The Boston Strangler: Unheard Confession (documentary) release date, where to watch, and everything you need to know

The Boston Strangler: Unheard Confession premieres on Oxygen True Crime on Sunday, October 26, at 6 pm ET. The two-hour special reopens a case that has haunted Boston for decades.

Sixteen hours of long-lost audio sit at the center of the film. The tapes capture alleged serial killer Albert DeSalvo as he recounts the murders tied to the Boston Strangler name. DeSalvo was never convicted of the murders and was later killed in prison, reportedly on the eve of recanting.

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Release date and where to watch The Boston Strangler: Unheard Confession

Oxygen True Crime airs the premiere on Sunday, October 26, at 6 pm ET/PT. The network lists additional telecasts the same night at 9 pm, then Monday, October 27, at 7 pm, Tuesday, October 28, at 4 pm, Saturday, November 1, at 1 am, and Sunday, November 2, at 9 am. Listings are based on a national grid, so times can vary by provider.

The Boston Strangler: Unheard Confession (Image via Instagram/@Oxygen)

The Boston Strangler: Unheard Confession special runs for two hours. Viewers with Oxygen True Crime on cable or satellite can tune in on the channel at the stated times.

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What The Boston Strangler: Unheard Confession covers

The documentary leans on DeSalvo’s own words. Across interviews recorded in the 1960s, he describes entries, ligatures, and scenes that matched headlines of the day. On the tapes, he also misses key facts and appears to take cues from questioners at moments, which reportedly fuels on-screen debate.

A central thread tracks claims that DeSalvo planned to take back his confession. He was murdered in prison soon after, which shapes the film’s tension. The special sets those points beside evidence reviews, survivor accounts, and Boston police recollections, then asks whether the confession solved the murders or only closed a file.

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Air dates and times for The Boston Strangler: Unheard Confession

Oxygen True Crime lists the following windows:

Date	ET	CT	MT	PT	AK	HI
Sunday, October 26 • premiere	6 pm	5 pm	4 pm	3 pm	2 pm	12 pm
Sunday, October 26	9 pm	8 pm	7 pm	6 pm	5 pm	3 pm
Monday, October 27	7 pm	6 pm	5 pm	4 pm	3 pm	1 pm
Tuesday, October 28	4 pm	3 pm	2 pm	1 pm	12 pm	10 am
Saturday, October 1	1 am	12 am	11 pm (Friday)	10 pm (Friday)	9 pm (Friday)	7 pm (Friday)
Sunday, October 2	9 am	8 am	7 am	6 am	5 am	4 am

Notes: Times with (Friday) or (Monday) mark a local date shift. All airings are part of a generic national schedule. Local listings can differ, so channel guides may show slight shifts.

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Who appears in The Boston Strangler: Unheard Confession and why it matters

The Boston Strangler: Unheard Confession features Casey Sherman, nephew of the final victim, Mary Sullivan. He obtained the tapes and presses the question that drives the film: did DeSalvo actually commit the murders or confess for other reasons.

Two sons of former Boston detectives add family-held notes about how the case was worked at the time. Producers Aengus James, Paul Lima, and Carolyn Day lead the team at This is Just a Test.

For context, the Boston Strangler label was applied to a series of killings in the early 1960s. Women across Boston were found raped and strangled in their homes. The debate over the true killer was never fully settled. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, DNA testing in 2013 linked DeSalvo to Mary Sullivan’s murder, and officials later said he most likely committed the other killings, though doubts remain.

The documentary does not promise a final answer. It presents the tapes, their challenges, and the case record. Viewers get dates, names, and claims, along with on-camera pushback. The goal is clarity about what is on the recordings and what is missing, so the audience can weigh the confession against the history that followed.

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