Entertainment
The latest addition to Netflix’s impressive collection of true-crime content is the docuseries American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders.
The true crime documentary is based around journalist Danny Casolaro’s mysterious death during his investigation into a conspiracy known as ‘The Octopus’.
The journalist chose to name the conspiracy so due to its wide-ranging implications, covering everything from money laundering and espionage to political corruption. And, the true story behind the documentary is filled with chilling revelations and questions that remain unsolved to this day.
My family is so happy his story is finally being told. Please watch #AmericanConspiracy : #TheOctopus on @netflix …
It is one of the most tragic parts of my family’s story. Danny is the reason I became a journalist.#americanconspiracytheoctopusmurders #truecrime #dannycasolaro pic.twitter.com/i44hzl5mLW— Michele Lea Biaso (@MicheleBiaso) February 29, 2024
So, for those who are wondering about the events inspiring American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders, here is the complete true story behind Casolaro’s death and how it happened.
Directed by Zachary Treitz and produced by Duplass Brothers Productions, American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders features archival footage of investigative journalist Casolaro, offering an updated perspective on his pre-death investigative work.
In this four-part series, photojournalist Christian Hansen continues the investigative journey initiated by Casolaro, aiming to uncover the core answers behind the Octopus Murders. Hansen begins a nationwide quest for answers, acknowledging the risks akin to those faced by the late journalist. As he looks deep into this intricate mystery, Hansen remains determined to locate key figures involved.
His 10-year-long investigation remains unsolved to this day.
Netflix’s official synopsis reads: “When journalist Danny Casolaro was found dead in a hotel bathtub, police ruled it a suicide. But his family and colleagues believe he may have been murdered for investigating a conspiracy he called ‘The Octopus’, a hidden organisation connected to stolen government spy software, a string of unsolved murders, and some of the biggest political scandals of the 20th century. Years later, researcher Christian Hansen pushes to uncover the secrets behind Casolaro’s death, and the story that killed him.”
Casolaro was an American investigative journalist who gained attention for his work in the early ’90s.
Born on 16 June 1947 as the second of six children to an obstetrician father, the journalist hailed from a Catholic family in McLean, Virginia. Unfortunately, one of his siblings passed away shortly after birth and his younger sister Lisa died due to a drug overdose in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury in 1971. Casolaro attended Providence College until 1968 and later married Terrill Pace, a former Miss Virginia. The couple had a son named Trey and after 10 years of marriage, they divorced, with Casolaro obtaining legal custody of their son.
He had diverse interests, including amateur boxing, writing poetry and short stories as well as breeding purebred Arabian horses. He dabbled in journalism, exploring topics such as the Soviet naval presence in Cuba, the Castro intelligence network and Chinese communist opium smuggling into the US. By the time of his death, he had also authored and published a novel titled The Ice King.
In the late ’70s, Casolaro shifted his focus away from journalism and ventured into the computer industry, acquiring a series of trade publications, which he later began selling in the late ’80s. In the early ’90s, he decided to return to journalism, showing particular interest in the INSLAW case after being made aware of it by his IT contacts.
INSLAW, a software company established by former National Security Agency employee Bill Hamilton and his wife Nancy, became controversial in the early ’80s. The Justice Department enlisted INSLAW to develop a computer programme, the Prosecutor’s Management Information System (PROMIS), designed to enable US attorneys to monitor criminal cases across different offices, as showcased in American Conspiracy. The Hamiltons successfully delivered the groundbreaking software.
However, it took a dark turn when the Hamiltons claimed that the Justice Department breached the contract, stole their software, and orchestrated a plan to bankrupt their company. Over nearly a decade, the Hamiltons found themselves entangled in legal battles with the Justice Department over these allegations by the time Casolaro became involved.
When Casolaro began investigating the INSLAW case, he perceived it as more than just a dispute over software piracy and bankruptcy. He suspected a broader, global conspiracy, linking INSLAW to significant events such as the Iranian hostage crisis, the Iran-Contra affair and the Bank of Credit and Commerce International, according to reports from The Washington Post and TIME.
The Octopus conspiracy refers to a complex and controversial theory that Casolaro was investigating before his untimely death in 1991. He suggested that a vast and interconnected network, metaphorically called ‘The Octopus’, existed, involving various conspiracies and covert activities. The name ‘Octopus’ symbolised the tentacles of this alleged conspiracy, reaching into different realms of power and influence.
He firmly believed that the INSLAW case, the Iran-Contra arms deal, the October Surprise, the closure of the B.C.C.I. and other global scandals including the Watergate and the Bay of Pigs Invasion were intricately linked and masterminded by a group of rogue intelligence officers. He also intended to expose this alleged worldwide conspiracy and its various interconnected facets in a book he wanted to call The Octopus. It was poised to unveil the most explosive investigative story of the 20th century.
In August 1991, Casolaro travelled to Martinsburg in West Virginia, to meet an undisclosed source. This source held the promise of a significant breakthrough in Casolaro’s yearlong exploration of The Octopus Conspiracy. Unfortunately, on the morning of 10 August 1991, the cleaning staff at the Sheraton Hotel made a grim discovery — Casolaro was found naked in the bathtub, having multiple slash wounds on his wrists.
Law enforcement discovered a beer can, trash bags and a lone razor blade at the site. The rest of the room displayed no indications of a struggle. However, a message, presumably authored by Casolaro, was located on a notepad on the table. It stated, “I’m sorry, especially to my son.”
Due to the lack of evidence, the journalist’s death was ruled as suicide. Even today, Casolaro’s death remains a mystery. His friends and family do not believe that he died by taking his own life.
According to the Netflix documentary, there were no traces of Casolaro’s documents in either his hotel room or his car, a circumstance that raised suspicion. Moreover, his brother added that he would have never left such a short note, stating that a four-page letter would have been more of his style.
Check out Netflix’s American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders trailer below:
You can stream the American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders here.
Hero and feature image: Courtesy IMDb and Netflix/American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders
This story first appeared here.
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