Madison Hamburg’s documentary, ‘Murder on Middle Beach’, has reached its conclusion, but it hasn’t revealed who the murderer of Barbara Hamburg was.
The HBO true-crime series was an exceptionally personal look at the turning point in creator Madison Hamburg’s life. The documentary follows Madison as he investigates the shocking murder of his mother Barbara Beach Hamburg. The series depicted how the investigation process caused rifts between the family and the secrets which suggested their involvement in the murder. The brutal crime was committed in 2010 when Madison was 19-years-old. His mother was found bludgeoned to death outside their home.
Highlights —
- Questions we have after the ‘Murder on Middle Beach’ finale
- Will the mini-series get a second season?
- The show didn’t mean to solve the murder, says Madison
The murder changed the town of Madison, Connecticut, forever, with early investigators concluding it to be a crime of passion. Eventually, Hamburg took matters into his own hands, and over the course of eight years, interviewed family members and friends. He hoped to learn more about his mother’s life along the way, and the documentary is an intimate look at what happened.
Questions we have after the ‘Murder on Middle Beach’ finale
The biggest question of all is the one that surrounds the identity of the murderer of Barbara Hamburg. Fans expected the mini-series to solve the case, but it only eliminated a few suspects, instead of deciding on one. Madison Hamburg is still working on finding answers. Throughout the series, the main suspect is always believed to be his father Jeffrey Hamburg, Barbara’s ex-husband. He has never been charged with murder due to his alibi, which states he was in court at the time of the crime.
‘Murder on Middle Beach‘ dives into great detail, covering their bitter divorce. Jeffrey and Barbara Hamburg were to settle a dispute about unpaid alimony and child support, but she was murdered on the same day. The investigation reported that Barbara had received a call from an unknown number, citing that the court hearing had been pushed. Fans are anxiously waiting to hear if a second season will be announced by HBO.
Will the mini-series get a second season?
Since ‘Murder on Middle Beach’ premiered as a limited mini-series, it’s very unlikely for HBO to announced a renewal. That being said, we didn’t get a concluding answer at the end of season 1, and Barbara’s son is still looking for the culprit. After years of looking over the investigation, Madison found hope once again when his FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) request was granted. In October 2020, the police department shared over 1,500 documents, which could help Madison find the perpetrator.
In an interview with “E!”, Madison shared:
“After eight years of piecing together fragments of people’s memories about my mom and March 3 and what was going on in her life – having these case files, the clarity and accuracy of facts within these files would’ve saved me so much time.” Talking about the possibility of a second season, he said: “There’s certainly more to the story. This kind of opens the investigation up in a new way, in a new chapter. It’s really … exciting is a weird word for it, but I guess that’s how I feel.”
The show didn’t mean to solve the murder, says Madison
The most important thing the documentary was meant to do, was to create a conversation about the case once again. It has been 10 years since Barbara’s murder, and Madison endeavoured to bring light to the investigation.
In an interview with “Esquire”, Madison shared:
“In setting out to do this, I didn’t have an expectation that we would solve my mom’s case, but there are many goals I have had throughout this process and they sort of evolve. And one of them was, if we don’t solve my mom’s case, then the documentary becomes a tool for me to get my mom’s story out there and provide some momentum.”
The series has definitely achieved that! We can only hope that Madison is able to solve the crime and put an end to the trauma it has caused his family. The television series is concluded for now, but Madison will continue on his quest off-camera. Did you watch ‘Murder on Middle Beach’? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
