As much as I love watching true crime documentaries, it’s also very difficult when it has an emotional effect on you. That’s exactly what happened when I watched The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez. I thought it would be impossible for me to find another docuseries that would wrap me up in emotions after I watched The Pharmacist. Searching through Netflix, I see The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez and for some reason, I’m really drawn to it after I watch the trailer. But, watching it broke my heart. After watching it, I wish I never knew it existed. But, the fact of the matter is that it does exist. It’s real. And considering all that little boy went through, watching The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez is the least we can do.

Facebook, The Trails of Gabriel Fernadez Netflix
Facebook, The Trails of Gabriel Fernadez Netflix
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The six-part documentary series is about an 8-year old California boy by the name of Gabriel Fernandez. The series is about the suffering he lived with during the last 8 months of his life. He was tormented and murdered by his mother and her boyfriend. I will leave the grim details out so you can see for yourself the unimaginable suffering this little boy went through.

Let’s add another element to this nightmare. Throughout the years, teachers, security guards, family, and friends tried to report the abuse, but no one ever removed him from the home. The social workers that investigated his well-being and followed up on the reports were actually charged for not removing him from the home, and ultimately not saving his life.

Some of you may not be able to stomach watching this docuseries. It’s unsettling to watch and it is heartbreaking as a parent to see the torture Gabriel went through. His horrific life, gruesome death, and all of his tangled webs in his 8 years of life were put out there for everyone to see. And I couldn’t turn it off. I sat there and binge-watched all six episodes because I couldn’t wait to see if justice was served. Now that I’ve watched it, I can’t get it out of my head. There are so many devastating stories just like Gabriel’s in this world. We don’t know what is going on behind closed doors. Maybe the fact that this series is getting a lot of attention is a good thing. Maybe it will make a difference in this world of violence.

As a mother, it kills me to think about the fact that when Gabriel died, his mother’s face was one of the last things he saw. And that evil mother watched him die without a care in the world.

Gabriel, you will forever be in my heart.

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