10 Real-Life Crimes Inspired by Fiction

Fictional stories are meant to entertain, provoke thought, or even inspire—but sometimes, they inspire people in the worst way possible. Throughout history, there have been disturbing cases where individuals committed real-life crimes after being influenced by movies, books, TV shows, or even video games. Whether driven by delusions, obsession, or a desire to mimic their favorite stories, these criminals blurred the line between fiction and reality—with deadly consequences.

Here are 10 shocking crimes that were directly inspired by fiction.

Related: 10 Ruthless Partners in Crime (That Aren’t Bonnie and Clyde)

10 The “Scream” Copycat Murders (1998–2006)

When Scream was released in 1996, it revolutionized the horror genre with its self-aware, masked killer who taunted victims before brutally stabbing them to death. The film’s central idea—that killers could recreate horror movie scenarios in real life—became chillingly prophetic when multiple real-life murders were directly inspired by the film.

In 1998, a 16-year-old boy in France lured his friend into the woods while wearing a Ghostface mask, the exact disguise used in Scream. He then stabbed the victim over 40 times, mirroring the excessive brutality of the film’s murders. In 2001, in California, two teenage cousins, Mario Padilla and Samuel Ramirez, stabbed their mother 45 times, believing they needed to commit a murder spree to fund their dream of becoming famous killers like in the movie. They had even planned to buy Ghostface masks for future killings before they were caught.

One of the most infamous cases happened in 2006 in Idaho, when two teenage boys meticulously plotted the murder of 17-year-old Cassie Jo Stoddart. The boys recorded their plan on camera, eerily stating their intention to make a real-life horror movie. They hid in her home, cut the power, and later attacked her with knives, stabbing her over 30 times. The police later found their videotapes, where they gleefully discussed how fun it was to “do a Scream murder.”^[1]

9 The “Dexter Killer” Who Wanted to Be a Vigilante (2010)

The hit TV show Dexter follows a forensic analyst who moonlights as a serial killer, targeting criminals who have escaped justice. It presents the idea of “justified murder,” and while most viewers saw it as fiction, one man took it as a how-to guide for real-life killing.

In 2010, a Canadian filmmaker, Mark Twitchell, became obsessed with Dexter to the point of modeling his life after the character. He set up a “kill room” in his garage, covering the walls with plastic sheets just like in the show. He then lured Johnny Altinger, an innocent man, to his garage under the guise of a fake online date. Once inside, Twitchell attacked him, brutally murdering him and dismembering his body. He later attempted to dispose of the remains but left too much evidence behind.

Twitchell had written a chilling document called “SK Confessions,” which police later discovered. In it, he described his desire to become a real-life Dexter and his excitement about getting away with murder. Even after being caught, he showed no remorse, simply stating that he regretted not being able to kill again. Police later found that he had planned to lure and kill more victims, inspired entirely by the TV show.^[2]

8 The “Clockwork Orange” Attack in England (1973)

Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange (1971) shocked audiences with its graphic violence and dystopian themes. The film follows a gang of criminals, led by the sadistic Alex DeLarge, who engages in random acts of extreme violence while joyfully singing “Singin’ in the Rain.” The movie’s controversial release led to real-life crimes that mirrored its brutal scenes.

In 1973, a 16-year-old boy in the UK viciously attacked a homeless man while singing “Singin’ in the Rain,” exactly like the infamous scene in A Clockwork Orange. The attack was so eerily similar to the movie that it sparked a national debate about whether Kubrick’s film was too dangerous to be shown in cinemas. Soon after, there were multiple reports of gang violence where criminals dressed in white outfits with bowler hats that mimicked the infamous “Droog” gang from the film.

