Then, the public would never have any way of knowing whether [the police] were doing their job appropriately, said Schulz. But as she admitted, Conway unsuccessfully tried to get revenge and hire a hitman to kill the Hamburgs. Sadly, her life was taken on March 3, 2010 in Madison, Connecticut. It was Beach who discovered Barbara's body on the morning of the murder, but claims she was cleaning out the basement of a 90-year-old neighbor at the time of the murder. Did she ever try to contact them again? HBO's latest four-part docuseries, 'Murder on Middle Beach' delves into the gruesome murder of Barbara Hamburg, a 48-year-old woman, who was found bludgeoned to death outside her home on Middle Beach Road. The show follows director Madison Hamburg as he investigates his mother's murder, and talks to his family members about how they were affected. Prior to her death, she'd been engaged in a legal battle over child support with her ex Jeffrey Hamburg, who's also the father of Madison and his younger sister Ali. Jeffrey appears in Murder on Middle Beach where he repeatedly refuses to talk about Barbara's murder and insists that his ex-wife had dark secrets that he can't discuss. The only way we can have oversight or accountability for law enforcement is to know what theyre doing.. . From the jump, the suspect list was long. Moreover, allowing the public access to cold case files after an appropriate period of time is far more likely to improve the odds of an arrest and successful prosecution than it it is to prejudice that outcome.. Back in 1996, when Conway was out of control with her substance abuse, Barbara took her to court to get custody of her son, Tyler. But first here are the facts: According to the doc, Barbara Hamburg was a 48-year-old single mother who was bludgeoned and stabbed to death in the front yard of her Madison, CT home on the morning of March 3, 2010. Barbara was killed very violently, likely with a hammer, and detectives have called it a crime of passion and theorize that the killer knew Barbara and had a personal stake in the murder. And more importantly, should tuition go toward supporting bars around the XL Center? Emmys. On March 3, 2010, Barbara Beach Hamburg was found murdered in the backyard of her Madison, Connecticut, home. Barbara Beach Hamburg, Madison's mother, was killed in 2010 in Madison, Connecticut. CT DOT faces criticism following overnight tree-cutting, Haar: Payouts at fading CT trash agency offer lessons in a crisis, State nursing homes could face fine due to too many empty beds, CT legislators revive debate over firefighters' cancer benefits. Beach denies this, too. Madison Hamburg On the Middle Beach Finale, India Oxenberg Finally Feels a Sense of Peace, More Coverage of the Documentaries That Matter, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. HBO's new docuseries "Murder on Middle Beach," directed by Madison Hamburg, focuses on the death of Hamburg's mother, Barbara. On the other hand, Dugas, the attorney for the Madison Police Department, argued the case was very much active. "And one of them was, if we don't solve my mom's case, then the documentary becomes a tool for me to get my mom's story out there and provide some momentum." Charles Bright. Although it seems like Conway is living a quiet life, she has mourned her sister publicly over the years, holding vigils and vowing to keep her memory alive. Schulz echoed the judges world, noting that his clients planned to use the information as part of a documentary. NOW WATCH: We break down 'Chernolbyl's' Emmy win, the new 'Rambo,' and what we know about 'Birds of Prey' so far, Visit Insider's homepage for more stories, ruled her death a homicide, noting that she died as a result of "multiple blunt and sharp force injury. The answer much like some of the details presented in "Murder on Middle Beach" is complicated. Jeffrey, who was an exorbitantly wealthy former CEO of Southern Electric International, and Barbara had an incredibly acrimonious divorce. Beach Hamburg and Hamburg married in 1989, but divorced in 2002. The horrific 2010 murder of 48-year-old single mom Barbara Hamburg in front of her Madison, Connecticut, home remains unsolved, but there have been plenty of theories as to who could have. Jeffreyrefuses to discuss the case or his marriage with Madison, except to point to Barbara's alcoholism and, prior to recovery, her pattern of black-out drinking as evidence that Barbara wasn't necessarily to be trusted a line he holds even once Madison finds boxes of documents in the final episodes that could potentially implicate him in unethical (and potentially illegal) business practices that made Barbara feel unsafe. Her body was discovered by her sister, Conway Beach, who visited the home with Hamburg's teenage daughter Ali Hamburg after picking her up from school. And they just thanked me for releasing this story, and it's really gratifying as someone who's gone through something so traumatic to hear that someone else can watch this and feel a little less alone. HBO's new true-crime docuseries "Murder on Middle Beach" premieres Sunday, November 15. Madison's's father, Jeffrey Hamburg, was presented as a main person of interest throughout the series. Barbara Beach Hamburg, Madison's mother, was killed in 2010 in Madison, Connecticut. Years before she was murdered, Madison Hamburg 's mother Barbara Hamburg gave him a gift that would shape his life forever. Associated Press articles: Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. In October 2020, they passed over 1,600 documents about the case which he is now poring over - and hopes it will give him a definitive answer about who killed his mother. As he revealed in a video update on Dec. 8 through HBO's YouTube channel, he is currently combing through these files for additional information that could eventually help solve the case. I know the case is still open. It's a sobering, overwhelming realization. SALON is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as a trademark of Salon.com, LLC. If a department cannot show there is a prospective law enforcement action and that disclosure