General True Crime Shows

[Annber03]

3 hours ago, geekgirl921 said:

Did anyone watch Licensed to Kill this weekend? Who goes to a doctor they found on Craig's List? It's shady enough finding an apartment on there (though I did find my place on there) let alone entrusting your health to someone on there!

YES! It was such a tough episode to watch, because I was biting my tongue the whole time. On the one hand, I feel for the kid's mom, watching her son struggle as he was, and I feel for the kid himself, too. I can sympathize with the desperation to want to find something, anything that can help take away your pain. And with something as serious and awful as HIV/AIDS especially, I can't even begin to imagine the difficulty and horror involved in having to live with that. And I can get where it's frustrating to be taking a drug that does help with a lot of the symptoms, but which still causes its own painful side effects that can exacerbate things. 

But holy shit, how did he fall for this "ozone therapy" nonsense so easily? If there were something that could officially cure HIV/AIDS once and for all, it would be BIG news. It would not be something you'd have to search out online as some "alternative treatment", and it sure as fucking hell would not be something you'd have to go to some ramshackle, rundown trailer out on the edge of town to obtain. Come on, people, use your brains here. 

And if I go to a doctor, whether he's in a trailer, as was the case here, or heck, even if he were in an actual office, and he comes to the door completely nude, and his office is an unholy mess and he doesn't use any sanitary methods to treat people, and there's blood spurting everywhere when he's sticking me with a syringe? Uh, hell, no, I'm getting the fuck out of there and never returning. I just kept wanting to scream, "'WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WHY ARE YOU GOING TO HIM? WHY ARE YOU LETTING YOUR SON GO SEE HIM?!?!"

I am glad the investigators were able to finally nab the guy, though, 'cause good lord, he was creepy as all get out. Just wish the families and the victims had been able to receive the proper justice they deserved at the end. 

[Razzberry]

I've been watching "Cruise Ship Killers" on the Justice channel.  I'm surprised at how many people disappear on cruises and how little is done by the cruiselines.  They told one family that maybe a "rogue wave" swept her out to sea, although no one else noticed this rogue wave.  No real investigation and no body makes it attractive for would-be killers.

[Schnickelfritz]

19 minutes ago, Razzberry said:

I've been watching "Cruise Ship Killers" on the Justice channel.  I'm surprised at how many people disappear on cruises and how little is done by the cruiselines.  They told one family that maybe a "rogue wave" swept her out to sea, although no one else noticed this rogue wave.  No real investigation and no body makes it attractive for would-be killers.

I can't believe there are so many of this incidences. Enough for a long season. That, along with Norovirus and Covid have definitely dulled my enthusiasm for sharing a trip, trapped on the ocean, with 6,000 of my closest friends.

[CrazyInAlabama]

It's not just disappearances (often blamed on suicides), or murders on cruise ships, but rapes, thefts, and all kinds of assaults.    Between crime, and diseases, like Norovirus and Covid, I'm never signing up for a cruise.  

[One Tough Cookie]

Did anyone watch The Lying King the other night? It was about a con artist/child molester who came from England and honestly, he looked looked actually liked you would expect a perv to look like.

[Schnickelfritz]

23 minutes ago, One Tough Cookie said:

Did anyone watch The Lying King the other night? It was about a con artist/child molester who came from England and honestly, he looked looked actually liked you would expect a perv to look like.

I had seen another show on him on ID last year (episode on The Lies that Bind) but this show really delved into everything and yet I have a suspicion that they barely scratched the surface of his malfeasance. That story was so convoluted that you needed a score card to keep track of the players. My heart broke for Matthew. He was doomed from the first day he met Scott Rogers.  I'm glad that "Ian" (not sure if that is his real name as he was identified as Stewart in the book)  escaped and the other 2 boys were removed. 

[Annber03]

Yeah, I think that was an extended version of that "Lies that Bind" episode, 'cause it had the same setup and look as that episode did, just with an extra hour's worth full of interviews and clips that didn't make it into the original episode. 

