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Boston, Massachusetts · 1989

Carol & Charles Stuart

TV artwork: Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage & Reckoning — HBO · 2023 · documentary series
TV artworkMurder in Boston: Roots, Rampage & ReckoningHBO · 2023 · documentary seriesDocumentary artwork via HBO / Hulu

The story behind Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage & Reckoning

Charles Stuart shot his pregnant wife, Carol, in Boston in 1989 and blamed a Black carjacker. Carol died, and their prematurely delivered baby also died. The false account triggered an aggressive police search in Black neighborhoods. Charles’s brother later exposed the plot, and Charles died by suicide as suspicion turned toward him.

Content note: violence, abuse, or loss. Linked material may contain graphic descriptions. Screen dramatizations may change events and dialogue.

Roads Traveled

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Boston, Massachusetts. The map provides regional context; individually verified historical places are listed below.

Map sources checked September 14, 2026. No case-specific Odd Stops location was found in this review.

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Odd Stops
No verified match found. Source imagery is linked; only separately licensed photos are reproduced.
MurderData
No verified match found.
ArcGIS essay
Not included in this essay.
Reddit map
Reviewed as a general resource. Its coordinates and victim counts were not adopted as case evidence.

“No verified match” describes the accessible material found in this review, not proof that a source has never covered the case. MAP’s anonymous records were not individually matched to people.

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The map shows regional context for this case. No individually sourced historical place is included below.

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Fiction Work

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Scripted stories and fictional inspirations. Scenes, characters, and dialogue can differ from the record.

No verified fictional adaptation or inspiration has been identified in this collection. Nonfiction coverage is listed in the other media sections.

01Books

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This section is awaiting its first entry.

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02Movies

0 items

Watch links, previews, and historical title listings are identified below. Availability varies by service and region; rentals or subscriptions may be required.

A verified movie listing has not been added yet.

New material will appear here after editorial review.

03TV & documentaries

2 items

Watch links, previews, and historical title listings are identified below. Availability varies by service and region; rentals or subscriptions may be required.

Hulu

Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage & Reckoning

Nonfiction screen coverage of this case. The linked page identifies the program or episode; playback, subscriptions, and regional availability vary.

Viewing options & episode details

04Newspaper clippings

1 items

Original newspaper coverage, hosted by Newspapers.com. Read each article in the context of its publication date; later findings may differ. Full-page access may require sign-in.

Featured newspaper clipping

Read a featured clipping here, then explore more reporting in the newspaper archive.

Evansville Courier and Press · 1990-01-15 · Page 7

The Stuart case exposes Boston’s racial tensions

An Associated Press analysis examines the effects of Charles Stuart’s false account on Boston’s Black community.

Historical analysis; includes other reporting on racial violence.

Open full clipping at Newspapers.com

Keep following the newspaper trail.

Search original reporting, follow the trial, and compare how newspapers covered the case over time.

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Newspapers.com controls access to its archive. A subscription may be required; existing subscribers can sign in.

05News & reporting

1 items

apps.bostonglobe.com

Reporting and case background

Linked reporting or commentary. Read the source date for its historical context; access may require a subscription.

Read source

06Podcasts

6 items

Direct links open the selected episode in Apple Podcasts or on its publisher’s site. Some editions may require a subscription.

youtube.com

Murder in Boston — Episode 1 (HBO / The Boston Globe)

Direct episode page for this case or its screen adaptation. Open it for listening options and the publisher’s episode notes.

Listen to the episode

Boston Confidential Beantown's True Crime Podcast

Charles Stuart- The American dream was not enough, a cruel racial hoax set a firestorm ablaze

Podcast coverage of the Carol & Charles Stuart case. Released December 14, 2020. About 33 minutes.

Listen to the episode

Buried Motives

Turmoil in Mission Hill: Charles Stuart

Podcast coverage of the Carol & Charles Stuart case. Released February 8, 2024. About 64 minutes.

Listen to the episode

Today in True Crime

January 4, 1990: Charles Stuart Suicide

Podcast coverage of the Carol & Charles Stuart case. Released January 4, 2020. About 13 minutes.

Listen to the episode

Fresh Hell Podcast

E28: MURDER - Carol & Christopher DiMaiti - The Crimes of Charles Stuart

Podcast coverage of the Carol & Charles Stuart case. Released September 18, 2019. About 73 minutes.

Listen to the episode

Crime of the Truest Kind

EP 5 | The Boston Murder Hoax, Carol DiMaiti, Baby Christopher, and Charles Stuart

Podcast coverage of the Carol & Charles Stuart case. Released November 24, 2020. About 40 minutes.

Listen to the episode

07Social Media

5 items

Case videos, posts, family pages, and creator communities. Creator channels and groups cover multiple cases; each includes a link to the relevant episode. Facebook or TikTok may require sign-in, and groups may require membership approval. Community opinions are separate from verified reporting.

Dr. Todd Grande

Charles Stuart Murder Case | Mental Health & Personality

Video from Dr. Todd Grande covering the Carol & Charles Stuart case. Length: 11:32.

Watch on YouTube

True Crime Brewery

Deadly Greed

Video from True Crime Brewery covering the Carol & Charles Stuart case. Length: 48:55.

Watch on YouTube

CBS Boston

I-Team Exclusive: Man Wrongly Accused In Notorious 1989 Murder Grants Rare Interview

Interview or news segment from CBS Boston covering the Carol & Charles Stuart case. Length: 3:53.

Watch on YouTube

Reddit · r/boston

Murder in Boston — Boston Globe reporters’ AMA

The reporting team answers public questions about its Charles Stuart investigation and companion media.

Read the discussion

Facebook · Creator channel

Buried Motives — Facebook page

Linked by this creator in the episode notes for “Turmoil in Mission Hill: Charles Stuart.” This creator channel covers multiple cases. The matching case episode is linked below. The platform may ask you to sign in.

Visit the Facebook page

08Blogs & essays

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Outside blogs, personal essays, and creator write-ups. These reflect each author’s perspective. Check publication dates and compare claims with reporting and court records.

This section is awaiting its first entry.

New material will appear here after editorial review.

09Internet Archive

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Individual records from Internet Archive: library books, historical broadcasts, and preserved web pages. A catalog listing does not guarantee free reading or full playback. Access, previews, and borrowing are controlled by Internet Archive.

This section is awaiting its first entry.

New material will appear here after editorial review.

10From the journal

0 articles

This section is awaiting its first entry.

New material will appear here after editorial review.

11Court records & documents

3 items

Court opinions, filings, transcripts, and dockets, alongside clearly labeled parole records, released investigative files, and courtroom recordings. Each item identifies its source and scope. Allegations in filings are not findings of guilt. These selections are not complete case files. Where an online document could not be verified, a separate guide identifies the records office or archive to contact.

Records-access rulingArchive copy

WBZ-TV4 v. District Attorney — records-access ruling

A Massachusetts judicial decision concerning press access to records associated with the investigation of Carol and Charles Stuart.

Court / agency
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Document date
November 19, 1990
Hosted by
Justia
Records-access rulingArchive copy

John Doe Grand Jury Investigation — disclosure dispute

A related Massachusetts decision addressing access to grand-jury material associated with the Stuart investigation.

Court / agency
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Document date
July 8, 1993
Hosted by
Justia
Records-access rulingArchive copy

Globe Newspaper v. Police Commissioner — records litigation

A related civil decision concerning access to Boston police records connected with the Stuart investigation and alleged police misconduct.

Court / agency
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Document date
April 5, 1995
Hosted by
Justia

12Nicknames & media names

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No sourced nickname has been added for this case.

New material will appear here after editorial review.

13Where are they now?

0 items

The latest information verified for this collection is listed below. Each source has its own date; these are not live custody records.

A current-status update has not been verified for this case yet.

New material will appear here after editorial review.

14Positive Outcome

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Documented laws, advocacy, and reforms connected to this case. Changes do not undo the harm, and listing a law does not claim that it is effective or universally supported.

No case-specific law, reform, or advocacy initiative has been verified for this collection yet. This does not mean that none exists.

New material will appear here after editorial review.