Amazon to investigate ‘The Unsolved Murder of Beverly Lynn Smith’

Amazon Prime Video has commissioned true-crime docuseries The Unsolved Murder of Beverly Lynn Smith as a new Canadian original.

The series, which debuts on 6 May, follows the cold case and controversial investigation into the 1974 murder of Beverly Lynn Smith in her home in Oshawa, Ontario. Woven together from first-hand accounts, expert interviews, family archives, and rare access to key participants

The series is directed by Nathalie Bibeau, who made 2020 documentary The Walrus And The Whistleblower, and dives deep into the elaborate sting operation that was designed to investigate a suspect in the murder of the 22-year-old Smith – but only ended up raising more questions – and a search for justice that spans decades.

The Unsolved Murder of Beverly Lynn Smith hails from Amazon Studios, produced in association with Canadian prodco Muse Entertainment. Courtney Dobbins, Jonas Prupas, and Catherine Legge are executive producing, while Bibeau serves as series director and co-executive producer, and Tara Jan serves as series producer.

The docuseries joins other recently announced and launched Canadian Amazon original series such as All or Nothing: Toronto Maple Leafs, LOL: Last One Laughing Canada, The Kids in the Hall, The Lake, and Three Pines.

Other recent local original commissions from Amazon, which completed its $8.5bn acquisition of MGM earlier this month, include a reboot of competition format Takeshi’s Castle in Japan, an order for Australian comedy series Deadloch and 007’s Road To A Million, a UK-based competition show based on the James Bond franchise.