Cropsey (film)

Cropsey is a 2009 American documentary film written and directed by Joshua Zeman and Barbara Brancaccio. The film initially begins as an examination of "Cropsey", a boogeyman-like figure from New York City urban legend, before segueing into the story of Andre Rand, a convicted child kidnapper from Staten Island whose known or suspected crimes in the 1970s and 1980s may have inspired or been blamed on Cropsey.

In 2009, Cropsey premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, and critical reception has been overwhelmingly positive.

Production

Zeman's and Brancaccio's objective was to bring the distinct elements into one overarching narrative: the oral tradition of urban legends, the mystery of several missing children from the region, the courtroom drama, the search for the roots of Staten Island's obsession with the case, and the community's need for catharsis.

When filming began, Zeman and Brancaccio sent Andre Rand a letter. Rand was serving a 25 year sentence for the 1987 kidnapping of Jennifer Schweiger, and was facing charges in 2004 for the kidnapping of Holly Ann Hughes, who disappeared in 1979. Rand had worked at the Willowbrook State School on Staten Island, and occasionally lived in campsites near the facility.