Very strange and creepy story, indeed. The whole thing with his daughter who wasn't really his daughter was so freaking skeevy, and then when you learned about his history with those boys as well...eeesh. I remember the one lady in that episode explaining how predators like him charm the public first, and then their victims, thus making it harder for the victims to be believed when the accusations do start popping up. Such a succinct way to describe so many similar situations like this. 

I do like that there were a few people who weren't charmed by him the way others were, though, and that some of them were dogged in trying to delve more into this guy's history. Just such a shame that it had to take so much tragedy for the truth to finally come to light. 

[Annber03]

...uh, okay, so this guy that's being interviewed on this "Signs of a Psychopath" show right now...holy shit. Skin crawling. 

[Tdoc72]

On 8/22/2020 at 6:35 PM, Annber03 said:

Yeah, I think that was an extended version of that "Lies that Bind" episode, 'cause it had the same setup and look as that episode did, just with an extra hour's worth full of interviews and clips that didn't make it into the original episode. 

Anytime the little picture icon on my tv’s guide comes up with a grey background and white words, it’s a dead giveaway that it was from another show and just given a new title. 

Here’s one on my dvd now:  Originally it was an episode from the series Dark Waters that aired in 2018 but now repackaged as a new show.

 

[ApplesandPears]

On 8/10/2020 at 1:45 AM, funky-rat said:

I saw the show about Samira Frasch the other day.  She did not deserve what happened to her at all, but I really did not like her trying to make her infant some social media star.  The home movies shown of her pushing the baby (Hyrah) in some fancy decked out stroller, dressed to the hilt, letting strangers touch her, etc.  It bothered me for some reason.  Not necessarily because of danger from strangers, but that an infant is seen as a commodity, of sorts.  Also, the infant can't communicate if they don't like it (being paraded around, etc).

Her husband is a POS and is where he belongs.  I hope the two babies are living a normal life somewhere. 

I wonder if the children were able to live with her relatives or the close friend that was on the program?  I didn't care for her parading the baby around either.

Edited August 24, 2020 by ApplesandPears

[SunnyBeBe]

This true life story featured in this documentary really takes the prize for the most bizarre reaction of parents towards their adult son who brutally murdered their adult daughter.   After many lies and denials he finally admits that he did it ONLY it was an accident......he just can’t explain how he shot her FIVE times.  Who knew prisons allow first degree murders to spend the weekends fellowshipping with their families on prison grounds. Really crazy stuff.  

 

 

[Schnickelfritz]

1 hour ago, SunnyBeBe said:

This true life story featured in this documentary really takes the prize for the most bizarre reaction of parents towards their adult son who brutally murdered their adult daughter.   After many lies and denials he finally admits that he did it ONLY it was an accident......he just can’t explain how he shot her FIVE times.  Who knew prisons allow first degree murders to spend the weekends fellowshipping with their families on prison grounds. Really crazy stuff.

What the heck was that?  Don't think I would be socializing with him. Is it a guilty parent thing? Doing a little research, he also planned to kill his parents and yet, there they are - ready to fire up the grill and listen to whatever dumb excuse he has to offer on the day.

He also was allowed to leave prison to go to his father's internment and grandmother's and father's funerals. Didn't he kind of lose those rights when he started eliminating family members?

https://www.chathamdailynews.ca/news/local-news/jenkins-approved-for-escorted-release-to-attend-interment

This article touches on why he did it.

http://povmagazine.com/articles/view/murder-in-the-family

On a lighter note - Happy birthday to Schnickelfritz Jr. Now don't make me (NOT) visit you in prison.

[Razzberry]

If I ever had to serve time for murder, I'd rather it be a Canadian prison.  Only two people seemed to work there, and they were kept busy seeing that violent psychopaths and their families enjoy their time together, even if the family was next on their hit list.  Heck they even provide steak knives.

WTF is wrong with these people?

