In recent years, the true crime genre has become more popular than ever. The fascination with real criminals has stealthily crept into our pop culture, replacing romcom evenings with binge-watching marathons of series and movies about cults, homicides, and fraud. Such high demand for the genre has left directors no other choice but to continue finding true crime stories and turning them into TV shows or movies, feeding into viewers’ strange obsession.
Many of these series and films based on true crimes can be found in the list below, carefully curated by our Bored Panda team. Scroll down to find them, and make sure to upvote the ones you’re definitely adding to your next-to-watch list.
While you're at it, don’t forget to check out a conversation with Nikki Young, the host of the Serial Napper true crime podcast, and Christy and Jackie, the hosts of the Kill*r Fun true crime podcast, who kindly agreed to talk with us more about adaptations of true crime cases.
#1 2019 Documentary TV Show "The Act"
Gypsy-Rose Alcida Blanchard (born July 27, 1991) is an American convicted of m****r. She rose to worldwide prominence when she was convicted of second-degree m****r in Springfield, Missouri, for the death of her mother Dee Dee Blanchard, who subjected her to lifelong physical, mental, and medical abuse. She was sentenced to ten years in prison.
She was paroled after eight years, near the end of December 2023. Given the sensational aspects of Gypsy's childhood, including her mother forcing her to pretend to be disabled and terminally ill, she gained widespread media attention.
She was paroled after eight years, near the end of December 2023. Given the sensational aspects of Gypsy's childhood, including her mother forcing her to pretend to be disabled and terminally ill, she gained widespread media attention.
29points
#2 2020 Documentary TV Show "The Trials Of Gabriel Fernandez"
On May 24, 2013, Gabriel Fernandez, an eight-year-old boy from Palmdale, California, who had been abused and tortured over a period of months, died due to a beating from his mother, Pearl Fernandez, and her boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre, two days earlier. Pearl Fernandez and Isauro Aguirre were charged and convicted of first-degree m****r with special circumstances of torture. According to prosecutors, Aguirre allegedly abused Gabriel due to his perceived homosexuality. Pearl was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole and Aguirre was sentenced to death.
Throughout his eight-month stay in the household of Pearl Fernandez and Isauro Aguirre, Gabriel Fernandez was systematically abused and tortured. This included regular physical beatings that broke his bones, burns from cigarettes and heated objects, shots from a BB gun, having his teeth knocked out with a bat, and the forced consumption of cat litter, cat feces, spoiled food, and his own vomit.
Beyond the physical torment, he was subjected to psychological abuse such as being forced to sleep bound and gagged in a small cabinet and made to wear girls' clothing. Fernandez's siblings reported that his mother and stepfather would laugh during the abuse. According to prosecutors, one of Aguirre's motivations for this abuse was that he believed Fernandez was gay.
On May 22, 2013, Fernandez was beaten for not tidying his toys. The a*****t rendered him unresponsive, prompting Pearl to call 9-1-1. Paramedics transported Fernandez to Antelope Valley Hospital, where he was declared brain dead. He died two days later at the Children's Hospital Los Angeles. The autopsy concluded that his death resulted from blunt force trauma, aggravated by neglect and malnutrition.
Throughout his eight-month stay in the household of Pearl Fernandez and Isauro Aguirre, Gabriel Fernandez was systematically abused and tortured. This included regular physical beatings that broke his bones, burns from cigarettes and heated objects, shots from a BB gun, having his teeth knocked out with a bat, and the forced consumption of cat litter, cat feces, spoiled food, and his own vomit.
Beyond the physical torment, he was subjected to psychological abuse such as being forced to sleep bound and gagged in a small cabinet and made to wear girls' clothing. Fernandez's siblings reported that his mother and stepfather would laugh during the abuse. According to prosecutors, one of Aguirre's motivations for this abuse was that he believed Fernandez was gay.
On May 22, 2013, Fernandez was beaten for not tidying his toys. The a*****t rendered him unresponsive, prompting Pearl to call 9-1-1. Paramedics transported Fernandez to Antelope Valley Hospital, where he was declared brain dead. He died two days later at the Children's Hospital Los Angeles. The autopsy concluded that his death resulted from blunt force trauma, aggravated by neglect and malnutrition.
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28points
#3 2024 Documentary Movie "What Jennifer Did"
On November 8, 2010, police in Markham, Ontario, Canada, a suburb outside of Toronto, responded to a report of a robbery and a*****t at the Unionville home of Hann and Bich Pan, ethnically Chinese Vietnamese immigrants. Both had been shot repeatedly; Bich died of her injuries and Hann was permanently blinded. The investigation revealed that the crime was not a robbery but instead a k**l-for-hire orchestrated by the couple's daughter Jennifer Pan. She had expected to inherit her parents' money and was angered that they had forbidden her to see her boyfriend after they discovered she had been deceiving them about her education.
At trial, Pan was found guilty on multiple charges and sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after 25 years, the same penalty as her co-conspirators. In May 2023, the Court of Appeal for Ontario ordered a retrial for Pan and her conspirators on the first-degree m****r charge but upheld the attempted m****r conviction. It is still not clear who actually fired the shots.
At trial, Pan was found guilty on multiple charges and sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after 25 years, the same penalty as her co-conspirators. In May 2023, the Court of Appeal for Ontario ordered a retrial for Pan and her conspirators on the first-degree m****r charge but upheld the attempted m****r conviction. It is still not clear who actually fired the shots.
