Netflix fans have praised the streaming service's new true crime series, 'American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders', calling it a 'definite must watch'. The four-part docuseries explores the mysterious death of investigative journalist Danny Casolaro, who was found dead in a bathtub at a motel in Martinsburg, West Virginia, in August 1991.
Casolaro died from blood loss after suffering multiple slash wounds to his wrists, which local authorities ruled a suicide. However, his family and friends have long insisted he was murdered for investigating a conspiracy he called 'The Octopus', involving government officials in covert missions.
The series follows journalist Christian Hansen as he unpacks the mystery surrounding Casolaro's death and the conspiracy theory. Viewers have taken to social media to express their shock. One wrote: 'The last 15 mins were nuts. I was so surprised at what happened that I rolled it back to rewatch.' Another added: 'It definitely makes our intelligence agencies look very dirty.'
The case began when Casolaro investigated a dispute between the Department of Justice and technology company INSLAW over intellectual property rights. He allegedly uncovered a web of 'stolen government spy software, a string of unsolved murders, and some of the biggest political scandals of the 20th century', according to Netflix.
Casolaro believed he had uncovered a hidden organisation of eight ex-government officials, which he branded 'The Octopus'. The conspiracy allegedly involved a computer program called Promis, which sources claim 'allowed the CIA to spy on the intelligence agencies that bought it'. Several suspicious deaths linked to the case have fuelled speculation.
