The true crime genre often walks a tightrope, trying to balance respect for victims with the inherent luridness of the subject matter.
People Magazine Investigates generally manages to avoid the more exploitative pitfalls, and this episode, focusing on the abduction of a nine-year-old girl from her home in Homosassa, Florida, sounds like particularly grim territory.
A three-week search culminating in a tragic discovery is the kind of story that sticks with you, and the episode apparently follows the girl’s father as he tries to prevent similar tragedies from occurring.
It’s a familiar true-crime trope – finding a glimmer of purpose amidst unspeakable grief – and one hopes the show handles it with the appropriate sensitivity.
While true crime can be compelling, sometimes even morbidly fascinating, it’s crucial to remember the human cost at the heart of these stories.
People Magazine Investigates: The Boogeyman airs Monday, October 28, 2024, at 9:00 pm on Investigation Discovery.