The Documentary Thread

Noodleface

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Anyone got any recommendations for true crime/murder/serial killer docs that are on Netflix?

I probably asked before, so I'm sorry.

I'm already watching the Making a Murderer one with my wife, but she's slow so I want to watch some other stuff in the meantime.
 

Khane

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Anyone got any recommendations for true crime/murder/serial killer docs that are on Netflix?

I probably asked before, so I'm sorry.

I'm already watching the Making a Murderer one with my wife, but she's slow so I want to watch some other stuff in the meantime.
Into the Abyss
 

Khane

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Added bonus: The creator and narrator, Werner Herzog, sounds like Ahhhnold.
 

Khane

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Yes. He's done quite a few very good documentaries (in my opinion).

Encounters at the End of the World
Cave of Forgotten Dreams
Happy People: A Year in the Taiga

Among others.
 

Adebisi

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You can also binge on The First 48 and yell at the TV nonstop "Stop fucking talking to the police you idiot!"
 

Noodleface

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I did a lot of research on the Memphis 3 and I actually believe they are 100% guilty. The documentaries is very swaying to the opposite direction though.
 

Khane

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Soaked in Bleach is another documentary you might be interested in Noodle
 

chaos

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I did a lot of research on the Memphis 3 and I actually believe they are 100% guilty. The documentaries is very swaying to the opposite direction though.
I read the books and watched interviews/docs and I am curious how you would come across that opinion.
 

Noodleface

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I'll prepare my evidence when I get a chance

Watching this cape cod heroin documentary on HBO. Not crazy or mind blowing, but if you haven't seen much on the heroin epidemic it's really eye opening. I know my home town has had nearly 100 heroin deaths last year alone.

I watched into the abyss. It wasn't too bad, but all I could think was Jesus christ does everyone in the south go to jail?
 

Noodleface

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First, my evidence. Of course, this is all just from reading - the documentary sways towards their innocence and other people sway you towards their guilt. There's really no concrete answer here, the only people that know are those 3 boys that were killed and the WM3, or whoever truly killed them.

1. Jessie repeatedly confessed to the killings. He confessed after a couple hours of being interrogated, failed a polygraph, and confessed to his lawyer a week later. He confessed to friends, he wrote statements confirming his guilt, confessed to cops transporting him to prison, confessed to prosecutors, confessed to cell mates, and supposedly confessed to counselors in prison. The documentary would have you believe he was coerced into confessing after several long hours, but that wasn't really the case according to documents:

Jessie Misskelley June 3, 1993

That link has a timeline.


2. Physical evidence: The lake knife - a knife found in a pond in Jason's back yard. It had a compass missing from the handle, and experts have claimed that this matches the "bite mark" wound on Stevie's forehead.

Damien's bloody necklace - Damien had a necklace that had both his blood and the blood of two of the victims on it. It was never presented in the trial because it was discovered late. Apparently it is not able to be retested as the blood samples are depleted.

Knots - all 3 victims were tied with 3 separate, different knots. This is only coincidental, but leads one to believe that this is the sign that 3 separate people participated.

Blood - the documentaries say there was no blood on the crime scene, however investigators have said that luminol testing at the scene showed large amounts of blood. This confirms Jessie's confession of where the murder took place.

People saw Damien walking near the crime scene with someone and was covered in mud around the time of the crime, those statements were never recanted.


3. Alibis: Echols said he was on the phone with a few people during the time of the murder. All 4 of them claim they didn't talk to him during the time of the murder but one person in particular, Jennifer Bearden, talked to two of the WM3 before the murder and was told to call back at 8PM. She called back at 8PM and Damien still wasn't home, she couldn't talk to him until 9:20PM. Additionally Damien told her that he had been out with Jason's mother, but Jason's mother had already previously stated she was at work.

4. Softball girls - Damien was bragging on a softball field to some girls about killing the kids. The documentaries claimed at least one of them recanted, however none of them have. Damien even admitted he did that, as a joke he claims.


