Through Madison's eyes and camera lens, we watch as his relationship with his father crumbles, as he has to inform Ali that Conway believed she was capable of killing her own mother, as he has to badger his local police department again and again (before finally escalating to a formal Freedom of Information Act appeal) for a 1,600-page case file with details about their investigation into Barbara's death. 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. 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. Moreover, allowing the public access to cold case files after an appropriate period of time is far more likely to improve the odds of an arrest and successful prosecution than it it is to prejudice that outcome.. Madison's's father, Jeffrey Hamburg, was presented as a main person of interest throughout the series. Like I really didn't want to create caricatures of my family members. She frequently cried when talking about her sister, and more than once, displayed anger towards what happened. It was possible new information or new technology could help solve the case down the line, he said, adding investigators fear releasing information in the case file, including details only known to the perpetrator, could harm prosecution efforts. 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. To allow police to say that because an investigation is active without any insurmountable obstacle to prosecution, the public must defer to their judgment, Ecker said, and does not take public concerns into account. The four-part HBO Max series, now available on Sky Crime and NOW TV in the UK, follows director Madison Hamburg as he investigates the unsolved murder of his own mother, Barbara Beach Hamburg, on . Then, the public would never have any way of knowing whether [the police] were doing their job appropriately, said Schulz. Who Is John Dutton's Grandfather in '1923'? I left him a voicemail. Sadly, her life was taken on March 3, 2010 in Madison, Connecticut. 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. If I didn't ask these questions, the questions would go unasked, but I've tried my hardest to do this what I consider the right way. Madison Hamburg and his late mothers sister, Conway. 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. "Barbie, Barb, it's your sister." The call ends after about five minutes. I assume he has, but I'm not sure. The documentary follows Madison as he investigates the shocking murder of his mother Barbara Beach Hamburg. 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. That said, in the final episode Ali's alibi is confirmed: her mother dropped her off at school the morning that she was killed. 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. Upon hearing this new information, Beach alters her opinion of Ali as the murderer. Klau reviewed the case and found in August that the police department cannot use the mere theoretical possibility of a future law enforcement action to keep the investigative files secret but conceded there is little precedent for how investigators or the FOIC should determine what constitutes such a future action. The case was then brought to trial in the Superior Court of New Britain, which last month upheld the Freedom of Information Commissions ruling. So when she eventually got evicted, she moved to Florida, where she spent her days sleeping on park benches and just awaiting her death. The old adage about a fresh pair of eyes is particularly apt. The four-part docuseries explores the 2010 murder of 48-year-old mother of two, Barbara Hamburg, who was discovered blugeoned and stabbed to death at her own home in Madison, Connecticut in. HBO's new docuseries "Murder on Middle Beach," directed by Madison Hamburg, focuses on the death of Hamburg's mother, Barbara. ", "It wasn't a story about a murder, it's a story about identity and about my mom and that's a really hard sell," he told the Connecticut Insider. A hearing was held in February 2020, where Detective Christopher Sudock testified on behalf of the department that the release could jeopardize a prospective law enforcement action, such as a search or arrest warrant, but could not identify any specific actions investigators had planned. That is as it should be. She was a woman who was known to be head-strong. Jeffrey, who was an exorbitantly wealthy former CEO of Southern Electric International, and Barbara had an incredibly acrimonious divorce. The story sort of chronicles and parallels my journey in making this. 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. Beach theorizes that Barbara was killed by Ali while on her way out of the house, rather than after returning home from dropping Ali off at school as the investigation suggests. She also suffered numerous stab wounds to her face, chest, and hands. Have you had any other reactions surprise you? I don't know. The following contains spoilers from the ending of HBO's "Murder of Middle Beach.". He said it was also important to preserve the rights of victims and family members, who he said he didnt believe would want information released while police officers were still working on their case. It's terrifying, and I think that something that was really important for me was naming and identifying the adverse effects of doing something like this in the documentary itself, because I just think that's one of the unique aspects of the point of view. That's essentially a thousand more opportunities to discover not just what happened to his mother, but to find another slash in the family tree. "Murder on Middle Beach" premieres Sunday on HBO at 10 p.m. 