From Tiger King To I'll Be Gone In The Dark: 2020's True Crime Documentaries Graded

While 2020 turned life upside-down for most of us, it did bring more time at home to binge-watch True Crime, and thankfully, there was no shortage of new content to watch. Some of these releases better than others, which is why I have compiled this list of my grades for some of the True Crime documentaries that came out this year.

A Wilderness Of Error (Hulu) - C

When Army surgeon Jeffrey MacDonald’s pregnant wife and two children were found murdered in their Fort Bragg home in 1970, the injured MacDonald claimed that they were attacked by hippies in a scene reminiscent of the Manson family. It didn’t t take long for eyes to shift toward MacDonald himself. This 5-episode series based on the book of the same name by Errol Morris, examines the possibility that this 50-year old crime is still a mystery.

Errol Morris, the filmmaker behind “The Thin Blue Line” (one of the most classic True Crime Documentaries of all-time) seeks to prove that Jeffrey Macdonald is innocent using alternate theories of the crime that seem stolen right out of the pages of Helter Skelter. Marc Smerling, the producer of The Jinx (another fantastic True Crime doc) presents us with little to no compelling evidence that the right man isn’t in prison.

With two powerhouse names behind this series, I was excited to dive in. I knew none of the facts of this case and was fascinated with the first episode. However, as the episodes dragged on, the same information felt stuck on repeat, and I was left to wonder why they were investigating the case at all. Skip it and watch “The Thin Blue Line” or “The Jinx” instead.

American Murder: The Family Next Door (Netflix) B+

While most True Crime followers know the story of Chris Watts and the murder of his wife Shanann and two daughters in 2018, it’s absolutely heartbreaking to watch the story unfold on screen. In a very 2020 style documentary, director Jenny Popplewell uses bodycam footage, interrogation room video, and Shanann’s own social media and texts to walk us through the days leading up to the disappearances and beyond. This full-length documentary film cleverly uses what evidence already existed against Chris, and leaves you to feeling like you’re sitting in a court room during a trial. The results are terrifying.

What it lacks in discussion of the motive or investigation into Chris Watt’s then-girlfriend, it almost makes up for in how it submerges you into the facts of the case. There’s never any doubt how the story is going to end and who is responsible, but in the end, there are no answers as to why someone would one day annihilate their entire family. Worth a watch if you want to sleep next to your spouse with one eye open from now on.

Class Action Park (HBO) A-

This full-length documentary brings something a little lighter to the list with a look back in time at the extremely dangerous waterpark that was popular in New Jersey in the 1980s. While the park did hurt people, and even caused several deaths, the film provides a mix of humor and nostalgia from former workers and people that grew up attending the park.

The interviews and old commercials bring the viewer back to an 80s childhood where fun was lot more unsupervised than it is for kids growing up today.. Seeing descriptions of these rides and how parenting during that time was much more relaxed; it’s a wonder that anyone survived.

The film takes a dark turn in the second half with the 1980 death of George Larsson, Jr. when he flew off the Alpine Slide and hit his head on rocks. Several more deaths followed Larsson’s including a drowning at the wave pool and an electrocution on a kayak ride. Suddenly the saying rings true, “It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt.” Still a must-see for the variety that it adds to the True Crime genre.

How To Fix A Drug Scandal (Netflix) A

This four-part Netflix series provides a break from murder and delves into the misdeeds of two Massachusetts chemists that end up affecting the outcome of nearly 47,000 drug convictions across the state. It was astonishing to see how the actions of two people could have the consequences to change the lives of so many people and their futures. It highlights another area in which our justice system is vulnerable to failing or causing innocent people to go to jail.

We have seen so many documentaries about how people are often railroaded by police officers or prosecutors, but this look at the workings of the lab technicians was was extremely eye-opening. For anyone that is passionate about criminal justice reform, this series is a must-see.

I’ll Be Gone In The Dark (HBO) A+

This six-part documentary series may have been the best of the year. Michelle McNamara’s book by the same name is one of my favorite True Crime books, so it was so special to see many of the faces that McNamara describes on the screen. The series follows McNamera’s search for The Golden State killer and the process of writing her book.

While the series focuses more on Michelle and her process than it does The Golden State Killer and his crimes, I found the shift of focus the perfect companion to her book. Both the book and the series feel like they are their own work, so much so that the series led me to reread the book so I could experience it again. It also doesn’t feel like you have to have read the book first to have enjoy this series. The last episode has such a fantastic pay-off that I dare you not to cry. To read more of my thoughts on the series, check out the post I did about it. If you haven’t watched the series yet, it’check out the post I did about its an absolute can’t-miss.

Murder On Middle Beach (HBO) A+

This four-part series was a very close second for best of the year for me. In it, director Madison Hamburg tries to find answers about who killed his mother in 2010. In deeply personal interviews with his family members, Hamburg pulls no punches when it comes to asking the tough questions. As much a who-dun-it as it is a portrait of the person his mother was, this series is incredibly heartfelt and inspiring.

Hamburg’s open-minded approach leaves viewers to draw their own conclusions about what may have happened to Barbara Hamburg. While it’s frustrating for those who don’t like unsolved mysteries, it feels so authentic to experience that mystery with Hamburg and realize that life doesn’t always give us the answers that we want, but often the journey in itself is healing. I can’t recommend watching it enough.

Murder to Mercy: The Cyntoia Brown Story (Netflix) A-

This full-length documentary covers the story of Cyntoia Brown from her imprisonment for murder to her eventual release. In 2004, while Brown was being sex trafficked, she claims she shot Johnny Allen in self defense when he pulled out what she thought was a gun. Despite being only 16 at the time of the crime, Brown was tried as an adult and sentenced to life in prison.

After 15 years in prison, Brown was granted clemency by Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam when the case gained national attention from celebrities and advocates. The documentaries explores the idea of children being charged as adults, as well as Brown’s culpability in the crime as a child being forced into sex work. My only wish was that the story had been explored in a longer format and that there had been participation from Brown herself. However, it was still a great watch!

