A rising young director is shooting a frightening film about a serial killer in a hockey mask. But when a man goes missing near the set, a real-life horror story unfolds. Keith Morrison’s latest Dateline original podcast series takes us into a mysterious netherworld of illusion, fantasy, deception and death. Follow The Man in the Black Mask now and get two new episodes a week, starting October 15 -- completely free. Or subscribe to Dateline Premium now, for early access and ad-free listening.

In a quiet neighborhood, a frightening figure in a hockey mask appears. Then another man disappears.

A horror film director and a seasoned homicide detective match wits in a high stakes game of cat and mouse.

Police recover a deleted document from Mark Twitchell’s computer that reads like a script for a horror film. But was it more than just fiction?

He wanted dinner and a movie. His “date” seemed to want something else entirely…

After Twitchell is arrested on Halloween, a city debates whether he is a monster or a master manipulator.

At trial, Twitchell plays a surprising card. Will he walk, or will everything come tumbling down?