Coming to HBO tonight, Monday, May 11: THOUGHT CRIMES: THE CASE OF THE CANNIBAL COP
Erin Lee Carr’s exploration of an Internet fantasy turned nightmare debuted last month at Tribeca. It went on to screen at Hot Docs and Montclair before its broadcast premiere.
After work, NYPD officer Gilberto Valle would return to the home he shared with his wife Kathleen and baby daughter and unwind online for several hours. Growing suspicious, Kathleen eventually installed spyware, and discovered her husband’s secret: His time on the web was devoted to exploring disturbing, violent fantasies involving kidnapping, rape, and cannibalism. Feeling endangered, and concerned that he was planning to follow through on his dark thoughts, she left Valle and reported his actions to the authorities. The ensuing arrest and trial resulted in a media circus, turning the public against the so-called “Cannibal Cop,” who was convicted not only of the illegal use of police databases, but, more chillingly, of conspiring to kidnap and eat women. Carr, with the cooperation of Valle and his parents, goes beyond the sensationalistic headlines to uncover how a man was prosecuted for his fantasies, as gruesome as they might be. Interviews with journalists, psychologists, attorneys, and jurors navigate the complex and fascinating case, parsing its ethical implications for the US legal system.
what (not) to doc 