Investigation Discovery Explores Cases Of Violence Driven By Prejudice In New Series "Love & Hate Crime"

- The First Installment of the Three-Part Documentary Series Premieres Exclusively in the U.S. on ID on Sunday, February 25 at 8/7c -

(Pasadena, Calif.) - Just how dangerous is it to be "different" in the United States today? Investigation Discovery (ID) announced today it has acquired the new three-part documentary series from the BBC, LOVE & HATE CRIME, which takes an intimate look at the dangers facing those who are singled out in our country. As racial tensions increase and minorities continue to be blatantly targeted, this poignant and timely series explores how quickly love can turn to hate, and how some of America's most heartbreaking murders are fueled by fear of the unknown. Delving into the complex issues of gender, race, sexuality and mental health, LOVE & HATE CRIME shows how the actions of a few can inflame passions and expose prejudice. Produced by Top Hat Productions, LOVE & HATE CRIME will air exclusively in the U.S. on ID, with the first installment premiering on Sunday, February 25 at 8/7c. It highlights the 2017 case of the first person to be sentenced on federal hate crime charges for killing a transgender person.

"We truly wish this topic wasn't relevant, but violence fueled by prejudice continues to dominate our headlines," said Henry S. Schleiff, Group President of Investigation Discovery, American Heroes Channel and Destination America. "This series presents a truly intimate portrait of how hate crimes affect all individuals involved, and we are proud to be the television home for this important series in the U.S. As long as hate crimes continue to infiltrate the cultural fabric of our nation, we will continue to pursue these stories in an effort to shine a klieg light on our need for greater understanding and, indeed, compassion."

"Hate crime seemed a very important topic to cover at this time," said Darren Kemp, Managing Director of Top Hat Productions. "We wanted to tell some of the less well-known stories of murders which were motivated by hate and prejudice, and in so doing say something broader about the nature of prejudice today. I hope we have achieved that, as well as making films which stand out because of their story telling and cinematography."

In the first episode of LOVE & HATE CRIME, premiering Sunday, February 25 at 8/7c, viewers travel to the rural South to follow the story of Mercedes Williamson, a transgender teen who was murdered by her gang member boyfriend, Josh Vallum. Engrossed in a lustful relationship, Vallum claims the shock of finding out that his partner was born male made him lose control and kill her. As details of the relationship unfold, Vallum holds fast that his act of rage was fueled on by "gay panic" and "trans panic." However, as evidence begins to mount, could his gang, the Latin Kings, have had more of an influence? In May of 2017, Vallum became the first person to be sentenced on federal hate crime charges for killing a transgender person.

Future installments of LOVE & HATE CRIME will air later in 2018.

LOVE & HATE CRIME is produced for Investigation Discovery by Top Hat Productions. Ben Steele is the director, Victoria Musguin is the producer and Darren Kemp is the executive producer. For Investigation Discovery, Max Culhane is executive producer, Sara Kozak is senior vice president of production, Jane Latman is executive vice president of development, Kevin Bennett is general manager and Henry Schleiff is Group President of Investigation Discovery, American Heroes Channel and Destination America. Distributed by BBC Worldwide Americas.

About Top Hat Productions

Top Hat is a British television production company which specializes in high end documentary and drama. It was founded two years ago by award winning director and producer Darren Kemp who was previously a senior figure at the BBC for many years.

About Investigation Discovery

Investigation Discovery (ID) is the leading mystery-and-suspense network on television. From harrowing crimes and salacious scandals to the in-depth investigations and heart-breaking mysteries behind these "real people, real stories," the always revealing network challenges our everyday understanding of culture, society and the human condition. One of our nation's fastest growing cable networks, ID delivers the highest-quality programming to approximately 85 million U.S. households and is available in both high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD). For more information, please visit InvestigationDiscovery.com, facebook.com/InvestigationDiscovery, or twitter.com/DiscoveryID. Investigation Discovery is part of Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the world's #1 pay-TV programmer reaching nearly 3 billion cumulative subscribers in 220 countries and territories.