Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter Ronan Farrow has launched *Not a Very Good Murderer*, an audio documentary that examines the mysterious past of Celia 'Cece' Doane, an eccentric high-society socialite and former Miss Arizona living in the ultra-wealthy enclave of Paradise Valley.
Farrow's investigation began in May 2020 when Doane made headlines by tweeting accusations of sexual assault against then-presidential candidate Joe Biden. While initially vetting Doane's allegation for a #MeToo-related story, the New York Times bestselling author soon discovered her connections to a web of unsolved crimes spanning decades.
The podcast explores whether Doane conspired to kill her two husbands while evading detection from law enforcement. Beyond these alleged murder plots, Farrow uncovered her potential involvement in an elaborate jewelry heist, a suspicious arson fire, kidnapping schemes, and stalking allegations. The series examines Doane's reliability as a source and the broader themes of truth, disinformation, and investigative journalism in an age of misinformation.
Doane, described as a histrionic aging beauty queen with a checkered past marked by half-truths and omissions, has long presented herself as a victim of circumstance. Yet Farrow's investigation paints a more complicated portrait—one that raises troubling questions about her potential involvement in multiple unsolved cold cases and whether authorities have fully pursued every lead.
The investigation took Farrow to Paradise Valley, where he conducted interviews and traced the threads connecting Doane to the various crimes. The podcast documents not only the allegations themselves but also Farrow's volatile relationship with Doane as he attempts to separate fact from fiction in her increasingly implausible narratives.
*Not a Very Good Murderer* represents a departure from traditional true crime storytelling. Rather than presenting a neat resolution to a solved case, Farrow crafts a character-driven documentary that functions simultaneously as a thriller, a character study, and an examination of how someone can remain central to multiple criminal investigations without ever facing conviction. The series forces listeners to confront uncomfortable questions: What happens when a person of interest in multiple crimes is charming, intelligent, and skilled at manipulation? How do investigators distinguish between genuine allegations and fabricated narratives designed to distract from culpability?
