Infamous Murders
Encyclopedia
Infamous Murders was a documentary television series shown on The History Channel
in the U.S. and the U.K. The U.S. edition was narrated by Don Peoples. In the U.K. edition the narrator is uncredited.
in both the U.K. and U.S. In the U.S. the show was included as part of the 154 episode run of History's Mysteries
. During the hour long show, two episodes of Infamous Murders were presented together.
Each episode was thirty minutes long. Three crimes that share a common theme such as motive, means, or victims are given ten minutes of time apiece. The series concentrated on notorious murders carried out during the 20th century. In the beginning of each show a particularly infamous crime would be examined as an example. The words “Infamous Murders now examines…” would follow and the other three murders would be presented.
The series relied on historical documents for visuals rather than reenactments. Dramatic music was used to heighten the narration along with rostrum
shots of photographs, and vintage television/film footage.
Reruns of the show can be seen on The History Channel
, the Crime & Investigation Network
, and the Biography Channel.
A 17 disc DVD
version of the series was released in the U.K. as Ultimate Crimes: The World’s Most Infamous Murders by Odeon Entertainment in 2002. Each disc contains three episodes.
Music: De Wolfe
Music Advisor: Alan Howe
Production Facilities: Barnes Trust Television
On-line Editor: Joe Turner
editor
: Crispin Julian
Rostrum
: Frameline
Research Director: George Marshall
Script Writer
: Nicolas Wright
Line Producer
: Ron Glenister
Producer/Director: Jonathan Martin
Executive Producer
: Philip Nugus
Produced by Nugus/Martin Productions Ltd.
Nurses sometimes kill.
Bizarre Murders (2001)
Young Ronald DeFeo shoots his family; mountain-gorilla researcher Dian Fossey
is hacked to death; Italian banker is found hanging from a bridge.
The Cannibals (2001)
Several killers, both real and fictional, consume their victims.
Celebrity Murder (2001)
The heir to a railway fortune shoots his wife's lover; Sharon Tate; Gianni Versace; playwright murder.
Crimes of Prejudice (2001)
Deaths of civil-rights workers; political and ethnic killings; murders of gay men.
Cult Killings (2001)
Cult leaders exert huge power over members, sometimes causing them to kill or to commit suicide.
Deadly Doctors (2001)
A doctor convicted of killing her daughter-in-law may be innocent; a doctor gets away with the murders of 132 patients; a British doctor may have killed as many as 1,000 female patients.
Deadly Kidnappings (2001)
The Lindbergh baby's kidnapping and murder; confused kidnappers take the wrong person; a murderer abducts a young heiress.
Deadly Ladies (2001)
Women sometimes kill.
Death in the Country (2001)
Even America's heartland is not immune to violent crime.
Evading Justice (2001)
Several serial killers evade punishment.
Evidence of Murder (2001)
Crucial evidence sometimes brings killers to justice years later.
Final Justice (2001)
Capital punishment.
From Coast to Coast (2001)
Traveling murderers roam the country or the world in search of victims.
Gangland Murders (2001)
Prohibition-era gangsters fight for supremacy; bank robber John Dillinger becomes public enemy number one.
Hollywood Murders (2001)
A suicide note accompanies the death of a movie producer; in 1935 a screen idol becomes an apparent suicide; in 1958 a teenage daughter is charged with the murder of an actress's boyfriend.
Horror on the Highways (2001)
The anonymity of the highway and the speed of its traffic make it an ideal dumping ground for murderers.
Inheritance Killers (2001)
Money can be the motive for murder.
Intent on Murder (2001)
Some killers choose their victims by type.
Killing for Pleasure (2001)
Random killers Neville Heath
, the Hillside Strangler
, and the Coed Killer, John Norman Collins.
Killing for Thrills (2001)
Some killers transform their homes into chambers of horror.
Lady Killers (2001)
Serial killers John Christie
, Richard Speck
, and William Heirens
.
