That was my feeling. I got to the end of the article and thought -- was that it? Nothing is grubbier than the pieces about serial killers, and this isn't even that: it's a piece about someone who writes pieces about serial killers. Who is a bit of a fantasist, so what? Not even entirely a fantasist! He'd inflated the number of serial killers he's interviewed. The fewer the serial killers who are talked to, the fewer who have attention given to them, the better, frankly...
Perhaps it being from a different culture makes it seem less important? But yes, it's bad to lie and make up things people say and sell those lies for money and to burnish your reputation.