Jamie Hess

In 1992, I was 12 years old, and things were just different. If you're my age or older, you get it. But for the youngins, let me frame this up for you. There was no internet, or hardly any at least. There was no social media. It was a simpler time somehow. The legendary song by Queen, Bohemian Rhapsody, from 1975, was charting again due to its inclusion in the movie Wayne's World.

But if you wanted to listen to said song, You had to go down to Sam Goody or Tower Records, those were the music stores for those of you who are too young to know, and buy a cassette tape. Or, if your parents were bougie, a compact disc. People still watched mostly local news and shows on primetime TV for entertainment. Bill Clinton had just won the Democratic presidential nomination.

But if you wanted to listen to said song, You had to go down to Sam Goody or Tower Records, those were the music stores for those of you who are too young to know, and buy a cassette tape. Or, if your parents were bougie, a compact disc. People still watched mostly local news and shows on primetime TV for entertainment. Bill Clinton had just won the Democratic presidential nomination.

But if you wanted to listen to said song, You had to go down to Sam Goody or Tower Records, those were the music stores for those of you who are too young to know, and buy a cassette tape. Or, if your parents were bougie, a compact disc. People still watched mostly local news and shows on primetime TV for entertainment. Bill Clinton had just won the Democratic presidential nomination.

But nobody had heard the name Monica Lewinsky yet. Reality TV did not yet exist, although that was about to change. In fact, the very first episode of MTV's The Real World premiered just days after the incident we're about to get into. And in a way, this fact was endemic of all that was to come, both in pop culture, true crime, and in this story in particular.

But nobody had heard the name Monica Lewinsky yet. Reality TV did not yet exist, although that was about to change. In fact, the very first episode of MTV's The Real World premiered just days after the incident we're about to get into. And in a way, this fact was endemic of all that was to come, both in pop culture, true crime, and in this story in particular.

But nobody had heard the name Monica Lewinsky yet. Reality TV did not yet exist, although that was about to change. In fact, the very first episode of MTV's The Real World premiered just days after the incident we're about to get into. And in a way, this fact was endemic of all that was to come, both in pop culture, true crime, and in this story in particular.

we were just about to turn a cultural corner. Up to now, gossip was either shared in hushed tones over a backyard fence or over shared cups of coffee between PTA moms amidst a 90s wood-paneled kitchen. But we were about to turn that corner all right. where all of a sudden, all of the world was a fishbowl.

we were just about to turn a cultural corner. Up to now, gossip was either shared in hushed tones over a backyard fence or over shared cups of coffee between PTA moms amidst a 90s wood-paneled kitchen. But we were about to turn that corner all right. where all of a sudden, all of the world was a fishbowl.

we were just about to turn a cultural corner. Up to now, gossip was either shared in hushed tones over a backyard fence or over shared cups of coffee between PTA moms amidst a 90s wood-paneled kitchen. But we were about to turn that corner all right. where all of a sudden, all of the world was a fishbowl.

We began to expect our neighbor's trauma to be served up on a silver platter for us to consume. It is amidst this moment that we meet Jessie. Only at a tender nine years old, she couldn't possibly have any idea about what was about to come. What was your perspective of your parents growing up? Like, I mean, you were so young, but what did that kind of look like to you?

We began to expect our neighbor's trauma to be served up on a silver platter for us to consume. It is amidst this moment that we meet Jessie. Only at a tender nine years old, she couldn't possibly have any idea about what was about to come. What was your perspective of your parents growing up? Like, I mean, you were so young, but what did that kind of look like to you?

We began to expect our neighbor's trauma to be served up on a silver platter for us to consume. It is amidst this moment that we meet Jessie. Only at a tender nine years old, she couldn't possibly have any idea about what was about to come. What was your perspective of your parents growing up? Like, I mean, you were so young, but what did that kind of look like to you?

Of course.

Of course.

Of course.

Let's go to the beginning of that day.

Let's go to the beginning of that day.

Let's go to the beginning of that day.

This is wild. So for all of these hours, no one's telling you and your brother what's happening?