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27points
What fascinates Nikki, the host of the Serial Napper podcast, the most about true crime is the human element—the motivations and behaviors of people who commit these wrongdoings.
“Many times we see how what they did directly relates back to personal traumas, circumstances, and societal pressures. Knowing the why behind the motivation might give us insight into how we can prevent future crimes,” she said.
“At the same time, I’m fascinated by the stories of the victims...how their lives were interrupted and the ripple effect it causes for their families, communities, and even law enforcement. True crime isn’t just gory violence, it’s about the ripple of loss, grief, and often, resilience that follows. Humans have the capacity for both good and evil—which I find fascinating.”
#4 2022 Documentary Series "Keep Sweet: Pray And Obey"
Warren Steed Jeffs (born December 3, 1955) is an American cult leader who is serving a life sentence in Texas for child sexual a*****t following two convictions in 2011. He is the president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, a polygamous cult based in Arizona.
In 2006, Jeffs was placed on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List for his flight from the charges that he had arranged illegal child marriages between his adult male followers and underage girls in Utah. In 2007, Arizona charged him with eight additional counts in two separate cases, including incest and sexual conduct with minors.
In September 2007, Jeffs was convicted of two counts of r**e as an accomplice, for which he was sentenced to imprisonment for ten years to life in Utah State Prison. This conviction was overturned by the Utah Supreme Court in 2010 due to flawed jury instructions.
Jeffs was extradited to Texas, where he was found guilty of sexual a*****t of a minor, for raping a 15-year-old child bride; and aggravated sexual a*****t against a child, for raping a 12-year-old child bride; for which he was sentenced to life in prison, plus twenty years, and fined $10,000. Jeffs is incarcerated at the Louis C. Powledge Unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice near Palestine, Texas.
In 2006, Jeffs was placed on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List for his flight from the charges that he had arranged illegal child marriages between his adult male followers and underage girls in Utah. In 2007, Arizona charged him with eight additional counts in two separate cases, including incest and sexual conduct with minors.
In September 2007, Jeffs was convicted of two counts of r**e as an accomplice, for which he was sentenced to imprisonment for ten years to life in Utah State Prison. This conviction was overturned by the Utah Supreme Court in 2010 due to flawed jury instructions.
Jeffs was extradited to Texas, where he was found guilty of sexual a*****t of a minor, for raping a 15-year-old child bride; and aggravated sexual a*****t against a child, for raping a 12-year-old child bride; for which he was sentenced to life in prison, plus twenty years, and fined $10,000. Jeffs is incarcerated at the Louis C. Powledge Unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice near Palestine, Texas.
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27points
#5 2015 Documentary Movie "3096 Days"
Natascha Maria Kampusch (born 17 February 1988) is an Austrian author and former talk show host. At the age of 10, on 2 March 1998, she was abducted and held in a secret cellar by her kidnapper Wolfgang Přiklopil for more than eight years, until she escaped on 23 August 2006. Upon her escape, Přiklopil k****d himself by stepping in front of a train at a nearby station.
Dietmar Ecker, Kampusch's media advisor, said that Přiklopil "would beat her so badly that she could hardly walk". He would also starve her to make her physically weak and unable to escape. He also raped her. Přiklopil had warned Kampusch that the doors and windows of the house were booby-trapped with high explosives. He also claimed to be carrying a gun and that he would k**l her and the neighbours if she attempted to escape.
The 18-year-old Kampusch escaped from Přiklopil's house on 23 August 2006. At 12:53 pm, she was cleaning and vacuuming her kidnapper's white van in the garden when Přiklopil got a call on his mobile phone. Because of the vacuum's loud noise, he walked away to take the call. Kampusch left the vacuum cleaner running and ran away when Přiklopil was out of sight. She ran for some 200 meters (218 yards) through neighbouring gardens and a street, jumping fences, and asking bystanders to call the police, but they paid her no attention. After about five minutes, she knocked on the window of a 71-year-old neighbour known as Inge T, saying, "I am Natascha Kampusch". The neighbour called the police, who arrived at 1:04 pm. Later, Kampusch was taken to the police station in the town of Deutsch-Wagram.
Dietmar Ecker, Kampusch's media advisor, said that Přiklopil "would beat her so badly that she could hardly walk". He would also starve her to make her physically weak and unable to escape. He also raped her. Přiklopil had warned Kampusch that the doors and windows of the house were booby-trapped with high explosives. He also claimed to be carrying a gun and that he would k**l her and the neighbours if she attempted to escape.
The 18-year-old Kampusch escaped from Přiklopil's house on 23 August 2006. At 12:53 pm, she was cleaning and vacuuming her kidnapper's white van in the garden when Přiklopil got a call on his mobile phone. Because of the vacuum's loud noise, he walked away to take the call. Kampusch left the vacuum cleaner running and ran away when Přiklopil was out of sight. She ran for some 200 meters (218 yards) through neighbouring gardens and a street, jumping fences, and asking bystanders to call the police, but they paid her no attention. After about five minutes, she knocked on the window of a 71-year-old neighbour known as Inge T, saying, "I am Natascha Kampusch". The neighbour called the police, who arrived at 1:04 pm. Later, Kampusch was taken to the police station in the town of Deutsch-Wagram.
