On a quiet night in Albuquerque in March 1996, a routine closing shift at a neighborhood video store turned into one of the city’s most haunting crimes. What began as a robbery at a local Hollywood Video escalated into a brutal chain of events that left five people dead, including two grandparents who arrived at the wrong place at the wrong time.

In this episode, we unpack the timeline, the investigation, and the lasting impact of the Hollywood Video Murders. From the lives of the victims to the arrests of Shane Harrison and Esther Beckley, we explore how a single night shattered a sense of safety for an entire community, and why, decades later, the echoes of that night still linger.

Art By the Pixie

References

• Albuquerque Journal. (1996, March–April). Coverage of the Hollywood Video killings. Retrieved from https://www.abqjournal.com (Search: “Hollywood Video murders Albuquerque 1996”)
• The New York Times. (1996, March 6). 5 Are Slain in New Mexico Video Store Robbery. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com
• Associated Press. (1996). Reports on Albuquerque video store killings. Available via multiple archives (e.g., Google News Archive).
• KOAT-TV. (Various years). Cold case and anniversary coverage of the Hollywood Video murders. Retrieved from https://www.koat.com
• KRQE News 13. (Various years). Remembering the Hollywood Video murders. Retrieved from https://www.krqe.com
• State of New Mexico v. Harrison, court records (1996–1998). (Available via New Mexico court archives or legal databases such as Justia or Lexis summaries.)
• Murderpedia. (n.d.). Shane Harrison. Retrieved from https://murderpedia.org