Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
A 20-year-old forensic science student in the UK has admitted murdering a 24-year-old woman in an Airbnb room he allegedly prepared to resemble the killing scenes from the American crime drama Dexter, stabbing her 78 times before attempting to dismember her body.
Benjamin William Day changed his plea to guilty on the second day of his trial at a local court on October 6. According to the BBC, prosecutors said Day had meticulously planned the murder of Maria Saceanu, whom he contacted through a website using a burner phone, and prepared the rented room with plastic sheeting and equipment intended to help him conceal the crime. West Midlands Police and other media outlets also reported details of the case.
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Day, who was 19 when the killing took place in December 2025, had initially denied murder. He was expected to claim that he acted in self-defence and had prepared the room to film a tribute to Dexter for TikTok. He will be sentenced on December 4 and remains in custody.
ROOM LINED WITH PLASTIC, ITEMS PREPARED FOR KILLING
Prosecutor Rachel Brand KC told the court that Day was fascinated by Dexter, a television series centred on a forensic technician who leads a double life as a serial killer.
According to the prosecution, Day spent hours preparing a room at an Airbnb in Tividale, West Midlands, lining its walls, floor and bed with plastic sheeting secured with staples. He had also gathered items including an apron, a plastic visor, duct tape and cleaning chemicals.
The court heard that Day had drawn up a list of items needed for the killing on his phone in November 2025. The list included knives, scissors, plastic sheeting, disposable gloves, cleaning products and a staple gun.
Prosecutors said Day intended to kill Saceanu, dispose of her body and avoid leaving evidence that could lead investigators to him.
VICTIM SUFFERED 78 KNIFE WOUNDS
Saceanu, who was originally from Romania, sustained 78 knife wounds, the court heard. A Home Office pathologist said she probably died from injuries to her neck that damaged her carotid arteries, major blood vessels supplying the brain.
Several wounds to her hands were consistent with attempts to protect herself, the pathologist said. Prosecutors also told the court that many of the wounds had been inflicted after her death.
After the attack, Day began attempting to dismember Saceanu’s body but abandoned the effort after injuring his own hand, according to the prosecution.
He left the property during the early hours of December 21, 2025, and later sought medical assistance from police.
‘FOX OR DOG’ STORY RAISED POLICE SUSPICIONS
Day called emergency services at around 12.50 am, asking for medical help for his injured hand. Body-camera footage played in court showed him sitting in a police vehicle with his hand wrapped in duct tape.
He told officers that he had been looking for a woman in a bar while planning to go drinking in Dudley, and claimed an animal, possibly a fox or a wild dog, had injured him near a bush.
When questioned about the duct tape, Day said it had been in his car but could not remember where he had parked it. An officer told him that his account did not appear to add up.
Police were alerted to the Airbnb after another person staying at the property discovered a trail of blood and contacted the landlord. Officers searched the premises and found Saceanu’s body in the bedroom.
Day was subsequently arrested on suspicion of murder at Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley. Police said he was wearing a khaki top resembling clothing worn by the central character in Dexter.
DAY CHANGES PLEA ON SECOND DAY OF TRIAL
Day’s defence had been expected to argue that Saceanu attacked him after becoming frightened by the room’s setup, and that he stabbed her in self-defence. He was also expected to claim that the room had been prepared for a TikTok tribute to the television series.
However, after a delay of about an hour on the second day of proceedings, Day returned to the dock and pleaded guilty to murder. Following the plea, he was remanded in custody pending sentencing on December 4.
Defence barrister Gurdeep Garcha KC told the court that Day understood the sentence he faced and suggested that a pre-sentence report would assist the court in view of his age and lack of previous criminal convictions.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