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27points
#6 2022 Documentary Movie "American M****r: The Family Next Door"
In the early hours of August 13, 2018, in Frederick, Colorado, Christopher Lee Watts m******d his pregnant wife Shanann (34) by strangulation, and their two children Bella (4) and Celeste (3) by suffocation. He buried Shanann in a shallow grave near an oil-storage facility, and dumped his children's bodies into crude oil tanks. Watts initially maintained his innocence in his family's disappearance, but was arrested on August 15, after confessing in an interview with detectives to m*******g Shanann. Months later he also admitted to m*******g his children.
On November 6, 2018, Watts pleaded guilty to multiple counts of first-degree m****r as part of a plea deal when the death penalty (which was later abolished in Colorado in 2020) was removed from sentencing. He was sentenced to five life sentences without the possibility of parole, three to be served consecutively.
On November 6, 2018, Watts pleaded guilty to multiple counts of first-degree m****r as part of a plea deal when the death penalty (which was later abolished in Colorado in 2020) was removed from sentencing. He was sentenced to five life sentences without the possibility of parole, three to be served consecutively.
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26points
The hosts of the Kill*r Fun podcast, Christy and Jackie, are interested in these stories because, like other women, they see themselves in them. “The victims are frequently women, and even when they aren't, we can see someone we care about in that role. Understanding the kinds of people who perpetuate crime and who the victims can be—just about anyone—helps us prepare ourselves to hopefully NOT become victims and support others in this kind of crisis,” they said.
#7 Best Limited Series I've Ever Seen, "When They See Us" Based On The 1989s Case Of Five Teens Who Were Wrongfully Convicted Of Raping A Woman In Central Park, NY
The Central Park jogger case was a criminal case concerning the a*****t and r**e of Trisha Meili, a woman who was running in Central Park in Manhattan, New York, on April 19, 1989. Crime in New York City was peaking in the late 1980s and early 1990s as the crack epidemic surged. On the night Meili was attacked, dozens of teenagers had entered the park, and there were reports of muggings and physical assaults.
Six teenagers were indicted in relation to the Meili a*****t. Charges against one, Steven Lopez, were dropped after Lopez pleaded guilty to a different a*****t. The remaining five - Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise - were convicted of the charged offenses and served sentences ranging from seven to thirteen years.
Six teenagers were indicted in relation to the Meili a*****t. Charges against one, Steven Lopez, were dropped after Lopez pleaded guilty to a different a*****t. The remaining five - Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise - were convicted of the charged offenses and served sentences ranging from seven to thirteen years.
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25points
#8 2022 Documentary TV Show "Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story"
Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer was an American serial k****r and sex offender who k****d and dismembered seventeen men and boys between 1978 and 1991. Many of his later m*****s involved necrophilia, cannibalism, and the permanent preservation of body parts - typically all or part of the skeleton.
Although he was diagnosed with many disorders, Dahmer was found to be legally sane at his trial. He was convicted of fifteen of the sixteen homicides he had committed in Wisconsin and was sentenced to fifteen terms of life imprisonment on February 17, 1992. Dahmer was later sentenced to a sixteenth term of life imprisonment for an additional homicide committed in Ohio in 1978.
Although he was diagnosed with many disorders, Dahmer was found to be legally sane at his trial. He was convicted of fifteen of the sixteen homicides he had committed in Wisconsin and was sentenced to fifteen terms of life imprisonment on February 17, 1992. Dahmer was later sentenced to a sixteenth term of life imprisonment for an additional homicide committed in Ohio in 1978.
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24points
#9 2007 American Psychological Horror-Thriller Film "The Girl Next Door"
Movie is based on Jack Ketchum's 1989 novel of the same name, which was inspired by the real-life m****r of Sylvia Likens, to whom the movie is dedicated.
Sylvia Marie Likens (January 3, 1949 – October 26, 1965) was an American teenager who was tortured and m******d by her caregiver, Gertrude Baniszewski, many of Baniszewski's children, and several of their neighborhood friends. The abuse lasted for three months, occurring incrementally, before Likens died from her extensive injuries and malnourishment on October 26, 1965, in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Likens was increasingly tormented, neglected, belittled, sexually humiliated, beaten, starved, lacerated, burned, and dehydrated by her tormentors. Her autopsy showed 150 wounds across her body, including several burns, scald marks and eroded skin. Through intimidation, her younger sister, Jenny, was occasionally forced to participate in her mistreatment. The official cause of her death was determined to be a homicide caused by a combination of subdural hematoma and shock, complicated by severe malnutrition.
Gertrude Baniszewski; her oldest daughter, Paula; her son, John; and two neighborhood youths, Coy Hubbard and Richard Hobbs, were all tried and convicted in May 1966 of neglecting, torturing, and m*******g Likens. At the defendants' trial, Deputy Prosecutor Leroy New described the case as "the most diabolical case to ever come before a court or jury" and Gertrude's defense attorney, William C. Erbecker, described Likens as having been subjected to acts of "degradation that you wouldn't commit on a dog" before her death.
The torture and m****r of Sylvia Likens is widely regarded as one of the worst crimes in Indiana history and has been described by a senior investigator in the Indianapolis Police Department as the "most sadistic" case he had ever investigated in the 35 years he served with the Indianapolis Police.