Outcry (Showtime) A+

Once I started watching this five-part series on Showtime, I absolutely couldn’t stop. In 2013, high school senior and football star Greg Kelley was accused of sexually assaulting a four-year old. At first, it feels like justice has been served in this horrible crime, but the series continues in twists and turns that you won’t see coming.

I don’t want to say much more than that, because the series is so surprising (if you haven’t heard of this case before) that it’s best to go in to it with as little information as possible. Trust me when I say you want to watch it to the very end.

Ted Bundy: Falling for a Killer (Amazon Prime) A

The Ted Bundy story is one that has been overdone so many times that I almost didn’t watch this 5-episode series. However, the new perspective that it brings is refreshing. Told from the point of view of Bundy’s long-term girlfriend Elizabeth Kendall and her daughter Molly, the series focuses more on the victims than any other series I’ve seen about a serial killer.

While the series doesn’t provide any information that a True Crime buff wouldn’t already know, it’s so nice to see a series that is less about the glorification of the killer and more about the lives that were lost. Adding Kendall’s point of view and how, while she was spared from his violence, she was also a Bundy victim. It’s a commentary on collateral damage and how the killer’s family and loved ones often suffer in addition to their vicitms. If you can stomach one more Bundy documentary, it should be this one.

The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez (Netflix) A

Years of True Crime obsession have left me by no means squimish, but this 6-part documentary series was extremely hard to watch. Gabriel Fernandez was brutally murdered by his mother and her then boyfriend after months of horrific abuse and torture. While his teacher repeatedly tried to get him help, social workers and law enforcement ultimately did nothing to stop to stop Gabriel’s death.

The series chronicles Gabriel’s abuse, how the system failed him, and how California’s Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) has had other majors issues since this case. While it’s not the most fun documentary to watch, the subject matter is so important to be aware of.

Tiger King (Netflix) A-

No list of 2020 documentaries would be complete without a mention of Tiger King. The 8-part series chronicles the feud between zoo keeper Joe Exotic and Big Cat Rescuer Carole Baskins and the band of characters that surround them. It was the perfect distraction that we needed at the beginning of lockdown that included hokey music videos and murder accusations, and inspired memes galore. While the substance isn’t nearly as serious as most True Crime documentaries, the experience is good fun. If for some reason you haven’t seen it yet (where have you been?!) you’ll distract yourself from life for a good day or two if you watch it. #CaroleDidIt

What true crime documentaries did you love this year? Did I leave any off the list?

I’ll Be Gone In The Dark and the Bravery of Sharing Trauma

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know how the story ends. The Golden State Killer is arrested and Michelle McNamara, who spent nearly a decade trying to identify him, doesn’t live to see it. The story isn’t about the ending, although it is profound and deeply moving. The story is about how many people had to lay their trauma raw to see a killer brought to justice. 

I’ve heard it said that an interest in True Crime is much like rubbernecking. Someone had to experience the worst we can imagine (murder, rape, the loss of a loved one) for our entertainment. And I’m sure there are those that enjoy the genre just for the pure shock and gore of it. But I like to believe my fellow Murderinos have so much more empathy than that. 

True Crime fans resonate with stories. And many of those stories are of trauma. Traumas that people have been brave enough to share with us. I’ll Be Gone in the Dark shares these tough stories better than any docuseries I’ve seen. 

First, it starts with Patton Oswald and his bravery sharing the sudden loss of his wife Michelle. He allows the film makers access to intimate parts of his life with real life texts, voice messages, videos. Even the 911 call the morning of Michelle’s death is shared. All this comes together to bring Michelle to life. Her voice is so present in the episodes it’s easy to forget she wasn’t a part of the making of the series. As such, when the timeline builds to the day she dies, it hits us so much harder when she’s gone. 

Next, there are the survivors bravely sharing the details of their horrific attacks by the Golden State Killer. These attacks happened in the 1970s, when sexual assault was not discussed the way it is today. Many of these survivors share that they weren’t able to talk about what happened to them with their friends or family members, but they share with us now. One couple (Gay and Bob Hardwick) share how they were attacked together. Bob was tied up with dishes on his back while his then girlfriend Gay was assaulted in the other room. In a later episode, Bob remarks that they are the only couple that stayed together after their attack.

And then there were the family members of those that didn’t survive, who suffered unimaginable loss at the hands of the killer. Over forty years later you can still see that this trauma still effects them daily. 

Those who worked on the case share with us how it has haunted them for decades. Their determination to find the perpetrator has consumed their lives. Some were citizen detectives much like Michelle who couldn’t separate themselves from the pursuit. Others had retired and couldn’t stop thinking about the one that got away. 

Lastly there are Michelle’s friends and colleagues Billy Jensen, Paul Holes, Paul Haynes and more, many of whom had come to love her through this common goal of finding The Golden State Killer. They worked side by side in her life and after her passing carried on her legacy. They shared how their grief lead them to be more determined than ever to catch the killer. Paul Holes continued his tireless efforts to find a DNA match and Paul Hayes and Billy Jensen picked up Michelle’s book to make sure that her life’s work was completed. 

The survivors and everyone touched by this case and by Michelle open up about their hurt and grief in a way we can resonate with, showing us that the traumas we have experienced in our lives are valid. That there are people going through something similar and they can relate. There are people who have gone through worse and have survived. We are not alone.

Very Scary People Delivers On Its Promise To Terrify

I like to spend my nights watching true crime shows I know will terrify me, and then I wonder why I can’t sleep when I go to bed. If you like to torture yourself the same way you have to watch Very Scary People hosted by Donnie Wahlberg on HLN.

I had the opportunity to see the first hour of this Sunday’s episode on Richard Ramirez, aka: The Night Stalker, and it did not disappoint. I have a pretty encyclopedic knowledge of most serial killers (is that something you can put on a resume?!) but I haven’t dug much into The Night Stalker.

Very Scary People uses experts such as former investigators, detectives, criminologists, and authors to tell the story, along with well-done reenactments, old news footage, and crime scene photos. The result is a concise introduction to Richard Ramirez’ various crimes, his background, and how he was captured.

