TrueCrimeMedia
IT'S NOT ABOUT JUSTICE
TRUE CRIME AND SOCIAL JUSTICE | MAY 10TH 2023
BASHAM
LAUREN
TABLE OF CONTENTS
3 Sacco and Vanzetti: Background
4 Sacco and Vanzetti: Montaldo’s 1971 Docudrama Sacco & Vanzetti
Sacco and Vanzetti: Antiimmigrant sentiment
5 The Exonerated Five: Background
6 The Exonerated Five: Ava DuVernay's 2019 Miniseries When They See Us
The Exonerated Five: Racial Profiling
7
The Exonerated Five: Danger Narratives and White Womanhood
8
Shannon Gilbert: Background
Shannon Gilbert: Liz Garbus's 2020 Drama Lost Girls
9
Shannon Gilbert: Sensationalism, the ideal victim, and the "less dead"
TRUE CRIME AND SOCIAL JUSTICE May 10th, 2023 2
SACCO AND VANZETTI
BackgroundoftheCrime
Inthe1920s,ItaliananarchistsNicolaSaccoandBartolomeo Vanzettiweretriedandexecuted,andtheircasecontinuesto evokebothcuriosityandconcerntothisday,largelybecauseof itslargerrepresentationsofbiaswithinthejudicialsystem.Sacco andVanzettiwereaccusedofrobbingandkillingtwomenata shoefactoryinSouthBraintree,MAinApril1920,andseveral eyewitnessestestifiedthattwomencommittedthecrimeand fledinacarwithtwoorthreeotherindividuals(Mass.gov). WhenSaccoandVanzettiwerearrestedseveralweekslaterin Brockton,Massachusetts,theywerebothwerearmed,andSacco wascarryingaflyeradvertisingVanzetti'supcomingspeechat ananarchistrally.Oncethetwomenwerearrested,noother suspectswereapprehended,andnoneofthestolenmoneywas everrecoveredorfoundtobelinkedtothem(Mass.gov).
AtthetimeofNicolaSaccoandBartolomeoVanzetti'sarrest andtrial,theUnitedStateswasexperiencingsignificanttension andunrest.FollowingtheUS'SinvolvementinWorldWarI andtheBolshevikRevolutioninRussia,thistensionandunrest wasfueledbyfearsofanarchism,communism,andsocialism whichledtoaggressiveanti-immigrantsentiment;therefore, thosewhoembracedtheso-calledradicalideologies,especially newimmigrantstotheUS,weremetwithstringsuspicionand prejudice(Mass.gov).Specially,thisperiodinAmericanhistory, from1919to1920,isultimatelyrememberedasthe“RedScare”. Thisperiodwasmarkedby“laborstrikes,widespreadfearof radicals,andaseriesofbombattacksagainstgovernment officials”,towhichthegovernmentrespondedwiththe“Palmer Raids,”resultingintheapprehensionofsuspectedradicalsin variousstates,includingMassachusetts,whereSaccoand Vanzettiwereultimatelyarrested(Mass.gov).
Thisanti-immigrantsentimentwasclearlyinfluentialinNicola SaccoandBartolomeoVanzetti'strialasthejudgeallowedthe prosecutiontopresentextensiveevidenceabouttheiranarchist beliefs,immigrantbackground,andrefusaltoregisterforthe militarydraftduringWorldWarI.Ultimately,onJuly14,1921, bothmenwereconvictedbythejuryandsentencedtodeath (Mass.gov).
3 IT'S NOT ABOUT JUSTICE
SACCO & VANZETTI
Montaldo’s1971Docudrama Sacco & Vanzetti
Thedocudrama Sacco & Vanzetti (Montaldo,1971)incorporatessomeaccurate,somesomewhatbiased,and somefictionalelementsinitstellingofthestoryofSaccoandVanzetti.Thiscombinationfeelsappropriate,as thenumerousversionsofthetruthsurroundingtheSacco-Vanzetticasearequitevaried(Ebert) Montaldo effectivelyestablishestheauthenticityofthefilmbyincorporatingarchivalfootageoftheprotestsadvocating forjusticeonbehalfofSaccoandVanzettiSimilarly,heextensivelydrawsfromprimarysourcessuchascourt records,publishedessays,andinterviewsforthefilm'sscript.Insidethecourtroom,Montaldocreativesphysical dividersandhierarchiesbetweenvariousgroups,includingJudgeThayerGeoffreyKeenandthedefense lawyer,FredMoore(MiloO'Shea).Additionally,Montaldoshowstheobserversofthetrialwhositbehinda railingthroughangularlong-shots,“sothatwhenoutburstsandcommotionstakeplace,thecourtroomrailing itselfactslikeapolicelineandthecrowdseemstoyearnagainstit”(Blakeslee).
