Very Scary People
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In 1974, a mass murder shook the sleepy waterfront town of Amityville, New York. One November night, police found the DeFeo family shot dead, face down in their beds. Only one survived: Ron DeFeo Jr., the eldest son with a troubled past. In this six-part series, host Donnie Wahlberg untangles the dark and complicated story of what happened that night, and unearths how these grisly murders sparked an infamous haunted tale.
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Nov 3, 2022
Introducing: The James Brown Mystery
The Circus Singer
In 2017, CNN reporter Thomas Lake receives a phone call from a circus singer who tells a wild, hard-to-believe story: James Brown didn’t die of natural causes in 2006; instead the Godfather of Soul was murdered. After months of calls from the circus singer, Lake decides to fly to Chicago to meet Jacque Hollander in person. There Jacque proves her connection to James Brown and shows Lake a videotape of a polygraph test she took in 1995 that was administered by a former FBI agent.
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Apr 15, 2022
Episode 6: Everyone Loves A Good Ghost Story
Found guilty of killing his parents and siblings in their home, Ron DeFeo Jr. is sentenced to six counts of second-degree murder. But the convicted killer finds new fame in prison. Back in Amityville, the story of the gruesome massacre at 112 Ocean Avenue is taking on a life of its own. Host Donnie Wahlberg untangles the story of how the Dutch colonial home that was once a bloody crime scene becomes a permanent piece of horror — and pop culture — history.
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Apr 8, 2022
Episode 5: The People v. Ronald DeFeo Jr.
Nearly a year after the grisly Amityville murders, Ron “Butch” DeFeo Jr.’s fate would rest in the hands of a New York jury. But even in front of a judge, Ron Jr. was a chameleon; his story continued to evolve. One conflicted juror recounts the disturbing trial while host Donnie Wahlberg considers the question: Will the inconsistencies in Ron Jr.’s story spare him from life behind bars?
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Apr 1, 2022
Episode 4: The Confession
Amityville detectives shift all their attention to a single suspect in the murders of the DeFeo family: the oldest son, Ron DeFeo Jr. Following hours of intense interrogation, the sole surviving family member breaks. But Ron Jr.’s confession dredged up new details, complicated questions, and more secrets.
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Mar 25, 2022
Episode 3: Mob Ties
As police continue their search for the killer of the DeFeos in Amityville, they discover the family’s connections to organized crime. Host Donnie Wahlberg reveals how these mob ties came to light. It’s a turning point in the case which brings police one step closer to their top suspect.
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Mar 18, 2022
Episode 2: Meet The DeFeos
As the community reels from the shocking DeFeo murders, residents pack an Amityville church to mourn the loss of the family. Host Donnie Wahlberg dives deep into DeFeo history, only to find out that this picture-perfect family had very violent secrets.
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Mar 18, 2022
Episode 1: Small Town Murder
After Ron DeFeo Jr. finds his parents and younger siblings dead in their Amityville, New York, home, police begin to search for the killer. Host Donnie Wahlberg and local journalist Joel Martin revisit that horrific evening in 1974, the crime scene and the investigation — all in hopes of answering a question heavy on residents’ minds: “Who would murder an entire family in the dead of night?”
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Mar 4, 2022
Introducing: Very Scary People
In 1974, a mass murder shook the sleepy waterfront town of Amityville, New York. One November night, police found the DeFeo family shot dead, face down in their beds. Only one survived: Ron DeFeo Jr., the eldest son with a troubled past. In this six-part series, host Donnie Wahlberg untangles the dark and complicated story of what happened that night, and unearths how these grisly murders sparked an infamous haunted tale.
Starting March 18, 2022
To learn more about how HLN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy
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