[InDueTime]

Fugitive Yaser Abdel Said has been captured. His son and brother have also been arrested for harboring him.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/08/26/us/yaser-abdel-said-fbi-custody/index.html

https://dfw.cbslocal.com/2020/08/26/capital-murder-suspect-in-taxi-cab-killings-of-2-daughters-yaser-abdel-said-captured/

That's a relief. Whenever I saw the case, I thought this bastard would never be caught. Hopefully, there will finally be justice for the daughters.

 

Edited August 27, 2020 by InDueTime
Spelling

[badhaggis]

1 hour ago, InDueTime said:

Fugitive Yaser Abdel Said has been captured. His son and brother have also been arrested for harboring him.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/08/26/us/yaser-abdel-said-fbi-custody/index.html

https://dfw.cbslocal.com/2020/08/26/capital-murder-suspect-in-taxi-cab-killings-of-2-daughters-yaser-abdel-said-captured/

That's a relief. Whenever I saw the case, I thought this bastard would never be caught. Hopefully, there will finally be justice for the daughters.

 

I cheered when I heard this! I was afraid he would never be found. I wonder if his wife was back with him.

[Annber03]

Watching the newest "License to Kill" and I'm really liking this paramedic they're interviewing. Good on him for trying to fight back against that shitty doctor and openly calling him out to his face. 

Taking advantage of such a vulnerable population of people as he did is just the crappy icing on the shitty cake. 

[kathyk24]

Love Fraud on Showtime is excellent. It's the story of Robert Scott Smith a con artist who marries women and drains their bank accounts.

[Vivigirl10]

I watched an episode of "American Greed- Deadly Rich" last night and I should not have watched it before going to bed.  It was infuriating.  I was also surprised that with such a notable case, I don't remember ever seeing it on a Dateline, 20/20, etc.  It profiled Sheila and Heather Mack.  Heather and her boyfriend killed Sheila while they were all on a trip to Bali and they stuffed her poor body in a suitcase.  

On 8/26/2020 at 12:06 PM, Razzberry said:

If I ever had to serve time for murder, I'd rather it be a Canadian prison. 

No, you need to check out Bali!  Heather was facing death by a firing squad but ultimately was only given 10 years (and likely less with a points system in the jail for things like good behavior).  Taken into consideration for this outrageously low sentence was the fact that she was pregnant while on trial and showed remorse for the killing.  Um.....NOT.  Once in jail, she somehow had full access to post constantly on social media where she would show off her baby, new girlfriend, and how they were able to drink, smoke and party as much as they wanted.

I did some reading online and it looks like she went after the trust her Mother had set-up for her before her death.  Ultimately, she was denied her rights to it but it was instead transferred all over to her daughter as the sole heir.  Excuse me?  Like we don't know how this story is going to end and who will really end up with the money?

It was one of the more horrible stories I've watched.  I've no doubt this psycho will kill again once she's released.  

  

[LuvMyShows]

On 8/30/2020 at 11:43 PM, kathyk24 said:

Love Fraud on Showtime is excellent. It's the story of Robert Scott Smith a con artist who marries women and drains their bank accounts.

I don't know if it was him, or someone else, but I saw a show recently where a woman met a man on-line and after 2 weeks they were discussing marriage, and he asked to borrow $2,500 so he could send his daughter on a field trip for school...and she wired him the money!  WTAF  Surprise...no daughter/field trip, no marriage, no money repaid.

[Annber03]

Okay, tonight's "Evil Lives Here" made me cry. What a heartbreaking story. 

[Supagirl]

On 9/7/2020 at 3:00 AM, Annber03 said:

Okay, tonight's "Evil Lives Here" made me cry. What a heartbreaking story. 

Did they say what state the kids’ bodies were found in? That must have been a long, terrifying ride for them from New Hampshire.

[Schnickelfritz]

1 hour ago, Supagirl said:

Did they say what state the kids’ bodies were found in? That must have been a long, terrifying ride for them from New Hampshire.