Sylvia Marie Likens (January 3, 1949 – October 26, 1965) was an American teenager who was tortured and m******d by her caregiver, Gertrude Baniszewski, many of Baniszewski's children, and several of their neighborhood friends. The abuse lasted for three months, occurring incrementally, before Likens died from her extensive injuries and malnourishment on October 26, 1965, in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Likens was increasingly tormented, neglected, belittled, sexually humiliated, beaten, starved, lacerated, burned, and dehydrated by her tormentors. Her autopsy showed 150 wounds across her body, including several burns, scald marks and eroded skin. Through intimidation, her younger sister, Jenny, was occasionally forced to participate in her mistreatment. The official cause of her death was determined to be a homicide caused by a combination of subdural hematoma and shock, complicated by severe malnutrition.
Gertrude Baniszewski; her oldest daughter, Paula; her son, John; and two neighborhood youths, Coy Hubbard and Richard Hobbs, were all tried and convicted in May 1966 of neglecting, torturing, and m*******g Likens. At the defendants' trial, Deputy Prosecutor Leroy New described the case as "the most diabolical case to ever come before a court or jury" and Gertrude's defense attorney, William C. Erbecker, described Likens as having been subjected to acts of "degradation that you wouldn't commit on a dog" before her death.
The torture and m****r of Sylvia Likens is widely regarded as one of the worst crimes in Indiana history and has been described by a senior investigator in the Indianapolis Police Department as the "most sadistic" case he had ever investigated in the 35 years he served with the Indianapolis Police.
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24points
When it comes to adaptations of these true crime cases, Nikki believes that they can be entertaining, informative, and problematic all at once. “Sometimes, creators take a direction where they glorify perpetrators and will re-victimize families who have to see their trauma play out in public again,” she told us.
“However, at the same time, there are so many unsolved crimes that need more attention. Law enforcement simply cannot keep up. By informing the public and spreading the word, you're opening up the possibility of bringing in new leads. The important piece here is whether or not the adaptation is victim-centric or simply exploitative. There is a clear difference.”
#10 I Enjoyed Candy, 2022 Documentary TV Series Based On The True Story Of Candy Montgomery, Who M******d Her Friend In The 1980s After Having An Affair With Her Husband
Candace Lynn Montgomery is an American woman who was accused of m*******g her lover's wife, Betty Gore. The k*****g took place in Wylie, Texas, on June 13, 1980. During the a*****t, Gore was struck 41 times with a wood splitting axe. Montgomery pleaded not guilty to charges of m****r on the basis of self-defense, alleging that Gore confronted her about an affair she had with Gore's husband and attacked her with the axe. She was acquitted.
The verdict received a great deal of criticism from the community. Crowds chanted, "Murderer! Murderer!" as Montgomery exited the courthouse following her acquittal.
The verdict received a great deal of criticism from the community. Crowds chanted, "Murderer! Murderer!" as Montgomery exited the courthouse following her acquittal.
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23points
#11 2024 Documentary Series "American Nightmare"
Matthew Daniel Muller (born March 27, 1977) is an American kidnapper, rapist, former immigration attorney, and Marine veteran.
In March 2015, Muller developed a delusion that he should kidnap "evil wealthy people" for ransom to give to the poor. During his psychosis, he committed two home invasions and kidnapped and raped Denise Huskins, originally deemed a hoax by authorities. He was caught on June 9, 2015 after leaving his cell phone and other evidence at the site of the unsuccessful second home invasion. He is being held in Federal Correctional Institution, Tucson, until 2049.
Muller was diagnosed with major depression with signs of mania after contemplating s*****e. After his symptoms continued to worsen, he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2008.
In March 2015, Muller developed a delusion that he should kidnap "evil wealthy people" for ransom to give to the poor. During his psychosis, he committed two home invasions and kidnapped and raped Denise Huskins, originally deemed a hoax by authorities. He was caught on June 9, 2015 after leaving his cell phone and other evidence at the site of the unsuccessful second home invasion. He is being held in Federal Correctional Institution, Tucson, until 2049.
Muller was diagnosed with major depression with signs of mania after contemplating s*****e. After his symptoms continued to worsen, he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2008.
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23points
#12 2019 Documentary Series "Conversations With A K****r: The Ted Bundy Tapes"
Theodore Robert Bundy (November 24, 1946 – January 24, 1989) was an American serial k****r who kidnapped, raped, and m******d dozens of young women and girls during the 1970s. After more than a decade of denials, he confessed to 30 m*****s. The total number of his victims is likely to be higher.
Bundy frequently revisited the bodies of those he abducted, grooming and performing sex acts on the corpses until decomposition and destruction by wild animals made further interactions impossible. He decapitated at least twelve of his victims, keeping their severed heads as mementos in his apartment. On a few occasions, Bundy broke into homes at night and bludgeoned, maimed, strangled and sexually assaulted his victims in their sleep.
In 1975, Bundy was arrested and jailed in Utah for aggravated kidnapping and attempted criminal a*****t. He then became a suspect in a progressively longer list of unsolved homicides in several states. Facing m****r charges in Colorado, Bundy engineered two dramatic escapes and committed further assaults in Florida, including three m*****s, before being recaptured in 1978. For the Florida homicides, he received three death sentences in two trials, and was executed in the electric chair at Florida State Prison on January 24, 1989.
Bundy frequently revisited the bodies of those he abducted, grooming and performing sex acts on the corpses until decomposition and destruction by wild animals made further interactions impossible. He decapitated at least twelve of his victims, keeping their severed heads as mementos in his apartment. On a few occasions, Bundy broke into homes at night and bludgeoned, maimed, strangled and sexually assaulted his victims in their sleep.
