Boston Strangler · Peak Murdaugh · Jane Doe
Weekend TV and real-life follows
the true crime that's worth your time
Have we reached peak Murdaugh? Even given Substack’s substandard search function, you’ll see that we’ve been talking about the bizarre story of Alex Murdaugh, the scion of a high-profile South Carolina family accused of embezzlement, homicide, and more. This week’s advent of Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal on Netflix this week, combined with Alex Murtaugh’s ongoing trial (he testified this morning, things are that fresh), make me feel like I’d be remiss if I didn’t make MM:ASS (omg hahaha did not expect that hilarious an initialism) my top priority for this weekend’s true crime viewing.
That said, reviews for the docuseries have thus far been mixed; here’s a sampling:
‘Murdaugh Murders’ and the Allure of Regional True Crime [NYT] “It’s a glossy Netflix product, with the heart of a tabloid and the outer skin of a sober documentary.”
‘Murdaugh Murders’ is timely but doesn’t make much of a case for watching it [CNN] “The project has a slapdash feel from beginning to end, and finds the younger contingent, especially, to be poor narrators of what transpired.”
And it’s not like the Netflix series is one’s only option: HBO, NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, Oxygen and Investigation Discovery have all taken cracks at the yarn in recent years; Hulu is also planning a dramatic adaptation (as Sarah noted last year) based on the Murdaugh Murders podcast. And there’s the New Yorker longread take from January (which Sarah wrote up). And for folks who want the latest on the trial, Court TV has a running post with thorough details on each day’s events.
Given all that, one could devote a full weekend to the Murdaughs — not just the Netflix show, but the full shebang — and still not be caught up by Monday. That’s more of a commitment than I’m willing to make, but I will probably dip into the Netflix show for a bit, and will devote my treadmill time to catching up on the most recent episode(s) of the soon-to-be-adapted podcast.
Of course, not everyone is down to spend their weekend with a bunch of rich white people from the South! I assume many of you have other true crime plans for the next couple days; please do share them. — EB
“Did you get a screener for Boston Strangler?” a critic friend asked me earlier this week. I’d just watched the recently released trailer for the upcoming Hulu film, but hadn’t gotten any critical materials; as a critic she received a copy to watch in advance. When I asked her how it was, she said, “It wants to be Zodiac so bad,” then said, “It’s basically Zodiac meets She Said … I don’t have much more to say than that.”
As soon as she said that, I knew what she meant: the Fincher-esque gels and color correction, the smoky newsroom, the “you’re on the lifestyle desk [you silly lady]” signaling of institutional misogyny. Like Zodiac, the show centers a couple real life journalists: in this case, Boston Record American reporter Loretta McLaughlin (who is played here by Kiera Knightley, and whose fight for women and marginalized folks is well-documented in her 2018 obituary, you should read it!) and Jean Cole (played by Carrie Coon, and who also lived a remarkable life).
Cole and McLaughlin’s work is largely credited with connecting the dots between slayings to reveal a serial killer; though Albert DeSalvo confessed to the killings, there remains debate over if he acted alone. So, perhaps, a slightly more satisfying ending than Zodiac can be anticipated, though it’s unlikely that Knightley and Coon will solve newsroom misogyny over the course if the feature. The movie drops on March 17 (that’s right, St. Patrick’s Day) on Hulu in the U.S., and Disney+ in the U.K. — EB
Speaking of She Said… A number of notable cases, including one featured in that film (which is now on Peacock, if you’re looking for something to break up the 24/7 Murdaugh parade) hit landmarks in recent days. Here’s a quick recap of things to know in these high-profile crimes:
Harvey Weinstein sentenced to 16 more years, says he doesn't deserve 'life in prison' [USA Today]
An L.A. jury found Weinstein guilty of rape and sexual assault late last year, and at the sentence handed down Thursday, Weinstein told the judge, “I maintain that I’m innocent. I never raped or sexually assaulted Jane Doe 1.” “This is a made up story. Jane Doe 1 is an actress. She can turn the tears on,” he said, claiming that he’d never met her. “Please don’t sentence me to life in prison. I don’t deserve it. There are so many things wrong with this case.”
Perhaps in response, this morning the woman previously known as Jane Doe 1 revealed her identity in The Hollywood Reporter: Evgeniya Chernyshova, an L.A.-based floral designer and former actress and model who said that Weinstein’s attack drove her out of the entertainment business. “I will live with this for the rest of my life,” she said at Weinstein’s sentencing. “So should he.” — EB
R. Kelly Sentenced to 20 Years for Child Sex Crimes [New York Times]
Kelly’s federal sentencing this week follows the revelation that he had “produced three videos of himself sexually abusing his 14-year-old goddaughter,” but the 20 years in prison will be served concurrently with his current 30-year sentence in his Brooklyn racketeering trial.
Judge Harry D. Leinenweber explained that the concurrent — as opposed to consecutive — sentence is because “he did not think Mr. Kelly would be likely to commit the same kind of crimes in his 80s.” Kelly still faces sex crimes charges in Minnesota, with a trial delayed until his New York and Chicago ones have concluded. — EB
Alec Baldwin pleads not guilty, waives 1st court appearance for 'Rust' involuntary manslaughter charges [ABC]
For now, the judge in the case said, Baldwin “must not possess any firearms, not consume alcohol and have no contact with any potential witnesses unless it's related to filming the movie.”
And where do things stand with the movie? According to THR, “Rust will resume filming this spring with a mix of new and old crewmembers, including embattled star and producer Alec Baldwin.” At the same time, a documentary on the life of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who was shot and killed on Rust’s set, “will also commence shooting with the ‘full support’ of the production.” — EB
Ozy Media founder Carlos Watson arrested, faces fraud charges [Washington Post]
The rise and fall of Ozy, everyone’s grandma’s favorite website for SEO-friendly aggregation-heavy news, is one that’s ripe for adaptation, especially as we learn more and more about how Watson allegedly constructed a stunning house of media metrics/profitability cards that was doomed to collapse. With an arrest as an endpoint, perhaps it’s time for an enterprising true-crime production team to snap this one up. — EB
Danny Masterson’s Rape Retrial Pushed To April Start; TV Cameras Could Be Permitted In Courtroom [Deadline]
It’s rumored that part of the defense strategy for the second trial involved testimony from Lisa Marie Presley; with her death that’s obviously off the table but defense sources also say that they’re pushing for in-courtroom TV coverage of the case.
But it’s this passage that struck me the hardest: “Thursday’s Masterson hearing at the at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center occurred as a pre-sentencing hearing in Harvey Weinstein’s L.A. rape trial was about to start down the hall, and currently incarcerated former Scrubs EP Eric Weinberg was set elsewhere in the building to receive a preliminary hearing date in his multiple sex crimes case.” Good lord. — EB
But, seriously, if you can, pay them — and pay us! Good writing, journalism, analysis, and aggregation can’t happen for free. You know that, I know that, we all have bills to pay. Thanks for considering, and to those of you who pay to subscribe to Best Evidence: you’re the icing on our cake, the stars in our sky, the cream in our coffee.
Monday on Best Evidence: More on Teddy Von Nukem, alleged pill-smuggler and documented tiki torcher.
What is this thing? This should help. Follow Best Evidence @bestevidencefyi on Instagram, email us at editorial at bestevidence dot fyi, or call or text us any time at 919-75-CRIME.