Mass Murderers (2001)
Rampage killings. Fritz Haarmann
, Hungerford massacre
, Charles Whitman
, Dean Corll
Model Murders (2001)
Many young women's dreams of an easy and glamorous modeling career are cut short.
Murder at the Top (2001)
Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma
; Ernest Rohm; Bishop Juan Conendra Geradi
.
Murder by Decree (2001)
Murder is sometimes used to silence people who threaten the system.
Murder for Hire (2001)
Hit-men are paid to kill.
Murder for Profit (2001)
Some kill to satisfy their greed.
Murder in Cold Blood (2001)
Some murderers kill for no apparent reason.
Murder in High Office (2001)
Anwar Sadat
; Yitzhak Rabin
.
Murdered on Duty (2001)
When a colleague dies in the line of duty, police officers work tirelessly to catch the killer.
Murdering Conmen (2001)
Conmen worm their way into victims' lives and kill them for their cash.
New York Mafia Murders (2001)
The struggle for mob leadership leads to an endless cycle of murder and blood feuds.
Poisoned to Death (2001)
Poisoners leave clear trails for police to follow.
The Poisoners (2001)
Doctors abuse their positions of trust to administer poison to their victims.
Political Assassinations (2001)
Politics can be a deadly business.
Political Killings (2001)
Malcolm X
; Sacco and Vanzetti
; Harvey Milk
and George Moscone
.
Premeditated Murder (2001)
Some killers plan their actions to the very last detail.
A Question of Doubt (2001)
The disappearance of Teamsters leader Jimmy Hoffa
; a man accused of the 1919 murder of a young Englishwoman is acquitted; a doctor stands trial for the 1954 murder of his wife.
Red Light Murders (2001)
The life of a prostitute can be brutal and short.
Royal Murders (2001)
Saudi Arabia's King Faisal
; Czar Nicholas II; the 2001 death of the king and queen of Bhutan.
Savage Surgeons (2001)
Surgeons use their expertise to hide their crimes.
Society Murders (2001)
Influential friends and expensive lawyers sometimes allow the wealthy to get away with murder.
Somebody Killed the President! (2001)
U.S. presidential assassinations.
Spree Killings (2001)
Two young couples become serial killers; a misfit crosses America and murders at least 20 people.
Stalking the Innocent (2001)
Some killers select their victims randomly.
Streets of Fear (2001)
Some serial killers find their victims on the streets of British and American cities.
Terrorizing the Cities (2001)
The Boston Strangler, The Night Stalker
, and the Trash Bag Murders.
Trapped by Forensics (2001)
Genetic fingerprinting.
The Trunk Murders (2001)
Many murderers find that a large trunk is just the right size to hold a human corpse.
Victims of Jealousy (2001)
Jealousy and obsession can turn violent.
Women Who Kill (2001)
Love triangle; female terrorist; female serial-killer.
homosexuals revenge (2001)
Christopher John Mark Lavin killed to avenge his gay lovers (James Johnston) murder
The History Channel
History, formerly known as The History Channel, is an American-based international satellite and cable TV channel that broadcasts a variety of reality shows and documentary programs including those of fictional and non-fictional historical content, together with speculation about the future.-...
in the U.S. and the U.K. The U.S. edition was narrated by Don Peoples. In the U.K. edition the narrator is uncredited.
Overview
The 51 episodes of the series were produced by Nugus/Martin Productions Ltd. in 2001. The show was aired on The History ChannelThe History Channel
History, formerly known as The History Channel, is an American-based international satellite and cable TV channel that broadcasts a variety of reality shows and documentary programs including those of fictional and non-fictional historical content, together with speculation about the future.-...
in both the U.K. and U.S. In the U.S. the show was included as part of the 154 episode run of History's Mysteries
History's Mysteries
History's Mysteries is an American documentary television series on the History Channel.-Overview:The 154 episodes of the series were produced from 1994-2006. Each season consisted of 12 to 14 one-hour episodes that focused on historical events or subjects considered to be mysterious by the general...
. During the hour long show, two episodes of Infamous Murders were presented together.
