I’ve been an aficionado of true crime since the early 90s (I’m old). Back then, just about the only material out there was books by non-fiction authors like Ann Rule and Aphrodite Jones & “based on a true story” fiction like In cold blood (Capote) and The Exectioner’s Song (Mailer), plus some annual publications by police and forensic services. There were some tv shows like Forensic Files but they were hard to catch.
Ann Rule’s book about Ted Bundy is very good. She used to work with him at a suicide prevention call center (yes, really) and what she does in the book is something that you’re just not allowed to do anymore in true crime: she describes Bundy as a complex human being and not as a one dimensional murder machine (which he kind of was, but still…). I recommend that book to anyone interested in TC, but it’s a chilling read. I remember getting up and checking the locks multiple times while reading it.
Now, during the late 90s and aughts the victim’s rights movement really took off, and this is probably an unpopular opinion, but it has ruined true crime. These days every show (don’t have time for non-fiction books anymore) consists of about 40% cliches about the victim - she always lit up the room, lived for her kids (even when she obviously was a coked up street hooker), would give you the shirt off her back and the town she lived in was a great place to raise children. The rest of the show is pearl clutching, police using the Reed technique and stings to bully suspects into confessing and “therapists” calling every suspect a narcissist and interpreting body language like faggots.
I. Don’t. Like. It. I liked true crime because I’m interested in human behavior. Imo, if you’re unlucky enough ANYONE can be the victim of a crime, but not everyone can become a t&h murderer . There are reasons for people’s behavior, even if it’s just a genetic quirk, and I am curious about those reasons. That aspect of true crime is absolutely gone, and I’ve given up on the genre. All that’s left are indignant wine moms and grifters who think “he was a narcissist” is a deep statement.
(Thank you for attending my TED talk. Bring on the top hats.)