Mommy Dead and Dearest Honestly, Gypsy Rose Blanchards story is next level. Her mom, Dee Dee, convinced her she suffered from illnesses like leukemia and muscular dystrophy when, in reality, she was fine. Why? Dee Dee likely had Munchausen syndrome by proxy, so she led everyone to believe that her daughter was gravely ill. Well, Gypsy Rose was over itand took some extreme measures. Watch Here Courtesy of HBO
Casting JonBenet Nobody really knows who killed 6-year-old pageant girl JonBenet Ramsey (well, except for the person who actually did it), but everyone has their own theory. Local actors shared their personal connections to the Ramseysas well as some hot takeswhile they "auditioned" for a dramatization of the crime. This isnt what you typically expect from a documentary, which is what makes it so dont-even-blink intriguing. Watch Here Courtesy Of Netflix
Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills After three young boys were found brutally murdered in Arkansas, the police pinned it on three teenage boysdespite a total lack of evidence. Police literally thought their motive was tied to a satanic ritual because the teens listened to metal (does not compute). The film and its two sequels detail new evidence, explaining how this case mightve been botched. Yikes on yikes. Watch Here Courtesy of HBO
Out Of Thin Air Imagination is a powerful thing, but can you actually imagine a murder? Two men went missing in a small Icelandic town, but neither their bodies nor real evidence were found. Still, six people were convicted of their murders. The twist: None of the them remembered the crimebecause they didnt do it. Apparently months of solitary confinement, twisted interrogations, and mystery drugs seriously mess with your head. Watch Here Courtesy of Saga Film
Time: The Kalief Browder Story Kalief Browder had no idea walking home from a party one night would change his life forever. At 16, he was questioned about a stolen backpack. He wasnt convicted, but he wasnt let go, either. Browder spent three (!!) years in the rough and tough Rikers Island, two of which were in brutal solitary confinement. Eventually, he got out, but his mind was forever transformed. Watch Here Courtesy Of The Cinemart
Cocaine Cowboys Turns out, Miami had its own Wild West moment in the 1970s and 80s. The city totally transformed as cocaine smugglers brought drugs into the U.S. by the literal boatload. Law enforcers, former drug smugglers, gang members, and the like give a first-hand look at the Miami Drug War and economic growth that turned Miami into more than just a retirement town. Watch Here Courtesy of Rakontur
Wild Wild Country **Cue swirl of red and orange everything** When cult leader and Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (you can call him Osho) and his personal assistant planted new roots in a small Oregon town, the new neighbors were less than happy. As tensions rose between the Rajneeshees and townies, the cult goes from utopia to total chaos. Watch Here Courtesy of Netflix
The Keepers Who killed Sister Cathy? The case still isnt all-the-way cracked, but the search for the nuns murderer upturned years of shocking clergy abuse and a massive cover-up from both the church and local authorities. Hearing what harm was done to young girls in a supposed safe space will make your stomach turn. The doc centers on two women acting as amateur detectives, in an effort to keep Sister Cathys story and compassion alive. Watch Here Courtesy Of Netflix
The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst Quick true-crime history lesson: In 1982, the wife of New York real estate heir Robert Durst disappeared. In 2000, his friend was killed. A year later, so was his neighbor. It might just be me, but I see one common denominator here. Durst agreed to be interviewed for the documentary, but hes probably kicking himself in the butt for it. Get ready to obsess over whether hes innocent or guilty. Watch Here Courtesy of HBO
Murder Mountain Humboldt County, CA did (and still does) a lot of heavy lifting when it comes to the countrys marijuana production. Only they did things a bit differently. It was basically a lawless land ruled by illegal growers. (Police who?) Perhaps unsurprisingly, people kept vanishing, like Garret Rodriguez, who moved to the area to grow and, soon after, was reported missing in April 2013. So, yeah... these growers are definitely not your chill neighbor growing a little weed in his backyard. Watch Here Courtesy of Fusion
The Thin Blue Line Randall Dale Adams was sent off to death row for murdering a police officer. But wait, **injustice alert**: He didnt do it. Thin Blue Line is a prolific documentary that actually inspired real change. A year after the film came out12 years into Adams sentencehe was released from prison, thanks in part to its convincing footage. Watch Here Courtesy Of American Playhouse
The Staircase When a wife dies, the husband is usually the first person people suspect. Just ask Michael Peterson. He said his wife suffered a fatalyet accidentalfall down the stairs, but a lengthy legal battle full of head-scratching details and secret lives suggested otherwise. Oh, and some food for thought: Peterson was a crime novelist. Funny, huh? Watch Here Courtesy Of Netflix
