ITV is set to air a gripping true crime documentary series titled 'Look Into My Eyes', examining the disturbing case of Dr George Kenney, a former Florida principal who used hypnosis on students without a license. The series delves into the deaths of three 16-year-old students in 2011: Wesley McKinley died by suicide one day after a hypnosis session, Brittany Palumbo died by suicide a month earlier, and Marcus Freeman died in a car crash a month before Brittany.
Documentary Details and Interviews
The documentary includes interviews with victims' families, experts, eyewitnesses, and others linked to the case. Brittany's mother says: 'I don't think that he programmed her, obviously, to go in and [die by] suicide. But I think he possibly gave her a tool that allowed her to do what she did, because she did not remember most of that hypnosis session. She did not remember the form in which she sat, she didn't remember what he said. Was that what took away her fight and her desire to live?'
Production and Broadcast
Directed and executive produced by Brent Hodge, known for the 2021 documentary 'Pharma Bro', 'Look Into My Eyes' is produced by Blumhouse Television and Anchor Entertainment. Jason Blum, known for horror films like 'Insidious', 'The Conjuring', and 'The Purge', serves as an executive producer. The documentary will air on ITV on August 18.
Investigation and Legal Consequences
In 2011, Dr Kenney was investigated after three students at his school died. He had used hypnosis on about 75 students without an official license. Following an investigation by the Florida Department of Health, he stepped down in June 2012 and pleaded no contest to practising therapeutic hypnosis without a licence. He received two consecutive six-month probation terms and was ordered to complete 50 hours of community service.
Civil Lawsuits and Settlements
The bereaved parents launched legal action against the school board in December 2012, seeking damages for wrongful death. In October 2015, both families reached a settlement with the school board, each receiving the maximum payout of $200,000.
