A new true-crime docuseries titled Moment of Truth premieres on Amazon's free streaming service IMDb TV on Friday, and it examines the tragic, senseless killing of James Jordan, the father of NBA great Michael Jordan.
Now, there are few things in life that are more devastating than losing a parent. No matter how old you are, it's never easy. But if you're tuning in to hear MJ discuss his father's murder, you're going to be disappointed, because this is not that series, nor one I imagine he'd support. Instead, the crux of Moment of Truth follows one of the men accused and convicted of Jordan's murder as he attempts to secure a new trial after being sentenced to life in prison. As such, this is as much a series about a headline-making crime as it is a chronicle of one Black man's search for justice in a society that was all too ready to throw the book at him on the word of a fellow convict desperate to save his own neck.
At the time of his murder, James Jordan was the father of the most famous athlete on the planet, though oddly enough, he always hoped his son would grow up to play baseball. (Eventually, the Chicago Bulls legend did step away from the game of basketball in the summer of 1993, picking up a bat and a glove to honor the memory of his father and challenge himself in the process.)
Authorities believe that the elder Jordan had pulled over on the side of a highway to rest his eyes while driving home from a funeral in nearby Wilmington when two teenagers came upon his car, robbing and killing him. Jordan's body was found in a South Carolina swamp 11 days later, and it took another two weeks to identify him via his hands and jaw after the rest of his body was cremated. The case remains fascinating more than 25 years later, and Moment of Truth should intrigue budding crime buffs eager for a satisfying fix.
In addition to the murder of James Jordan, Moment of Truth examines the rampant corruption in the rural North Carolina county where the accused teens, Larry Demery and Daniel Green, were convicted of the shocking crime. Demery eventually took a plea deal and agreed to testify against his best friend, alleging that Green pulled the trigger.
Green has long maintained his innocence, stating that his only crime was helping Demery dispose of Jordan's body and riding around in the man's red Lexus for several days after the crime. He also claims he wasn't there when Jordan was killed, which does seem a bit far-fetched given the evidence and testimony presented by this series, but it's hard to overstate the loyalty that Green felt to Demery, who simply rolled over on his friend first. The docuseries doesn't really present any other suspects, which makes it difficult to sympathize with either of them, even though Green appears to have received a raw deal.
It goes without saying that James Jordan received the rawest deal of all, and Moment of Truth deserves credit for never losing sight of its victim. Though the series would surely have benefited from an interview with Michael Jordan, I understand why Michael and his family would want to leave those painful memories in the past — especially given the fact that the series makes an argument for Green's innocence and release. That central thesis is the result of widespread corruption that had run rampant in Robeson County, where local law enforcement allegedly took shortcuts to make an arrest on a high-profile, high-pressure case.
That additional context is important, and filmmakers Clay Johnson and Matthew Perniciaro make sure we're aware of it early on in the first two episodes they co-direct. Perniciaro directs the final three episodes himself and starts poking around the police department and drawing connections to local drug dealers while highlighting the racial inequities of the justice system both at that time and in the South. The directors deserve credit for keeping Moment of Truth fairly consistent from one episode to the next and moving along at a solid pace. This series may not be as flashy as certain Netflix crime docs, but ultimately, it's just as emotionally satisfying.
The series' fourth episode, "Best Friends," is a highlight, because as interested as I was in the Jordan investigation, what grabbed me and has stayed with me was how it depicted Green's deep sense of betrayal after Demery pointed the finger at him. It seemed like Green truly trusted Demery to have his back, even though it's every man (or rather, teenage boy) for himself when the DA is threatening life in prison. This incident didn't just cost Green his freedom, it cost him his best friend, and there's something mournful about that, despite the fact that the two boys were convicted of murder by a justice system that seemed designed to reward the first person to talk, whether they're telling the truth or not.
Speaking of truth, you'll have to make up your own mind as to Green's guilt or innocence. I can't do that for you, I can only offer my opinion that this series appears to be fair and balanced, and that's all you can really ask of a documentary these days. Moment of Truth certainly makes an impact, though Green's redemption is ultimately in the eye of the beholder.
Grade: B+