American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders: release date on Netflix and what happened to Danny Casolaro?

Netflix's latest true crime series will be looking at the story of Danny Casolaro and The Octopus Murders - and it's dropping sooner than you think.

American Conspiracy: The Octopus is produced by Mark and Jay Duplass, who are best known for their Netflix documentary series Wild Wild Country. The latest four-part true-crime series will set to unravel “the political conspiracy of the century."

In 1991, journalist Danny Casolaro, was found dead in a Sheraton hotel room in Martinsburg, West Virginia. The writer had been investigating an ongoing dispute between the US Department of Justice and a technology firm called INSLAW, but what he uncovered revealed a conspiracy which he dubbed "The Octopus".

Photojournalist Christian Hansen has made it his mission to uncover the secrets of what happened to Casolaro and if he can solve it once and for all. Here's everything we know so far about American Conspiracy: The Octopus.

What is American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders about?

Here is the plot of American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders from Netflix: "When journalist Danny Casolaro was found dead in a hotel bathtub, police ruled it a suicide. But his family and colleagues believe he may have been murdered for investigating a conspiracy he called “The Octopus” - a hidden organisation connected to stolen government spy software, a string of unsolved murders, and some of the biggest political scandals of the 20th century. Years later, researcher Christian Hansen pushes to uncover the secrets behind Casolaro’s death, and the story that killed him. From Stardust Frames, Duplass Brothers Productions, and director Zachary Treitz - this four part docuseries untangles a mystery decades in the making."

Is there a trailer?

Yes, Netflix have shared a trailer ahead of the show's release. In it we meet photojournalist named Christian Hansen who has made it his mission to uncover the truth of what happened to Danny Casolaro. You can watch the trailer for The Octopus Murders here.

Who was Danny Casolaro?

Danny Casolaro was a journalist in the 1980s who agreed to investigate a story about an ongoing dispute between the US Department of Justice and a technology firm called INSLAW. No one was prepared for what he would uncover from allegations of money laundering to spyware and Ronald Regan's links to Iran-Contra.

Casolaro likened the network of connected men who where pulling the strings to an octopus, with tentacles far-reaching into high-ranking levels of the US government. He became obsessed with uncovering the truth and bringing the reality of this story to light.

What happened to Danny Casolaro?

In 1991, Casolaro was found dead in a bathtub in room 517 of the Sheraton Hotel in Martinsburg, West Virginia. His death was quickly ruled officially as a "suicide", but questions still remained about his death, with his family, friends and many interested in his case believing he was murdered for what he had uncovered in his investigations.

According to All That's Interesting, days before his death Casolaro had told his friends and family he had been receiving threatening and harassing phone calls during the night. They also state that, Richard Nixon's former attorney general claimed that Casolaro was "deliberately murdered because he was so close to uncovering sinister elements in what he called ‘the Octopus.'"

The case was famously included on an episode of Unsolved Mysteries, but what happened to Casolaro has never officially been solved.

When can I watch American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders on Netflix?

All episodes of American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders will be available to watch on Netflix from Wednesday, February 28.

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Sarah McCann is a Trends Writer for NationalWorld who specialises in stories around TV, Film and Health. If you liked this article you can follow Sarah on X (Twitter) here. You can also share your thoughts in the comment section below.