He killed them before he took off cross country. He buried them in Hudson, OH and then claimed he didn't remember where they were.

[Annber03]

2 hours ago, Supagirl said:

Did they say what state the kids’ bodies were found in? That must have been a long, terrifying ride for them from New Hampshire.

It was eerie to see my state of Iowa on the list of potential places he could've buried them.

I still can't get over the bit about him driving around with them in the car after the fact. Just...what the hell? Such an awful trip for Teri to have to make, but I'm so glad she was able to finally get the answers she needed. Thank goodness for that stranger. 

[mousegirl]

I may be the only one who is bothered by this, but why oh why do the true crime channels keep doing the Dirty John story?  It's being repeated ad nauseum.  

It is a very compelling story, no doubt.  The ending, when Deborah Newell's daughter delivers the fatal blow to Dirty John as he is trying to stab her to death, is horrifying but righteous.  But...lay it to rest, people.  

There's a trailer for the show now in which Deborah is heard to say something about how crazy the publicity has been, "it was on the front page of the LA Times" etc.  And yet here she is participating in more interviews and shows about what happened.  I could be dead wrong, but it seems to me that if you are overwhelmed by the publicity you might want to refuse any further requests to tell the story - unless you are secretly enjoying the attention.  

I've also seen enough re-hashing of the deadly Peterson trio - Scott, Drew and Michael - and Jody Arias murder stories to last a lifetime.  

Edited September 8, 2020 by mousegirl

[Annber03]

8 minutes ago, mousegirl said:

There's a trailer for the show now in which Deborah is heard to say something about how crazy the publicity has been, "it was on the front page of the LA Times" etc.  And yet here she is participating in more interviews and shows about what happened.  I could be dead wrong, but it seems to me that if you are overwhelmed by the publicity you might want to refuse any further requests to tell the story - unless you are secretly enjoying the attention.  

Ha, yeah, I thought the same thing when I first saw that ad, too. 

We can add Joe Exotic to your list. I haven't even seen "Tiger King", and yet I still feel like those people's fifteen minutes should've been well over by now. 

[auntjess]

Can't remember the name now, but saw a show on Lizzie Borden, with way too many experts and too little real background information.
Years ago, I saw a good show, which went into how cheap her father was, and he and/or stepmother had served some porridge or something for breakfast that had turned sour in the heat, but they still were supposed to eat it.
It also detailed the strange layout of the bedrooms, which opened onto each other, and discussed whether she did it naked, or in a shift, and put it into the latrine downstairs.
They should find that one and dump the new one.

[Epeolatrix]

Was it "The Curious Life and Death of..." with Lindsey Fitzharris?

[auntjess]

1 hour ago, Epeolatrix said:

Was it "The Curious Life and Death of..." with Lindsey Fitzharris?

Yes, just found it.  I expect more from Smithsonian Channel.  What did you think of it?

The one I remembered might be this one, with Elizabeth Montgomery, and it's on youtube.
I'll watch it when I get a chance.

 

 

[Epeolatrix]

I thought it felt a little frantic in its pacing, but I chalked it up to it being her first episode. I follow her on Twitter and I have her book (which was really good), so I might be cutting her more slack about her nervousness. I do think that it takes the basic idea of the crime for granted, like, "Okay, we all know the story, but I want to look at it more forensically." I'm going to give the series at least another episode before giving up on it, in case it finds its footing.

[Minivanessa]

On 9/8/2020 at 4:05 PM, mousegirl said:

I've also seen enough re-hashing of the deadly Peterson trio - Scott, Drew and Michael - and Jody Arias murder stories to last a lifetime.  

From your keyboard to God's ear. 

On 9/8/2020 at 4:15 PM, Annber03 said:

We can add Joe Exotic to your list. I haven't even seen "Tiger King", and yet I still feel like those people's fifteen minutes should've been well over by now. 

