Crime reporter reveals the one thing she still does years after seeing her first dead body
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A brand new season of an unmissable true crime docuseries is set to air tonight (5 September) on ITVX.
Presented by crime reporter Ava Glass, the 10-part series takes an unflinching look at murder cases across the UK and USA, giving viewers unique access to the damning video footage that ultimately led to the conviction of cold-blooded killers.
As well as focusing intently on the lives of the victims, Killers Caught On Camera gives their bereaved loved ones a platform, and hears from a multitude of experts including police officers and legal teams.
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From doorbell cameras, to dashcams, security cameras and mobile phone footage - the gripping documentary explores how every frame counts when it comes to convicting a murderer.
Alongside presenting Killers Caught On Camera, Glass is an award-winning investigative journalist, crime reporter and author - and perfectly poised to tell the victims' stories sensitively and informatively.
Glass, who admits that she has seen 'more dead bodies than she can remember' throughout her career, started out as a crime reporter by shadowing detectives, to then write about the crimes that she had witnessed.
Talking to Tyla, Glass opened up about her first time ever seeing a dead body at just 21-years-old.
She said: "A body was reported floating in the Savannah River, which flows through the middle of the city.
'I made myself a promise that I would not throw up'
"I found the police cars parked at the edge of the river, and clambered down the levee after them. By the time I reached the detectives, the body had been retrieved from the water and lay on the bank.
"He'd been floating face down, and with rigor mortis, his arms were still held up, riverweed dangling from his fingertips."
Glass continued: "I remember everything about that man. His striped shirt. His brown belt. Khaki trousers. No shoes. It was 95 degrees and the smell was indescribable. And on that day I made myself a promise that I would not throw up. I had to get tough to do the job."
Despite years passing since the event, and seeing countless more dead bodies since, there's one thing that Glass still does instinctively.
She says: "I triple lock my doors every single night all these years later."
When asked what kind of emotions she experienced presenting a documentary about murder, Glass said it led to the same 'bafflement' she experienced as a crime reporter.
'Most people would show more emotion when talking about buying a new car'
She explained: "The second they pull the trigger they've not only taken someone's life, but also ruined their own. And yet the trigger gets pulled all the same. Over and over again. So telling these stories brought all of that back."
As for which case was the most difficult to stomach during filming, Glass said that it's the case of Kaylene and Lynette Keller, who were murdered by the father of the family.
Glass recounted: "Peter Keller filmed himself planning the killings and building a bunker in the woods where he intended to hide from the police. In the videos, he's calm and matter-of-fact as he explains how he'll kill his wife and his only child - most people would show more emotion when talking about buying a new car."
She continued: "Something inside him had snapped. It's very rare for us to see a killer speaking with such openness. They're usually very calculating about what they say. But Peter Keller seems perfectly candid and calm, and it's incredibly chilling. What he's saying and doing is horrible. And yet he appeared to be a perfectly ordinary normal man."
Killers Caught on Camera is launching on ITVX tonight at 10pm.
Ava Glass' latest novel, The Trap, is out now and available here.
Topics: Documentaries, ITV, True Crime, Crime, Books
Kya Buller