Murder in Small Town X
Encyclopedia
Murder in Small Town X (sometimes abbreviated MiSTX) is an American
reality television series created by George Verschoor, Robert Fisher, Jr., and Gordon Cassidy and was hosted by Sgt. Gary Fredo, a California Police Investigator, that aired on Fox
from July through September 2001.
Although classified as a reality television series, given the format's unique nature, it was more accurately a hybrid of reality TV, game show, and mystery drama.
(called "Sunrise" in the show) to act as amateur investigators to solve a series of fictional murders.
Initially, the investigators were given a list of 15 suspects who were "townspeople" played by actors and actresses. A large number of improvisational actors and actresses were stationed around the real-life town, and their job was to provide clues (useful and not useful) to the investigators. Each week, the investigators were sent out on varying missions around the town in order to discover clues to clear suspects. Additionally, the murderer would strike again, clearing suspects as well.
In every episode a Lead Investigator, or Lifeguard, is chosen. In the first episode, the Lifeguard is chosen by picking one of ten cards. For the following episodes, the Lifeguard is chosen by the investigator who was "murdered" the previous episode. For the final two investigators, the previous investigator who was "murdered" will determine who gets his or her first choice on which suspect they want to pursue.
Every three days, two envelopes, red and black, would be discovered somewhere in the town. In the red envelope, there would be a question about what the investigators had learned during the day. The question would usually be pointed to one of the track teams, meaning whoever was involved with that line of investigation has the highest potential of answering it correctly. The team's answer would be sent to the killer via e-mail, with the address being anonymous. If correct, the killer would clear one of the remaining suspects. If wrong, the number of suspects would remain the same.
Afterward, the black envelope would be opened. It contains two smaller black envelopes, each containing a map of a certain location. The investigators (except the Lifeguard) would go into a separate room to vote for the first person who will play the Killer's game. After the vote, the Lifeguard picks the second person who will play. The two investigators would each choose a map and head out to the two different remote locations completely alone, with their movements recorded only by night-vision cameras. One of the investigators would discover an important clue to the mystery, whereas the other would be "murdered" from the show as a "murder victim," with their last seconds seen through the eyes of the "killer" in the manner of classical slasher film
s.
The "murders" were being committed by a descendant of one of the family members who escaped the fire and who was gaining his revenge against the descendants of the town leaders who had condoned the burning of the family in 1941. This survivor, known as the "Burnt Face Man", left several recordings of himself to his child, which were clues for the investigators. As it turned out, he murdered one of the men responsible for the killing of his family, but he was overwhelmed with guilt and committed suicide. The burnt man's child decided to take up his father's work, attacking those responsible or descendants of those responsible for his family's death. Using a bang stick
, a close-range rifle-like weapon used to kill fish, not only was he not overwhelmed with guilt like his father, he found it exciting, and decided to make a game of it.
The killer was revealed to be William Lambert (whose real last name is Duchamps), a business partner of Nate Flint and a common target of suspicion (although all initial theories about him turned out to be irrelevant). He killed the people that were either related to or are the members of the O.S.L. They were Blodgett (killed by his father), DeBeck, Flint, Merchant, Rose, and Thibodeaux. Samantha "Sam" Larabee was supposed to be William's last victim, but in the finale, Ángel, the winner, rescued her before William was able to complete his final murder. The fictional police chief, Dudley Duncan, chased him up a flight of stairs and shot him in his bedroom, sending him crashing out the window and falling two stories to the hard concrete below.
Italic names represent non-revealed votes, but were based on alliances.
In episode 6, a tie vote occurred between Jeff and Kristen. When asked to break the tie as lifeguard, Katie opted to send both out to play the Killer's Game.
In the finale, Alan and Jeff didn't vote against each other. Because Ángel was immune
(as he was chosen by Katie to be the lifeguard), there was no reason to vote and Alan and Jeff were immediately handed their maps.
Kristen found G.D. at the end of the Killer's Game. Because Brian was killed by the killer, G.D. could not be the killer. In addition, G.D. was killed that night, but not found out until the next day.
Samantha was going to be William's final victim, but Angel rescued her before he could kill her.
