People 'regret not watching' this tragic and 'chilling' true crime documentary after the horrific events that took place

Warning: This article contains descriptions of child abuse that some readers may find disturbing.

A controversial new documentary about true events has divided viewers this week, with some urging others to watch it and others wishing they had never watched it at all.

The poignant limited series landed on Netflix a few days ago and has already skyrocketed into the streaming service's Top 10.

Into the Fire: The Lost Girl tells the story of the disappearance of 14-year-old Aundria Bowman, who vanished from her adoptive family's home in Hamilton, Michigan in 1989.

Aundria was placed for adoption by her biological mother Cathy Terkanian when she was just nine months old, before being welcomed into the family of husband and wife duo Dennis and Brenda Bowman.

A year before her disappearance, Aundria had accused her adoptive father of sexually assaulting her, but police failed to hold Dennis responsible after he and Brenda claimed the allegations were part of his increasingly rebellious nature.

On March 11 of the following year, however, the family reported the teenager missing, claiming she had stolen money from their home.

Aundria was considered by authorities to be a “runaway in danger” in a case that would remain unsolved for decades.

It wasn't until 2010 that Cathy Terkanian – whose story is told in this heartbreaking series – learned of her biological daughter's disappearance and was heartbroken to learn that the police had seemingly given up hope.

That year, she received a letter from the adoption agency where she had left Aundria, after requesting her DNA in hopes of identifying the remains of another teenage Jane Doe.

Although the body did not belong to her daughter, Cathy's hope of discovering the truth was ignited and she created a Facebook account aimed at finding her little girl.

In the weeks that followed, another woman came forward, claiming she had been kidnapped and assaulted as a six-year-old girl by a man in the same area where Aundria had disappeared, believing him to be Dennis Bowman.

After inquiring about him, Cathy later discovered that Dennis had a dark history of abuse, and interviews she conducted with her daughter's friends also highlighted the fact that she was being abused by her adoptive father.

Cathy continued to campaign for Dennis to be arrested, but – as the documentary shows – the police continually claimed they did not have enough evidence.

However, in 2019, in a twist of fate, Dennis Bowman was arrested for the 1980 murder of another woman – 25-year-old Kathleen Doyle.

It was while he was awaiting trial that human remains – later identified as Aundria's – were discovered in a thinly cemented area near his home.

In 2020, Dennis Bowman was charged with the missing teenager's murder, after eventually confessing to inflicting a head injury on her before dismembering her body with an axe and machete.

He was sentenced to two life sentences for the murder of Kathleen Doyle and an additional 35 to 50 years in prison for the murder of Aundria.

As the saying goes, viewers of the new police series do not seem to reach a general consensus on their verdict.

What they do agree on, however, is that this two-part novel had an unexpected and heartbreaking impact on their own lives.

“We just watched both episodes of Into the Fire: The Lost Girl “Back to back – heartbreaking but necessary viewing,” one viewer wrote on social media this week.

“Cathy Terkanian is an incredible human titan and I wish her all the peace in the world. Brenda Bowman belongs in prison. Dennis Bowman belongs in hell.”

While another added: “I watched In the fire: the lost girl. Wow. Just… Wow!!! I hope this man's wife never knows peace and burns in hell with him.”

Another said he wished he had “not watched” the show, adding: “I sometimes find the #TrueCrime genre fascinating, but this is so miserable and tragic, and what an absolutely horrible man…”

And someone else wrote: “I just watched Into the Fire: The Lost Girl which came out on Netflix today and my god it is infuriating and upsetting.

“I feel sorry for Aundria/Alexis. Cathy is selfish. Brenda is crazy. Dennis is disgusting. Everyone has let him down and all the parental figures are horrible.”