“The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez” director Brian Knappenberger wanted to speak to the late Gabriel Fernandez’s mother, Pearl, and her boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre, for the documentary, but no matter how many times he reached out, his call was never returned.
“We tried very hard to talk to them,” Knappenberger told TheWrap. “They were demonized in the press and what they did is incomprehensible, but we still wanted to understand them in a deeper way. We set up a mechanism where they could call us from prison and they had my personal number. For six months, I carried around the questions I wanted to ask them in my backpocket because I never knew when and if they were going to call. We also wrote them many letters.”
Based on in-depth reporting by LA Times journalist Garrett Therolf, “The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez” chronicles how over eight months, 8-year-old Gabriel was subjected to horrific torture, which included regular beatings, being shot in the face with a BB gun, forced to eat cat litter, locked in a cupboard for hours, and pepper-sprayed. The cruel nightmare ultimately ended when his mother and her boyfriend beat him to death in 2013.
Even worse, the Department of Child and Family Services (DCSF) and law enforcement were called to the scene multiple times before the boy’s death — and no action was taken. At one point, social workers even ordered Gabriel to stop lying, which allowed his abusers to continue the torture until the grisly end.
The Netflix documentary also delves deep into the trials of Gabriel’s mother and her boyfriend Isauro Aguirre, as well as the charges brought against the four social workers assigned to the boy’s case — something that had never happened before.
In fact, the filmmakers were also not able to get in touch with DCSF for the documentary.
“Without question, the biggest challenge was getting DCFS to talk to us, and we wanted an interview with the current director of DCFS, Bobby Cagle,” Knappenberger explained. “We asked them for 1 1/2 years — their first excuse was that he wasn’t the director of DCFS at the time Gabriel died. But that was strange especially because our question was how things have changed and how they were addressing things. Unfortunately, there was this rapid series of deaths in Antelope Valley — Anthony Avalos and Noah Cuatro — and he was the director at the time of these deaths.”
He added: “It’s disappointing that a public agency that touches people doesn’t want to talk. The public deserves better. They have a responsibility to talk about this issue, and their instinct is towards being secretive and looking at it more as a PR problem. They’ve said, ‘It’s about protecting the institution at all costs.’ But toxicity happens when there is secrecy, and the only way to solve problems is to let people understand, be transparent, and then making the system better.”
Click here to read about the nine most shocking details highlighted in “The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez.”
Finished 'The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez'? Here Are 14 Other True-Crime Docs You Should Watch (Photos)
There are a lot of true-crime documentaries on Hulu, Netflix and HBO right now. Click through the gallery to find your next binge-worthy doc.
"The Confession Killer" (Netflix)
This Netflix true-crime doc looks into Henry Lee Lucas, known as one of America's most prolific serial killers, who admitted to hundreds of murders. But was it all a hoax?
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"The Keepers" (Netflix)
Ryan White's documentary series debuted in 2017 and explores the murder of Sister Catherine Cesnik, who disappeared in November 1969 and whose body was discovered in January of 1970. The documentary investigates whether Father Joseph Maskell had Sister Cathy killed because she was about to expose him and others for sexually abusing teenage students at Archbishop Keough High School.
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"Abducted in Plain Sight" (Netflix)
In maybe one of the craziest stories ever, Jane Broberg is kidnapped by her neighbor, a family friend, on two separate occasions. The story also delves into how he was able to infiltrate a family and use their weaknesses to his advantage.
"Making a Murderer" (Netflix)
Perhaps one of the most famous Netflix documentaries, "Making a Murderer" looks into the murder of Teresa Halbach, for which Steven Avery and his nephew Brendan Dassey have been convicted for. A second part of the series focused on their appeals.
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"The Staircase" (Netflix)
“The Staircase” follows the trial of Michael Peterson after he reported in December 2001 that his wife had fallen down the stairs and died. However, there was a lot of blood and lacerations to the head that caused investigators to look into a possible homicide.
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"Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes" (Netflix)
Directed by Joe Berlinger, the "Ted Bundy Tapes" looks at one of the most infamous killers, using previously unseen footage and unheard tape recordings from Bundy himself.
Netflix
"Don't F**k With Cats" (Netflix)
One of the newest true-crime docs, "Don't F**k With Cats" chronicles how internet sleuths uncovered a man who broke the internet's number one rule (Don't f**k with cats) and committed animal abuse and allegedly murdered a man.
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"Evil Genius" (Netflix)
“Evil Genius” tells the story of the “pizza bomber heist” and the murder of Brian Wells in 2003. The 46-year-old from Erie, Pennsylvania was a pizza delivery man who got involved in a bank robbery that included a scavenger hunt and a homemade bomb strapped around his neck. When he was arrested after robbing the bank, the bomb went off and killed Wells.
Netflix
"I Love You, Now Die" (HBO)
This doc follows the death of 18-year-old Conrad Roy who died by suicide in his car in 2014. Soon after, police discovered alarming text messages from his girlfriend, Michelle Carter, which seemed to encourage him to kill himself.
HBO
"Behind Closed Doors" (HBO)
This documentary investigates the double murder of a 13-year-old girl and her family's servant at their home in India, which sparked a media frenzy.
HBO
"The Cheshire Murders" (HBO)
In 2007, two ex-convicts entered the Petit family home and tortured the family. The ordeal ended with rape, arson and a triple homicide.
HBO
"Mommy Dead & Dearest" (HBO)
Truly one of the most bizarre cases, "Mommy Dead & Dearest" is about the murder of Dee Dee Blanchard, for which her daughter, Gypsy Rose Blanchard, and Gypsy's boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn, were accused. The doc explores looks into the years of abuse Gypsy suffered at the hands of her mother, who suffered from Munchausen by proxy.
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"Who Killed Garrett Phillips?" (HBO)
This documentary examines the 2011 murder of 12-year-old Garrett Phillips and the subsequent trial of soccer coach and ex-boyfriend of Garrett's mother, Tandy Cyrus.
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"The Murder of Laci Peterson" (Hulu)
The murder of Laci Peterson is one of the most heavily-debated murders in U.S. history. Laci went missing on Christmas Eve, while 8 months pregnant. Following a media frenzy, her husband, Scott, became a prime suspect. Scott Peterson was convicted of first-degree murder and was sentenced to death by hanging.
Hulu
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Check out ”Evil Genius,“ ”I Love You, Now Die“ and ”The Murder of Laci Peterson“ on streamers
There are a lot of true-crime documentaries on Hulu, Netflix and HBO right now. Click through the gallery to find your next binge-worthy doc.