Wild Crime

I don't think I have ever seen a better crafted documentary. To see the extent these expert professionals went through - their thoroughness, dedication and care for the child Toni Henthorn left behind - was amazing. The viewer gets to see - and live through the eyes of the prosecutors and detectives and family and friends - a very engaging and intricate story of our fellow citizens devoted to getting justice for the victims of this heinous murderer, Harold Henthorn.

Well done. Strongly recommend.

The first season of Wild Crimes is about the death of Toni Henthorn. You may have seen this on one or more of the news magazine network shows. This is the most fleshed out portrait of convicted murderer Harold Hawthorn. I recommend this only if a deeper dive is of interest.

The second season episodes of the series Wild Crime keys on a random discovery of a human forearm in Yellowstone Park. After further searching fails to turn up additional evidence park rangers were left with a mystery. Who, when, how, and by whom would be like a puzzle with scant pieces to work with. Time, technology, and many people's long-standing efforts create an amazing journey of twists and turns In the end it is compelling for what was found and the likely way it happened.

With the above said, these 5 episodes play out like a book. By this I mean slow and steady. The high-points would be able to be condesnsed, but then it would just be a crime story. Here the writers and director show all of the principal players in depth. The viewer will feel as if you know these people and the climate of their lives as all intersect. It is crucial to understanding of a murder leaving scant evidence to go on. This crime could have easily remained a big unknown, yet so much eventually fell into place whereby not only the victim is identified, but also a likely scenario of how a particular perpetrator rises to the fore. Adding to this is it most likely can never be positively solved in one crucial aspect of if the most likely suspect actually did it. I like to think, "this was a book worth watching".

The third season of Wild Crime is quite strong, with a mix of police work, victims' stories, and the sick killer. The majesty of the parks in Georgia, North Carolina, and Florida are captured to showcase the rugged beauty, isolation, and potential danger. The lasting impact in grieving loved ones and troubled investigators is vivid without being exploitative.

My one quibble is with the "More Victims?" portion of episode four (S3. E4). Rob Endres is allowed to present himself as a grieving widower, as opposed to the main suspect in Patricia's murder that he was. In S1. E2 of Unsolved Mysteries (2020), we learn that Enders locked his step-son out of the house as soon as the wife vanished, although the young man was never a suspect. He would not speak with the step-son about the disappearance, even when the remains were discovered much later.

Enders interview statements are bizarre and incriminating. He shares in creepy detail spending time with the skeletal remains and sleeping with the box of ashes. His statements come close to a confession, as he speculates how a wheelbarrow would be useful to move a body to the woods from the church parking lot. While some similarities with Gary Hilton's murders do exist, it was troubling to see Patricia's likely killer given a free pass. I believe he is guilty, as his words and deeds following his wife's voicing her desire for a divorce are most incriminating. Watch "13 Minutes" and judge for yourself.

I've read the book and this tells a very different story. The timeline is different and most of the details are different from other accounts. I find this discrepancy to be very disconcerting. I don't trust this. I trust the other accounts. I'm assuming that the book changed the names of the principal law enforcement officials. Too much time elapsed before the local Alaska police took this seriously. She was held in captivity for enough time to have possibly achieved another outcome. Law officials who wait to investigate because they make assumptions about the VICTIM have no business being in law enforcement.

As a woman and therapist I'd like to give the last instalment of this brilliant, but haunting series a warning. Don't carry on watching this if it makes you feel uncomfortable at the beginning as it only gets worse and is the stuff nightmares are made off. My sincere admiration for the dedicated specialists working on these cases and thank you for doing so. To listen and somehow trying to make sense of these harrowing accounts takes a very strong heart and mind. I do hope and pray that these people get the support they need. It is an important job to understand the origins of those deprived behaviours and hopefully to be able to intervene at source. That would mostly be the social services looking at the child's situation at home.