We all love a true crime story. Be it in a form of a highly dramatised show like Crime Patrol the n number of podcasts we listen to while doing our daily activities or even classic shows like Unsolved Mysteries and Forensic Files.
However, even when true crime makes a very entertaining genre, the fact that it involves very real people, is heartbreaking. This week, we bring to you five horrifying crime documentaries that will also break your heart.
Casting JonBenet
It is never easy to stomach a crime that took the life of a small child. However, the case of JonBenet Ramsey, the child pageant queen who was murdered at the age of 6 soon became a national enigma. That’s the point the documentary wants to convey. The fact the little girl fades into the background and scandalous theories become the focus of the case, is another heartbreaking element of the documentary. However, it is the sad truth of this case. From DNA evidence that might not even be so, to theories of parents covering up the murder committed by their son, this documentary addressed everything under the sun in this case.
American Murder: The Family Next Door
This case can be looked at with many angles. It can be looked at from the angle of a family annihilator, a red collar crime, a crime of passion and even as an unfortunate bane of social-media. Whatever angle you look at this case with, it is equally heart-wrenching. Mini-influencer and entrepreneur Shanann, who is 15 weeks pregnant, and her two daughters Bella and Celeste disappear one day. The police doesn’t take much time to arrest her husband Chris Watts, who confesses to strangling her and his daughters and burying their bodies in oil tanks. The horrific crime is almost overshadowed by the fact that Chris is having a passionate affair with his colleague Nichol Kessinger. The Watts had even declared bankruptcy. The documentary, using archive footage of the victims from social media, will absolutely break your hearts into pieces.
The Case Against Adnan Syed
This is a four-part docu-series about the infamous conviction of Adnan Syed, who was arrested for allegedly murdering his ex Hae Min Lee in 1999. Adnan’s guilt and innocence has been debated from time immemorial. This was the case that got national spotlight by the 2014 podcast Serial, which is credited to start the true crime podcast genre. This documentary gives another look at this case and asks the same questions. Is Adnan Syed a victim of sloppy investigations, racial prejudice and the worst luck in the world? Or is he the world’s best liar who has manipulated people closest to him for over two decades now?
Confessions with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes
It is a little uncomfortable and extremely worrisome that Ted Bundy’s image has alleviated from a heinous serial killer to a charming, almost god-like personality. Casting popular actor Zac Effron as the serial killer in the 2019 film Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile was also an interesting choice given that even softened the public opinion about the serial killer. However, this documentary, released in the same year, tried to tell it for what it was. It used archival footage and audio recordings of Bundy that were made while he was on death row, to show his views on his own crimes. Did the documentary try to humanise him? Is it possible to humanise a serial killer who raped and murdered more than 30 women? These are questions left to the viewers.
Night Stalker: The Hunt For a Serial Killer
This latest documentary on Netflix deals with the infamous serial killer Richard Ramirez, as told from the perspective of the lead detectives on the case, Gil Carrillo and Frank Salerno. Richard Ramirez, the heinous murderer with rotten teeth, terrified the city of Los Angeles in 1985. The documentary takes us on the journey where the investigators struggle to find their guy due to the lack of evidence and pattern. When they do arrest him, he ignites a horrifying ‘Satanic panic’ in the peaceful state of California. Needless to say, this story isn’t for the weak-hearted.
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