Think you have frenemies? Not in comparison to the stories in this true crime show. In I Killed My BFF, besties descend into murder, and become besties no more. Instead, they become murder victim and killer.
I Killed My BFF uses re-created voiceovers to tell the story of one best friend killing another. Actors playing two best friends tell a scripted story about a murder between them, sometimes involving additional people in their circle.
Episodes begin with the inception of their friendship and reimagine what the friends might be thinking during the course of their friendship, all the way up to the murder. Their friends and families add to the story, along with detectives investigating the case.
You know there’s a homicide coming, but you won’t know who the victim is until close to the end of the episode.
One man, three trials, and a multimillion-dollar murder defense
Suzanne Hamlin
It was 1979, and T. Cullen Davis found himself in a courtroom yet again. He had been there for divorce proceedings, a murder case, a civil trial, and a case related to a murder-for-hire plot involving his ex-wife, the divorce judge, and 13 other people. He hoped that his fortune might save him again. Long before OJ Simpson, Cullen tested the waters. Could money buy an acquittal?
The Shooting at Stonegate Mansion
On August 2, 1976, 35-year-old Priscilla Davis returned from a night out with her 30-year-old boyfriend Stan Farr to a $6 million mansion in the upscale neighborhood of Stonegate in Ft. Worth, Texas. She had built the five-bedroom mansion with her estranged husband, a husband she would soon divorce. Upon entering the house, Priscilla and Stan were confronted by an intruder in black clothes and a long black wig, who shot them both, Stan four times and Priscilla once in the chest. Wounded, Priscilla fled from the house, just as two family friends, Beverly Bass and Gus “Bubba” Gavrel Jr., arrived. The man in black shot at them both and wounded Bubba, who ended up paralyzed.
Stan was pronounced dead, but he wasn’t the only casualty. The police found Priscilla’s 12-year-old daughter, Andrea Wilborn, dead in the basement, shot once in the chest. Priscilla, Beverly, and Bubba had all seen—and recognized—the shooter: Priscilla’s soon-to-be ex-husband, 43-year-old oil magnate T. Cullen Davis.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram Collection, University of Texas at Arlington Libraries. “Priscilla Davis arrives with one of her attorneys, Jerry Lofton.” UTA Libraries Digital Gallery. 1978. Accessed August 12, 2023.
Married in 1968, Priscilla and Cullen divorced after six years of marriage and a history of Cullen’s alleged domestic abuse against Priscilla and her daughter Dee. Cullen was worth millions as the co-owner of the energy corporation Kendavis Industries International. Priscilla sued for $50 million in the divorce, and the day of the shooting, the divorce judge had significantly increased her alimony. A motive, perhaps?
Bolstered by the statements of Priscilla and the other witnesses to the shooting, as well as Cullen’s lack of an alibi, prosecutors charged him with the murder of Priscilla’s daughter Andrea, planning to prosecute him for the murder of Stan and the attempted murders of Priscilla, Beverly, and Bubba in subsequent trials. But what seemed like an open-and-shut case evolved into a shocking legal saga.
The First Trial: The Murder of Andrea Wilborn
Cullen hired the best defense attorneys a rich man can buy, led by well-known lawyer Richard “Racehorse” Haynes, and the capital murder trial began in 1977. After the prosecution laid out its argument and the testimony of the three eyewitnesses, Beverly, Bubba, and Priscilla, the defense claimed that Priscilla lied in a ploy to get Cullen’s money, colluding with Beverly and Bubba when identifying him as the shooter. They painted her as a promiscuous junkie who abused prescription drugs, so her testimony could not be reliable. They supported this unnecessary victim-blaming with an argument that the real target of the shooting was Stan. And besides, there was no physical evidence that Cullen was the shooter. Not to mention his alibi, they said. His girlfriend (and later wife) Karen claimed that he had been home asleep the whole time, contradicting what she first told the police, that he hadn’t been home at all.
In a surprising verdict. Cullen was acquitted. One juror reportedly said that rich men don’t kill their wives, but hire someone else to do it. Maybe they do, if they have enough money for an expensive defense.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram Collection, University of Texas at Arlington Libraries. “Cullen Davis leaves Civil Court with Karen Master.” UTA Libraries Digital Gallery. 1978. Accessed August 28, 2023
But the story didn’t end there. Cullen was found not liable in Priscilla’s civil trial against him over Andrea Wilborn’s death.
As the divorce proceedings between Priscilla and Cullen continued, the FBI learned—just nine months later—of a murder-for-hire plot by Cullen to kill 15 others, including Priscilla, Beverly, Bubba, and the divorce judge.
