The Cheshire Murders, another in HBO’s fine summer documentary series, takes us beyond the familiar police procedural. This is not a whodunit – we immediately know what happened and who committed the crimes. Three murders were committed in a home invasion, and the two perpetrators were caught red-handed – their guilt confirmed by confessions and DNA and other forensic evidence.
Instead, as The Cheshire Murders peels back the onion, we hear about the crime’s impact on a quiet Connecticut suburb and on the families of the victims and the perpetrators. We trace the unanswered questions on the police response. We follow the life journeys of the murderers which culminate in this horrific crime. We see how the case affected the political debate over capital punishment in Connecticut, and test our own views on capital punishment with the facts of a heinous crime, certain guilt and monstrous offenders.
The Cheshire Murders is all the more effective because the filmmakers refused to sensationalize the case. The facts, speaking for themselves, are compelling enough.
The Cheshire Murders is currently playing on HBO. Note: Some of the victims of this wanton, senseless and disgusting crime were children; although there are no grisly images, the facts of the case are disturbing.