Octavia Spencer on Why ‘The Lost Women of Highway 20’ Story Needs Telling Now

“I think I’m a decent detective,” says lifelong true-crime aficionado Octavia Spencer, “but my friends and family might beg to differ, because sometimes I can’t find my reading glasses or phone.” Nevertheless, the Oscar winner has devoured whodunits since childhood, played a true-crime podcaster on Truth Be Told and has even deemed herself “an encyclopedia of crime.”

Now she executive produces and narrates The Lost Women of Highway 20, a three-part docuseries premiering on Sunday, November 5 on Investigation Discovery. It starts with a 13-year-old girl gone missing in 1990 and snowballs into multiple unsolved murders spanning two decades along a highway in the Oregon wilderness.

Here, Spencer previews the docuseries, sharing her connection to the true-crime genre and why these stories need telling now.

What fuels the supremely sweet-faced Octavia Spencer’s obsession with dark deeds?

Octavia Spencer: As a child, I read age-appropriate mysteries, but when I was 11, I accidentally read Helter Skelter. After being mentally marred by the violence those victims endured, I think my passion became fueled by the inclination to seek justice for victims.

What caught your interest here?

What intrigued me about this story is that I hadn’t heard of it: A serial killer was allowed to operate in plain sight, unchecked, along this corridor of Highway 20 [for years]!

Why do you think it’s important to shine a light on stories like these?

To ensure they’re not repeated. These women mattered. They had lives and loved ones, who still miss them. Hopefully, their stories can effect change and allow more women to come forward and be believed.

The Lost Women of Highway 20, Series Premiere, Sunday, November 5, 9/8c, 10/9c and 11/10c, Investigation Discovery