Court TV is digging into the lowest depths of high society in an effort to prove that the love of money really is the root of all evil.
The network chose a high-profile Utah murder case that producers believe is a prime example of greed at its worst.
"We look for wealthy people involved in cases — typically murder — where money is either used to defend people, or greed is the motive for the crime," said Tony Horn, executive producer of Court TV's "Dominick Dunne's Power, Privilege and Justice."
In late February, Court TV will air the story of a New York City socialite who was convicted of coercing her son into killing his mother's multimillionaire father in 1978.
Frances Berenice Schreuder, a one-time member of the New York City Ballet board, served 13 years of a life sentence for her role in the murder of Franklin Bradshaw. Prosecutors successfully argued that Marc Schreuder, then 17, gunned down his grandfather at his mother's wish in fear that the pair would be cut from Bradshaw's will.
"This is a pretty classic story of greed," Horn said. "The spoiled-rotten kid turned bad — so bad that they killed the patriarch of the family."
Bradshaw, 76, was shot while working on a Sunday morning at one of his many auto-parts warehouses in Salt Lake City. Marc Schreuder was paroled in 1994 after serving 13 years of his possible life sentence. Berenice Schreuder was released from an Ogden halfway house in 1996. Jones said he believes Schreuder still lives in the Salt Lake area.
Court TV interviewed Marilyn Bradshaw, the sister of Franklin Bradshaw; prosecutor Ernie Jones; Mike George of the Salt Lake District Attorney's Office; and Jonathan Coleman, author of the book "At Mother's Request," for the documentary. Schreuder denied Court TV's requests for interviews, Jones said.
No new evidence has turned up in the network's search, Horn said. Most people outside of Utah don't know about this case, and Horn said his audience is waiting for a story like Schreuder's.
"It's a compelling story," Horn said. "People with a lot of money tend to fascinate our audience."
The story has seen its fair share of publicity. Two books were already made into movies. But that doesn't surprise Jones, who said the media frenzy during the trial was amazing.
"It was a real interesting case, it had a little bit of everything," said Jones, a current 2nd District Court judge who served as lead prosecutor on the case. "It had all the things you're looking for — murder, money, intrigue, family betrayal. All that kind of stuff."
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