Latest from Click For Murder

REVIEW: Episode 3 of Click For Murder looks at the real-life Breaking Bad murderer who dissolved victim in acid

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REVIEW: Episode 3 of Click For Murder looks at the real-life Breaking Bad murderer who dissolved victim in acid

Online dating has become a norm of contemporary society, with one in four British people having some kind of dating app on their phone, but did you ever stop to consider just how dangerous these apps can actually be? CBS Reality’s Click For Murder unveils the dark side of these apps as it delves into the latest murder case.

Click For Murder is a crime documentary series dedicated to looking at some of the most disturbing crimes orchestrated on social media in recent history, and tonight’s case is definitely the most gruesome yet.

“The internet has changed the way we live, the way we work, the way we shop, and even the way we date. It has also changed the way we kill,” host Donal MacIntyre warns during the show’s introduction. And sure enough, a dating app presents a predator with the perfect opportunity to pounce on his next victim on April 1, 2016. Episode three of the original series introduces the case of Gordon Semple; a member of the police force, who decided to seek out casual sex with a stranger via the well-known gay dating app, Grindr. However, after meeting with former city worker Stefano Brizzi at his apartment, Gordon was never to be seen again. In a horrific attack, Stefano strangled Gordon during a sexual encounter and later disposed of his body by dissolving it in a tub of acid.

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With presenter and renowned crime journalist Donal breaking down the incident alongside criminology expert Dr. Elizabeth Yardley, the episode answers some really interesting questions about whether murder cases like this one could have happened in a world without social media. In fact, the show in some ways serves as a warning against these platforms, with the host demonstrating just how easy it can be to create a fake persona by creating his own anonymous profile on a dating app.

Click For Murder certainly doesn’t censor any of the grisly details, with every element of the murder laid on the table to examine. If the actual “scene of carnage” that took place in Stefano’s bedroom doesn’t send chills up your spine, then the descriptions of the body disposal will definitely have your stomach turning. Breaking Bad fans will be interested, and no doubt disturbed, to note the connections between this real-life murder and the one committed by Walt White and Jesse Pinkman during season one of the show.

One of the excellent things about the series is that it is not tunnel visioned to see social media as the one and only cause of heinous crimes. It is not just the online world that is presented as a danger on the show, as other factors are taken into consideration too. It is refreshing to see a crime documentary tackle the fatal consequences of stigmatisation and repression of homosexuality, for example. The experts note how Gordon might not have needed to desperately resort to meeting a total stranger without taking any precautions if he had been able to express his sexual orientation freely in society.

Make sure to tune in tonight to uncover the full details of the case and discover killer Stefano’s fate.

Click for Murder airs weeknights at 10pm on CBS Reality.

REVIEW: Click for Murder is a fresh take on crime analysis for the new age of technology

More on Click For Murder

REVIEW: Click for Murder is a fresh take on crime analysis for the new age of technology

Technology has led to improvements in all of our lives, but it’s not without a darker side. With new ways to communicate come new ways to commit atrocious crimes – and CBS Reality’s latest new series highlights just that: horrific crimes committed with the aid of the internet.

Click for Murder is a crime documentary series with a twist, examining very modern crimes that could not have taken place without the internet. It provides insight on how the internet has created a new landscape for predators and prey, where people become vulnerable without even realising they’re at risk.

The first episode examines the case of Kayleigh Haywood, a schoolgirl who was murdered by the next door neighbour of an older man who groomed her into staying the night at his house. The documentary doesn’t shy away from revealing the full, horrible detail of the case – revealing how witnesses heard Kayleigh’s screams coming from child abuser Harlow’s home late at night before offering a reconstruction of the attempted escape before neighbour Steven Beadman raped and murdered her in the open. It all took place after Harlow began messaging Kayleigh on social media, swiftly inundating her with compliments to manipulate her. Two weeks after Harlow made contact, Kayleigh was dead.

The format is simple. Presenter and renowned crime journalist Donal MacIntyre outlines the case and visits the scene of the crime. He speaks to people involved in the case, which in the first episode include family members and the police investigators. He then breaks it all down with criminology expert Dr. Elizabeth Yardley to analyse what happened and why. It’s a well structured and paced documentary offering valuable insights and plenty of food for thought.

At its heart, Click for Murder examines how the internet has changed how we see the world. The age-old refrain “don’t talk to strangers” is rendered worthless when a stranger can worm their way into someone’s life using their real identity and communicate for weeks. Interactions that could never have happened without the internet are suddenly possible, opening up vulnerable individuals to a world of crime that they are ill-prepared to deal with. It’s a fascinating topic to base a criminal series around – and will hopefully spread the message about the new crimes taking place in our age of technology.

Click for Murder airs weeknights at 10pm on CBS Reality.

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