Prudence was cleared because the Burnt Man says, "Goodbye my son...". This indicated that the killer had to be male.
Jimmy was cleared because he was too young to be the Burnt Man's son. He was 21, as the Burnt Man's final film is from 30 years ago.
and was killed one week later in the World Trade Center collapse
on September 11, 2001. A statue of a fisherman that had been created for the show and left behind in Eastport, Maine after production wrapped has since been refurbished and now bears a plaque commemorating Ángel. The statue stands in downtown Eastport on the waterfront.
, a neighboring town of Eastport).
Kristen appeared in the 3rd season of the NBC reality series The Apprentice as a brunette, in contrast to her bleach-blonde hair, where she was again notable for having established contentious relationships with the other contestants. She was fired at the end of the fourth episode as the Project Manager of her team, where both teams failed for the first time in The Apprentice history.
The show winner, Ángel Juarbe, Jr, being a seven-year veteran of the fire-fighting force, was apart of one of the first units to the World Trade Center emergency. He was caught in the collapse of the first tower and remains among one of the hundreds of rescue personnel listed as missing or presumed dead.
. Ratings were poor and the program was not a critical success.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
reality television series created by George Verschoor, Robert Fisher, Jr., and Gordon Cassidy and was hosted by Sgt. Gary Fredo, a California Police Investigator, that aired on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
from July through September 2001.
Although classified as a reality television series, given the format's unique nature, it was more accurately a hybrid of reality TV, game show, and mystery drama.
Premise
The premise of the show was to bring 10 contestants from around the United States of America to the small fishing village of Eastport, MaineEastport, Maine
Eastport is a small city in Washington County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,640 at the 2000 census. The principal island is Moose Island, which is connected to the mainland by causeway...
(called "Sunrise" in the show) to act as amateur investigators to solve a series of fictional murders.
Initially, the investigators were given a list of 15 suspects who were "townspeople" played by actors and actresses. A large number of improvisational actors and actresses were stationed around the real-life town, and their job was to provide clues (useful and not useful) to the investigators. Each week, the investigators were sent out on varying missions around the town in order to discover clues to clear suspects. Additionally, the murderer would strike again, clearing suspects as well.
In every episode a Lead Investigator, or Lifeguard, is chosen. In the first episode, the Lifeguard is chosen by picking one of ten cards. For the following episodes, the Lifeguard is chosen by the investigator who was "murdered" the previous episode. For the final two investigators, the previous investigator who was "murdered" will determine who gets his or her first choice on which suspect they want to pursue.
Every three days, two envelopes, red and black, would be discovered somewhere in the town. In the red envelope, there would be a question about what the investigators had learned during the day. The question would usually be pointed to one of the track teams, meaning whoever was involved with that line of investigation has the highest potential of answering it correctly. The team's answer would be sent to the killer via e-mail, with the address being anonymous. If correct, the killer would clear one of the remaining suspects. If wrong, the number of suspects would remain the same.
Afterward, the black envelope would be opened. It contains two smaller black envelopes, each containing a map of a certain location. The investigators (except the Lifeguard) would go into a separate room to vote for the first person who will play the Killer's game. After the vote, the Lifeguard picks the second person who will play. The two investigators would each choose a map and head out to the two different remote locations completely alone, with their movements recorded only by night-vision cameras. One of the investigators would discover an important clue to the mystery, whereas the other would be "murdered" from the show as a "murder victim," with their last seconds seen through the eyes of the "killer" in the manner of classical slasher film
Slasher film
A slasher film is a type of horror film typically involving a psychopathic killer stalking and killing a sequence of victims in a graphically violent manner, often with a cutting tool such as a knife or axe...
s.
