Around February or March of 2019, I contacted Magnotta through a press portal, identifying myself as a journalist who may publish what he sends, with a long list of questions, asking him about his life, crimes, and motivation. Here’s what I got in response.

Written in green highlighter

The First Letter

March 21 -2019 Dear Ms. Hugo, I was reluctant to respond to you since I suspect you are planning on portraying me negatively or spinning my story to fit your narrative. I have researched your background as an animal activist. After consulting with my attorney and providing her with a copy of this letter and researching American Journalism regulations and standards I will say the following…based on your questions I don’t feel you have a clear understanding of my story or the facts. Only people who were there could give facts. All answers to your questions can be answered if you read my interview with Teemu Saarenpaa in 2018 online. All your questions can be answered using quotes from that interview Ms. Hugo. I never. I repeat never. HAD any interest in violent internet content. That is fake news. Im sorry this does not fit the narrative of your story. Based on your questions it felt you wanted to paint me as some Fame hungry individual. I was never interested in the media or spotlight then or now and I ignore most media requests. I want no part of the spotlight. I was framed by Manny Lopez, John Bittroloff and also David D’Amato. These people are the ones you should speak with. Sorry to disrupt your narrative but you have the complete wrong idea of me thanks to Fake news misleading you. I never uploaded any violent videos to the internet. Period. Something most people would be surprised with is the following…my idiotic “mother” wrote a book recently claiming to have a close relationship with me. I despise this woman. I have zero contact with her and everything she says is False. A con Artist and animal abuser herself who uses me to collect money. Zero relationship! You can quote this letter and my 2018 interview with Teemu Saarenpaa. Please keep things in context. Forgive me for being cautious. I have experienced media trickery countless times. Best, regards Luka Magnotta March 2019

In response I sent a letter telling him that I, and most journalists I know, care deeply about the truth and want to hear from interested parties whether or not they “fit a narrative.” But, I admitted, sometimes editors and management will sensationalize journalism to get more clicks — even expressing some experiences I had with my former employer regarding how they changed my headlines without my permission. Also, I told him I don’t consider myself an animal activist, I just write about animal news a lot, and sometimes that involves writing about animal cruelty. I told him I had looked up the people he said had framed him but couldn’t find any connection to him. I even watched the documentary Tickled, and it actually did mention him briefly because Magnotta shared a lawyer with one of the people involved in tickle videos. But not D’Amato. I asked how he knew these people?

The Second Letter

April 11, 2019 Dear Ms. Hugo, Thanks for your response. I didn’t feel comfortable answering all of the questions since most didn’t apply to me. You, like most people, see the sensational headlines and have a preconceived opinion of me. Yes, I completely disagree with the book Anna and Brian wrote and I along with a majority of others believe its a waste of money and complete fiction. Here is a direct quote about it. [The below was boxed with a yellow highlighter] “That book is complete fiction. I have had almost zero contact with my “mother” in the last 20 years. In my opinion she invents stories so people believe shes a good parent. I have zero contact with her and never will. I only agreed to participate because I knew her lies would over shadow the truth.” Also, “Brian Whitney should be ashamed for his exploitative and poor writing” “I completely refused to read such primitive thinking and recieved excerpts only” [end highlight] Brian Whitney is completely untrustworthy in my opinion. The report he has given you is a fabrication, created by my defence team to obtain a not guilty verdict. [They actually pled “not criminally responsible”] I never agreed with the strategy but if you were in my position I’m sure you would agree with almost anything your lawyer said to do, including admitting to wildly false accusations. A lot of crazy stuff was floating around in CyberSpace and my lawyer suggested I just falsely admit to it because it made me look more unbalanced. “I completely disagree with that report. Entirely. It was merely a legal strategy” Kristen, I in no way have any mental illness, Period. I have reports I can produce stating this from current treating Doctors! The Prosecution and Police assurted for years I made the entire thing up! Now I admit it and Im Challenged? As A teenager, my manager had me Fake mental illness to obtain Prescription drugs to sell for huge profits. I also collected a monthly cheque of $1200, plus all the profits from the prescription drug scam netted thousands each month. I was forced to give it all to my manager. So, yes I did technically outwit 20 experts and Psychiatrists. I needed to go to see them monthly and I became skilled. This Created A long Paper trail. That paper trail was used at trial. Do you get the picture? I deny using the prescription drugs to drug people. I do admit it was all an elaborate hoax. I have zero mental illness and the paperwork I have prooves it. Anybody who believes the clinical report my defense team orchestrated is a fool…the jury didn’t believe it and nobody else should. Its all a big con. You say you plan to use the report from the clynical psychiatrist in your article…its your choice but its just lies. I hope you will provide my explicit cadagoric response that I disagree completely. It is extremely misleading and a big red herring. I’m glad you said I might not like your article. That’s fine. Everybody has the right to give their opinions. But not mislead the public with lies. Only I and the people there can provide the facts. I havent agreed with a lot of people, but I can respect ethical journalists and honest people. I hope my faith in journalists will be restored when I read your article. You can report all the convictions. I could care less. All I ask is to represent my side clearly and accurately. I don’t want to be painted as an altruist, Im a realist. Just don’t puddle regurgitated rubbish from a con job clynical report and book of complete lies written by 2 con artists seeking attention. Im glad you told me honestly about all your dealings with newsweek and other publishers and the bullshit that goes on. I have friends in the media, all over the world and am exquisitly aware of the skullduggery and treachery that goes on. “I want absolutely nothing to do with the spotlight in any way shape or form. I refuse almost every media request I get.” “The media has postulated a lot of the lies told about my life. They are very sanctimonious and participate in sophistry and sensationalistic stupidity.” “I have no time for relentless perfidious trickery” You are correct. The most important thing is reporting the TRUTH not spin or ad clicking traps. Yes, I am highly skeptical of all journalists but Im taking a chance with you. Yes David D’Amato framed me. Watch “Tickled” by the director David Ferrier. He posed as me online and had a lot of fake accounts. You must watch this documentary. [1] Google “Manny Lopez” in relation to my name, together and you will see my New York City attorney Romeo Salta documenting my severe abuse. [2] Yes, please send me the article but it cant be a printout from the net. Just copy and past the text or I cant recieve it. I cant get printouts. Kindest regards Kristen. Best of Luck, Luka Magnotta 11, April 2019. P.S. Where exactly do you plan on publishing this?

At this point, OneZero had commissioned me to write a story about the impact and regulation of videos of murder. I’m proud of this one, you should read it, but it only includes a few quotes from Magnotta, since he didn’t admit to seeing or making any films. I copied and pasted the article into a document and sent it to him anyway. I mentioned how strange it was that there are so many documentaries and podcasts about true crime, but I can’t seem to find a home for written work with more of his quotes. I might, one of these days, put something up on Medium with more of his quotes. This next letter is the last I received (as I found there wasn’t much else to say in response.)