COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Richland County Sheriff's Department is gearing up for the release of a new Netflix docuseries about the search for missing people.
Some excitement coming from Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott as his department gets ready for a new true crime docuseries heading to Netflix. The agency announced the show via their social media on Thursday night, including a two-minute trailer of the show.
Lott says British filmmakers reached out to the department and pitched the idea for a new series, called 'Missing: Dead or Alive.' He says production companies reaching out isn’t uncommon because of the national recognition they get from other series featuring his deputies.
“They had an idea, and so they wanted to pitch that idea to us, and we liked it. It's something unique,” Lott said. “We have a reputation in that market that we're an agency that's transparent. We're an agency that will work with companies that's doing something as long as it's done in the right way.”
The series will include four 45-minute episodes that follow Richland County investigators during missing persons cases. Lott said filming began before the COVID-19 pandemic, slowed during the height of the pandemic and then continued afterwards.
“They're with the investigators that they're assigned to work these cases. They stay with them," Lott said. "Whatever we're doing, they're there too.”
Lott declined to name specific cases and investigators when asked, citing an agreement between the department and Netflix. And despite Netflix being a multibillion business, Lott claims the sheriff's department isn't making a dime off the production or release of the series.
Lott says what the series gives them is an opportunity for an inside look at their work. “It takes the uniform off the deputy and shows them as a human and the emotions and the feelings they have.”
The official release date is May 10th.
Lott says the department is still receiving pitches for other shows so another docuseries could be on the way. A link to the post containing the trailer can be found here.