User reviews

After having to give up her daughter for adoption at a young age, Cathy receives a letter years later from The Adoption Agency, stating that Alexis, now Aundria is missing, Cathy makes it her mission to find out what happened.

This is one of the best documentaries I've seen for a while. First off, it is an incredibly shocking story, almost unimaginable, it's full of unbelievable twists and revelations.

I think I was most shocked by Dennis's interviews, absolutely unbelievable, what an absolute monster, he didn't accept any responsibility, nor show any signs of remorse.

Even though it's fairly long, at no point does it feel overly long or padded, the second episode in particular will just have you on tenterhooks.

Cathy must have gone so much, and she must have so many gaps, hopefully Aundria's friends can fill in the blanks for her.

I'm not sure if I'm more sickened by Dennis or Brenda, him for doing what he did, or her for sticking by him, what sort of person could?

The one question I am left with, just how many other victims of Dennis Bowman.

9/10.

As the mother of a little girl I had such a hard time watching this story. It is completely captivating and Cathy is an incredible woman. It's rare that a true crime documentary grabs me in this way without leaving me sad and stressed. The way the story unfolded and the reveals felt natural and welcome, not overblown or manufactured. The story is just actually that shocking.

So many themes are present that are timely in today's world - the myth that all adoption stories are full of hope and positivity; the way women in abusive marriages are brainwashed to ignore, deny and defend the abuser's behaviour; how the policing and justice system fails missing, abused and murdered women every single day.

The 'reenactment' B-roll scenes were cheesy and unnecessary, and the format would have been better split into 4 shorter episodes, as the two halves both felt like they had natural split points. Otherwise, very successful. Highly recommend.

This gripping story has so many tragic twists and turns. It shows what can be achieved through sheer persistence and sharp intuition. Cathy is a mother on a mission to seek the truth and justice for her daughter. She is relentless, sharply intuitive and won't stop at any cost to get it. There are so many interesting themes this documentary explores; including loyalty, sacrifice and the strength of blood connection.

This story is so well told and captivating from the very beginning. I became so emotionally invested in Cathy's pursuit for justice and my heart goes out to her and the families of all victims. Must watch.

For those who lost a close family member under unacceptable circumstances this piece is extremely painful to watch. It's incredible how this predator has managed to survive all these years. DNA evidence was really a game changer for many cold cases but it's still hard to believe that no one ever suspected him. Kudos to Cathy for her strength and determination!!

And the wife... oh my goodness that woman is the textbook example of being delusional. You do not have to be the smartest but still have some kind of common sense, but this "lady" lacks almost all instincts and feelings a mother should have. I only can guess how healthy their biological child can be having these parents.

I am ADDICTED to true crime, like pretty much everyone, but this story is such a heartfelt one. It shows the incredible bond between a mother and daughter that only had 8 months in each other's lives before the daughter was given up for adoption. Cathy is such an amazing, hilarious, force to be reckoned with. She partners up with an "armchair" detective Carl who has helped solve a few unsolved murders with his extreme passion for justice and spreadsheets. It is truly God ordained that this story came together the way it did and as soon as you see all the circumstances that have to happen, you will know how true that is.

This is how all documentaries should be. It's a story that appears to be more fiction than fact and at times I was literally gobsmacked at the revelations and the dedication of this mother to find out what happened to her daughter after she gave her up for asoption at the age of 9 months so she could give her better opportunities with the encouragement of her own mother. Cathy., the mother, is only 16 and the pressure applied was immense.

The twists and turns of the story starts when Cathy receives a letter from an Adoption Agency, outlining that her daughter went missing years and years before and requesting a DNA sample..

From then on Cathy goes on a relentless mission to find her daughter. Her courage and stamina is amazing.

At no point does this doc falter or swerve its focus. The uncovering of all that happened is complete dog work and my only curiosity lay in where Cathy's financial resources lay as she had to pay many of the investigators who did not come cheaply.

I won't lay down any spoilers as even the slightest one would reveal too much.

Suffice to say and with relentless police work on a "dead file" the shocking truth is revealed and justice, though far too late, prevails.

Gripping and well paced.

Hat tip to Neflix.

9/10

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Wow. I mean, what else can you say really? What a story, brilliantly told. Catherine is a beautiful soul - the word inspiration doesn't do her justice.

I can't believe I'd never even heard about this before - I'll always give a new Netflix true crime doc a watch, but they're of such wildly varying quality it almost borders on the guilty pleasure. This one was different, and all the more impressive for it.

Gripping like a thriller, paced like a mystery - packs a punch like a tear-jerker. It's the best one they've turned out over under the red N for a long time - and maybe the best singular true crime documentary since The Jinx.

After finishing this compelling documentary, I was left utterly speechless-my thoughts only echoing "WTF! WTF!"

Cathy's anger radiated through the screen, and I could feel it boiling within me too. Her motherly intuition and sheer determination were awe-inspiring, showing just how far a parent's love can go in the pursuit of justice.

The twists and turns in this story are nothing short of incredible. What starts as one woman's relentless fight transforms into a series of astonishing discoveries that feel almost miraculous. The interconnectedness of these events, and the role of chance in bringing people together, leaves you wondering how such things could even be possible.

One thing that stood out to me was how powerful modern forensic science, particularly DNA testing, has become. It's amazing to think how such advancements can finally provide answers and closure in cases that seemed unsolvable for so long.

Though the journey is full of shocking revelations, the heart of this documentary remains with the victims and their families, especially Aundria and Kathleen. Their stories deserve to be remembered, and it's important to keep the focus on them.

