Penis Enlargement · The Situation · Amazon
Welcome to the June budget sweep
the true crime that's worth your time
That’s a wrap on June. Saturday is July 1, so expect a lot of old-but-new-to-various platform content to drop this weekend, like a thousand seasons of Neighborhood Wars (see above) on Crackle or something like that. But that I don’t have any specific properties to talk about isn’t the worst thing, as this month’s budget sweep is pretty epic and I need to get to it. That said, I want to know what you’ll be watching, so pony up! — EB
But before we do, it’s time to vote on July’s bonus review. You know the drill: vote for the one you’d like to see the most — or if you’re an opponent of one of the options, vote on multiple others you’d prefer to knock your true crime nemesis out of the running. Paid subscribers will get a report on the property that triumphed at the end of next month.
Actress Vivica A. Fox on hosting true crime series The Interrogation Room [Culturess]
OK, here’s a true crime show that makes its debut this weekend! The Interrogation Room is, in the words of its host, a show where “you get to go inside the interrogation room to see how the detectives solve a crime, get a confession, or have enough evidence to take it to trial. Their tactics, the way that when you see them move in and they get in the person’s space, that they’re making the person feel more comfortable, like they’re their friend and they want to talk to them. I found that tactic to be really interesting, that when I was when we were watching the episodes, I was like, ‘Oh, he’s going in for the kill. Look there. He’s got their trust. Got him.’” The show will be available on multiple streaming apps as of July 1, if you’re so inclined.
He could have saved an innocent friend from prison. He waited three decades to try [SF Chronicle]
”For 29 years, Roberto Socorro stayed silent about a San Francisco murder — allowing an innocent man to remain in prison. The man was his best friend” reads the dek to this longread, which “was conducted over 14 months through numerous interviews with Joaquin Ciria, Roberto Socorro, attorneys and police who worked their cases, trial witnesses and others; and the review of thousands of pages of police and court documents; police interrogation audio and transcripts; news archives; and academic studies about Cuban migration patterns during the 1980s.”
Kevin Spacey appears in court for new sexual assault case [Washington Post]
Opening statements are expected today in the London trial; Spacey “has pleaded not guilty to 12 charges that include sexual assault, indecent assault and causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.”
From Rikers Island to City Hall: Yusef Salaam’s Ultimate Exoneration [The Nation] “Falsely imprisoned as one of the “Central Park Five,” Yusef Salaam will likely become Harlem’s next city council member. His top antagonist, Donald Trump, is likely heading to prison.”
Inside the Secretive World of Penile Enlargement [Pro Publica]
If you like alleged medical cons and don’t mind hearing about disfigured dongs, this fascinating investigation is for you.
Sphere buys ‘unputdownable’ true crime debut from Bustle editor Leach [The Bookseller]
The well-reviewed book on (per the NYT) “cases of addiction and death among America’s most privileged class” is reportedly “attracting ‘significant’ film and TV interest.”
Mike ‘The Situation’ Sorrentino Set to Host True-Crime Series ‘Statute of Limitations’ [The Wrap]
The recently incarcerated reality TV star will host “a ‘light-hearted’ take on the true crime genre” in which folks who committed crimes past the titular statute of limitations recount their misdeeds. I’m sure it will handle every tale with grace and class.
All in Slow Motion: Dani Garavelli on the trials for the murder of Nikki Allan [London Review of Books]
Thanks to BE contrib Dan Cassino for this link to a longread on a 1992 stabbing homicide by one of the first reporters on the story.
Anne Reid and Timothy Spall to Lead True Crime Drama 'The Sixth Commandment' [Telly Visions]
The four-parter is about “the death of Peter Farquhar in the village of Maids Moreton, as well as the complicated series of criminal events --- from fraud and burglary to murder ---- that surround it.” If you want spoilers, the Sun has you covered with an explainer on the case.
Scathing Report Exposes Racist and Unconstitutional Policing [New York Times]
Yeah, and…? But seriously, this is about Minneapolis Police policies that, in the words of the attorney general, “made what happened to George Floyd possible.”
‘Boys in Blue’ Director Peter Berg on Whether Doc Series Changed His View on Policing [The Hollywood Reporter]
Berg has residual affection from me for his brief arc on Alias 20something years ago; that he’s now a documentarian isn’t the worst thing. This series about “the football program at Minneapolis North High School, coached by Minneapolis cops,” might be best watched after consuming the content directly above, however.
Criminals Yesterday, Influencers Today [Air =Mail]
The dek reads, “From O. J. Simpson to Anna “Delvey” Sorokin, Amanda Knox to the Tinder Swindler, ex-cons are social media’s new favorite thing.” How new this is is up for debate, as rascals and the disreputable have been dining out on their misdeeds for decades — but I guess Claus Von Bulow didn’t have a TikTok account so this counts as a fresh new trend.
Wondery and Campside Media’s True-Crime Podcast, Suspect, Returns for a Third Season This Summer [Podnews/press release]
The season, which kicks off on July 17, is subtitled “Five Shots in the Dark”; it’s about the wrongful conviction and eventual exoneration of Leon Benson after his San Francisco-based attorneys revealed to a judge that Indianapolis police hid evidence that led to another suspect. It’s like they made this one for me!
The fugitive heiress next door. [Washington Post]
Here’s the dek for this longread: “How a reclusive woman’s past in suburban D.C. sparked a true-crime sensation in Brazil — and a national reckoning over the status of household servants.” That’s a good teaser, huh? Manuel Roig-Franzia’s reporting lives up to that sell. If this hasn’t been optioned for adaptation yet, count on it to move soon.
‘Pattern of negligence’ — Officials chide NYPD for decades of destroyed evidence in warehouse fire [Gothamist]
”City councilmembers and NYPD officials are quarreling over what decades of destroyed DNA evidence will actually cost New Yorkers — six months after a massive fire wiped out the contents of a police storage facility in Brooklyn.”
SKYND Premiere 'Edmund Kemper' Video [Anti Music]
This seemingly regurgitated press release is hilarious. From “Industrial-tinged and true crime-inspired electronic duo SKYND is the dark creative outlet and the alter ego of its lead singer, Skynd,” to the quote from Skynd that reads “while translating true crime cases into music, I have a visual idea of the song, and the dolls had to be in the video. It was important to me to show the beheading of the doll because it illustrates his crimes, without being too gratuitous,” I laughed and laughed at how hard it must be to stand out these days. Good luck everyone.
Documents released on June 13, 2023 [Mary Ferrell Foundation]
What a day for a public records release! There’s JFK library stuff, CIA docs on surveillance ops against civil rights leaders, and some sweet Cuban Missile Crisis memos.
FTC Sues Amazon Over ‘Manipulative’ Tactics Used to Enroll Millions in Prime [WSJ]
Per an FTC press release, the retail giant “has knowingly duped millions of consumers” and “tricked and trapped people into recurring subscriptions without their consent, not only frustrating users but also costing them significant money.” Per the announcement, “The Commission files a complaint when it has ‘reason to believe’ that the named defendants are violating or are about to violate the law and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest.” So don’t sue us, Amazon, we’re just reporting what the FTC is saying about you.
Monday on Best Evidence: It’s a holiday week and Sarah is off, so look for a discussion thread we can all enjoy.
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