Acclaimed American writer and journalist Patrick Radden Keefe, renowned for his works like Say Nothing and the upcoming London Falling, is currently investigating the perplexing death of 19-year-old Zac Brettler. In November 2019, Zac died after falling from the fifth-floor balcony of a luxury London apartment overlooking the Thames. The coroner’s inquest ultimately concluded with an open verdict, stating with candor, “I don’t know what happened.”
Keefe first learned of the Brettler family’s tragic experience in the summer of 2023. While in London for the filming of the television adaptation of Say Nothing, a casual conversation with a director’s friend brought to light the strange and terrible circumstances surrounding Zac’s death, and the profound impact it had on his parents, Rachelle and Matthew Brettler.
Although there was no evidence to suggest Zac was suicidal, ample information indicated he was under considerable duress and very afraid in the months leading up to his death. He had become entangled with two men who falsely believed he was the son of a Russian oligarch, poised to inherit a vast £200 million fortune. Both individuals were present with Zac on the night he died, with one reportedly inside the apartment at the time. Their subsequent statements to the police were noted for their inconsistencies.
The Brettler family raised significant concerns regarding the Metropolitan Police’s investigation, citing alleged deficiencies such as the failure to formally interview key witnesses and the neglect to test bloodstains found on the apartment walls. Despite these familial appeals for thoroughness, the investigation concluded in 2021. The Crown Prosecution Service subsequently decided there was insufficient evidence to pursue charges for murder or perverting the course of justice. The 2022 inquest reinforced the ambiguity, ending with the aforementioned open verdict, leaving many questions unanswered.