"Although dozens of horror films are based on true stories, a little-known fact is that several films are said to have inspired copycat killings based on either techniques shown in the film or other motifs such as demonic possession.
Although killers make a conscious decision to murder, it seems like a weak excuse to blame a movie for your own actions, but several people on this list were able to escape imprisonment by pleading insanity.
This all brings up the troublesome legal question of whether an artist—whether a writer, musician, painter, or filmmaker—is legally liable when someone bases their crimes on actions they witnessed in the movies. So far, no one has been found legally guilty of inspiring a murder by directing a movie. Here are 20 intriguing cases where murderers blamed their crimes on movies they'd seen."
