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On March 3, 2010, Barbara Beach Hamburg was found murdered in the backyard of her Madison, Connecticut, home. So he made a deal with us that he would give us an A if I never stopped working on it. The police could have an incentive to just not become the focus of second-guessing, Ecker said. Would you do it? One suspect was definitively eliminated from consideration. She welcomes feedback and story ideas from readers. Barbara B. Hamburg was born April 29, 1961 in New Haven, Connecticut. ", "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 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. But even if the. The medical examiner later ruled her death a homicide, noting that she died as a result of "multiple blunt and sharp force injury.". There are strong public policy reasons for denying the general public unfettered access to investigation files, while the police are actively investigating a crime and continuing to collect new evidence and pursue new leads, Klau wrote in his decision. On the other hand, Dugas, the attorney for the Madison Police Department, argued the case was very much active. Beach was also accused of threatening an anonymous member of the Gifting Tables by leaving dead animals in her yard. That is unbelievably gratifying, so I don't know, there's a lot of mixed things swirling around in how I feel right now. This was actually where the four-part series began, as first-time filmmaker Madison Hamburg set out to investigate the events surrounding the murder of his mother, Barbara Beach Hamburg, who was found stabbed and bludgeoned to death outside her home in an affluent Connecticut suburb in 2010. HBO. Over the course of the docuseries, which began as a student film when Madison was in college, Madison says that he has a few goals. Then, the public would never have any way of knowing whether [the police] were doing their job appropriately, said Schulz. Murder on Middle Beach centers on the mysterious death of 48-year old Barbara Hamburg. Drumm, however, told CT Examiner that his reasoning for appealing the decision was two-fold: the potential of damaging what he said were ongoing efforts by the department to solve the case, and the need to protect the interests of the family. Madison Hamburg has been transparent in interviews about wanting to produce "a different take on true crime. In addition to the Beach family, Hamburg makes several appearances in the series as well although he's never formally interviewed. So Im not quite sure why theyre resistant, he said. Seeking a way out of making those payments or seeing the inside of a jail cell could allegedly have been a motive for Jeffrey to kill Barbara. She was a woman who was known to be head-strong. Emilia Otte covers health and education for the Connecticut Examiner. Its something that really has to work its way through the court, he told CT Examiner. In 2012, according to the New Haven Register, Conway called Barbara loving, kind, giving, thoughtful, caring, a wonderful mother, a wonderful sister.. "Thank God that HBO saw the potential and the rest is history.". We made a pitch deck and we pitched the networks. In HBO's latest true crime docuseries, Murder on Middle Beach, director Madison Hamburg tries to uncover every clue in the unsolved murder of his mother, Barbara Hamburg . According to the doc, Platt believed Barbara was inviting too many unqualified people into the scheme, thinking that these peoples' lack of funds would lead the tables to collapse. 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. All rights reserved. But just because the finale has aired, that doesn't mean the story is over. However, Jeffrey did have a very solid alibi of being in court at the time of Barbara's murder, which seems to make it physically impossible for him to have committed the crime personally. Have you spoken to him since the scene where he hangs up on you in the final episode? Do we need a case to be closed, or at least a prime suspect in view, to feel like a narrative arc was actually achieved before the final end credits? That's a question that I've asked myself a lot. Barbara's daughter was a teenager in 2010, and was with Beach when Barbara's body was discovered. It's unknown just how many people Barbara had under her at the Gifting Tables, but she was accused of recruiting members from her AA group. We've had a lot of conversations, but both Conway and Ali have evolved. In one example, Justice Steven Ecker asked Dugas about the competing interest of uncovering police corruption or incompetence. 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. The decision also said police failed to prove that, even if there was a prospective law enforcement action, disclosure of the requested records would be prejudicial to such action.. Murder on Middle Beach calls a handful of suspects into question. But the uncomfortable history between the two made Conway come under scrutiny for her murder. She's convinced, however, that she knows who the killer is: Ali, Madison's sister who was still in high school at the time. Zach Murdock can be reached at zmurdock@courant.com. The following year, Beach was present at another vigil, where she called her . Prior to her death, she'd been engaged in a legal battle over child support with her ex Jeffrey Hamburg, who's also the father of Madison and his younger sister Ali. While Tyler appreciated it, it made Conway furious. as well as other partner offers and accept our. He said the Board of Selectmen would have to determine how much the town was willing to spend on the lawsuit.Downing expressed hope that state agencies would take up the case and relieve the town of a potentially significant financial burden appealing the case. The case raises questions about exactly when a cold case is considered cold enough to release the investigative files publicly and likely is destined for much further debate by both the judiciary and general assembly, Klau reasoned. Its an amazing thing as someone who's created something, because the conversations extend week to week and to see the effects that it has and the momentum that it causes is really beautiful. There was sort of shame attached to that, telling someone that with the connotations around murder and true crime. Hamburg was 41 years old when she was found dead outside her home from what the medical examiners office called blunt and sharp force injuries.. She's just such an amazing, beautiful human being and I think that really comes through. The filmmakers appealed to the states Freedom of Information Commission, which reviews public records disputes. According to David Schulz, a lawyer representing the plaintiff, the department was only withholding the information on the off chance that new information about the case should come to light, and that there really was not an ongoing investigation. 