O.J. Simpson might still be in prison, but that didn’t stop the former NFL star-turned-murder suspect from appearing on TV screens nationwide.
Well, sort of.
The first season of FX’s true-crime anthology American Crime Story ended last week, bringing its 10-episode exploration of the Simpson murder trial to a close. It rekindled an interest in the biggest court case of the 1990s and boasted ratings that not only set records, but almost certainly also ensure that the show will be back at some point.
But with the Simpson trial over (again), what other “American crime stories” could the critically acclaimed show brilliantly recreate for modern audiences? It’s a question that fans (and presumably the show’s creators) will probably keep asking until either the second season is announced or Simpson is released from prison, accused of another crime and put on trial again (season two, baby!).
But until then, here are five cases that could make for some stellar true-crime television.
1. Third Person: Ted Bundy’s arrest and trial
Part of the suspense of the O.J. Simpson trial might have been the uncertainty regarding his guilt, but when a trial is as crazy, disturbing and action-packed (not even legal action, but like, action-action) as this one, does it matter if Ted Bundy was guilty beyond doubt from the moment he walked into the courtroom? The onetime law student would eventually admit to killing more than 30 people before his execution in 1989, but during the late ’70s, when his trials took place, he was hardly open to confession. In fact, he represented himself in court, spoke largely in the third person during interviews and successfully escaped from prison not once, but twice. Much like the Simpson trial, Bundy’s captured the public’s attention at the time — and could easily do so again on American Crime Story.
2. International Crime Story: the Amanda Knox case
While not strictly an American crime story, the trial of Amanda Knox, an American college student who was charged with the murder of her roommate in 2007 while living abroad in Italy, could be an excellent choice for the television show. The case was covered heavily but disparately in both the United States and Italy and led to a trial in which the press was not an innocent bystander, but an active participant in shaping the verdict — considered by many in the U.S. a “miscarriage of justice.” Following not just Knox’s story, but those in America who worked toward her freedom could give viewers a season of American Crime Story that would be both a fascinating look at a more modern case and an exploration of legal systems other than that of the United States.
3. Helter Skelter: Charles Manson and the Manson family
The only thing that encompassed the turmoil of the late 1960s and early 1970s better than, you know, rock music, weed and hippies, was Charles Manson and his lovable, murderous cult. Manson’s name is one that pretty much everyone remembers, but the more arresting details of his murder trial are often forgotten, which is unfortunate, considering how crazy they were. From hanging around the courthouse to threatening witnesses (using a LSD hamburger, naturally), members of the Manson Family constantly disrupted and interrupted the trial. The trial culminated in a bizarre ending that involved Manson’s defense resting without ever calling a witness. With such a strange cast of characters and public outcry that included the president himself, an American Crime Story season surrounding the Manson case would be an utterly intriguing look at the end of a particularly turbulent period in American history and the criminal who served as its face.
4. Frontier Justice: The Harpe Brothers
Two hundred years before O.J. Simpson ever set foot in a courtroom, a far more gruesome true-crime story was unfolding on the American frontier. The Harpe brothers (who were apparently actually cousins), Micajah “Big” Harpe and Wiley “Little” Harpe, were bandits in the American West who are often considered the nation’s first serial killers. They killed dozens of settlers, sometimes in robberies but often completely unprovoked. Their story would be an interesting challenge for American Crime Story. Not only would it take place in the relatively unexplored late 1700s, but it would be a far cry from the courtrooms of crime stories today — both Harpes were brought to justice in the way of the unsettled frontier: quick executions with little to no regard for due process.
5. Thug Life: The Murders of Tupac and Biggie
Arguably the most famous and speculated-on unsolved murders in (semi) recent memory, the violent deaths of Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. tarnished the rise of hip-hop in the late ’90s. Not only were the lives of two of rap music’s greats cut tragically short, but they’ve also remained in the public eye for 20 years since — thanks in part to their deaths’ mysterious natures and the number of theories about their perpetrators. The two cases, which remain open, would make for a unique season of American Crime Story because of their unsolved nature and the rich history of hip-hop that surrounds 2Pac and Biggie and their nation-spanning rap feud. While the lack of a trial or a verifiable guilty party might prove problematic, the sense of mystery could be just what the show needs next.
