Black Hands is a podcast revolving around the 1994 Bain family murders in Dunedin. Of the six member family there was only one survivor, David Bain. The subsequent trial deemed David guilty of the murder of his family. To this day he claims innocence, and refers to a pair of mysterious black hands that no pathologist has confirmed the meaning of. Martin van Beynen is the narrator and lead interviewer of the ten part series, which uses a mix of actors restating witness accounts, recordings of David Bain’s trial, and the input of various researchers and scientists. Van Beynen explores the case from start to finish but begins the story before the trial, giving accounts of each of the personalities within the Bain household.
The podcast is captivating from the first episode as it introduces the eccentric (crazy) matriarch and her strained relationship with her husband, who would be the prime suspect if it weren’t for his own murder.
The production value of the podcast is relatively low, yet they have a team of ten people producing it. However, the depth of research done by the ensemble and raise its value.