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. Someone sent me this beautiful essay about their loss and feeling alone, feeling that like they weren't grieving correctly, and the guilt and all these things that come with grief, with something unresolved. Beach also alleges that Ali killed Barbara, claiming that the then-high schooler acted bizarrely at the scene of the murder by declaring it a crime scene before any evidence of a crime was observed. When her body was found by her sister and daughter it was covered with outdoor furniture cushions. Do you know if your dad has watched or is watching? My whole family wasn't speaking to me.". 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. But even if the central question at the center of the case remains a mystery, Murder on Middle Beach solved at least one question that had long plagued the decade-old case. Madison Hamburg, who was a teenager when his mother died, went on to study documentary filmmaking. The series examined the Hamburg familys relationships in the wake of Barbaras death and focused on suspicions both the police and family had about her husband and Madisons father, Jeffrey Hamburg. 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. The horrific 2010 murder of 48-year-old single mom Barbara Hamburg in front of her Madison, Connecticut, home remains unsolved, but there have been plenty of theories as to who could have. 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. ', 6,000 checks go out to Yale workers in class-action settlement involving wellness program, Police: Stolen car found riddled with bullets after gunfire in New Haven near Yale, West Haven mayor under fire after city is left without a finance director at start of budget season, Convicted DiMassa codefendant requests acquittal, new trial in West Haven fraud scheme case, The Best Private High Schools near New Haven, Guide to Legal Cannabis Dispensaries in CT, The Best Private Preschools Near New Haven. Then there's Conway Beach, Barbara's sister. I'll admit, on my first watch of the finale, I was a little frustrated by the lack of answers. I got my crew together, but before at that point I was very much a family member asking these questions with a camera in the room. I don't know. None of that is the selling point of a true crime series. There's a double-edged sword in the fact that the episodes are released weekly. 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. She blacks out and wakes up the next morning upstairs on a bed, naked and cashless. Her death in 2010 was the subject of an HBO true crime documentary series produced by her son Madison Hamburg. In the height of his grief, he decided he could use his medium of choicefilmto memorialize her, and also explore who she really was, who might have wanted to hurt her, and why. Sign up for notifications from Insider! They didnt make any efforts to review their files to see what could be released, because it was already known, for example, Schulz told CT Examiner. Madison police step up fight to withhold, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Madison police step up fight to withhold Barbara Hamburg murder investigation files from HBOs Murder on Middle Beach filmmakers, Police track shooting suspect by following his footprints in snow in Bloomfield, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy defends giving Fox host Tucker Carlson Jan. 6 footage access, You cant trust sleep advice found on YouTube: study, Tom Sizemores family deciding end of life matters after actor suffers brain aneurysm, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. 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. The documentary follows the murder of a Connecticut woman, Barbara Hamburg. Madison Hamburg and producer Anike Niemeyer had requested the files while filming the series and were summarily denied by the department. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. The episodes also addressed skepticism about the police departments initial investigations and even included surreptitious recordings of Madison Hamburgs discussions with detectives at the department. As for where she is now, Conway appears to be residing in Connecticut, where she spends most of her free time with her family, especially her mother, son, and toddler grandson. But to date, no one has ever been charged with Barbara's murder. Im not trying to suggest anything was done improperly here, but theres no way to know without seeing what they did. "My parents told me that . 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. And more importantly, should tuition go toward supporting bars around the XL Center? Barbara's daughter was a teenager in 2010, and was with Beach when Barbara's body was discovered. Would you do anything different now that it's aired? Madison Hamburg has been transparent in interviews about wanting to produce "a different take on true crime. 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.. It would compromise the case investigation. he said. "And one of them was, if we don't solve my mom's case, then the documentary becomes a tool for me to get my mom's story out there and provide some momentum." And what we were selling was a personal approach that wasn't a whodunit but more a story about identity, the duality of humanity, and the layers of what we share with each other, how open we are, and just me kind of coming of age and understanding my mother and in turn understanding my identity. Barbara's sister, Conway Beach, makes a number of accusations in the series accusing Ali of murdering her mother, believing she did so before going to school on that day. Ever since then, Madison has been looking to uncover every clue and secret so as to solve her case. