Sensing Murder

Infobox Television
show_name = Sensing Murder


caption =
format = Supernatural
Crime Solving
Reality
camera =
picture_format =
runtime = 90 min
creator = David Baldock
developer =
executive_producer =
starring = Rebecca Gibney (host)
narrated =
opentheme =
endtheme =
country = New Zealand / Australia / United States
network = TVNZ
first_aired = 2003 (AU) 2005 (NZ)
last_aired = present
num_episodes = currently 26
website = [http://www.sensingmurder.co.nz/seriesthree/seriesthree.html]
imdb_id =
tv_com_id =

"Sensing Murder" is a television programme in New Zealand, Australia, and the United States, in which alleged psychics are asked to act as psychic detectives to help solve famous unsolved murder cases in each country. Unfortunately the psychics have not managed to solve any of the cases although they have uncovered facts that only police knew about. They have in some cases provided actual names of alleged perpetrators to police, names of persons confirmed by serving or ex-serving police officers to have existed and resided in close proximity to locations of crimes around the time they were committed.

To "solve" a crime may not be the same as to secure a conviction, the latter being out of the hands of the alleged psychics.

Format

Each episode included detailed reenactments of the events leading up to the murder and the murder itself. Sections of these reenactments are then shown throughout the episode to refresh viewer's memory of the events.

The psychics are given no information about the case other than a photo, which they prefer to keep face-down (The idea being that the less information they have, the better their supernormal abilities function). To demonstrate their abilities, the psychics relay their impressions about the case/person that match details in the case file.

The psychics are then asked to provide any extra information they can using their psychic abilities.

The shows private detective hosts the next section in which he is asked to try to investigate any new leads suggested by the psychics and sometimes talk to the families of the deceased.

The psychics

The show's producers claimed that before each series they tested hundreds of psychics and mediums in New Zealand and Australia with a case that had already been solved. The most accurate psychics were then shortlisted from which the producers chose between two to three of them to attempt to solve the unsolved murder cases.

*Deb Webber
*Sue Nicholson
*Kelvin Cruickshank

Producer David Baldock has rejected a paranormal challenge on behalf of the psychics, but does propose further tests of the psychics if the Sensing Murder show airs a third series in New Zealand [cite web |url=http://www.nzrealitytv.com/2007/09/sensing-murder-responds-to-2-million.html|title=Sensing Murder Responds to $2 million Paranormal Challenge'|work=NZ Reality TV|accessdate=2007-10-05] .

The Unsolved Cases (NZ/AU)

eason 1

*(January 10, 2006) Episode 1: The Patient Killer...Tracey Ann Patient [ [http://www.tv.com/sensing-murder/the-patient-killer/episode/796643/summary.html Sensing Murder: The Patient Killer - TV.com ] ]
*(January 17, 2006) Episode 2: Cruel Intent...Karmein Chan, Sharon Wills and Nicola Lynas [ [http://www.tv.com/sensing-murder/cruel-intent/episode/798723/summary.html Sensing Murder: Cruel Intent - TV.com ] ]
**Australian case; unsolved kidnapping of Sharon Wills and Nicola Lynas, and kidnapping/murder of Karmein Chan
*(January 24, 2006) Episode 3: Walk of Innocence...Olive Walker [ [http://www.tv.com/sensing-murder/olive-walker/episode/799694/summary.html Sensing Murder: Olive Walker - TV.com ] ]
*(January 31, 2006) Episode 4: Lost Soul...Luana Williams [ [http://www.tv.com/sensing-murder/lost-soul/episode/800485/summary.html Sensing Murder: Lost Soul - TV.com ] ]

There was a break during the screening of season 1.

