Murders They Wrote

Passion, envy and genius combine in a trio of true-life crime dramas that seem ready-made for TV

Pity the Hollywood suits who will have to choose which of this winter's murder cases would make the best movie of the week. Even tabloid writers with a flair for melodrama are hard pressed to do justice to the true stories that have unfolded in New Hampshire, Texas and Florida -- and who knows how many other plots are marinating, still undiscovered, in the shadows of the heartland? A brief gazetteer:

% NEW HAMPSHIRE. In the town of Derry, Pamela Smart, a 23-year-old high school instructor with big brown eyes, Gainsborough ringlets and a taste for heavy- metal music, deflowered William...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!