Confession: I was running behind Tuesday morning as I sat down to write this column because I just had to finish the latest episode of “Dateline” that is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.
Which leads me to also admit I often look forward to relaxing at the end of a work day by curling up on the couch – or in bed – with a great true crime documentary.
I never thought this could be something to confess until my daughter suggested I might have “a problem” after I took my tablet into the bathroom and left it on the sink counter – still playing with the volume turned on high – while I grabbed a quick shower. (Hey, the storyline had just gotten to the part where the killer was revealed).
But her concerned remark did hit home after my neighbor, a few days later, sent me the link to a recent story about a well-respected clinical psychologist discussing on a podcast a potential “major red flag” associated with viewing a lot of true crime stories.
If, for example, you go to sleep after watching a few episodes of a true crime show, Dr. Thelma Bryant would “encourage you to think about why is trauma relaxing to me.”
She went on to suggest that those who grew up in high-stress situations could be drawn to the violence because it feels “normal and familiar” and they have come to “mistake peace for boring.”
Interesting, for sure. And if that’s the case then certainly there are plenty of red flags waving around out there. According to several surveys I ran across on the topic, as many as 76% of Americans say they enjoy true crime stories, while 62% admit they are fans of shows featuring serial killers.
The statistics don’t surprise me. I know lots of other true crime buffs, including my chiropractor who likes to crack cases with me even as he’s cracking my bones. And that same next-door neighbor who called my attention to those “red flags” listened to the entire eight-part podcast the Chicago Tribune produced on the 40th anniversary of the 1982 Tylenol murders while doing yard work.
Two of the biggest fans of true crime I know are Garnet Bailey and her daughter Lisa Martinez, who were the compelling central figures in a “Cold Case Files” episode that is streaming on Netflix and features one of the longest investigations into a killing in the Fox Valley.
“Till Death Do Us Part,” revolves around the brutal slaying of their daughter and big sister Cheryl Lynn Hall at the hands of Larry Galloway in September of 1981, and has racked up millions of viewers since it first appeared on “Cold Case Files” almost two years ago.
That’s welcome news to the two Oswego women who want nothing more than to keep Cheryl’s memory alive while also drawing attention to the man who strangled the 20-year-old bride of a co-worker and got away with it for many years until excellent work by Aurora police nabbed him using DNA evidence.
Garnet and Lisa tell me they watch plenty of other true crime stories – they admit to seeing every “Dateline” and “Cold Case Files” episode, as well as most of the more obscure shows. And they make no excuses for their interest, curiosity, obsession – call it whatever you wish.
“We can relate. Some of the stories hit so close to home,” says Lisa, who at age 16 had to pick out her sister’s burial dress – one that disguised the fatal neck bruises left by the cord of an iron – because her mother was too shattered to do so.
“I hate that other people are experiencing the same loss we went through but it also makes us realize we are far from alone,” she continues. “We can feel what these other families are feeling.”
And, they vehemently insist, these feelings are helpful, even the not-so-pleasant ones.
Galloway’s arrest in 2008 eventually led to a voluntary manslaughter plea and a 10-year prison sentence. Unfortunately, the former Metra conductor was released around Christmas of 2015, 428 days short of the five years he was supposed to serve. And that rightfully frustrates Cheryl’s family, especially when they see so many other cases where killers are sent away for life.
“To this day, we do not understand how Larry Galloway served such a little amount of time for what he did,” says Lisa, who has no qualms about posting her thoughts online, especially if a show similar to the Galloway case brings out strong emotions.
“We are never going to let this die,” vows her mother.
When I bring up the trauma/red flag theory, they quickly assure me even expressing anger is therapy for them because, as Lisa puts it, “keeping it inside is not healthy for anyone.” And who better for them to discuss their thoughts with than each other?
They also assure me I do not have a problem because, as Garnet puts it, “all of us can’t be crazy.”
It comes as no surprise experts say moderation is key when it comes to watching true crime, and that if your anxiety, fears or risk-taking behavior increases, it is time to take a break. But Garnet and Lisa insist none of the above fit them, and that like the rest of us who enjoy this genre, part of the pull is curiosity about the twisted human psychology and what really goes on in the mind of a killer.
“Why?” That’s always the question remaining unanswered, in this case and so many violent crimes.
There’s also the satisfaction that, in the good-vs.-evil saga playing out with these stories, there is almost always redemption when the bad guy/girl is nailed. Which could be why so many viewers across the country have reached out to Cheryl’s mother and sister after watching “Till Death Do Us Part.”
“Most of them comment on how sorry they are,” says Lisa, “and how disappointed they are that justice was not served.”
dcrosby@tribpub.com
