Filmmaker Rachel Mason — who previously documented her parents’ West Hollywood adult-bookstore business in 2020’s Circus of Books — returns to that world with My Brother’s Killer, premiering this week at SXSW.
But as Mason and her editor-producer Dion Labriola delved into a 1990s homicide within L.A.’s gay porn scene, their research began intersecting with cold-case detectives, amateur sleuths and a trove of archival material — ultimately helping identify a suspect and eliciting an on-camera confession for a brutal killing long thought unsolvable.
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The film follows the murder of Billy London, a blond midwesterner who moved to L.A. and briefly appeared in the gay adult industry before being killed in a gruesome attack, his head and feet discovered tossed in a dumpster in a WeHo alleyway.
Ahead of the film’s world premiere in Austin, Mason spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about how a porn archive became a key investigative tool, why the LAPD worked with them and the disturbing psychology behind the case. [Spoiler warning: This interview reveals the identity of London’s alleged killer.]
You describe the murder in the film as the “gay Black Dahlia.” What drew you to the story?
I kept hearing that phrase — that Billy London was the “gay Black Dahlia.” It was horrifying. Once you get to know Billy through his family and his poetry and the people who loved him, it becomes even more upsetting. Nobody deserves that kind of end. The story first came to me when I was researching my earlier film, Circus of Books. A gay porn archivist named Mickey Skee had a binder of materials, and in it was an old Advocate article about Billy’s murder. I was stunned. It happened right here in Los Angeles, and yet almost nobody seemed to know about it.
Were you already a true-crime person?
Honestly, no. I’m much more of a cultural documentary filmmaker. I’m interested in characters and subcultures. But while making Circus of Books. I started realizing that gay porn is actually a form of history. Before the 1980s you didn’t see gay lives represented on television. Porn was one of the only places where those lives existed visually. So I started thinking: there must be incredible stories buried in that world. Billy’s story turned out to be one of them.
When you started the film, did you think there was any chance the case could actually be solved?
Not really. My goal was simply to humanize Billy and tell the story of a victim whose murder had never been solved. But while researching, I discovered that a podcast called The Dinner Party Show had reopened interest in the case. At that point I thought: If more attention helps generate new leads, why not contribute? Cold cases often get solved because someone looks at the evidence from a different angle.
The investigation in the film becomes almost collaborative — with sleuths, researchers and the LAPD all involved.
Exactly. It was this strange convergence of people who each had a piece of the puzzle. One of the detectives, John Lamberti, was incredibly helpful. He actually started his career producing television news before becoming a homicide detective, so he understood how media exposure could generate leads. Then there was Clark Williams, who was doing independent research, and a man named Kevin Clarke who knew someone connected to the case. Each person contributed something small, but together it started to reveal a larger picture.
At one point archival porn footage even becomes evidence.
That was surreal. There’s a videotape of a memorial award show from the gay adult industry in the early ’90s. It’s basically a time capsule of that era. And in that footage you see someone who later became the suspected killer actually walk on stage. It’s chilling.
Eventually you began corresponding with the suspected killer, who is now a transgender woman named Daralyn Madden. What was your reaction when you learned that?
It was complicated and painful. My partner is trans, so hearing that information was like a knife to the heart. The last thing you want is a case like this being used to reinforce harmful stereotypes about trans people. At the time of the murders, this person was living as Darrell. Later in life she transitioned and now lives as Daralyn. None of that excuses the crimes.
You ultimately interviewed her in prison. What was that experience like?
It was intense. We were taken into a maximum-security unit. She came out in double shackles with a guard standing extremely close behind her. But what struck me most was how charismatic she was. The detective who interviewed her said the same thing — she’s very charming, very funny. Someone you could easily imagine having a conversation with over a beer. That makes it even more disturbing.
Do you think she feels guilt?
I honestly don’t know. When I talk to her, it’s almost like entering a different psychological space. She talks about violence with a level of familiarity that’s very unsettling. I’ve asked detailed questions about the killings because Billy’s family wanted answers. Those details matter to them. But understanding someone like this really requires psychological experts.
The film ultimately clears suspicion that had hung over Billy’s ex-partner for decades.
Yes. That was incredibly important to me. Billy’s partner Marc Rabins had lived with suspicion for years. And Billy’s family never had real closure. After seeing the film, they told me they finally felt they had answers. That meant more to me than anything.
The film also links the crime to extremist violence and skinhead culture.
That connection is very real. The killer talked about participating in gay bashings and white supremacist activities in Los Angeles during that era. There’s a direct line between those movements and the violence we’re still seeing today. That history hasn’t disappeared.
What do you ultimately hope people take away from the film?
First and foremost, Billy London was a human being. He wasn’t just some lurid crime story. He was a young guy who came to Los Angeles with dreams and a creative life ahead of him. If the film helps people remember him as a person — and maybe helps prevent something like this from happening again — then it’s worth it.
