A son searches for answers to his mother’s unsolved murder in the four-part documentary series, Murder on Middle Beach, which just debuted an official trailer. The docuseries premiering on HBO on November 15, 2020 was directed by Madison Hamburg who makes his directorial debut with this very personal story of his hunt for his mother’s killer.
The docuseries is a Jigsaw Productions, Armian Pictures, and Blue Days Films production. Ron Nyswaner, Neda Armian, Toby Oppenheimer, Stacey Offman, Richard Perello, Lisa Heller, Nancy Abraham, and director Madison Hamburg executive produce.
In addition to unveiling the full trailer, HBO’s released details on the docuseries’ four episodes including air dates and brief plot descriptions.
Murder on Middle Beach Description, Courtesy of HBO:
On March 3, 2010, divorced mother Barbara Hamburg was found violently murdered in the yard of her home in the upper middle-class town of Madison, Connecticut. Investigators speculated her murder from blunt force trauma was a crime of passion, but without enough evidence, the case grew cold.
Over the course of eight years, Barbara’s son, Madison Hamburg, interviewed his family members and many others, longing to learn more about his mother and gather evidence in hopes of solving her murder. He uncovered a deep web of buried familial secrets, connections to shadowy criminal figures, and years-old resentments in his deceptively serene hometown. While Madison wrestles with troubling revelations about his mother, the most unsettling conflict comes from Madison’s obligation to bring into question those inside his community and members of his own family.
Following the murder, attention first turned to Barbara’s ex-husband, Jeffrey Hamburg, who battled with her over financial issues including child support and was due in court with her that very day. With a strong alibi, and the Madison Police Department in disarray after a recent spate of corruption scandals, Hamburg was never charged. Rumors swirled about his potential involvement in foreign business deals and Barbara’s participation in an illegal pyramid scheme known as the “Gifting Tables” which may have created enemies for her. However, despite this and information about other potential suspects, the leads petered out and the case went cold.
Years later, Madison, who was just a teenager at the time of his mother’s murder, returns home determined to understand the life of the mother he had lost and to uncover the truth about her death. The family’s troubled history is explored and Madison questions whether learning the truth will provide closure or just more grief. As his investigation grows, he comes to reexamine his own memories of a childhood that was not as picture-perfect as the wealth of happy, home video footage would suggest.
Murder on Middle Beach explores the secrets that run beneath the facade of a seemingly ideal community. Through one young man’s near-obsessive pursuit of answers, a light is shone on the universal need to make sense of profound loss and to face one’s own history. As Madison searches to know the mother who was taken from him, he comes to a deeper understanding of her legacy and the abiding power of familial love.
Episode Descriptions:
- Episode 1: “Mom’s Dead” – Debut Date: SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT)
Following the brutal and unsolved murder of his mother Barbara back in 2010, Madison Hamburg returns to his hometown of Madison, Connecticut to piece together her life story. Through interviews with those who knew Barbara best, Madison dives into his parents’ divorce and the unsettling details of his mother’s life that were kept under wraps. - Episode 2: “Rooms and Tables” – Debut Date: SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT)
As he investigates the parts of his family that have been kept in the shadows, Madison explores the fallout of his mother and aunts’ involvement in the “Gifting Tables” – a multi-level marketing scheme that aimed to uplift women but, as it grew exponentially, evolved into something more insidious. - Episode 3: “Sisters” – Debut Date: SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 29 (10:10-11:10 p.m. ET/PT)
After Barbara’s sister Conway opens up about her history with substance abuse – which fueled deep-seated familial resentments – she makes a stunning accusation against someone inside Madison’s family that leaves Madison shaken. Conway and Madison’s sister, Ali, both offer their accounts of the morning they discovered Barbara’s body, Madison consults a private investigator to help find evidence to exonerate his loved ones. - Episode 4: “Reasonable Doubts” (Series Finale) – Debut Date: SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6 (10:00-11:30 p.m. ET/PT)
With the 10-year anniversary of his mother’s death approaching, Madison leaves no stone unturned in his quest for the truth – despite concerns that his documentary may be doing more harm than good. As Madison presses on, there are surprising roadblocks to his investigation.
