“Ken and Barbie Killers: The Lost Murder Tapes” Debuts in December
From the outside, Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka painted a picture-perfect relationship of a beautiful young couple in love. Neither shied away from attention, and they captured their entire relationship on their video camera. But behind those blonde locks and pearly whites was a much more sinister side: the two were orchestrating a horrific crime spree across Canadian suburbs and recording their evil brutality on tape. When a distressed Karla turns Paul over to the police, she pleads that she was forced to help her husband. But after six tapes of evidence surface that reveal the reality of the crimes, it begs the question: was Karla another victim, or was she the puppet master behind it all? Now with exclusive footage, unseen evidence, and intimate interviews, KEN AND BARBIE KILLERS: THE LOST MURDER TAPES reveals an inside look at Paul and Karla’s twisted relationship from behind the lens. The murders led to a transformative trial – with a controversial outcome – that left an indelible mark on Canada’s justice system, and one that questions whether a cold-blooded killer walks free to this day. ID will air the shocking story over back-to-back nights on Sunday, December 12 and Monday, December 13 beginning at 9/8c, and viewers can binge the entire four-part series on discovery+.
“KEN AND BARBIE KILLERS: THE LOST MURDER TAPES captures the dark cautionary tale of an image-obsessed couple living their lives in front of the camera before the rise of today’s selfie generation,” says Jason Sarlanis, President of Crime and Investigative Content. “Paul and Karla projected the image of a perfect marriage – down to their dream home – but behind closed doors it was a life filled with cruel and disturbing crimes that they documented with an insidious self-obsession.”
EPISODE SCHEDULE
THE MURDERS
Sunday, December 12 at 9/8c
Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka embark on a passionate love affair and marry in 1991. By 1992, missing schoolgirls Leslie Mahaffy and Kristen French are both found dead. Then in 1993, a battered and bruised Karla tells police that her husband, Paul, is the killer of both girls and that home videos depicting his assaults on the girls are hidden somewhere in their marital home.
THE TAPES
Sunday, December 12 at 10/9c
In 1993, a distressed Karla Homolka reveals to police that her husband Paul Bernardo videotaped his assaults of two schoolgirls and that he is the serial sex attacker who terrorized Toronto, known as the “Scarborough Rapist.” When police fail to find the tapes after an exhaustive search, they offer Karla a deal to be their star witness in the prosecution of her husband. When Paul’s legal team is sent into the house with instructions for finding the tapes, what they find changes everything.
THE DEAL
Monday, December 13 at 9/8c
Paul Bernardo’s lawyers find six videotapes that confirm Karla Homolka’s complicity in the assaults of Leslie Mahaffy and Kristen French. The tapes also reveal new information on the mysterious death of Karla’s 15-year-old sister, Tammy. Unaware of the tapes, prosecutors strike a controversial deal with Karla. In return for testifying against her husband, she’ll be sentenced to just 12 years for her role in the crimes.
THE TRIAL
Monday, December 13 at 10/9c
Canada is gripped by the extraordinary testimonies at its “trial of the century” and the revelations revealed in the six tapes. Paul Bernardo is convicted for the murders of Leslie Mahaffy and Kristen French and sentenced to life in prison. A nation is horrified to learn that Karla’s deal remains intact after her involvement in the murders comes to light and she is released after serving just 12 years. Today, she is a free citizen.
KEN AND BARBIE KILLERS: THE LOST MURDER TAPES is produced for ID and discovery+ by Blink Films with Laura Jones, Adam Jessel and Justine Kershaw as Executive Producers. Thomas Cutler is the Executive Producer for ID and discovery+.
About discovery+
discovery+ is the definitive non-fiction, real life subscription streaming service. discovery+ has the largest-ever content offering of any new streaming service at launch, featuring a wide range of exclusive, original series across popular, passion verticals in which Discovery brands have a strong leadership position, including lifestyle and relationships; home and food; true crime; paranormal; adventure and natural history; as well as science, tech and the environment, and a slate of high-quality documentaries. For more, visit discoveryplus.com or find it on a variety of platforms and devices, including ones from Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft, Roku and Samsung.
About INVESTIGATION DISCOVERY (ID)
Investigation Discovery (ID) is the leading crime and justice network on television. Delivering the highest-quality programming to approximately 80 million U.S. households, ID is also available via the network’s TV Everywhere offering, IDGo. For exclusive web content and bonus material, fans can follow ID on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook or check out the network’s true crime blog, CrimeFeed. Investigation Discovery is part of Discovery, Inc. (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), a global leader in real life entertainment, serving a passionate audience of superfans around the world with content that inspires, informs and entertains. For more information, please visit corporate.discovery.com and follow @DiscoveryIncTV across social platforms.