of the records would be prejudicial to such an action, then the publics right to access the records wins out, Harmon said, arguing the Madison Police Department failed to meet its burden of proof in this case. Hamburg, for his part, said Beach Hamburg was behind on mortgage payments for their property. As made evident in the series, Conway Beach is just one of the few family members who hasnt been able to move on from Barbaras murder no matter how much time has passed by. "There have been corroborating leads, correcting things, things that we didn't know about," Hamburg told Esquire. Ali had always maintained her innocence, claiming that she had been dropped off at school by Barbara on the morning of the murder, and that she only returned home later that day with Beach, who picked her up from school after Ali's texts to her mother went unanswered. Emilia Otte covers health and education for the Connecticut Examiner. But Murder on Middle Beach is not a normal documentary. In addition to the Beach family, Hamburg makes several appearances in the series as well although he's never formally interviewed. Her death in 2010 was the subject of an HBO true crime documentary series produced by her son Madison Hamburg. Conway Beach is Barbara Beach Hamburgs elder sister and the woman who, unfortunately, discovered her body. Alaine Griffin, director of communications in the Office of the Chief States Attorney said that the department had no comment at this time. Barbara B. Hamburg was born April 29, 1961 in New Haven, Connecticut. ET. Throughout these four episodes, Madison Hamburg, and us, learned the truth about the life Barbara Hamburg really lived - that she was a recovering alcoholic who, at the . This may be a long journey, and that may cost a lot of money I would appreciate it if the Attorney Generals Office would take it up, because its in the interest of law enforcement state-wide, not just the Town of Madison, Drumm told commissioners. He updated us on his relationship with his father at present, his familys reaction to the series, as well as the status of his mother Barbaras open case today. So I pressed everyone pretty hard, and I ended up with 160 hours of footage. ', 6,000 checks go out to Yale workers in class-action settlement involving wellness program, Police: Stolen car found riddled with bullets after gunfire in New Haven near Yale, West Haven mayor under fire after city is left without a finance director at start of budget season, Convicted DiMassa codefendant requests acquittal, new trial in West Haven fraud scheme case, The Best Private High Schools near New Haven, Guide to Legal Cannabis Dispensaries in CT, The Best Private Preschools Near New Haven. If you say youre going to keep a file closed forever on the chance that something might develop, that means the public in most cases will never get to look at these files, Schulz said Friday. I assume he has, but I'm not sure. . 'Ted Lasso' Season 3 Dropped Its First Trailer, 'Outer Banks' Season 4 Is Already In the Works, 'The Last of Us' Ep. The people in the States Attorneys office who oversee the cold case reviews agreed with them that there were no new leads to follow. Madison Hamburg has been transparent in interviews about wanting to produce "a different take on true crime. It really was a rollercoaster, especially because it is such a personal story, so trying to sell it was pretty interesting. More than a decade after Barbara Hamburg was murdered outside her Madison home, the fight over whether the public should have access to the investigation into her death is continuing to escalate a fight that could have broad implications for access to cold case files across Connecticut. It's like crack, I can't stop going through and analyzing and its incredibly rewarding. We made a pitch deck and we pitched the networks. Directed by Barbara's son, Madison Hamburg, the docuseries is a chronicle of Madison's return to his home as he is determined to understand . Many ancient pipes in CT aren't up to the task of draining storm water, yet officials just seem to shrug. Barbara was found dead on the morning of March 3, 2010, in the yard of her rental house on Middle Beach Road in Madison, Conn. Police responded at 11:25 a.m. to a 911 call reporting an injured . It's something that I've been dealing with throughout this process since partnering with HBO last year, but the idea that this was going to be in the public eye and that these vulnerabilities that my family has trusted me with were going to be exposed didn't enter the equation until the stage was realized. But the uncomfortable history between the two made Conway come under scrutiny for her murder. There was sort of shame attached to that, telling someone that with the connotations around murder and true crime. 5 I think the conflicts that I deal with in the fourth episode are pretty unique to the perspective. Those screenings were the most difficult family screenings. He never forcefully denies killing Barbara in the series. She. While Beach's husband (and Madison's father) Jeffrey was questioned early on about his ex-wife's murder, there . The documentary follows the murder of a Connecticut woman, Barbara Hamburg. The Madison Police Department is appealing a state judges order that it must turn over its investigative files on Hamburgs 2010 murder to a pair of documentary filmmakers, including Hamburgs son, who examined the investigation in the hit HBO miniseries Murder on Middle Beach.. I'll admit, on my first watch of the finale, I was a little frustrated by the lack of answers. They successfully appealed to the Connecticuts Freedom of Information Commission, which ruled last year the police department had to turn over its files free of charge to the pair. What it did do, though, was bring light to the case and start a conversation around it. While their outing is filmed from a hotel window across the street from the bar, Madison prods his father on details about his marriage to Madisons late mother. In HBOs Murder on Middle Beach, we watch as a nervous Madison Hamburg tapes a hidden microphone to his shirt and zips up his jacket before