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It’s not uncommon to hear stories about elaborate online catfishing or armchair detectives solving cold cases. But it’s rare for those two things to go together. Yet that intersection is exactly what Netflix’s latest true crime documentary, Why Did You Kill Me?, covers. The hour and a half long documentary explores how the late Crystal Theobald’s family used MySpace to expose her killers and get justice.
Before you dive into Netflix’s new documentary, you may be curious about this little known case. Here’s a brief breakdown of Crystal Theobald tragic murder and what her family did to solve her case.
Is Netflix’s Why Did You Kill Me? a True Story?
Yes. Because Why Did You Kill Me? is a documentary, it’s a true story.
Theobald’s murder was a senseless tragedy. It was just a normal day when the 24-year-old mother of two was driving in Riverside, Calif. Theobald’s boyfriend was in the car, as was her brother, Justin Theobald. Her mother, Belinda Lane, was driving in the car ahead of her. When Theobald pulled up to an intersection, tragedy struck. Their car was attacked by a rain of bullets, leading to both Crystal and Justin getting shot. Theobald died of a gunshot wound to the head.
It’s believed that Theobald’s death happened as a result of mistaken identity. The members of the local 5150 gang who murdered Theobald drove a white Ford Expedition. They thought Theobald and her passengers were their rivals arriving with weapons. Instead, it was a young mother who was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
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Police were unable to provide much help when it came to identifying Theobald’s murderers. That’s when Belinda Lane and Theobald’s younger cousin Jaimie took matters into their own hands. Together, they created two fake MySpace accounts, one that used the late Theobald’s picture; and one that posed as a flirty girl, to befriend members of the 5150 gang. As these fictional women became closer and closer with these internet strangers, their plan started working.
Eventually, one of the fake accounts connected to William “Jokes” Sotelo, who was the driver of the white Ford Expedition. Lane was then able to take that conversation to the police who brought in Sotelo for questioning. During that interview Sotelo blamed Julio Heredia, also known as Lil Huero, as the gunman. Sotelo then fled to Mexico for several years. Thanks to their tireless work on MySpace, Theobald’s family was able to get to the bottom of her murder and give police enough evidence to charge her killer. Over 10 years after Theobald’s death, Sotelo was apprehended and charged for her murder. He’s currently serving 22 years in prison.
That’s the story Why Did You Kill Me? tells, an impressive and fearless marriage of one person’s pain and the power of the internet. Whether you’re a fan of true crime or catfishing, this is a documentary you need to watch.
