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As he revealed in a video update on Dec. 8 through HBO's YouTube channel, he is currently combing through these files for additional information that could eventually help solve the case. She totally got it and they made us an offer. The four-part series was released at the end of 2020. Hamburg was 41 years old when she was found dead outside her home from what the medical examiners office called blunt and sharp force injuries.. To this day, the case that shocked a wealthy, idyllic seaside town has remained unsolved. Schulz said the department had provided two boxes of information about the case, but that they were still missing key documents, including witness statements, notes, computer records and telephone records. Yeah, I reached out to him before our promotions started because I wanted him to hear a fuller context from me instead of seeing it on television or as a commercial somewhere, but I didn't reach him. The documentary follows Madison as he investigates the shocking murder of his mother Barbara Beach Hamburg. And as the docuseries comes to a close there are a growing number of theories about Barbara Hamburg's death. HBO's new docuseries "Murder on Middle Beach" is a moving exploration of one woman's life and murder, and how her family dealt with the aftermath of her death. When Barbara Hamburg was brutally bludgeoned to death outside her home on Middle Beach Road in Madison, Connecticut in 2010, her sister Conway Beach publicly mourned her loss. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. Although it seems like Conway is living a quiet life, she has mourned her sister publicly over the years, holding vigils and vowing to keep her memory alive. 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. 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. Conway and Ali are the ones who discovered the body and Conway said Ali acted "strangely." She cites the fact that the teenager had a rocky relationship with her mother, which was only intensified by Ali's struggles with borderline personality disorder. If a department cannot show there is a prospective law enforcement action and that disclosure of the records would be prejudicial to such an action, then the publics right to access the records wins out, Harmon said, arguing the Madison Police Department failed to meet its burden of proof in this case. Judge Daniel Klau upheld the commissions decision that the files must be turned over in a ruling of his own last month, but last week the police department appealed that decision, too. And what we were selling was a personal approach that wasn't a whodunit but more a story about identity, the duality of humanity, and the layers of what we share with each other, how open we are, and just me kind of coming of age and understanding my mother and in turn understanding my identity. It's something that I've been dealing with throughout this process since partnering with HBO last year, but the idea that this was going to be in the public eye and that these vulnerabilities that my family has trusted me with were going to be exposed didn't enter the equation until the stage was realized. 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. In a statement ahead of the hearing, Hamburgs son, Madison Hamburg, who helped make an HBO documentary series about his mothers death called "Murder on Middle Beach," called for the records release. While her murder and its aftermath are explored on the show, it also paints a vivid portrait of who Beach Hamburg was before her death, and how her family is managing to cope with their loss 10 years later. I was at a point in grief where I was trying to hold on to the memory of my mom and my greatest fear was losing my memory of the sound of her voice or how she smelled or how she looked, and I thought that taking advantage of the class to ask my family members about her could sort of memorialize her. His second goal was to absolve his family members of the crime, which dovetails with the obvious goal of discovering who actually killed Barbara. None of that is the selling point of a true crime series. 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). On March 3, 2010, Barbara Beach Hamburg was found murdered in the backyard of her Madison, Connecticut, home. Beach Hamburg had been expected in court, along with Hamburg, on the morning of her death, but never made it to her 9:30 a.m. appearance. The Madison Police Department is appealing a court ruling upholing an order by the states Freedom of Information Commission that the department release all records except signed witness statements related to the unsolved murder of Barbara Beach Hamburg. In the series, Hamburg asks his family members if they had anything to do with his mother's murder, including his father . How Did Barbara Hamburg Die? His father, Jeffrey Hamburg, quickly became a person of interest. A spokesperson for the Connecticut State Police Public Information Office said the State Police had not released any evidence regarding the murder of Barbara Hamburg. I didn't necessarily fit the mold, but SCAD agreed to a really unique deal with me where they funded 10 weeks of production and we shot all of our master interviews. The television series, Murder on Middle Beach, documents the story of Madison Hamburgs search for the story behind his mothers murder. As we see in the documentary, some even suggest that Conway was envious of Barbara because of the money, success, and love the latter was able to attain. But in 2016 the pendulum sort of swung to this other role I was playing as an investigative documentarian, and I thought it might be my only opportunity to ask these questions on camera and get these authentic reactions. Her body was discovered by Madison's aunt Conway and his sister, Ali. Who do you think did it? 