10 Film Documentaries That Accidentally Uncovered Major Scoops
1. The Thin Blue Line - Death Row Inmate Randall Dale Adams Was Innocent
While in the planning stages of the documentary that would eventually become 1988's The Thin Blue Line, director Errol Morris' goal was to centre his film around psychiatrist James Grigson - otherwise known by the ominous moniker "Doctor Death."
That name was given to Grigson due to the fact that most of the trials he prosecuted in resulted in a death sentence, which is why Morris was drawn to him. But when Morris began to dive deeper into his research, the focus of the documentary was completely flipped on its head.
While interviewing a man called Randall Dale Adams - a death row convict whom Grigson had previously testified against - Morris began to suspect that he was totally innocent, and that he hadn't committed the murder he was being accused of.
And thankfully, Morris' suspicions were bang on the money. Adams was indeed innocent, a massive scoop that Morris uncovered while making his documentary, when he managed to obtain a confession from the real murderer, David Harris.
As a result, Adams' conviction was overturned several months after the film's release - allowing him to walk free.
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