6 true crime shows based in Texas to watch on Hulu, Netflix, HBO - mySA

This list is for all my true crime nerds (hopefully, you haven't watched all of the TV shows already. If so, binge again). Most of us try to solve crimes from the comfort of our homes while our eyes are glued to the latest new television show or documentary about some old or new dark, twisted story (my latest was the Murdaugh Murders). 

In Texas, there are quite a bit of infamous cases that are so shocking they earned their own spotlight on streaming sites like HBO Max, Netflix, Hulu, Showtime, etc. We rounded up the latest released on streaming sites, and a few from the past, you should give a watch to delight your dark, true-crime Texas heart (because in some way you feel more connected to the story if it occurred in your home state).

Allan Gore pursued an affair with Candace "Candy" Montgomery, which eventually led to the murder of his wife, Betty Gore in 1980. 

HBO

'Love & Death'

The drama follows Candy, a quiet housewife who, overnight, decides to have an affair with her neighbor. However, the relationship spirals out of control when her lover's wife is found dead and the suspicion falls on her. It is based on the true story of Candy Montgomery, who was a Texas housewife at the time when the shocking slaying of  Betty Gore occurred in 1980.

More for you

Elizabeth Olsen plays the role of Candy, while Jesse Plemons was cast as the cheating husband, Allan Gore. The series premiered on April 27.

Watch it: HBO Max.

'Candy'

I should note that Hulu also created its own adaptation of the Candy Montgomery story that was released on May 9, 2022. The role of Candy is played by actress Jessica Biel. Both series follow the crime but are different in some ways.

The HBO Max series encourages its viewers to empathize with Candy, according to Slate. While Hulu's portrayal of the story doesn't try to present what happened in the Gores' utility room in 1980 as a product of the travails of contemporary womanhood.

Watch it: Hulu.

Who Is The Killer In 'The Texas Killing Fields'?: Netflix's true-crime series, 'The Texas Killing Fields,' delves into 4 mysterious murders in an old oil field. But who is the killer? Everything to know.

Netflix - Netflix

'Crime Scene: Texas Killing Fields'

The docuseries delves into the slayings of more than 30 women and girls between the '70s and '90s. From the 1970s into the 1990s, around 35 slain women were found among a 25-acre stretch of land between Houston and Galveston in what became known as the Texas Killing Fields.

The true-crime limited series Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields reveals how the suspected killers evaded capture for years and tells the stories of the many victims whose lives they cut short. 

The show was released on November 29, 2022.

Watch it: Netflix.

Taylor Kitsch stars as David Koresh in "Waco."

Paramount Network / Paramount Network

'Waco'

The six-part dramatization follows one of the most misunderstood stories in American history – the 51-day standoff in 1993 between the FBI, ATF, and the Branch Davidians, the religious sect led by David Koresh. The series explores the events that led to the deaths of 76 members of the community from the perspective of individuals on both sides of the conflict.

The series premiered on January 24, 2018, on Paramount Network. The streaming site also recently released a new series called Waco: The Aftermath on April 16. The new series explores the uneven scales of justice faced by surviving Branch Davidians.

Watch it: Showtime. 

'The Phantom'

The 2021 documentary examines the circumstances of a 1983 killing in Texas, for which it contends the wrong man was convicted and executed. Carlos DeLuna was executed in Texas in 1989 for the murder of a Corpus Christi gas station convenience store clerk. At his trial, he implicated another man, Carlos Hernandez. The prosecution dismissed Hernandez as a phantom.

But the movie, based on an account by a Columbia law school professor, James Liebman, and his researchers, amasses evidence that Hernandez, who died in 1999, was no apparition

Watch it: Netflix.

Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four

FilmRise Releasing@Youtube

'Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four'

This 2016 documentary explores the sentencing of four Latina lesbians who were wrongfully convicted of raping two children in 1997 and 1998. A group challenges their conviction in court based on adjusted scientific evidence, proving their previous cause for sentencing false. 

In addition to the specifics of their case, the movie also explores the way harmful mythology, homophobia, and prosecutorial rage led to their punishment in the first place. 

Watch it: Amazon Prime Video.