'A Wilderness of Error': Release date, plot, cast, trailer and all you need to know about the FX true crime series
Fifty years go, the triple murder of the family of an army officer shocked the nation. When Jeffrey MacDonald called for help in the early hours of February 17, 1970, four responding military officers came upon a gruesome scene. MacDonald's pregnant wife was found lying on the floor in her bedroom. She had been repeatedly clubbed, with both her arms broken and stabbed 21 times with an ice pick and 16 times with a knife. Their five-year-old daughter, Kimberly, was found in her bed, having been clubbed in the head and stabbed in the neck with a knife between eight and 10 times. Two-year-old Kristen was found in her own bed; she had been stabbed 33 times with a knife and 15 times with an ice pick. MacDonald blamed the murders on four intruders, including a blonde woman wearing a floppy hat and heels.
Army investigators found MacDonald guilty of the crime but after an Army Article 32 hearing, the charges against him were dropped after evidence was presented that the CID had not properly managed the crime scene and lost several items of critical evidence. However, Colette's stepfather, Freddie Kassab, suspected MacDonald of being guilty after initially supporting him and filed a citizen's complaint. In 1979, MacDonald was convicted of the murders. However, MacDonald has been fighting to prove his innocence based on new evidence which he claims supports the account he’s given all along. A new true-crime docuseries from FX, 'A Wilderness of Error', looks at the murders and examines whether he is actually innocent.
Release date
'A Wilderness of Error' will premiere on FX on Friday, September 25, at 8/7c.
Plot
The series, based on the best-selling book of the same name by Errol Morris, examines the case of Jeffrey MacDonald, an army surgeon who was accused of murdering his wife and two daughters on February 17, 1970. He was convicted of the crime on August 29, 1979, and has been in prison since 1982. However, MacDonald may be innocent.
The book covers the entire history of the case, arguing that mistakes made by investigators in the first hours after the call were compounded over the years by prosecutors, judges and journalists while revealing the problems in the public perception of the case. It includes revelations about Helena Stoeckley, a young drug addict, who repeatedly confessed to committing the crime with several associates (although at other times claimed no memory of the events).
Cast
The series will feature retelling of the crime with actors set to portray the people involved. Actors John Morgan, Logan Stearns and Paul Spriggs will play Jeffrey MacDonald. Gina Mazzara, Caitlyn Greene and Catherine Dawson will play Helena Stoeckley. Chris Cartusciello and Joe Gambino will play Freddie Kassab and Audrey Nita Bennett will play Mildred Kassab. Kalyn Altmeyer will play Colette MacDonald.
Director
Marc Smerling
'A Wilderness of Error' is directed by Marc Smerling. Smerling is a producer, screenwriter, cinematographer and director. He was nominated for an Academy Award for 'Capturing the Friedmans' in 2003 and co-wrote and produced 'The Jinx', a six-part HBO documentary on suspected murderer Robert Durst.
Trailer
The trailer for 'A Wilderness of Error' can be watched here.
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