Netflix’s docuseries, Worst Ex Ever, particulars the tales of terrifying abuse by the hands of serious others. Important others who, as soon as professed love, solely to flip the script to one thing far darker and contemptible. And what the courageous survivors must say is the stuff of nightmares. From the identical workforce that introduced Worst Roommate Ever to Netflix, Worst Ex Ever shifts the main focus from roommates to lovers, “from chilling betrayals to homicide plots, this true-crime docuseries dissects the darkish aspect of affection via eyewitness testimonies.” Every episode interviews survivors, their households, and investigators to offer a radical account of every horrifying case.
‘Worst Ex Ever’ Exposes the Failings of the Justice System
Within the first episode, “Relationship the Satan,” the episode focuses on Ben Foster, a person with a violent historical past who supposed to kill Justine Siemens, his girlfriend. The story of Foster, even earlier than Siemens, is reprehensible. He was charged in 2017 for home violence in opposition to his ex-girlfriend, after which in 2019, holding his girlfriend captive for 2 weeks, which left her with seven damaged ribs, two black eyes, and accidents inflicted by zip ties and duct tape used for restraint. For the latter, he was charged with 5 felonies however pleaded responsible to diminished costs and was sentenced to 30 months in state jail. However in what proves to be a typical theme that runs via Worst Ex Ever, the justice system failed, releasing Foster on the identical day he was transferred to state jail after already having served 729 days whereas awaiting trial.
Foster strikes to Oregon, the place he meets Siemens whereas working as a bartender. All was nicely within the early phases till she reported Foster to his employer after studying about his legal historical past, which led to Foster being fired. That is when Siemens got here face-to-face with “the Satan,” with Foster stalking her, torturing her, and subjecting her to extreme bodily abuse. For 3 days, Foster held Siemens captive, brutally assaulting her, and he or she was solely rescued after managing to name a pal for assist. Foster escaped and altered his look, kicking off a manhunt. After being cornered by police, Foster selected to kill himself after an hours-long standoff on January 31, 2023, by no means taking accountability for the lives he destroyed alongside the way in which.
In ‘Worst Ex Ever,’ the Most Horrifying Tales Solely Appear To Get Worse
In “Betrayed by the Badge,” we observe the story of Seemona Sumasar, a monetary adviser and franchise proprietor with a younger daughter. Sumasar’s life modified after assembly Jerry Ramrattan, an NYPD officer and detective, and the 2 started a relationship. All was nicely till Ramrattan’s spouse appeared. Because it seems, Ramrattan was little greater than a con man who was married and had three youngsters. Regardless of the inevitable breakup, Sumasar allowed Ramrattan to remain in her basement for a couple of weeks. Weeks turned months, after which Ramrattan turned on Sumasar, raping her and fleeing the police afterward earlier than finally being caught.
After getting out on bail, Ramrattan relentlessly hounded Sumasar, attempting to drive her to cease cooperating with the rape investigation. When that did not work, he tried to border Sumasar for armed theft. That, too, did not work, however a brand new plan, applied by Ramrattan with the assistance of two associates, reported armed robberies that painted Sumasar because the responsible occasion, did work (as per the beforehand cited As we speak). She was arrested in Could 2010, and regardless of her claims of innocence and pointing to Ramrattan because the mastermind behind the ruse, police did not take her critically and brushed it off; even a strong alibi wasn’t sufficient to stop Sumasar from being indicted on a number of counts of theft and dealing with 25 years in jail. Though Sumasar finally discovered justice, her story reveals simply how straightforward it was for Ramrattan to govern the system to show in opposition to the sufferer of his crimes.
The Netflix Docuseries Turns a Custody Battle Right into a Crime Scene
As recounted in “Killing for Custody,” Eric Hill, a quiet, unassuming man, met Mei Li at work, and he or she launched him to her daughter, Rosa. Eric and Rosa hit it off and obtained married in April 2005. Their daughter was born the subsequent 12 months, however the pleasure of their first little one was undermined by Eric needing to work two jobs, and Rosa threatening divorce after the arguments between them turned extra frequent. After separating, Rosa refused to permit Eric to see their daughter on her first birthday; Eric then sued for custody. Because of this, Rosa started making up lies, first by emailing Eric’s work claiming he supposed to hold out a taking pictures there, and one other claiming Eric was abusive to their daughter. All of the allegations had been confirmed false, and the courtroom gave full custody to Eric.
