From millionaire dogs to insidious college cults, 2023 is off to a thrilling start in the true crime department. These series and documentaries have had us glued to our streaming services all year long and we are on the edge of our seats to see what comes next. In the meantime, do yourself a favor and catch these true crime triumphs before they’re gone for good.
Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street (Netflix)
If it gets lower than stealing from a Holocaust survivor, we don’t want to know about it. Yet that is exactly what Bernie Madoff, known as the “Monster of Wall Street”(with good reason) was not only accused of but openly admitted to doing. In the greatest documented Ponzi scheme to date, the “wizard of wall street” Bernie Madoff stole an estimated $65 billion from over 40,000 investors in 125 countries. One of these investors included Elie Wiesel, author of the book Night, and survivor of the Holocaust. In fact, Madoff often used his own Jewish status to convince other Jewish people to invest with him, lulling them into a false sense of security with the underlying assurance that surely one of their own would not defraud them.
His scheme was simple but his coverup complex. He took money from one investor to cover another’s withdrawal request, sort of a “rob from Peter to pay Paul” scenario. He was able to run this scheme for over 20 years, despite multiple reports and investigations by the SEC regulation agency.
This Netflix documentary takes a deep dive into Bernie Madoff the person, and the monster, and shows just exactly how he was able to elude detection and become one of the most well-known criminals of our time.
Stolen Youth – Inside The Sarah Lawrence Cult (Hulu)
How does a grown man infiltrate the dorms of a high-end college to create a cult? Hulu is going to show you, as Stolen Youth takes the viewer on a wild ride to witness one student’s father, Larry Ray, not only move into his daughter’s dorm, but form a cult of her friends.
The cult includes physical, financial, and sexual abuse and the bizarre way Larry Ray perpetrates these outcomes is unbelievable. This conman’s sheer ability to convince students of their own indebtedness to him will blow your mind. The documentary follows the cult’s beginnings until its criminal end with interviews of the individual member’s journeys all along the way.
The cult finally dwindles down to one lone member who ends up facing criminal charges along with Larry Ray. Eventually, however, she too breaks free, just in time for Larry Ray to be sentenced to a 60-year prison term for charges including sex trafficking, racketeering, and extortion.
The documentary dives into how exactly this could happen in one of the most expensive and exclusive private colleges in the system and what role they had in allowing the situation to occur or continue.
Death In The Dorms (Hulu)
Speaking of college catastrophes, Hulu’s newest true crime series Death In The Dorms explores what happens when what should be the best time of a young person’s life, goes terribly wrong. From scorned ex lovers to stranger danger, the series explores college students who lived their worst nightmare, and unfortunately were not able to tell their tale. Yet Hulu ensures their stories are heard as the series interviews friends, partners, and family members of the victims and recreates the events leading up to other untimely deaths.
The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker (Netflix)
It’s all fun and games until someone gets murdered. Kai Lawrence became known as “The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker” after saving a bystander’s life, by fighting off the attacker with an axe. His easy going attitude and seemingless selfless acts won him almost instant social media fame. He was even flown out to California to appear on Jimmy Kimmel and offered his own reality TV series. However, as producers began to spend more time around him, some red flags began to emerge and the show idea was dropped.
However Kai still received internet fame and notoriety. Yet it turns out beneath his easy-going exterior lay some very dark secrets. It turns out Kai’s real name is actually Caleb McGillvary and his past wasn’t what he made it seem. Then when a man in New Jersey winds up dead, the true nature of the “Hatchet Wielding Hitchiker” is revealed.
Gunther’s Millions (Netflix)
The richest dog in the world, an extravagant trainer, and a sex cult, all make for one of the strangest true crime series we have ever seen.
Through a series of strange and unfortunate events, a German Shepard named Gunther becomes the heir to a $400 million dollar fortune. Although as strange as that is, the dog’s inheritance is the most straightforward part of this entire twisted tale. Maurizio Mian, the eccentric Italian left in charge of the long line of Gunthers and their inheritance, had such a dedicated group of followers that he took things with them to a whole new level.
Gunther’s canine empire gave rise to it’s own boy band, sex cult and scandal in a true crime “tail” you will have to see to believe.
