Kelly Siegler Is a True-Crime Celebrity. Did She Frame an Innocent Man for Murder?
The Intercept_, December 17, 2023: Kelly Siegler Is a True-Crime Celebrity. Did She Frame an Innocent Man for Murder?
“…That a case so lacking in direct evidence could convince Siegler’s fans of the man’s guilt was a testament to her skill in crafting a narrative, whether for a TV audience or a real-world jury.
“As an assistant district attorney in Harris County, Texas, Siegler was known for her courtroom theatrics. She once famously straddled her colleague atop a bloody mattress at trial to reenact for jurors how the defendant had stabbed her husband 193 times. Siegler’s flair for the dramatic was perfect for TV, while her reliance on circumstantial evidence allowed her to spin bare facts into a compelling theory that might or might not be supported.
“While ‘Cold Justice’ often boasts about its track record — it has helped bring about 49 arrests and 21 convictions over six seasons, the Oxygen network reported in May — the show has also weathered a series of defamation lawsuits. Many of the cases Siegler assembled eventually fell apart precisely because there was too little direct evidence to convict whomever she identified as the killer.
“Siegler’s TV career has not suffered for the controversies. In September, she took the stage before a cheering crowd in Orlando, Florida, as one of the headliners at CrimeCon, an annual conference for true-crime fans and creators. She was there to promote two shows. Not only had ‘Cold Justice’ begun taping its seventh season, but she would also be starring in a new series, ‘Prosecuting Evil With Kelly Siegler.’ The program, which premiered on November 18, takes her back to her home state to examine ‘the most harrowing homicides and toughest trials in Texas history — all told with Kelly Siegler’s unique insight and unparalleled access.’
“‘Prosecuting Evil’ will revisit some of Siegler’s old Harris County cases, offering fans a behind-the-scenes look at the celebrity prosecutor’s ‘superhero origin story,’ as one of her fellow speakers put it. ‘Both of our shows are about reality. There’s no faking,’ Siegler told the crowd. ‘We’re the real deal.’ She waxed nostalgic for her years in the district attorney’s office. ‘All those big cases,” she said, ‘no one’s ever told those stories.’”
Additional reading:
Innocence Project, March 6, 2019: Informing injustice: The disturbing use of jailhouse informants
Los Angeles Times, October 4, 2023: The use of jailhouse snitches in Orange County bungled at least 57 criminal cases, public defender says
