Audio of killers confession captured during HBO documentary reopens case

[PhforAndAfter]

I just finished the series last night - it was outstanding - and did some research.  

 

They didn't find the recorded bathroom confession until 2 years (!) after it was recorded.  They had hired a freelance editor to look through the files again for anything they may have missed, and he found it.  For that interview, I believe they didn't hire a sound mixer, but probably rolled a mic into a recorder of some sort.  For some reason, they left it running after the interview concluded and he made his bathroom run - a real mixer would've likely had the mic off him by that point, so in this rare case, I'm sure they're very happy they didn't hire one of us!

[Jim Feeley]

They didn't find the recorded bathroom confession until 2 years (!) after it was recorded.

 

There appears to be a question about how long the gap was between recording and discovery. For example:

 

CBS: TheNew York Times said two years, you said it was months later when you found it.

Jarecki: Many months. I mean it was, uh, obviously for us a shock 'cause it was many months since we had sat down with him, and then after sitting down with him we thought well we've got this sort of revelation...

This all feels funky, but I think the general sound point, that the interview was maybe recorded without a dedicated mixer, stands. 

 

But seems to be that while the "confession" probably won't make it to the courtroom, it could have been part of what re-invigorated investigation of the case. 

 

Give the Berlinger interview (linked in my previous post) a listen if you have 15 spare minutes. Good overview from a documentary filmmaker's perspective.