IT'S ABOUT POLITICS
Anti-immigrantsentiment
In this scene, the defense attorney Fred MooreaccusesJudgeThayeroflettingantiimmigrantsentimentandhisownperson biascloudhisjudgementasheassertsthat during the entire trial, Thayer never overlooked a chance to show his own personfeelings namelyhis“racisthatred which [he had] for the defendants” (Montaldo,1971).
1:25:10-1:25:35
Thisscene(totheright),illuminatesamaintheme thatMontaldo'sSacco&Vanzettifocuseson,which we covered in our class: anti-immigration sentiment.Whengiventhechancetospeaktothe courtinhisowndefense,Vanzetti(GianMaria Volontè)says,“WhatIsayisthatIaminnocent… IamsufferingnowinpainbecauseIamaradical …andradicalIam.AndforbeingItalian…and indeedIamItalian”(Montaldo,1971)Thisspeech, whichlargelyremainsfaithfultotheactual last statementofBartolomeoVanzetti,revealsthatin bothMontaldo'sportrayal,andtheactualtrial,the motivation was an anti-immigrant agenda, not justice.
1:44:35-1:47:00
4
IT'S NOT ABOUT JUSTICE
THE EXONERATED FIVE
BackgroundoftheCrime
OnApril19th,1989,TrishaMeili,ayoungwoman,wasrapedandleftfordeadinoneofCentralPark inNewYorkCity.Thenextday,Fiveteens—fourblackandoneLatinofromHarlem,YusefSalaam, KevinRichardson,AntronMcCray,RaymondSantana,andKoreyWisewerecoercedintoconfessing tothesecrimesafter30hoursofbrutal,violentinterrogations.Atthetime,theseboyswerereferredto asTheCentralParkFive.Shortlythereafter,onApril27th,1989,theboyswereindictedoncounts includingattemptedmurder,rape,assault,andrioting,andwereallsubsequentlyconvicted(Salaam). Thentheoldestofthegroupat16yearsold,KoreyWisewastheonlymemberofTheCentralPark Fivewhowastriedasanadultandwassentencedtofivetofifteenyearsinanadultprison(The InnocenceProject).ThestateofracialtensionsinNewYorkatthistimecertainlyplayedaroleinthe narrativethatarosesurroundingthiscrimeasracialconflictandtension“linkedtodisputesabout resourceallocation,segregation,andcrimeandpolicing dominatedpoliticsinNewYorkCityin the1980sand1990s”(BronxDocumentaryCenter).
On June 12th, 2002, The New York Times reportedthataknownrapist,MatiasReyes,who wasatthattime31yearsold,hadconfessedtothe Central Park Jogger attack. Following an investigation by the DA's office, which connectedReyes'DNAtothesemenfoundin therapekit,ajudgesubsequentlyreversedthe convictionsofYusefSalaam,KevinRichardson, AntronMcCray,RaymondSantana,andKorey Wise,nowreferredtoasTheExoneratedFive (Salaam).Muchmorerecently,onJune19th, 2014,afteralengthycourtbattlespanningmore than ten years, New York City reached a settlementof$41milliondollarsinacivilrights lawsuitfiledbyTheExoneratedFive(Salaam).
5 IT'S NOT ABOUT JUSTICE
THE EXONERATED FIVE
AvaDuVernay's2019Miniseries When They See Us
When They See Us isa2019fourepisodeminiseriesdirectedbyAvaDuvernaywhichexploresthe wrongfulconvictionoffiveBlackandLatinoboys,YusefSalaam(EthanHerisse),KevinRichardson (AsanteBlackk),AntronMcCray(CaleelHarris),RaymondSantana(MarquisRodriguez),andKorey Wise(JharrelJerome),inthe1989CentralParkjoggercase.
Thefirstepisodeconveysanatrociousportrayaloftheracialprofilingandcoercedconfessionsthat thesefivemenhadtoendureatthehandsofthepolice.Episodetwocoverstheboys'trials,and illustratesthebiasandprejudiceinherenttothejusticesystematthistime.Inepisodethree,wegeta glimpseintofouroutoftheFive'slivesafterjail,whichcomeswithstructuralbarrierstogettingback ontheirfeetandthesefamilialrelationships,whileKoreyremainsinadultprison.Episodefouris largelyfocusedonKorey'shorrificexperienceinprison.WefinallyseeKoreyfreedinthisepisodeafter oneofhisfellowinmates,MatiasReyes(ReeceNoi),confessestotheassaultofTrishaMeili.This confessionalsoleadstothefullacquittalofTheExoneratedFive.
