From the creator of Abducted in Plain Sight comes The Truth About Jim, a compelling and gripping new true crime documentary about Jim Mordecai – here’s what you need to know about the ending of the series.
HBO is responsible for some of the finest documentaries out there, benefitting from quality production, diverse subjects, and in-depth explorations. Notable entries to the network’s non-fiction offerings in recent months include They Called Him Mostly Harmless, delving into the mystery of an unidentified hiker found dead in the woods, and Love Has Won, about the eponymous cult and its leader, Amy Carlson.
Last December, HBO’s confronting true crime entry Great Photo, Lovely Life left viewers enthralled yet deeply disturbed. In the film, photojournalist Amanda Mustard delves into the decades of child sexual abuse committed by her grandfather Bill Flickinger, highlighting the damage caused by family secrets.
Similarly, the woman leading the investigation in The Truth About Jim is seeking to unearth sinister secrets about her step-grandfather, who may or may not have been a serial killer before his death. With the docu-series dropping on Max today, we’ve broken down the ending. Warning: Spoilers ahead and some may find this content distressing.
The Truth About Jim ending explained
Sierra Barter presents a DNA sample of her step-grandfather Jim Mordecai to the police, as well as substantial evidence indicating why she believes he may have been the Santa Rosa serial killer. Unfortunately, authorities are still looking into the case, so we don’t find out if he was the culprit.
However, the ending does provide a conclusion for Sierra and her family, as they are finally able to experience closure and healing following the abuse they suffered at Jim Mordecai’s hands.
As The Truth About Jim progresses, Sierra embarks on an in-depth investigation into Jim by speaking to his various relatives. This includes her own grandmother, Judy Mordecai; her mom, Judy’s daughter, Jim’s stepdaughter, Shannon Barter; Jim’s second wife, Jeanne Kirkpatrick; and their two daughters Melissa and Jaime.
While digging into the past, it becomes clear that Jim was a man people feared. He would have violent outbursts, delusions of grandeur, and use manipulation to get what he wanted. But perhaps the most upsetting account comes from Jim’s stepdaughter and Jeanne’s biological daughter, Christi Probst.
In the documentary, Christi accuses Jim of repeatedly raping her, starting when she was just 13 years old. The first time it happened, she says she tried to fight him off and ended up scratching his face. When they got home, Jeanne asked him how he got the scratch. Christi wondered whether now was her chance to say something but before she could, Jim blamed his razor.
“I feel like that was probably his moment of thinking, ‘She’s not going to talk. And how much more can I get away with?’” explains Christi. She isn’t the only person to come forward with rape or attempted rape accusations against Jim, with other women alleging that they faced similar abuse when they were teenagers, having met him while he worked at a Future Farmers of America club.
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But was Jim a killer? As the docu-series unfolds, mounting evidence uncovered by Sierra and her family links him to the Santa Rosa hitchhiker murders. The unsolved case occurred between 1972 and 1973 when authorities found the remains of seven young female hitchhikers in Sonoma County and Santa Rosa of California’s North Bay area.
As well as knowing the area well, and even owning a nearby secluded ranch, Jim would often reference hog-tying – the method used by the Santa Rosa serial killer to discard the bodies. Additionally, when Jim died, Judy and Shannon discovered a box that belonged to him – and inside of it were random pieces of mismatched jewelry, the type that would typically belong to teenage girls in the ‘70s. Unfortunately, they discarded the box, not knowing it could have been a key piece of evidence in the case.
Sierra gets to work on retrieving items from Jim’s belongings to get a sample, with the aim of having it compared to the killer’s DNA. Eventually, they’re able to do so, and with the help of a private investigator, Sierra puts a detailed case file together. When they take it to the police, the feedback is positive and it seems like it’s only a matter of time before they can find out whether or not Jim is the Santa Rosa killer.
However, these things often take longer than expected. Right at the end of The Truth About Jim, text across the screen reads: “The DNA report regarding Jim Mordecai was sent to the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office on August 12, 2022. They continue to consider all the information that may connect to the Santa Rosa Hitchhiker Murders. A cold case investigator is looking into Jim Mordecai.”
While this is somewhat of a “to be continued” ending, the true resolution of The Truth About Jim is the closure Sierra’s investigation brings to her family. They all reunite in the final episode, where Christi tells her: “You coming forward and doing this has allowed all of us to heal.”
The Truth About Jim is available from today (February 15) on Max, which you can sign up for here.
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