In the beginning of the episode, Donnie Wahlberg comes on the screen and scares us right away with the tidbit that experts call the 1980s the “Decade of The Serial Killer.” These experts also estimate there may have been up to 200 murderers on the loose at that time. If that doesn’t freak you out enough, the episode details how the The Night Stalker often entered open windows during one of Los Angeles’ hottest summers on record. You also find out that Ramirez used different weapons on victims of all ages in extremely brutal attacks. Remind me to keep my windows closed from now on.

I can’t wait to see the second hour of the show where Ramirez (spoiler alert) is ultimately captured. You can check out a teaser of Sunday’s episode below.

Be sure to watch Very Scary People this Sunday, July 26th at 9pm EST on HLN to learn more about Richard Ramirez. I’m also excited for the upcoming episodes about Edmund Kemper, Robert Durst, and Michael Swango aka Dr. Death.

Join Me At The Luminol Ball

During this time of self-isolation and quarantine, one thing that’s really giving me comfort, is my usual round of true crime podcasts. One that’s keeping me company lately is Luminol, hosted by Sarah Pardi and Caitlin Sparks. Each themed episode mixes serious true crime topics with fun and friendly banter that leaves me feeling like I’m hanging out with two of my best friends.

I recently had the opportunity to ask Sarah and Caitlin a few questions about their podcast and their upcoming “Luminol Ball.”

Sarah and Caitlin from Luminol

Q: Tell us a little bit about your podcast Luminol and how you started it.

CAITLIN: Luminol is a true crime podcast – but it feels like so much more than that. We choose a theme for every episode – things like conspiracies, aliens, missing persons, unusual weapons, to name a few – and we try very hard to choose cases that are not talked about on a wide scale. We want to bring attention to cases that most people have not heard of. We also are people who laugh and make jokes to lighten heavy topics, and we bring that through on the podcast. We do not laugh at victims’ expense, only at evil people, and bad situations. It’s our coping mechanism. We bring our true selves to this podcast, and I believe that is part of what makes it special. Oh! And starting it, was kind of random. We used to joke when we said funny things about how great they would sound on a podcast. Then one day, we just went for it!

SARAH: Yep! Our episodes come out every week, on Wednesdays. They’re about an hour long and include two stories that fit whatever theme we have chosen. One thing that I am honestly SHOCKED Caitlin forgot to mention is… the beer. Every episode, we do a short review of a beer, and we try a new beer each episode. Usually, we choose a beer from the state or country the crime happened in. 

Q:  What is the Luminol Ball?

CAITLIN: The Luminol Ball is something Sarah and I put together, at first, to bring listeners and friends together during quarantine. We decided to have a ‘ball’ over zoom. Then, we thought, let’s do MORE with this. We thought, what a great fundraising opportunity this could be – and it didn’t take us long to think of the National Domestic Violence Hotline as our cause. The ball will be held over zoom on June 13th – it is free to ‘attend’. There will be prizes (all donated by wonderful businesses) that will be raffled off. ALL of the proceeds from raffle tickets will be donated straight to the NDAH. Sarah and I are matching up to $100 – WHICH – we have ALREADY hit. 

SARAH: This ball will be a fun time that we can connect with our fans and friends and raise money for an important cause. To sign up for the ball, head on over to our Instagram page @luminolpod and click on the link in our profile. 

Caitlin and I haven’t discussed this yet… but this COULD be something we do annually...

Q:  Why did you choose the National Domestic Violence Hotline to support with this ball?

CAITLIN: We chose the National Domestic Abuse Hotline because we kept thinking and talking about quarantine, due to COVID-19. And this made us think about how many are stuck at home in bad situations – people living with abusive partners were stuck at home with them. Many people were losing their jobs, which could escalate a lot of these cases even more. And the hotline needs donations to make sure someone is always there to answer the phone. 

SARAH: Caitlin is spot on. I also read that The National Domestic Violence Hotline is seeing an increase in calls and texts during this time, so we felt it was really important that we gave to them so there could always be someone on that line when people make, arguably, the most important text or call of their life.  

Caitlin from Luminol

Q:  What are you most excited about the event?

CAITLIN: One, raising money for such a great organization. Two, getting face time with so many listeners – I CANNOT WAIT to meet them and chat. 

SARAH: I am actually pretty nervous about it. This is the first “live” interaction we are having with our fans and I just want everyone to have SO much fun. I am excited to “live” donate to a good cause and to give out prizes!

Q:  I hear there is a costume contest.  Have you both picked out your costumes?

CAITLIN: NO! I can’t decide between Christmas pajamas or a dress (that I can’t disclose, because I want it to be a surprise to Sarah) 

SARAH: We are so excited about the contest. We’re calling it “Best of the Ball” and we aren’t limiting it to costumes… attendees can wear a ballgown, a costume, their favorite outfit… really ANYTHING they feel their best in. Only thing off limits is birthday suits. I also have not decided. Part of me wants to wear something era-specific… I guess you will have to wait and see ;) 

Q: Your podcast very successfully balances humor and serious true crime content.  Why do you think the two work well together?

CAITLIN: We truly are great friends outside of the podcast – and we were great friends before the podcast – I think it’s as simple as that. We talk all of our decisions through, and we both are very easy going – and very similar. But we are also very different – I am loud and never shut up, while Sarah thinks things through before she says them. We balance each other out. I adore Sarah so much, so it’s easy to ‘run’ a podcast with her – I value her and appreciate her. This would not work without so much mutual respect and just so much friendship-love between us. Too cheesy?? Haha. 

SARAH: LOL. I can’t speak for other podcasts with this format. We obviously aren’t unique in this facet. But, I think it works well for us because of what Caitlin said. We both are very similar and we have pretty strong feelings about appropriateness in comedy when mixed with difficult topics. We very much respect the people who worked the cases, the victims, and the survivors. Even though we have a rule that we can’t make jokes at the expense of victims, OR at the expense of religion, race, sexuality, etc… we never actually have to remember that rule because we both just don’t GO there. It’s so against our personal belief systems. 

Q:  I love your drink descriptions in your episodes.  What drinks are your favorites right now?

CAITLIN: Oh boy – I am a big fan of red wine (cabs and malbecs), and OF COURSE IPAs. Right now, I am loving trying lots of different beers. When I am at home, I mostly drink red wine. When I go out, it’s normally beer. But, I do enjoy the occasional whiskey or scotch cocktail (never on its own, I am not there yet, like Sarah is). 

