This week the docs review the true crime documentary, “I AM VANESSA GUILLEN”. The doc is a 2022 Netflix original directed by Christy Wegener that recounts the horrific story of a young U.S. soldier who was brutally murdered at Fort Hood military base by another soldier. As well as guiding the audience through the brutal commission of the crime, the documentary also follows Vanessa’s family - who are determined to reveal the truth of their daughter’s experience of assault by taking their case all the way to Congress.

This week, the docs explore the psychology behind groups of people acting out in violent and sometimes murderous ways while taking justice into their own hands. They cover a brief history of lynch mobs in the US, before revisiting vigilantism and look at "mob mentality" before covering a couple of case studies.

This week, the docs delve into the sequence of events that precipitated the tragic and disastrous "Zoot Suit" riots in Los Angeles. Despite the Zoot Suit riots receiving far less attention than deserved in the annals of the civil rights struggle in the United States, they represent a pivotal moment in both Los Angeles and national history. The docs investigate how the media exacerbated tensions by demonizing the Latino community, while also shedding light on the pervasive racism and marginalization perpetuated by industry and law enforcement through opinion pieces.

As requested by listeners, we take a look at Copycat Crimes by discussing news and fictional media influences, low-level neighborhood crime, mass shootings, and case studies of infamous murders that inspired other killers.

This week we watched and reviewed the CNN (now on MAX) documentary, Chowchilla. In the late 70's, in the farming town of Chowchilla, California, 26 children and their school bus driver were stopped in the middle of a rural road by three armed men. The men systematically kidnapped the driver and the children and sequestered them in a dark and virtually airless truck trailer and then buried them. While all of the victims survived, they have spent their lives dealing with a multitude of symptoms of trauma and we get to hear from them in this truly bizarre tale.

This week the docs dive into the subject of "Sovereign Citizens," individuals or groups in the United States, and increasingly, around the globe who adhere to a fringe legal theory asserting that they are not subject to the authority of government entities. In Part 2, the docs review the research literature and discuss Sovereign Citizens' engagement with law enforcement, court systems and the general public and the mental gymnastics have moved this once fringe movement into violence.