IT'S ABOUT PREJUDICE
RacialProfiling
Somethingthatissoapparentfromthisfirstepisodeofthisminiseriesistheconceptofprejudice andthecriminalizationofpeopleofcolorinfluencingthecourseofaninvestigation.Weseethis specificallyinepisodeonethroughracialprofiling;whenstrivingtomakeconnectionsinthecase ofTrishaMeili’s(AlexandraTempler)assault,thedetectivesandprosecutorsparticipateinracial profiling.Whenbriefingagroup,thecharacterofProsecutorLindaFairstein(FelicityHuffman) says, “ everyyoungBlackmalewhowasseenintheparklastnightisasuspectintherapeofthat woman”.Shethensays, “yougointothoseprojects,andyoustopeverylittlethugyousee”. Insteadofmoregenerally,andmorecorrectly,lookingforanyonewhocould’vecommittedthe assault,FairsteindecidestoimmediatelyidentifythesuspectasayoungBlackboyeventhoughshe hasnovalidreasonto.Fairsteinalsocontributestotheassociationofpeopleofcolorandcrime,as shereferstotheyoungBlackboysasthugs.
6 IT'S NOT ABOUT JUSTICE
Episode1:19:55-20:30
IT'S ABOUT PREJUDICE
DangerNarratives&WhiteWomanhood
Episode2:26:30-27:20
MatthewDesmondandMustafaEmirbayer's2010book,RacialDomination, Racial Progress: The Sociology of Race in America, discusses “America’s enduringfixationontherapeofwhitewomenbyblackmen”astheyofferthat “studieshaveshownthatrapesofthisnaturegarnerasignificantamountof media attentions even though such cases are relatively rare” (Desmond & Emirbayer,264).Thisperspectivemirrorsoneofferedin“TrueCrimeand DangerNarratives”asWebbassertsthatdangernarratives“haveoftenexplicitly linkedthesupposedmenaceinherenttomenofcolortothevictimizationof whitewomen”(Webb,134-135)
ThesesentimentsarereflectedinEpisode2ofWhenTheySeeUsbyYusufSalaam’sattorneyRobert Burns(BlairUnderwood).Inhisopeningstatement,Burnscommentsontheelevated“degreeof seriousness”thatthecrimerelatingtothewhitefemalejoggerwastreatedwith,commentingonthe increaseddedicationoflawenforcementtocaseswhichtheyperceivedasrepresentingathreattowhite womanhood.Burnsthenreferencedthecriticalroleofthemedia,saying“then…youhadthemedia, whichlearnedofthefemalerapevictimandthatthesuspectswereallBlackorHispanic[and] conclusionsweremade”TheincreaseddegreeofseriousnessthatBurnscommentsononcetheraceof boththewomanandthesuspectswererevealedechoesbothDesmondandEmirbayer’spointsandthose ofWebbontheconstructionofdangernarrativesandtheprotectionofwhitewomanhood
7
IT'S NOT ABOUT JUSTICE
SHANNAN GILBERT & THE LONG ISLAND SERIAL KILLER
BackgroundoftheCrime
InMay2010,ShannanGilbert,a23-year-oldwoman,disappearedundermysteriouscircumstances fromagatedcommunityonthesouthshoreofLongIsland.Shannan'sdisappearanceincident triggeredaninvestigationwhichultimatelyledtothediscoveryoftenadditionalcorpsesalongabeach highway.Someoftheseinstanceswereconnectedtopreviouslyfoundhumanremainsinthevicinity ofLongIsland,andthecasegainedsignificantnationalattention,withthemedialabelingthe unidentifiedperpetratorasthe“LongIslandSerialKiller”(GilgoCase).