SARAH: Ok at first I thought you said “carbs and malbecs” LOL. Beer is ALWAYS a go to for me, but my favorite alcoholic drink is smokey scotch or whiskey. I am a sucker for a prohibition cocktail. If I had to pick my favorite BEER of the moment, it would be the Trippel from New Belgium. Super boozy, but not too heavy.

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I hope you’ll join me in supporting this fabulous cause by reserving your spot for the Luminol ball through the Luminol instagram and get your raffle tickets to win some very cool prizes. I’m personally excited to see what Sarah and Caitlin will be wearing and to “meet” them via Zoom.

Also, make sure to head to their website to see all the places where you can listen to Luminol.

Trolls and Sleuths: How Not To Be A Citizen Detective

If you’re a true crime fan, you’ve likely heard stories of ordinary people using their own research or social media skills to help crack real-life cases. Volunteer genealogists have used family trees to give names to previously unidentified victims. Facebook posts of crime videos have help to identify suspects. If you’ve watched the Netflix series Don’t F**k With Cats, you saw how Deanna Thompson and John Green spent 16 hours searching for certain types of doorknobs and walking down Google Earth streets to help hunt down a killer. The internet has given those of us passionate about justice the ability to use our own unique skills to pitch in.

But it’s also given birth to trolls. Trolls that threaten the very fiber of the criminal justice system and the notion that all people are “innocent until proven guilty.” The internet has shed a light on just how ugly some people can be when they hide behind their computer screen lobbing threats at people they have never met. This mentality is this generation’s form of getting out their pitchforks and chasing down the so-called monster.

Wednesday evening an Amber Alert popped up on my phone. Soon several of the true crime Facebook groups that I’m a part of were buzzing with questions about the adorable little girl that the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations was asking people to be on the lookout for. Evelyn Boswell was last seen on December 26, 2019, but she wasn’t reported missing until February 18, 2020 - nearly two months later.

Evelyn Boswell - Source: TBI

Everyone wanted to know why there was a delay in reporting her missing. Some people offered their thoughts and prayers that she would be found safe. And then the comments took a turn. The mother was labeled “another Casey Anthony.” People suspected that the mother must be on drugs or did something sinister with her baby. Speculation and name calling turned in to a social media call to arms when group members tracked down the mother’s personal Facebook page.

Being curious, I followed the link. Hundreds of comments appeared on the mother’s Facebook profile accusing her of murdering her baby. People posted screenshots of text conversations with people that know this woman personally. Another posted a picture of the license plate on her car, insinuating that local people should hunt her down. Threats of harm were interspersed with theories on who else could be involved.

Now, I agree that the situation sounds very suspicious, and I’ve done my own personal digging to see what I could find in social media profiles, etc. But I know that I’m not law enforcement, and my gut feeling does not mean I know the true about what happened in this situation. I think about the possibility that this mother really had nothing to do with it, and is not only panicking about what may have happened to her daughter, but is now dealing with hate, anger, and threats from people she has never met.

If someone is arrested in the future, and that person ends up being someone the people of the internet suspected, that still doesn’t change the fact that everyone is innocent until proven guilty. Everyone should get a fair trial. We are no longer mobs with pitchforks taking justice into our own hands. We have evolved as a society more than that.

As someone who considers themselves a citizen detective, these trolls give us a bad name. We have to be better than that. We cannot meet supposed evil with more evil and hate. Let us focus on finding answers for Evelyn Boswell and the others like her, and less on tearing one another down.

Source: TBI

If you have seen Evelyn, please call the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office at 423-279-7330 or the TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND.

9 Best True Crime Podcasts Of 2019

I listen to a LOT of true crime podcasts. It takes me more than 30 minutes to get practically anywhere from my house, so every time I drive, I listen exclusively to true crime. My friends are constantly asking me for podcast recommendations, so I’ve compiled a list of my favorite true crime podcasts of 2019.

I certainly haven’t listened to every true crime podcast that came out in 2019, so this list is not meant to say that these are the very best of every single one for the year. Rather, these are just my picks from the ones I listened to. I tend to enjoy podcasts that are focused around one case for a season of episodes rather than a new topic every week, so you’ll notice that is what the list is mostly comprised of. But that’s just my personal taste. Additionally, in order to make my list, a podcast had to have at least one new episode in 2019, and was not just a podcast that I happened to listen to this year. Lastly, this list is in no particular order.

Bear Brook

While most of the episodes for Bear Brook came out in 2018, the final updates (and most powerful episodes, in my opinion) came out this year. In this podcast, New Hampshire Public Radio Journalist Jason Moon tackles a decades-old cold case of four bodies found in two barrels in Allenstown, New Hampshire. There are twists, turns, and real-time breaks in the case that will make you want to binge every episode in one sitting. The production is dazzling, including the haunting soundtrack that Moon and his producer Taylor Quimby composed and performed themselves. Bear Brook is an inspiring example of citizen sleuthing and forensic genealogy that led me to take a genealogy course. Listen all the way to the very last episode. The payoff is HUGE.

The Thing About Pam

The fact that this Dateline NBC podcast is hosted by Keith Morrison should say it all. His voice is probably the most soothing sound in the whole world, even when he’s talking about murder. In The Thing About Pam, Dateline investigates the 2011 murder of Betsy Faria. After her husband Russ is charged with her murder, it seems like the story should be over, but it’s just the beginning. Every episode of the story gets stranger and stranger, and it’s hard to stop listening. If you get frustrated with murder stories that have no ending, you’ll love that this one gets tied up in a bow at the end.

Detective Trapp

If there ever was a badass woman who I would want to be when I grow up, it would be Detective Trapp. In this podcast, Christopher Goffard of the Los Angeles Times (whose voice you will recognize if you listened to Dirty John) tells the story of Detective Julissa Trapp, who is the only female detective on her Anaheim homicide squad. She’s an incredibly skilled interrogator who draws on her personal experiences to illcit confessions. When Detective Trapp catches a case of an unidentified woman found in a trash sorting plant, her determination tracks down a serial murderer. Beautifully written with extremely intimate interviews from Detective Trapp herself, this podcast brings to light a true hero.

