A forensic science student obsessed with the US television drama Dexter has pleaded guilty to murdering a 24-year-old woman, after attempting to blame her for her own death.
Benjamin William Day, 20, of Yeadon Close, Redditch, entered the plea on Tuesday October 6, part-way through his trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court. He admitted killing Maria Saceanu, a sex worker he had contacted through a website using a burner phone.
Guilty plea after trial attempt to shift blame
Jonathan Roe from the Crown Prosecution Service said: “Benjamin William Day’s guilty verdict brings to an end a trial in which he tried to blame Maria Saceanu for her own death by alleging she attacked him first.”
Roe added: “The evidence presented by the prosecution exposed those claims for the lies they were, and he has rightly been forced to accept responsibility for her murder.”
Day had invited Saceanu to an Airbnb property where he had covered a room in plastic sheeting and meticulously prepared to carry out the attack, replicating the TV-show character Dexter.
Forensic evidence central to conviction
According to the CPS, forensic evidence and pathology were central to the case. Roe said: “By presenting that evidence clearly, the defendant was left with no choice but to accept responsibility for his actions.”
The court heard that Day caused 78 knife wounds to Saceanu before abandoning the “gruesome task” of dismemberment because he cut himself.
Police were alerted to the scene at the Airbnb by the property’s landlord, who had been contacted by another resident who had booked into a different room and had discovered a trail of blood.
Sentencing scheduled
Roe noted: “Maria’s family have been spared the trauma of a prolonged trial process as a result of today’s guilty verdict. My thoughts remain with all those who loved and knew Maria. Her life was cut short to feed Day’s warped fantasy, and nothing can undo that loss.”
Day will be sentenced on December 4, 2026.