I noped out of watching Tiger King back when it was hot, and I feel the same way. I saw a promo for a Joe Exotic show on ID or Oxygen, and no thanks, I'll pass.

[geekgirl921]

On 9/7/2020 at 12:00 AM, Annber03 said:

Okay, tonight's "Evil Lives Here" made me cry. What a heartbreaking story. 

Yes, that was a sad one and he was a bastard right to the end! 

On 9/8/2020 at 3:05 PM, mousegirl said:

I may be the only one who is bothered by this, but why oh why do the true crime channels keep doing the Dirty John story?  It's being repeated ad nauseum.  

It is a very compelling story, no doubt.  The ending, when Deborah Newell's daughter delivers the fatal blow to Dirty John as he is trying to stab her to death, is horrifying but righteous.  But...lay it to rest, people.  

There's a trailer for the show now in which Deborah is heard to say something about how crazy the publicity has been, "it was on the front page of the LA Times" etc.  And yet here she is participating in more interviews and shows about what happened.  I could be dead wrong, but it seems to me that if you are overwhelmed by the publicity you might want to refuse any further requests to tell the story - unless you are secretly enjoying the attention.  

I've also seen enough re-hashing of the deadly Peterson trio - Scott, Drew and Michael - and Jody Arias murder stories to last a lifetime.  

Yes, they have definitely overdone this one. I have this episode on my dvr but I am not sure if I will bother since I already know the story. And as much as I applaud the daughter for being so tough and defending herself, I find her voice annoying.

[Christina]

This story has been covered a hundred times by many shows and I'm sure we've discussed it here. I'm cutting and pasting from the link since it's a news source and not everyone can read them, but there are photos and video on the site for those who can.

Arrest in the Murder of John Mike Crites

Quote

the murder of John "Mike" Crites

John Michael Crites

By: Jonathon Ambarian - MTN News

Posted at 7:52 AM, Aug 21, 2020 and last updated 9:52 AM, Aug 21, 2020

HELENA — Court documents are providing more information about what led to the arrest of a suspect in the long-unsolved killing of John “Mike” Crites.

Leon Michael Ford, 66 years old, was set to make his first court appearance in Washington on Thursday on charges of deliberate homicide and tampering with evidence. He was arrested Wednesday morning in Oak Harbor, Washington.

Crites was last seen in June 2011. In October 2011, his dismembered remains were discovered in plastic bags on the east side of MacDonald Pass. His skull was found several miles west of the pass in September 2012. An autopsy showed that Crites, who was 48 at the time of his disappearance, died from two gunshot wounds to the head.

Crites lived on a property along Turk Road, in a rural area outside Birdseye northwest of Helena. He had been involved in long-running disputes with several of his neighbors.

Ford owned a property adjacent to Crites, further up the road. Court documents say there had been years of disputes between the two men over access to that land. A branch of Turk Road runs through Crites’ property before leading to Ford’s land. Crites had put up a gate across that road, claiming there wasn’t a legal easement for Ford to use it.

Court documents say Crites accused Ford of pointing a gun at him during a 2007 confrontation at the gate. Ford claimed he had been pointing his pistol at the ground as a warning, and that Crites had been carrying a rifle at the time. Several days after, Ford told the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office that he had found the gate welded shut and kicked it open.

According to court documents, a Lewis & Clark County judge issued an order the next day, allowing Ford to use the road to access his property.

Ford traveled to Montana from his home in Oak Harbor in late June 2011. He told investigators he had sent Crites a letter earlier that month, saying he was coming back and would expect to be able to access his property. Investigators say a friend of Crites’ told them he had said a “crazy neighbor” was going to kill him.

According to documents, a neighbor’s game camera showed Ford’s vehicle going up Turk Road on June 25, 2011. Authorities said Ford told them he had met with Crites and they had come to an agreement on access, but that Crites told the neighbor Ford had yelled and screamed at him and demanded he remove the gate.