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. Jeffreyrefuses to discuss the case or his marriage with Madison, except to point to Barbara's alcoholism and, prior to recovery, her pattern of black-out drinking as evidence that Barbara wasn't necessarily to be trusted a line he holds even once Madison finds boxes of documents in the final episodes that could potentially implicate him in unethical (and potentially illegal) business practices that made Barbara feel unsafe. We have the tip line, BarbaraHamburgTips.com, and I've requested a reward with the state, and the amount of tips, the amount of messages that we've received, and you never know what small detail is going to make a difference in an investigation, that's been really surprising. So Im not quite sure why theyre resistant, he said. Years before she was murdered, Madison Hamburg 's mother Barbara Hamburg gave him a gift that would shape his life forever. Throughout these four episodes, Madison Hamburg, and us, learned the truth about the life Barbara Hamburg really lived - that she was a recovering alcoholic who, at the . Dowling said the Board of Police Commissioners and the Board of Selectmen were working on setting up a joint meeting, and that the lawsuit would be a topic of discussion for the meeting. Even asking these questions, it's just surfacing stuff that we were gonna have to work through and if we didnt work through it, this could end unresolved and cause more destruction than there was when we started. 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? Madison Hamburg looks back after the finale of "Murder on Middle Beach," the docuseries about his search for his mother's killer. If Barbara dropped Ali off at 7:47 am and the court hearing was at 9:30 am, perhaps the father had enough time to commit the murder. Precisely how much time should pass between a case going cold and when the files should be accessible to the public is up for debate, Klau conceded, but he kicked that decision to the legislature, arguing state lawmakers are in the best position to set out in writing a clear timeframe for when and how such records should be made available. In 2010, Barbara Beach Hamburg was found bludgeoned in her yard next to the golf course in Madison, Connecticut. Here are the most notable suspects. Elizabeth Benton, communications director for the Attorney Generals Office, said the office was not involved in the case. 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. Beach denies this, too. I'm in awe of my sister. Yeah, I reached out to him before our promotions started because I wanted him to hear a fuller context from me instead of seeing it on television or as a commercial somewhere, but I didn't reach him. Madison. One suspect was definitively eliminated from consideration. And we ended up pitching to Lisa Heller, who was one of our last pitches at HBO and it was just incredibly emotional. And sort of realizing that what I wanted as a character in the story and as a person is to know what happened to my mom, but I think what I need, and my sister said so beautifully as the beginning of the last episode, is peace. 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.. Updated: 10:25 AM EDT October 19, 2022 MADISON, Conn. There are new developments in a Connecticut cold case that was the subject of the HBO documentary "Murder on Middle Beach." One of the. 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. On March 3, 2010, Barbara was found brutally murdered in the yard of their Connecticut home. But even if the. The following contains spoilers from the ending of HBO's "Murder of Middle Beach.". She remained in class until Conway picked her up. Jeffrey was eventually arrested for failing to make those payments in 2012, and as of 2018 he was still fighting in the courts to avoid paying. Copyright 2023 Salon.com, LLC. From hair trends to relationship advice, our daily newsletter has everything you need to sound like a person whos on TikTok, even if you arent. Her cover photo, quite fittingly, is one of her and Barbara, and the first thing youd see when you go to her profile is the headline GRATEFUL Conway may not have a concrete alibi for her sisters murder, but no one can deny that she loved and still misses her. Filmmakers could learn a lot from how Madison Hamburg focuses on the emotional ripple effects of crime, and the very human toll that loss takes on a family and community. 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. It was looked at routinely and remained a top priority of the department, he said. Madison Hamburg, right, during a candlelight vigil and memorial service for his mother, Madison resident Barbara Hamburg, a 2010 slaying victim in an unsolved case, at the First Congregational Church in Madison on Feb. 29, 2020. Beach was also accused of threatening an anonymous member of the Gifting Tables by leaving dead animals in her yard. The medical examiner later ruled her death a homicide, noting that she died as a result of "multiple blunt and sharp force injury.". The personal gruesomeness of the murder and covering her body like he regrets it feels too personal to be a hit man. This theory does seem to make a lot of sense, except when you consider how Barbara was murdered. 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. 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. 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. Barbara B. Hamburg was born April 29, 1961 in New Haven, Connecticut. I wanted to give their stories justice and unfortunately that involves exploring these conflicts. At a Freedom of Information hearing in February 2020, Madison police Detective Christopher Sudock said he regularly reviewed the case and that the agency had received a phone call about it the week before. On March 3, 2010, Barbara was found brutally murdered in the yard of their Connecticut home. The brutal crime was committed in 2010 when Madison was 19-years-old. as well as other partner offers and accept our. "I can't get into details, but it's been extremely illuminating.". 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. And I was just desperately trying to understand how to take the next step with something so personal and not sacrifice anything. 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. I was so angry. Before joining the Register, she worked on an independent journalism project about migration in Berlin, Germany. 