20 Years of 'Snapped'

Some twenty-odd years ago this month, a little-known new network sought to be the Lifetime for millennials. Oxygen had a little something for every girl and gurl. During the day, it featured a variety of movies, and shows; I specifically remember Angelina Jolie’s Gia on rotation. Then in 2006, it hopped on the reality TV train introducing a generation to The Bad Girls Club, which originally hoped to better the lives of its house guests. And for those who didn’t have HBO or Showtime, it supplied late-night fervor with its softcore adult series Bliss, and Talk Sex with Sue Johanson (RIP).

While all these flavors had their proverbial week, none had quite the impact as the seed that planted the media’s current true-crime forest: Snapped. Before you argue, “Lorin, true crime existed before 2004,” you’re right. It did. John Walsh, Robert Stack, and COPS fueled our appetite for salacious crime and its complex perpetrators. But the detective tales about serial killers and their victims were mostly a man’s sport. The heroes and villains battled in a game of brains and brawn in stories involving money, mobs, mother’s absent love, and toxic masculinity. But this tainted perspective ignored 50% of the population, and frankly, the majority of victims. Snapped single-handedly changed the narrative, pushing the genre to the multimillion-dollar business it is today — whether we like it or not.

The podcast live shows, docuseries, and documentaries. The dramatizations and adaptations of the podcasts and vice versa on Audible and Audiochuck. They all owe their livelihood to this little show, now in its 34th season. The then-half-hour series leaned more toward shock-and-awe as only a snippet of the network’s full programming package. Today, the network has embraced Snapped’s success, becoming a 24/7 destination for true crime with spinoffs (Snapped: Killer Couples ) and other franchises (Buried in the Backyard, Killer Relationship, and The Real Murders of Insert City Here). While the show is now a bigger part of pop culture’s obsession with breaking one of the Ten Commandments, I sometimes miss the early, simpler days. Before Ryan Murphy’s American Crime Story, American Sports Story, and MONSTER sagas, it was just Snapped.

As an ode to the originator, here are my top five favorite Snapped episodes in no particular order.

S2E2: Rita Gluzman

Gluzman conspired to kill her scientist husband, Yakov, after he filed for divorce. Fearing she would lose co-ownership of their fruitful computer company, Rita convinced her cousin, Vladimir Zelenin, to murder Yakov in April of 1996. Yakov was stabbed, struck with an ax, and later dismembered. The murderous duo was soon caught when police spotted Vladimir tossing Yakov’s remains in trash bags into the Passaic River.

During the trial, Vladimir testified against Rita, alleging she conspired the entire plot, convincing him he would be without his job at the computer company if she were to get divorced. Vladimir says they purchased the murder weapon and trash bags before killing Yakov in his home. The following year, Rita was sentenced to life in prison on the federal charge of interstate domestic violence resulting in death, a violation of the Violence Against Women Act.

In 2020, Rita was granted a compassionate release due to multiple health issues and was placed in the care of her sister.

S3E2: Yesenia Patino

Yesenia Patino was living as the other woman to her wealthy, married lover, Donald Willoughby. Their affair was going beautifully until 1991 when Dan’s wife, Trish, was found murdered while on a family vacation in Mexico. Dan became the prime suspect, but authorities soon discovered he must have had help. Yesenia and her lover were eventually arrested and charged with the murder. But the affair wasn’t the only secret Yesenia had: she was transgender.

At the trial, Yesenia admitted to helping Dan kill his wife so they could be together. Dan was found guilty and placed on death row, while Yesenia received 35 years. But five years later, Yesenia sang a different tune, saying she committed the act alone. Dan received a retrial, but Yesenia reverted to her original story, landing Dan two life sentences.

S3E4: Jeena Han

Jeena and Sunny Han were identical twins living in Irvine, California. The children of Korean immigrants, both sisters were expected to excel academically and professionally to achieve the American dream. This challenge made the girls very competitive. While things came easier to Sunny, Jeena struggled, receiving her parents’ ire.

Reaching her wit’s end, Jeena conspired to get rid of her sister and assume her identity. She convinced two teens to kidnap her sister and make it look like a robbery. But the plan went awry, resulting in Jeena’s immediate capture. In November of 1997, Jeena Han was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder, two counts of burglary, two counts of false imprisonment, and one count of a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Han was sentenced to 26 years to life in 1998 and was granted parole in May 2018. Her sister, Sunny, supported her release.

S3E7: Mary Thompson

Mary Thompson was revered as a community organizer and anti-gang activist who partnered with high school students and other community members to educate them about the dangers of gang life. When high school senior Aaron Iturra is found dead in his home, a major secret is revealed.

Two teens were convicted of Iturra’s murder, but they placed the blame at Mary Thompson’s feet. Police discovered the anti-gang mother operated a criminal syndicate from her home and had ordered Iturra’s assassination. Mary was sentenced to life in prison, but an appeal reduced it to 25 years.

S5E7: Susan Polk

Knowing what we know now about grooming impressionable minds, Susan Polk deserved better. The former wife of psychiatrist Felix Polk met him when she was his 15-year-old client. At 25, she married Felix and would have his three sons. The marriage would eventually crumble after years of power struggles between spouses. It all came to a head when Felix was granted the house and custody of their youngest son, forcing Susan to move out.

However, days later in October 2022, Felix would be dead, stabbed 27 times, inside his home. Susan claimed self-defense but was found guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced to 16 years to life.