I sincerely wish healing and peace for Cathy. Her bravery, persistence, and love for her child are nothing short of inspiring. She fought with everything she had, and for that, she is truly remarkable.

What a gripping, unbelievable-but-true, well-made documentary!

What a birth mother!

What chance. What chances of this constellation, of those twists, of secrets and lies and twists and turns.

Several times I was sitting there uttering a loud 'No!!!' with my mouth open and my eyes widened.

It isn't obvious at the beginning what is going to happen. Could all turn out to be dead-ended endeavours. I wasn't even sure what kind of documentary it was, knowing nothing about it but the Netflix-description.

The pace is good, the set-up is intriguing, it was not bent for moralistic manipulation.

And it wasn't unnecessarily drawn out. Two long episodes, which were needed, even if at first you cannot know where the ride is going.

Take that ride. It's worth it.

It can be done, Netflix. I'm pleasantly surprised. To the point, well-made, no wokeness involved.

Good director, will look out for his work.

A beautiful examination of a mom's pursuit to unearth the truth. Meticulous research. Beautifully displayed. This story stays with you. The only criticism would be it is such a captivating story I sense that with a little less Netflix paint by numbers storytelling and a little more artistry - this could've been 2020s The Thin Blue Line. Not being dismissive but the "walk into the fire" theme felt like a 13 year old trying to wrap a lame poem around a very serious and heart wrenching story. All said, I've been sat here thinking about the events, the characters, and the failure of the state to protect this poor little girl... it's a harrowing entry into true crime.

Cathy gave up a 10-month old daughter for adoption. What might have been a self-less act for the best for the child was a hole for Cathy. Years later she discovers the child she entrusted to others as a teen went missing with no resolution. Cathy embarks on a seemingly hopeless mission to find resolution in an extremely cold case. Cathy's drive and pain comes through as palpable. It goes into overdrive as Cathy learns more and more about the couple who adopted her child. Cathy, as if through some kind of power only a birth mother can have, knows in her heart who killed her missing child. This is her gut-wrenching story.

I have let little out of the so-called "bag" here. That would be a disservice to the excellent filmmakers here. They have done an amazing job of making what would be an old forgotten missing person's case into a dogged pursuit for closure and justice. Along the way they have captured the unique elements that only the long-game can reveal. Those elements, each of them, are often pain-infused, frustrating, and even highly unlikely to cohere into a kind of final resolution and justice. This is a harrowing ride, but one that due to some inexplicable mother's bond finally comes to a just end. I give the filmmakers the highest honor as to realistically documenting the journey of finally solving this missing child case.

The first episode quickly drew me in with its interweaving narratives. It helped to build a picture of the sweetest little girl, one who would sadly come to suffer so much in her short life.

However, whilst Dennis and Brenda anger me in almost equal measure, Cathy annoys me increasingly towards the end of the first episode and then throughout the second. Whilst her tenacity will have helped bring renewed momentum to this cold case, there is something distinctly (and maybe unfairly on my part) un-likeable about her. It's this holier than thou demeanour she seems to have that just irritates me. She takes up too much screen time, time that could have instead been granted to survivors.

I'm glad to have known Aundria's story, and that her name won't be forgotten, but it just felt like The Cathy Show.

Honestly one of the most gripping documentaries I've ever watched. If you are interested in true crime it's a must see. The investigation one woman takes on herself, through loyalty and devotion to the baby daughter she was forced to give up as a teenage mother, is amazing. The efforts she goes to and years of tenacious hard work she puts in is just awe inspiring. And watching as a mother, my goodness, what a woman Cathy is ; as she slides to herself, she does almost become her own daughter in her quest for the truth. You'll know what I mean if you watch it. She's an amazing lady. And just when you think it can't get any more incredible, the poor woman is made to deal with one final jaw dropping hurdle in her grief. I really hope she finds some closure and that sense prevails one day. Watch this one!

Stumbling upon this was enthralling. I had never heard of this story before, and I'm a true crime enthusiast. So I sat down and watched without looking the story up (what I would usually do) and was so disturbed by how warped and demented reality can be over any fiction you could come up with. You really at times don't want to accept the depravity and sheer evil that could be right next to any of us in any community. The fact that our system of adoption in this country and the vetting that goes into finally getting an approval along side the fact that the people who were responsible for the wellbeing of this child, from literal cradle to her grave failed her is beyond comprehension. This true crime piece is an uncomfortable yet excellently executed documentary and will probably live in my head for a while. Sadly...

Good True Crime doc from Netflix, which unfortunately is far too rare and long in between something interesting and well produced.

Some creators would milk this story, and make it a drawn-out mess over 5 episodes, but this had a good, fast pace.

The information and how the story is built, keeps the viewer glued, and entertained, without too many repititions.

Next to nothing of mundane or irrevelant information also, or revelations that serves nothing of interest to the doc or story. Bravo!

However, my intentions were not to write a review, but an appeeciaton post. I just wanted to voice my greatfulness towards people like Carl Koppelman, whom I learned of watching this doc.

I really have the deepest respect for people dedicating their time, competency, emotions, grit and thoroughness towards helping others.

In his case also entirely non-profit, (even though he should allow donations, cause he really deserves so much for how many he have helped) which makes him so honorable in my book.

His only goal is to help, and solve, as many cases as he possibly can. Makes me really inspired, I am so happy coexisting with people this kind and dedicated to helping others.

Deserves a medal.