Halloween is the scariest time of the year, more so because of the fact that peak midterm season is around to give you a jump scare. Beyond candy and parties, if you’ve decided to take a rain check and stay home this year, consider binging these true-crime documentaries this weekend.
“I’ll Be Gone in the Dark”
This docuseries follows crime writer Michelle McNamara as she investigates and tracks down the Golden State Killer, otherwise known as the East Area Rapist, who was responsible for 50 home-invasion rapes and 13 murders in California. This series weaves together exclusive interviews from witnesses and family members, police files and chilling footage to uncover the identity of the Golden State Killer.
“The Devil Next Door”
In the 1980s, Cleveland autoworker John Demjanjuk was accused of being a Nazi extermination camp guard nicknamed “Ivan the Terrible,” who was responsible for horrible war crimes and crimes against humanity. This five-episode series details Demjanjuk’s trials after being denaturalized as an American citizen and handed over to Israel.
“Why Did You Kill Me?”
In this documentary, mother Belinda Lane goes on a decade-long search to find her daughter’s killers. Crystal Theobald was tragically murdered in an alleged case of mistaken identity; gang members mistook Theobald’s car for another gang’s and open-fired, shooting her in the brain. Keeping her promise of justice to her daughter, Lane uses MySpace to embark on a risky mission to befriend gang members and hunt for the one who shot her daughter.
“The Menendez Murders: Erik Tells All”
Erik Menendez opens up about the chilling events and trauma that led him and his brother Lyle to conceal and later confess to murdering their parents. This documentary highlights the other side of the story to the highly publicized Menendez murders through never-before-seen interviews, footage and photos.
“House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths”
In 2018, the mass suicide of the Chundawat family in the Indian suburb of Burari made national headlines. Through real testimonies, interviews and personal diaries, this documentary reveals the shocking reason why a seemingly normal family could all take their own lives on a regular day.
“The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey: One of the Most Mysterious Cases in American History”
The tragic Christmas murder of six-year-old pageant princess JonBenét Ramsey is still a cold case to this day. JonBenét’s parents woke up Christmas morning to their daughter’s empty bed, only to find her body in the basement hours later. With no strong signs of a breaking and entering and no concrete evidence, this documentary examines the wide range of “what-ifs” in this strange case.
No matter how you choose to spend the last weekend of October, these documentaries are sure to keep you on the edge of your seat as you piece together the whos or the whys. Happy Halloween from the Daily Cal!
