‘Dexter’-Obsessed Killer, 20, Stabbed 24-Year-Old Woman 78 Times in Airbnb ‘Kill Room’
Benjamin Day stabbed his victim 78 times.
Oct. 12 2026, Updated 7:30 p.m. ET
A man has confessed to a 2025 murder inspired by the TV show Dexter, RadarOnline.com can report.
On December 21, 2025, then-19-year-old Benjamin Day killed 24-year-old Maria Saceanu.
Benjamin Day’s Brutal Crime
Benjamin Day was arrested shortly after the murder.
Day allegedly enticed Saceanu to his Airbnb for s-x, but when she arrived, he took her into his "kill room" and stabbed her 78 times.
The room was seemingly inspired by the TV show Dexter. In the show, the main character has a designated "kill room" where he murders his victims.
That night, after Day killed Saceanu and fled the scene, he flagged down a police car seeking aid for his bloody hand.
In bodycam footage, Day is seen telling the cop he was bitten by a fox or "wild dog."
However, while examining Day, the flagged-down cop found gaffer tape on him, which Day alleged was from his car—a car he claimed he couldn't remember the location of.
"I'll be honest with you, your story doesn’t quite check out," the officer told the man. Shortly after, Day was arrested on suspicion of committing murder.
Benjamin Day 'Obsessed' With 'Dexter'
The landlord reported blood at the Airbnb where Maria Saceanu.
The arrest came over an hour after the Airbnb’s landlord called cops reporting blood near the bottom of the stairs.
When officials arrived at the Airbnb, they found Saceanu’s stabbed body. They also found the "kill room," which had a bed lined with plastic, weapons, duct tape, and cleaning supplies.
"Day had an obsessive personality and had become obsessed with the character Dexter. He planned this murder in meticulous detail," Detective Matt Marston said in a press release. "It was a pre-planned brutal attack on a defenseless woman lured to the room he had rented."
"The details of this case shocked experienced officers, and our thoughts continue to go out to the heartbroken family of Maria at this time," Marston added.
Benjamin Day Changes His Plea
Day changed his plea to guilty.
The now-20-year-old Day originally pleaded not guilty to the murder. He at first argued that his victim attacked him, so he fought back in self-defense.
However, Day changed his plea to guilty after prosecutors presented evidence against him. He allegedly appeared to "smirk" as he did so, per reports.
Day will learn his sentence on December 4.
Other Dexter-Inspired Murders
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Multiple murders have involved 'kill rooms'' similar to Dexter's, who was played by Michael C. Hall.
Day is not the first person to murder someone in a way inspired by Dexter.
In 2008, moviemaker Mark Twitchell murdered Johnny Altinger in a garage he decorated, modeling a "kill room."
Authorities said Twitchell bludgeoned and stabbed Altinger before dismembering his body. Michael C. Hall, who played Dexter, was asked about the murder in a 2012 interview.
"I don't know. All I can say to that is it's horrifying to entertain the notion that something you did inspired that," Hall said at the time. "I immediately find myself saying, 'Well, he would have found something else to inspire him,' but I don't know. To be perfectly honest, it's a troubling thing to consider."
While Twitchell was on trial, his fascination with the show Dexter was documented.
