Butchers of L.A. (Documentary Series)

This 3 part, 45 min each, Sundance documentary series explores the panic and terror caused by a string of murders in 1970s Los Angeles. The series focuses on the discovery of 131 bodies and the subsequent police investigation, which initially focused on a single suspect before revealing the existence of three killers, each with a distinct method. The show highlights the unsettling nature of the crimes and the fear that gripped the city as the body count rose, with some describing it as a "trilogy of terror".

From the early 1970s, gay men were being savagely murdered and their bodies carelessly discarded along Southern California’s highways. Through thorough investigations it is eventually found that this is not one serial killer but a trip operating individually. The documentary exposes three sadistic serial killers — Patrick Kearney, William Bonin, and Randy Kraft — and explains the truth behind these horrifying events.

EP 1 Trash Bags - In the late 1960s and early 1970s, law enforcement agencies discovered a pattern of murdered hitchhikers and young men, their remains crudely disposed of in industrial-strength garbage bags. Their investigation led them to an unassuming aerospace engineer, who lived a double life as a sadistic killer.

EP2 On The Freeway - With Patrick Kearney behind bars, police realize another predator is on the loose—an in-depth investigation leads police to “The Freeway Killer” and his torture chamber on wheels. The murders suggest the work of more than one single killer, which escalates the horror, forcing authorities to finally acknowledge that multiple Freeway Killers are at work.

EP3 Keeping Score - With Bonin behind bars, law enforcement hopes the nightmare is over—until another wave of brutal freeway murders shatters their illusion. This third killer is by far the most methodical of them all and, if not for a random police check, might have evaded police for years.

The documentary is mostly filled with interviews. It follows various officers involved in the case and their investigation as they uncover one truth after the other. As much as the subject is gritty and important, the documentary feels extremely bland. In today's time you need more than just 'interviews' to keep the viewers engaged. We hear about these teenager boys missing and then the killers were caught, but what I missed was a little dramatization of certain important events and more importantly, how were they caught. I would liked to see more details about the investigations itself that led to the eventual arrest of these killers. The interviews just go through the kind of finding bodies, connecting the dots, getting a tip and arresting killers who later confess, but we never hear more details. Forget, delving into the 'why' they did it. Yes, we do get a certain background of the killers, but sadly, for me, that was just not enough to keep me engaged. A very powerful subject but sadly a very uninteresting recap and memory of events (strictly from interest perspective). Making documentaries with just interviews of few people no longer cuts the cake. (3.5/10)