''Murder in the Heartland'' is a television miniseries that aired on ABC in 1993. It was based on the 1957–58 murder spree carried out by 19-year-old

Charles Starkweather Charles Raymond Starkweather (November 24, 1938 – June 25, 1959) was an American spree killer who murdered eleven people in Nebraska and Wyoming between December 1957 and January 1958, when he was nineteen years old. He killed ten of his victi ...

throughout

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...

and Wyoming. Starkweather is played by

Tim Roth Timothy Simon Roth (born 14 May 1961) is an English actor and producer. He began acting on films and television series in the 1980s. He was among a group of prominent British actors of the era, the " Brit Pack". He made his television debut ...

. The first half of the miniseries covers the murders. The second half covers the trials of Starkweather and Caril Ann Fugate, his 14-year-old grooming victim. Their increasingly disparate versions of events are contrasted as the trials unfold. The film received strong praise from critics and Emmy nominations.

Cast

Fairuza Balk Fairuza Balk (born May 21, 1974) is an American actress, musician, and visual artist. Influential in popular culture, Balk is known for her portrayals of distinctive " goth-girl" characters, often with a dark edge. She has appeared in numerous i ...

as Caril Ann Fugate *

Randy Quaid Randy Randall Rudy Quaid (born October 1, 1950) is an American actor known for his roles in both serious drama and light comedy. He was nominated for an Academy Award, BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe Award for his role in '' The Last Detail'' ...

as Elmer Scheele *

Brian Dennehy Brian Manion Dennehy (; July 9, 1938 – April 15, 2020) was an American actor of stage, television, and film. He won two Tony Awards, an Olivier Award, and a Golden Globe, and received six Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Dennehy had roles in ...

as John McArthur *

Roberts Blossom Roberts Scott Blossom (March 25, 1924July 8, 2011) was an American poet and character actor of theatre, film, and television. He is best known for his roles as Old Man Marley in ''Home Alone'' (1990) and as Ezra Cobb in the horror film '' Derange ...

as August "Gus" Meyer *

Tom Bower Thomas Michael Bower (born 28 September 1946) is a British writer and former BBC journalist and television producer. He is known for his investigative journalism and for his unauthorised biographies, often of business tycoons and newspaper pr ...

as Marion Bartlett * Jennifer Griffin as Velda Bartlett *

Rondi Reed Rondi Anne Reed (born October 26, 1952) is an American actress of stage and screen. A longtime member of Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company, she has appeared in more than 50 productions at that theater. Also active on Broadway, she won the 20 ...

as Jonette Fox *

Bob Gunton Robert Patrick Gunton Jr. (born November 15, 1945) is an American character actor of stage and screen. He is known for playing strict authoritarian characters, including Warden Samuel Norton in the 1994 prison drama '' The Shawshank Redemption'' ...

as Governor Anderson * Ryan Cutrona as C. Lauer Ward * Angie Bolling as Clara Ward * Jake Carpenter as Robert Jensen * Heather Kafka as Carol King * Don Bloomfield as Bobby Colvert * John Hussey as Mr. Jensen * James Hansen Prince as Deputy Sheriff Bill Romer * John S. Davies as Merle Karnopp * Mark Walters as Chief Robert Ainslie *

Milo O'Shea Milo Donal O'Shea (2 June 1926 – 2 April 2013) was an Irish actor. He was twice nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his performances in '' Staircase'' (1968) and '' Mass Appeal'' (1982). Early life O'Shea was born and ...

as Clem Gaughan *

Gerry Bamman Gerald G. Bamman (born September 18, 1941) is an American actor and playwright. He is best known for playing Uncle Frank in the films ''Home Alone'' (1990) and '' Home Alone 2: Lost in New York'' (1992), and has also guest starred in several te ...

as Judge Brooks * Jeff Perry as Earl Heflin * Connie Cooper as Hazel Heflin *

Kate Reid Daphne Katherine Reid (4 November 1930 – 27 March 1993) was an English-born Canadian stage, film, and television actress. She played more than one thousand roles, most notably onstage in '' Death of a Salesman'', in the 1980 film ''Atlantic C ...

as Pansy Street *

Marco Perella Marco Perella (born May 18, 1949)Texas Birth Index, Harris County, May 18, 1949. is an American character actor and author, who has played a variety of small roles in motion pictures shot in Texas. He is best known for his role in '' Boyhood'' ( ...

as Bob Von Busch (uncredited) *

Renée Zellweger Renée Kathleen Zellweger (; born April 25, 1969) is an American actress. The recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards, she was one of the world's highest-paid ...

as Barbara Von Busch (uncredited) * Gary Mitchell Carter as Rodney Starkweather (uncredited)

Production

The entire film was shot on location in and around McKinney and Dallas, Texas.

was nominated for the

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie This is a list of winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. Before 1975, supporting actors featured in a miniseries or movie were included in categories such as c ...

Ronald Victor Garcia Ronald is a masculine given name derived from the Old Norse ''Rögnvaldr'', Hanks; Hardcastle; Hodges (2006) p. 234; Hanks; Hodges (2003) § Ronald. or possibly from Old English '' Regenweald''. In some cases ''Ronald'' is an Anglicised form of ...

was nominated for the

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited Series or Movie The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie is an annual award presented as part of the Primetime Emmy Awards. Winners and nominations 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s Programs ...

. An edited version of the production saw a limited release on VHS.

External links

* *
Murder in the Heartland at Allmovie
1993 television films 1993 films American television films Films directed by Robert Markowitz Films set in the 1960s Biographical films about criminals Films about capital punishment ABC Motion Pictures films Cultural depictions of male criminals Cultural depictions of American men {{US-tv-film-stub

Cast

Production

See also

External links