In 1985, Dorothy Lou Thompson disappeared from her home at the pet cemetery she operated in the bayou outside New Orleans. Her body was later found in the Mississippi River, wrapped in chains. The case remained unsolved for decades before new witnesses came forward with unusual claims that brought fresh attention to Dorothy’s death. Their stories form the basis of HBO’s upcoming three part docuseries, Pet Cemetery Murders: A Ghost Story.
Directed by Philip Cairney, the series looks back at Dorothy’s disappearance and the history of the land where her pet cemetery was located. Local people had long believed that the property was cursed, adding another layer of mystery to a case that already had very few clear answers. With no solid evidence available for many years, the investigation eventually went cold.
The case was later reopened by Detective John Doran, who began examining the original leads and looking for information that investigators may have missed. During the renewed investigation, a witness came forward claiming that Dorothy’s ghost had encouraged him to speak about what he knew. Three years later, another witness reportedly said that he too was being haunted by Dorothy. Their accounts gave investigators new information to examine as they tried to understand what happened to her.
As the investigation moved forward, investigators also looked deeper into Dorothy’s family and personal history. The series explores claims surrounding several dead husbands, as well as Dorothy’s mother, Grace, who founded the pet cemetery after reportedly fleeing from crimes of her own. The story also examines the history of violence in the local community and how it may have influenced the events surrounding Dorothy’s disappearance.
Rather than focusing only on the supernatural claims, The Pet Cemetery Murders looks at the case through the investigation, witness accounts and the history of the people connected to Dorothy and the cemetery. The series examines how information that remained hidden for years eventually brought attention back to a case that had been forgotten by many.
The Pet Cemetery Murders: A Ghost Story premieres Oct. 11 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and HBO Max. New episodes will be released weekly on Sundays, with the three part series concluding with its Oct. 25 finale.