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. 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. You watched the last time I talked to my dad. Beach claims to have been accused of being jealous of her sister's success, but denies it in the docuseries. From the jump, the suspect list was long. Schulz echoed the judges world, noting that his clients planned to use the information as part of a documentary. As the series progresses, Madison gains new insight into his mother's life before her murder, including her troubled relationship with his father and Beach Hamburg's ex-husband, Jeffrey Hamburg. That was in 2016. Director Madison Hamburg's relentless pursuit of the truth throughout his quest to find his mother's killer turned over a lot of stones, and even though the TV series has concluded, Madison's work continues off-camera. Every product was carefully curated by an Esquire editor. Jeffrey appears in Murder on Middle Beach where he repeatedly refuses to talk about Barbara's murder and insists that his ex-wife had dark secrets that he can't discuss. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Madison Hamburg and producer Anike Niemeyer had requested the files while filming the series and were summarily denied by the department. But as she admitted, Conway unsuccessfully tried to get revenge and hire a hitman to kill the Hamburgs. To this day, the case that shocked a wealthy, idyllic seaside town has remained unsolved. Retracing the path of controversial Project Veritas founder James O'Keefe includes many stops in Connecticut. The department did turn over two full boxes of documents to Hamburg and Niemeyer in October 2020, but the filmmakers alerted investigators in early November that dozens of files were apparently missing from those records. We still don't know who killed Barbara Hamburg, but with the renewed attention paid to the case thanks to Murder on Middle Beach, we could one day find out. 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. Her body was discovered by Madison's aunt Conway and his sister, Ali. Madison Hamburg On the Middle Beach Finale, India Oxenberg Finally Feels a Sense of Peace, More Coverage of the Documentaries That Matter, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. Did she ever try to contact them again? Dugas acknowledged the court was dealing with competing interests, one of which was the publics right to know. Throughout the mini-series, the main suspect seemed to be Barbara's ex-husband and Madison's father, Jeffrey Hamburg. If you say youre going to keep a file closed forever on the chance that something might develop, that means the public in most cases will never get to look at these files, Schulz said Friday. Emmys. The two had gone through a rough divorce and were not on good terms at the time of Barbara's death. 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. So many people had the opportunity, the motive, the means. Barbara B. Hamburg was born April 29, 1961 in New Haven, Connecticut. Many ancient pipes in CT aren't up to the task of draining storm water, yet officials just seem to shrug. What were the reactions of Ali and Conway like? But after watching the entire series through again on Monday morning, I realized that's obviously the point one that I had lost sight of while tuning in week-to-week for the last month, eager to see how the case concluded. But Madison's. 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. In addition to the Beach family, Hamburg makes several appearances in the series as well although he's never formally interviewed. By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. She blacks out and wakes up the next morning upstairs on a bed, naked and cashless. 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. June 3, 2021 8:00AM. He also works to eliminate several of his family members as potential suspects in his mother's murder. And, as Jeffrey alleged via a phone call to Madison, is there any evidence that the documents detailing his financial decisions had been fabricated? But even if the central question at the center of the case remains a mystery, Murder on Middle Beach solved at least one question that had long plagued the decade-old case. 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. He never forcefully denies killing Barbara in the series. I'll admit, on my first watch of the finale, I was a little frustrated by the lack of answers. 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? 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. 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. Directed by Barbara's son, Madison Hamburg, the docuseries is a chronicle of Madison's return to his home as he is determined to understand . Opening the file and turning the pages without acting on the file is not evidence the file is going to be used in a prospective law enforcement action, Harmon said. 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. The following year, Beach was present at another vigil, where she called her . It's unknown just how many people Barbara had under her at the Gifting Tables, but she was accused of recruiting members from her AA group. What details, if any, does Conway remember about the person she planned to hire to kill Barbara? 