A+E Networks Orders True Crime Series “Faces Of Evil” From Woodcut

EXCLUSIVE: A+E Networks EMEA has commissioned a six-part series examining flawed investigations into notorious killers from the US and UK.

Woodcut Media makes Faces of Evil for Crime + Investigation. The series will explore the twists and turns of the flawed investigations into figures such as the so-called “death house landlady” Dorothea Puente and the “Kansas City Butcher” Robert Berdella Jr.

Puente managed to make everyone believe she was a harmless old lady for over a decade before being charged with nine counts of murder in California, while Berdella Jr. kidnapped, raped and murdered at least six young men in the 1980s before the law finally caught up with him.

In the UK, the series follows the cases of Billy Dunlop and Russell Bishop, who managed to avoid conviction for the murder of Julie Hogg, Nicola Fellows and Karen Hadaway despite compelling evidence. Decades later, they were finally brought to justice.

In each case, the series will examine the missteps and procedural errors that led to these killers evading capture and conviction, as well as the courage and persistence of those who refused to admit defeat in their efforts to bring them to justice.

Distributor Woodcut International will handle worldwide sales and will present it to international buyers at the upcoming MIPCOM market.

Executive producers are Matthew Gordon and Koulla Anastasi. Series producer is Tracey Moore.

The series was ordered by Dan Korn, VP of Programming, and Diana Carter, Commissioning Editor and Head of Talent, for A+E Networks EMEA.

Korn said: “We are delighted to be working with Woodcut Media again to explore how, particularly in the 1980s, murderers on both sides of the Atlantic managed to slip through the net despite the best efforts of law enforcement. It is an important reminder of how far we have come, but also of the valiant efforts of the victims' families who refused to let these heinous crimes go unpunished.”

“In true crime, it is important that justice is served, which is highlighted in each episode of this series,” added Koulla Anastasi, Commercial Director of Woodcut Media and Managing Director of Woodcut International. “Fortunately, forensics has made great strides and the speed at which crimes are solved has improved dramatically. It is our pleasure to produce this new series for the Crime + Investigation platform and we look forward to introducing it to our buyers at MIPCOM.”

A+E Networks EMEA, part of A+E Networks, operates networks such as Crime + Investigation, The History Channel, Blaze and Cosmo TV in the UK, Scandinavia, Benelux, Germany, Italy, Spain, Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The company has offices in London, Rome, Madrid, Warsaw, Munich and Johannesburg.

The UK true crime industry was rocked earlier this year by the tragic death of producer John Balson, who took his own life in May. A TV and film charity was set up shortly after. Woodcut founder Kate Beal is the founder of the UK's Association of True Crime Producers, which was formed following the murder of Sarah Everard by an off-duty police officer and the media reaction to the death of Briton Nicola Bulley.