HBO Docuseries 'The Pet Cemetery Murders' Explores 1985 Louisiana Murder
The three-part series delves into the unsolved killing of Dorothy Lou Thompson and the dark history of the land she occupied.
HBO's new three-part docuseries, "The Pet Cemetery Murders: A Ghost Story," directed by Philip Cairney, examines the 1985 murder of Dorothy Lou Thompson in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana. The series investigates the brutal strangulation of Thompson, whose body was found bound and weighted in the Mississippi River, two weeks after her disappearance.
The docuseries features interviews with Thompson's neighbors, friends, and John Doran, the sheriff's detective who reopened the cold case in 2004. Viewers learn about Thompson's difficult life, marked by abuse and substance issues, and her inheritance of the pet cemetery from her mother.
A significant element explored in the series is the history of the land on which the pet cemetery was built. This site was the location of the 1868 St. Bernard Parish Massacre, where mobs of white men killed numerous formerly enslaved Black people. This dark past contributes to the narrative of a potentially cursed location.
"The Pet Cemetery Murders" also touches on supernatural elements, including accounts from witnesses who claim to have communicated with Thompson's spirit. The investigation faced challenges, notably Hurricane Katrina in 2006, which submerged the property under 20 feet of floodwater, destroying evidence from the original investigation. Despite these obstacles, a new witness eventually came forward, claiming to have witnessed the murder.
The series, which has been described as effectively spooky and creepy, explores the layers of Thompson's murder, her troubled life, and the chilling history of the pet cemetery and the surrounding town of Toca. The docuseries is available on HBO.