"The Cheshire Murders" (2013 release; 118 min.) is a documentary about the vicious murders committed in Cheshire, CT in 2007. As the documentary opens, it is "July 23, 2007", and it is chaos. A bank teller has called 911 that a woman named Jennifer in the bank claims her husband and 2 daughters are being held hostage at their home. Shortly thereafter, we see the cops at the home, confirming there are 3 fatalities and that they have apprehended 2 suspects. We then step back and get to know Cheshire better. "A phenomenal town", says one. We then switch to "Chapel Hill, NC", where the parents and sister of Jennifer start commenting about what happened in 2007. At this point we are 15 min. into the film.
Couple of comments: this is another true crime documentary, looking at the gruesome murders committed by 2 savage men. There never is any question that they done what they have done, so this documentary is different from, say, the recent "Who Killed Garrett Phillips?", where we literally didn't know who did what. Instead, this documentary looks at the issue of death penalty vs. jail for like without a chance for parole. In an liberal-leaning state like Connecticut, one would expect that the death penalty is not well regarded, and indeed the Connecticut legislature passed a law banning the death penalty in 2009 but the governor vetoed it, citing the Cheshire murders. Here is the kicker: within weeks of their arrest, the defense lawyers of the murderers offer a plea bargain of life in jail without a chance for parole, and the prosecutors REJECT the plea bargain, instead deciding to go for the death penalty. This sets into motion a series of events that you'll just have to see for yourself in this gripping documentary... As a complete aside, the Cheshire police's role in how the events played out on July 23, 2007 looks shady, to say the least, hinting of incompetence. But the documentary never really pursues that angle (and notes that the Cheshire police department declined any and all requests for interviews).
As you may know, HBO has been showcasing a batch of brand new true crime documentaries this summer, all of which are worth seeking out ("I Love You , Now Die", "The Talwars: Behind Closed Doors", "Who Killed Garrett Phillips", just to name those). It was while watching these that I saw "The Cheshire Murders" mentioned. Even though this documentary is now 6 years old, it is still very relevant, and of course you can get an update on what has happened since then from many sources (including Wikipedia). If you like documentaries, and true crime in particular, I'd readily suggest you check this out on VOD, and draw your own conclusion.