One particularly disturbing case involved a group of young men who attacked a man with iron bars, citing A Clockwork Orange as their direct inspiration. The backlash became so intense that Stanley Kubrick personally requested the movie be pulled from UK theaters, a self-imposed ban that lasted until 2000. The film was never legally available in the UK for decades, all because it had inspired a wave of violent, copycat crimes.^[3]

7 The “Natural Born Killers” Crime Spree (1994–2000s)

Oliver Stone’s Natural Born Killers (1994) follows two psychotic lovers who embark on a mass murder spree, becoming media sensations as they kill indiscriminately. The movie was meant to satirize how society glorifies criminals. Instead, it inspired real-life copycat killers who saw it as a how-to guide for fame through violence.

One of the most shocking cases involved Sarah Edmondson and Benjamin Darras, two teenagers from Oklahoma who watched Natural Born Killers over and over before deciding to kill for fun. In 1995, they shot and killed a businessman in Mississippi and severely wounded a store owner in Louisiana, attempting to live out the movie’s plot. When police caught them, they showed no remorse, stating that they wanted to experience the thrill of killing, just like the characters in the film.

Perhaps the most infamous link to Natural Born Killers came in 1999, when Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, the shooters behind the Columbine massacre, were reportedly obsessed with the film. Harris referenced the movie in his personal writings, and he and Klebold allegedly wanted their attack to be as shocking as the violence depicted in the film. Lawsuits were even filed against Warner Bros., blaming the movie for glorifying mass murder.^[4]

6 The “Fight Club” Underground Bombing Attempts (2009)

The movie Fight Club (1999), based on Chuck Palahniuk’s novel, became a cultural sensation, promoting themes of anarchy, destruction, and rebellion against consumerism. While the film was meant as a dark satire, some viewers took its message literally—leading to real-life crimes inspired by its underground violence and terrorism themes.

One of the most alarming cases occurred in 2009 when 17-year-old Kyle Shaw attempted to bomb a Starbucks in New York City. Shaw had started his own underground fight club, and just like in the movie, he believed the next logical step was “Project Mayhem”—a campaign of anti-corporate bombings. He planted an explosive device outside the Starbucks, though it failed to cause major damage. When arrested, he expressed admiration for the film’s philosophy, insisting that he wanted to make a statement against corporate America, just like Tyler Durden’s character.

Other cases linked to Fight Club have surfaced over the years. These include underground fight rings discovered in colleges and workplaces, where employees would secretly fight after hours, following the film’s infamous rules. Some even established “Project Mayhem” groups dedicated to vandalism and property destruction, believing they were participating in a larger revolution against modern society.^[5]

5 The “Slender Man” Stabbing (2014)

Slender Man started as an internet horror character, a faceless, supernatural figure who stalks and kidnaps children. Created in 2009 as part of a Photoshop contest, he quickly became one of the most infamous urban legends on the internet, inspiring creepy stories, video games, and even a movie. While most understood Slender Man as purely fictional, two 12-year-old girls in Wisconsin took the myth too seriously—leading to one of the most horrifying crimes ever linked to an internet story.

In 2014, Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier lured their friend, Payton Leutner, into the woods under the belief that they needed to murder someone to appease Slender Man. The girls stabbed Leutner 19 times, leaving her to bleed out as a supposed offering to the fictional entity. Miraculously, Leutner survived by crawling to safety, where she was found by a passing cyclist. When the girls were caught, they calmly told police they believed Slender Man would take them to live in his mansion in the woods if they completed the sacrifice.

The case shocked the world, proving that even an obviously fictional horror character could become real in the minds of impressionable or mentally unstable individuals. It led to major discussions about internet culture, creepypasta stories, and the psychological effects of online myths on young minds.^[6]

4 The “Death Note” Copycat Killings (2007–2010s)

The Japanese manga and anime Death Note follows a high school student who discovers a supernatural notebook that allows him to kill anyone just by writing their name inside it. While most fans saw it as a dark fantasy thriller, the concept became horrifyingly real when students around the world started making their own “Death Notes”—sometimes with deadly intent.