Culpable

Every so often a podcast introduces you to a case that you just can’t stop thinking about. Culpable investigates the 2014 death of Christian Andreacchio. Found in the bathroom of his apartment with a single gunshot wound to the head, Christian’s death was immediately ruled a suicide. However, there was a large amount of evidence that pointed to a homicide. Host Dennis Cooper sheds light on just how badly the original investigation (or lack thereof) was handled in a fight to get the Andreacchio family true justice. If you enjoyed Up and Vanished, you will love Culpable as it is produced by the same team.

Confronting: O.J. Simpson

Everyone and their mother knows about the trial of O.J. Simpson, but they may not know as much about the victims of the double-homicide he was accused of. In this podcast, Ron Goldman’s sister Kim works to find the truth about what really happened to her brother the night he was killed. With a candid look at loss and the aftermath of murder on a victim’s family members, Kim speaks to the jurors, prosecutors, and witnesses that participated in what was dubbed the “Trial Of The Century.” She brings a heartbreaking humanity to her bother’s legacy and reveals what she and her father lost after his death.

The Murder Squad

While I said that I usually preferred podcasts that focus on one case in a seasonal format, The Murder Squad defies this rule. Hosted by two of my favorite true crime heroes, Billy Jensen and Paul Holes, this podcast is a must-listen to. If you’ve read investigative journalist Billy Jensen’s book Chase Darkness With Me, you’ll be familiar with his technique of using social media to help solve crimes. Paul Holes (the retired cold case detective who helped capture The Golden State Killer) brings his knowledge of DNA to the table as they both attempt to solve cold cases. They allow their audience to be a part of The Murder Squad by giving them an assignment each week encouraging citizen sluething (with rules) on the cases they are working on. The only downside of the podcast is that because it’s audio-only, you can’t see Paul Holes when he talks. #HotForHoles

Bardstown

In this podcast, host Jessica Noll takes you to the beautiful small town of Bardstown, Kentucky where there have been five unsolved murders since 2013. Police Officer Jason Ellis, school teacher Kathy Netherland and her teenage daughter Samantha, young mother Crystal Rogers (who is still missing), and Crystal’s father Tommy Ballard were all killed with no answers. Noll investigates these murders and interviews the victims’ families to determine if there is a connection between them. A very well produced podcast that leaves you wanting answers.

Without Warning

I was fascinated by the first season of Without Warning, because it features a case that was somewhat local to me. Private Investigator Sheila Wysocki allows you behind the scenes of the investigation in to the death of Lauren Agee. 22-year-old Lauren was found dead in a lake at the bottom of a cliff after a night camping with friends. The police ruled her death as an accident, but signs point to foul play. It is so interesting to hear Wysocki at work in real time on a case with so many unanswered questions. Her second season takes a deeper dive into the Christian Andreacchio case as she was also featured on the podcast Culpable.

Cold

Cold investigates the 2009 disappearance of Susan Powell from West Valley City, Utah. Very early on the police suspected that her husband, Josh Powell, had murdered her, but they were never able to find Susan’s body or arrest Josh for the crime. Susan’s case file portrays a woman being abused emotionally and financially who wouldn’t have walked away from her two young sons voluntarily. Perhaps one of the most tragic podcasts that I’ve listened to, Cold illustrates the importance of justice before it’s too late.

What do you think was the best true crime podcast of 2019?

Christmas Crime Scene Cookies

With Christmas just a few days away, I thought it would be fun to make some Couch Detective on-brand cookies. I recently participated in a Secret Santa gift exchange and received a crime scene cookie cutter that I’ve been dying (pun intended) to try out. Let me tell you…I have learned that not only am I not cut out for baking, but I probably shouldn’t be doing any projects I see on Pinterest. While I think I salvaged what could have been classified as a major fail, I don’t think anyone is going to have me write for a baking blog any time soon. So in case you are wondering, here is how NOT to bake crime scene cookies:

1. Purchase store-bought cookie dough and completely ignore when the package tells you to add 1/4 cup of flour to the dough for use with a cookie cutter. Instead, just dump a TON of flour all over the dough and say to yourself, “Yep…good enough!”

2. Use the cookie cutter to make the desired cookie shape. Immediately get frustrated and decide that the shapes look stupid. Dump more flour all over the dough. That should help.

3. Make giant circular cookies instead. Use the cookie cutter to create imprints of the desired shape in your circular cookies. Make sure that the cookies are so close together that they will make one giant smush when they bake.

At this point your cookies should look like this:

4. Get so caught up in taking a picture of your progress that you leave the plastic (yes I said plastic) cookie cutter on the baking sheet.

5. Totally disregard that you made your cookies way too big for the suggested bake time. Bake them for that time anyway.

6. Pull the cookies out of the oven when they are still so under-baked that they are a goopy mess. Panic when you realize you’ve also baked your cookie cutter. Laugh hysterically when you see the cookies have started to bake in to one giant lump.

7. Mush the goo back into four individual balls resembling cookies. Take your cookie cutter off the baking sheet with your bare hands and burn the crap out of your fingers. Take the pain like a champ. There is no crying in cookie baking.

8. Put the cookies back in the oven. Pay no attention to how much time they have been in there and bake them another 2 minutes.

9. Bake them another 2 minutes.

10. Bake them another 2 minutes to be safe. Make sure they are burnt.

11. Text your bestie about how much you suck at baking. (If you haven’t gotten her a Christmas gift yet, you should get some ideas from this post)

12. Let the cookies cool. Be proud of the one smart thing you’ve done in your baking adventure.

13. Use vanilla icing to frost the cookies. Put so much on that when you eat them you will have had WAY TOO MUCH SUGAR.

14. Mix a little bit of the frosting in a bowl with red food coloring. Mix it until it looks like blood. Be amazed at how much it REALLY looks like blood.

15. Get your hand all in the blood mixture and then throw the mixture all over your cookies in a spatter like manner.

16. Get so caught up in your spattering that you’re spattering the whole back wall of your kitchen and getting it all over your face.

