For the national media, Dalia Dippolito's murder-for-hire saga is the gift that keeps on giving. Boynton Beach's most infamous newlywed has been convicted of plotting to have her husband whacked, and is now on house arrest while appealing that conviction. Yet national TV crime shows are still getting plenty of mileage out of her sordid tale of sex, lies, and videotape.
Last night, the Oxygen show Snapped, which "profiles the fascinating cases of women accused of murder," devoted an entire hour to the Dippolito story. Of course, Dalia was not interviewed. Instead, viewers were introduced to
her ex-husband Michael Dippolito; his lawyer, Guy Fronstin; and former Palm Beach County prosecutor Elizabeth Parker-- all of whom gushed about what a good guy Michael is.
They neglected to mention that Michael was married when he met Dalia, or that he hired Dalia to be his escort when his wife was out of town. They discussed Michael's drug addiction and his telemarketing fraud conviction, but insisted he was on the straight and narrow by the time he hooked up with Dalia. Where were the tear-jerking interviews with the fraud victims, or the mother of the son Michael fathered and failed to support?
Instead, the hour was devoted to painting Dalia as the conniving, cold-hearted woman we all know her to be. The most revealing moment may have been when Michael explained why he rushed to marry her. He described her as a girl who was close to her family, attended Catholic school, and had "some college." Is that really what he saw in her, rather than the fake boobs and the escort experience?
If so, the Dippolitos really were a match made in heaven.