In 2007, Belgian police found a series of cryptic notes signed by “Kira” (the main character’s alias) next to a mutilated corpse. The case, later dubbed “The Manga Murder,” involved a killer trying to replicate the fictional story, though the culprit was never found. Other cases surfaced in China, the U.S., and Russia, where students were caught making lists of people they wanted dead in homemade Death Note replicas. In one alarming case, a 14-year-old in South Carolina was arrested for plotting to kill multiple classmates, having written their names in a Death Note-inspired notebook.

Despite being a fictional series about morality and consequences, Death Note has repeatedly been banned in schools worldwide due to its disturbing influence on real-life criminal behavior.^[7]

3 The “Joker” Inspired Crimes (2012–2019)

Few fictional villains have captivated audiences as much as the Joker, the infamous Batman antagonist known for his chaotic, violent, and unpredictable nature. However, the character’s anarchic philosophy has led to a disturbing number of real-life crimes, with individuals modeling themselves after the Clown Prince of Crime.

The most infamous case was the 2012 Aurora, Colorado, movie theater shooting, where James Holmes entered a screening of The Dark Knight Rises and opened fire, killing 12 people. Reports suggested Holmes dyed his hair orange and told police he was “The Joker.” However, later investigations cast doubt on the claim. Nonetheless, the attack cemented the Joker as a symbol of real-world violence, with copycat crimes continuing over the years.

In 2019, after the release of Joker, several police departments issued warnings about potential attacks, fearing that the film’s depiction of a mentally unstable man embracing violence might inspire real-life incidents. Some cities even banned Joker masks from theaters, underscoring how the character has blurred the lines between fiction and reality for certain individuals.^[8]

2 The “Breaking Bad” Imitation Crimes (2010s-Present)

The TV series Breaking Bad follows a high school chemistry teacher who turns to making methamphetamine, detailing his gradual transformation into a ruthless drug kingpin. While the show was meant as a cautionary tale, it accidentally inspired real-world criminals to follow Walter White’s blueprint—often with disastrous results.

In 2013, William Duncan, a high school teacher in Montana, was caught running a meth lab out of his home, citing Breaking Bad as his inspiration. Similarly, a college professor in New York was arrested for manufacturing meth in his university lab, eerily mirroring Walter White’s operation. Perhaps the most unsettling case involved Matthew Tinling, a British man who murdered his landlord and attempted to dissolve the body in acid, exactly like in Breaking Bad’s first season.

Meth production skyrocketed in several countries following the show’s success, with police often finding evidence that criminals had studied Walter White’s methods to improve their own drug operations. Though the show’s creator, Vince Gilligan, insisted it wasn’t meant to glorify crime, Breaking Bad became one of the most frequently referenced shows in real-world arrests for meth-related crimes.^[9]

1 The “Jigsaw” Killer Who Modeled Murders After Saw (2004–2010s)

The Saw horror franchise revolves around a sadistic serial killer, Jigsaw, who places victims in elaborate “games” where they must endure extreme torture to survive. The film’s gruesome traps and twisted morality led to several real-world crimes inspired by its methods.

In 2009, two teenage boys in Salt Lake City set up homemade booby traps designed to maim victims, including swinging blades and tripwires, claiming they were trying to “play a game” like in Saw’s deadly puzzles. Another chilling case came in 2010 when police in the UK arrested a man who had kidnapped a woman and forced her through a series of violent “tests,” mimicking Jigsaw’s philosophy.

One of the most terrifying Saw-related cases occurred in Canada in 2011, where law enforcement discovered a series of letters sent to newspapers detailing an elaborate plan to carry out a “real-life Jigsaw game.” Authorities took the threats seriously, launching an international investigation to stop what could have been a series of actual Saw-style murders.

The Saw franchise has been banned in multiple countries, not just for its violent content, but because it has inspired too many real-world incidents of people attempting to recreate its gruesome, sadistic games.^[10]