10 Chilling True Crime Documentaries You Might Not Have Heard About, But Need To Watch ASAP

Might want to watch these with the lights on tonight.

1. The Cheshire Murders

HBO

In 2007, in the town of Cheshire, Connecticut, two men invaded the Petit family home. It was the early morning hours, but this brutal home invasion would last for hours. At one point, one of the men even drove the mother of the family to a bank to withdraw money for them. The teller called the police and reported that the woman withdrew $15,000, saying that her family was being held hostage. This documentary unfolds the events that happened that morning. It tackles the topic of the death penalty, as well as police incompetence. 

Where to watch: HBO Max

2. Impact After the Crash

Jason Epperson

The deadliest drunk driving incident happened in Carrollton, Kentucky in 1988. A church youth group had spent the day having fun on a trip to King's Island, an amusement park in Ohio. On the return trip home, just before 11 p.m. that night, a drunk driver driving the wrong way on Interstate 71 collided with the bus head on. Of the 66 passengers on the bus, 27 of them died, the majority of those being kids and teenagers. The documentary interviews some of the survivors of that crash, as well as some family members of those that didn't make it. Their memories of that night are haunting, and for many the scars are still apparent on them to this day. One of the themes in the film is the discussion of whether the drunk driver or the safety of the bus should take the most fault, and the conclusions are split.

As someone from Kentucky, I grew up hearing about this crash as it was often remembered on the news during anniversaries or other deadly crashes. However, this documentary shed light on a lot of new details I never heard about.

Where to watch: Amazon Prime

3. Kentucky Murder Mystery: The Trials of Anthony Gray

Investigation Discovery Channel

In 2007, James and Vivian Gray were murdered in their home. The pair were retirees, living a simple life in rural Kentucky. When the crime happened, their son, Anthony Gray, became suspect number one and for just reasons. He seemed to have a disdain for his parents due to past events. Anthony also made some odd comments to others who had gathered at the house after the murders, waiting to hear what happened from the police.

However, it's later revealed that maybe the Grays weren't living as simple of a life as it seemed. Throughout the documentary, new information shows exactly who all of the people involved really are. You'll go back and forth on what you believe just exactly happened that day, and who had the best motive to kill James and Vivian.

Where to watch: Discovery+

4. Who Killed Little Gregory?

Netflix

Taking place in France, this documentary tells of the murder of little Gregory Villemin. The 4-year-old's lifeless body was found in a river hours after he had disappeared while playing in his front yard. The resulting case spans decades, and reveals a lot about Gregory's family. Letters and phone calls from an anonymous source, who was dubbed "The Raven" by media, terrorized the family for years, both before and after the murder. This secretive figure threatened to expose family secrets of the Villemin's and took credit for abducting and killing Gregory. The documentary involves a lot of twists and turns over 5 episodes, with each one keeping you on the edge of your seat the whole time. 

Where to watch: Netflix

5. Long Shot

Netflix

Juan Catalan was arrested for the murder of a teenage girl in 2003. Facing a possible death penalty sentence, Juan maintained his innocence. He claimed that he was at a baseball game with his daughter at the time and even produced the ticket stub for the game. However, the police weren't convinced and believed he could have left the game and committed the murder. He offered to take a lie detector test and it was refused. He didn't fit the eye witness account of who the killer was. Still, the police believed they had their guy. Then Juan remembered that a show had been filming at the ballpark that day, and told his lawyer this fact. Could possible video evidence exist to exonerate Juan? His lawyer goes to great lengths to exonerate Juan, hoping that there just might be irrefutable evidence that Juan didn't commit this crime.

Where to watch: Netflix

6. Why Did You Kill Me?

Netflix

24-year-old Crystal Theobald was killed in a drive-by shooting in 2006. Afterwards, her younger cousin set up a fake Myspace account trying to obtain information on local gang members to find out just who was behind the shooting that night. Jaimie, the younger cousin, lured different gang members into talking to her by posing as Crystal herself, but using the name "Angel." She knew the type of car that the shots came from that night and cleverly tried to discover the owner of it from these men. It all became too much for Jaimie, and eventually Crystal's own mother took over the page. The film goes into how Crystal's mom, Belinda, went to any lengths to try to discover her daughter's murderer. You get insight into a family who was by no means perfect themselves, but who cared about getting justice for Crystal.

Where to watch: Netflix

7. The Pharmacist

Netflix

In this 4 episode series, Dan Schneider attempts to discover the murderer of his 22-year-old son Danny. But what starts as a murder investigation soon turns into a deeper look inside America's opioid epidemic. Dan, being a pharmacist himself, witnessed first hand just how dangerous the drug addiction could be. He set out to do his own detective work, both with finding who killed his son in a drug deal gone wrong and to discover the center of the opioid crisis in his community. Schneider's dedication is inspiring, and helps to shed light on these so called "pill mills" and just how much damage they do to communities and people across America.

Where to watch: Netflix

8. Who Killed Garrett Phillips?

HBO

Not long after getting home from school one day, 12-year-old Garrett Phillips was murdered. Neighbors in the adjoining townhouse heard a crash and struggle, prompting them to check next door. When they knocked on the door, they heard someone inside lock it, which led to them calling the police. It's believed the killer was still in the house when the police arrived and possibly escaped out a second-story window. The documentary looks at the accused, Oral "Nick" Hillary, the man who had dated Garrett's mom. Garrett's mom, Tandy, had also previously dated a sheriff in the town, who was quick to come to her aid after the murder and help point some fingers at Nick. However, the evidence against Nick seems flimsy at best, and the whole case begins to look like a witch hunt against him. The documentary discusses the case with the key players themselves, and will leave you asking just who did kill Garrett Phillips?

Where to watch: HBO Max

9. Pray, Obey, Kill

HBO

This case is about a murder and attempted murder in the small Swedish town of Knutby. Alexandra, the wife of pastor Helge Fossmo, and Daniel Linde were both shot in their homes one quiet night. Alexandra was killed, but Daniel was only injured. Later, a member of the church group, Sara Svensson, confessed to the shootings. What follows is an entangled web of lies and deception among this religious group, with Svensson accusing Helge himself of pushing her into committing the crimes. Two journalists interview various members of the church over a decade after the events and learn just how dangerous this cult was. With a member who was called the "Bride of Christ," others who believed she was meant to marry Jesus himself, and text messages that Svensson believed came from God himself, this documentary will continue to push the limits of just how wild things can get.

Where to watch: HBO Max

10. Ted Bundy: Falling for a Killer

Amazon Prime Video

Most people are aware of infamous serial killer Ted Bundy. However, this documentary dives deeper into Bundy as a person, with interviews from his long-term ex-girlfriend, Elizabeth Kendall, and her daughter Molly Kendall. The pair spent years around who they thought was just an average man, but they later found he was harboring a dark secret. Elizabeth had some suspicions about Bundy while the pair were together, and she even voiced those suspicions to police. However, she never fully believed he was guilty until she heard him confess to the crimes he had committed.

Where to watch: Amazon Prime

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