In a sting operation, the FBI faked the judge’s death and took photos to show Cullen proof of the deed when he met with his friend and employee David McCrory, who he had convinced to help him, or so he thought. They wired McCrory up for audio as he met Cullen in a car to discuss who should be killed next, and the entire conversation was caught on tape. “You want Beverly Bass killed next—quick, right?” McCrory asked. Cullen answered, “All right.” Cullen gave McCrory $25,000 to continue the murderous plot.
Prosecutors charged Cullen with solicitation to commit murder, and with the audio evidence, the verdict seemed obvious.
The Second and Third Trials: The Murder-for-Hire Plot
Backed by the same defense team, Cullen stood trial for the murder-for-hire plot in 1979. But the trial resulted in a deadlocked jury, and the judge declared a mistrial.
Determined to win a guilty verdict, the prosecution retried the case. In the second trial, the defense brought in a linguist, Dr. Roger Chye, who analyzed the audio recording and made a creative claim that Cullen was talking about sunglasses, not murder, when he replied, “Good,” to McCrory telling him that he killed the divorce judge. In fact, they contended, Cullen’s reply was actually about finding his sunglasses, not murder.
FBI recording of the murder-for-hire plot
The defense added that Priscilla conspired with McCrory to set Cullen up. They said that Cullen only met with McCrory after an FBI agent called to tell him to play along. It was supposedly an extortion conspiracy against Cullen by McCrory and Priscilla to frame him. But, the prosecution asked, where was this FBI agent? And why didn’t Cullen notify the police or even tell them of the plot when he was arrested? Testifying in his own defense, Cullen claimed he eventually realized that the informant wasn’t associated with the FBI.
But those details didn’t matter. The jury acquitted him. Chief prosecutor Jack Strickland said, “I don’t know if it is possible to convict Cullen Davis. It makes me wonder whether there is a dual standard.” It was the only explanation in an unexplainable set of events. How could someone evade justice that many times?
For Cullen, the price for getting away with murder is estimated between $10 and $13 million. He gave up on murder, finally, perhaps because he no longer wanted to buy his acquittals, and he became a born-again Christian. It’s not surprising that he found God after eluding the law three times. Priscilla received a divorce settlement of $3.3 million, and Cullen filed for bankruptcy in 1987 amidst a poor economy, and his company closed. He became a salesman.
Watch the T. Cullen Davis Case
The case is covered in American Justice (Season 16, Episode 8), Behind Mansion Walls (Season 1, Episode 5),48 Hours (Season 29, Episode 41), and Dominick Dunne: Power, Privilege & Justice (Season 3, Episode 3). Priscilla and Cullen both appear in American Justice, and Cullen protests his innocence, of course.
Take a narrator with a generic Southern accent, add a few Southern turns of phrases, mix in some homicide cases, and you get Southern Fried Homicide.
This charming little true crime show features cases that all took place in the South, and it isn’t as intense as some other shows, even though some of the cases are quite shocking. It includes some serial killers and a lot of cases covered on other series.
The Southern-tinged narration is accompanied by re-creations, commentary by detectives and victims’ loved ones, and some police interviews. From poisonings, to murder-for-hire, to jealousy and greed-based cases, episodes will have you vigorously fanning your face and saying, “Oh my!”
The Show Elements
Seasons: 3 (2013-2016)
Where to stream: Tubi, The Roku Channel, Amazon Prime Video, Max, Discovery+
More shows like Southern Fried Homicide:Sins of the South, Homicide City: Charlotte, Homicide Squad: Atlanta, Murder Nation: Blood on the Bayou, The Real Murders of Atlanta, Serial Killer Capital: Baton Rouge, Southern Gothic
Murder is all in the family in this true crime show
About Evil Kin
Evil Kin tells creepy tales of murder cases involving relatives who not only commit murder against (or with) each other but perpetrate other evil deeds along with the homicides, such as bank robbery, incest, and sexual and physical abuse.
The stories slant a bit creepier than most other true crime shows, and the re-creations paint a chilling and disturbing portrait of the crimes and families.
Sometimes multiple relatives kill together, other times one relative kills another, and psychologists weigh in on the motivations behind the crimes, as detectives and others tell the stories. The show includes historical cases like the Bloody Benders and the Harpe brothers, the first American serial killers.
The Show Elements
Seasons: 4 (2013-2017)
Where to stream: Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Discovery+
More shows like Evil Kin: Blood Relatives, Evil Stepmothers, Evil-in-Law, Fathers Who Kill, Killer in the Family, Twisted Sisters, Vengeance: Killer Families, Killer Siblings
Unlike most other true crime shows, Accused: Guilty or Innocent? takes the defense perspective.