Long Shot Juan Catalan had a tough break, but was saved by a stroke of luck. He was arrested for a murder he didnt commit. His alibi? A Dodgers game. The hard part? Proving he was actually there. Its wild, but it turned out the only thing standing between his freedom and a potential death sentence was Curb Your Enthusiasm's Larry David (a.k.a. the most Larry David thing to happen to Larry David). Watch Here Courtesy Of Netflix
Making A Murderer True crime buffs know all about Stephen Avery. But ICYMI, a brief refresh: Avery was wrongfully convicted of sexual assault and attempted murder, but served 18 years in prison before he was released. Then, four years later, he was convicted of another murder. Like the first time, he said he was innocent and was framed by police. But can lightning really strike twice? Watch Here Courtesy Of Netflix
First And Last A glimpse into the beginning and end of someones time in prison, this documentary focuses on the first and last days of inmates sentences at a Georgia jail. From sentencing to family life on the outside, youll get to know people of different circumstances with one major thing in common. Watch Here Courtesy Of Netflix
Conversations With A Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes Hopefully listening to a serial killer s real voice doesnt totally skeeve you out, because Ted Bundy s is all over this four-part series. Get ready to hear excerpts from over 100 hours of interviews with Bundy from behind bars. Outlining his childhood, grisly murders of over 30 women , prison breaks , and televised trial , youll see how a serial killer could be so monstrous and still have the media wrapped around his deadly finger. Watch Here Courtesy Of Netflix
Sour Grapes Make room in your watch list for a scammer story, no murders involved. A man named Rudy Kurniawanhad owned the best stash of rare wines youve ever seen, and he made bank at auction with them. One small catch: He was just relabeling normal wine bottles. Oof. Who wouldve thought the story of a wine fraudster would be so juicy? Its best viewed with a glass of red wineonly the finest stuff, of course. Watch Here Courtesy Of Faites Un Voeu
Beware the Slenderman The internet has its scary corners, and the Slenderman myth lurks in one of them. In 2014, two 12-year-old girls lured their friend into the woods and tried to kill her as an offering to Slenderman. Thankfully, she survived. The documentary weaves together interviews with those close to the case and homemade Slenderman footage to show how the viral tale caught fire online. Warning: The visuals arent for the faint of heart. Watch Here Courtesy Of HBO
The Central Park Five In 1989, a female jogger in Central Park was sexually assaulted and left for dead. The police accused five black and Latino teenagers from Harlem, even though there wasnt evidence they were connected to the crime and their confessions were coerced. Two wrongs dont make a right, but nevertheless, the teens spent years behind bars before the real culprit owned up to it. If you want more of this story, add Ava DuVernays new drama miniseries When They See Us to your list. Watch Here Courtesy Of Florentine Films
Theres Something Wrong With Aunt Diane Diane Schuler was driving a familiar route home from vacation, when she crashed into an oncoming car, killing herself and seven others (including her daughter and three nieces). People saw her as the perfect mother who wouldnt endanger a soul, but she had something to hide. At the time of the accident, her blood alcohol concentration was twice the legal limit and she had a high level of THC in her blood. And thats only the beginning of the mystery... Watch Here Courtesy Of HBO
Evil Genius: The True Story of Americas Most Diabolical Bank Heist One day, a man walked into a bank with a bomb locked around his neck, demanding money. It sounds like a twisted twist on the "A man walked into a bar" joke, but with a not-so-funny ending. Spoiler alert: It, uh, didnt end well for him. And that was all before two more bodies mysteriously turned up. Even the police were like, WTF. Whos the "evil genius" behind this dark game? Youll just have to watch to find out. Watch Here Courtesy Of Netflix
Tales Of The Grim Sleeper Honestly, it took too long for police to find Lonnie Franklin Jr. , a serial killer responsible for the deaths of 10 women of color in a poor South Los Angeles community. You can probably figure out why, but just in case, heres a (pretty big) hint: He gave police 14 years in between murders to find him, for goodness sake! The documentary isnt so much about his crimes, but more about how a killer could be on the loose for two decadesright under peoples noses. Courtesy Of HBO
Amanda Knox College students fantasize about the adventures in store for them on a semester abroad (especially in Italy!). But for Amanda Knox, that international dream trip turned into a real-life nightmare when she was chargedtwicewith murdering her roommate. Amanda was acquitted in both instances, but it didnt quite make up for the whirlwind of fake tabloid stories and mess of convictions and appeals she endured. Courtesy Of Netflix
I Am A Killer Ever wondered what goes on inside the mind of a murderer? Nope, me neither (just kidding, here I am). If youre a fan of Mindhunter , then you wont be able to resist this docuseries. Each episode follows an inmate sentenced to death for capital murder, and, sometimes, the killers go into some gnarly detail about their crime or prison life. Its about as close to death row as you want to get. Courtesy Of Netflix
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