Plot Synopsis

Executive produced by Alex Gibney, THE KILLING SEASON is a one-hour, true-crime series that follows two documentarians, Joshua Zeman and Rachel Mills, as they investigate one of the most bizarre unsolved serial killer cases of our time: ten dead sex workers discovered on Gilgo Beach, Long Island, along a desolate stretch of highway. Authorities believe these killings are the work of the Long Island Serial Killer, who after five years remains at large, but local law enforcement is doing little to calm the nerves of an anxious community seeking answers. Forging relationships with cyber-sleuths, journalists and victim's families, Josh and Rachel uncover connections that suggest Long Island is just the beginning. While working with Websleuths.com and data journalists, the filmmakers uncover a web of eerie connections to unsolved murders from Atlantic City to Daytona Beach and beyond, revealing that serial killers are targeting sex workers in record numbers while using the Internet as their virtual hunting ground. Many of the victims, often referred to as the "Missing Missing," are never accounted for and their murders are far less likely to be solved. And along the way, the duo reveal that everyday citizens can make a difference by uncovering clues that police cannot. On Saturday, November 12, 2016 from 9-11pm ET/PT, A&E premiered THE KILLING SEASON, showing back-to-back new episodes. In the series opener, "Whoever Fears Monsters," Josh and Rachel set out to document the case of the Long Island Serial Killer, and they suddenly find themselves entangled in a quest to the elusive killer by uncovering a tale of deceit and ignorance that takes them deep inside the world of online escorting. Then, in the night's second new episode (10pm), "The Most Dangerous Game," amateur profiler Peter Brendt's shocking reveal that not just one but two active serial killers are responsible for the ten bodies discovered along Ocean Parkway compels Josh and Rachel to examine a series of mysterious torso killings ascribed to the "Butcher of Manorville" which have become linked to the Long Island Serial Killer case. The filmmakers have an unexpected breakthrough when they locate the former pimp of one of these victims who in his first media interview points out major flaws in the Long Island Serial Killer investigation. The interview prompts Josh and Rachel to re-examine a crucial piece of evidence, which is stirring an online rumor mill when a potential suspect commits suicide. Meanwhile, a web sleuth shares a promising lead for a match to one of the unidentified that could break the case wide open.
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On Saturday, December 3, 2016 from 9-11pm ET/PT, A&E premiered the season finale of THE KILLING SEASON, showing back-to-back new episodes. In the night's first new episode (9pm), "Wasteland," discovering that the current systems in place to detect serial killers are severely broken, and suffering from an inability to connect the dots, Rachel and Josh head to New Mexico to experience firsthand just how bad things have become. After quickly being shut down by Albuquerque police, Rachel and Josh find themselves searching for a drifter who left a mysterious message for a local PI including details of the case. And soon they realize eerie connections between the victims expose an even darker reality, one they've yet to experience in their investigations so far. Then, in the finale (10pm), "American Nightmare," with the help of local advocates and ex-FBI, Rachel and Josh search for eight missing women on Albuquerque's West Mesa when they discover they may be dealing with something even more sinister than a lone serial killer. In an attempt to uncover clues in New Mexico, Rachel and Josh score a lead from a self admitted serial killer that's too tempting to ignore which has them turning their lens back to Long Island and to a meeting with an unusual and dark individual. While tracking down this lead, a break in the Gilgo case exposes corruption and brings them back to the beginning and a new hope.