In 1975, Bundy was arrested and jailed in Utah for aggravated kidnapping and attempted criminal a*****t. He then became a suspect in a progressively longer list of unsolved homicides in several states. Facing m****r charges in Colorado, Bundy engineered two dramatic escapes and committed further assaults in Florida, including three m*****s, before being recaptured in 1978. For the Florida homicides, he received three death sentences in two trials, and was executed in the electric chair at Florida State Prison on January 24, 1989.
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23points
Because media on true crime can be victim-exploitative, Christy and Jackie choose not to cover those specific ones on their podcast. “We think it's important to cover stories where the people closest to the crime have a voice in how the story is told or that the story is fictionalized enough that the term "based on a true story" does a lot of heavy lifting,” they said.
“Good stories are, by their nature, entertaining. Reality is often stranger than fiction could ever get away with and knowing what is true in a story is informative. Telling someone's story in ways that make them feel victimized again is problematic and unfair.”
#13 2015 American Crime Drama Television Film "Cleveland Abduction"
Movie is based on the kidnapping of three Cleveland women by Ariel Castro in the early 2000s.
Between 2002 and 2004, Ariel Castro abducted Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry, and Gina DeJesus from the roads of Cleveland, Ohio, and later held them captive in his home at 2207 Seymour Avenue in the city's Tremont neighborhood. All three women were imprisoned at Castro's home until 2013, when Berry successfully escaped with her six-year-old daughter, to whom she had given birth while captive, and contacted the police. Police rescued Knight and DeJesus, and arrested Castro hours later. Castro was charged with four counts of kidnapping and three counts of r**e. He pled guilty to 937 criminal counts of r**e, kidnapping, and aggravated m****r as part of a plea bargain. He was sentenced to life imprisonment plus 1,000 years in prison without the possibility of parole. One month into his life sentence, Castro died by s*****e by hanging himself with bedsheets in his prison cell.
Between 2002 and 2004, Ariel Castro abducted Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry, and Gina DeJesus from the roads of Cleveland, Ohio, and later held them captive in his home at 2207 Seymour Avenue in the city's Tremont neighborhood. All three women were imprisoned at Castro's home until 2013, when Berry successfully escaped with her six-year-old daughter, to whom she had given birth while captive, and contacted the police. Police rescued Knight and DeJesus, and arrested Castro hours later. Castro was charged with four counts of kidnapping and three counts of r**e. He pled guilty to 937 criminal counts of r**e, kidnapping, and aggravated m****r as part of a plea bargain. He was sentenced to life imprisonment plus 1,000 years in prison without the possibility of parole. One month into his life sentence, Castro died by s*****e by hanging himself with bedsheets in his prison cell.
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23points
#14 2023 Documentary Movie "Missing: The Lucie Blackman Case"
Joji Obara, born Kim Sung-jong is a Korean-Japanese serial rapist who raped between 150 and 400 women between 1992 and 2000. He was charged with drugging, raping and k*****g an English woman, Lucie Blackman; the r**e and manslaughter of an Australian woman, Carita Ridgway; and the r**e of eight other women.
In 2007, Obara was sentenced to life imprisonment on multiple r**e charges and manslaughter but was acquitted in the Blackman case for lack of direct evidence. In December 2008, the Tokyo High Court found Obara guilty on the counts of abduction, dismemberment and disposal of Blackman's body. Blackman's death, as well as Obara's trial, received extensive press coverage internationally, especially in the United Kingdom.
In 2007, Obara was sentenced to life imprisonment on multiple r**e charges and manslaughter but was acquitted in the Blackman case for lack of direct evidence. In December 2008, the Tokyo High Court found Obara guilty on the counts of abduction, dismemberment and disposal of Blackman's body. Blackman's death, as well as Obara's trial, received extensive press coverage internationally, especially in the United Kingdom.
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22points
#15 2021 Documentary Series "Night Stalker: The Hunt For A Serial K****r"
Ricardo Leyva Muñoz Ramirez (February 29, 1960 – June 7, 2013), better known as Richard Ramirez, and nicknamed the Night Stalker, was an American serial k****r and sex offender whose k*****g spree occurred in Greater Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area in the state of California.
From April 1984 to August 1985, Ramirez m******* at least fourteen people during various break-ins, with his crimes usually taking place in the afternoon, leading to him being dubbed the Night Stalker, the Walk-In K****r, and the Valley Intruder. He was convicted and sentenced to death in 1989 and died while awaiting execution in 2013.
Ramirez's crimes were heavily influenced by a troubled childhood. Frequently abused by his father, he developed brain damage and started abusing d***s at the age of 10.
Ramirez used a wide variety of weapons, including handguns, various types of knives, a machete, a tire iron and a claw hammer. He punched, pistol whipped, and strangled many of his victims, both with his hands and in one instance a ligature; stomped at least one victim to death in her sleep; and tortured another by shocking her with a live electrical cord.
From April 1984 to August 1985, Ramirez m******* at least fourteen people during various break-ins, with his crimes usually taking place in the afternoon, leading to him being dubbed the Night Stalker, the Walk-In K****r, and the Valley Intruder. He was convicted and sentenced to death in 1989 and died while awaiting execution in 2013.
Ramirez's crimes were heavily influenced by a troubled childhood. Frequently abused by his father, he developed brain damage and started abusing d***s at the age of 10.
