The award-winning Oregonian/OregonLive project, “Ghosts of Highway 20,” an in-depth exploration of series of crimes against women and a suspected serial killer, is heading to TV as a documentary series.
- Best way to watch: Sign up and watch the two-episode premiere for free with Philo (free trial) on Saturday, November 5 at 5 p.m. The series will also be available streaming on Max.
With a working title of “Highway 20,” the series comes from Oscar-winning actor Octavia Spencer’s production company, Orit Entertainment, as part of a partnership and development deal with ID, Discovery+ and October Films. Production is underway on the three-episode, one-hour “Highway 20,” which is part of a planned slate of projects for ID, or Investigation Discovery, a true-crime cable network, and the Discovery+ streaming service.
The team that produced the five-part 2018 “Ghosts of Highway 20″ project included reporter Noelle Crombie, photographer and video editor Dave Killen, and photographer Beth Nakamura. The multimedia series was an investigation into a series of unsolved crimes from the 1970s to the 1990s, specifically the cases of four women who disappeared, and one who was raped, in the vicinity of Highway 20, an east-west route in Oregon.
This composite photo features images of top left, Kaye Turner, top right, Rachanda Pickle, bottom left, Sheila Swanson, and bottom right, Melissa Sanders, victims who are part of the "Ghosts of Highway 20" Oregonian/OregonLive series. LC-
“Ghosts of Highway 20″ revealed that a man named John Arthur Ackroyd was linked to the five crimes. Throughout the stories, documentary videos, and photographs, the series kept the focus not on the late Ackroyd, but on victims and their loved ones. “Ghosts of Highway 20″ won the National Journalism Impact Award from the National Women’s Coalition Against Violence and Exploitation, in recognition of the series’ attention to how the justice system often fails to serve women and other victims from traditionally marginalized groups. The project also won five regional Emmy Awards.
The “Highway 20″ series will be directed by Arianna LaPenne, a documentary filmmaker whose work includes the Emmy-nominated Netflix series, “Connected: The Hidden Science of Everything,” and “Pandemic: How to Prevent an Outbreak.”
In the announcement of the “Highway 20″ project, Spencer said, “As an avid fan of true crime, to now be partners with ID and October Films is a dream,” adding, “Everyone at Orit Entertainment is committed to shedding light on the most fascinating cases and crime stories with a unique perspective. We are thrilled to launch our collaboration with ‘Highway an incredible series of cases that took place over decades, only recently connected into a larger story – and this is just the beginning.”
“Highway 20″ is part of an overall production and development deal that teams Spencer’s company, ID, Discovery+ and October Films, an arrangement that’s expected to produce multiple true-crime series and specials.
Other projects from Spencer’s Orit Entertainment include the Apple TV+ series, “Truth Be Told,” and Netflix’s “Self-Made: Inspired By the Life of Madam C.J. Walker.”
More of our coverage:
Ghosts of Highway 20: What is the story behind that eerie yet beautiful Lucinda Williams song?
-- Kristi Turnquist
kturnquist@oregonian.com 503-221-8227 @Kristiturnquist