Murder 101 holds premier at Bonnie Kate Theater

ELIZABETHTON — Elizabethton High School may be out for summer vacation, but Monday was a day the students, the faculty and lots of other people in Elizabethton will remember and celebrate. Monday was the day that Amazon Prime officially released the 3-part documentary, Murder 101. To celebrate the occasion, the high school held a Hollywood-style debut at the newly remodeled Bonnie Kate Theater, complete with its brand new marquee. The stars of the documentary were delivered to the front of the theater in enormous sport utility vehicles. The men wore nice suits. Alex Campbell, a sociology teacher at Elizabethton High who is the focus of the documentary, styled in leather suspenders and a feathered bow tie. The coeds made an even more impressive entrance, most wearing glamorous gowns and high heels. Many of those arriving were asked to pose for pictures and answer questions from reporters. It made for an unprecedented evening for Elizabethton. Once through the front doors of the theater, everyone walked by an elaborate display of delicious meats, fruits and other delights that was catered by the Coffee Company. Campbell appeared to be thoroughly enjoying the spectacle. He has already been introduced to such elaborate displays when the first episode of the documentary was shown at Sundance Film Festival as part of the Nonfiction Pilot Showcase. "I learned at Sundance that a premier is not where you just watch a move. People in the audience clap and cheer at the scenes that impress them." He made sure that Elizabethton High School Principal Jon Minton, who welcomed the audience and started the program for the audience, passed along the encouragement to make their emotions heard as they watched the premiere. While the title, Murder 101, reflects the real-life serial killings of several young women that took place along the highways of the region a half century ago, the movie is really about a dedicated teacher and his students who have researched those murders and cause law enforcement agencies to reopen a lot of icy cold cases. The teacher is Campbell. In the film, he spoke about some frustrations many teachers experience with modern education, the emphasis on passing exams rather than taking the time and effort to deeply study a subject. That was the driving force for his efforts to direct the students to deeper study. The response of the students in his classes over the past eight years is the recurring theme in the story. It is their story that Murder 101 is portraying to 240 nations across the globe. The story includes students like William Bowers of the Class of 2019, a member of the class that first started the research that is continuing, working to answer more questions and solve more mysteries. It includes students who came after Bowers, like Hannah Metcalf, who took Campbell's sociology class in 2024 and 2025. She is now studying criminal justice at Milligan University. It is also includes Emma Wooten, who took the class with Metcalf in 2025 and is now in her second year at Northeast State, and plans to study dental hygiene at East Tennessee State University. As he stood outside the Bonnie Kate just moments before the premiere was about the start, Campbell spoke about what a wonderful evening it was. "It's a beautiful evening. People are dressed up and enjoying the moment. The Bonnie Kate is back and has a beautiful new marquee." It was a great night for a world premier.