Ramirez used a wide variety of weapons, including handguns, various types of knives, a machete, a tire iron and a claw hammer. He punched, pistol whipped, and strangled many of his victims, both with his hands and in one instance a ligature; stomped at least one victim to death in her sleep; and tortured another by shocking her with a live electrical cord.
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22points
Their recent favorite true crime adaptation that was done right was Woman Of The Hour. “It was based on truth—there really was a serial kill*r on The Dating Game in the 1970s!—but it gave us the truth in a way that didn't expose victims in harmful ways, shed light on societal issues that made this crime possible but did not glorify the serial kill*r. One of the most successful adaptations of a true crime story in a long time,” they said.
Whereas, the most controversial and disappointing for them (though for good reason) was Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. “This show was the turning point for OUR podcast to decide we were going to concentrate on true crime that endeavors to be non-exploitative. The show told real stories that were disturbing and heartbreaking, with real victims' names attached without the permission of the loved ones of those victims,” they explained.
“Some people want for the stories to be told to serve as a warning or as an indictment of the perpetrator. Some families find that their beloved family member becomes merely a footnote in someone else's heinous story and feel that their death shouldn't be the defining factor of their life. Honoring those choices is the most important part of making media about true crime.”
#16 2022 Documentary Movie "I Am Vanessa Guillen"
The m****r of Vanessa Guillén, a 20-year-old United States Army soldier, took place inside an armory at Fort Hood, Texas, on April 22, 2020, when she was bludgeoned to death by another soldier, Aaron David Robinson. Guillén had been missing for more than two months before some of her dismembered, burned remains were found buried along the Leon River on June 30. Robinson fled Fort Hood after learning of the discovery. When law enforcement tried to apprehend him in nearby Killeen, Texas, he fatally shot himself.
Cecily Aguilar, a local woman identified as Robinson's girlfriend, was taken into custody for assisting him in dismembering and burying Guillén's body. On July 2, 2020, Aguilar was charged with one federal count of conspiracy to tamper with evidence. On July 13, 2021, she was indicted on eleven counts by a federal grand jury. On November 29, 2022 Aguilar pleaded guilty to accessory to m****r after the fact and three counts of making a false statement. On August 14, 2023, Aguilar was sentenced to the maximum of 30 years for her role in covering up the m****r of Guillén.
Guillén had long had the goal of serving in the Army but, after being assigned to Fort Hood, told friends and family of being sexually harassed by a superior. She did not report it officially for fear of retaliation, as such reports were supposed to go through the chain of command.
Cecily Aguilar, a local woman identified as Robinson's girlfriend, was taken into custody for assisting him in dismembering and burying Guillén's body. On July 2, 2020, Aguilar was charged with one federal count of conspiracy to tamper with evidence. On July 13, 2021, she was indicted on eleven counts by a federal grand jury. On November 29, 2022 Aguilar pleaded guilty to accessory to m****r after the fact and three counts of making a false statement. On August 14, 2023, Aguilar was sentenced to the maximum of 30 years for her role in covering up the m****r of Guillén.
Guillén had long had the goal of serving in the Army but, after being assigned to Fort Hood, told friends and family of being sexually harassed by a superior. She did not report it officially for fear of retaliation, as such reports were supposed to go through the chain of command.
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22points
#17 2022 Documentary Movie "Our Father"
Donald Lee Cline (born December 10, 1938) is a former American medical doctor of obstetrics and gynecology and convicted felon. Between 1974 and 1987, Cline sired over 90 children without disclosing himself as the s***m donor to his patients. As of May 11, 2022, Cline has been confirmed as the biological father of 94 doctor-conceived offspring.
In 2014 when Jacoba Ballard, a daughter of a former patient of Cline, reviewed the results of her at-home DNA test, she discovered a biological connection to eight previously unknown half-siblings. Her genetic genealogy research ultimately revealed Cline, her mother's fertility doctor, as her biological father. Cline is now known to have covertly fathered at least 94 offspring.
Ballard filed a complaint with the Attorney General of Indiana who initiated an investigation in 2015. Then Indiana attorney general Tim DeLaney declined to prosecute because "there was no law forbidding Cline’s conduct." Ballard then pursued media coverage. Fox59 anchor Angela Ganote investigated her story. During her investigation, Ganote learned that Cline had lied to the attorney general's office in their investigation. Documents show that he had told investigators, "I can emphatically say that at no time did I ever use my own sample for insemination nor was I a donor."
After a story aired on Fox59, Cline left a voicemail for Ballard contradicting what he had told investigators. "Uh, this is Dr. Cline, You know, I thought I was doing the right thing. I only donated my own sample nine or 10 times," he said. He had placed the call to ask Ballard for help with damage control. "Um, my wife and I, uh, after 57 years of marriage, um, we have had a great deal of problems over this. She considers this adultery. I donated my sample. Gonna lose my wife. Our marriage will be over. Can you help?"
Ganote told DeLaney that Cline was lying to them. Ballard played the audio of the voice mail. The attorney general then conducted an independent DNA test. The results confirmed a 99.9997% probability of paternity. Charges were filed against Cline. In State of Indiana v. Donald Cline, Cline pleaded guilty to two Level 6 felony counts of obstruction of justice and received a one-year suspended sentence.
As of May 2022, Cline had paid out more than $1.35 million to settle three civil lawsuits filed by donor children and families. Three more are pending.
