Enjoying ‘Unknown Number’? Check Out These Other Crazy Michigan Documentaries

Netflix's latest hit, which everyone is talking about, is a catfishing/stalking story from a tiny town, "with one stop light and two bars" in mid-Michigan. This story has put Beal City on the map, and now it's getting another wave of attention thanks to "Unknown Number", a documentary with one of the most shocking twists ever to hit your TV screen.

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If you're anything like me, when I watch one documentary, I immediately want to watch another one. This one scratched a particular itch for me because it combined two of my favorite types of documentaries: Michigan-based and true crime. I prefer stories like these, where there is no tragic loss of life, but that isn't usually the case, so I'll do my best to have a mixture of both here.

If you're looking to get your fill of crazy stories from the Mitten state, here are a few to check out:

Stalking Samantha: 13 years of Terror (Hulu)

A recently released 3-part docuseries set in Michigan is gaining attention for the horror former Grand Valley State University student Samantha Stites endured over the course of 13 years. Similar to "Unknown Number", this is another case of stalking that took a very dark turn on the night of October 7th, 2022, when she was kidnapped, put in a soundproof booth, and chained to the wall. 

Now, she's telling her story. Watch Stalking Samantha: 13 Years of Terror on Hulu now.

Into The Fire: The Lost Daughter (Netflix)

An Allegan County mother had to give up her daughter for adoption, but that doesn't mean she forgot about her. Cathy Terkanian would wonder about her daughter for years, and was horrified when she learned in 2011 that Aundria "Alexis" Bowman had been missing for over 20 years as part of a 1989 cold case out of Hamilton, MI.

This two-part story of how Terkanian stopped at nothing to solve her daughter's disappearance with the help of internet sleuths, a Facebook page, the Allegan County Sheriff's Office, and the Michigan State Police.

Watch it on Netflix now.

Untold: Sign Stealer (Netflix)

I won't dwell on this one too long, as it has been a consistent story in the press, especially now that a verdict has been reached, fining the University of Michigan over $20 million.

But this documentary features Connor Stalions, the now-disgraced coach at the center of the Wolverines' sign-stealing scandal that has overshadowed their 2023 National Championship, explaining his side of the story and detailing how he became so good at "sign deciphering".

Was Stalions/Michigan really in the wrong, or did they have one of the best systems in college football? Watch Untold: Sign Stealer on Netflix.

White Boy

The 1980s were a tumultuous time in post-GM Detroit, and this is best exemplified by "White Boy" Rick, who at the age of 14 became the youngest FBI informant in the department's history. However, things didn't go the FBI's way when Richard Wershe Jr. went from informant to one of the biggest drug lords in Detroit.

Learn about Wershe Jr.'s rise, fall, and battle for freedom in this documentary available on Prime, The Roku Channel, and more. Alternatively, you can watch the biopic about this time period, which features Matthew McConaughey, from 2018.

1969: Killers, Radicals, and Freaks

This documentary follows John Collins, the "Ypsilanti Ripper," who horrifically murdered multiple women around Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti between 1967 and 1969. This documentary is currently on the festival circuit (where it has won multiple awards), with two showings still planned for this year.

It is not currently streaming anywhere, but based on its reviews, it will hopefully be widely available soon.