Plot Synopsis

Inspired by Linda M. Battisti and John Stevens Berry's 2014 book, "The Twelfth Victim: The Innocence of Caril Fugate in the Starkweather Murder Rampage," THE 12TH VICTIM is a four-part documentary series that sheds new light on the infamous 1958 Charles Starkweather and Caril Ann Fugate murder case, in which the teenage couple was charged and convicted of brutally killing 11 victims at random. Told through a blend of archival and recreated footage -- as well as film and television series inspired by the killings -- THE 12TH VICTIM reexamines Fugate's guilty verdict, who was 14 years old at the time of the killings, through a modern lens, questioning the media and judicial system's treatment of her despite her self-proclaimed innocence.

In 1958, a grisly string of murders terrified the Midwest, as locals watched the 18-year-old Starkweather kill 11 victims in Nebraska and Wyoming with his girlfriend Fugate by his side. Fugate went on to become the youngest female in U.S. history to be tried and convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. As one of the first true-crime stories to unfold in real time on TV, the widely covered Bonnie and Clyde-style narrative depicted Starkweather as a James Dean-wannabe and Fugate as his lascivious, bloodthirsty girlfriend, inspiring a wave of future hit films such as Badlands and Natural Born Killers. Through detailed interviews with those closest to the case and well-researched archival footage, THE 12TH VICTIM looks deeper into the original killings and Fugate's role in the crimes -- not as the willing participant but as an underage girl held hostage by Starkweather -- and gives credence to Fugate's claims of innocence.

THE 12TH VICTIM premiered on Friday, February 17, 2023 at 8pm ET/PT, with new episodes airing weekly on Fridays at 8pm ET/PT on Showtime. All four episodes released on demand and on streaming platforms for Showtime subscribers on February 17.
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On Friday, March 10, 2023 at 8pm ET/PT, Showtime premiered "Afterlife," the finale of THE 12TH VICTIM. Out of prison, Caril attempts to set the record straight by participating in a variety of media appearances. She retreats into anonymity, gets married, and for the first time has something that resembles a normal life, until a horrible car crash throws her back into the spotlight. Caril remains stuck under the rock of a famous murder spree. A crusading attorney files a pardon for Caril.