On June 26, documents say Crites called another friend from his cell phone, telling him he was worried issues with his neighbors could end in violence, then hanging up when he heard someone approaching. Investigators said the camera showed Ford’s truck going up the road around the time of that call – the last made from Crites’ phone.

Documents say Ford told authorities he hadn’t seen Crites on June 26, that he found the gate cut down, and that he sprayed weeds along the road that day. Investigators said they later found he had only picked up the weed sprayer on June 27, and that Ford later said he had instead spent June 26 looking for “booby traps” with a metal detector.

According to court documents, Ford said he had been spraying weeds for three days and had gone up and down the road a dozen times, but camera footage only showed his vehicle going up and down once, on June 27.

After not hearing from Crites for several days, a neighbor went to his house on June 28 and found him gone.

The charging documents say investigators found cable ties at both locations where Crites’ remains were discovered. The ties were eventually identified as a specific type last produced in September 2011. Authorities said the manufacturer told them the ties were only available from specific distributors and had to be special-ordered.

Investigators found records from a contractor at the Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, where Ford worked, showing Ford had taken some of those ties from a warehouse, but that there was no identification of what project they were supposed to be used for.

The news of an arrest in Crites’ death came as a great relief to his family. His sister Connie Crites said she received a call from the Lewis & Clark County Sheriff’s Office around noon Wednesday.

“I literally started jumping up and down at work,” she said. She then drove about three hours to give their mother the news in person.

“Her face broke out into this big smile, and of course the first words out of her mouth were ‘Praise God,’” she said.

Connie said that while the nine-year wait was difficult for the family, they never lost hope that a breakthrough would come. However, she said she knows the legal process could still take a long time to resolve, and that she won’t feel closure until then.

“This is the beginning of yet another rollercoaster, but I would rather go on this rollercoaster than not,” she said. “This begins anew the pursuit for justice; it’s just a new chapter.”

There was another couple, John Mehan and Katy Wessel, who held Crites at gunpoint when he was trying to cross the easement at one time, and I believe they were always presented as the number one suspects in his disappearance and later murder on the episodes. Crites Estate was defending a lawsuit filed by Mehan and Wessel and the Estate attempted to get information from the criminal murder investigation for their defense in the civil case, because Mehan had been charged with a felony regarding tampering with and attempting to destroy evidence relating to the murder case. I believe he tried to delete trail camera videos but the police were able to recover them.

The man who was arrested, Leon Ford, and his wife, Debbie Ford, were also primary suspects from the beginning. The Crites Estate filed suit against the Lewis and Clark Sheriff's Department because they were withholding information, including the autopsy and which the Estate believed they were entitled to by law, and by withholding the evidence, the Estate was not only unable to defend the suit, the were risking losing the right to file a wrongful death action before the statute ran out. 

The Estate's Opening Brief filed with the Supreme Court of Montana regarding that lawsuit is a 33 page pdf found here. There is more information about the ongoing property feud in that brief.

[Annber03]

Good lord, the newest "Your Worst Nightmare". What a psycho that guy was. 

[renatae]

On 9/8/2020 at 5:15 PM, Annber03 said:

Ha, yeah, I thought the same thing when I first saw that ad, too. 

We can add Joe Exotic to your list. I haven't even seen "Tiger King", and yet I still feel like those people's fifteen minutes should've been well over by now. 

I agree. I only saw part of "Tiger King" and I was baffled that anyone could find this story compelling. I find the guy unwatchable. Just your average criminal blowhard, from what I saw.

Paul Keller was on "Evil Lives Here" saying he thinks he's not evil and trying to excuse himself by claiming he's the most harmless person ever (!) and that he was molested, causing all this to go down. He just skims over the fact that he somehow managed to break his baby brother's femur when he was quite young, nearly drowned his sister, and later choked her. Not to mention the four elderly people killed in one of his arsons. Many of his violent actions seem to have happened quite a bit before he was 22. He is full of excuses and denials of being a dangerous person, right alongside his admissions that he did everything he was accused of.

