As consumers, we eat up crimes that make the news, but do we think about the impact of this obsession? Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dohmer, the Night Stalker, Making a Murderer. All of these titles were true crime stories that turned into Netflix Specials. We are all victims of being unable to resist these gruesome and vile people and their actions. It is in our nature to be highly attuned to criminal misdemeanors, and we instinctively want to discover the ‘who’, ‘what’, ‘when’ and ‘where’ so we can find out what makes criminals tick and to better protect ourselves and our loved ones. With technology, there is a new problem-solving element to many modern cases, and the obsession from the media typically drives breaking the case. But how much media is too much? Earlier this semester, a friend told me a heartbreaking story of the effects the media had on them personally, and I will never look at true crime the same.
A few years ago, my friend’s sister was on her way to celebrate her birthday with her friends and family when she was abducted at random and murdered, meaning the woman died from homicidal violence without a pre-planned motive for the crime. This type of unprecedented crime was like candy to the public, but it seemed like people forgot that this could’ve been anyone’s daughter. In the following months, her local and university community created memorials to honor her. However, the media was not respectful of the family’s wishes and found ways to invade their privacy in order to report on the story, such as reporters coming to their house, cameras capturing family during courtroom proceedings, and the testimonies were reported. Because of the constant media attention surrounding the story, family members are still paranoid of being approached and reminded of the crime when they return home.
Recently, I was watching the new HULU series, Wild Crime. This docu-series examines crimes that have happened in America’s national parks, juxtaposing lush forestry with the brutality of the crimes. The series is irresistible. In the first season, the death of Toni Henthorn, a woman who visited the Rocky mountains on an anniversary trip with her husband, Harold Henthorn, and fell (or was pushed ) off a cliff. The investigators, park rangers, and the FBI were confident that Harold murdered Toni, but they must assemble an airtight case with every piece of evidence they can find. In the show, the daughter, who can be no more than 13 now, was highlighted, and I couldn’t help but think of how this story will haunt her for the rest of her life.
Now, the media has covered the story of Gabby Petitio for weeks. At first, this story was about seeking justice, finding the killer, but it quickly became simply about obsession. Tiktokers are exploring the kill scene of both people involved and the houses of both Gabby and Brian; I can’t help but think about the people who knew the two of them personally and how it’s affecting them. In the day and age where people go viral daily, anyone has the chance to be public entertainment. Ultimately, there is a difference between “seeking justice” and obsession. Tell the story of people who need justice, help find the missing people, advocate for those who cannot speak for themselves. But there comes the point when you should take a step back and let go of the story in order to let those involved grieve in peace. This are real people’s lives.