Killing County (Hulu)
Former NFL player Colin Kapernick produces this shocking true crime documentary that takes us to Bakersfield, California, in Kern County, the site of Jorge Ramirez’s death. While Ramirez’s suspicious hotel shooting death was certainly shocking, it turned out the Ramirez family was not alone. Interviews with families within the county reveal shocking tales of excessive police force all the way to the selling of confiscated drugs.
Between corruption and cover-ups, the twists and turns of this series will leave you spinning. When the people who are meant to “serve and protect” are the ones causing the crime, who can you trust?
The Murdaugh Murders (Netflix)
Five bodies, one family and one serious scandal as this high-profile clan makes even murder a family affair. The Murdaugh family of South Carolina thought they were above the law, but as the family’s collective body count rose, so did their troubles.
When a night out in the boat turned into a horrible drunken accident causing a young woman’s death, young Paul Murdaugh found himself facing serious charges. Yet he would never see his day in court, as within three years, he and his mother, Maggie, would be found dead. They, however, were not the only deaths surrounding the Murdaugh’s. The family housekeeper, and a young man allegedly in a relationship with Paul’s brother Buster, also turned up dead.
The truth behind the murders would reveal love and hate, wealth and privilege and good ol’ southern-fried scandal.
Horror in Idaho: The Student Murders (Disney Plus)
In this 20/20 true crime special, the horrific murders of four Idaho college students that shook a college town and a nation to its core are explored.
The four victims were roommates and were by all accounts very normal college students. They went to school, had jobs, and had active social lives. So who would want to hurt them — and why?
The special dives into the student’s lives prior to the night of the murders and holds interviews with the friends and family members that knew them best. It then breaks down the witnesses and forensics of the fateful night and dives into the police investigation and theories. Yet who they finally land on as a suspect, and who is later accused of the crimes, you will never see coming.
Our Father (Netflix)
Please join us in saying ew. Our Father follows the twisted tale of a doctor using his fertility specialist practice as his own perverse playground.
When the daughter of a mother with an unknown sperm donor registers with the genealogy site “23 and Me,” she is thrilled to discover that she has siblings she didn’t know about. First one, then another. But soon, the number grows, and grows and grows. Suddenly, a sperm donor that was only supposedly used three or four times now was the father to dozens of children.
Upon further investigation, the mothers realize not only did they have a sperm donor in common, they had a fertility doctor in common, and it was the same person. Our Father follows the story of Dr. Donald Cline and the many children he fathered through his fertility clinic. The story has a high level of ick factor, yet also reveals the strength and perseverance of a group of siblings, who were intent on seeing justice done.
Casey Anthony: Where The Truth Lies (Peacock)
Known as one of the most hated women in America, nearly a decade ago, Casey Anthony stood trial for killing her beautiful two-year-old daughter Caylee Anthony. While the majority of America (and the world) believed in her guilt, the jury believed in her innocence. In a verdict that shocked the nation, Casey Anthony was set free. Yet despite her innocent verdict, in the eyes of the public, she remained guilty, as many felt the jury just couldn’t bring themselves to fathom the young mother’s ability to do harm to her child. Now, over 10 years later, the public gets a new look at the person behind the Casey Anthony trial, Casey Anthony herself.
The Peacock documentary follows Casey Anthony’s version of events as she conducts her first ever interview post-prison. She also speaks for the first time of her version of events of how her daughter, Caylee died. Casey’s story is a murky addition to already murky waters of the truth around what happened to her daughter.
It’s an odd tale, and while we aren’t sure where the truth actually lies, we are fairly sure it is nowhere within this documentary. However it’s worth watching the fascinating trainwreck that is this young woman recounting her side of events.
Allen v. Farrow (HBO)
A complicated celebrity story only seems to get more complicated in this documentary. Allen v. Farrow dives into the shocking allegations of Woody Allen’s alleged sexual abuse of his and Mia Farrow’s seven-year-old daughter. It then delves into the surprising relationship between Woody and Mia’s older daughter Soon-Yi. It’s an explosive situation that pits celebrity against celebrity and the court cases and custody battles that followed.
The four part HBO series drops some serious bombshells and provides exclusives, interviews and behind-the-scenes footage of one of the most explosive court cases, scandals and allegations in Hollywood.
Murderous families, celebrity bombshells, and so much more, these true crime series will have you on the edge of your seat through every plot twist and turn. If these are any indication of what true crime in 2023 has to offer, we are more than here for it.