In 2014 when Jacoba Ballard, a daughter of a former patient of Cline, reviewed the results of her at-home DNA test, she discovered a biological connection to eight previously unknown half-siblings. Her genetic genealogy research ultimately revealed Cline, her mother's fertility doctor, as her biological father. Cline is now known to have covertly fathered at least 94 offspring.
Ballard filed a complaint with the Attorney General of Indiana who initiated an investigation in 2015. Then Indiana attorney general Tim DeLaney declined to prosecute because "there was no law forbidding Cline’s conduct." Ballard then pursued media coverage. Fox59 anchor Angela Ganote investigated her story. During her investigation, Ganote learned that Cline had lied to the attorney general's office in their investigation. Documents show that he had told investigators, "I can emphatically say that at no time did I ever use my own sample for insemination nor was I a donor."
After a story aired on Fox59, Cline left a voicemail for Ballard contradicting what he had told investigators. "Uh, this is Dr. Cline, You know, I thought I was doing the right thing. I only donated my own sample nine or 10 times," he said. He had placed the call to ask Ballard for help with damage control. "Um, my wife and I, uh, after 57 years of marriage, um, we have had a great deal of problems over this. She considers this adultery. I donated my sample. Gonna lose my wife. Our marriage will be over. Can you help?"
Ganote told DeLaney that Cline was lying to them. Ballard played the audio of the voice mail. The attorney general then conducted an independent DNA test. The results confirmed a 99.9997% probability of paternity. Charges were filed against Cline. In State of Indiana v. Donald Cline, Cline pleaded guilty to two Level 6 felony counts of obstruction of justice and received a one-year suspended sentence.
As of May 2022, Cline had paid out more than $1.35 million to settle three civil lawsuits filed by donor children and families. Three more are pending.
Report
21points
#18 2017 Documentary Movie "Casting Jonbenet"
JonBenét Patricia Ramsey (August 6, 1990 – December 26, 1996) was an American child beauty queen who was k****d at age six in her family's home at 755 15th Street in Boulder, Colorado, on the night of December 25, 1996. Her body was found in the house's basement about seven hours after she had been reported missing.
She had sustained a fractured skull, and a garrote was tied around her neck. The autopsy report stated that JonBenét's official cause of death was "asphyxia by strangulation associated with craniocerebral trauma". Her death was ruled a homicide.
After the homicide of JonBenét was discovered, Boulder law enforcement officials declared that Patsy and her husband were "under an umbrella of suspicion" because of their possible involvement in the crime. The couple spent the next 10 years defending themselves against the allegations by insisting that an intruder k****d their daughter.
This mysterious m****r of JonBenét Ramsey remains unsolved.
She had sustained a fractured skull, and a garrote was tied around her neck. The autopsy report stated that JonBenét's official cause of death was "asphyxia by strangulation associated with craniocerebral trauma". Her death was ruled a homicide.
After the homicide of JonBenét was discovered, Boulder law enforcement officials declared that Patsy and her husband were "under an umbrella of suspicion" because of their possible involvement in the crime. The couple spent the next 10 years defending themselves against the allegations by insisting that an intruder k****d their daughter.
This mysterious m****r of JonBenét Ramsey remains unsolved.
Report
21points
Nikki’s top pick for a true crime adaptation is Dr. Death. “It shows how the system, including hospitals, medical boards, and colleagues, failed to protect patients. It’s a critique of how difficult it can be to expose malpractice within the medical profession and how power, reputation, and institutional loyalty often shield dangerous individuals from scrutiny. It's way more than just a true crime story. It's an important deep dive into the systemic flaws in healthcare.”
While the biggest disappointment for her was The Act, the story about Gypsy Rose Blanchard and her mother Dee Dee. “It portrays Gypsy as a victim and her mother DeeDee as the perpetrator when the case is much more complex than that. The show dramatizes and distorts the issue of Munchausen by Proxy, which DeeDee was never actually diagnosed with. While Dee Dee's behavior was at times abusive and cruel, the show tends to exaggerate her villainy. Dee Dee's motives were deeply tied to her own mental health struggles,” Nikki explained.
#19 2016 Three-Part Biographical Crime Drama "Rillington Place"
Movie is about the real life case of serial k****r John Christie, and the subsequent wrongful execution of Timothy Evans.
John Reginald Halliday Christie (8 April 1899 – 15 July 1953) was an English serial k****r and serial rapist active during the 1940s and early 1950s. He m******d at least eight people—including his wife Ethel—by strangling them inside his flat at 10 Rillington Place, Notting Hill, London. The bodies of three of his victims were found in a wallpaper-covered kitchen alcove soon after he had moved out of Rillington Place during March 1953. The remains of two more victims were discovered in the garden, and his wife's body was found beneath the floorboards in the front room. Christie was arrested and convicted of his wife's m****r, for which he was hanged.
Two of Christie's victims were Beryl Evans and her baby daughter Geraldine, who, along with Beryl's husband Timothy Evans, were tenants at 10 Rillington Place during 1948–49. Evans was charged with both m*****s, found guilty of the m****r of his daughter and hanged in 1950. Christie was a major prosecution witness; when his own crimes were discovered three years later, serious doubts were raised about the integrity of Evans' conviction. Christie himself subsequently admitted k*****g Beryl, but not Geraldine; it is now generally accepted that Christie m******d both victims and that police mishandling of the original inquiry allowed Christie to escape detection, which enabled him to commit a further four m*****s. In 2004 the High Court acknowledged that Evans did not m****r either his wife or his child.
