Murder Made Fiction

As we continue our coverage of Mindhunter season 1, we’re traveling across the world to discuss Kôji Wakamatsu’s Violated Angels. 

Inspired by the crimes of Richard Speck, this controversial Pink Film is a powerful and disturbing blend of true crime and political commentary. 

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (Twitter & Instagram) or send us an email: [email protected]

> Jenn: @jennferatu

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/murdermadefiction for more than 125 hours of content including episode by episode coverage of the Netflix series Mindhunter. 

Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express

Like the show? Please rate, review and subscribe!

To tie into our coverage of Mindhunter on Patreon, we're discussing fictional adaptations of the killers interviewed on the series.

First up: director Chad Ferrin's Ed Kemper (2025) which shares a screenwriter with 2000's Ed Gein in Stephen Johnston.

Sadly this plays like a lazy, salacious cash-grab. Despite a committed performance by lead Brandon Kirk, there's not much to recommend here.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: [email protected]

> Jenn: @jennferatu

> Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for a full-length primer on profiler John Douglas and individual episode by episode discussion of S01 of Netflix's Mindhunter.

Watching ahead? Look for the Japanese Richard Speck film Violated Angels on the Internet Archive (link)

When John Douglas first joined the FBI in 1970, criminal investigation was ineffective at best. Over the next quarter century, he would pioneer the art of criminal profiling and create the Bureau's Behavioral Analysis Unit alongside colleagues Robert Ressler and Dr. Ann Burgess. 

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (Twitter & Instagram) or send us an email: [email protected]

> Jenn: @jennferatu

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/murdermadefiction for a episode by episode coverage of the Netflix series Mindhunter. 

Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express

Like the show? Please rate, review and subscribe!

Jenn and Joe celebrate a year of fictionalized true crime in a number of different categories (thanks to Patron Kelly for a few suggestions!)

Here's what we're discussing:

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: [email protected]

> Jenn: @jennferatu

> Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for episode by episode coverage of The Staircase docuseries, and S01 of Netflix's Mindhunter in January

Antonio Campos' fictionalized take on The Staircase comes to a close with episodes 7 & 8. Expect plenty of overlapping and blurring of timelines as Kathleen Peterson lives out her final days in 2001; Michael is released from prison in 2011; and his relationship with editor Sophie implodes in 2017.

It's a perfect opportunity to compare/contrast with Lestrade's docuseries and wrap up our thoughts on what the HBO miniseries is doing.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: [email protected]

> Jenn: @jennferatu

> Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for episode by episode coverage of the docuseries, as well as Netflix's Mindhunter S01 starting in January.

Antonio Campos’ fictionalized adaptation of The Staircase continues with an exploration of bias behind the scenes of the original docuseries. The Petersons suffer through a stressful Thanksgiving while Kathleen’s neighbor comes up with a surprising explanation for her mysterious death. 

Topics include: Alford pleas, film scoring, and the owl finally makes an appearance. 

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (Twitter & Instagram) or send us an email: [email protected]

> Jenn: @jennferatu

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/murdermadefiction for episode by episode coverage of the 2004 docuseries The Staircase.

Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express

Like the show? Please rate, review and subscribe!

Antonio Campos’ fictionalized adaptation of The Staircase continues with an alternative theory for how Kathleen Peterson may have died. 

Topics include: rapid pacing, homophobia, and a bombshell revelation about Michael’s third wife. 

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (Twitter & Instagram) or send us an email: [email protected]

> Jenn: @jennferatu

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/murdermadefiction for episode by episode coverage of the 2004 docuseries The Staircase.

Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express

Like the show? Please rate, review and subscribe!

On Dec 9, 2001, Michael Peterson made a frantic 911 call to report the accidental death of his wife, Kathleen. What followed is one of the most sensational true crime cases of all time: did Kathleen die in a fall down the stairs...or was she murdered by her husband?

In 2022, showrunner Antonio Campos debuted his 8 episode HBO limited series, starring Colin Firth & Toni Collette and based on the 2004 docuseries. Here's our take on episodes 1-2.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: [email protected]

> Jenn: @jennferatu

> Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for episode by episode coverage of the the entire The Staircase docuseries (13 episodes between 2004 & 2013)

Ron Howard’s emotional film chronicles the risky and controversial mission to save twelve young soccer players and their coach from the rapidly flooding Tham Luang cave in northern Thailand.

Topics include: claustrophobia, star power, and white savior narratives.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (Twitter & Instagram) or send us an email: [email protected]

> Jenn: @jennferatu

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/murdermadefiction for episode by episode coverage of Netflix’s The Monster of Florence and Hulu’s Murdaugh: Death in the Family. 

Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express

Like the show? Please rate, review and subscribe!

Director Charlie Shackleton makes lemonade out of lemons after losing the rights to adapt Lyndon Lafferty’s 2012 true crime novel The Zodiac Killer Cover-up AKA The Silenced Badge. From the ashes of his abandoned documentary rises a fascinating exploration of the genre itself. Against the backdrop of gorgeous cinematography from Xenia Patricia, Shackleton talks us through his original plans, revealing deft commentary on true crime storytelling.