Review: Dark Minds, “The Eastbound Strangler”

on February 6, 2012 in Unsubs, Video Reviews by Brian Combs

Investigation Discovery has a new true crime show, Dark Minds. In it, true crime author M. William Phelps looks at cold cases with criminal profiler John Kelly and an unnamed convicted serial killer they call “13”.

I missed the first episode, but the second episode premiered last Wednesday evening. It was about the Eastbound Strangler, who killed four prostitutes in Atlantic City in 2006.

I like the concept of the show quite a bit, and it’s great to have the perspective of someone used to telling stories like Phelps is. Still, Phelps comes across as overly dramatic at times. I’m sorry his sister-in-law got involved in drugs and was killed by a still unknown assailant, but I didn’t need to hear about it six or seven times in one episode.

Perhaps Phelps’ most impressive skill is getting the locals to talk, usually on the record. In this episode, at least, the interviewees were generally street people, exactly the type who don’t want attention.

The phone interviews with 13 came across as a bit hokey. I can only assume that 13 is what they say he is, but he seemed more interested in drama than in helping them. I suppose that shouldn’t be surprising.

As for this particular episode, it started a bit slow. In fact, Mrs. SK Podcast and I both thought it could have been covered adequately in a half-hour episode.

The second half, where they laid out similarities with the Gilgo Beach Serial Killer, was fascinating. It made watching the first half, for the setup, worthwhile.

Phelps also uncovered witnesses who were there for the last few hours of the final victim’s life. As a result, a plausible scenario for her demise is shown.

The next episode, “The Babysitter Killer”, is about the Oakland County Child Killer. It premiere Wednesday, February 8th, at 10pm Eastern on Investigation Discovery.