Forensics student denies murder after woman is stabbed 78 times in Airbnb
A court has heard that Benjamin Day, a 20-year-old forensics student, allegedly prepared an Airbnb room as a copycat “kill room” inspired by the television drama Dexter, then stabbed Maria Saceanu to death. Prosecutors say he planned the killing and intended to dispose of her body; Day denies murder and is expected to argue that he acted in self-defence.
The prosecution told Wolverhampton Crown Court that Saceanu arrived at the Tividale property at about 10.20pm on 20 December, after Day had been preparing the room for several hours. She was stabbed 78 times, and the pathologist said fatal wounds to her neck damaged major blood vessels; wounds to her hands were consistent with trying to protect herself. Day called 999 after injuring his hand, was taken to hospital and arrested there, after blood was reported inside the Airbnb.
- Prosecutors say Day staged an Airbnb room to imitate Dexter.
- Saceanu was stabbed 78 times, the court heard.
- Day denies murder and is expected to claim self-defence.
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Maria Saceanu died following a violent attack at an Airbnb property in Tividale on 20 December. Benjamin Day, a 20-year-old forensics student, is accused of her murder and is on trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court.
Saceanu was stabbed 78 times, with fatal wounds to her neck that damaged major blood vessels. She also had defensive wounds to her hands, indicating she fought back.
Prosecutors allege that Day spent several hours preparing the rented room as a "kill room" inspired by the television drama Dexter. They claim he planned the killing and intended to dispose of the body. Day called emergency services after injuring his hand, was taken to hospital and arrested there.
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The case for
The prosecution presents substantial evidence of deliberate planning: Day spent hours preparing the Airbnb room inspired by the television drama Dexter, deliberately creating what prosecutors characterise as a kill room, suggesting premeditated intent rather than spontaneous violence. The extreme violence—78 stab wounds, including fatal wounds to the neck targeting major blood vessels—far exceeds what would be necessary in self-defence, whilst the victim's defensive hand wounds indicate she was fighting off an aggressor. Prosecutors argue that the careful preparation, the severity and number of wounds, and the alleged attempt to dispose of the body together point to calculated murder.
The case against
The defence case relies on self-defence, which remains a valid legal argument even when serious injury results, provided Day reasonably believed he faced imminent threat requiring such force to protect himself. His immediate call to 999 after the incident suggests genuine distress rather than the composed actions of someone executing a premeditated plan to dispose of a body. Critically, whether this constitutes self-defence depends on the actual sequence of events—who initiated violence, what threats were made, and how the confrontation escalated—and under law, a person defending themselves need not use minimal force; multiple wounds do not automatically negate a self-defence claim if the person genuinely believed the threat remained.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “‘Dexter-obsessed’ forensics student stabbed woman 78 times to death in copycat ‘kill room’ in Airbnb, court told”.