InDecember2010,whileauthoritiesweresearchingforShannanGilbert,thelifelessbodyofMelissa Barthelemy,a24-year-oldwoman,wasfoundnearGilgoBeach.Withintwodays,theremainsof threemorewomenwerediscoveredincloseproximity:AmberLynnCostello,27,MeganWaterman, 22,andMaureenBrainard-Barnes,25.Collectively,thesewomenbecameknownasthe“GilgoBeach Four”andwereconsideredpotentialvictimsofthe“LongIslandSerialKiller”(GilgoCase).Although ShannanGilbert'sremainswerefoundinamarshnearOakBeach,NYin2011,19monthsaftershe disappeared,thelargercaseoftheLongIslandSerialKillerremainsunsolved(NBCNewYork)
SHANNAN GILBERT & THE LONG ISLAND SERIAL KILLER
LizGarbus's2020Drama Lost Girls
DocumentarianLizGarbus'firstnarrativefilm,LostGirls,isadrama/mystery filmthatwasreleasedinearly2020Thefilm,basedonRobertKolker's2013 nonfictionbookofthesamename,isadramatizedaccountofanunresolved true-crimestoryabouttheLongIslandSerialKillerandthedisappearanceof ShannanGilbert(SarahWisser)(Gajanan).ThestoryrevolvesaroundMari Gilbert(AmyRyan),astrugglingsinglemotherraisingherthreechildren. Herdaughter,Shannan,whoworksasanescort,disappearsaftermeeting withaclientintheOakBeachregionofLongIsland.Mari'sunwavering pursuittofindherdaughtereventuallyleadstothediscoveryofthebodiesof numerouswomen,themajorityofwhomaresuspectedtobeinvolvedinsex work(Garbus) Feelingextremelyfrustratedwithlawenforcement'slackof urgencyinhandlingthecase,Maridecidestopersonallytakeactionand becomeanadvocateforherdaughter,joiningforceswiththefamiliesof othermissingandmurderedsexworkers.DirectorLizGarbusdescribesLost Girlsas“astoryaboutbelievingwomen,aboutthepowerofcommunityand family…[and]aboutthevalueofhumanlife,andthejudgmentsthatour systemputsintothelives”(Gajanan).
Thisfilmadvocatesforaportrayalofsexworkers“ asthree-dimensionalpeople,especiallybecause theyaresooftenrenderedinstereotypicaltermsanddismissedbyauthorities”(Gajanan).
IT'S NOT ABOUT JUSTICE
8
I'TS ABOUT THE CONSTRUCTED NARRITIVE
Sensationalism,theidealvictim,andthe"lessdead"
InStevenEgger's“TheLessDead”hedefinestheterm“less-dead”asreferringtothemajorityofvictims targetedbyserialmurderers,whotypicallybelongtomarginalizedsegmentsofsociety(Egger,279).These individualslacksocialprestigeorinfluenceandoftencomefromlowersocioeconomicbackgrounds.Theyare referredtoas“less-dead”because,priortotheirdeaths,theywerevirtuallyinvisibleanddisregardedasvaluable membersofsociety(Egger,279).Examplesofsuchindividualsincludeprostitutes,thehomeless,homosexuals, thepoor,andrunaways.Thisconceptofthe“less-dead”iscloselycorrelatedwithourclassdiscussionofthe idealvictimThroughananalysisofthemanycaseswe'vecovereditclass,itseemsliketheidealvictimisa “straightandnarrow”individualwhodoesnotbelongtomarginalizedsectorsofsociety thismeansthatoften, theidealvictimiswhite
17:00
Thephrase“girlslikethis”fromthelawenforcementofficerinthisscenerevealsthatGarbus's Lost Girls portrayshowShannonisviewedasastereotypicalcaricatureofaperson,amemberoftheless-dead, becauseofherprofession,ratherthanbeingviewedasathree-dimensionalperson.
Sincethemediaviewedthisgroupofwomenengagedinsexworkasmembersofthe“less-dead”,theyfailedto fitwithintheconstraintsofbeinganidealvictim.Therefore,insteadoffocusingonafactualandunbiased coverageoftheLongIslandSerialKillerandShannan'sdisappearance,themediainLostGirlsfocusedonthe moresensationalnarrative thefactthatthesewomenweresexworkers. 24:00
Similarly,thisscenerevealsthatthemediaiscapitalizingoffofthesensationalismsurroundingShannan's profession Shannan'sstatusasasexworkeralienatesherfromfittingintothenarrowdefinitionofthe idealvictim,andthereforeexilesherandtheothervictimsoftheLongIslandSerialKillertotherealmof thelessdead.
9 IT'S NOT ABOUT JUSTICE
“I’vecometobelievethatthetrue measureofourcommitmentto justice,thecharacterofour society,ourcommitmenttothe ruleoflaw,fairness,andequality cannotbemeasuredbyhowwe treattherich,thepowerful,the privileged,andtherespected amongus.Thetruemeasureof ourcharacterishowwetreatthe poor,thedisfavored,theaccused, theincarcerated, andthecondemned.”
—BryanStevenson
