Director Andrew Templeton spent nearly seven years researching and creating “1969: Killers, Freaks, and Radicals,” a documentary exploring the disturbing series of events known as the “Michigan Murders” alongside the social and political turmoil of the late 1960s. The film premiered this year at the Cinetopia Film Festival, screened at Ann Arbor’s historic Michigan Theater.
Filming where it all happened
“I moved to the Ann Arbor area around 2018 and moved back towards Detroit in 2023,” Templeton said. “I mostly lived in Ann Arbor — near North Campus, then south of downtown off of Packard. I also lived in a house in Ypsilanti just south of the EMU campus — where a lot of moments in the film take place. I got to be very familiar with the two cities, and it became difficult not to constantly notice ‘landmarks’ around town related to my research.”
Templeton worked full-time in corporate video production while dedicating his free time to developing the documentary. His research was conducted almost exclusively in the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti areas.
“Yes, almost entirely within the A2/Ypsi area,” Templeton said. “I went to every library and archive I could find and combed local history sections. I also spent a great deal of time at U of M’s Hatcher Graduate Library doing background research on crime and serial killers generally.”
He listed specific institutions where he conducted archival research:
“I have been to the Bentley Archive, the EMU University Archives, and the Ypsilanti Historical Society’s archives many times,” Templeton said. “All of which were very helpful and great resources for researchers. I also read probably every local newspaper article — including the Michigan Daily’s reporting — on the murder cases, much of which was only available on microfilm.”
Peaceful community, brutal crimes
Templeton said the contrast between the community’s current peacefulness and its shocking past inspired the project.
“I always had an interest in the 1960s and true crime, and when I saw the book ‘The Michigan Murders’ in a local interest section of the Ann Arbor Public Library, I was captivated by the idea that such a strange and shocking series of events had taken place here,” Templeton said. “Ann Arbor feels like a very safe and peaceful town today. The fact that true crime is so popular a genre, yet there had been no comprehensive film made about these events, also surprised me and inspired me to begin research.”
The film not only documents the murders and trial of John Norman Collins — who was convicted in 1970 — but also delves into the possibility of other perpetrators or accomplices.
“This aspect (possible accomplices) of the unsolved cases also gripped me,” Templeton said. “You didn’t have to do too much reading to begin noticing references to John Collins’ friends, who seemed to possess a great deal of information after his capture. A group being involved in the murders was very much a part of the media reporting, especially during the first week after Collins’ arrest. The FBI literally conducted a nationwide manhunt for Collins’ presumed accomplice Andrew Manuel, for example.”
Forgotten crimes
Another striking element of Templeton’s findings is just how quickly these local tragedies faded from public memory.
“If I had to point to a single reason: the Manson Family murders,” Templeton said. “The same week that John Collins was arrested and there were nationwide headlines speculating on the case (including the idea that the crimes involved a group of offenders), the murder of Sharon Tate and her housemates occurred. It was a sensational story involving Hollywood celebrities, and the perpetrators ended up being a crazed hippie cult who behaved outrageously in court. I think it broadly made more ‘sense’ to people at the time and fit the cultural moment’s paranoia. It absolutely dominated headlines, and even in local papers, you can see the local murder cases shrink in size and disappear from the front page.”
Patterns, victims and misogyny
When asked if there were any commonalities among the victims, Templeton confirmed patterns in the targeting.
“The main points in common were that they were mostly young, college-aged women and murdered in very similar ways,” Templeton said.
Others who lived in the area during that time noted more specific similarities: brown eyes, brown hair, a height of around 5’4″ and students at local colleges.
“It is difficult to believe misogyny wasn’t a factor,” Templeton said. “The victims were ‘acquired and discarded’ with brutality and disrespect. In some of the cases, they were actually left near a trash dump or surrounded by empty beer cans. I think the perpetrators felt they could simply take anything that they wished, up to and including lives. Collins and his close friends were involved in a great deal of petty crime and theft at the same time, which is often a stepping stone for serial killers as they become increasingly delinquent.”
Clean-cut suspect escapes early scrutiny
Collins had been questioned by police early in the investigation, but his appearance may have worked in his favor.
“The title ‘1969′ refers to the year most of the events took place and I wanted to get across that this is a film about a time period and not only the murder cases,” Templeton said. “The subtitle came from a mixture of interviews and newspaper reporting I read. To me, ‘Killers, Freaks, and Radicals’ were populating the minds of investigators at the time, and the initial appearance of clean-cut and police-connected John Collins did not fit the profile.”
Templeton hopes viewers reflect on the role of bias and perception in criminal investigations.
RELATED: Spoiler Alert: “Ann Arbor” is a Film that will be About Ann Arbor
“I hope viewers think about how perception and stereotypes can influence crimes like these,” Templeton said. “I think there were a lot of warning signs about Collins that were disregarded due to his clean-cut appearance, and I also think some close to him felt a bizarre sense of loyalty to protect him even in such extreme circumstances.”
Screenings and distribution
Templeton said the project is gaining momentum, with more screenings planned and hopes for wider distribution.
“This has been very much a scrappy, independent project and I welcome any advice or collaboration with other local creatives as we move forward,” Templeton said. “Our hometown premiere at the Cinetopia Film Festival in Ann Arbor was very well attended and received very positive responses from the audience. We are currently scheduling additional screenings at the Michigan Theater for the second half of June and are also looking for places to screen in the Detroit area.”
Templeton said they are now looking at further screenings at the Michigan Theater in late August.
Respecting the victims and preserving history
Above all, Templeton stressed that his goal was to approach the project with care, aiming to educate rather than sensationalize.
“I want to emphasize that I tried very hard to create this film in good taste and not sensationalize these cases or mythologize John Norman Collins,” Templeton said. “It’s ultimately a film about a particularly chaotic era in local history through the lens of true crime.”
For more information, please visit: 1969doc.com.
Donna Marie Iadipaolo is a writer, journalist, and State of Michigan certified teacher, since 1990. She has written for national publications like The Village Voice, Ear Magazine of New Music, Insurance & Technology, and TheStreet.
She is now writing locally for many publications, including Current Magazine, Ann Arbor Family, and the Ann Arbor Independent. Her undergraduate degree is from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where she graduated with an honors bachelor’s degree and three teacher certificate majors: mathematics, social sciences, English. She also earned three graduate degrees in Master of Science, Master of Arts, and Education Specialist Degree.
