In setting out to do this, I didn't have an expectation that we would solve my mom's case, but there are many goals I have had throughout this process and they sort of evolve. His father, Jeffrey Hamburg, quickly became a person of interest. In October of 2019, Anike Neimeyer, the producer of Murder on Middle Beach, submitted a FOI request to the Madison Police Department on behalf of herself and Madison Hamburg requesting records of the case. How did you balance your craft and the desire to tell a captivating story from a film perspective with the personal elementworking with your own family members and telling your own painful story? Hamburg was only 18 years old when his mother's body was found in 2010 outside of her Connecticut home when her sister, Conway Beach, arrived back at the home with . Through interviews with family members and friends of his mother, Madison is able to come to a better understanding of who his mother was as a person. There was sort of shame attached to that, telling someone that with the connotations around murder and true crime. I was most worried about Conway throughout this whole process and I think she's in a good spot. We have to maintain the integrity for them, he said. Barbara was said to be involved in "gifting. Conway presents the situation like she simply was scammed; she and Barbara eventually came to terms, and Conway moved in with her prior to the murder (though the docuseries alleges that there was tension between the two because Barbara had asked her to move out). In the series, Hamburg asks his family members if they had anything to do with his mother's murder, including his father . At a Freedom of Information hearing in February 2020, Madison police Detective Christopher Sudock said he regularly reviewed the case and that the agency had received a phone call about it the week before. I think the pendulum swung really hard in that direction when we started to really dig in in 2016 and I didn't really hold back with my family members, but once we partnered with HBO, that's when I started realizing that this could have adverse affects on my family. That was in 2016. One suspect was definitively eliminated from consideration. "There have been corroborating leads, correcting things, things that we didn't know about," Hamburg told Esquire. I think the conflicts that I deal with in the fourth episode are pretty unique to the perspective. Barbara Alexandra Hamburg, who now goes by Ali, is the youngest member of the Hamburg family. Alex Murdaugh Faces Life In Prison For Allegedly Killing His Wife & Son, Heres What Happened To Riley In 'The Last Of Us' Video Game, Twitter Is Losing It Over Succession Ending With Season 4, Everything To Know About 'And Just Like That' Season 2, Get Even More From Bustle Sign Up For The Newsletter. As made evident in the series, Conway Beach is just one of the few family members who hasnt been able to move on from Barbaras murder no matter how much time has passed by. The pace picks up in the fourth episode in such a way through the confirmation of Ali's alibi and the discovery of Jeffrey's financial records that it felt like we were rocketing towards a last-minute reveal that would position "Murder on Middle Beach" as the next "The Jinx," the shocking 2015 HBO docuseries, which shows Robert Durst in the final moments of the series mumbling what sounds like a confession on a still-hot lapel microphone: "What the hell did I do? Platt also cut off her relationship with Barbara, and drew hard lines on what areas were Barbara's Gifting Tables "territory" for recruitment and which were Platt's. Before joining the Register, she worked on an independent journalism project about migration in Berlin, Germany. The courts justices challenged both Dugas and Harmon with questions. But they have had no new leads for years, he said. Drumm also said that he hoped the Chief States Attorneys Office and that Attorney General William Tongs Office would file amicus briefs on their behalf. Drumm told commissioners that a number of agencies, including the Madison Police Department, had already released information about the case, and that releasing further evidence could compromise the ongoing investigation. I know the case is still open. So when she eventually got evicted, she moved to Florida, where she spent her days sleeping on park benches and just awaiting her death. During the last four minutes of of HBO's docuseries "Murder on Middle Beach," a black screen pops up with a single, heartwrenching sentence: My family still lives without answers about my mother's death. But the court has no doubt that this decision is not the last word on this issue, nor should it be, Klau wrote in his conclusion. Dugas acknowledged the court was dealing with competing interests, one of which was the publics right to know. The old adage about a fresh pair of eyes is particularly apt. It was looked at routinely and remained a top priority of the department, he said. The only way we can have oversight or accountability for law enforcement is to know what theyre doing.. It would compromise the case investigation. he said. In 