It’s a fascination that dates back to ancient Greece and “Oedipus Rex,” perhaps the original true-crime drama, said Neal Bell, theater professor at Duke University, who has written two plays based on real murders. In short, why are we obsessed with true crime stories, so ubiquitous in our culture that lists 83 shows in a far-from-complete list?
So what compels us to tune in for more? What makes us pause on crime scene photos and analyze blood spatter evidence, burrowing into the private horrors of people we don’t know? Michael Peterson is handcuffed by Durham Sheriff’s officer Bryan Mister after being found guilty of first degree murder in the death of his wife Kathleen Peterson.