Edited September 21, 2020 by renatae

[Annber03]

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing with Keller on tonight's episode. Obviously, it sucks that he went through that kind of abuse and I'm sorry he experienced that. 

But yes, he sure was full of spin and defenses and such when trying to explain away his own crimes. And I get where, for his parents, it would be very tough to reconcile and come to terms with what their son did (they clearly struggled with it for a long time), and weigh that against their love for him. But the almost cheerful way they kept talking at the end about how much they still love him was a bit jarring, given the serious nature of the crimes. 

[smittykins]

I do feel great sympathy for Paul’s father.  I can’t imagine how hard it must have been to do the right thing and turn in his son.

Edited September 21, 2020 by smittykins

[Razzberry]

On 9/21/2020 at 1:41 AM, Annber03 said:

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing with Keller on tonight's episode. Obviously, it sucks that he went through that kind of abuse and I'm sorry he experienced that. 

Another repackaged repeat, and I'm not sure I believe him.  It might be true but according to his parents he had no empathy even when small and torturing his siblings.

I really wish my program guide would warn me about the repeats under a different name.  James Patterson's show is now using old "Fear Thy Neighbor" episodes.  I've been watching more True Crime Network shows like "Poisonous Liaisons" and of course Cruise Ship Killers which seems to have a mountain of episodes.  lol

[Persnickety1]

So "The Killer Beside Me" on ID Discovery has a new season?

I was surprised last week to find a "new" episode on my DVR and thought it must have been a mistake, but I hadn't seen the episode before (and it's one of my ID Discovery favorites).

Then last night I had another "new" episode and, sure enough, I hadn't seen that one either.

I watch a lot of ID Discovery and never even saw a promo for a new season.

Last night's episode was just horrific.  That poor woman.  The only mistake she made was underestimating how dangerous her co-worker was.  

BTW, I love the hokey lead-in on the opening credits for this show..."How well do you know your co-workers?"  In spite of the dark nature of the program, those opening credits always make me LOL.  

Happy Friday, everyone 🙂   

[Epeolatrix]

FX begins a five-part documentary on Jeffrey MacDonald tonight at 8pm, based on Errol Morris's book A Wilderness of Error. "When Army surgeon Jeffrey MacDonald is sent to prison for killing his family, a storm of swirling narratives challenges our very ability to find the truth all the while overshadowing a chilling possibility: MacDonald may be an innocent man." Which gives you a good idea what the spin on this is going to be.

[Angeltoes]

I am just sitting down to watch this and will try to keep an open mind.  But it's going to take a lot of persuasion to make me think MacDonald is innocent.  Rest in peace, Colette, Kim and Kristen.

 

Edited September 26, 2020 by Angeltoes

[kathyk24]

13 hours ago, Angeltoes said:

I am just sitting down to watch this and will try to keep an open mind.  But it's going to take a lot of persuasion to make me think MacDonald is innocent.  Rest in peace, Colette, Kim and Kristen.

 

I'll never believe that he's innocent. I can't believe that a group of killers would leave an adult alive and kill a two year old. I don't understand why ID is doing a show on OJ and Nicole it's going to be painful for the families of the victims.

[Lisa418722]

7 hours ago, kathyk24 said:

I'll never believe that he's innocent. I can't believe that a group of killers would leave an adult alive and kill a two year old. I don't understand why ID is doing a show on OJ and Nicole it's going to be painful for the families of the victims.

I've always thought he did it.  Collette and the girls were brutalized. He was left alive.  

[funky-rat]

On 9/27/2020 at 10:10 AM, Lisa418722 said:

I've always thought he did it.  Collette and the girls were brutalized. He was left alive.  

Not to mention the naysayers constant "proof" - Helena Stokley - was the daughter of a high ranking officer on base.  She likely heard all of the details from him, either directly or indirectly.  And her brain was messed up with her drug abuse, so I never believed her stories (which she recanted several times)  Nothing about MacDonald's story made a lick of sense.  I always use "It was a roving band of hippies" as a soundbyte for something ludicrous.  This will end up being another "Making A Murderer".  I hate one-sided crap.