2019, Madison Hamburg and Niemeyer requested the departments investigative files under the states public records law, but the department refused, claiming the case remains an open and ongoing investigation. The commission in August 2020 ordered Madison police to release all records responsive to the request except for signed witness statements. Beach Hamburg and Hamburg married in 1989, but divorced in 2002. The first theory the documentary presents is that Barbara Hamburg was killed by her ex-husband, Jeffrey Hamburg. The Connecticut Supreme Court will decide whether the Madison Police Department must release records compiled in its investigation of the 12-year-old unsolved murder of Barbara Hamburg. Who called Barbara to tell her that her court time had been changed from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. the day of her murder (ostensibly making time for the crime to be committed)? In 2016, he began to film a project reviewing the circumstances around his mothers death, interviewing family members and pursuing information from the Madison Police Department about its investigation. Her cover photo, quite fittingly, is one of her and Barbara, and the first thing youd see when you go to her profile is the headline GRATEFUL Conway may not have a concrete alibi for her sisters murder, but no one can deny that she loved and still misses her. That means that if you have a victim of a crime in your household tomorrow, they could start [submitting Freedom of Information Requests for] each and every single day in the investigation, said Drumm. The show is directed by Madison Hamburg, the 29-year-old son of Barbara Beach Hamburg, who was found dead outside of her Connecticut home in 2010. Precisely how much time should pass between a case going cold and when the files should be accessible to the public is up for debate, Klau conceded, but he kicked that decision to the legislature, arguing state lawmakers are in the best position to set out in writing a clear timeframe for when and how such records should be made available. "I was so messed up, I didn't know what to do. Murder on Middle Beach Season 2 Release Date 'Murder on Middle Beach' season 1 premiered on November 15, 2020, on HBO, and concluded with its fourth and final episode - 'Reasonable Doubts' - on December 6, 2020. According to Schulz, the Madison Police Department took a completely inappropriate approach to deciding which documents to release. Here are the most notable suspects. The brutal crime was committed in 2010 when Madison was 19-years-old. Then, there is the still-plausible idea that Barbara was killed by someone she had crossed through her participation in "The Gifting Tables," a pyramid scheme wherein potential members would "gift" existing members of the organization money in order to join, then recruit new members for their own eventual pay-outs. Emilia Otte covers health and education for the Connecticut Examiner. It's like crack, I can't stop going through and analyzing and its incredibly rewarding. ", initially questioned Hamburg after Beach Hamburg's murder, said her ex-husband failed to make alimony and child support payments, behind on mortgage payments for their property, primary custody of Madison and Ali, while their father received visitation rights, 'I'll Be Gone In The Dark' director believes we're drawn to true crime stories because 'you can close the book, you can turn off the TV, when in real life, you don't have that power', The 7 best true crime podcasts you can listen to right now, Watch the haunting new trailer for 'I'll Be Gone in the Dark', HBO's latest true-crime docuseries, The best true crime shows you can watch on Hulu right now. It was Beach who discovered Barbara's body on the morning of the murder, but claims she was cleaning out the basement of a 90-year-old neighbor at the time of the murder. An anonymous witness also revealed that she was scared of Conway as she had allegedly threatened her by leaving dead animals on her doorstep, implying that she had the guts and the motive to commit a murder. Additionally, releasing records that reveal who provided police with information about the crime could prompt witness intimidation, Dugas said. At the time of her death, Beach Hamburg had primary custody of Madison and Ali, while their father received visitation rights. Then there's Conway Beach, Barbara's sister. Dowling said the Board of Police Commissioners and the Board of Selectmen were working on setting up a joint meeting, and that the lawsuit would be a topic of discussion for the meeting. In the following years, they appeared in court together numerous times after Beach Hamburg said her ex-husband failed to make alimony and child support payments. A hired killer just wouldn't fit that description. From hair trends to relationship advice, our daily newsletter has everything you need to sound like a person whos on TikTok, even if you arent. As long as an investigation is active without any impediments to prosecution, Dugas argued, the exemption should apply. So I was at film school when my mom died, in this doc class, and I told my immediate group. And I