In May 2000, Nancy Campbell-Panitz agreed to appear on The Jerry Springer Show , thinking she was going on to be reunited with her ex-husband, Ralf Panitz. Little did she know, only a few months later — the same day the episode aired on TV — he would murder her.

Nancy and Ralf were married for 15 months before divorcing in 1999. Despite the divorce, they continued to live together off and on until Ralf secretly wed Eleanor Panitz in 2000. The three of them appeared on The Jerry Springer Show to air out their issues.

The Netflix documentary Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action explores her tragic death, and features an interview with her son, Jeffrey Campbell. In the interview, he accuses producers of allegedly manipulating his mother for views.

Watch the trailer for Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action. Article continues after video.

"To see her up there on stage looking like a deer caught in the headlights," Jeffrey said. "I just wish I could go back and say, 'Don't do it.'"

According to Jeffrey, Nancy was convinced the purpose of the segment was to help her and Ralf reconcile.

"My mother believed that Ralf had been deported to Germany and that the show was going to pay for his travel back to America, and that they would reconcile, and that he would tell his new girlfriend that he wanted to be with my mother," Jeffrey said.

But once she arrived, she realised that was not the reality at all.

Following a heated on-air argument with Ralf and Eleanor, Nancy abruptly left the show. In July 2000, she was granted a restraining order against him.

Then — on the same day as the court hearing and the broadcast of their Jerry Springer episode — Nancy was found dead in her home.

Ralf had gone to Nancy's home and beat and strangled her to death.

Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action

The Jerry Springer Show had long been known for its controversial content, but it reached new levels of notoriety when Nancy's tragic story unfolded after her appearance on the show.

Nancy's murder ignited discussions about the impact of sensationalist television, particularly in relation to the way shows like The Jerry Springer Show may exploit personal tragedies for entertainment. It raised questions about the ethics of reality TV, the responsibility of producers, and the potential consequences of airing volatile, highly charged conflicts.

Ralf was later convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He is currently in jail.

In May 2002, Judge Nancy Donnellan delivered the sentence, and criticised The Jerry Springer Show and its producers for their lack of responsibility when it came to their treatment of participants of the show.

The Jerry Springer Show has been criticised for its lack of responsibility when it comes to the particpants of the show. Image: Netflix.

"Ralf Panitz, Eleanor Panitz and Nancy Campbell were brought to Chicago by the Jerry Springer Show, then manipulated by producers of that show," Donnellan said.

"Are ratings more important than the dignity of human life? Shame on you. Shame on you."

"I don't think they've ever been held accountable for anything," Jeffrey said of his mother's death. "People just watching this show and think, 'Oh this is normal.' It's not."

Feature Image: The Jerry Springer Show.