Is John the Baptist a Counterexample because He was a Killed Messiah?

In my first college history class, which went up to about A.D. 350, my professor mentioned to me that there was a group back in Jesus's time who followed John the Baptist as a messiah, although he had been beheaded. I eventually realized I should ask, does this refute the core claim that no one would have invented Jesus and followed Him without proof?

For starters, John surely was killed. Josephus himself says Herod "slew him," which isn't as specific as when the Gospels say he was beheaded. So this wasn't invented. 

This isn't a counterexample, though. It's just one other occurrence that is strange. It is way too little evidence that is to be defined in light of the historical background. Therefore, John the Baptist surely was killed.

I readily admit phenomena's happen. I don't really know what's going on with them, but I know they are false, because of the evidence for Jesus beyond just proclaimed after dead. The rapid spread of Christianity doesn't even prove it is true (at least for argument's sake; it was an offense to Jews and Gentiles [1 Cor. 1:23].) Belief in John doesn't even prove anyone thought they saw him, and that started the belief system. 

(Here it should be noted that while the Messiah wasn't expected to be killed at all, crucifixion was the worst because it is such an awful specific punishment from God. Jesus's followers had an extra reason to not believe in Him.) 

It is interesting how John the Baptist is so closely related to Jesus. Perhaps people who were in a fervor to follow John only heard what they wanted to hear, messed up his message, and got John confused with Jesus. This would be them, unlike the Disciples, getting swayed by John that the Messiah really was supposed to suffer for sins, and then getting confused. Or maybe a follower hallucinated him, led another to do the same, and others bought it. With all the evidence for Jesus, I could grant that.

I suggest reading Acts 19:1-6 for a perfectly appropriate story that fits the truth about John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. 

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