The appeal of true crime is first and foremost that it is, well, true. There are plenty of scripted dramas featuring murder, abduction, and evil villains, but when real life mimics the plot twists of a movie, that’s when documentaries can really blow our minds. If left turns and jaw-dropping developments are what keep you coming back for more, then these twisty stories may be the blindside you’re looking for.

So buckle up and expect the unexpected as you stream these true crime documentaries that have more curves than a racetrack.

Lover, Stalker, Killer

The Crime: This twisted love triangle documentary is not what you think. Dave Kroupa moved to Omaha in 2012 to be close to his children and quickly joined the online dating app Plenty of Fish. He started dating Liz Golyar, another single parent who agreed she wanted a casual relationship. Dave then began seeing Cari Farver, a single mother he met at work. One night at Dave’s apartment, Cari met Liz briefly when the latter showed up unannounced to grab a personal item. Two weeks later, out of the blue and within hours of kissing her goodbye, Dave started receiving dramatic and threatening texts from Cari. From there began a four-year deluge of digital bullying, stalking, harassment, and even a devastating fire aimed at Dave, Liz, and Dave’s ex-wife, Amy. But if you think you know where this is going, trust us, you don’t.

The Victims: Without hinting at any of the documentary’s insane revelations, let’s just say you can assume that basically everyone is a victim in this story, some worse than others.

The Verdict: The guilty get theirs in this sordid and suspenseful account, but the journey to justice is long and winding and will have you gasping at the depravity that exists in this world.

Lover, Stalker, Killer

1h 30m   TV-MA   2024

My List

Watch

The Kings of Tupelo: A Southern Crime Saga

The Crime: What do Elvis impersonators, small-town politics, black market organ trafficking, and quite possibly the most entertaining conspiracy theorist ever to exist have in common? You’ll have to watch to see. We wouldn’t dare spoil the intricate web that lays out the zany details of one man, Kevin Curtis, a former Elvis impersonator and hospital employee who quite literally stumbles upon what he thinks is an organ harvesting scheme involving said hospital and a local Senator who owns funeral homes. Kevin discovers the internet and a conspiracy theorist is born. 

The Victims: You won’t need to watch long to discover that Kevin would say he’s the biggest victim of all that unfolded, and he’s not all wrong, though maybe not to the extent he insists. There are plenty who suffered in some way or another in this convoluted tale, a trail of victims leading all the way to the White House.

The Verdict: A larger-than-life Southern career politician, a vengeful Taekwondo instructor, and of course, the dubious storyteller Kevin all contribute to this stranger-than-fiction case. You wouldn’t believe us if we tried to explain just where this conspiracy-fueled documentary ends up, but there are answers to at least some of your questions.

The Kings of Tupelo: A Southern Crime Saga

3 Episodes   TV-MA   2024

My List

Watch

Explore

Girl in the Picture

The Crime: In April 1990, a 20-year-old woman was found dying by the side of the road. What starts as an apparent hit-and-run unfolds into a horrifying tale of abduction and abuse well beyond what seems possible for anyone to get away with. The woman’s husband, Clarence, shows up with their son Michael and identifies the woman as Tonya Hughes. Tonya succumbed to her injuries five days later, but an investigation into her true identity –– as well as Clarence’s — had only just begun.

The Victim: Tonya Hughes –– as she was known at the time of her death –– who we later learn was named Sharon Marshall while in high school, but was born Suzanne Sevakis, was a stripper and a mother. She had two other children who she gave up for adoption previously. Her high school friends described her as intelligent, stating she had a full scholarship to Georgia Tech that she never got to use. Cheryl Commesso, a friend of Suzanne’s (Sharon at the time) from the strip club where they both worked, went missing shortly before Suzanne and her father left Florida. 

The Verdict: Perhaps unsurprisingly, Clarence is not who he claims to be and his involvement with Suzanne is just the tip of the iceberg of his many sins. The extent of evil on display in this investigation provides twist after twist the deeper you go.

Girl in the Picture

1h 42m   TV-MA   2022

My List

Watch