An Analysis of True Crime’s Treatment of Murder Victims
| Published date | 01 April 2024 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/25166069241245772 |
| Author | Chloe Gehrke |
| Date | 01 April 2024 |
An Analysis of True
Crime’s Treatment
of Murder Victims
Chloe Gehrke1
Abstract
True crime is a non-fiction genre that focuses on real crimes and those who
were involved. As one may expect, this brings attention to victims of violent
crimes. With such a delicate topic, true crime needs to maintain ethical prac-
tices. Many have speculated that victims are disrespected in these retellings, but
in pre-existing research, no one has measured the extent of this disrespect. As
such, the following question presented itself: What is the extent of murder vic-
tim maltreatment by true crime media present on Hulu as of 2022? To answer
this question, a quantitative, exploratory media analysis was completed through
the use of a codebook, which assigns point values that can be combined into an
overall maltreatment score. The main focus of this codebook was the narrative
and imagery shown throughout an episode. Starting with all true crime series, the
sample size was narrowed down to five series. These five series were coded and
received an overall maltreatment score. It was found that on average, these five
series displayed a substantial amount of maltreatment towards murder victims.
Additionally, further analysis showed that the treatment of victims was some-
what dependent on the killers. Not only does this demonstrate an injustice to
the victims themselves, but also to those that knew them.
Keywords
Maltreatment, media, murder, true crime, victim
Introduction
With the rise of popular streaming services, such as Netflix and Hulu, interest in
the true crime genre has grown exponentially. When 2,000 Americans were sur-
veyed, it was found that 66% of respondents were somewhat interested or very
Original Article
Journal of Victimology
and Victim Justice
7(1) 51–72, 2024
2024 National Law
University Delhi
Article reuse guidelines:
in.sagepub.com/journals-permissions-india
DOI: 10.1177/25166069241245772
journals.sagepub.com/home/vvj
1 AP Capstone Program, Millard West High School, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Corresponding author:
Chloe Gehrke, AP Capstone Program, Millard West High School, Omaha, Nebraska 68137-2604,
USA.
E-mail: chloe.e.gehrke@gmail.com
52 Journal of Victimology and Victim Justice 7(1)
interested in true crime.2 True crime is defined as a story about a crime that hap-
pened, and as such, the audience expects as many details as possible.3 This gener-
ally includes the names of people involved, the time and day the crime occurred,
the location of the crime and much more. Details of the crime, regardless of their
significance, are displayed to the public eye. This exposure may bring notoriety
and attention to those involved.
True crime draws upon various aspects of a crime, including the crime itself,
the investigation and even the trial of the perpetrator(s). Each of these processes
relies on the cooperation of numerous people, all of which are put on display
when the case is made into true crime. Some roles are less involved depending on
their contributions to the case. Other individuals, who play a more pivotal role,
receive more screen time, and therefore more attention. This includes the criminal
themselves, and more importantly, their victims.
Typically, the criminals are the main focus when looking at crime, so they tend
to become more prominent than other individuals involved in the case. Some
criminals have even become household names, including Ted Bundy, Jack the
Ripper and the Zodiac Killer. Each of these killers has had true crime media made
about their crimes. Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile4, Portrait of a
Killer5 and Zodiac6 are examples of this. However, the names of these victims are
less notorious: Debra Kent,7 Annie Chapman,8 Paul Lee Stine9 and more. The
victims’ involvement in this media prompts the question, what is the extent of
murder victim maltreatment by true crime media present on Hulu as of 2022? For
this study, maltreatment is defined as any aspect that either shows a preference
towards the killer or could potentially portray the victim incorrectly. While this is
a broad definition, it allows for a more thorough analysis of true crime media.
Literature Review
Victimology
Victimology studies the relationship between victims and their offenders, along
with the psychological effects that crime can have on victims. Victimology is
2 Laurnie Wilson, True Crime Viewers Would Kill for More Streaming Content, , Feb.
20, 2019, https://civicscience.com/true-crime-viewers-would-kill-for-more-streaming-content/.
3 (Celadon Books, May 27, 2021), https://celadonbooks.com/
what-is-true-crime/.
4 Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (Netflix 2019).
5 (G. P. Putnam’s Sons 2002).
6 (Warner Bros Pictures 2007).
7 Andrew Adams, DNA Testing Helped Police Confirm Missing Utah Teen Was Killed
by Ted Bundy, www.ksl.com, 2019, https://www.ksl.com/article/46509150/dna-testing-helped-police-
confirm-missing-utah-teen-was-killed-by-ted-bundy.
8 Annie Chapman, https://thejacktherippertour.com/casebook/victims/annie- chapman/.
9 Presidio Heights Attack (2014), https://www.zodiacciphers.com/ presidio-heights-attack.html.
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