Watch Catching a Serial Killer: Sam Little
- 2020
- 1 Season
-
5.5 (67)
Catching a Serial Killer: Sam Little is a true-crime documentary series, which follows the hunt for one of the most prolific serial killers in American history, Samuel Little. The show premiered on Oxygen in November 2020 and is directed by award-winning documentarian, Joe Berlinger.
The series features Alena Acker, a former FBI analyst, who leads the investigation, along with Maya Allicock, a current FBI analyst, and Al Dubinsky, a veteran detective from the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C. Working together, they delve deep into the case files and try to unravel the twisted mind of Sam Little, who was convicted of killing three women but claims to have committed over 90 murders across the United States.
The show starts with an overview of Little's early life and criminal history, including his first arrest in 1956 at the age of 16. It then delves into the investigation, which began in 2012, when Little was arrested in a homeless shelter in Kentucky on a drug charge. DNA evidence linked him to the murder of three women in California in the late 1980s. Although Little was sentenced to life in prison for these three murders, his past caught up with him, and he started confessing to dozens of other murders committed over a period of four decades.
Throughout the series, the team interviews law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and family members of the victims, and features chilling footage of Little's confessions to the murders. His recollections of the killings are vivid and disturbingly detailed, often including the route he took to find his victims, the items used to strangle them, and even the last words they spoke before they died.
The investigators analyze Little's patterns and try to find connections between his murders. They visit crime scenes across the country, speak with witnesses, and examine victimology to piece together a portrait of this heinous killer. The show also delves into the challenges law enforcement faces in investigating cold cases, including the lack of physical evidence, witness testimony, or even the name of the victim.
One of the most remarkable features of this series is the central role that DNA evidence plays in Little's conviction. The investigators use advances in forensic technology to link Little to unsolved murders from the 1970s and 1980s, despite the fact that he was never arrested or even known to law enforcement in those decades. The series also highlights the importance of familial DNA searches, which helped identify Little as the perpetrator of several crimes.
The show also portrays the impact that Little's crimes had on his victims' families and loved ones, and how they have coped with the aftermath of the murders. Many of them have spent years looking for answers, and Catching a Serial Killer: Sam Little offers a glimpse into their raw emotions as they come to terms with the horror of what happened.
Overall, Catching a Serial Killer: Sam Little is a compelling and chilling exploration of one of America's most notorious criminals. It's a well-crafted and thought-provoking series that offers insight into the investigative process, the challenges of identifying serial killers, and the impact of violent crime on the victims' families. The show is a must-see for fans of true-crime documentaries and anyone interested in the psychology of serial killers.
Catching a Serial Killer: Sam Little is a series that ran for 1 seasons (2 episodes) between April 12, 2020 and on Oxygen