Each episode was thirty minutes long. Three crimes that share a common theme such as motive, means, or victims are given ten minutes of time apiece. The series concentrated on notorious murders carried out during the 20th century. In the beginning of each show a particularly infamous crime would be examined as an example. The words “Infamous Murders now examines…” would follow and the other three murders would be presented.
The series relied on historical documents for visuals rather than reenactments. Dramatic music was used to heighten the narration along with rostrum
Rostrum camera
A rostrum camera is a specially designed camera used in television production and filmmaking to animate a still picture or object. It consists of a moving lower platform on which the article to be filmed is placed, while the camera is placed above on a column. Many visual effects can be created...
shots of photographs, and vintage television/film footage.
Reruns of the show can be seen on The History Channel
The History Channel
History, formerly known as The History Channel, is an American-based international satellite and cable TV channel that broadcasts a variety of reality shows and documentary programs including those of fictional and non-fictional historical content, together with speculation about the future.-...
, the Crime & Investigation Network
Crime & Investigation Network
Crime & Investigation Network is a British television channel which focuses on crime, investigation and mystery programming. It is owned and operated by A+E Networks UK, jointly owned by A&E Television Networks and British Sky Broadcasting and launched in July 2006.A high definition version...
, and the Biography Channel.
A 17 disc DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
version of the series was released in the U.K. as Ultimate Crimes: The World’s Most Infamous Murders by Odeon Entertainment in 2002. Each disc contains three episodes.
Series Credits
Narrator (U.S.): Don PeoplesMusic: De Wolfe
Music Advisor: Alan Howe
Production Facilities: Barnes Trust Television
On-line Editor: Joe Turner
editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
: Crispin Julian
Rostrum
Rostrum camera
A rostrum camera is a specially designed camera used in television production and filmmaking to animate a still picture or object. It consists of a moving lower platform on which the article to be filmed is placed, while the camera is placed above on a column. Many visual effects can be created...
: Frameline
Research Director: George Marshall
Script Writer
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
: Nicolas Wright
Line Producer
Line producer
A line producer is the key manager during the daily operations of a motion picture production.The line producer supports the vision given by the director but does not have direct influence on the creative expression or narrative of the film....
: Ron Glenister
Producer/Director: Jonathan Martin
Executive Producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
: Philip Nugus
Produced by Nugus/Martin Productions Ltd.
Episode list
Angels of Death (2001)Nurses sometimes kill.
Bizarre Murders (2001)
Young Ronald DeFeo shoots his family; mountain-gorilla researcher Dian Fossey
Dian Fossey
Dian Fossey was an American zoologist who undertook an extensive study of gorilla groups over a period of 18 years. She studied them daily in the mountain forests of Rwanda, initially encouraged to work there by famous anthropologist Louis Leakey...
is hacked to death; Italian banker is found hanging from a bridge.
The Cannibals (2001)
Several killers, both real and fictional, consume their victims.
Celebrity Murder (2001)
The heir to a railway fortune shoots his wife's lover; Sharon Tate; Gianni Versace; playwright murder.
Crimes of Prejudice (2001)
Deaths of civil-rights workers; political and ethnic killings; murders of gay men.
Cult Killings (2001)
Cult leaders exert huge power over members, sometimes causing them to kill or to commit suicide.
Deadly Doctors (2001)
A doctor convicted of killing her daughter-in-law may be innocent; a doctor gets away with the murders of 132 patients; a British doctor may have killed as many as 1,000 female patients.
Deadly Kidnappings (2001)
The Lindbergh baby's kidnapping and murder; confused kidnappers take the wrong person; a murderer abducts a young heiress.
Deadly Ladies (2001)
Women sometimes kill.
Death in the Country (2001)
Even America's heartland is not immune to violent crime.
Evading Justice (2001)
Several serial killers evade punishment.
Evidence of Murder (2001)
Crucial evidence sometimes brings killers to justice years later.
Final Justice (2001)
Capital punishment.
From Coast to Coast (2001)
Traveling murderers roam the country or the world in search of victims.