heading out to meet his Dad for a beer. HBO's 'Murder on Middle Beach,' from first-time filmmaker Madison Hamburg, is a four-part documentary series that examines the life and death of his 48-year-old mother, Barbara Beach Hamburg. Barbara Beach Hamburg, Madison's 48-year-old mother, had been bludgeoned and stabbed to death, her body hidden under a pile of lawn-furniture cushions outside their Connecticut home. Like I really didn't want to create caricatures of my family members. The last time I talked to my dad was on camera. But it's also really challenging for both my aunts, my sister and my family, so we've had a lot of conversations. But to date, no one has ever been charged with Barbara's murder. The show is directed by Madison Hamburg, the 29-year-old son of Barbara Beach Hamburg, who was found dead outside of her Connecticut home in 2010. She suffered for years from alcoholism, addiction and physical and mental health issues as well as a palpable jealousy towards Barbara and Barbara's daughter, Ali. Madison Hamburg and producer Anike Niemeyer had requested the files while filming the series and were summarily denied by the department. Yeah, I reached out to him before our promotions started because I wanted him to hear a fuller context from me instead of seeing it on television or as a commercial somewhere, but I didn't reach him. In the series, she denies killing Barbara while showing little to no remorse for her past crimes. Drumm also said that he hoped the Chief States Attorneys Office and that Attorney General William Tongs Office would file amicus briefs on their behalf. In HBO's latest true crime docuseries, Murder on Middle Beach, director Madison Hamburg tries to uncover every clue in the unsolved murder of his mother, Barbara Hamburg . She was a woman who was known to be head-strong. Through interviews with and secret recordings of his immediate family and the police, Madison and his crew tell the story of Barbara Beach Hamburgs full life and tragic death. Why did Jeffrey's financial dealings make Barbara feel like her family's safety had been compromised? The medical examiner later ruled her death a homicide, noting that she died as a result of "multiple blunt and sharp force injury.". How did she contact them? This was actually where the four-part series began, as first-time filmmaker Madison Hamburg set out to investigate the events surrounding the murder of his mother, Barbara Beach Hamburg, who was found stabbed and bludgeoned to death outside her home in an affluent Connecticut suburb in 2010. When her body was found by her sister and daughter it was covered with outdoor furniture cushions. The first theory the documentary presents is that Barbara Hamburg was killed by her ex-husband, Jeffrey Hamburg. She cites the fact that the teenager had a rocky relationship with her mother, which was only intensified by Ali's struggles with borderline personality disorder. In the following years, they appeared in court together numerous times after Beach Hamburg said her ex-husband failed to make alimony and child support payments. My sister and my aunt are the closest thing I have to my mom, like they're the closest in DNA, and what they sound like. Drumm told CT Examiner that the Police Department had gone through all the files relevant to the case. The Madison Police Department is appealing a court ruling upholing an order by the state's Freedom of Information Commission that the department release all records except signed witness statements related to the unsolved murder of Barbara Beach Hamburg. Have you found anything surprising in the new police files that you received last month? The latest true crime series Murder on Middle Beach just hit HBO. They've seen the documentary, we had family screenings before we even sent it out to press. ", "My ulterior plan was to get all my money out of my 401(k) plan and get revenge against my baby sister, your mother, your father, and both of you, even Ali," she told Madison. Yet the strangest thing was when Conway stated that Barbara, a week before she was slain, told her about a dream where she was violently murdered but refused to reveal who was behind it. However, when law enforcement has effectively exhausted all efforts to arrest and prosecute a suspect, and when the statistical data show that the probability of a prosecution resulting from long-unsolved cases approaches zero, it is difficult to understand how denying public access to criminal investigation files in perpetuity serves the public interest in solving crimes and bringing perpetrators to justice. Madison Hamburg and his late mothers sister, Conway. Her cover photo, quite fittingly, is one of her and Barbara, and the first thing youd see when you go to her profile is the headline GRATEFUL Conway may not have a concrete alibi for her sisters murder, but no one can deny that she loved and still misses her. But even if the central question at the center of the case remains a mystery, Murder on Middle Beach solved at least one question that had long plagued the decade-old case. Its not a normal father-son catch-up scene. I think that when my mom died and I went to rehab and I decided to face a life without her, I made a decision that day that I was gonna live with as little regret as possible. All rights reserved. Theyve done multiple cold case reviews. Here's everything you need to know about Beach Hamburg's death and "Murder on Middle Beach.". One issue that was resolved in the documentary was the status of Ali Hamburg, Madison's sister and the daughter of Barbara, as a potential suspect in the case. It's also worth noting that at the time of Barbara's murder, she was set to receive $40,000 from her latest table, as the doc alleges. Hamburg, for his part, said Beach Hamburg was behind on mortgage payments for their property . 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. I started the project in a documentary film class. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. The case isnt closed. "I can't get into details, but it's been extremely illuminating.". 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