Joel Steinberg from Prison
“It remains one of the most notorious child killings in the nation’s history. The November 1987 death of a hauntingly beautiful six year old girl named Lisa Steinberg. A jury found that she had died at the hands of Joel Steinberg, the New York lawyer who had illegally adopted her. Lisa, the battered child, Heta, the bruised and beaten live-in lover, Joel the wide-eyed and arrogant offender. They are the tragic cast in this infamous drama. A drama that we thought ended in January of 1989 with the manslaughter conviction of Mr. Steinberg. But to this very day, do we really know what happened on that awful night when a child died? In an exclusive interview conducted recently at the prison in upstate New York, where he is serving between eight and twenty five years, Joel Steinberg says there is much we don’t know Mr. Steinberg. But to this very day, do we really know what happened on that awful night when a child died? In an exclusive interview conducted recently at the prison in upstate New York, where he is serving between eight and twenty five years, Joel Steinberg says there is much we don’t know Mr. Steinberg. But to this very day, do we really know what happened on that awful night when a child died? In an exclusive interview conducted recently at the prison in upstate New York, where he is serving between eight and twenty five years, Joel Steinberg says there is much we don’t know. Much we should know, about the facts and circumstances surrounding Lisa’s tragic death. Things like the conflicts in eyewitness accounts, questions, serious questions, about the role Heta played. Even the physical condition of the child herself. Much of this material is new, I think you will find it intriguing, but I must also tell you, Joel Steinberg is one of the most difficult, controlling, paranoid and unpleasant people I have ever interviewed.”
Lisa Steinberg’s tragic death in 1987 gripped the nation with its horrendous drama. But do we know all the facts? The man convicted of manslaughter, Joel Steinberg, maintains we do not. In the course of Geraldo’s exclusive interview with him there are indeed, legitimate questions raised. Also included are many in-studio interviews as we review the sad facts around this case.