Murder of Jorge Martin Carreno

Person of Interest
—
Name	Scarlet Blake
Age	26 (at time of conviction)
Occupation	—
Known Identifiers	—
Status	Convicted murderer
Involvement	Conducted a ritualistic, livestreamed killing of a cat as a "rehearsal" for homicide. Four months later, she murdered Jorge Martin Carreno. Her actions were directly inspired by the Luka Magnotta case.
Punitive Measure	—

The murder of Jorge Martin Carreno was a premeditated crime that occurred in Oxford, UK, on July 25, 2021. The perpetrator, Scarlet Blake, a 26-year-old transgender woman, was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. The murder was the culmination of a plan that began four months prior with the ritualistic torture and killing of a cat, an act Blake explicitly framed as a rehearsal for killing a person.

The case is a significant example of "mimetic violence," as Blake's actions were consciously and directly inspired by the Netflix documentary Don't F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer, which chronicles the crimes of Luka Magnotta.

Victim: Jorge Martin Carreno

Jorge Martin Carreno, 30, was a Spanish national and an accomplished electrical engineer working at the BMW plant in Cowley, Oxford. Remembered by his family and friends as "an extraordinary being full of passion and kindness," his interests included music, photography, and rock climbing. In a victim impact statement, his family described his murder as a "traumatic, devastating blow, leaving a void impossible to fill."

Precursor crime: The cat killing

Four months before the murder, in March 2021, Blake lured a neighbor's cat to her home, then staged and livestreamed its torture and killing for her online partner in the United States, Ashlynn Bell. The act was a planned performance, which Blake called a "present" for Bell.

The judge's sentencing remarks detail the graphic event: Blake strangled the cat with a ligature, then dissected and mutilated the animal while it was still alive, recording her enjoyment of its suffering. After its death, she decapitated it, skinned it, inserted a scalpel into its eyes, and placed the body in a blender. During the video, Blake explicitly stated her intent to escalate, saying, "Well, one day I want to learn how to do this to a person." As a direct homage to the Don't F**k with Cats documentary, the soundtrack to the video was the New Order song "True Faith," the same track used by Luka Magnotta in his murder video.

Murder of Jorge Martin Carreno

In the early hours of July 25, 2021, CCTV footage captured Blake prowling the streets of Oxford wearing a combat jacket and carrying a rucksack containing what prosecutors called a "murder kit." She encountered Jorge Martin Carreno, who had become separated from his friends on a night out and was lost and vulnerable. Blake lured him to a secluded riverbank at Parsons Pleasure, where she attacked him, likely striking him on the head with a vodka bottle, strangling him, and pushing his body into the River Cherwell, where he drowned. His body was discovered 24 to 36 hours later.

Investigation and trial

Initially, Carreno's death was deemed "unexplained" and was not treated as a homicide for two years. The case was reopened after Blake's former partner, Ashlynn Bell, contacted police from the US and revealed that Blake had confessed the murder to her.

Key evidence against Blake included her DNA found on a vodka bottle recovered from the crime scene, the cat-killing video, and extensive CCTV footage tracking her movements on the night of the murder. On February 23, 2024, a jury found Blake unanimously guilty of murder. On February 26, 2024, she was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 24 years, to be served in a male prison.

Perpetrator's profile and motives

Born in China, Blake moved to the UK at age nine and came out as transgender at twelve. The court determined the primary motivation for the murder was sexual, with the judge citing "ample evidence [she] derived sexual gratification from strangulation." Blake's defense, which involved claims of having multiple personas including that of a cat, was forcefully rejected by the judge, who stated, "There is no evidence that you suffer from any relevant mental illness or other mental disorder." The judge characterized her claims as an "elaborate attempt to rationalise what you had done and shift responsibility to others."

Influence of 'Don't F**k with Cats'

The crime is inextricably linked to the 2019 Netflix documentary about Canadian killer Luka Magnotta. Prosecutors stated that Blake watched the documentary and it served as a direct inspiration. The most blatant homage was her use of the song "True Faith" during the cat-killing video, the same track used by Magnotta. This influence was confirmed by the sentencing judge, who told Blake that the documentary "played a part in your own mind in the link between killing a cat and killing a person."

Criminological Element	Luka Magnotta Case	Scarlet Blake Case
Precursor Animal Cruelty	Tortured and killed kittens, posting videos online for notoriety.	Conducted a ritualistic torture and killing of a cat, which was livestreamed for an online partner.
Stated Intent to Escalate	Told a reporter that his next victims "won't be small animals".	Stated during the cat-killing video, "one day I want to learn how to do this to a person".
Musical Homage	Used the New Order song "True Faith" in his murder video.	Used the New Order song "True Faith" during her cat-killing video as a direct homage.
Primary Motivation	A narcissistic quest for global fame and notoriety.	The fulfillment of a shared sexual fantasy revolving around violence and death.