On its surface, The Most Dangerous Animal of All, FX\u2019s first true crime documentary series, is a revisitation of the case of the Zodiac killer\u2014one of the most notorious unsolved mysteries in American history. But over four episodes, executive producer Ross Dinerstein and director and executive producer Kief Davidson show that their real fascination lies with Gary Stewart, a man who is so convinced his biological father was the infamous serial killer that he\u2019ll go to great lengths to prove he\u2019s right, despite shaky evidence.<\/p>\n
The first part of the series, which debuts March 6 and will be available on Hulu the following day, is anchored by Stewart, who co-wrote the bestselling book from which the documentary series takes its name, with the journalist and true crime writer Susan Mustafa. The series covers details revealed in the book, recounting how Stewart was adopted and grew up with severe abandonment issues that continue to drive his restless search for his origins and identity.<\/p>\n
Stewart got some answers about his background in 2002, when his birth mother Jude Gilford reconnected with him and revealed that his father was a man named Earl Van Best Jr. As far as origin stories go, this one is disturbing enough: as a 27-year-old, Van Best met Gilford when she was about 14, and began an illegal relationship with the minor that landed him in jail.<\/p>\n
Upon his release, Van Best went on the run with Gilford, ending up in Louisiana, where Stewart was born. (Their relationship received media coverage at the time and was dubbed the \u201cIce Cream Romance\u201d in San Francisco newspapers). Van Best abandoned his son in the stairwell of an apartment complex when he was just one month old in the early 1960s, Stewart says in the series. He was eventually arrested and sent to a mental hospital in California, and Gilford put the baby up for adoption, according to the series. Van Best died in 1984.<\/p>\n