It follows the stories of those accused of serious crimes (including murder, but also child abuse, assault, attempted murder, and other offenses), demonstrating how the defense prepares for the trial as the attorneys and defendant go through the evidence, talk to witnesses, and reenact the crime.
Besides presenting the story from the defense point of view, this true crime show illustrates how criminal cases are complex and how their defendants are not always as obviously guilty as detailed on other shows.
It will tug at your heartstrings as it shows defendants as ordinary people facing the worst moments of their lives. Episodes follow them with their lawyers, at home, with their families, and going about their daily lives. But you won’t hear from the victim or their loved ones, and this leaves a gap in truly understanding the case.
Not all shows have trials; sometimes the prosecutors offer a plea deal or drop the charges, demonstrating the behind-the-scenes elements of criminal prosecution. Recommended.
The Show Elements
Seasons: 4 (2020-)
Where to stream: Hulu, The Roku Channel, Discovery+
Homicide cases featuring home video and crime scene video
About Murder Comes Home
Home. The place where you feel the safest. But Murder Comes Home will make you question that.
It features homicides that occurred in people’s homes, as told by detectives, victims’ loved ones, and others. Their stories and case re-creations are interspersed with home video of the victim and their families before the murder occurred, as well as video of the crime scenes as the detectives survey them upon first entering the home.
Just six episodes, this true crime show doesn’t follow the stereotypical narrative that the murderer is the closest person to the victim. It will have you guessing the identity of the real killer until the end.
The Show Elements
Seasons: 1 (2020-)
Where to stream: Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, The Roku Channel, Tubi, Discovery+
More shows like Murder Comes Home: Home Alone, Home Sweet Homicide, Hometown Homicide, Murder at My Door, A Stranger in My Home
Recent murder cases and their trials take center stage in this true crime show
About Killer Cases
Killer Cases is a fast-paced and compelling true crime show that details the stories of recent or recently solved murder cases, with an emphasis on their trials.
It features well-known cases like the murders of Conrad Roy, Lorenzen Wright, Mollie Tibbetts, Dee Dee Blanchard, and many others covered on other shows. But the show’s storytelling and focus on trials makes these cases worth a second watch.
Episodes zoom through the details of each case (revealing the killer fairly early on) so that they can get to the trial clips, which take up about half of the episode. Trials are featured in all episodes, and many include police interviews. Recommended.
The Show Elements
Seasons: 3 (2020-)
Where to stream: Peacock, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video
From executive producer Dick Wolf, Blood & Money is a true-crime cousin of his Law & Order franchise, except it details actual murder cases.
Featuring the classic clunk-clunk and font of Law & Order, the true crime show tells stories of murder cases based on greed. It also copies Law & Order’s split between the investigation and the prosecution, although not all episodes have trial clips (some just summarize the trials).
Some of the cases are well-known, such as the Menendez brothers, Ted Binion, and Robert Durst, and others have been covered elsewhere, such as the murders of Irene Silverman and Ron Rudin.
Fans of Law & Order will feel like the show is a comfy fit, while those looking for more of the money side of the crime might prefer American Greed.
The Show Elements
Seasons: 1 (2023-)
Where to stream: Peacock, Hulu
More shows like Blood & Money: American Greed, Claimed and Shamed, Dirty Money, Rich & Shameless, Serial Swindlers
Fans of trials will love Taking the Stand. This true crime show’s selling point is its sole focus on trials, particularly the direct and cross-examination of defendants who have decided to testify in their own defense.
Episodes begin with a brief recap of the case, then jump right in with the defendant’s testimony, interspersed with details from victims’ loved ones, prosecutors, defense attorneys, reporters, and outside experts, who chime in with their opinions on the testimony. Some episodes include other witnesses who testify in the trial.
Even well-known and well-covered cases are worth watching again because of the depth of the testimony included, such as the trials of Jodi Arias, Amber Guyger, and Leon Jacob.
You don’t hear much about scandals related to Playboy, much less murders. But The Playboy Murders sheds light on murders of Playboy models and people related to them and delves into how the franchise sometimes directly or indirectly impacted these homicides.
Detectives, victims’ loved ones, writers, and those involved in the Playboy operation detail the cases, along with Playmate and Hugh Hefner’s former girlfriend Holly Madison (an executive producer of the show). She provides commentary and lets viewers in on some of the secrets behind the Playboy franchise. (For more on its secrets, check out Secrets of Playboy.)
Disappointingly, few cases relate to actual Playmates; these include Star Stowe, Dorothy Stratten, and Victoria Vetri. Other cases in the true crime show involve web or international Playboy models like Christina Carlin-Kraft and Kelsey Turner.
The Show Elements
Seasons: 2 (2023-)
Where to stream: Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Discovery+
More shows like The Playboy Murders: Secrets of Playboy
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