By now your cookies and hand should look like this

17. Try to wash the “blood” off your hands only to realize it’s not coming off any time soon.

18. Forget about your hands and take some pictures of your cookies.

The final product should look like this

19. Get in the car with your husband to go out to dinner. Look at the shock on his face when he has to tell you that you have “blood” on your face.

20. Sit down at dinner and worry how many people think you have blood-stained hands.

21. Come home to eat cookies with the realization you’d never get away with murder.

22. Eat a cookie to find out if it’s disgusting. Eat another even if it is.

Now that I’ve told you how NOT to make crime scene cookies, how will you make them? Would you bring these cookies to a holiday gathering?

7 Gift Ideas For Your True Crime Bestie

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions are my own.

With the holidays fast approaching (why does it always sneak up on me so quickly?!) it’s time to find your true crime bestie something fantastic this year. The following items are all goodies that I was either gifted or that I bought myself that I absolutely love. I know that one of these items (or all of them!) will make the perfect gift.

1. Chase Darkness With Me - Billy Jensen

I read a lot of True Crime non-fiction and I have to say that Billy Jensen’s book is one of the best that I’ve read (and listened to.) As an investigative journalist, Billy Jensen has come up with a way to solve murders himself using social media. I love the way that this book combines stories of Billy’s life and crimes that he has worked on. I really feel like you get to know him and are along for the ride as he investigates. If your bestie is passionate about citizen sleuthing, loved Michelle McNamara’s I’ll Be Gone In The Dark (he talks about his relationship with her and how he helped finish the book), or has listened to Billy’s podcast with Paul Holes “The Murder Squad,” they will need this book. The audiobook is also spectacularly read by Billy himself. You and your bestie probably need both the book and audiobook.

Buy it here

2. True Crime And Taco Bell Shirt

I am absolutely obsessed with the shirts from Crackers & Milk. The shop owner, Chelsea, is a true entrepreneur who comes up with some seriously witty shirts. The “True Crime + Taco Bell,” one speaks to my two greatest loves. If your bestie is any thing like me, this will be a fantastic gift. But if the Cheesy Gordita Crunch isn’t their thing (are you sure you’ve chosen the right friend?!) there are tons of other adorable shirts and sweatshirts options. They are all so soft and high quality. And you have to love supporting a small business.

Buy It Here

3. Hunt A Killer Subscription

If you want to give your bestie a gift that will last for months, a Hunt A Killer subscription is a fun option. A box of evidence, clues, and puzzles will come each month that will allow your bestie to be a detective to solve a fictional crime story. Each story is a “season” that lasts 6 months, so you’re probably going to want to opt for the 6 month gift option. Also, each box helps to fund The Cold Case Foundation, so not only is the gift fun, but it goes toward a great cause as well. I received a subscription as an anniversary gift and could not wait to get my box each month.

Buy It Here

4. Serial Killer Coloring Book

I love that adult coloring books are all the rage right now. If your bestie loves to color and/or enjoys learning facts about infamous serial killers, this coloring book is for them. Pair it with some fancy colored pencils or pens, and it will make a great gift. I received mine as a gift and love it so much I’m afraid to color in it for fear of messing it up!

Buy It Here

5. Basically A Detective Sweatshirt

My mom and I took a trip to Seattle for CrowdSolve this past October and I scored this awesome sweatshirt. If you and your bestie are talking about going to CrimeCon this year (you really should) you both need one. I live in hoodies throughout the fall and winter and have practically worn this one every day since I got it (don’t worry I wash it.) It is soft and cozy and every time that I wear it people ask me where I got it.

It also comes in a v-neck shirt version that my mom opted for (we like to twin) but I personally love that the sweatshirt has the CrimeCon logo on the sleeve.

Buy It Here

6. Criminal Mind Puzzle Book

This year I was part of a True Crime Secret Santa Exchange, and my Secret Santa sent me this fun book. Full of verbal and visual puzzles, this book is going to keep me busy for hours. I plan to keep it in my purse and go through it whenever I have to wait at appointments. Help your bestie keep their mind sharp by getting them this book. It would also be fun to go through some of the puzzles together, maybe over some wine!

Buy It Here

7. Alcatraz East Crime Museum

If you want an experience you both can enjoy together, take your bestie to the Alcatraz East Crime Museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. My mom and I went this past August and we spent hours going through all the exhibits. You can see everything from Ted Bundy’s VW Bug to John Dillingers’ death mask. There is so much to learn and see for any true crime enthusiast. My personal favorite was the interactive crime scene investigation exhibit. They also have a fantastic gift shop where you can get even more true crime gifts.

Get Your Tickets Here

What are you getting your true crime bestie this year and what’s on your own wishlist?

Why 'When They See Us' Should Be Required Viewing

If you’ve been on social media in the last month or so, you’ve probably seen some of your family and friends talking about the Netflix mini-series When They See Us. If you haven’t gotten a chance to watch this four-episode series, it absolutely should be required viewing for anyone with an interest in true crime our the criminal justice system in general.

Premise

On April 19th, 1989, 28-year-old jogger Trisha Meili was brutally raped and nearly beaten to death in New York’s Central Park. Several other seemingly related attacks happened in the park around the same time cause. This caused police to take in a large group of teenagers and arrest five men of color who happened to be in the park, Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, Yusef Salaam, Korey Wise, and Raymond Santana on suspicion of the rape. They came to be known as the “Central Park Five.”

Despite the fact that four out of the five young men were under the age of 16 at the time, and many of their parents protested to their questioning or were out of the room, these men were forced to confess to the attack on the jogger without a lawyer present. These confessions were used to prosecute these young men even after they withdrew their confessions and refused plea deals on the charges. All five men were excluded from the DNA collected from the crime scene and both samples belonged to one man that was not part of the charged group. Prosecutors claimed this proved there was at least one other man present during the attack, but did not exclude the other five men.

Four of the five men were convicted and sentenced to maximum terms in juvenile facilities. Kory Wise, who was 16 at the time of the crime, was charged as an adult and sent to an adult prison. After the current perpetrator was identified through DNA testing, the five men were exonerated despite having already served their full sentences.