There's a slew more of stuff, but I picked out the stuff that interested me the most. I used this place as a source;West Memphis Three Facts - Home

I couldn't remember all the details so I picked up the stuff from the website that I remember catching my eye years ago. Obviously the website is a bit biased and over the top.
 

Noodleface

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Sorry third post in a row, I've been on a documentary kick.

I watched Cropsey at the request of my brother, it was just OK. It was crazy about all those kids being kidnapped in a small area, but there was really no hard evidence and the documentary crew kept trying to make it spooky and scary for whatever reason.

I also watched part of Kids for Cash, not sure if I want to continue or not as I fell asleep.
 

Cad

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First, my evidence. Of course, this is all just from reading - the documentary sways towards their innocence and other people sway you towards their guilt. There's really no concrete answer here, the only people that know are those 3 boys that were killed and the WM3, or whoever truly killed them.

1. Jessie repeatedly confessed to the killings. He confessed after a couple hours of being interrogated, failed a polygraph, and confessed to his lawyer a week later. He confessed to friends, he wrote statements confirming his guilt, confessed to cops transporting him to prison, confessed to prosecutors, confessed to cell mates, and supposedly confessed to counselors in prison. The documentary would have you believe he was coerced into confessing after several long hours, but that wasn't really the case according to documents:

Jessie Misskelley June 3, 1993

That link has a timeline.


2. Physical evidence: The lake knife - a knife found in a pond in Jason's back yard. It had a compass missing from the handle, and experts have claimed that this matches the "bite mark" wound on Stevie's forehead.

Damien's bloody necklace - Damien had a necklace that had both his blood and the blood of two of the victims on it. It was never presented in the trial because it was discovered late. Apparently it is not able to be retested as the blood samples are depleted.

Knots - all 3 victims were tied with 3 separate, different knots. This is only coincidental, but leads one to believe that this is the sign that 3 separate people participated.

Blood - the documentaries say there was no blood on the crime scene, however investigators have said that luminol testing at the scene showed large amounts of blood. This confirms Jessie's confession of where the murder took place.

People saw Damien walking near the crime scene with someone and was covered in mud around the time of the crime, those statements were never recanted.


3. Alibis: Echols said he was on the phone with a few people during the time of the murder. All 4 of them claim they didn't talk to him during the time of the murder but one person in particular, Jennifer Bearden, talked to two of the WM3 before the murder and was told to call back at 8PM. She called back at 8PM and Damien still wasn't home, she couldn't talk to him until 9:20PM. Additionally Damien told her that he had been out with Jason's mother, but Jason's mother had already previously stated she was at work.

4. Softball girls - Damien was bragging on a softball field to some girls about killing the kids. The documentaries claimed at least one of them recanted, however none of them have. Damien even admitted he did that, as a joke he claims.


There's a slew more of stuff, but I picked out the stuff that interested me the most. I used this place as a source;West Memphis Three Facts - Home

I couldn't remember all the details so I picked up the stuff from the website that I remember catching my eye years ago. Obviously the website is a bit biased and over the top.
I don't really find confessions of minors compelling

The blood in the WM3 case was only ever tested for blood group, and the blood evidence on the necklace also matches the kid they took it from. They didn't do DNA testing like we'd do today.

The lake knife thing... even if we assume they found that knife in his trailer... there's no particular evidence linking that knife with the murders, so if all we're saying is anyone with a serrated knife did the murders... I'm guilty too? Don't come look in my kitchen.

Also, they used this "lake knife" in the trials of 2 of the boys, but not in the trial of the boy who confessed, because his confession said it was a 6 inch fold up knife they used. Which, if they want to say it's the lake knife... which was a 9 inch fixed blade... wouldn't match. So which is it?

The rest of it is "their stories aren't entirely consistent with that of all the witnesses" which is in no way proof of anything except witnesses suck and people's stories suck
 

chaos

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Yeah I have the same problem with the confession here as with Brennan Dassey. Take a retarded minor, feed him a story for a few hours, and shazam, confession.
 

Adebisi

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Yeah I have the same problem with the confession here as with Brennan Dassey. Take a retarded minor, feed him a story for a few hours, and shazam, confession.
Like a confession crock pot stew