‘20/20’ Reports on Serial Killer Who Targeted Women He Knew in Southern City and Gives Insight Into Killer’s Mind Through Overlooked Clues and Criminal Profiler’s Analysis

For two years, serial killer Henry Louis Wallace stalked the city of Charlotte, North Carolina, undetected, raping and murdering young Black women – almost all of whom he knew personally as neighbors, friends, or coworkers. Now, 25 years after his conviction as Wallace remains on death row, “20/20” reports on the details of the case, questions whether the women’s race played a factor in the rigor of police investigations and provides insight into the killer’s mind through overlooked clues and analysis by legendary criminal profiler and psychiatric nurse Ann Burgess. The program features footage of Burgess interviewing Wallace ahead of his trial and an interview with Tyrece Woods, who discusses life after surviving an attack by Wallace at just 10 months old.

The program also includes interviews with family of many of the victims, including Dee Sumpter, mother of victim Shawna Hawk, who co-founded Mothers of Murdered Offspring in part as a way to put pressure on police to find the killer; Garry McFadden, now the Mecklenburg County Sheriff who worked the case as a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police detective who discusses the investigation and reasons why the police failed to connect the murders at first; Marsha Goodenow, who prosecuted Wallace; high school classmates of Wallace; and reporters who covered the story closely. The episode also contains audio of Wallace’s police interrogations, as well as police reports, trial records and crime scene photographs. “20/20” airs Friday, July 19 (9:01-11:00 p.m. EDT), on ABC, next day on Hulu. (Rebroadcast. OAD: 05/13/2022)

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Sarah Jautz
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Bridgette Maney
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