The Impact

The now “Exonerated Five,” have cleared their names and won wrongful conviction lawsuits against the city and state of New York for the time they spent in prison. The four juvenile defendants each served 5-6 years in prison, and Kory Wise, the oldest of the 5, served 12 years in adult facilities, much of it in solitary confinement. Despite being nearly 30 years since the men were charged and tried, and over 15 years since the men were exonerated, many of the same issues that plagued the investigation and prosecution of these men still exist today, making this case and mini-series just as relevant in 2019 as it would have been in the 90’s.

False Confessions

Daily News

New York, New York

Tue, Oct 10, 198

The Innocence Project claims that of the nearly 365 DNA exonerations that have occurred since 1989, nearly 28% of those involved false confessions. Nearly 33% of those false confessors were under the age of 18 at the time of the confession like Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, Yusef Salaam, Korey Wise, and Raymond Santana.

While it can seem hard to believe that anyone would confess to something they didn’t do, short of being tortured, many of today’s interrogation techniques lead to circumstances in which they do occur. Interrogations often happen under extreme exhaustion over a prolonged period of time. Subjects are isolated and often fed false information or given promises of leniency if they come clean.

While warnings are given prior to interrogations in the form of Miranda, young suspects tend to be the most vulnerable to false confessions, especially when left without parental guidance or counsel. This issue still very much plagues our justice system today.

Take for example Brendan Dassey in the Netflix documentary, Making a Murder. Brendan was 16 at the time of his interrogation. He was interviewed for hours without a parent or lawyer present. He was fed information about the crime that he may not have known otherwise, and was given false assurances that the investigators questioning him were on his side.

Dassey then gave several conflicting accounts of how he and his uncle Steven Avery killed victim Teresa Halbach, all while believing if he told the investigators what they wanted to hear, he would be able to return to class in time to turn in a project. Dassey has now served 13 years in prison for a conviction that was mostly based on this confession. Korey Wise served nearly the same length of time due to his confession.

Racial Bias

When news broke that a white investment banker had been raped by a gang of black and latino teenagers, racial tensions ignited. Natalie Byfield from the New York Daily News found that less than 5% of all the new stories from the time used the term “alleged” to describe the young men’s role in the attack, but instead most immediately assumed guilt.

As part of a large group of teenagers, the boys were running around Central Park that evening, “wilding.” This slang term was used to represent acting crazy and causing mischief, though not necessarily with violence. Investigators, and later reporters latched on to this phrase to amplify fears of young black men as “wolf packs” and “super predators.” It is easy to see how the media’s portal of these men as the “Central Park Five” and the language used to describe them lead to pressure to charge and then prosecute them.

Daily News

New York, New York

Sat, Apr 22, 1989

Comparatively, the media latched on to the “knock-out game” in 2013, where kids challenged their friends to punch random strangers. Many of the attackers were described as young black men and the victims white. It’s easy to see how our culture still perpetuates the idea of young black men as criminals to be feared much like they did in the early 1990s when the exonerated five were charged based on isolated incidents.

Today

Today much of the same issues that allowed Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, Yusef Salaam, Korey Wise, and Raymond Santana to spend a collective 35 years in prison still exist in our justice system. This is why programs like When They See Us are so important even 30-years later. Stories like the story of the “Exonerate Five” must be told to shed a light on issues that need to be changed. Issues that many people may not even be aware of.

Have you watched When They See Us? What were your thoughts?

Sources

Central Park Jogger Case - Wikipedia

DNA Exonerations In The United States - InnocenceProject.Org

False Confessions - The National Registry of Exonerations

Was It A False Confession in ‘Making A Murder”? - The New York Times

Ava DuVernay's When They See Us - Town & Country

What Is 'Wilding' - Oxygen.com

The Disappearance Of Marlena Childress

Facts Of The Case

It was April 16th, 1987. The Secret Of My Success starring Michael J. Fox was the number one film in the box office that week, “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” by Starship was the number one song, and Jelly Shoes were all the rage. Four-year-old Marlena Childress of Union City Tennessee was wearing a pink pair when she went missing that Thursday afternoon.

Marlena Childress - 1987

Source: NAMUS.gov

Pamela Lynn Bailey, Marlena’s mother, contacted Union City police around 4:15pm to report her daughter missing, claiming that the last time she saw her daughter she was playing in the front yard of their modest red-brick home on North Division Street. At around 3pm, Pamela heard what sounded like breaks squealing, and was worried a car had hit her daughter. She said she had seen what looked like an older two-door red car from her kitchen window, and Marlena speaking to the driver inside before she heard the sound. When she ran outside to see what had happened, her daughter was gone. Marlena’s step brother and a local store owner from down the street both claimed to have seen the same red car with either Kentucky or Illinois plates.

A city and state-wide search were conducted immediately with nearly a thousand people volunteering to search. Posters were distributed describing Marlena’s blue/hazel eyes, brown, straight hair, and pierced ears. She was roughly 48 inches tall and 38 pounds, wearing light purple pants and a white top with those pink jelly shoes. She was also described as having stainless steel or silver caps on her front top and bottom teeth. Pam’s father LaWade Strickland quickly offered up a $10,000 reward for Marlena’s return and suggested in a letter to the editor of the Grayson County News-Gazette that Marlena may have been sold to a couple wanting a child after she was abducted.

The next week, police searched for two women in Memphis (roughly 120 miles from Union City) where they believed they had a lead on Marlena’s whereabouts. A woman claimed to have seen Marlena at a hair salon with one woman in her 30s and one in her 50s. The girl was calling for her mother, and when the concerned woman asked the young child her name, she thought the girl said “Marlena.” The girl was wearing different clothes than Marlena had been wearing when she was last seen, and the woman did not notice that the child had any caps on her teeth. The lead was investigated, but nothing came from it.

A little over a month after Marlena went missing, Pam Bailey was admitted to the hospital for depression and stress. During that time, Pam’s family hired a private investigator to help find out what happened to Marlena. In a startling twist, on June 8th, the private investigator received a confession from Pam Bailey shortly after she left the hospital that she had in fact killed Marlena. She said that she had hit the child in a fit of rage, accidentally knocking her into a table, and causing her to die. She said she then enlisted a man she had known for years from Martin Tennessee to help her dispose of the body in the Obion River.

