Joe Berlinger is no stranger to controversy, having directed documentaries on high-profile cases like the West Memphis Three and Ted Bundy. With this series, he takes aim at the failures of both law enforcement and the media, which he argues fueled the frenzy rather than seeking the truth. He also scrutinizes the “armchair detectives” who have spent years pointing fingers, often without regard for the devastating impact on those left behind.
Among the many theories explored in the series are the involvement of a convicted pedophile, Gary Oliva, and the bizarre confession of John Mark Karr, who claimed responsibility for the murder but was later cleared by DNA evidence. The series doesn’t shy away from questioning whether the media and public obsession with the case have hindered progress more than helped. Yet, even as it criticizes the spectacle surrounding the case, the documentary itself risks becoming part of the very machine it critiques.