*(April 4, 2006) Episode 5: A Bump In The Night...Alicia O'Reilly [ [http://www.tv.com/sensing-murder/a-bump-in-the-night/episode/805467/summary.html Sensing Murder: A Bump in the Night - TV.com ] ]
*(April 11, 2006) Episode 6: A Mother's Instinct...Lorraine Wilson and Wendy Evans [ [http://www.tv.com/sensing-murder/a-mothers-instinct/episode/815124/summary.html Sensing Murder: A Mother's Instinct - TV.com ] ]
**Australian case, unsolved double murder
*(April 18, 2006) Episode 7: Fallen Angel...Angela Blackmoore [ [http://www.tv.com/sensing-murder/fallen-angel/episode/806068/summary.html Sensing Murder: Fallen Angel - TV.com ] ]
*(April 25, 2006) Episode 8: The Scarlet Letter...Elizabeth Barnard [ [http://www.tv.com/sensing-murder/the-scarlet-letter/episode/815127/summary.html Sensing Murder: The Scarlet Letter - TV.com ] ]
**Australian case, unsolved murder
*(May 2, 2006) Episode 9: Blood Money...George Engelbrecht [ [http://www.tv.com/sensing-murder/blood-money/episode/806069/summary.html Sensing Murder: Blood Money - TV.com ] ]
*(May 9, 2006) Episode 10: The Last Train Home...Sarah MacDiarmid [ [http://www.tv.com/sensing-murder/the-last-train-home/episode/815119/summary.html Sensing Murder: The Last Train Home - TV.com ] ]
**Australian case, unsolved murder
*(May 30, 2006) Episode 11(Season Finale): Almost Perfect...Elmer Crawford [ [http://www.tv.com/sensing-murder/almost-perfect/episode/801439/summary.html Sensing Murder: Almost Perfect - TV.com ] ]

eason 2

*(September 4, 2007) Episode 12: Sensing Murder:Insight
*(September 11, 2007) Episode 13: In Too Deep...Aaron Hopa [ [http://www.tv.com/sensing-murder/in-too-deep/episode/1145096/summary.html Sensing Murder: In Too Deep - TV.com ] ]
*(September 18, 2007) Episode 14: The Girl In The Ditch...Agnes Ali'iva'a [ [http://www.tv.com/sensing-murder/girl-in-the-ditch/episode/1145097/summary.html Sensing Murder: Girl in the Ditch - TV.com ] ]
*(September 25, 2007) Episode 15: Last Orders...Kevin O'Loughlin [ [http://www.tv.com/sensing-murder/last-orders/episode/1145099/summary.html Sensing Murder: Last Orders - TV.com ] ]
*(October 2, 2007) Episode 16: Taken For A Ride...Simon Buis [ [http://www.tv.com/sensing-murder/taken-for-a-ride/episode/1145101/summary.html Sensing Murder: Taken for a Ride - TV.com ] ]
*(October 9, 2007 Episode 17: Lost For Words...Jayne Furlong [ [http://www.tv.com/sensing-murder/lost-for-words/episode/1145102/summary.html Sensing Murder: Lost For Words - TV.com ] ]
**Unsolved disappearence of 17yr old Jayne Furlong
*(October 16, 2007) Episode 18: A Mother's Worst Nightmare...Amber-Lee Cruickshank [ [http://www.tv.com/sensing-murder/a-mothers-worst-nightmare/episode/1145103/summary.html Sensing Murder: A Mother's Worst Nightmare - TV.com ] ]
*(October 23, 2007) Episode 19: Long Way Home...Judy Yorke [ [http://www.tv.com/sensing-murder/long-way-home/episode/1145105/summary.html Sensing Murder: Long Way Home - TV.com ] ]
**Unsolved disappearence of 25yr old Judy Yorke
*(October 30, 2007) Episode 20: The Great Pretender...Garth Doull
*(November 6, 2007) Episode 21: Into Thin Air...Jim Donnelly
*(November 13, 2007) Episode 22(Season Finale): Sensing Murder:Psychics Revealed
**Special about the lives of psychics Deb Webber, Kelvin Cruickshank, Sue Nicholson and Scott Russell Hill From November 20 until December 12, 2007 5 episodes from season 1 were replayed.

eason 3

*(July 8, 2008) Episode 23: Where There's Smoke....Blake Stott
*(July 15, 2008) Episode 24: Now You See Me....Alexa Cullen
*(July 22, 2008) Episode 25: Vanishing Point....Sara Niethe

From July 29 until August 26, 2008 4 episodes from Season 2 were replayed

*(September 2, 2008) Episode 26: Without Warning....Regan O'Donoghue
**Unsolved, June 2007 hit and run death.
*(September 9, 2008) Episode 27(Season Finale): When The Trail Goes Cold....Kaye Stewart
**Unsolved, June 2005 disappearence.

