True crime, as a genre, often feels like a bottomless pit. Just when you think every variation of human awfulness has been examined, another series digs up a forgotten horror. SBS Viceland’s The Flight Attendant Murders, a four-part documentary, isn’t reinventing the wheel, but it does present a genuinely unsettling question: Did Texas law enforcement put away the wrong guy, leaving a serial killer to roam free?
The series, premiering with a double-header on Thursday, February 6, 2025, revisits the unsolved murders of four flight attendants – Jeannie, Cheryl, Beverley, and Jeeta – in the 1970s and 80s. They all worked for the same airline. They all died in disturbingly similar circumstances. And, perhaps most troubling, the killings continued after Jonathan Reed was convicted of Jeannie’s murder.
Episode one introduces us to Jeannie’s inner circle. Friends and family, still grappling with the loss decades later, paint a picture of a vibrant life cut short, and, perhaps inevitably, a police investigation that’s presented with less-than-total confidence. Episode two, focusing on the deaths of Cheryl and Beverley, builds on the creeping sense of unease. Were critical connections missed? Were convenient narratives prioritized over diligent detective work? That’s the territory the docuseries explores, and to its credit, it never tries too hard to provide definitive answers.
The format is familiar enough – talking heads, archival footage, and the occasional, slightly-too-earnest reenactment. What elevates this above the true-crime churn is the sheer, unnerving possibility at its core. If Reed, a man who spent time behind bars, is not responsible, then someone else got away with it. For 40 years. It is a grim subject that will surely be a success with true crime fans. Expert analysts will contribute.
Catch The Flight Attendant Murders on SBS Viceland and SBS on Demand, airing Thursday, February 6, 2025, at 8:30 PM.
