In Apple TV+'s Blackbird , an investigator explains that they suspect Larry Hall of killing 14 women, but they only have one body. Still, there are some problems with Hall's grasp of reality. "In my dreams, I kill women," Hall, played by actor Paul Walter Hauser, says in one scene. However, Hall insists they are "just dreams." Hall is convicted on appeal, and prosecutors worry about his release, so they recruit recently incarcerated former high school football star Jimmy Keene (Taron Egerton) to be transferred to a maximum-security prison To force a confession. In exchange, Keane was sentenced to 10 years in prison on drug-related charges, with the option of early release.
In real life, the story develops similarly. In 1995, Hall admitted and was convicted of kidnapping, raping and strangling 15-year-old Jessica Roach. During interviews with police, Hall reportedly talked about hurting other women and revealed information that led police to believe he was also involved in the 1993 disappearance of 19-year-old Tricia Reitler. and several other unsolved murders. Although investigators found evidence at Hall's home linking him to both crimes, he later told them he planned it all to attract attention and feel important.
Hall also recanted his confession, claiming to investigators, "Why am I just telling you about my dream. It didn't really happen," CNN reported.
Regardless, he was sentenced to life in prison without parole for Roach's kidnapping from the U.S. Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri. In total, police suspected Hall of killing 19 other young women, but they did not have enough evidence to convict. Convinced that Hall knew where Wrightler's body was, they sent Keen to a maximum-security prison to force a confession and block any appeal efforts that might have freed the suspected serial killer.
Hall slowly warmed to Keane, who detailed the story in his 2010 memoir Walking with the Devil: Fallen Heroes, Serial Killers, and Dangerous Deals of Redemption , and confessed to the 1993 murder of Lai. Teller facts. But Hall would not reveal the location of her body. Later, Keane met Hall by chance in the prison workshop one day and said he had a red dot map with Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin on it. Hall allegedly said he was carving a wooden falcon to "guard the dead." Believing he had enough evidence to be freed, Keane blew his cover and confronted Hall, resulting in being placed in solitary confinement. After Keane was released from prison, both the map and the Falcon disappeared - but prosecutors released Keane in 1999.
Meanwhile, Hall's appeal failed, leading him to attempt suicide, according to the Blackbird series. Although Hall has not been charged with a crime against anyone other than Roach, experts familiar with the case told CNN that Hall may have killed as many as 40 women. The exact number is unknown because convicted kidnappers have made dozens of confessions over the years but later retracted them. Hall also admitted in 2011 to being involved in the 1992 disappearance of 20-year-old Laurie Depies, but officials did not charge him due to his criminal record and a lack of physical evidence to corroborate his claims. .
As of 2022, Hall is 59 years old and is still serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole at the Federal Correctional Institution in Butner, North Carolina. While he is unlikely to be released from prison, the family of a missing woman suspected of killing is still seeking closure in the case.
