If any Blue Streaks tuned into the premier episode of season 6 of Investigation Discovery’s true crime series “Very Scary People” or the one-time spinoff episode “Very Scary Couples,” they may have seen a familiar face from the JCU community: Katie Frey, an associate professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminology who holds a doctorate in criminology and criminal justice.
As a criminologist, Frey was able to provide some answers as to why the crimes outlined in these episodes occurred. As she explained, her training allows her to go into someone’s background, histories and childhood experiences and then hypothesize why that person would commit the crimes that they did.
These analysis skills are what Dr. Frey shared on the two episodes she was featured in. For the “Very Scary People” episode, which told the story of Anthony Sowell (“The Cleveland Strangler”), Frey was given the evidence that the show had, including news clippings and police documents, to compile her analysis. She also completed her own research and then had a four-hour-long phone call to talk through the narrative that would be shared in the episode.
A similar process was completed for the “Very Scary Couples” episode, which told the story of a Maryland couple known as the “Thrill Kill Couple.” For this case, she was provided with the complete psychological evaluation of one member of the couple to help compile her analysis.
On a larger scale, given that this is a true crime series and there are ongoing conversations surrounding the ethics of true crime, Frey was able to weigh in on the debate of whether or not true crime stories should be told.
“I don’t know which way it is,” Frey shared. “I think there’s a problem of glamorizing serial killers, but at the same time…if it’s done well, you can see ‘oh, that person, I’m not going to forgive them but I can understand what went into it.’”
She especially tied this point to nonviolent offenders and the importance of recognizing that people have histories and traumas and abuses they’ve faced, so society should not to be so quick to judge. Additionally, she emphasized that there is a difference between watching true crime because one thinks it’s cool and wants to idolize these people or if one is watching to understand what could cause someone to do such a crime.
These points tie directly into what she hopes people take away from the episode: “I hope that people understand that there are a lot of factors that go into this [crime]…my main goal is to always make people see humanity out of everybody and recognize that people aren’t bad or evil—there are factors that had major roles in their life.”
As part of this conversation, Frey also highlighted the appreciation she has for the way that the series gives a voice to victims. The series interviewed family members and victims who escaped, which allows the audience to see how crime has lasting effects on victims.
“I value how they brought them in instead of making this fancy, Hollywood thing and ignoring the people who were impacted,” shared Frey.
Another aspect of the “Very Scary People” episode that she appreciated is the highlighting of the racial injustice that occurred during the time of the crime.
“Part of that issue that was exciting for me to bring up was the racial injustices happening at the time…I got to make comments about how, because it was black women who were facing drug addiction, the police did nothing and ignored it.”
To watch the episode and hear Frey’s analysis, go to www.investigationdiscovery.com.