# Netflix documentary: Evil Genius **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 12, 2018, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-documentary-evil-genius/814060 "2018-05-12T20:27:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2018, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-documentary-evil-genius/814060/1 "2018-05-12T20:27:51Z")
I remember the story being in the news a number of years ago. A man in Erie PA with a bomb around his neck was forced to rob a bank. Apparently there’s a lot more to the story than I realized. I’ve only seen the first episode so far. It’s fascinating, and more than a little disturbing. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2018, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-documentary-evil-genius/814060/2 "2018-05-12T22:06:32Z")
Thanks for mentioning this. It sounds really interesting. I’m still working on “Wormwood”. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2018, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-documentary-evil-genius/814060/3 "2018-07-22T02:38:13Z")
(Not quite a zombie bump) Just finished watching, enjoyed it quite a bit. Quite an interesting story with some some real twists and turns. If you’re a fan of the true crime genre it’s definitely worth checking out. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2018, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-documentary-evil-genius/814060/4 "2018-07-23T00:25:27Z")
Beyond the regular creepiness of a profile of multiple narcissists\*, I found it especially creepy how much Marjorie Diehl talked like Donald Turmp. \*: See also _Wild, Wild Country_. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2018, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-documentary-evil-genius/814060/5 "2018-07-23T02:26:27Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > … > \*: See also _Wild, Wild Country_. This was also very good. There’s a thread discussing it. https%3A%2F%2Fboards%2Estraightdope%2Ecom%2Fsdmb%2Fshowthread%2Ephp%3Ft%3D853097&share\_tid=853097&share\_fid=28240&share\_type=t ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2018, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-documentary-evil-genius/814060/6 "2018-07-23T02:34:01Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > This was also very good. There’s a thread discussing it. > https%3A%2F%2Fboards%2Estraightdope%2Ecom%2Fsdmb%2Fshowthread%2Ephp%3Ft%3D853097&share\_tid=853097&share\_fid=28240&share\_type=t Sorry. I’ll try that link again. [https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=853097&share\_tid=853097&share\_fid=28240&share\_type=t](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=853097&share_tid=853097&share_fid=28240&share_type=t) ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2018, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-documentary-evil-genius/814060/7 "2018-07-23T03:55:38Z")
In the meantime, I did finish “Wormwood” and was as puzzled when I finished it as I was when I started it, although Errol Morris docos are generally open-ended and therefore have a way of doing that. I had heard that the Erie bomb guy (sorry, I can’t remember his name) was not as innocent as he was initially thought to have been, but I had no idea that he was so involved until I saw this movie. His collaborators sure were scary. ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2018, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-documentary-evil-genius/814060/8 "2018-07-23T04:13:39Z")
The Erie bomb-collar robbery is one of the most fucked up true-crime stories I’ve encountered, and I’ve encountered them _all_ as I am an avid reader of the “Unresolved Mysteries” Reddit. I watched the documentary also, and was intrigued by the first-hand accounts of the people involved from people who knew them. I feel it still leaves as many questions as answers. If _Evil Genius_ becomes an ongoing series, I hope they cover the [Brabant Killers](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=859134) eventually. One of the craziest and most baffling crime sprees of all time, and not all that long ago either - 1982 to 1985. The motivations behind the attacks have never been discerned. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2018, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-documentary-evil-genius/814060/9 "2018-07-23T04:24:49Z")
> [@Lamoral](#): > > The Erie bomb-collar robbery is one of the most fucked up true-crime stories I’ve encountered, and I’ve encountered them _all_ as I am an avid reader of the “Unresolved Mysteries” Reddit. I watched the documentary also, and was intrigued by the first-hand accounts of the people involved from people who knew them. I feel it still leaves as many questions as answers. > > If _Evil Genius_ becomes an ongoing series, I hope they cover the [Brabant Killers](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=859134) eventually. One of the craziest and most baffling crime sprees of all time, and not all that long ago either - 1982 to 1985. The motivations behind the attacks have never been discerned. After seeing the miniseries, and that Bomb Guy told the police that the bomb was placed on him by some black men who robbed him, I’m also grateful that nobody fitting that description was arrested for this. That might not be the case nowadays.