A Family Secret: The Death of Lisa Steinberg
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Bill Kurtis
Bill Kurtis
Ed Koch
Hedda Nussbaum
David Boodell
Sheila Brosnan
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Documentary about the murder of 6-year-old Lisa Steinberg. In 1987, New York City police were called to a posh Greenwich Village address. They came upon a 16-month-old boy sitting in his own waste, tethered to a playpen. His sister Lisa lay naked and unconscious. When she was taken to the hospital, signs of physical abuse were clear. Lisa died three days later. Her adoptive parents, Hedda Nussbaum and Joel Steinberg, a criminal defense attorney, were charged with second degree murder. It was soon discovered that Hedda Nussbaum was also a victim of abuse. Her body had been ravaged beyond recognition for more than a decade by Joel. Charges against Nussbaum were dropped, but Joel Steinberg's trial in 1988 was broadcast live on television -- a first for New York City. Steinberg was convicted of first degree manslaughter and sentenced to a maximum of 25 years in prison.
