My Brother the Serial Killer
My Brother the Serial Killer is a 2012 American television documentary about serial killer Glen Rogers, otherwise known as the "Cross Country Killer”, who was convicted for a series of murders and arsons.[1] The documentary was narrated by Rogers' brother Clay Rogers and aired on Investigation Discovery in November 2012. My Brother the Serial Killer received widespread media attention for Clay's claims that his brother was responsible for the 1994 murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman.[2]
My Brother the Serial Killer | |
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Directed by | David Monaghan |
Produced by |
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Based on | Crimes of serial killer Glen Rogers |
Starring | Anthony Meoli as profiler |
Narrated by | Clay Rogers |
Music by | Davey Ray Moor |
Cinematography |
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Edited by | Murray North |
Distributed by | Investigation Discovery |
Release date |
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Running time | 90 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Synopsis
My Brother the Serial Killer chronicles the background of Rogers and looks into prior assertions that he had murdered over 70 people.[3] As it investigates claims by the Rogers family that Glen Rogers was behind the Goldman-Simpson murders, the documentary includes a filmed interview of Glen's brother Clay, wherein Clay asserts that his brother confessed his involvement.[4] Rogers' family stated that he had informed them that he had been working for Nicole in 1994 and that he had made verbal threats about her to them. Rogers would later speak to a criminal profiler about the Goldman-Simpson murders, providing details about the crime and remarking that he had been hired by O. J. Simpson to steal a pair of earrings and potentially murder Nicole.[5]
In 2012, several links between convicted murderer Glen Edward Rogers, and the killings of Brown and Goldman were revealed to the public in the documentary film My Brother the Serial Killer. Clay, Glen's brother, says Glen was talking about how he had met Brown and was "going to take her down" a few days before the murders happened in 1994. When the murder case was under process, Deputy District Attorney of Van Nuys Lea D'Argostino came to know about a letter Glen had written revealing he had met Brown. The information was forwarded to O.J. Simpson's prosecutors, but it was ignored. Much later, in his years-long correspondence (beginning in 2009) with criminal profiler Anthony Meolis, Glen also wrote about and created paintings pointing towards his involvement with the murders. During a personal prison meeting between the two, Glen said he was hired by O.J. Simpson to break into Brown's house and steal some expensive jewelry, and that O.J. had told him: "you may have to kill the bitch".[6][5] As it investigates claims by the Rogers family that Glen Rogers was behind the Goldman-Simpson murders, the documentary includes a filmed interview of Glen's brother Clay, wherein Clay asserts that his brother confessed his involvement.[4] Rogers' family stated that he had informed them that he had been working for Nicole in 1994 and that he had made verbal threats about her to them. Rogers would later speak to a criminal profiler about the Goldman-Simpson murders, providing details about the crime and remarking that he had been hired by O. J. Simpson to steal a pair of earrings and potentially murder Nicole.
Reception
Reaction from Goldman and Brown families
The families of Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman expressed anger at the documentary's premise, with both families dismissing the claims by the Rogers family.[7] Kim Goldman accused Investigation Discovery of irresponsibility, also saying that no one had informed her of Rogers' claims that he had been involved in her brother's death.[7]
Investigation Discovery's president Henry Schlieff replied that the documentary's intention was not to prove that Rogers had committed the crimes but to "give viewers new facts and let them make up their own minds" and that he believed that Simpson was guilty of the murders.[5] Schlieff also said that the movie did not point out any inconsistencies with the claims or evidence against Rogers because "ID viewers are savvy enough to root them out on their own."[5]
Critical response
Variety gave My Brother the Serial Killer a positive review, praising the documentary for "eschewing cheesy shock effects in favor of incisive commentary from family, law enforcement, press and even victims' friends".[8] IndieWire criticized the documentary as not making much sense and for using the viewpoint of Clay Rogers rather than through one of someone more distanced from Rogers or the crime.[9]
References
- Kiesewetter, John. "TV special looks into the claims of a killer". USA Today. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
- "Documentary: Serial killer, not O.J., killed Simpson and Goldman". cnn.com. CNN. 21 November 2012. Retrieved 29 November 2012.
- "DOCUMENTARY CLAIMS O.J. SIMPSON INNOCENT OF MURDERS, SERIAL KILLER GUILTY". The Independent. London. 22 November 2012. Retrieved 29 November 2012.
- Harris, Dan (20 November 2012). "Serial Killer Murdered Nicole Brown Simpson, New Documentary Claims". abnews.go.com. ABC News. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
- "O.J. Simpson film: Serial killer murdered Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman 9". Toronto Sun. Retrieved 29 November 2012.
- "Documentary: Serial killer, not O.J., killed Simpson and Goldman". cnn.com. CNN. 21 November 2012. Retrieved 29 November 2012.
- "Families of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman enraged by Discovery documentary; O.J. Simpson 'loves it'". foxnews.com. Fox News. 21 November 2012. Retrieved 29 November 2012.
- "My Brother the Serial Killer". Variety. Retrieved 29 November 2012.
- "Review: 'My Brother The Serial Killer' Offers Thin Alternate Theory About The O.J. Simpson/Nicole Brown Murder". IndieWire. Retrieved 29 November 2012.