Plot Synopsis

Hosted by Troy Roberts (both seasons) and Stephanie Gosk (Season 1), each hour-long episode of KILLER MOTIVE uncovers dark and twisted motives, from vengeance to jealousy to greed that led to gruesome killings. Gosk and Roberts each host four episodes, in which they focus on the reasons why a particular killing occurred and explore how investigators uncovered the motive in order to crack the case. From a staged suicide to a family massacre, Gosk and Roberts strive to understand each crime's motive and to shed light on what drove the killers. They conduct on-the-ground inquiries, returning to the crime scenes and sitting down with victims' friends and family, law enforcement, attorneys, psychologists, and even the killers themselves- to uncover the story of how justice was sought and ultimately attained. At the core of their investigative reporting is the pursuit of a deeper understanding of the relationships behind the horrific killings and of the psychology of the people who committed them.
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The sophomore season of KILLER MOTIVE premiered on Saturday, January 23, 2021 from 6-7:30pm ET/PT on Oxygen, as journalist Troy Roberts returns as host to guide viewers through some of our nation's most horrific murders fueled by vengeance, jealousy, fear and greed. In the 90-minute season opener, "The McStay Family Mystery," the McStay family had recently moved into their Southern California home and appeared to be living the American dream when they mysteriously vanished in 2010. Authorities suspected that Joseph and Summer McStay had voluntarily left the country with their two toddler sons when their car was discovered near the Mexican border. However, friends and family were convinced something much more sinister was at play. The mystery of what happened to this family captured worldwide attention, but with no leads and no evidence, the case went cold. In 2013, the bodies of the couple, their two children and the three pound sledgehammer used to slaughter them were found in shallow graves in the California desert. Who could have murdered the McStays, and what was the motive for killing this family in such a gruesome matter?