The question I'm most asked is how I got my start in true crime television production. The answer:  a man I never had the good fortune to meet... a man named Leon Klinghoffer.

I was a freshman in college when Mr. Klinghoffer, a 69-year-old Jewish American father was celebrating his 36th wedding anniversary with his wife, Marilyn, on a cruise on the Italian-owned Achille Lauro.

On  October 7, 1985,  four hijackers from the Palestine Liberation Front stormed the ship off Egypt, taking the passengers and crew hostage. They ordered the captain to travel to Syria, and demanded the release of 50 Palestinians in Israeli prisons. The hijackers also issued a stern warning:  if the prisoners were not released, they would begin killing hostages. After consulting with the U.S. and Italian governments, Syria did not respond to the hijackers' demands.

The following day, Mr. Klinghoffer,  who was in a wheelchair after suffering two strokes earlier in life, was shot execution-style. He and his wheelchair were thrown overboard.

A network documentary about the murder of Mr. Klinghoffer set the course of my career. Watching his story, I knew I wanted to tell the stories of victims - not simply how they died, but how they lived. Every life extends far beyond its final chapter, and every victim deserves to have their story told.