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Crime News

A Guide To Who's Who In The Netflix Documentary 'Why Did You Kill Me?'

The Netflix film tells the story of Crystal Theobald's murder from multiple points of view. 

By Leah Carroll
Belinda Lane Netflix

In Netflix's new documentary, "Why Did You Kill Me," a violent crime touches the lives of multiple people whose lives intersected with the victim.

Crystal Theobald was 24-years-old when she was shot to death, leaving behind two young daughters. Her murder devastated those who loved her — it also ripped apart the lives and families of the young men responsible for her death. In the documentary, director Frederick Munk explores Theobald's killing through multiple perspectives, ultimately imbuing his film with uncharacteristic sensitivity as he unflinchingly explores generational trauma and grief. 

Those chronicled in the documentary move in and out of one another's lives, largely unnoticed. But they're a part of the same community, and soon become divided by mistrust, gang violence and racial issues.

Below is a guide to the major players and how they fit into Theobald's story and what came after.

Belinda Lane: Lane, Crystal's mother, has survived a hard life, balancing drug dependency while making ends meet as the sole caretaker of her family. But witnessing Crystal's death changes the course of her life. Mistrustful of law enforcement, she takes the investigation into her own hands. 

Jamie McIntyre: Just 14 years old when her beloved cousin is killed, McIntyre helps Lane craft two Myspace profiles that become crucial in identifying the key suspects in the murder. But the amateur detective work takes its toll. 

"Making someone fall in love with someone who is dead is not a good feeling inside," she says in the film. Women's Health magazine reports that McIntyre is now a mother and full-time student. 

The Brothers: Justin Theobald, then 28 years old, was with his sister in the car when the shots that killed her were fired; he was uninjured. He is also the brother seen in surveillance video cradling his wounded sister's head in the parking lot of a nearby grocery store after the attack.

Her other brother, Robbie Lane, was the likely target of the shooting. Earlier in the evening, he had been involved in a chase with the car used during the shooting.

Nick Mariotti, who was 13 years old at the time of the murder, is Lane's youngest son. He tipped off Crystal's cousin, Jaime, that the perpetrators were members of the 5150 gang and that she could find them on social media. 

William Sotelo: Sotelo drove the vehicle used in the shooting and was later successfully catfished by McIntyre and Lane. Their exchanges with him revealed that he was in the Job Corp and training to be a chef. While Lane came to understand Sotelo as more than just a gang member, she tracked him down to Mexico, where he was arrested. He's currently incarcerated for his role in the murder. 

Julio Heredia: Heredia was just 17 years old when he shot and killed Theobald, having joined the 5150 gang as a young teenager. His sister, Amalia, appears in the film, discussing their difficult upbringing. She describes Heredia as a father figure. Now, he is serving life in prison without the possibility of parole — a sentence that was handed down after Lane asked the judge not to impose the death penalty.