Fall River Docuseries Trailer Teases a Satanic-Panic Era Investigation

The town of Fall River, Massachusetts is well known among those who dive deep into the dark history of the country, as that’s where Lizzie Borden was put on trial for killing her parents in the 19th century, with the upcoming EPIX TV series Fall River chronicling three murders that took place in 1979. The various bizarre details surrounding the event, along with the nation being caught up in the “Satanic Panic” surrounding supposed cults and ritual sacrifices, all added up to the town earning notoriety for yet another unsettling event. Check out the trailer for the four-part event above before Fall River debuts on May 16th.

Per press release, “In 1979 – almost 90 years after infamous, accused murderer Lizzie Borden’s notorious acquittal – Fall River, Massachusetts would become home to another terrifying series of crimes. When three young women were killed in a streak of brutal murders, police alleged a satanic cult was practicing human sacrifice. The cult leader, a man named Carl Drew, was captured and sent to prison for life without parole.

“Twenty years after the trial, the lead investigator Paul Carey became so haunted by inconsistencies in the stories that he re-investigated his own case after he retired. Evidence surfaced that brought the entire story into question. Now through exclusive interviews, including intimate conversations with Drew, new witnesses, and illuminating evidence, this documentary series will tell the true story of a town caught in the grips of the paranoia and fear around the 1980s Satanic Panic, and will shed light on murders that were thought to have been solved.”

“James Buddy Day and Blumhouse have brilliantly told this story of a town rattled by crime and caught in the throes of the satanic panic,” Michael Wright, president, EPIX, shared in a press release. “This series uncompromisingly seeks justice for the vulnerable, who fell victim to their dangerous surroundings, and closure to those that have gone for so many years without it.”

“Fall River does more than chronicle the sensational murders that beset this town, but gives a face and voice to the marginalized victims, women who, because they were sex workers, did not receive the care and attention warranted during the investigation into their deaths,” Mary Lisio, EVP Alternative and Non-Scripted Programming, Blumhouse Television, added. “Over the course of filming, we uncovered aspects of the investigation that were previously unknown, new evidence, that 41 years later bring us closer to the truth of what really happened to these women.”

Check out Fall River when it premieres on EPIX on May 16th.

Are you looking forward to the new series? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars.