also features the profile of Ottawa’s Momin Khawaja, the first person convicted under Canadian anti-terror legislation.
Khawaja is looking for his “Future Miss” and writes that he is attracted to “skinny white girls, blondes and brunettes.” Khawaja says he wants to find a girl he can marry.
“My offenses stem from moral and financial support of the antiwestern occupation insurgency in places such as Iraq and Afghanistan,” writes Khawaja, who notes his parole eligibility began last year. “I’ve never killed an innocent human being or harmed women and children in any way. I have a life sentence but I won’t be in jail forever.”
Khawaja was convicted in 2008 for plotting a London bombing.