Production difficulties

The producer of the Australian series originally asked to be kept anonymous as she feared uncaught murderers killing her to stop the show exposing them. [cite web |url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/09/11/1062902048579.html|title=Psychic sleuths stalk murderer|work="The Age" newspaper|accessdate=2007-05-21]

The Australian series of Sensing Murder also suffered numerous setbacks including being canceled after one episode on Channel Seven (although picked up later by Channel Ten), and a budget over-run which threatened to bankrupt the producer Rhonda Byrne. [cite web |url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17314883/site/newsweek/|title=Decoding 'The Secret'|work=Newsweek|accessdate=2007-05-21]

Criticism and developments

It was reported during the first episode of Season 2 (entitled, Sensing Murder: Insight) that after the episode about Luana Williams screened, Sue Nicholson received a threatening phonecall from an unknown male claiming to know where Luana's missing remains are located. The Australian series was filmed between 2003-2004 and claimed vague and dubious results, and all the cases are still unsolved. Recent episodes in New Zealand have generated unsubstantiated leads. The episode screened on 16 Oct 2007 on TV2 in New Zealand claims to have identified the killer and the case has been reopened by Police.

Sensing Murder was based on a Norwegian television programme "Fornemmelse av mord" which is on record as having failed to produce any results [cite web |url=http://www.randi.org/jr/112103.html|title=Aftonbladet report - Sensing Murder|work=SWIFT Newsletter|accessdate=2007-05-21]

Australian police dismissed the show and said that they "only deal in factual evidence not psychic" [cite news
last = Crawford
first = Carly
title = Yard hunt for clues on Sarah
publisher = Sunday Herald Sun (Melbourne, Australia)
date = 2004-09-26
url = http://infoweb.newsbank.comP/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_action=doc&p_topdoc=1&p_docnum=1&p_sort=YMD_date:D&p_product=AUNB&p_text_direct-0=document_id=(%201055641EA6BE8035%20)&p_docid=1055641EA6BE8035&p_theme=aggregated4&p_queryname=1055641EA6BE8035&f_openurl=yes&p_nbid=L6EB5BTVMTE4MDAxNzU2MC43MDU1NjA6MTo4OnJmLXNscTE5&&p_multi=AHSB
accessdate = 2007-05-25 ]

A source within New Zealand police has said "spiritual communications were not considered a creditable foundation for investigation" [cite web |url=http://www.bayofplentytimes.co.nz/localnews/storydisplay.cfm?storyid=3670861|title=Police reject psychic advice|work="Bay Of Plenty Times" (NZ newspaper)|accessdate=2007-05-21]

The findings of recent episodes are disputed by sceptics and Police, who do not officially believe in psychic detection and are in most cases not willing to follow up investigations conducted by private investigators on behalf of the show's producers. [ Sensing Murder screened 17 Oct 2007]

The show was exposed on a 2007 episode of Eating Media Lunch in a section called "Sensing Bullshit", which showed footage from Australian TV show "Caught on Hidden Camera" where Deb Webber answered questions about a presenters sister that never existed. [cite web
title=New Zealand Reality TV: Deb Webber Exposed on YouTube
url=http://www.nzrealitytv.com/2007/10/deb-webber-exposed-on-youtube.html
accessdate=2008-01-03] It was further satirized in the season finale, where host Jeremy Wells humorously highlighted the fact that not a single case had been solved. [EML Awards 2007 TV2 Series 7, Episode 9, 7 Dec 2007.]

References

External links

* [http://www.sensingmurder.co.nz/index.html Official website of 'Sensing Murder' NZ]
* [http://www.nzrealitytv.com/search/label/Sensing%20Murder NZ Reality TV episode recaps and discussion of Sensing Murder]
* [http://www.sillybeliefs.com/murder.html Analysis of NZ 'Sensing Murder']
* [http://www.keypoint.com.au/~skeptics/Sensing_Murder Victorian Skeptics 'Sensing Murder' Overview]
* [http://www.keypoint.com.au/~skeptics/Sensing_Nothing Victorian Skeptics 'Sensing Murder' Review]
* [http://seven.com.au/todaytonight/story/?id=16000 'Sensing Murder' Psychic defends her record]