The ID Channel can stop running that promo with Nicole Brown's sister any time now.  I am so sick of it.  My husband, who didn't watch the trial like I did (I had 8 hour video tapes running every day while I was at work), said "She didn't know her sister kept diaries?  I thought that was common knowledge".  Victims most always don't deserve what they get - Nicole Brown included (and especially Ron Goldman) - but I watched that multi-part documentary on OJ that came out when that movie about him did (where Cuba Gooding Jr played OJ), and they went into detail how OJ bought Nicole's family off very early on in their relationship, and that made me angry. I think of watching them during the trial, and wanting to scream that there was blood on their hands at them.  There is some conjecture, but a lot can be proven.

https://www.romper.com/p/did-nicole-brown-simpsons-parents-push-her-to-stay-with-oj-simpson-american-crime-story-tackles-the-rumors-6546

[Persnickety1]

On 9/27/2020 at 7:10 AM, Lisa418722 said:

I've always thought he did it.  Collette and the girls were brutalized. He was left alive.  

"Acid is groovy, kill the pigs" just never rang true to me.  I will always believe McDonald killed his wife and precious daughters.  

If anyone is interested in reading about the case, try Fatal Vision.  I found it to be excellent.  

[Persnickety1]

21 hours ago, funky-rat said:

I had 8 hour video tapes running every day while I was at work.

I did the exact same thing, then after I got Mini Persnickety in bed for the night, I'd catch up.

The only bad thing was it felt like over 50% of the trial time was spent in sidebars, so 8 hours of taping probably turned out 2 hours of actual trial footage worth watching.  

I also seem to recall Denise Brown started a charity in Nicole's memory, but I also seem to recall there were allegations that she burned through all of the donations on personal items.  I don't even know if the charity still exists but it sounded like a complete debacle.  

It also sounds like Tanya may have some of her own issues with which she's been dealing.  

I'll probably watch this special just to see if there is any new information, but aside from whatever Tanya is reading in that preview, it sounds like it's just a rehash of common knowledge for anyone who followed the case.  

[Annber03]

Oh, my god, I'm watching last night's newest "Impact of Murder" episode and it's utterly heartbreaking. Jesus, this poor family. 

[Razzberry]

I saw nothing new in that McDonald show that made me go "Hmmm, maybe he didn't do it!"   If Helena Stokely is their smoking gun,  that burnout couldn't swear what planet she was on.  It's like they never heard of people injecting themselves into crimes. I think at the time some people just couldn't believe a man could do that.  But as we've seen, it happens for ridiculous and selfish reasons.  

[kathyk24]

7 hours ago, Persnickety1 said:

"Acid is groovy, kill the pigs" just never rang true to me.  I will always believe McDonald killed his wife and precious daughters.  

If anyone is interested in reading about the case, try Fatal Vision.  I found it to be excellent.  

It's a great book and the TV movie that was made from the book is worth watching. The movie stars Gary Cole as Jeffrey McDonald and Karl Malden as Collette's father. Collette's father went from proclaiming Jeff's innocence to wanting him found guilty.

[badhaggis]

5 hours ago, Annber03 said:

Oh, my god, I'm watching last night's newest "Impact of Murder" episode and it's utterly heartbreaking. Jesus, this poor family. 

God bless that family. I really admire Corrina Martin. She is so strong and inspiring.

[Annber03]

10 minutes ago, badhaggis said:

God bless that family. I really admire Corrina Martin. She is so strong and inspiring.

Agreed. I applaud all the work she's been doing since this tragedy and I hope her family's story brings more attention to her cause

Watching her have to take a break because she was so overcome talking about what happened to Alyssiah...whew, that was rough. I can't even begin to imagine how difficult it would be to have to deliver that kind of horrific news to a victim's loved ones, either.