An upcoming documentary series will unravel the gruesome true story of an investigative journalist found dead in a bathtub after pursuing a conspiracy group.
Danny Casolaro’s lifeless body was discovered by a housekeeper at a motel in Martinsburg, West Virginia, in August 1991.
The 44-year-old man had died from blood loss after suffering multiple cuts to his wrists inflicted by “a very sharp pointed object”, and local authorities quickly ruled it a suicide.
But his family and friends have long insisted that he had been murdered for investigating a conspiracy group he called The Octopus.
Here, FEMAIL has laid bare the sordid details of the case as Netflix is preparing to launch a four-part series titled American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders.
Danny Casolaro’s lifeless body was discovered by a housekeeper at a motel in Martinsburg, West Virginia, in August 1991.
The 44-year-old man had died from blood loss after suffering multiple cuts to his wrists inflicted by “a very sharp pointed object”, and local authorities quickly ruled it a suicide.
The chilling case began when Danny began investigating a dispute between the Department of Justice and a technology company called INSLAW.
The conflict appeared to be about intellectual property rights, but it soon appeared to have a much more sinister side.
After months of investigation, Danny reportedly stumbled upon a web of “stolen government spy software, a series of unsolved murders, and some of the biggest political scandals of the 20th century,” according to Netflix.
The writer believed he had discovered a hidden organization, which he called El Pulpo, made up of eight former government officials.
His family and friends have long insisted that Danny had been murdered.
Excerpts purportedly coming from Danny’s investigation, shared in the docuseries’ new trailer, stated: “These eight men are no longer government officials, but their tentacles can reach any part of the government in almost any country.”
The journalist thought that the whole conspiracy had started with Promis, a computer program that, according to sources in the series, “supposedly allowed the CIA to spy on the intelligence agencies that bought it.”
And it seems the show has become embroiled in shocking speculation, including that “everyone who worked on it is dead.”
There were a series of suspicious, apparently related deaths, including three men who were fatally shot and another who had a “cable running from his neck to his ankles.”
Danny became “obsessed” with uncovering the entire story, but never had the chance to finish his investigation.
In the summer of 1991, hHe headed to the motel hoping to interview a key source for the story, but never returned.
His death was ruled a suicide, but many believed his wounds were far from self-inflicted, a sentiment echoed by those appearing in the upcoming Netflix series.
‘It just didn’t sit well with me. In my mind, I’m thinking “they killed him,” one commenter urged.
The chilling case began when Danny began investigating a dispute between the Department of Justice (based in DC, pictured) and a technology company called INSLAW.
The writer believed he had discovered a hidden organization, which he called El Pulpo, made up of eight former government officials.
Netflix’s American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders will premiere on February 28
“In the book Danny was writing, he starts investigating these powerful people and realizes there’s something much bigger going on.”
“Most of us were convinced that he had been hurt by covering this story,” one woman added.
Another man explained: ‘I told him not to talk to certain people. Not to raise certain questions.
The trailer concludes dramatically with a warning seemingly addressed to the documentary makers themselves, reading: “If you think for one minute that you’re going to expose anyone, they’ll kill you.”
Netflix’s American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders will premiere on February 28.