7: Caught in a Bad Romance, Brandon Sklenar is the Baddest Dutton of Them All, The 'Outer Banks' S3 Finale Is Intense as Hell. Alex Murdaugh Faces Life In Prison For Allegedly Killing His Wife & Son, Heres What Happened To Riley In 'The Last Of Us' Video Game, Twitter Is Losing It Over Succession Ending With Season 4, Everything To Know About 'And Just Like That' Season 2, Get Even More From Bustle Sign Up For The Newsletter. It's a shocking twist and, just when viewers need things to be put into context, the details become murky. When my mom died, I took a year off from school. Moreover, allowing the public access to cold case files after an appropriate period of time is far more likely to improve the odds of an arrest and successful prosecution than it it is to prejudice that outcome.. The. The old adage about a fresh pair of eyes is particularly apt. So when she eventually got evicted, she moved to Florida, where she spent her days sleeping on park benches and just awaiting her death. Schulz said the department had provided two boxes of information about the case, but that they were still missing key documents, including witness statements, notes, computer records and telephone records. On the morning of March 3, 2010, Beach Hamburgwas found dead in the front yard of her home by her sister, Conway Beach, and Ali. I can't get into details, but it's been extremely illuminating. It was Beach who discovered Barbara's body on the morning of the murder, but claims she was cleaning out the basement of a 90-year-old neighbor at the time of the murder. "We miss her dearly, and it is a great loss to not have her with us," she said at a 2011 vigil, the New Haven Register reported at the time. I was so angry. If a department cannot show there is a prospective law enforcement action and that disclosure of the records would be prejudicial to such an action, then the publics right to access the records wins out, Harmon said, arguing the Madison Police Department failed to meet its burden of proof in this case. By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. 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. Do you know if your dad has watched or is watching? The case isnt closed. Before joining the Register, she worked on an independent journalism project about migration in Berlin, Germany. HBO's latest four-part docuseries, 'Murder on Middle Beach' delves into the gruesome murder of Barbara Hamburg, a 48-year-old woman, who was found bludgeoned to death outside her home on Middle Beach Road. NOW WATCH: We break down 'Chernolbyl's' Emmy win, the new 'Rambo,' and what we know about 'Birds of Prey' so far, Visit Insider's homepage for more stories, ruled her death a homicide, noting that she died as a result of "multiple blunt and sharp force injury. Ultimately, though, the sisters reconciled, but it was never the same. 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. by Johnny Brayson Dec. 4, 2020 HBO The HBO series Murder on Middle Beach has. As the series progresses, Madison gains new insight into his mother's life before her murder, including her troubled relationship with his father and Beach Hamburg's ex-husband, Jeffrey Hamburg. Have you found anything surprising in the new police files that you received last month? Although it seems like Conway is living a quiet life, she has mourned her sister publicly over the years, holding vigils and vowing to keep her memory alive. Jeffrey, who was an exorbitantly wealthy former CEO of Southern Electric International, and Barbara had an incredibly acrimonious divorce. As her son, I want to know what was and wasnt done. Conways Facebook page includes recent photos with them all, implying that despite her rocky past, she currently has a good and healthy relationship with them. Madison Hamburg, who was a teenager when his mother died, went on to study documentary filmmaking. DNA found at the scene of the crime also did not match his own. In the series, Hamburg asks his family members if they had anything to do with his mother's murder, including his father . Yeah, I can't get into details but I will say that after spending eight years just putting together fragments of memories about my mom or about the case or about a specific time period, the transparency and the accuracy of these facts that have been kept from me for so long has been extremely relieving. Moreover, allowing the public to access cold case files after an appropriate period of time is far more likely to improve the odds of an arrest and successful prosecution than it is to prejudice that outcome.. But as she admitted, Conway unsuccessfully tried to get revenge and hire a hitman to kill the Hamburgs. Beach Hamburg had been expected in court, along with Hamburg, on the morning of her death, but never made it to her 9:30 a.m. appearance. And as the docuseries comes to a close there are a growing number of theories about Barbara Hamburg's death. While Beach's husband (and Madison's father) Jeffrey was questioned early on about his ex-wife's murder, there have still been no arrests made in the case. Madison Hamburg and producer Anike Niemeyer had requested the files while filming the series and were summarily denied by the department. But it's also really challenging for both my aunts, my sister and my family, so we've had a lot of conversations. It should be noted that this was at the height of the recession, and participants many of whom Barbara recruited from her Alcoholics Anonymous meetings were discouraged from telling their husbands or partners about their participation in the Tables. The documentary follows Madison as he investigates the shocking murder of his mother Barbara Beach Hamburg. How did she contact them? The dispute over the records goes back to 2019, when Anike Niemeyer, a filmmaker working with Madison Hamburg, requested all the departments investigatory records from the his mothers case. ", "It wasn't a story about a murder, it's a story about identity