HLN, which in recent years has pivoted to covering true crime, mysteries and investigations, is bringing back Real Life Nightmare for a fourth season.
The series, which premieres on Sunday, November 13 at 9 p.m. has a new host in Paul Holes, a former cold case investigator.
Holes is a New York Times bestselling author, podcaster, TV host and retired Cold Case Investigator with the Sheriff and District Attorney’s Offices in Contra Costa County, located in the Bay Area of California.
“Real Life Nightmare explores some of the nation’s greatest criminal mysteries—and I am looking forward to bringing my investigatorial experience to the series and helping shine a light on these important cases,” said Holes. “The team behind this show has a real passion for these cases that I have witnessed firsthand—and I am eager to share our findings with viewers as we produce each episode.”
“Paul Holes brings decades of experience in solving the most complex crimes to Real Life Nightmare,” said Real Life Nightmare series ep Elizabeth Yuskaitis. “He is one of the foremost forensic experts in the nation, solving cases that once seemed unsolvable. Victims, family members and investigators on cases we cover welcome his expertise.”
The true crime docuseries that examines heart-wrenching, personal mysteries and unexplained deaths that continue to baffle investigators will open this season with a two-hour special event, “Blood Mountain: The Hunting Ground,” investigating Gary Hilton, also known as the National Forest Serial Killer.
Other cases also covered this season include the disappearance of flight MH370, the unsolved murder of Catholic priest Father Alfred Kunz and the mysterious kidnapping of Lindsey Baum.
Real Life Nightmare is produced by HLN Investigations, which has also developed the true crime docuseries Sex & Murder; Lies, Crimes & Video; and HLN Investigates.
A preview of the new season can be found here, and episode descriptions and airdates can be seen below.
“BLOOD MOUNTAIN: THE HUNTING GROUND” (November 13, 9 pm): 24-year-old Meredith Emerson disappears on New Year’s Day on a hike up Blood Mountain. Eyewitness accounts of a strange toothless man with a dog lead investigators to Meredith’s remains—and uncover several unsolved murders.
“THE DISAPPEARANCE OF FLIGHT MH370” (November 20, 9 pm): 239 passengers vanished in March of 2014, never to be seen again. Shortly after takeoff, a routine flight becomes a trip from hell when pilots stop responding and the plane disappears from radar.
“SECRETS IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH: FATHER KUNZ MURDER” (November 27, 9 pm): A Catholic priest was found with his throat slit in his church of 32 years. Did Father Kunz’s investigation of sex abuse in the church play a role in his unsolved murder?
“WHO KIDNAPPED LINDSEY?” (December 4, 9 pm): 10-year-old Lindsey Baum disappeared while walking home alone in a small town in Washington state. Her remains were discovered eight years later, more than 100 miles away.
“MOMMY MURDERED: ARIANNA VANISHED” (December 11, 9 pm): 2-year-old Arianna Fitts vanishes from San Francisco after her young mom is discovered murdered and buried in a local park. Just days earlier, the mom was on her way to go meet her daughter’s babysitter.
“AMBUSH ON EXIT 34” (December 18, 9 pm): A young police officer is ambushed and shot with a 12-gauge shotgun in the middle of the night on his way home from work, but this isn’t the only unsolved mystery in the small and quaint community of Bardstown, Kentucky.