Into the Abyss

Into the Abyss (subtitled A Tale of Death, a Tale of Life) is a 2011 documentary film written and directed by Werner Herzog. It is about capital punishment, and focuses on a triple homicide that occurred in Conroe, Texas, in 2001. In the film, Herzog interviews the two young men convicted of the crime, Michael Perry (who received a death sentence) and Jason Burkett (who was given a life sentence), as well as family members and acquaintances of the victims and criminals, and individuals who have taken part in executions in Texas. The primary focus of the film is not the details of the case or the question of Michael and Jason's guilt or innocence, and, although Herzog's voice can be heard as he conducts the interviews, there is a minimal amount of narration, and he never appears onscreen, unlike in many of his films. The film was first screened on September 3, 2011, at the Telluride Film Festival, and had its official world premiere on September 8 at the Toronto International Film Festival. After strong festival showings and a surge of interest in the issue of capital punishment in the United States, Herzog requested that the film be rushed into general theatrical release, which occurred on November 11, 2011. Synopsis On October 24, 2001, 50-year-old nurse Sandra Stotler was murdered in her house in a gated community in Conroe, Texas, and her body was dumped in a nearby lake. A few days later, Michael Perry and Jason Burkett, both 19 years old, were arrested for Sandra's murder, and details in Michael's confession led law enforcement to the bodies of Sandra's grandson Adam (who Sandra was raising) and Adam's friend Jeremy Richardson, who were killed the same day as Sandra, but in a different location. According to a representative of the Montgomery County Sheriff's Department, Michael and Jason, who were acquaintances of Adam and Jeremy, murdered Sandra to steal her car, but found themselves locked out of her gated community when they returned after dumping her body, so they waited for Adam and killed him and Jeremy, who was with Adam, for Adam's gate-opener. They then stole both Sandra and Adam's cars and proceeded to give their friends joyrides, saying they had won the lottery. Michael received a death sentence, while Jason, thanks, in part, to an emotional appeal from his father (who had been incarcerated for most of Jason's life), was given a life sentence.