Story
The game started out with the mysterious murder of a family known as the Flints, on which the investigators would base their investigation. It soon turned out there was much more to this case when suspects started to turn up dead. The solution to the mystery involved the discovery that the members of a local family, the Duchamps, had been murdered together in 1941 just after the Pearl Harbor Attack because they had stumbled onto a town's secret involving illegal liquor smuggling from Canada. The murder had been committed with the assent of many of the town's leaders, who met in a secret lodge, a society called "The Order of the Scarlet Lupine" or the "O.S.L." The family had been bounded in a room together, and the room was set on fire.The "murders" were being committed by a descendant of one of the family members who escaped the fire and who was gaining his revenge against the descendants of the town leaders who had condoned the burning of the family in 1941. This survivor, known as the "Burnt Face Man", left several recordings of himself to his child, which were clues for the investigators. As it turned out, he murdered one of the men responsible for the killing of his family, but he was overwhelmed with guilt and committed suicide. The burnt man's child decided to take up his father's work, attacking those responsible or descendants of those responsible for his family's death. Using a bang stick
Powerhead
A powerhead, bang stick, or shark stick is a specialized firearm used underwater that is fired when in direct contact with the target. Powerheads are often used for spear fishing, and against sharks or alligators for sport, defense, or to kill nuisance animals...
, a close-range rifle-like weapon used to kill fish, not only was he not overwhelmed with guilt like his father, he found it exciting, and decided to make a game of it.
The killer was revealed to be William Lambert (whose real last name is Duchamps), a business partner of Nate Flint and a common target of suspicion (although all initial theories about him turned out to be irrelevant). He killed the people that were either related to or are the members of the O.S.L. They were Blodgett (killed by his father), DeBeck, Flint, Merchant, Rose, and Thibodeaux. Samantha "Sam" Larabee was supposed to be William's last victim, but in the finale, Ángel, the winner, rescued her before William was able to complete his final murder. The fictional police chief, Dudley Duncan, chased him up a flight of stairs and shot him in his bedroom, sending him crashing out the window and falling two stories to the hard concrete below.
Contestants
| Name | Occupation | Hometown | Result | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shirley King | Home Health Agency Owner | Henderson Henderson, Nevada -Demographics:According to the 2000 census, there were 175,381 people, 66,331 households, and 47,095 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,200.8 people per square mile . There were 71,149 housing units at an average density of 892.8 per square mile... , Nevada Nevada Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its... |
1st Victim | Chicken Ranch |
| Andrew "Andy" Landan | Media Planner | Chicago Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles... , Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,... |
2nd Victim | Old Mustard Mill |
| Lindsey Labrum | Student | Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous... |
3rd Victim | The Verdant Hothouses |
| Stacey Carmona | Bartender | Staten Island Staten Island Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay... , New York New York New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east... |
4th Victim | The Marine Supply Warehouse |
| Brian Porvin | Medical Student | Fort Lauderdale, Florida Florida Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it... |
5th Victim | Kingfisher Aquaculture |
| Kristen Kirchner | Mortgage Banker | Los Angeles Los Ángeles Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants... , California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... |
6th Victim | Sunrise Junkyard |
| Katie Kloecker | Office Temporary Work | Erie Erie Erie is a city in Pennsylvania, United States.Erie may also refer to:*Erie , a tribe of Native Americans-Places:*Lake Erie, one of the five Great Lakes of North America*Erie Canal, a canal running from the Hudson River to Lake Erie... , Pennsylvania Pennsylvania The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to... |
7th Victim | Sunrise High School |
| Jeff Monroe | Model | Portland Portland, Oregon Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States... , Oregon Oregon Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern... |
8th Victim | DeBeck's Compound |
| Alan Frye | Delicatessen Owner | Knoxville, Tennessee Tennessee Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area... |
Runner-Up | Kovick's Boathouse |
| Ángel Juarbe, Jr. | Firefighter | Bronx, New York | Winner | Lambert's House |
Voting history
| Episode | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Finale | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murdered | Shirley | Andy | Lindsey | Stacey | Brian | Kristen | Katie | Jeff | N/A | |
| Group's Pick | Shirley | Andy | Kristen | Kristen | Brian | Jeff, Kristen |
Katie | Alan, Jeff |
||
| Lifeguard's Pick | Kristen | Brian | Lindsey | Stacey | Kristen | Jeff | ||||
| Group Voting | ||||||||||
| Ángel | Shirley | Andy | Kristen | Kristen | Brian | Jeff | L.G. | L.G. | WINNER | |
| Alan | Shirley | Andy | L.G. | Kristen | Brian | Kristen | Katie | Jeff | RUNNER-UP | |
| Jeff | Shirley | Andy | Kristen | Kristen | L.G. | Kristen | Katie | Alan | ||
| Katie | Shirley | Andy | Kristen | Kristen | Kristen | L.G. | Jeff | |||
| Kristen | Jeff | L.G. | Stacey | Jeff | Brian | Jeff | ||||
| Brian | Shirley | Andy | Kristen | L.G. | Kristen | |||||
| Stacey | Shirley | Andy | Kristen | Kristen | ||||||
| Lindsey | Jeff | Andy | Stacey | |||||||
| Andy | L.G. | Lindsey | ||||||||
| Shirley | Jeff | |||||||||
- The contestant was chosen as the lifeguard, and could not vote or be voted against.
