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In her quest to understand the motives of a dangerous serial killer, journalist Laura Greenberg found herself entangled in the killer’s sinister world, a journey she embarked on over several decades.
Oxygen’s documentary, Charmed by the Devil, which debuts on Saturday, Dec. 13 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, traces Greenberg’s perilous dive into the mind of incarcerated serial killer Doug Gretzler. As she delves deeper into the gruesome specifics of his killing spree, her sense of reality begins to unravel.
Throughout this 40-year investigation, Greenberg engaged in “hundreds of hours of unheard audio tapes with Gretzler,” as described in a series press release, leading to an “all-consuming obsession that gradually blurs the boundaries between reporter and subject.”
The release highlights how Charmed by the Devil exposes the darkest confessions of a mass murderer, delves into the twisted psychology behind his crimes, and explores questions of humanity and conscience after committing such horrific acts, as well as the emotional toll of getting close to a serial killer.
At just 22, Gretzler embarked on a drug-induced, cross-country journey in 1973 alongside his partner Willie Steelman. The trip quickly escalated into what the series describes as “one of the deadliest killing sprees in American history,” with the duo claiming the lives of 17 people in a mere three weeks.
Gretzler was just 22 when he set out on a drug-fueled, cross-country road trip in 1973 with his accomplice Willie Steelman. The trip quickly turned into what the series synopsis hails “one of the deadliest killing sprees in American history” with the pair murdering 17 people in just three weeks.
Still, the duo quickly slipped out of the headlines.
“For decades, their motives remained a mystery,” the press release notes, “leaving victim’s family members, law enforcement and experts baffled and searching for clarity.”
While Steelman died behind bars, Gretzler remained in prison for decades until his 1998 execution inside a Florence, Arizona prison.
Why Did Journalist Laura Greenberg Reach Out to Doug Gretzler?
Years after the brutal crime spree, Greenberg took an interest in the case, hoping to understand the man behind the murders.
“As she sits down for exclusive, one-on-one interviews with Gretzler and his story unfolds,” the release explains, “her pursuit takes a startling turn into an intense, deeply complicated relationship spanning several years—one that reshapes her investigation, her perception of Gretzler, and her sense of self.”
In the trailer, Greenberg opens up about how she “got hooked” on the case.
“I went and visited Doug 350 times in prison,” she explains in a sit-down with her filmmaker nephew. “We wrote hundreds of letters and we recorded 500 plus hours of audio tapes. I wanted to understand the monster.”
But as Greenberg’s nephew delved deeper in the project, it soon “became clear that it extended far beyond a journalist interviewing the serial killer,” he says, which prompts him to ask, “where did the boundaries really start to bend?”
Doug Gretzler Professes His “Love” For Greenberg
Greenberg and Gretzler’s conversations took an intimate turn as, she says, they began “chit chatting about everything.”
“I would fill up the bathtub,” she remembers in the promo, “and I would listen to him talk to me about murder.”
For the first time ever, Greenberg shares the tapes of the conversations the pair had over the years.
“Hi Laura,” Gretzler tells her in one recorded conversation. “I recognize that I am a mass murderer.”
While Gretzler admits that there is “lots” they needed to talk about, he chillingly adds, “it depends on how crazy you’re willing to get.”
What unfolds between the two is an unconventional relationship that even has her nephew admitting, “a lot of the stuff that went on is not really taught in journalism school.”
At one point, Gretzler even professes his feelings for Greenberg.
“I love you,” he tells her, “And I am still in love with you.”
But whether Greenberg felt the same about her unconventional pen pal, remains to be seen.
To find out more about how the relationship evolved, watch Charmed by the Devil, premiering Saturday, Dec. 13 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Oxygen.
Charmed by the Devil is produced by Glass Entertainment. Nancy Glass, Eric Neuhaus, Matt Carter, and Maija Norris served as executive producers.
