True crime drama fans are getting a brand-new series about an extraordinary murder case that went unsolved for decades. The 1985 slaying of pet cemetery owner Dorothy Lou Thompson will be revisited in HBO Max’s new factual series, The Pet Cemetery Murders: A Ghost Story, arriving next month. The show looks at the tension between real-life events and the supernatural elements in this case.
A Case That Haunted a Community
A logline from HBO reads: “The past never stays buried. A haunting exploration of a community’s dark history of violence and bloodshed.” The series follows Dorothy's initial disappearance before her body was found in the Mississippi River, wrapped in chains.
The case went unsolved for decades, with no strong leads or evidence, until a witness came forward in 2009. The man claimed to have seen Dorothy’s ghost demanding justice for her ill-fated demise.
Trailer Footage and Fan Reactions
The trailer features footage from the police interview in which the witness says: “That lady’s wandering the Earth now. I think she’s crying out for justice.” The police officers seem unconvinced by the man’s remarks as they look at each other.
Many people rushed to the comments section under the trailer to share their reactions. However, there was a common thread running through after many had mistaken the trailer for an adaptation of Stephen King’s horror classic Pet Sematary.
One person posted: “Man... okay how many did everyone thought this was Stephen King's adaptation? [sic]” A second said: “Thought we were getting a Stephen King adaptation.” A third wrote: “Here I thought we'd be getting a Pet Sematary sequel.” Someone else added: “Thought it was a tv special about Stephen kings pet cemetery. Colour me disappointed [sic].” A fifth commented: “Thought it was a Pet Sematary spinoff” and yet another said: “HBO this is your sign to make a TV adaptation of Stephen King's Pet Sematary. Your IT series was so good.”
Stephen King Connections
Horror master King’s Pet Sematary was a 1983 novel about a family moving to Maine and living near a pet cemetery in the woods, where strange and deadly things occur. Pet Sematary was adapted into two films, the first in 1989 and then another in 2019. The story has also sparked various spin-offs. Meanwhile, King’s killer clown novel It continues to find new generations of fans following recent and successful film adaptations and a TV series It: Welcome to Derry on HBO.
The Pet Cemetery Murders: A Ghost Story premieres on HBO Max on October 11.
