Goodnight, Sugar Babe: The Killing of Vera Jo Reigle

I'm a big fan of documentaries and while browsing Amazon, stumbled upon this film. I wasn't sure what to expect but figured it had to at least be an interesting story. This film was sort of like watching an episode of Jerry Springer. The colorful characters that make up the story seem as though they'd fit perfectly on the set of the notorious talk show, unafraid to air personal dramas and tales of violence. I say this, not to be mean, but to make the point that this film does not seem focused on portraying the victim or embarking on a larger narrative about her, the cycles of abuse that seem commonplace according to the family members and acquaintances interviewed, or how her mental capacity may have made her a target for abuse. Instead, the focus of the film seems to be on the victim's abusers, with much of the subject matter revolving around the matriarch of this "family". I also found myself uncomfortable with how locals and family members were portrayed. This film feels like sensationalism, intent on pointing out the most lurid and shocking details about these people and their behaviors, despite the fact that some of it is irrelevant to the story.

This film also feels incredibly amateur. Production quality is low, with much of the film looking and feeling like something made by sophomores in the AV Club at the local high school. There is little structure to the story. You're given a quick slideshow presentation of everyone being interviewed for this film, with its respective fade in/out of each photo and their names typeset in Bradley Hand below each one. And then the story takes off. The information comes in small jumbles that are (kind of) in some type of order. But it all ends up feeling like you're sitting in their living room, surrounded by all of them, and being bombarded with the story of every extenuating circumstance surrounding this woman's murder and having to do your best to make sense of it all. Occasionally I found myself lacking clarity on the victim's murder itself, which...well isn't that why we're all here??

Despite the films preoccupation with the seedier details of the people in the victim's life, I did feel a sense of sadness for this woman. She had no advocate and local authorities did little to nothing to help her. In fact, this is one of the points I wish had been further explored as well. Overall, a truly sad story made even sadder by what I saw as a pervasive atmosphere of neglect, physical, sexual and emotional abuse, poverty and incest surrounding this woman with mental challenges. I don't really recommend this film. It feels seedy, exploitative and cheap.

These people are just absolute garbage human beings. I don't think a single person in that family has any redeeming qualities. I am not normally a judgmental person, but oh my god...this entire bloodline needs to be put out of it's misery. The Brooks family make regular white trash look like the Kennedy's. I feel so sad for the poor girl who got caught up in this mess and lost her life, although seeing her background, it's unlikely she had a chance in life anyway. The problem with this show is that Vera seems to play a minor role in the story of her own murder. A lot more focus is put on these "hills have eyes" rejects that barely pass for humans. It so heartbreaking that children are even allowed around a single member of this psychotic, despicable family. If ever there was a case for forced sterilization, this is it! These people continuing to breed is more terrifying than any potential terrorist attack.

I gave this movie a six because I love crime documentaries. However while this is that, it seems less about the very tragic life of Vera, and more about how this jaba the hut of a womans evil puppeteering caused an entire family to become complete animals and brutalize another human being for fun before ultimately murdering her for the sole purpose that they no longer had fun doing it. The police and everyone else in this pathetic town should be held accountable. Every single person let this woman down but that disgusting family should be in prison for the rest of their days. One family member couldn't help but smirk and smile each and EVERY SINGLE TIME he saId ANYTHING about what happened to this womab. They are all guilty and not a single one of them deserve to see the light of day ever again except at yard time in prison. This sugarbear is as vindictive as the crazy woman from Evil Genius. It goes to show you true evil is walking (waddling?) among us and weather you believe in a God or not, it's plain to see real evil exsits. This family is proof. I understand they wanted to do a documentary about this hienous crime but i think the focus was on the wrong subjects. Vera was only the backdrop even in a movie about the crime that was her murder. Its a shame, for her and her poor daughter, the moment she ever laid eyes upon the Brooks family. May she rest in peace.

What happened to aiding and abetting being a crime???

Every single person that was EVER in that house was part of this crime. (Oh yeah, I would go to their house for pizza and Vera would be getting shoved in the oven, but boy the pizza was good)

WHAT? WHAT ?

My brain is stuck.

I don't want to give the director a bad review but justice wasn't served and these disgusting people all deserve to be punished for what they did to this young lady. Ugh!! Wish someone would ever do that to someone I know yet alone related too! The state prosecutor/ city lawyer should be fired too! I'm just upset justice didn't fully get served