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In today’s world, clicks and views are currency, and people do almost anything to get them. Luka Magnotta knew that, and his method of farming for views was very bizarre and unsettling. His story is told in the Netflix true crime docuseries Don’t F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer. But sleuths John Green and Deanna Thompson have one regret from hunting down Magnotta.

John Green and Deanna Thompson were responsible for bringing Luka Magnotta down

Netflix’s Don’t F**k with Cats story begins with Deanna Thompson, a casino data analyst based in Las Vegas. In 2010, Thompson’s attention was directed to a video titled 1 boy 2 kittens. In the video, a young man wearing a hoodie puts two kittens inside a bag and uses a vacuum to snuff the air out, eventually killing the kittens.

Thompson was understandably horrified. She and many others led an outcry for the perpetrator in the video to be brought to justice. This resulted in the creation of a group on Facebook. This put Thompson in touch with John Green. The two immediately got to work hunting for clues that may help them identify the perpetrator in question.

Thompson and Green were able to locate Magnotta’s apartment in Toronto after hitting dead ends. Magnotta then released another video, this time of him feeding a kitten to a python. Even worse: Magnotta had hinted he intended to escalate his actions and take human life next, which he did.

Deanna Thompson gives an interview for Netflix's Don't F**k With Cats
Internet sleuth Deanna Thompson gives an interview for Netflix’s Don’t F**k With Cats | Netflix via Youtube

Magnotta lured a Chinese student named Jun Lin into his apartment, stabbed him nearly 40 times, dismembered him while recording the crime, and uploaded it to the internet. Throughout this period, Magnotta never made any efforts to hide from any CCTV cameras. He then sent pieces of Lin to different places. This resulted in voracious news coverage, which was all Magnotta ever wanted.

Deanna Thompson and John Green had one regret

Although Thompson and Green managed to help catch Magnotta, they still feel they fell short in some way. Green said he was frustrated by the police in Montreal, who failed to take action when they were provided videos of Magnotta abusing and killing cats.

According to Green, per Oxygen True Crime, the police told them there was nothing they could do from afar. The authorities told them they’d have to go in person to report the issue and give more information about why they believed the animal abuse could escalate to homicide.

Green said he regretted that he and Thompson never flew into the city to file the report, arguing that they might have probably prevented Lin’s death if they had. Green also said he had reservations at some point and wondered if he was doing the right thing by pursuing the matter. Thompson, on her end, told Variety that she doesn’t blame the police; they did what they could at the time.

Deanna Thompson harbors no ill will against Luka Magnotta’s mother

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In the aftermath of Magnotta‘s crimes coming to light and the documentary’s release, Magnotta’s mother blamed Thompson and Green for inciting violence against her son. However, Thompson said she bore no ill will against Magnotta’s mom, saying she understands her point of view given Magnotta was her son. Thompson said she believed Magnotta’s mother lacks critical thinking skills.

Thompson also revealed that one message Magnotta sent her was left out of the series. She told the outlet that Magnotta had sent her a quote by Nietzsche that she said “rattled me and was very prolific.” According to Thompson, the message was a warning, cautioning her not to get too involved in her chase of him that she becomes the monster he is.