Will Matheson - Episode 3

Wednesday April 1 9:30pm

This week on BEYOND THE DARKLANDS, we take a look into the obsessed mind of violent girlfriend killer William Matheson.

In late 2003, William Matheson brutally murdered his ex-girlfriend, Lyndsay Van Blanken. He strangled the pretty 18-year-old with cable ties before dumping her body in an abandoned storeroom.

That same night he calmly played the cello in front of an audience of thousands. He showed no emotion.

Known for his bizarre behaviour, Matheson would spend nights wandering city streets scavenging for dead animals or sifting through rubbish.

Clinical psychologist Dr Leah Giarratano tells us what led this loner to turn from obsessed ex-boyfriend into a vicious killer. Did Lyndsay’s rejection of him turn him into a killer? Or was he always destined to inflict such unspeakable acts?

In Beyond The Darklands, interviews with those who knew them best – their family, friends, neighbours and teachers – as well as the police who investigated their crimes allows Dr Giarratano to dissect their personalities and ultimately offer some insight into why they committed these horrific crimes.

How did these fearsome criminals come to be – was it their upbringing, their influences or were they natural born killers?

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  • Anonymous

    From what i’ve seen & heard about this case is that Will was destined to be a killer.. the man showed no emotion after killing someone he claimed to love.. that’s not a crime of passion, it’s a passion for crime! I believe if it hadn’t have been Lyndsay, it would have been someone else, i also believe he would have killed again if he hadn’t have been caught!
    My heart goes out to Lyndsay’s family & to other families who have lost someone in such a tragic way.. xx

  • nancy

    I saw the program and was chilled. the guy showed no emotion so he is and will always be a nutter. I hope they keep him locked up forever and throw away the key. He will do it again. my heart goes out to to lyndsay’s family. As a mum myself i can only imagine the the pain and suffering they must go through each birthday, christmas ect. Children of any age are not meant to pass away or be taken away. take care. xxx

  • abbi

    oh my goodness.. that poor young girl, that poor family. what a terrible waste of a life in which lyndsay had such potential. And to think that the guy responsible actually thought that he could fool trained police. what a cold and evil person. i am glad he got caught and locked away. though i think he should have the same thing he done to young lyndsay done to him. prison is to good for people like that. I feel for the family and friends of this beautiful young teenage girl. and for anyone out there who have lost a loved one in such a terrible way.

  • Anonymous

    Will Matheson witnessed his brother commit suicide by jumping from a building. If anyone witnessed that as a child, of course that would have a huge impact on you. i have some sympathy for will.

  • Anonymous

    What happened in his childhood obviously screwed up his mind, but that is not an excuse to brutally kill someone.

  • anoymous

    I feel great compassion for Will as his parents didn’t grow him up correctly and he did witness his brother which whom he was very close to die in front of him at such a young age, seeing something like that would have a great impact on yourself and towards people who you let into your live and allow to be close to you, fair enough he did go over board and kill her however she could have told him alot sooner she was seeing someone instead of the previous day before her boyfriend arrived from America, her mum shouldnt have taken him to be of no strength and actually listened to her daughter when she was worried and got a restraining order but they didnt it just shows not to underestaimate someone such as Will, i hope he is getting the help that he needs as no1 cared or noticed b4 he did this act, so my heart goes out to Will!

  • Warriorofdeath

    Personally I liked Will and the way he thought. I reckon the media just made him look evil.

  • Anonymous

    Will was too big paragraphs 27 years. Would have been sufficient 15 years with one girl killing. Will is also schizophrenic. In Finland we should one human killing or murder of only 4-8 years.

  • anonymous

    is there a way to watch this episode again?? youtube perhaps? does ant1 have a copy of it??