REVEALING DOCUS
DISCOVERY+, APRIL
CRIMINALS WHO FAKE REMORSE
These insightful 60-minute specials take a closer look at three of the biggest crime cases in recent memory – and the men at the centre of them. Experts examine footage of and interviews with accused abuser Michael Jackson, family annihilator Chris Watts and serial killer Ted Bundy, focusing on the micro-gestures and vocal fumbles that, to some, signal their guilt. Body language expert Dr Cliff Lansley, professor of linguistics Dawn Archer and forensic psychologist Kerry Daynes analyse and hone in on the potential tell-tale signs of deception captured on camera for each case – and it can be anything from a simple shrug of the shoulder to their use of language that indicates that they may have been “faking it”. The series kicks off with a look at singer Jackson, who before his death in 2009, was pretty much the biggest star on the planet, earning himself the title of the “King of Pop”. But despite his glittering career, for the last two decades of his life, Jackson was dogged by dark rumours. On two separate occasions, he was accused of child sex abuse, but was never found guilty. More than a decade after his death, those allegations still refuse to go away. Episode two focuses on
American father Chris Watts, who murdered his pregnant wife Shan’ann and two young daughters Bella and Celeste in August 2018, allegedly to start a new life with his mistress. Before he eventually confessed, he made a heartfelt plea on television for the safe return for his then-missing family. But, according to the experts, the tell-tale signs he was lying were there to see. And in the final episode, serial killer Bundy – who murdered at least 30 women – is placed under the forensic spotlight. The experts show how Bundy managed to evade justice for so long by creating confusion. HHHH Georgina Ventre