Skip to content

Why did you kill me: Is this based on a true story?

April 15, 2021

Find out if the Netflix movie Why You Killed Me is based on true events! Explanation of the case with Crystal Theobald, etc.

Why Did You Kill Me is available on Netflix! If you want to know if it is inspired by a true story and additional details, read on! It’s not uncommon to hear stories from elaborate online fishermen or salon detectives solving closed cases. But these two things rarely go hand in hand. Yet this intersection is exactly what the latest documentary from Netflix about real crimes, Because you killed me ? This 1.5-hour documentary explores how Crystal Theobald’s family used MySpace to expose their killers and seek justice.

Resume

The new documentary by Netflix, why did you kill me?, has everything you need to draw attention to the real criminal genre. The documentary opens with a blast from the past: the browser on a Windows XP desktop starts up and we see a mouse heading to MySpace. There, we witness a chat between a young man and a young woman who flirt through the messaging platform of the social network. He declares his love to her in capital letters.

From there, viewers are transported back to a February 2006 night in Riverside, California, where the Lane-Theobald family was heading to the local grocery store that night. Crystal, 24, was in the car with her boyfriend and brother, Justin Theobald. Crystal’s boyfriend was driving and her mother, Belinda Lane, was in another car right in front of them. We will tell you more below!

Why did you kill me is based on a true story?

Yeah why you killed me is based on a true story. Crystal Theobald’s murder is a mad tragedy. It was a day like any other when this 24-year-old mother of two was driving in Riverside, California. Crystal Theobald’s boyfriend was in the car, along with her brother, Justin Theobald. Her mother, Belinda Lane, was in the car in front of her. When Theobald stopped at an intersection, tragedy struck. Their car was hit by a hail of bullets, Crystal and Justin were shot dead, Theobald died of a gunshot wound to the head.

Theobald’s death is believed to be due to an identity mistake. Members of the local 5150 gang that murdered Theobald were driving a white Ford Expedition. They believed that Theobald and his passengers were their rivals who arrived with weapons. Instead, it was about a young mother who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

because you killed me true story

Explanation of the resolution of the case

Police were unable to provide much assistance in identifying Theobald’s killers. It was then that Belinda Lane and Jaimie, Theobald’s little cousin, took matters into their own hands. Together, they created two fake MySpace accounts, one with the late Theobald’s photo. And the other posing as a girl who flirts with members of the 5150 gang. As these fictional women approached these strangers on the internet, their plan began to work.

Finally, one of the fake accounts was connected to William “Jokes” Sotelo, who was the driver of the white Ford Expedition. Lane was then able to pass this conversation on to the police, who summoned Sotelo for questioning. During this interview, Sotelo accused Julio Heredia, also known as Lil Huero, of being the shooter. Sotelo then fled to Mexico for several years.

Through his tireless work on MySpace, Theobald’s family was able to shed light on his murder and give the police enough evidence to charge his killer. More than ten years after Theobald’s death, Sotelo has been arrested and charged with his murder. He is currently serving a 22-year prison sentence. This is the Why Did You Kill Me story ?, an impressive and courageous marriage between the pain of one person and the power of the internet.