5 True Crime Documentaries

There have been countless true crime documentaries over the years. It is one of the most popular genres to immerse yourself in and spend hours watching. Here are some of the best true crime documentaries that you cannot miss.

 

5. Girl In the Picture

In 1990, a woman was found injured at the scene of an accident. She was taken to the emergency room, where an elderly man named Clarence Hughes appeared, claiming to be her husband. He identified her as Tonya Hughes and revealed that they had a young son named Michael.

She eventually died from her injuries, prompting authorities to search for her family. When she contacted the alleged mother of 'Tonya,' she revealed that her biological daughter had died as a child. This discovery lifted the lid on a decades-long mystery, revealing that the victim of the hit-and-run accident was actually Suzanne Marie Sevakis, not Tonya Hughes.

It turns out that Sevakis was kidnapped by her stepfather, Franklin Delano Floyd, who later adopted the name Clarence Hughes. Over the years, Floyd/Hughes pretended to be Sevakis' father and eventually married her. This documentary does a great job of piecing together her tragic story and exposing the decades of abuse and manipulation at the hands of Sevakis.

 

4. American Murder: Gabby Petito

American Murder: Gabby Petito is a documentary that explores the life and death of Gabby Petito, a trucking influencer who went missing in 2021 while on a road trip with her fiancé Brian Laundrie. When Brian returned home to Florida without her, Gabby's family became suspicious and reported her missing. The mysterious circumstances surrounding her disappearance captured national attention, and a nationwide search began for Petito.

The subsequent investigation revealed dark details about Petito's relationship with her fiancé, including a tragic encounter with the police months before her disappearance. Brian Laundrie eventually went missing as well, and he was declared a suspect when Petito's remains were discovered in Wyoming.

This film really highlights how carefully edited social media posts and vlogs can hide the abuse and manipulation that goes on behind closed doors. It's a must see!

3. Murder on a Sunday Morning

Tubi is one of the best free streaming services out there, and you can watch Murder on a Sunday Morning on the platform right now. The documentary follows the trial of 15-year-old Brenton Butler, who was wrongly accused of murdering 65-year-old Mary Ann Stephens in Jacksonville, Florida. Over time, Butler's defense team gathered enough evidence to expose the flaws in the investigation.

 

Murder on a Sunday Morning is a truly unique documentary, as it offers a rare, unfiltered, inside-the-courtroom look at each stage of Butler's trial. It is both thrilling and compelling, and must-see, as it exposes the importance of systemic bias, as well as the unfortunate consequences of unreliable witness testimony and hasty investigations.

2. I'm Related to a Killer

Unlike many of the other documentaries listed here, I'm Related to a Killer takes a unique approach by exploring the crime through the eyes of those who knew the perpetrator. Each episode focuses on a new case and delves into the circumstances, details of the case, and how it affected the perpetrator's family.

 

This show is fairly new to Prime Video and is 8 episodes long. If you like watching miniseries like this, Prime Video has plenty of other shows that you can binge watch over the weekend.

1. Still Missing Morgan

This heartbreaking documentary follows the 1995 disappearance of 6-year-old Morgan Nick while she was playing with friends. The case remained unsolved for decades and was finally re-examined in 2020.

A documentary crew follows the new investigators, as well as members of Nick's family, and new clues and information emerge along the way. It's a haunting series with no end in sight. It also features the voices of Morgan's mother and family, who live in hope that she will return.

These are some of the best true crime documentaries you can watch right now. If you're a true crime enthusiast looking for something new to watch online, this list is a good place to start. But if you're looking for something light-hearted, most of these platforms also have a ton of great feel-good movies.