A Monstrous Act

This is a documentary about a terrible though not particularly unusual rape-murder, but for the fact that the plausible second suspect and the extremely likely first suspect were eliminated, obviously with some reluctance by the police, who by that time were probably beginning to think they would never solve it.

Student Missy Grubaugh was actually murdered by the somewhat unlikely Luis Arroyo, who after the act set fire to her apartment hoping to destroy all trace of his presence there. His big mistake – apart from committing the crime – was to close the bedroom door, which curtailed the spread of the fire.

Arroyo was convicted of capital murder, but was sentenced to life imprisonment. The documentary makers talk to those involved, including the victim's elderly mother, and have included reconstructions.