Murder on Middle Beach, a four-part documentary series directed by first-time filmmaker Madison Hamburg, examines Hamburg’s complicated journey to solve an unspeakable crime and absolve the people he loves while seeking out answers within his own fractured family and community.
The series revolves around the case of Barbara Hamburg, Madison’s mother, who was brutally murdered on March 3, 2010 near her home in the upper-middle class enclave of Madison, Connecticut. Investigators speculated this was a crime of passion, but without sufficient evidence, the case grew cold.
Over the course of eight years, Hamburg interviewed his family members and many others to learn more about his mother’s life and gather evidence in hopes of solving her murder. Along the way, he uncovers a web of familial and local secrets, connections to shadowy figures, and years-old resentments in his deceptively serene hometown.
Murder on Middle Beach is produced by Jigsaw Productions, Armian Pictures and Blue Days Films. Directed by Madison Hamburg; executive producers, Ron Nyswaner, Neda Armian, Toby Oppenheimer, Madison Hamburg, Stacey Offman, Richard Perello; co-executive producer, Evan Lerner; supervising producer, Whitney Johnson; producer, Solomon Petchenik.
Dive Deeper Into the Story
Get a closer look at the Hamburg family tree to understand how Barbara's relatives are connected.
How did the Gifting Tables pyramid scheme actually work? Watch a video breakdown.
Unpack the key dates in the investigation and the decade-long span since Barbara’s murder.
Madison Hamburg shares an update on what's been happening with the case since the finale and what he hopes happens next.
Bonus Scenes
High school nurse Donna Konarski and high school secretary Kara Heller recount the morning Barbara was murdered.
Ali fears she’ll forget what her mother looks like and reflects on how good of a mother she was.
Madison contemplates whether the police thought he was their prime suspect for Barbara’s murder.
Resources
For information and support on mental illness, substance abuse, and survivors of homicide visit the organizations below.
Survivors of Homicide, Inc. (SOH) was founded in 1983 by a small group of families who were trying to cope with the murder of a loved one that shattered their lives. They met to support each other and to share information about an unfamiliar criminal justice system that existed not to provide support to grieving families, but to prosecute offenders.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, was formed to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America's communities.
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