Channel 4 to show compelling US documentary Half Ton Killer

3 November 2011

Channel 4 has acquired the broadcast rights to a compelling film Half Ton Killer, which tells the story of one of the most incredible murder trials America has witnessed.

On March 18, 2008 a two year old boy was beaten to death in a Texan border town. His aunt, Mayra Rosales, was the only one with him at the time and was charged with his murder.  But was this really possible?  Mayra weighed nearly 500 kgs, was bed-ridden and totally immobile. So why was she confessing to a heinous crime she seemingly could not have committed?

The court appointed lawyer, working on behalf of Mayra imposed a total clampdown on all media, but one American film crew gained exclusive and full access to Mayra and her family throughout the investigation.

Mayra's sheer size pushed every aspect of this case to the extreme.  Her health was ailing and no one really knew what she was capable of .  Her trial and potential prison sentence would be a challenge no justice system had ever faced and because moving her would be so difficult, she'd end up having to eat, sleep and go to the bathroom inside the courtroom.

This astonishing film unravels a complex and riveting mystery that delves deep into the culture, character, secrets and misguided allegiances of her family and exposes what really happened at Mayra's home on that day. Was Mayra a martyr or a murderer? 

This incredible film follows the myriad of twists and turns in the case with intimate interviews with Mayra, her family, the investigators, lawyers and doctors involved. Half Ton Killer will be shown on Channel 4 in January.

Channel 4's Deputy Head of Factual Entertainment, Liam Humphreys, said: "Every aspect of this astonishing tale is extreme. Mayra, the world's heaviest woman, is at the centre of a complex and riveting mystery that unfolds into one of the most extraordinary crimes that America has ever seen. Is she a murderess or a martyr?"

Half Ton Killer is a co-production between Megalomedia UK and Rize.  Executive producers are Jonathan Nowzaradan (Megalomedia) and Sheldon Lazarus (Rize), and director is Luke Campbell.

Luke Campbell previously directed high rated Channel 4 documentaries Half Ton Son, Half Ton Dad and Half Ton Mum. Both executive produced by Jonathan Nowzaradan and Sheldon Lazarus.