Plot Synopsis

Using re-enactments and first-person interviews with family, friends and experts, DEAD ON ARRIVAL recounts the stories of small town innocents who move to the big city to pursue their dreams -- but end up paying a tragic price. Caught in the hustle of city living, these young adults are set on a dangerous trajectory the moment they set foot in a new city. They quickly learn that the streets are not only teeming with excitement and opportunity, but also riddled with crime and violence, and become unfortunate victims of their own ambitions and dreams. Each one-hour episode of DEAD ON ARRIVAL chronicles the story of a different person, including: young actress Rebecca Schaeffer, who moved to Los Angeles from Eugene, Oregon, starred in the '80s sitcom MY SISTER SAM, and had an an encounter with the evil, twisted underbelly of Hollywood; accomplished dancer Catherine Woods, who moved to New York City from Columbus, Ohio, to seek fame on Broadway, but faced constant rejection and financial hardship, placing her in a terrifying dance with darkness, lies and murder; and social worker Amy Watkins, who moved to New York City from Topeka, Kansas, to help a greater number of people and witnessed a shocking knife fight, which foreshadowed danger that lurked on the city streets.