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. The Madison Department of Police filed an appeal on September 2. He also works to eliminate several of his family members as potential suspects in his mother's murder. My college was really supportive of me, Savannah College of Art and Design. She remained in class until Conway picked her up. According to her own accounts, after Ali chose to live with her father, Jeffrey Hamburg, he became "super controlling" and implanted "a lot of fear" in her. The director of HBO's true crime docuseries discusses the emotions of investigating his own mother's murder. Especially my sister, she's the person closest to me, who can empathize the most. 5 This was actually where the four-part series began, as first-time filmmaker Madison Hamburg set out to investigate the events surrounding the murder of his mother, Barbara Beach Hamburg, who was . And I was just desperately trying to understand how to take the next step with something so personal and not sacrifice anything. After the Police Department appealed a commission order to the release the records, a trial court in August 2021 upheld the commissions decision. It's a sobering, overwhelming realization. That's a question that I've asked myself a lot. By Valentina Valentini 12/06/20 11:00pm Madison Hamburg . I was living in Austin at the time with my girlfriend and we both moved to New York and just gave up everything in our lives to facilitate me doing this. Yet the strangest thing was when Conway stated that Barbara, a week before she was slain, told her about a dream where she was violently murdered but refused to reveal who was behind it. The last time I talked to my dad was on camera. Murder on Middle Beach didn't decisively eliminate any other suspects. Conway Beach is Barbara Beach Hamburgs elder sister and the woman who, unfortunately, discovered her body. There was no stone they had left unturned.. Barbara Beach Hamburg, Madison's mother, was killed in 2010 in Madison, Connecticut. Reproduction of material from any Salon pages without written permission is strictly prohibited. There was sort of shame attached to that, telling someone that with the connotations around murder and true crime. The two had gone through a rough divorce and were not on good terms at the time of Barbara's death. I know what I've set out to do and tried like hell to fulfill that, to challenge the conventions of true crime and the way that we tell the story, and just to hear people think it's goodjust to think that people were watching and telling other people about it and it was a part of the conversation outside of the people in my immediate circle was just, I don't know, maybe it's silly, but it's something that is really gratifying. In the height of his grief, he decided he could use his medium of choicefilmto memorialize her, and also explore who she really was, who might have wanted to hurt her, and why. The series depicted how the investigation process caused rifts between the family and the secrets which suggested their involvement in the murder. 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. The filmmakers appealed to the states Freedom of Information Commission, which reviews public records disputes. I don't know. Copyright 2023 Design by Julia Balfour, LLC, Federal Grant will Help Stamford Police Catch Auto Thieves, Hundreds of Elevator Malfunctions in Stamford and No Clear Fix, With Ambulance Response Times of as Much as 40 Minutes, Legislators Propose a Funding Fix, Researchers Target Housing in Pilot Program to Reduce Gun Violence, Firefighter in Rehab Calls on Department Leaders to Bolster Brotherhood, As More Weapons are Brought to Schools, Parents and Administrators Seek a Safe Path Forward. I think the hidden conflict is the sacrifice of the act of making this, having over 1000 hours of footage and over 200 shooting days. However, later in the documentary, director Madison Hamburg Barbara's son and Ali's brother obtains school records that corroborate Ali's alibi of being at school at the time of the murder. She welcomes feedback and story ideas from readers. They've seen the documentary, we had family screenings before we even sent it out to press. HBO. Drumm told CT Examiner that the Police Department had gone through all the files relevant to the case. I'm in awe of my sister. Police Commission Chair Ed Downing warned at the meeting that the appeal could require significant legal resources that could be costly for the Town of Madison. ET. Would I even do this if I teleported back eight years and said, you started this documentary, here are the sacrifices that you and your family are gonna make but here's what you have to gain. Just doing that over and over. When her body was found by her sister and daughter it was covered with outdoor furniture cushions. That all falls out of your test, doesnt it?. The HBO series Murder on Middle Beach has captivated audiences everywhere as filmmaker Madison Hamburg attempts to uncover the truth about what happened to his mother so many years ago. It's a shocking twist and, just when viewers need things to be put into context, the details become murky. . 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. It is difficult to understand how denying public access to criminal files in perpetuity serves the public interest in solving crimes and bringing perpetrators to justice, wrote Judge Daniel Klau in his decision. Platt was eventually arrested on various fraud charges related to the Gifting Tables in 2012, and she served 30 months in federal prison, according to the New Haven Register. So we took the 160 hours and made a sample that turned out to be like 14 minutes. By the end of the series, the only suspect who has a truly rock-solid alibi is Ali, anda number of questions about that, in my mind, remained unanswered: Who was the masked man who was allegedly seen lurking outside Barbara's window the day before she was murdered? Every product was carefully curated by an Esquire editor. In one example, Justice Steven Ecker asked Dugas about the competing interest of uncovering police corruption or incompetence. 