Alaine Griffin, director of communications in the Office of the Chief States Attorney said that the department had no comment at this time. Beach was also accused of threatening an anonymous member of the Gifting Tables by leaving dead animals in her yard. Allowing that type of information to come out may be more likely to help them solve the crime [rather] than keeping everything secret. It's really interesting. The first theory the documentary presents is that Barbara Hamburg was killed by her ex-husband, Jeffrey Hamburg. On March 3, 2010, Barbara was found brutally murdered in the yard of their Connecticut home. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this incorrectly statedAli Hamburg was diagnosed with bipolar disorder; she had been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. Barbara B. Hamburg was born April 29, 1961 in New Haven, Connecticut. Madisons mother, Barbara Beach Hamburg, before her 2010 murder. 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. 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. ", "My ulterior plan was to get all my money out of my 401(k) plan and get revenge against my baby sister, your mother, your father, and both of you, even Ali," she told Madison. While their outing is filmed from a hotel window across the street from the bar, Madison prods his father on details about his marriage to Madisons late mother. Harmon, however, said police did not say whether the new information led to new activity. Since 2016 there have been multiple cold case reviews and none of those reviews have turned up a new avenue of investigation, a new lead to follow or new steps to take, she said. Back in 1996, when Conway was out of control with her substance abuse, Barbara took her to court to get custody of her son, Tyler. The Madison Police Department is appealing a state judges order that it must turn over its investigative files on Hamburgs 2010 murder to a pair of documentary filmmakers, including Hamburgs son, who examined the investigation in the hit HBO miniseries Murder on Middle Beach.. 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. Evidence of a struggle was strewn across the lawn. 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. Those screenings were the most difficult family screenings. How has it been for you with it finally out in the world after all those years working on it? They successfully appealed to the Connecticuts Freedom of Information Commission, which ruled last year the police department had to turn over its files free of charge to the pair. That said, in the final episode Ali's alibi is confirmed: her mother dropped her off at school the morning that she was killed. But the uncomfortable history between the two made Conway come under scrutiny for her murder. While the Madison Police Department has released some records, including the 911 call that led police to Barbara Hamburgs body, it challenged the commissions decision in court. And I've been really careful not to have hunches and not to express any opinions about what I think happened cause I think that's the biggest challenge with any investigation. 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. But it's also really challenging for both my aunts, my sister and my family, so we've had a lot of conversations. The brutal crime was committed in 2010 when Madison was 19-years-old. Conway and Ali are the ones who discovered the body and Conway said Ali acted "strangely." In 2010, Barbara Beach Hamburg was found bludgeoned in her yard next to the golf course in Madison, Connecticut. We now know they have that information, which led them to ask additional questions of us of information that we had not shared with the general public, Drumm told commissioners, adding that the department needed to retain the information to complete its investigation. And, as Jeffrey alleged via a phone call to Madison, is there any evidence that the documents detailing his financial decisions had been fabricated? 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. She blacks out and wakes up the next morning upstairs on a bed, naked and cashless. My whole family wasn't speaking to me.". You watched the last time I talked to my dad. I was most worried about Conway throughout this whole process and I think she's in a good spot. It's a sobering, overwhelming realization. As made evident in the series, Conway Beach is just one of the few family members who hasnt been able to move on from Barbaras murder no matter how much time has passed by. She welcomes feedback and story ideas from readers. "Murder on Middle Beach" adds to the genre as well. 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. Through interviews with family members and friends of his mother, Madison is able to come to a better understanding of who his mother was as a person. Murder on Middle Beach is a four-part documentary by director Madison Hamburg about the unsolved 2010 murder of his mother Barbara Hamburg. I think the conflicts that I deal with in the fourth episode are pretty unique to the perspective. Conway Beach is Barbara Beach Hamburgs elder sister and the woman who, unfortunately, discovered her body. The show follows director Madison Hamburg as he investigates his mother's murder, and talks to his family members about how they were affected. We certainly dont want to give a heads-up or give away some information that only somebody who was at the scene or perpetrated the crime would know.. The old adage about a fresh pair of eyes is particularly apt. Her body was discovered by Madison's aunt Conway and his sister, Ali; his father . Madison Hamburg has been transparent in interviews about wanting to produce "a different take on true crime. 