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. Drumm told commissioners that a number of agencies, including the Madison Police Department, had already released information about the case, and that releasing further evidence could compromise the ongoing investigation. If you say youre going to keep a file closed forever on the chance that something might develop, that means the public in most cases will never get to look at these files, Schulz said Friday. But it's also really challenging for both my aunts, my sister and my family, so we've had a lot of conversations. You can watch the trailer below. More than a decade after Barbara Hamburg was murdered outside her Madison home, the fight over whether the public should have access to the investigation into her death is continuing to escalate a fight that could have broad implications for access to cold case files across Connecticut. "Murder on Middle Beach" premieres Sunday on HBO at 10 p.m. He never forcefully denies killing Barbara in the series. What were the reactions of Ali and Conway like? Through interviews with and secret recordings of his immediate family and the police, Madison and his crew tell the story of Barbara Beach Hamburgs full life and tragic death. 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. He also said that he had new evidence on the case that he did not want to share. And the series has certainly accomplished that. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. That all falls out of your test, doesnt it?. It would not be in the interest of our own investigation to release it any further, said Drumm. While Tyler appreciated it, it made Conway furious. 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. 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 went to rehab and when I came back to school I was a year behind everybody, and I didn't tell anyone what had happened to me cause I didn't want that label of the kid whose mom was murdered. It was then Beach and Ali who discovered Barbara's body. What if theres concerns about corruption or incompetence and now its five years, now its 10 years a reporter wants to know or a family member wants to know. When my mom died I really was kind of orphaned and Savannah became like a home, and I turned to faculty, people I worked with, people in the community as surrogate parents in a way, and so I kept in touch. Killed them all, of course.". We may earn a commission from these links. It's funny cause I feel like those are some of the more authentic moments in the documentary, from the earlier footage. The Madison Police Department is appealing a court ruling upholing an order by the states Freedom of Information Commission that the department release all records except signed witness statements related to the unsolved murder of Barbara Beach Hamburg. So we took the 160 hours and made a sample that turned out to be like 14 minutes. "Barbie, Barb, it's your sister." The call ends after about five minutes. A spokesperson for the Connecticut State Police Public Information Office said the State Police had not released any evidence regarding the murder of Barbara Hamburg. 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. I really didn't want my mom's story or my story to be told by someone else. Conway presents the situation like she simply was scammed; she and Barbara eventually came to terms, and Conway moved in with her prior to the murder (though the docuseries alleges that there was tension between the two because Barbara had asked her to move out). 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. Do you know who did it? accessed ), memorial page for Barbara Beach Hamburg (29 Apr 1961-3 Mar 2010), Find a Grave Memorial ID . The four-part series was released at the end of 2020. ", "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. All rights reserved. In a genre that so often luridly dehumanizes its victims, specifically women, as a means for salacious storytelling, "Murder on Middle Beach" is less about clinically dismantling family secrets for their evidentiary value, than it is about assessing how those family secrets bond and tie us and what it means when those bonds are severed. Jeffrey appears in Murder on Middle Beach where he repeatedly refuses to talk about Barbara's murder and insists that his ex-wife had dark secrets that he can't discuss. Meghan Friedmann is a reporter with the New Haven Register, covering North Branford, Guilford and Madison. She. What details, if any, does Conway remember about the person she planned to hire to kill Barbara? According to the HBO docuseries, Beach Hamburg's body was covered with outdoor furniture cushions when it was found. Drumm said in the meeting that, along with the request from Madison Hamburg and Neimeyer, the department had received three other requests from media outlets from the other coast for the full case files. Barbara's sister had a rocky relationship with her sibling. She's convinced, however, that she knows who the killer is: Ali, Madison's sister who was still in high school at the time. Conway and Ali are the ones who discovered the body and Conway said Ali acted "strangely." I want checks and balances.. On the other hand, we have a very, very compelling I would argue a more compelling interest in finding a murderer, and not letting a murderer run loose, Dugas said. 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. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider When Barbara Hamburg was brutally bludgeoned to death outside her home on Middle Beach Road in Madison, Connecticut in 2010, her sister Conway Beach publicly mourned her loss. Because of the case's mysterious nature, the Internet is full of theories pondering who killed Barbara Hamburg. A hit man documentary series produced by her son Madison Hamburg and producer Anike Niemeyer requested! Sure why theyre resistant, he said has been transparent in interviews about wanting to ``. Premieres Sunday on HBO at 10 p.m body was discovered this memorial you can add or update the using! That turned out to be like 14 minutes at HBO and it was then Beach Ali! 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