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. According to the doc, Jeffrey allegedly owed Barbara and their two children hundreds of thousands of dollars, and the two were due to appear in court together on the day Barbara was murdered to sort it out. Murder on Middle Beach calls a handful of suspects into question. Her body was discovered by Madison's aunt Conway and his sister, Ali; his father . Ever since then, Madison has been looking to uncover every clue and secret so as to solve her case. A hired killer just wouldn't fit that description. A single mother of two, Hamburg was bludgeoned and stabbed to death in the front yard of her Madison,. At the end of the series, Madison wins his case with the Freedom of Information Commission to receive case files relating to his mother's homicide investigation. 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. November 30, 2020. The Madison Department of Police filed an appeal on September 2. It's revealed in the "Murder on Middle Beach" epilogue that in October 2020, Madison was granted that case file and that he and his team had started reviewing it for additional information about the murder. 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 . 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While Beach's husband (and Madison's father) Jeffrey was questioned early on about his ex-wife's murder, there . Additionally, releasing records that reveal who provided police with information about the crime could prompt witness intimidation, Dugas said. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider The resulting documentary series was picked up by HBO, and the four-part Murder on Middle Beach premiered late last year. When my mom died I really was kind of orphaned and Savannah became like a home, and I turned to faculty, people I worked with, people in the community as surrogate parents in a way, and so I kept in touch. When her body was found by her sister and daughter it was covered with outdoor furniture cushions. 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. There was sort of shame attached to that, telling someone that with the connotations around murder and true crime. But Murder on Middle Beach is not a normal documentary. 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. She suffered for years from alcoholism, addiction and physical and mental health issues as well as a palpable jealousy towards Barbara and Barbara's daughter, Ali. Barbara Beach Hamburg, Madison's mother, was killed in 2010 in Madison, Connecticut. Here are the facts: on March 3rd, 2010, Barbara Beach Hamburg was beaten to death in front of her modest house in Madison, Connecticut. Years before she was murdered, Madison Hamburg 's mother Barbara Hamburg gave him a gift that would shape his life forever. Beach also alleges that Ali killed Barbara, claiming that the then-high schooler acted bizarrely at the scene of the murder by declaring it a crime scene before any evidence of a crime was observed. Murder on Middle Beach didn't decisively eliminate any other suspects. The police could have an incentive to just not become the focus of second-guessing, Ecker said. "I was so messed up, I didn't know what to do. The medical examiner later ruled her death a homicide, noting that she died as a result of "multiple blunt and sharp force injury.". A list of additional records submitted to the court includes surveillance video, recordings of specific voicemails, non-police tape-recorded conversations and copies of items seized from Barbara Hamburgs bedroom safe. 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.. 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. Murder on Middle Beach centers on the mysterious death of 48-year old Barbara Hamburg. That was mandatory to me, I wanted everybody to see how they come across and have a conversation about it to prepare them for what it's gonna be like when we release this thing. Those screenings were the most difficult family screenings. None of that is the selling point of a true crime series. According to Schulz, the Madison Police Department took a completely inappropriate approach to deciding which documents to release. I got my crew together, but before at that point I was very much a family member asking these questions with a camera in the room. By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. 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. But they have had no new leads for years, 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. 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. But to date, no one has ever been charged with Barbara's murder. It's also worth noting that at the time of Barbara's murder, she was set to receive $40,000 from her latest table, as the doc alleges. What it did do, though, was bring light to the case and start a conversation around it. The series depicted how the investigation process caused rifts between the family and the secrets which suggested their involvement in the murder. On March 3, 2010, Barbara was found brutally murdered in the yard of their Connecticut home. The Madison Police Department is appealing a court ruling upholing an order by the state's Freedom of Information Commission that the department release all records except signed witness statements related to the unsolved murder of Barbara Beach Hamburg. Elizabeth Benton, communications director for the Attorney Generals Office, said the office was not involved in the case. And sort of realizing that what I wanted as a character in the story and as a person is to know what happened to my mom, but I think what I need, and my sister said so beautifully as the beginning of the last episode, is peace. 7: Caught in a Bad Romance, Brandon Sklenar is the Baddest Dutton of Them All, The 'Outer Banks' S3 Finale Is Intense as Hell. Of shame attached to that, telling someone that with the connotations around murder and true.... 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