was just desperately trying to understand how to take the next step with something so personal and not sacrifice anything. He updated us on his relationship with his father at present, his familys reaction to the series, as well as the status of his mother Barbaras open case today. How did she contact them? He claimed to have been told time and time again that the case is cold and investigators are stuck, and argued releasing the records could only help solve the case. Dec. 10, 2020 HBO The HBO true crime documentary series Murder on Middle Beach has reached its conclusion, without any grand reveal regarding who killed Barbara Hamburg. The horrific 2010 murder of 48-year-old single mom Barbara Hamburg in front of her Madison, Connecticut, home remains unsolved, but there have been plenty of theories as to who could have. They've seen the documentary, we had family screenings before we even sent it out to press. What details, if any, does Conway remember about the person she planned to hire to kill Barbara? While their outing is filmed from a hotel window across the street from the bar, Madison prods his father on details about his marriage to Madisons late mother. In the following years, they appeared in court together numerous times after Beach Hamburg said her ex-husband failed to make alimony and child support payments. Jeffrey, who was an exorbitantly wealthy former CEO of Southern Electric International, and Barbara had an incredibly acrimonious divorce. The case isnt closed. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. You can watch the trailer below. Back in 2010, in Madison, Connecticut, a quiet town on the shoreline, on the serene Middle Beach West, a crime occurred that shook the community to its core - Barbara Hamburg's murder. Barbara Beach Hamburg, Madison's mother, was killed in 2010 in Madison, Connecticut. Charles Bright. There's been a lot of mistakes and a lot of successes throughout this whole journey, but I don't think I would do anything differently at this point. On the other hand, Dugas, the attorney for the Madison Police Department, argued the case was very much active. You watched the last time I talked to my dad. They successfully appealed to the Connecticuts Freedom of Information Commission, which ruled last year the police department had to turn over its files free of charge to the pair. June 3, 2021 8:00AM. Have you had any other reactions surprise you? The four-part series was released at the end of 2020. As for where she is now, Conway appears to be residing in Connecticut, where she spends most of her free time with her family, especially her mother, son, and toddler grandson. It doesn't have a tidy ending, but grief rarely does. My college was really supportive of me, Savannah College of Art and Design. Through interviews with and secret recordings of his immediate family and the police, Madison and his crew tell the story of Barbara Beach Hamburgs full life and tragic death. The court has attempted to resolve a long unsettled question about the degree of certainty concerning a prospective law enforcement action that is required to withhold records. Have you spoken to him since the scene where he hangs up on you in the final episode? Her body was discovered by Madison's aunt Conway and his sister, Ali. We work on this case weekly, we have a states attorney assigned to us who works on this weekly. I'm also so close to this, and I've seen it a thousand times over the past eight years that I don't have perspective as to what is objectively good or bad. The documentary follows the murder of a Connecticut woman, Barbara Hamburg. SALON is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as a trademark of Salon.com, LLC. In the series, she denies killing Barbara while showing little to no remorse for her past crimes. Jeffrey was eventually arrested for failing to make those payments in 2012, and as of 2018 he was still fighting in the courts to avoid paying. Theyve done multiple cold case reviews. Why did Jeffrey's financial dealings make Barbara feel like her family's safety had been compromised? So Im not quite sure why theyre resistant, he said. On March 3, 2010, Barbara Beach Hamburg was found dead in her Connecticut house. The documentary follows Madison as he investigates the shocking murder of his mother Barbara Beach Hamburg. In HBO's latest true crime docuseries, Murder on Middle Beach, director Madison Hamburg tries to uncover every clue in the unsolved murder of his mother, Barbara Hamburg . Jeffreyrefuses to discuss the case or his marriage with Madison, except to point to Barbara's alcoholism and, prior to recovery, her pattern of black-out drinking as evidence that Barbara wasn't necessarily to be trusted a line he holds even once Madison finds boxes of documents in the final episodes that could potentially implicate him in unethical (and potentially illegal) business practices that made Barbara feel unsafe. Do we need a case to be closed, or at least a prime suspect in view, to feel like a narrative arc was actually achieved before the final end credits? 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