Elizabeth Duncan and Olga Kupczyk inspired the movie Too Close to Home. The movie is about a mother who loved her son, Frank Duncan, so much that she had her daughter-in-law murdered, according to the LA Times. In this fact-based tale, the real names were changed. Too Close to Home (also known as Mother's Love) stars Judith Light as Diana Donahue, based on Elizabeth Duncan; Rick Schroder as Nick Donahue, based on Frank Duncan; and Sarah Trigger as Abigail “Abby” Emma Fletcher, based on the real Olga Duncan.
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The Chilling True Story Behind Too Close to Home
The real case made national headlines decades ago, and people still wonder what happened to her son, Frank Duncan. I had the opportunity to talk to Frank Duncan some years ago. He seemed like a gentle and kind man willing to speak to me.
Synopsis of the Movie: Too Close To Home
Too Close to Home, a true-story movie, dramatizes the 1958 murder of Olga Duncan. It aired for the first time on April 29, 1997, on CBS---and aired later on Lifetime.
When Too Close to Home premiered, few people knew who had inspired the movie. As an eager writer and researcher, I made it my mission to find the real names.
After scouring newspaper archives, I matched the movie plot to the true crime. The case involved Olga Duncan, who disappeared in 1958 and was later found murdered.
The crime investigation led back to two men—Luis Moya and Augustine Baldonado—and the woman who hired them: Elizabeth Duncan.
“Trial of the Century”: The Shocking Truth
No one could believe Elizabeth "Ma" Duncan had orchestrated the entire murder plot. And the court case was considered the “trial of the century.”
People wondered, "Who would do something like this?" Spectators couldn’t wait to see the woman who had her pregnant daughter-in-law and unborn grandchild killed.
And Elizabeth Duncan’s pointy-rimmed glasses didn’t help soften her image. They made her look like the epitome of the wicked grandmother.
Jurors discovered she had been married more than 19 times and may have had other children besides Frank Duncan. Everyone agreed Frank—just 29 at the time—was her favorite child.
The bond between mother and son was so strong that she believed he was her soulmate. Experts believe Elizabeth Duncan had an unhealthy attachment to him.
Frank and Olga’s Tragic Love Story
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| From left: Olga Duncan and Elizabeth Ma Duncan (credit: UPI) |
Olga Kupczyk Duncan, a pretty thirty-year-old nurse, met Frank Duncan at a hospital, where Elizabeth Ann Duncan was receiving care after she tried to take her own life. Frank was impressed with Olga’s bedside manner, and the two began dating. There was just one glitch. From the very start, Frank Duncan warned Olga that his mother was a jealous woman and would often become enraged whenever he brought a new woman home. Olga didn't know it, at the time, but that was her clue...
her red flag...
her first and final warning...
Frank was madly in love with Olga, but the situation grew so tense they had to sneak around to keep their relationship secret.
Court records show Elizabeth Duncan was furious when she found out Olga was pregnant with Frank’s child. From that point on, the mother-in-law harassed Olga and set out to destroy her life.
Wanting to keep the peace, the marriage was annulled, and Frank Duncan moved back in with his mother.
At trial, Frank was heavily criticized. No one could understand why a grown man would have to consult his mother about someone he loved. More than that, people wondered how a good man could abandon his pregnant wife, leaving her alone in an apartment.
But Frank saw it differently—he believed he was protecting Olga from further harassment.
The Night of the Murder
In reality, moving back home made Olga even more vulnerable.
It gave Elizabeth Duncan the chance to get Olga alone, with no one around to protect her.
Court records show that Luis Moya (22) and Augustine Baldonado (25) knocked on Olga’s door on the night of November 17, 1958, and lured her outside.
Believing she was meeting Frank, Olga leaned into their vehicle—and was snatched.
She was taken to a remote location off Highway 101 in Carpinteria, along Casitas Pass Road.
There, Luis and Augustine assaulted Olga repeatedly before digging a hole and burying her, most likely while she was still alive.
Justice Served
Elizabeth Ann Duncan, Luis Moya, and Augustine Baldonado were sentenced to death. The executions were carried out in 1962.
Frank Duncan, Elizabeth’s son and an attorney, did not attend his mother’s execution. People who saw him afterward said he seemed like a shell of a man—distraught that he couldn’t save her.
Poor Olga had no idea meeting Elizabeth Duncan would ruin her entire life.
My Interview: Where Is Frank Duncan Today?
As of 2025, I can’t say for sure where Frank Duncan is now. I last spoke with him in 2012. I called his office—he was still practicing law then.
I’ll never forget that day, sitting in my home office, a little nervous to make that call. I was surprised when the gentle-speaking man answered the phone and said, “I am Frank Duncan.” He sounded young and delightfully pleasant.
According to Frank, after the story faded from the headlines, he built a successful and lucrative law practice. At the time of my call, he was 83 years old and proud of his health and energy.
When I asked him about his mother, Elizabeth Duncan, he told me:
“I never speak on it. I never do interviews.”
He also told me---Traciy Curry-Reyes---that despite his age, he was still physically fit and well spoken.
“I look well. I walk well. I am well. People are shocked I’m still alive.”
Life After Olga
Curious, I asked Frank if he had ever remarried. He replied:
“Oh my yes, of course.”
Frank Duncan said he had been married three times since the trial. His last marriage lasted nearly four decades.
When asked about the tragedy, Frank made it clear: he doesn’t like to talk or even think about it. He told me it’s all in the past.
He told me he has never watched Too Close to Home, and he never will.
Olga’s Legacy and Final Resting Place
Olga Duncan's family continues to pass the story down to their relatives. One family member told me her great-grandfather was Augustine Baldonado’s brother, and that Olga was originally from Canada.
After her murder, Olga was cremated and sent back to Canada to be with her family.
The Killers Background and Ma Duncan's Other Children
Even today, not much is known about Luis Moya and Augustine Baldonado. Their life stories and backgrounds remain somewhat hidden. As for Ma Duncan's other children, no one seems to know what happened to them, or if she ever had grandchildren while she was alive.
The Legacy of Frank Duncan
People who’ve used Frank Duncan’s legal services describe him as a sweet man—someone who reminds them of that old-time TV detective Columbo. He is still well-known and well-respected.
As of 2015, when I last checked, Frank Duncan was still alive.
Since Frank rarely does interviews, I believe my chance to speak with him was pure luck. I may try again (2025)—just to see if he's still open to a conversation.
Final Note on the Movie
Too Close to Home was produced by Once Upon a Time Films and filmed in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.