True Crime

True Crime: history

True Crime: origins

The origin of the true-crime genre can be traced back to the 16th century, when numerous publishers in the U.K. produced pamphlets reporting on crimes. Ballads and poems were also composed to report on the exploits of criminals across the country.

Many of these literary works would take on a morally ambiguous view of the crimes, which would then be sensationalized to sell copies. This is a mode of writing that would become prevalent in the true-crime genre.

True Crime: 19th century

True crime continued to be an important non-fiction genre in the 19th century as it gained popularity in the U.K and U.S.A. During Jack the Ripper's reign of terror over London, where he killed 5 women, local newspapers reported on the crime, selling up to 30,000 copies per day.

Sensational reporting of true-crime cases persisted in its popularity. However, the 19th century also saw the crime and Punishment Reform Movement gain traction, with many literary figures supporting the movement. Charles Dickens' A Visit to Newgate (1836), portrayed the central figures of the true-crime genre in a far more sympathetic light than previously seen.

An important figure in the development of the true-crime genre was the English essayist Thomas De Quincey. His essay 'On Murder Considered as One of the Fine Arts' (1827) is considered by many as the spiritual precursor to Capote's In Cold Blood (1966). De Quincey's essay outlines his aesthetics for murder and compares the act to the philosopher Immanuel Kant's theory of the sublime.

De Quincey's later writing shifted the sensational narrative of true crime from focusing on the act or the criminal to concentrating on how crime and society can influence each other.

True Crime: 20th century

In the 20th century, the true crime genre would only become more popular thanks to the invention of the television and the radio. The story of Lizzie Borden, a woman accused (and eventually acquitted) of killing her parents with an axe in 1892, was subject to much speculation by the public. This case was widely reported in America and many true crime novels and essays were written based on this crime.

In Cold Blood (1966) shaped the true-crime genre in the 20th century, as it combined a sensationalized retelling of a true event with literary elements that could be found in fictional novels. The critical and popular success of Capote's novel allowed for other true-crime novels and programmes to follow.

The true-crime genre would experience another surge in popularity during the 1990s, following the success of the detective film, Silence of the Lambs. The film was an adaptation of the book The Silence of the Lambs (1988) by Thomas Harris. There was a new interest in serial killers and how the FBI caught them. This awakened interest led FBI profiler John Douglas to release Mindhunter (1995), a true-crime novel centred around his true encounters interviewing serial killers. Douglas' novel was met with success and in 2017 was adapted by Netflix as a TV series.

One of the most infamous true-crime cases was the 1994 double murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. Following the double homicide, Simpson's husband, NFL player O.J. Simpson was arrested and acquitted of the killings. The trial of O.J Simpson was subject to great media attention, and formed the basis of the novel The Run of His Life: The People v. O.J Simpson (1996) by Jeffrey Toobin. Simpson's trial became a touchstone in the courts and popular culture.

True Crime: 21st century

It can be argued that in the 21st century, true crime is more popular than ever. The rise of streaming services and the podcast format has led to more true crime content being produced than in the previous centuries. A new type of true crime also gained popularity during this period, which focused on advocating for incarcerated individuals.

Novels such as Devil's Knot: Case of the West Memphis Three (2002) by Mara Leveritt, Central Park Five: A Chronicle of a City Wilding (2011) by Sarah Burns as well as the podcast Serial, all advocated for the innocence of those accused of murder.

True Crime: categories

While "True Crime" is often associated with murder cases, it is a broad genre that covers many different types of offences.

True Crime: books and stories

True crime books are the oldest form of the genre and can be found across history in different cultures. Arguably, the first true crime book was the Book of Swindles by Zhang Yingyu, which was written in 1617. This book compiled a list of alleged frauds that had occurred during the later part of the Ming Dynasty's reign of China. The modern form of the true-crime novel began with Truman Capote's In Cold Blood (1966), which presented the criminal case in a similar manner to a fictionalised crime story.

True crime books detail the events leading up to the crime, the crime itself as well as the real-world consequences of the event. However, the genre is broad, with some novels focusing on the psychology and actions of one individual (such as Killing for Company (1985) by Brian Masters, which detailed the crimes of serial killer Dennis Nilsen) and others centring on how detectives catch criminals (such as John Douglas' Mindhunter (1995)).

Notable Works: In Cold Blood (1966) - Truman Capote, Helter Skelter (1974) - Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry, Mindhunter (1995) - John Douglas.

True Crime: documentaries and dramas

One of the earliest true crime documentaries was Errol Morris's 1988 piece The Thin Blue Line, which followed the trail of Randall Dale Adams after he murdered police officer, Robert Wood. This documentary was influential on the genre, as it featured interview testimonials as well as a re-enactment of the crime. While many modern true crime documentaries do not utilise re-enactments, their inclusion was common during the late 20th century.

The first modern iteration of the true-crime documentary was The Staircase (2004), which documented the trial of crime novelist Michael Peterson, who was accused of killing his wife. Peterson argued that he did not kill his wife, and instead she had been attacked by an owl before falling down the stairs. This case was also the subject of the 2018 Netflix documentary of the same name.

The popularity of streaming services has led to an increase in true crime documentaries produced. The true crime documentaries produced during the 2010s and 2020s are made for 'binge-watching.'

A notable example was the 2020 documentary series Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness. This documentary followed the big-cat breeding industry in America and its eccentric personalities. The programme culminated in a murder-for-hire plot and the incarceration of the documentary's protagonist, Joe Exotic.

Notable Works: Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness (2020) - Netflix, The Thing Blue Line (1988) - Errol Morris, The Staircase (2004) - Jean-Xavier de Lestrade.

True Crime: criticism

The true-crime genre has been subject to criticism. The genre has been accused of making its consumers (predominantly women) paranoid. Documentaries such as Mark Lewis' Don't F**k with Cats (2019), focused on how amateur internet sleuths who caught killer Luca Magnotta could inspire vigilantism, for example.

One of the biggest criticisms of the true-crime genre is how it has a tendency to sensationalise crimes. Many true-crime books, documentaries, and podcasts centre on the criminal in these stories, rather than the victim. Therefore, the genre has been criticised for re-traumatising victims of crime to create a more 'exciting' story.