Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Worst Roommate Ever.
Netflix’s Worst Roommate Ever recounts tales of several nightmare living situations, but what does the docuseries leave out about Youssef Khater? Produced by Blumhouse Television, Worst Roommate Ever is a true-crime documentary streaming series that focuses on the unbelievable stories of nightmare housemates, as told by their myriad surviving victims. The Netflix and Blumhouse co-production has garnered a mixed reception upon release, with critics taking issue with Worst Roommate Ever‘s lack of exposition and depth, particularly in the case of Youssef Khater.
Worst Roommate Ever episode 3, “Marathon Man,” tells the story of con-man turned-attempted murderer Youssef Khater, paying particular attention to his crimes in Chile. After scamming his way into the country under the guise of a marathon runner, Worst Roommate Ever subject Youssef Khater proceeds to swindle British athlete Dominic Rayner out of approximately $100,000 before conning several of his roommates at a no-frills hostel. This series of events culminates in a desperate Youssef attempting to murder both Rayner and his roommate-turned-episode narrator Callie Quinn in cold blood before a short-lived trial and sentence sees Youssef extradited to his native Denmark after just 61 days served in prison.
Yet despite being convicted on an attempted murder charge and facing additional penalties in his home country, Netflix’s true crime series Worst Roommate Ever omits several key parts of Youssef Khater’s story. From his unmentioned confession to the Chilean police to a new identity in Costa Rica, Worst Roommate Ever‘s Youssef continues to shock beyond his exposure in the Netflix docuseries. Here’s everything Worst Roommate Ever leaves out about Youssef Khater, including where Youssef is now.
Youssef Khater Was A Danish Marine
Near the beginning of Worst Roommate Ever episode 3, Callie recounts several instances where Youssef would regale his roommates in Chile with stories of his time in the Special Forces, painting himself as a hero who is always the defender rather than the aggressor. Callie makes it abundantly clear she does not believe Youssef’s tall tales, saying she “called him out” at the dinner table and indicating her dislike of Youssef. Yet while there is certainly no evidence to suggest Youssef ever was a member of the Special Forces and embarked on the covert missions he suggested, Youssef was a Danish Marine for a decade from the age of 18 onwards.
As first outlined by Francesca Mari for Texas Monthly, Youssef joined the Danish military at 18 following his parents’ separation, with his athletic abilities ensuring his selection by the Danish Marines. Youssef spent ten years with the Marines, a time period shrouded in mystery regarding the con-man’s activities before he was dishonorably discharged at age 28 – with the reason listed as “fraud.” Netflix’s Worst Roommate Ever likely leaves out Youssef’s past as a Marine to cement Callie’s assertions that he is a habitual liar, but the so-called “Marathon Man” does have ties to the Danish military that are far less fabricated than his Special Forces stories.
Youssef’s Chilean Confession
Worst Roommate Ever rightfully paints Rocío Berríos in a heroic light, with the criminal attorney taking on Callie’s attempted murder case as hope for the American seemed lost. Yet Worst Roommate Ever leaves out the fact that Berríos’ successful conviction was underpinned by a bizarre confession Youssef made while in Chilean custody. Youssef initially claimed he had not been responsible for Callie’s attack before confessing to hitting her over the head with a toilet seat, all the while insisting he did not intend to kill her. This admission helped cement the prosecution’s case against Youssef in 2011, with the judge rightfully ruling Youssef had attempted to murder Callie.
Youssef’s Murder Attempt In Costa Rica
Worst Roommate Ever ends on an ominous note, stating that Youssef Khater was freed just three months after his initial extradition to a Danish prison, leaving Youssef to travel the world again. Youssef next surfaces in 2014 in the Costa Rican town of Quepos after allegedly seducing a Canadian traveler and stealing $19,000 of her life savings under the assumed moniker of Joseph Carter. After the Canadian woman learned Youssef’s true identity, Youssef tried to smother her with a pillow, although this, like his other murder attempts, proved unsuccessful. Unsatisfied, per Radio Times, Youssef then allegedly convinced Texan resident Todd Flanders to place a $3,500 order for sportswear and offered to supply a batch of discounted mobile phones for him to sell in a scheme that never materialized. Youssef was subsequently questioned by Costa Rica’s Organismo de Investigacion Judicial; however, they determined that there was not enough evidence to charge him with at the time, with Netflix likely leaving this part of the story out for the sake of expediency and the fact neither Flanders nor the unnamed Canadian woman were roommates of Youssef.
Youssef Khater’s New Identities
Although briefly touched on in the closing credits of “Marathon Man,” Worst Roommate Ever declines to give the full scope of Youssef Khater’s subsequent actions as a con-man. In December 2015, Texas Monthly chillingly reported that Youssef Khater was “up and running again,” going by the name of Josef Maria on Facebook, and had run in the 20th Marathon Costa Rica on 6th December in San Jose. Two years later, on the 10th January 2017, The Costa Rica Star reported that the Denmark-born con artist had been arrested in Puerto Viejo on suspicion of committing large-scale fraud in the country, with Youssef swindling $18,000 from a woman named Sasha. Sasha took to Facebook shortly afterward (in a post that has since been deleted), branding Youssef as “dangerous” and “a psychopath” before warning the people of Puerto Viejo to stay away from him.
This 2017 account is the last time Youssef Khater appears on the media’s radar, with the Tico Times stating that he was released shortly after this incident due to a lack of communication between departments in Puerto Viejo. Youssef Khater’s current whereabouts remain unknown, with the Worst Roommate Ever subject assumed to be still at large by multiple agencies. Callie Quinn’s harrowing account of her attempted murder at the hands of Youssef is undoubtedly chilling, but it acts as the tip of a seedy iceberg as far as Youssef Khater’s true story is concerned, with Netflix’s Worst Roommate Ever omitting several key bits of information in the documentary.