Christie committed his m*****s between 1943 and 1953, usually by strangling his victims after he had rendered them unconscious with domestic gas (containing carbon monoxide); some he raped as they lay unconscious.
John Reginald Halliday Christie (8 April 1899 – 15 July 1953) was an English serial k****r and serial rapist active during the 1940s and early 1950s. He m******d at least eight people—including his wife Ethel—by strangling them inside his flat at 10 Rillington Place, Notting Hill, London. The bodies of three of his victims were found in a wallpaper-covered kitchen alcove soon after he had moved out of Rillington Place during March 1953. The remains of two more victims were discovered in the garden, and his wife's body was found beneath the floorboards in the front room. Christie was arrested and convicted of his wife's m****r, for which he was hanged.
Two of Christie's victims were Beryl Evans and her baby daughter Geraldine, who, along with Beryl's husband Timothy Evans, were tenants at 10 Rillington Place during 1948–49. Evans was charged with both m*****s, found guilty of the m****r of his daughter and hanged in 1950. Christie was a major prosecution witness; when his own crimes were discovered three years later, serious doubts were raised about the integrity of Evans' conviction. Christie himself subsequently admitted k*****g Beryl, but not Geraldine; it is now generally accepted that Christie m******d both victims and that police mishandling of the original inquiry allowed Christie to escape detection, which enabled him to commit a further four m*****s. In 2004 the High Court acknowledged that Evans did not m****r either his wife or his child.
Christie committed his m*****s between 1943 and 1953, usually by strangling his victims after he had rendered them unconscious with domestic gas (containing carbon monoxide); some he raped as they lay unconscious.
Report
21points
#20 2016 Documentary "Amanda Knox"
Amanda Marie Knox is an American author, activist, and journalist. She spent almost four years incarcerated in Italy after her wrongful conviction in the 2007 m****r of Meredith Kercher, a fellow exchange student, with whom she shared an apartment in Perugia. In 2015, Knox was definitively acquitted by the Italian Supreme Court of Cassation. In 2024, an Italian appellate court upheld Amanda Knox's slander conviction for falsely accusing Patrick Lumumba of m*******g Meredith Kercher.
Knox, aged 20 at the time of the m****r, called the police after returning to her and Kercher's apartment after a night spent with her boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, and finding Kercher's bedroom door locked and blood in the bathroom. During the police interrogations that followed, the conduct of which is a matter of dispute, Knox allegedly implicated herself and her employer, Patrick Lumumba, in the m****r.
Initially, Knox, Sollecito, and Lumumba were all arrested for Kercher's m****r, but Lumumba was soon released because he had a strong alibi. A known burglar, Rudy Guede, was soon arrested, after his bloody fingerprints were found on Kercher's possessions. He was convicted of m****r in a fast-track trial and was sentenced to 30 years' imprisonment, later reduced to 16 years. In December 2020, an Italian court ruled that Guede could complete his term by doing community service.
In their initial trial, in 2009, Knox and Sollecito were convicted and sentenced to 26 and 25 years in prison, respectively. Pre-trial publicity in Italian media, which was repeated by other media worldwide, portrayed Knox in a negative light, leading to complaints that the prosecution was using character assassination. A guilty verdict at Knox's initial trial and her 26-year sentence caused international controversy, because American forensic experts thought evidence at the crime scene was incompatible with her involvement. A prolonged legal process, including a successful prosecution appeal against her acquittal at a second-level trial, continued after Knox was freed in 2011.
On March 27, 2015, Italy's highest court definitively exonerated Knox and Sollecito. However, Knox's conviction for committing defamation against Lumumba was upheld by all courts. On January 14, 2016, Knox was acquitted of defamation for saying she had been struck by policewomen during the interrogation.
Knox, aged 20 at the time of the m****r, called the police after returning to her and Kercher's apartment after a night spent with her boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, and finding Kercher's bedroom door locked and blood in the bathroom. During the police interrogations that followed, the conduct of which is a matter of dispute, Knox allegedly implicated herself and her employer, Patrick Lumumba, in the m****r.
Initially, Knox, Sollecito, and Lumumba were all arrested for Kercher's m****r, but Lumumba was soon released because he had a strong alibi. A known burglar, Rudy Guede, was soon arrested, after his bloody fingerprints were found on Kercher's possessions. He was convicted of m****r in a fast-track trial and was sentenced to 30 years' imprisonment, later reduced to 16 years. In December 2020, an Italian court ruled that Guede could complete his term by doing community service.
In their initial trial, in 2009, Knox and Sollecito were convicted and sentenced to 26 and 25 years in prison, respectively. Pre-trial publicity in Italian media, which was repeated by other media worldwide, portrayed Knox in a negative light, leading to complaints that the prosecution was using character assassination. A guilty verdict at Knox's initial trial and her 26-year sentence caused international controversy, because American forensic experts thought evidence at the crime scene was incompatible with her involvement. A prolonged legal process, including a successful prosecution appeal against her acquittal at a second-level trial, continued after Knox was freed in 2011.
On March 27, 2015, Italy's highest court definitively exonerated Knox and Sollecito. However, Knox's conviction for committing defamation against Lumumba was upheld by all courts. On January 14, 2016, Knox was acquitted of defamation for saying she had been struck by policewomen during the interrogation.
20points