ITV and Argonon’s Like A Shot West have announced Twisted Twins, a new two-part true crime documentary series, with each episode telling the troubling story of a different set of identical twins embroiled in cases of murder, manslaughter or missing persons.
From the missing body case of Lynette Dawson in Australia to the brutal killing in the US of the Whitehead sisters’ mother Nikki, Twisted Twins “finds out what happens when the intense bond between identical twins goes from close comradeship to curse and asks, could their unique relationship – or lack of individual identity – lead to deadly consequences?”
Using archive footage, forensic reports and first-person testimony, each episode explores a different twin true crime story “to examine whether the phenomenon of twinship influenced the dark events that unfolded.”
Twisted Twins investigates the true story of the Atlanta teenage twin sisters Jasmiyah and Tasmiyah Whitehead, convicted of killing their own mother. In 2010, the twins flagged down a police car outside their own home and told the Georgia police officers who raced to the scene that they had found their mother brutally murdered; Nikki Whitehead had been attacked with a vase and been stabbed over sixty times. But soon the sisters’ story would begin to unravel. The investigation follows the trail of evidence to explore the events that led them to commit this crime, speaking to family friends, detectives, twin psychologists and lawyers involved in the original case.
The series also charts the disappearance in 1982 of Lyn Dawson, a missing person case in New South Wales, Australia that went unsolved for over 35 years. When a chart-topping podcast sheds new light on Lyn’s story, previously unknown accusations are levelled against her husband Chris Dawson, and his identical twin brother, Paul, both former part-time models and professional Rugby League players. Through interviews with friends, family and those who knew them, this episode pieces together the events that led to Chris Dawson standing trial for his wife’s murder and explores allegations of historic sexual offences by the brothers.
Like A Shot’s Head of Programming, Danny O’Brien, commented: “Through first person testimony and extensive archive footage, Twisted Twins investigates the uniquely compelling cases of twin true crime. In exploring the psychology of troubled twinship, the documentary examines if the intensity of the bonds directly led to – or influenced – truly horrific crimes being committed.”
Henry Scott, MD at Like A Shot, said: “This gripping new documentary series marks an exciting new direction for Like A Shot West, with our first commission from ITV and our debut series in the true crime space, building on our wider slate of factual shows for UK, US and international networks.”
ITV Controller of Factual Jo Clinton-Davis said: “This series offers a unique take on the psychology of identical twins and a singular twist on the crime genre – offering a double layer of impact and insight.”
Twisted Twins is produced by Like A Shot West, part of Argonon, for ITV. The series was executive produced by Danny O’Brien, Nik Guttridge and Henry Scott and directed by Thomas Meadmore. The series was commissioned by Jo Clinton-Davis, ITV Controller of Factual. The series is distributed by ITV Studios.
Jon Creamer
Share this story