On January 7, 2009, Rosa and Mei broke into Sally Hill‘s dwelling, Eric’s 91-year-old grandmother, the place they attacked and killed her. Shortly after, Eric and his daughter arrived, however whereas trying to find Sally, Eric was attacked by Rosa and Mei. When police arrived, it was too tough to make heads or tails of what had occurred, and everybody was taken into custody. Now out of the way in which, detectives had been in a position to search the property, discovering Sally’s physique and a backpack that contained rope, crossbows, a looking knife, a throwing star, and a crowbar, amongst different issues. Rosa’s automotive was discovered half a block away, together with a samurai sword and leg irons inside. This led to detectives uncovering a sickening plan, which might have pinned Sally’s homicide on Eric, and he could be compelled to put in writing a confession too. Then, Eric would “kill himself” in despair, leaving Rosa Hill as the one authorized custodian of their little one.
‘Worst Ex Ever’ Exposes How Chilly-Blooded and Vicious Some Individuals Can Be
“Married to a Monster” tells the story of Kevin Lewis, husband to Amanda Canales and father to their two daughters and a son. As their household grew, so too did Lewis’s darkish aspect, which at first started with controlling habits and snide remarks about his spouse’s physique whereas she was pregnant. Amanda tried to dismiss his more and more frequent temper swings, however after Lewis went via her telephone, he cornered Amanda within the closet and attacked her. This led to Amanda leaving Lewis, taking the kids together with her to a different dwelling, just for Lewis to observe her and practically kill her after putting her head repeatedly. The assault pushed Amanda to file for divorce and for a restraining order, which finally proved to be ineffective.
Lewis paid Jerradon Phelps and Alexis Hale $2,400 to kill Amanda, and on September 20, 2017, the assassins entered the house. Amanda could be spared as she was away on a enterprise journey, however her sister, Alisha Canales-McGuire, who was watching her youngsters, was not and was killed. Phelps and Hale had been taken in, however makes an attempt to hyperlink Lewis, Phelps’ cousin, to the crime proved fruitless. At the least till detectives acquired a tip concerning Hale’s bragging on social media about having killed somebody. Detectives had been then in a position to monitor Hale’s Snapchat movies to indicate the pair travelled from Spokane to Everett, stopping at Lewis’ home, and carrying on to Amanda’s dwelling, the place neighborhood Ring cameras and a close-by safety digital camera had been proof-positive of the trio’s guilt.
‘Worst Ex Ever’ Presents the Survivor’s Tales With out Glamorizing the Particulars
A real-crime documentary is commonly tough to tug off with out someway dramatizing the gamers behind the crimes. One documentary that succeeded in that is one other Netflix enterprise, American Homicide: Laci Peterson, just for a competing documentary trying to exonerate the person convicted of the crime, Scott Peterson, to air on Peacock days later. The way in which Worst Ex Ever steps round this, although, may be very intelligent. There aren’t any stay recreations of the occasions, however key moments in all 4 tales are dramatized with surprisingly efficient animated sequences. That is continued within the present’s second season, the strategy serving to to intensify the small print of what occurred with out involving pointless visceral violence. It forces the viewer to grasp, to really feel the emotion of the occasions with out catering to a gratuitous dramatic visible that’s disturbing.
Worst Ex Ever additionally succeeds at providing an even-handed method to every story. Responsible events are simply that, responsible events, and that features these within the justice system who failed the survivors. It is not a complete damnation of that system, because the collection takes its time in listening to from regulation enforcement people who had been instrumental in seeing justice served as nicely. Most significantly, Worst Ex Ever stands as a warning bell for viewers, detailing the indicators to search for and the hope of popping out the opposite aspect.