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. Alaine Griffin, director of communications in the Office of the Chief States Attorney said that the department had no comment at this time. Additionally, releasing records that reveal who provided police with information about the crime could prompt witness intimidation, Dugas said. It is more than a reasonable possibility, pun intended, that the Connecticut Appellate or Supreme Court will review this decision. All rights reserved. Beach denies this, too. This was actually where the four-part series began, as first-time filmmaker Madison Hamburg set out to investigate the events surrounding the murder of his mother, Barbara Beach Hamburg, who was found stabbed and bludgeoned to death outside her home in an affluent Connecticut suburb in 2010. I left him a voicemail. Then, the public would never have any way of knowing whether [the police] were doing their job appropriately, said Schulz. When she's not reporting, you can find her hiking Shoreline trails and eating her way through New Haven. She frequently cried when talking about her sister, and more than once, displayed anger towards what happened. At the time of her death, Beach Hamburg had primary custody of Madison and Ali, while their father received visitation rights. Barbara was found dead on the morning of March 3, 2010, in the yard of her rental house on Middle Beach Road in Madison, Conn. Police responded at 11:25 a.m. to a 911 call reporting an injured . Madison police step up fight to withhold, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Madison police step up fight to withhold Barbara Hamburg murder investigation files from HBOs Murder on Middle Beach filmmakers, Police track shooting suspect by following his footprints in snow in Bloomfield, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy defends giving Fox host Tucker Carlson Jan. 6 footage access, You cant trust sleep advice found on YouTube: study, Tom Sizemores family deciding end of life matters after actor suffers brain aneurysm, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Barbara Beach Hamburg, Madison's mother, was killed in 2010 in Madison, Connecticut. The following contains spoilers from the ending of HBO's "Murder of Middle Beach.". The latest true crime series Murder on Middle Beach just hit HBO. I started in 2013 really fresh and very amateur to documentary. Here are the most notable suspects. "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," Hamburg also told Esquire. Its not a normal father-son catch-up scene. By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. 7: Caught in a Bad Romance, Brandon Sklenar is the Baddest Dutton of Them All, The 'Outer Banks' S3 Finale Is Intense as Hell. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. Barbara Hamburg was found murdered outside her family's Middle Beach Road home on March 3, 2010, but the case went cold and no one has ever been charged in connection with her death. We may earn a commission from these links. It was looked at routinely and remained a top priority of the department, he said. Madison police have not yet filed a brief outlining the grounds of their appeal with the Appellate Court, and attempts to reach the department this past week were unsuccessful. It's like if you have a piece of popcorn in your teeth, finally getting that piece out. The brutal crime was committed in 2010 when Madison was 19-years-old. In 2022 Otte was awarded "Rookie of the Year," by the New England Newspaper & Press Association. The only way we can have oversight or accountability for law enforcement is to know what theyre doing.. Every Theory About Barbara Hamburg's Murder Murder on Middle Beach calls a handful of suspects into question. Barbara Hamburg was found murdered outside her familys Middle Beach Road home on March 3, 2010, but the case went cold and no one has ever been charged in connection with her death. In addition to the Beach family, Hamburg makes several appearances in the series as well although he's never formally interviewed. She's convinced, however, that she knows who the killer is: Ali, Madison's sister who was still in high school at the time. I know the case is still open. If Barbara dropped Ali off at 7:47 am and the court hearing was at 9:30 am, perhaps the father had enough time to commit the murder. HBO. . as well as other partner offers and accept our. The medical examiner later ruled her death a homicide, noting that she died as a result of "multiple blunt and sharp force injury.". 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. Police never made an arrest in the case, though Floyd Dugas, the attorney representing the department in the records dispute, told the court Wednesday the agency long has had a prime suspect. The personal gruesomeness of the murder and covering her body like he regrets it feels too personal to be a hit man. Hamburg, for his part, said Beach Hamburg was behind on mortgage payments for their property . Madison's's father, Jeffrey Hamburg, was presented as a main person of interest throughout the series. According to the HBO docuseries, Beach Hamburg's body was covered with outdoor furniture cushions when it was found. As the pyramid scheme required a $5,000 "gift" to join, the thinking goes that Barbara could have recruited someone to the tables who couldn't actually afford to make such a payment. So he made a deal with us that he would give us an A if I never stopped working on it. In August 2020, the Freedom of Information Commission ruled that the Madison Police Department needed to release the requested records, including investigatory records, interrogation recordings, and crime scene recordings, including photos and videos, with the exception of signed witness statements. 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