New Documentary Tells the Tale of Samuel Little, America’s Most Prolific Serial Killer

New Documentary Tells the Tale of Samuel Little, America’s Most Prolific Serial Killer

A new documentary tells the gruesome tale of America’s most prolific serial murderer, Samuel Little.

New York Times bestselling author Jillian Lauren and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Joe Berlinger have teamed to create a 5-part docuseries “Confronting a Serial Killer”  It is the story of Samuel Little, who confessed to having committed 93 murders in 14 different states between 1970 and 2005. Little passed away in late 2020 at age 80. He was serving a life sentence at the time.

Before his death, Lauren visited Little in 2018 after exchanging letters with him. In gaining Little’s trust, the 47-year-old writer was hoping he would help her identify some of his unnamed victims.  

Lauren’s journey is now chronicled in a new true-crime docu-series on STARZ titled “Confronting a Serial Killer,” which is executive produced and directed by Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning filmmaker Joe Berlinger.

The story is told through the perspectives of Lauren, as well as several female members of law enforcement, multiple investigators, survivors, and victim’s family members. The series also features unheard recordings from Lauren’s numerous phone conversations with Little.

“My impression of him was that I was talking to three distinctly different people at any given moment,” Lauren told Fox News. “There was this kindly old grandpa, and then there was a character I’ve called three-card Monte who was just always trying to get something out of you. And then there was the monster who would come out when he was talking about the killings. It was truly a unique experience and one I will not soon forget.”

In 2018, the FBI stated that Little “chose to kill marginalized and vulnerable women” who were mainly drug addicts, sex workers, and poor people living on the edges of society. He also primarily seemed to target women of color. Little believed his victims would leave few people behind to look for them and not much evidence for police to follow.

For a long time, Little was right. Initially, local authorities in states across the country classified many of the deaths as accidents, drug overdoses, or the result of unknown causes. Kentucky authorities finally caught up with Little in 2012 after he was arrested on drug charges. His DNA linked him to three California killings. It was then when Little began recounting his other slayings.

Berlinger told Fox News he wanted the film to delve into some of the systemic issues surrounding Little’s case.

“The tragedy of this story is that his many, many victims went largely unidentified,” he explained. “People had no idea that he was this serial killer. Law enforcement over the years in different municipalities suspected, but many of them never really put in the effort to bring him to justice. Many tried, but inherent biases in the criminal justice system against victims from marginalized communities made this apprehension a little problematic.”

“We don’t treat victims from marginalized communities the same way we treat white victims,” Berlinger continued. “I can’t say it any other way. People of color, people who are sex workers, people with addiction problems – these are all communities where, when there is a victim of a violent crime often… I don’t want to say people just look away, but they don’t put in the effort that’s required. As a result, this monster was allowed to become America’s most prolific serial killer. It could have been prevented decades ago.”

Today, authorities continue to investigate Little’s claims. They’ve confirmed nearly 60 killings and have no reason to doubt the others. A month before Little’s death, investigators revealed that two women who were slain in Miami during the ‘70s were killed by Little.

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