‘Swipe Right On The Devil’ Docuseries Explores Murder Tied to Witch Coven

The three-part docuseries "Swipe Right On The Devil," now available on Hulu, investigates the 2017 disappearance and murder of Sydney Loofe in Lincoln, Nebraska. The series, directed by Brian Biegel, chronicles how law enforcement identified and arrested Bailey Boswell and Aubrey Trail for the crime, uncovering a bizarre entanglement involving a cult and a desire to form a coven.

The docuseries draws on interviews with Loofe's family and friends, as well as the law enforcement officials involved in the investigation. It traces Loofe's path to meeting Boswell through the dating app Tinder and her subsequent disappearance after a second date. According to the series, Loofe, who had moved to Lincoln seeking a more open lifestyle as an openly gay woman, faced difficulties finding compatible partners.

Following Loofe's disappearance, a friend's assertive actions led authorities to Boswell, who was living with Trail. The investigation revealed that Trail, significantly older than Boswell, was engaged in a relationship described as a "sugar-daddy-type" arrangement. This led investigators to uncover a group of women, including Ana Golyakova and Ashley Hills, who had become involved with Boswell and were subsequently drawn into Trail's influence. These women were reportedly compelled to refer to Trail as "daddy" and engage in sexual acts with him as he worked to assemble a coven of thirteen women, with the apparent intent of finding a person for sacrifice.

Critics note that while the initial part of the docuseries focuses on Loofe's life and the challenges she faced, the narrative shifts significantly to the perpetrators and their unusual cult activities. The series reportedly dedicates substantial time to detailing the trauma experienced by individuals involved in Trail's group. The review suggests that while the series presents Loofe as a victim, her story becomes secondary to the increasingly strange details of the cult's activities, which the reviewer felt should have been introduced earlier in the narrative.

Despite some pacing issues, the docuseries becomes compelling when it delves into the specifics of Trail's coven, offering an intriguing exploration of the true crime case. The narrative concludes with law enforcement seeking information on Loofe's whereabouts, highlighting the grim reality of her fate. The series has been compared to other true crime documentaries, such as "Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke."