Oxygen True Crime is turning its attention to cases from the “City of Brotherly Love” for its new docuseries Philly Homicide. Lieutenant Chris McMullin of the Bucks County Sheriff’s Office serves as host of the show, which delves into the twists and turns of some of the most harrowing cases in the Philadelphia region. McMullin and other former and current area detectives provide firsthand accounts to accompany the archival footage as each episode investigates crimes from robberies, assaults, sex crimes, and homicides. With a career spanning, more than 30 years with the majority of that time as a detective.
The premiere centers on detectives looking to bring the killer of a veteran Police Corporal Michael Beverly, who was gunned down in 2001. From there, future episodes include the mysterious death of a hospital employee and uncovering who was responsible for bludgeoning a beloved chiropractor. McMullin had a hand in bringing the perpetrator featured in the latter episode to justice.
Here the 54-year-old previews what’s to come on the show and his surprising acting career.
What does it mean to you to host this Philidelphia-centric show?
Lt. Chris McMullin: I’m very fortunate and thrilled. This idea came up a few years back. For me, I want to be able to honor the victims and their families. I want to show how hard these detectives work and how relentlessly they dig. An idea of how these cases at times become personal to them in the pursuit of justice for the victims. They work hard.
Given your long career, you are the perfect one to host this.
I’ve been around for a while. I was just lucky. My producer Molly [ Mayock] heard me do a podcast a few years ago. There is a story I always fall back on that I told on the podcast that resonated with her. That is why she called me. It was the “Starfish Story” [ how sending one starfish home can have a ripple effect and provides symbolism to the dedication to solving cold cases]. I’m very happy to be part of this. I hope it shows how hard law enforcement works in these cases to bring closure to families.
Corporal Michael Beverly and Family_Family (Oxygen)
Were there any cases you weren’t familiar with?
There was one from East Norriton that I don’t recall ever having heard about. Though I am friends with one of the investigators on it. That was neat. There are several cases that I wasn’t involved in or weren’t from my department, but I know the people involved.
What cases coming up did you have a hand in?
There are two cases this season I had a hand in. In the Dr. James Sowa case, I was not the lead investigator, but I was involved. The Sowa case was when the perpetrator in that case was actually known to one of the detectives. He used to coach him in basketball. There is a personal relationship there. There was a case in 2005. The victim’s name was Christian Rojas. I was very involved in that case.
The show really drives home how dangerous the job can also be and what happens when you pull departments together to get answers.
In the Beverly case, the gang in that town had intimidated just about everyone. There was nobody that wanted to talk to the police out of fear of retaliation. From a certain perspective, they were kind of holding the town hostage. The one detective involved would not give up. He made a promise to Corporal Beverly that he would find this killer and did. The relentless hard work and how it becomes personal is shown.
Is there anything about Philadelphia that stands out?
Philadelphia is a unique city. People here are authentic people and wear their hearts on their sleeves. Philadelphia at times is considered the underdog city, especially when it comes to professional sports. I think it’s a great area. The people are very passionate and resilient.
What role do you think developments in technology helped in some of the cases?
Technology has definitely influenced the way crime is investigated. It has helped in a lot of ways. Again going back to the Dr. Sowa case. There were security cameras from other businesses in the area where Dr.Sowa’s office was that helped crack this case. On the flip side, technology can get in the way. If information is stored on the phone but is locked, it can be difficult to get into the phone. You have to sometimes use a lab and tools to get into it. Forensics in the second episode on a shell casing winds up letting police know that they weren’t dealing with someone who not only offended one time, but there are links to several cases. Technology told them they were looking at a prolific killer at that point.
You have also been acting as well over the years. How did that come to be?
It’s actually law enforcement’s fault I got into that. Back around 1998, it was the Bucks County DA’s office along with the network of victim’s assistance. They were producing industrial videos, and training videos on how to properly testify in court. How to properly do investigations and things like that. Myself and another officer were asked if we would train the police officers in these various training videos. We did it. I was about 28 at the time. I had a lot of fun. The director encouraged me to keep pursuing it, and I did.
Where would people recognize you?
I had a few good parts over the years. I didn’t quit my day job, but I had a small part in Limitless. I did a scene with Bradley Cooper. That was really cool. I played a fireman on Law & Order SVU a couple of years ago. I had a small role in the television show Servant. They were principal roles with dialogue. I probably would audition for a 100 and 97 I would not get a callback, but I’ve done plenty of background roles. I worked my way up though and picked up a couple of principal roles. That was a lot of fun.
Do you like playing within your field or venturing out more?
I certainly am comfortable playing within my field of expertise. If I had the opportunity, I would love to branch out. I would love to try different roles. I would love to play an attorney or victim or even play the bad guy maybe. We’ll see what comes.
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Do they ever bring you on set just to bring another level of authenticity?
I remember I was on the set of Limitless and the director Neil Burger was asking me if this was going on, how would you do this. He would ask me from my perspective how I would do it in real life. There was a little bit of technical consulting there.
What do you want to tell viewers before they watch Philly Homicide?
I want them to see we have a lot of respect for the victims and their families. I just want them to see how hard these investigators work. Some of these episodes like the one with the serial killer and the Center City rapist, where you’ll see these detectives at work. These guys are the real deal. You talk about conviction and digging into a case. They are the best of the best.
Philly Homicide premiere, October 26, 9/8c, Oxygen True Crime
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