'Impact of Murder': New Investigation Discovery Series Gives Victims A Voice

True crime shows spend endless hours delving into the minds of killers — but the new Investigation Discovery series Impact of Murder will give victims a voice.

The six-part docuseries will give viewers a glimpse into the lives of victims’ families and loved ones, and explore the horrific effects that the killings have had on them.
By using the victim impact statements given in court as a storytelling device, the victims' stories will be told by those who knew them best.

The premiere episode tells the story of Bill Freitag, who was burned alive in his family’s upstate New York farmhouse in what appeared to be an accident. The case took a shocking turn after a childhood friend was charged with Bill's murder. In the series, Carrie Freitag talks about how she felt after confronting her brother’s killer.

The second episode follows the murder of Charisse Christopher and her two-year-old daughter, Lacie, and the attempted murder of her three-year-old son, Nicholas. In the series, Mary Zvolanek reveals what it was like to live through the waking nightmare that followed the murders of her daughter and two-year-old granddaughter.

The case made history when Zvolanek was allowed to deliver her impact statement before sentencing, which was a first in the American justice system in 1991.

The series is accompanied by a digital series, Impact of Murder: After the Statement, where lead contributors from each episode discuss how their lives have changed since standing in court and addressing the killer. These six- to seven-minute episodes will publish on IDGO immediately following the show premieres on Sundays at 11/10c, beginning on July 14.