It's been just over 13 years since infamous Canadian killer Luka Magnotta brutally murdered Chinese university student Jun Lin in Montreal — a crime that shocked the world and triggered an international manhunt.
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After killing and dismembering Lin in May 2012, Magnotta fled Canada, eventually becoming the target of an INTERPOL Red Notice. He was arrested days later, on June 4, in an internet cafe in Berlin, Germany.
In December 2014, a Montreal jury found Magnotta guilty of first-degree murder. He was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years.
The case gained renewed attention in 2019 with the release of Don't F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer, a Netflix docu-series that chronicled Magnotta's disturbing online history and the internet sleuths who helped police to track him down.
Since then, many have asked: where is Luka Magnotta now?
In the years following his conviction, Magnotta's life behind bars has continued to make headlines — from a name change and prison marriage to handwritten letters sent from his cell. Here's what we know of him in 2025.
Who is Luka Magnotta?
Luka Magnotta, born Eric Newman on July 24, 1982, grew up in Scarborough, Ontario.
According to the National Post, his parents are Anna Yourkin and Donald Newman, who were reportedly teenagers when Magnotta was born.
Before gaining international notoriety, he worked as a part-time model, appeared in adult films, and even briefly auditioned for reality TV. In 2006, he legally changed his name to Luka Rocco Magnotta.
As detailed in Don't F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer, he carefully curated an online persona and appeared obsessed with attention, often surfacing in internet rumours and obscure online communities long before his crimes were exposed.
By 2012, Magnotta was believed to be living in a Montreal apartment.
As reported by Global News during his 2014 trial, Magnotta's father described their home life as difficult and isolating, citing struggles with alcoholism on both sides of the family.
Magnotta and his brother were homeschooled by their mother. They didn't attend a traditional school until Grade 6 or 7 after the family lost their home and moved.
His father, who was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and manic depression, testified that when Luka Magnotta was 20, he referred his son to his own psychiatrist. He recalled that Magnotta had been hospitalized in Scarborough, though he couldn't remember what had led to it.
"There was a lot of trouble," Newman told the court, explaining that his son had grown up without close relationships or consistent schooling. "He did not [have friends]; he was isolated. No schooling, no friends of any kind."
According to the Montreal Gazette, Magnotta dropped out of high school after being diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.
Is Luka Magnotta still alive?
Yes, Luka Magnotta is still alive.
The 42-year-old is currently serving a life sentence at La Macaza Institution, a medium-security facility located around 175 km northwest of Montreal.
What crimes did Luka Magnotta commit?
Luka Magnotta was convicted of killing and dismembering 33-year-old Chinese student Jun Lin in Montreal in May 2012.
A viral internet video, titled "1 Lunatic, 1 Ice Pick," showed the then-29-year-old killing Lin and mutilating his body. His crimes, which later included mailing body parts to political offices in Canada — including the Conservative Party's headquarters and schools — sparked an international search and significant media coverage.
After fleeing Canada in the wake of the murder, Magnotta was tracked down and arrested in Berlin, Germany, just days later — identified by an employee at a local internet cafe on June 4, 2012.
A Montreal jury convicted Magnotta of first-degree murder on December 23, 2014, sentencing him to life in prison.
Where is Luka Magnotta now?
Luka Magnotta is serving his sentence at the same medium-security prison as Scarborough serial killer Paul Bernardo.
According to his transfer warrant, which was obtained by the Toronto Sun, Magnotta was granted a prison transfer in August 2022. The convicted killer was moved from the maximum-security Port-Cartier Institution in Quebec to La Macaza Institution, a medium-security facility located northwest of Montreal.
The same outlet reported that in March 2024, Magnotta said they were transgender and had changed their first name to Violette.
"Gay is a choice," they said in the 2022 assessment. "Trans is who I am."
The Toronto Star also reported that Magnotta's husband and fellow inmate, Anthony Jolin, who married Magnotta in 2017, was transferred to the same prison.
In 2020, amid a COVID-19 outbreak at the facility, Magnotta's mother petitioned for their release — but the request was denied.
In 2022, CTV News revealed that Magnotta was taking the Canadian government to court, as they wanted be moved from Port-Cartier.
What is Luka Magnotta's life like in prison?
In early 2024, Luka Magnotta's life in prison hit national headlines.
Then Conservative MP Frank Caputo called out conditions at the La Macaza Institution after touring the Quebec facility.
Caputo claimed that Magnotta and Paul Bernardo play "serial killer pickup hockey" in prison.
He shared an almost seven-minute long video on X, criticizing the living conditions of both Magnotta and Bernardo.
Caputo said La Macaza felt like a "university campus." He said the prison had a hockey rink that could be converted into a tennis court, a state-of-the-art gymnasium, a weight room, and a billiards table.
Correctional Service Canada (CSC) confirmed to Narcity in March 2024 that the hockey rink was not functioning because "there has been no ice for the past two winters."
CSC added that inmates have opportunities "to participate in programs and activities" that are "not unique to La Macaza and can be found in other institutions.
CSC also told Narcity, "Ultimately, providing offenders with opportunities for recreational activities promotes safer institutions for those who live and work in our facilities by having offenders' time occupied in a productive, controlled and healthy manner. This helps to keep those who live and work there safer."
Has Luka Magnotta spoken publicly?
Luka Magnotta has stayed mostly out of the spotlight since his 2014 conviction — aside from a handful of handwritten letters that offered a rare look into their life behind bars.
In 2015, the Toronto Sun published excerpts from some of these letters, revealing candid reflections on life behind bars.
"The staff and doctors here have an extremely unhealthy obsession with my personal life. The guards are imbeciles and everyone wants to know minute sexual details. F*****g losers I just tell them to check the Internet and everything is on there, stop asking me."
In one note obtained by Global News, Magnotta described decorating their cell with "beautiful photos" and "encouraging cards from people around the world." The killer also mentioned using money orders sent to him to purchase junk food and personal care items from the prison canteen.
In 2018, Magnotta's mother, Anna Yourkin, co-authored a book titled 'My Son, The Killer: The Untold Story of Luka Magnotta and '1 Lunatic 1 Ice Pick' with journalist Brian Whitney. The book features exclusive interviews and personal photographs of Magnotta in prison.
Is Luka Magnotta married?
Yes, Luka Magnotta is married. In June 2017, the convicted killer tied the knot with fellow Pont-Cartier inmate Anthony Jolin.
According to the Toronto Sun, Jolin was transferred along with Magnotta to medium-security La Macaza Institution.
Is Luka Magnotta eligible for parole?
Luka Magnotta is currently serving a life sentence for the murder and dismemberment of Jun Lin.
According to CTV News, the 42-year-old will be eligible for day parole on June 4, 2034, and full parole on June 4, 2037.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
