Fantasy of Being Agent 47 May Have Motivated a Murderer
A man accused of committing murder has gone on trial in the UK. One of the suggested motivations of the killer was, according to prosecutors, a „bizarre fantasy” of being Agent 47, the protagonist of the Hitman series.
Everyone has at least once heard the opinion that video games amplify aggression. It's a stereotype, of course, but tragedies like the one that took place last year in the UK firmly perpetuate it.
The local justice system judged 34-year-old Oxfordshire resident Eugen Coman, accused of murdering his roommate, a Russian man named Leonid Laboshin. The incident occurred in October last year.
Most bizarre, however, are the potential motives for the crime. Prosecutors say Coman may have been driven by "old-fashioned jealousy" after the victim went for a walk with a roommate in whom he was interested, or... fascination with the fictional game character known as Agent 47 (via Oxford Mail).
Why the belief that the man was inspired by Hitman? Information provided by forensic experts shows that the defendant, before committing the murder, searched online for articles about the ruthless killer. What's more, at the time of his arrest, the 34-year-old had a smoothly shaved head and was dressed in a black suit, white shirt and tie. Fans of Hitman and others are well aware that such attire is the hallmark of the famous character.
Coman eventually confessed to killing his roommate, but as he claims, he was not in his right mind at the time. Interestingly, this was not the first act of aggression performed by the man. Previously, he attacked the owner of the house when the latter asked for payment of overdue rent.
