Samurai sword killer's spiritual quest that ended in rampage that killed boy, 14

Daily Mirror

5 hours ago

Marcus Monzo's thirst for enlightenment took him to India and the Amazon jungle but ended in a rampage that killed Daniel Anjorin after his mind was warped by powerful psychedelic drugs
The man behind the Hainault sword attack that killed a 14-year-old schoolboy was today sentenced to life in prison witha minimum of 40 years, but prior to his bloody rampage he had been on a spiritual quest.
Marcus Monzo could barely contain his excitement as he filmed himself trying out his new Katana sword. His small ginger cat, named Wizard, sat at his feet as his owner described the two-foot blade as "frigging sexy". Less than a month later Wizard would become Monzo's first victim after the drug-crazed swordsman came to believe the cat was about to cause Armageddon. He strangled, skinned and deboned his pet with the intention of cooking and eating the animal. But instead he went on a blood-soaked rampage, killing 14–year-old Daniel Anjorin and attempting to murder three others in Hainault, north east London, on April 30, 2024.
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Over the previous decade Monzo had been on a spiritual quest that took him to India and deep into the Amazon jungle. But instead of reaching enlightenment, he had become increasingly isolated as his drug-taking fuelled a growing obsession with conspiracy theories and swords.
Marcus Arduini Monzo was born on April 11, 1988, in a small village in the municipality of Astorga in southern Brazil. His mother owned a clothing business and he would ride horses in the countryside. Monzo studied business administration at university before the family moved to New Hampshire in the US.
In 2013, he relocated to London and found work in a pub. Monzo began learning Brazilian jiu-jitsu and joined a gym in east London where he became a blue belt. His brother, Eduardo, told his Old Bailey trial: "He was a healthy, popular guy, he had no problems." But Monzo had also started smoking cannabis, which eventually became a £100-a-day addiction.
He also experimented with LSD, magic mushrooms and large quantities of ayahuasca, a powerful hallucinogen taken by tribes in the Amazon. Eduardo said he became a "completely different person" after meeting an online yoga guru in 2017 and spending time in an Indian ashram, a community where members devote themselves to spiritual practices.
Eduardo said: "Marcus's behaviour started to change. He didn't want to be contacted by me any more." Four years ago Monzo took large amounts of ayahuasca in northern Brazil while staying with indigenous Amazonian tribes.
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"He said the drink was good for him and connects you to the spiritual world,' Eduardo said. "I believe he was drinking it quite a lot." Monzo's online postings in the year before the rampage had shown a fascination with violence, far-right extremism, misogyny and incel ideology.
An incel, which stands for involuntary celibate, is a member of an online community of men who consider themselves unable to attract women and have hostile views towards them. He was also interested in toxic influencer Andrew Tate and liked posts on X (Twitter) which praised Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
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At his Old Bailey trial, Monzo had told jurors he believed the world was flat and that the 9/11 terrorist attack in New York was "probably" a conspiracy theory. This flat earth belief was also reflected in various montages and memes on X. One post stated: "How did I become a flat earther? I tried debunking it.." Monzo responded to a news report on the flat earther epidemic by claiming on social media that this was a positive as it would spark curiosity over the issue.
In a reference to another conspiracy, Monzo posted: "I live in London. Here everybody will agree that the city is GREY. And the reason is BECAUSE they spray the sky ALL DAY, EVERY DAY". The chemtrail conspiracy theory asserts that governments or other malicious actors are engaged in a secret programme to disseminate toxic chemicals into the atmosphere.
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Over the period of a year, Monzo's X account also reflected an interest in an Indian yogi guru and soil improvement campaigns as well as controversial public figures such as Elon Musk, David Icke and Tate. Among the various conspiracy theories Monzo liked or interacted with were claims of CIA brainwashing, that the Titanic disaster was no accident, and the supposed existence of giants and "ancient AI".
He also shared anti-vaccination misinformation including a video claiming close proximity to those who received the Covid-19 jab would result in illness. Monzo's social media accounts also underlined his fascination with traditional Japanese samurai and katana swords. On TikTok, his FreeKingMark profile described him as a mystic, musician, martial artist, jedi and a ninja. On Pinterest, the FreeKingMark account had saved dozens of images featuring figures with samurai swords and other weapons.
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Less than two weeks before the attack, Monzo uploaded a video of himself to an Instagram account called 'FreeKingMark' repeatedly punching a bag in the gym. Another photo, posted on January 25 last year, showed him smiling with two thumbs up and a number of medals from a Brazilian jiu-jitsu competition around his neck.
Monzo's boxing coach, who asked not to be named, said that he was a recluse who struggled to fit in. On the former delivery driver, he said: "He was a bit different, but he was a nice guy. As far as I know, he did not have any friends."
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On Wednesday, Monzo was found guilty by a jury at the Old Bailey of Daniel's murder, three charges of attempted murder, aggravated burglary and possession of a bladed article relating to a kitchen knife. He was cleared of one count of attempted murder but found guilty of the lesser offence of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Monzo, who showed no emotion as the verdicts were read out, previously admitted having the samurai sword used to kill Daniel and a katana sword found in his van.
Monzo had denied Daniel's murder, and the attempted murders of Donato Iwule, Sindy Arias, Henry De Los Rios Polania and Pc Yasmin Margaret Mechem-Whitfield, as well as wounding Inspector Moloy Campbell with intent. He also denied aggravated burglary and possession of a bladed article relating to a kitchen knife. Monzo previously admitted two counts of having an offensive weapon, namely two swords.
Today, Mr Justice Bennathan sentenced Monzo to life in prison, with a minimum term of 38 years and 309 days. Sentencing, Mr Justice Bennathan said: "Over 20 minutes - members of the public were attacked, police officers were gravely injured, a couple were terrified in their own home and a clever, talented young boy was killed.
"You, Marcus, did all of that. Daniel was a clever boy, he was gifted musically and played a variety of sports well. His loss is devastating to his parents, his brother and sister and his grandparents. I am very conscious no sentence I can pass can even begin to temper Daniel's family's grief."
He added that his sentence was mitigated by his "previous good character" but that it was limited by his use of "unlawful drugs over the years".