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. In one example, Justice Steven Ecker asked Dugas about the competing interest of uncovering police corruption or incompetence. How did she contact them? Unfortunately, because of that, when her parents divorced in 2002, she suffered the most. The medical examiner's office soon concluded that Hamburg died from "blunt and sharp force injuries." Madison Hamburg. That all falls out of your test, doesnt it?. Murder on Middle Beach Season 2 Release Date 'Murder on Middle Beach' season 1 premiered on November 15, 2020, on HBO, and concluded with its fourth and final episode - 'Reasonable Doubts' - on December 6, 2020. He also works to eliminate several of his family members as potential suspects in his mother's murder. ", initially questioned Hamburg after Beach Hamburg's murder, said her ex-husband failed to make alimony and child support payments, behind on mortgage payments for their property, primary custody of Madison and Ali, while their father received visitation rights, 'I'll Be Gone In The Dark' director believes we're drawn to true crime stories because 'you can close the book, you can turn off the TV, when in real life, you don't have that power', The 7 best true crime podcasts you can listen to right now, Watch the haunting new trailer for 'I'll Be Gone in the Dark', HBO's latest true-crime docuseries, The best true crime shows you can watch on Hulu right now. Drumm told commissioners he believed plaintiffs were led to ask the Madison Police Department for additional records after obtaining copies of evidence collected by other state agencies who were assisting on the case, such as the Connecticut State Police, who Drumm said processed evidence at their crime lab. By Valentina Valentini 12/06/20 11:00pm Madison Hamburg . Madison Hamburg looks back after the finale of "Murder on Middle Beach," the docuseries about his search for his mother's killer. On March 3, 2010, Barbara Beach Hamburg was found dead in her Connecticut house. The latest true crime series Murder on Middle Beach just hit HBO. It was looked at routinely and remained a top priority of the department, he said. Madison, now 29 years old, talked to Esquire before the finale of Murder on Middle Beach airs on HBO this Sunday. They've seen the documentary, we had family screenings before we even sent it out to press. It was she who recruited Barbara into the tables, but the latter's ambition eventually caused problems for Platt. Back in 2010, in Madison, Connecticut, a quiet town on the shoreline, on the serene Middle Beach West, a crime occurred that shook the community to its core - Barbara Hamburg's murder. But even if the. Attorney David Schulz, a Yale Law professor and member of the schools Media Freedom and Information Access Clinic that has worked with Hamburg and Niemeyer on the records fight, called Klaus decision thorough and thoughtful. He agreed the eventual conclusion of this case could help set new precedent for how the public access old police case files across the state, which is an important tool for holding investigators accountable, he said. And more importantly, should tuition go toward supporting bars around the XL Center? Madison. Valicia Harmon, a staff attorney who represented the Freedom of Information Commission before the court, said the statutory provision making certain law enforcement records exempt from release balances two consideration: the right of law enforcement to conduct their investigations in private, and the right of the public to have insight into these long, cold investigations.. 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. Elizabeth Benton, communications director for the Attorney Generals Office, said the office was not involved in the case. 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. Who Is John Dutton's Grandfather in '1923'? CT Supreme Court to decide on release of records in Madison cold case murder, 'Not a lot of progress' on Hamden-New Haven animal shelter plan, Witness heard 'pop, pop, pop' as shootout unfolded near Yale, 2023 Hearst Media Services Connecticut, LLC, Wallingford BOE votes to consolidate Sheehan, Lyman Hall into one, Mayor under fire after city is left without a finance director, Registered nurse jobs going unfilled in Greater New Haven, CT, 'Brutalist' garage in New Haven now a temporary skate park, City prepares for 6" snow storm parking ban will be in effect, Convicted DiMassa codefendant requests acquittal, new trial, Madison approves zone change for Winter Club, farm properties, Police: Car found riddled with bullets after gunfire near Yale, decide whether the Madison Police Department must release records, dispute over the records goes back to 2019, 911 call that led police to Barbara Hamburgs body, New Havens brutalist parking garage officially turns into temporary skate park, Dangerous Westville intersection gets a 'peanut' to boost road safety in New Haven, Geno Auriemma gives bleak assessment as UConn womens basketball looks to find footing in March: 'Poorly coached team. The resulting documentary series was picked up by HBO, and the four-part Murder on Middle Beach premiered late last year. So in a sense, it feels like we as viewers are coming full circle, which raises the question: What actually makes for a satisfying end for a true crime series? It's like crack, I can't stop going through and analyzing and its incredibly rewarding. Having access to these files and what the police are doing is one of the key ways we have to hold police accountable, which is a huge issue today. 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. Then, there is the still-plausible idea that Barbara was killed by someone she had crossed through her participation in "The Gifting Tables," a pyramid scheme wherein potential members would "gift" existing members of the organization money in order to join, then recruit new members for their own eventual pay-outs. Beach Hamburg's sister, Conway, and her great-aunt, Jill Platt, are featured prominently in "Murder on Middle Beach," as is her mother. 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. November 30, 2020. In the series, Madison does some digging and is able to obtain school records that show Barbara did indeed drop Ali off at school on the morning of her death, confirming Ali's alibi and eliminating her as a suspect. as well as other partner offers and accept our. The fight over the records now heads to the Connecticut Appellate Court, while the long-cold investigation into the murder itself remains at a standstill even in the wake of the popular TV series. There's been a lot of mistakes and a lot of successes throughout this whole journey, but I don't think I would do anything differently at this point. Reproduction of material from any Salon pages without written permission is strictly prohibited. The only way we can have oversight or accountability for law enforcement is to know what theyre doing.. 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. Initial buy-in was about $5,000 and, under leaders like Barbara, women would liquidate savings accounts or refinance their homes for a chance at entering the more lucrative circles of the group. 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