Gangland Murders (2001)
Prohibition-era gangsters fight for supremacy; bank robber John Dillinger becomes public enemy number one.
Hollywood Murders (2001)
A suicide note accompanies the death of a movie producer; in 1935 a screen idol becomes an apparent suicide; in 1958 a teenage daughter is charged with the murder of an actress's boyfriend.
Horror on the Highways (2001)
The anonymity of the highway and the speed of its traffic make it an ideal dumping ground for murderers.
Inheritance Killers (2001)
Money can be the motive for murder.
Intent on Murder (2001)
Some killers choose their victims by type.
Killing for Pleasure (2001)
Random killers Neville Heath
Neville Heath
Neville George Clevely Heath was an English killer who was responsible for the murders of at least two young women. He was executed in London in 1946.-Early career:Heath was born in Essex, England...
, the Hillside Strangler
Hillside Strangler
The Hillside Strangler is the media epithet for two men, cousins Kenneth Bianchi and Angelo Buono, who were convicted of kidnapping, raping, torturing, and killing girls and women ranging in age from 12 to 28 years old during a four-month period from late 1977 to early 1978...
, and the Coed Killer, John Norman Collins.
Killing for Thrills (2001)
Some killers transform their homes into chambers of horror.
Lady Killers (2001)
Serial killers John Christie
John Christie (murderer)
John Reginald Halliday Christie , born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, was a notorious English serial killer active in the 1940s and '50s. He murdered at least eight females – including his wife Ethel – by strangling them in his flat at 10 Rillington Place, Notting Hill, London...
, Richard Speck
Richard Speck
Richard Franklin Speck was a mass murderer who systematically tortured, raped and murdered eight student nurses from South Chicago Community Hospital in Chicago, Illinois on July 14, 1966.- Monmouth, 1941–1950 :...
, and William Heirens
William Heirens
William George Heirens is a convicted American serial killer who confessed to three murders in 1946. Heirens has been called The Lipstick Killer due to a notorious message scrawled in lipstick at a crime scene...
.
Mass Murderers (2001)
Rampage killings. Fritz Haarmann
Fritz Haarmann
Friedrich Heinrich Karl "Fritz" Haarmann , also known as the Butcher of Hanover and the Vampire of Hanover was a German serial killer who is believed to have been responsible for the murder of 27 boys and young men between 1918 and 1924...
, Hungerford massacre
Hungerford massacre
The Hungerford massacre occurred in Hungerford, Berkshire, England, on 19 August 1987. The gunman, 27-year-old Michael Robert Ryan, armed with two semi-automatic rifles and a handgun, shot and killed sixteen people including his mother, and wounded fifteen others, then fatally shot himself...
, Charles Whitman
Charles Whitman
Charles Joseph Whitman was a student at the University of Texas at Austin and a former Marine who killed 16 people and wounded 32 others during a shooting rampage on and around the university's campus on August 1, 1966....
, Dean Corll
Dean Corll
Dean Arnold Corll was an American serial killer, also known as the "Candy Man", who, together with two youthful accomplices named David Brooks and Elmer Wayne Henley, abducted, raped, tortured and murdered a minimum of 28 boys in a series of killings spanning from 1970 to 1973 in Houston, Texas...
Model Murders (2001)
Many young women's dreams of an easy and glamorous modeling career are cut short.
Murder at the Top (2001)
Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma
Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma
Admiral of the Fleet Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas George Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, KG, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, DSO, PC, FRS , was a British statesman and naval officer, and an uncle of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
; Ernest Rohm; Bishop Juan Conendra Geradi
Juan José Gerardi Conedera
Monsignor Juan José Gerardi Conedera was a Guatemalan Roman Catholic bishop and human rights defender who was beaten to death two days after releasing a report on victims of the Guatemalan Civil War.-Early life:...
.
Murder by Decree (2001)
Murder is sometimes used to silence people who threaten the system.
Murder for Hire (2001)
Hit-men are paid to kill.
Murder for Profit (2001)
Some kill to satisfy their greed.