Pam Bailey

Source: The Jackson Sun (Jackson, Tennessee) · 10 Apr 1988

Authorities spent nearly a week dragging the north fork of the Obion River searching for Marlena’s body. A bone and a stained cloth were found about 4 miles downstream from where Pam claimed to have dumped the body. These items were sent to Nashville for testing, but no body was ever found. Pam was charged with second-degree murder and held on a $100,000 bond.

The man from Martin that Pam claimed helped her dispose of the body, P.L. Summers (who we will come back to later) denied in a press conference any involvement in Marlena’s disappearance. He sited that he went home after work on the day of the disappearance, and that his wife could attest to that fact. He did admit that he and his wife Ruth knew Pam Bailey, but hadn’t seen her in years. Summers was not charged for his alleged involvement.

On June 23rd, Pam recanted her confession claiming that she was “psychologically coerced” by the private investigator hired by her family. She mentioned that the confession came just days after her release from the hospital and that the meds she had been given changed her mood. Pam claimed that a man from Martin Tennessee (sound familiar?!) who sexually abused her as a child, asked her for sex in April, and when she refused, he kidnapped Marlena. While her lawyer Wayne Emmons declined to name the man Pam believed kidnapped her daughter, P.L. Summers took it upon himself to release another statement that he was not involved. Pam said she followed the kidnapper when he took Marlena to the same bridge she had earlier claimed she and Summers had dumped the body off of and and Summers said he could not have been in that area at that time.

Pam was later examined by a psychiatrist in Nashville and was declared sane and competent to stand trial. In exchange for waiving her right to a preliminary trial, Pam’s charge was reduced from murder to manslaughter. Authorities likely realized that without a body or physical evidence, the case would be hard to prosecute with the only evidence being Pam’s recanted confession. During this time, Pam’s father LaWade added more money to the reward, bringing the total reward up to $50,000. Pam, later free on bond, moved to Mayfield Kentucky to live with her parents.

On October 7th, 1987 a grand jury declined to indict Pam Bailey and no one has been charged since.

Almost exactly 15 years after Marlena Childress’ disappearance, on April 22nd, 2002, Pam Bailey stabbed her 12 year old son Casey Bailey. Police said she blindfolded her son, took him to a rural cemetery in Mayfield Kentucky, and stabbed him three times in the neck and shoulder. The boy was able to escape and residents across from the cemetery called to report the stabbing. Pam was arrested the next morning at a gas station and charged with attempted murder. Casey was released from the hospital into the custody of his father on April 23rd.

Pam Bailey entered an Alfred plea for 2nd degree assault. An an Alfred plea is a guilty plea where the defendant does not have to admit to guilt, but agrees that there is likely enough evidence for a conviction. Pam served a little less than the 10 year sentence she received at the Kentucky Correctional Institution for Women in Pewee Valley. Casey’s father, John Bailey, filed for divorce from Pam Bailey and received custody of Casey and his older brother. However, in later years, he advocated for the overturning of her conviction, citing that he did not think the case was properly investigated. In 2012, Union City police agreed to a forthcoming cold case investigation into Marlena Childress’ disappearance in light of Pam’s later charges.

Another person that later faced charges was P.L. Summers. In September of 1987, the same year that Marlena disappeared, Summers was charged with aggravated sexual battery for fondling a 9-year-old child in his backyard. Authorities claimed that this case had no connection with Marlena’s disappearance.

Couch Detective’s Thoughts

Marlena Childress - Age Progression (29)

Source: NAMUS.gov

In light of Pam Bailey’s later conviction, it’s hard to imagine that she was not in some way involved in Marlena’s disappearance. P.L. Summer’s later conviction for child molestation and Pam’s claim that he had abused her as a child bring some validity to the theory that he may have been involved. Citing his wife as an alibi brings in to question whether his wife would have been truthful about where he was that afternoon.

Whether Pam willingly gave Marlena to Summers or Summers took Marlena after pressuring Pam, with Pam’s ever-changing stories, it’s hard to tell what she really did and didn’t know. It is also possible that she was wholly a victim of losing her child, and this caused her so much stress that she later snapped and stabbed Casey. There have been many possible sightings of Marlena since her disappearance in 1987, but none have ever been confirmed.

Without knowing Marlena’s whereabouts, it’s hard to say whether or not her mother and/or P.L. Summers were involved, but it seems plausible that both parties knew more than they were letting on.

If you have any information on the disappearance of Marlena Childress, please contact the Obion County Sheriff's Department at 731-885-5832.

Sources

• Namus.gov 

• Charlie Project

• Unsolved Mysteries Wiki

• The Daily News (Bowling Green, Kentucky) · 21 April 1987

• The Daily News (Bowling Green, Kentucky) · 25 April 25 1987

• The Daily News (Bowling Green, Kentucky) · 15 June 1987

• The Harlan Daily Enterprise (Harlan, Kentucky) · 24 April 2002

• The Harlan Daily Enterprise (Harlan, Kentucky) · 9 June 1987

• The Harlan Daily Enterprise (Harlan, Kentucky) · 12 Sep 1987

• The Jackson Sun (Jackson, Tennessee) · 6 Jan 1988

• The Jackson Sun (Jackson, Tennessee) · 10 Apr 1988

• The Jackson Sun (Jackson, Tennessee) · 17 Oct 1987

• The Kentucky New Era (Hopkinsville, Kentucky) · 25 Apr 2002

• The Kentucky New Era (Hopkinsville, Kentucky) · 8 Oct 1987

• The Paducah Sun (Paducah, Kentucky) · 1 May 2002

• The Paducah Sun (Paducah, Kentucky) · 2 Aug 2004

• The Paducah Sun (Paducah, Kentucky) · 16 Jun 1987

• The Paducah Sun (Paducah, Kentucky) · 22 Apr 1988

• The Paducah Sun (Paducah, Kentucky) · 26 Jun 1987

• The Paducah Sun (Paducah, Kentucky) · 30 Sep 1987

• The Paducah Sun (Paducah, Kentucky) · 31 May 2002

• The Times Daily (Florence, Alabama) · 16 June 1987

• The Times Daily (Florence, Alabama) · 25 June 1987

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