Italic names represent non-revealed votes, but were based on alliances.
In episode 6, a tie vote occurred between Jeff and Kristen. When asked to break the tie as lifeguard, Katie opted to send both out to play the Killer's Game.
In the finale, Alan and Jeff didn't vote against each other. Because Ángel was immune
Immunity (reality television)
Immunity in reality television is a concept that is widely used in weekly elimination-type reality television shows by which a contestant participating in such a show may not be "kicked off" or eliminated from competition in a particular time period...
(as he was chosen by Katie to be the lifeguard), there was no reason to vote and Alan and Jeff were immediately handed their maps.
The Killer's Questions
| Episode | Question | Team's Answer | Correct/Wrong | Cleared Suspect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Because there were no bodies found, what did I wrap the bodies into to remove them from the house?" | Bed Linens | Correct | Dudley Duncan |
| 2 | "What was the date of Oscar Blodgett's birth?" | 1924 | Correct | X-Ray |
| 3 | "What is the daily tidal variation in Sunrise?" | 23 feet | Correct | Leita Rose-Blodgett |
| 4 | "What is Pavor Nocturnus?" | A sleeping disorder involving night terrors | Correct | Drew Chambers |
| 5 | "How many sweepers were at the pier when Connor and Lambert killed the shark?" | 12 | Correct | Deanna Harris |
| 6 | "What rank was Connor's father?" | Master Sargent | Correct | Samantha "Sam" Larabee |
| 7 | "What Bible chapter says: 'When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous.' ?" | Proverbs: 15 & 21 | Correct | Emerson Bowden |
| Finale | "What year did my father die?" | 1971 | Correct | Rusty Crandell |
The Suspects
These are fifteen suspects, in the order they were cleared of being the killer.| Suspect | Occupation | Suspect Status | Life Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dudley Duncan | Police Chief | Cleared Episode 1 Killer's Question |
Alive |
| X-Ray | Taxi Cab Driver | Cleared Episode 2 Killer's Question |
Alive |
| Leita Rose-Blodgett | Mail Center Operator, the Flint's neighbor, Oscar Blodgett's widowed wife |
Cleared Episode 3 Killer's Question |
Murdered Episode 4 |
| Drew Chambers | Club Operator | Cleared Episode 4 Killer's Question |
Alive |
| Deanna Harris | Secretary of The Sunrise Press, Attorney | Cleared Episode 5 Killer's Question |
Alive |
| G.D. Thibodeaux | Ferry Boat Captain, Fisherman, Vietnam War Veteran |
Cleared Episode 5 After Killer's Game |
Murdered Episode 6 |
| Samantha "Sam" Larabee | Diner Owner, Frank Kovick's Fianceé | Cleared Episode 6 Killer's Question |
Alive Kidnapped and Rescued |
| Hayden DeBeck | General, Mind/Science Leader | Cleared Episode 7 Murdering |
Murdered Episode 6 Noted Episode 7 |
| Mary-Elizabeth Merchant | Abby Flint's best friend | Cleared Episode 7 Murdering |
Murdered Episode 7 |
| Emerson Bowden | Town Mayor | Cleared Episode 7 Killer's Question |
Alive |
| Rusty Crandell | Church Reverend and Pastor of The First Church of Sunrise |
Cleared in Finale Killer's Question |
Alive |
| Prudence Connor | Garage Owner, