Unbelievable

She said she was raped. Detectives said she lied.

The real-life investigation behind the forthcoming NETFLIX series—two Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists uncover the story of Marie, an eighteen-year-old girl who was branded a liar after reporting her brutal rape, and the detectives who followed a twisting path to arrive at the truth.

The real-life investigation behind the hit Netflix series, from two Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE GOLD DAGGER AWARD

She said she was raped. Police said she lied. She was made to retract the report—but the nightmare only got worse.

On 11 August 2008, eighteen-year-old Marie reported that a masked man had broken into her home and raped her. Within days, police—and even those closest to Marie—became suspicious of her story. Confronted by these minor inconsistencies and doubt, Marie broke down and said her story was a lie. The police charged her with making a false report.

Two years later, Colorado detective Stacy Galbraith was assigned to a case of sexual assault. It bore an eerie resemblance to a rape that had taken place months earlier in a nearby town. Joining forces with the detective on that case, Edna Hendershot, the two soon discovered they were dealing with a serial rapist. As their investigation deepened, it became clear that numerous police departments had extremely similar cases on their hands—and that Marie's story bore an eerie resemblance to the cases they were investigating.

Unbelievable is a chilling tale of doubt, lies, and the hunt for justice, unveiling the disturbing reality of how sexual assault is investigated and the long history of scepticism toward its victims.

Previously published as A False Report