THE WITMANS
This devastating documentary tells the story of a Pennsylvania couple whose teenage son was convicted to life without parole for the killing of his younger brother.
The lives of New Freedom, PA residents Ron and Sue Witman were turned upside-down by an unthinkable tragedy and its even more tortuous aftermath. In 1998, 13-year-old Gregory Witman was found brutally slain, stabbed over 60 times in the laundry room of the family’s suburban home. The only other person in the house at the time was 15-year-old Zachary Witman, who was subsequently tried, convicted, and sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole for his brother’s murder. From the beginning, Ron and Sue continued to assert their son’s innocence, even as the media and their community demonized Zachary as a cold-blooded killer. THE WITMANS provides harrowing insight into the ordeal of Ron and Sue, who have spent more than 20 years mourning one son while fighting tirelessly to prove the innocence of the other. The film is at once a riveting investigation of a potentially unsolved crime, a gut-wrenching portrait of grief, and a shocking exposé of our country’s flawed juvenile justice system.
In Competition: Pinkenson Award
All sales are final. You must be located within the United States to stream this film. We suggest prioritizing your lineup and watching films as close to the premiere time as possible. This title will be available until November 2nd or until streaming capacity is reached.
CLICK HERE to return to the complete 29th Philadelphia Film Festival program.