and about my mom and that's a really hard sell," he told the Connecticut Insider. This may be a long journey, and that may cost a lot of money I would appreciate it if the Attorney Generals Office would take it up, because its in the interest of law enforcement state-wide, not just the Town of Madison, Drumm told commissioners. One issue that was resolved in the documentary was the status of Ali Hamburg, Madison's sister and the daughter of Barbara, as a potential suspect in the case. Then there's Conway Beach, Barbara's sister. I know what I've set out to do and tried like hell to fulfill that, to challenge the conventions of true crime and the way that we tell the story, and just to hear people think it's goodjust to think that people were watching and telling other people about it and it was a part of the conversation outside of the people in my immediate circle was just, I don't know, maybe it's silly, but it's something that is really gratifying. A hired killer just wouldn't fit that description. I think the pendulum swung really hard in that direction when we started to really dig in in 2016 and I didn't really hold back with my family members, but once we partnered with HBO, that's when I started realizing that this could have adverse affects on my family. Schulz echoed the judges world, noting that his clients planned to use the information as part of a documentary. 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. Evidence of a struggle was strewn across the lawn. Throughout the mini-series, the main suspect seemed to be Barbara's ex-husband and Madison's father, Jeffrey Hamburg. 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. Judge Daniel Klau upheld the commissions decision that the files must be turned over in a ruling of his own last month, but last week the police department appealed that decision, too. I assume he has, but I'm not sure. The television series, Murder on Middle Beach, documents the story of Madison Hamburgs search for the story behind his mothers murder. I started the project in a documentary film class. We also have to honor the victims and their families. Schulz said that the plaintiffs would be thrilled if the police were able to solve the crime, but he said that this wasnt a reason to keep a case open forever. She totally got it and they made us an offer. To allow police to say that because an investigation is active without any insurmountable obstacle to prosecution, the public must defer to their judgment, Ecker said, and does not take public concerns into account. The pace picks up in the fourth episode in such a way through the confirmation of Ali's alibi and the discovery of Jeffrey's financial records that it felt like we were rocketing towards a last-minute reveal that would position "Murder on Middle Beach" as the next "The Jinx," the shocking 2015 HBO docuseries, which shows Robert Durst in the final moments of the series mumbling what sounds like a confession on a still-hot lapel microphone: "What the hell did I do? The personal gruesomeness of the murder and covering her body like he regrets it feels too personal to be a hit man. "Murder on Middle Beach" adds to the genre as well. 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? A hearing was held in February 2020, where Detective Christopher Sudock testified on behalf of the department that the release could jeopardize a prospective law enforcement action, such as a search or arrest warrant, but could not identify any specific actions investigators had planned. It's really interesting. Klau reviewed the case and found in August that the police department cannot use the mere theoretical possibility of a future law enforcement action to keep the investigative files secret but conceded there is little precedent for how investigators or the FOIC should determine what constitutes such a future action. Sadly, her life was taken on March 3, 2010 in Madison, Connecticut. My college was really supportive of me, Savannah College of Art and Design. This theory does seem to make a lot of sense, except when you consider how Barbara was murdered. In HBOs Murder on Middle Beach, we watch as a nervous Madison Hamburg tapes a hidden microphone to his shirt and zips up his jacket before heading out to meet his Dad for a beer. In a meeting of the towns Board of Police Commissioners on Thursday evening, Police Chief John Drumm said that if the courts ultimately ruled in favor of releasing the records, it could create a precedent that would affect police investigations across the state. Retracing the path of controversial Project Veritas founder James O'Keefe includes many stops in Connecticut. It was looked at routinely and remained a top priority of the department, he said. We filmed a lot and the story just kept going and going, and my professor realized we weren't gonna finish this project. He claimed to have been told time and time again that the case is cold and investigators are stuck, and argued releasing the records could only help solve the case. "There have been corroborating leads, correcting things, things that we didn't know about," Hamburg told Esquire. It was she who recruited Barbara into the tables, but the latter's ambition eventually caused problems for Platt. Harmon, however, said police did not say whether the new information led to new activity. Drumm also said that he hoped the Chief States Attorneys Office and that Attorney General William Tongs Office would file amicus briefs on their behalf. 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. In October 2020, they passed over 1,600 documents about the case which he is now poring over - and hopes it will give him a definitive answer about who killed his mother. . Barbara's sister had a rocky relationship with her sibling. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. According to her own accounts, after Ali chose to live with her father, Jeffrey Hamburg, he became "super controlling" and implanted "a lot of fear" in her. The following contains spoilers from the ending of HBO's "Murder of Middle Beach.". 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. Conway Beach, Barbara 's sister had a rocky relationship with her sibling its something that really has to its... As he investigates the shocking murder of Middle Beach has but it 's been extremely barbara beach hamburg update covers health education... 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