Murder in Cold Blood (2001)
Some murderers kill for no apparent reason.
Murder in High Office (2001)
Anwar Sadat
Anwar Sadat
Muhammad Anwar al-Sadat was the third President of Egypt, serving from 15 October 1970 until his assassination by fundamentalist army officers on 6 October 1981...
; Yitzhak Rabin
Yitzhak Rabin
' was an Israeli politician, statesman and general. He was the fifth Prime Minister of Israel, serving two terms in office, 1974–77 and 1992 until his assassination in 1995....
.
Murdered on Duty (2001)
When a colleague dies in the line of duty, police officers work tirelessly to catch the killer.
Murdering Conmen (2001)
Conmen worm their way into victims' lives and kill them for their cash.
New York Mafia Murders (2001)
The struggle for mob leadership leads to an endless cycle of murder and blood feuds.
Poisoned to Death (2001)
Poisoners leave clear trails for police to follow.
The Poisoners (2001)
Doctors abuse their positions of trust to administer poison to their victims.
Political Assassinations (2001)
Politics can be a deadly business.
Political Killings (2001)
Malcolm X
Malcolm X
Malcolm X , born Malcolm Little and also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz , was an African American Muslim minister and human rights activist. To his admirers he was a courageous advocate for the rights of African Americans, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its...
; Sacco and Vanzetti
Sacco and Vanzetti
Ferdinando Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were anarchists who were convicted of murdering two men during a 1920 armed robbery in South Braintree, Massachusetts, United States...
; Harvey Milk
Harvey Milk
Harvey Bernard Milk was an American politician who became the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California when he won a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors...
and George Moscone
George Moscone
George Richard Moscone was an American attorney and Democratic politician. He was the 37th mayor of San Francisco, California, US from January 1976 until his assassination in November 1978. Moscone served in the California State Senate from 1967 until becoming Mayor. In the Senate, he served as...
.
Premeditated Murder (2001)
Some killers plan their actions to the very last detail.
A Question of Doubt (2001)
The disappearance of Teamsters leader Jimmy Hoffa
Jimmy Hoffa
James Riddle "Jimmy" Hoffa was an American labor union leader....
; a man accused of the 1919 murder of a young Englishwoman is acquitted; a doctor stands trial for the 1954 murder of his wife.
Red Light Murders (2001)
The life of a prostitute can be brutal and short.
Royal Murders (2001)
Saudi Arabia's King Faisal
Faisal of Saudi Arabia
Faisal bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud was King of Saudi Arabia from 1964 to 1975. As king, he is credited with rescuing the country's finances and implementing a policy of modernization and reform, while his main foreign policy themes were pan-Islamic Nationalism, anti-Communism, and pro-Palestinian...
; Czar Nicholas II; the 2001 death of the king and queen of Bhutan.
Savage Surgeons (2001)
Surgeons use their expertise to hide their crimes.
Society Murders (2001)
Influential friends and expensive lawyers sometimes allow the wealthy to get away with murder.
Somebody Killed the President! (2001)
U.S. presidential assassinations.
Spree Killings (2001)
Two young couples become serial killers; a misfit crosses America and murders at least 20 people.
Stalking the Innocent (2001)
Some killers select their victims randomly.
Streets of Fear (2001)
Some serial killers find their victims on the streets of British and American cities.
Terrorizing the Cities (2001)
The Boston Strangler, The Night Stalker
Richard Ramirez
Ricardo "Richard" Muñoz Ramírez is a convicted serial killer awaiting execution on California's death row at San Quentin State Prison...
, and the Trash Bag Murders.
Trapped by Forensics (2001)
Genetic fingerprinting.
The Trunk Murders (2001)
Many murderers find that a large trunk is just the right size to hold a human corpse.
Victims of Jealousy (2001)
Jealousy and obsession can turn violent.
Women Who Kill (2001)
Love triangle; female terrorist; female serial-killer.
homosexuals revenge (2001)
Christopher John Mark Lavin killed to avenge his gay lovers (James Johnston) murder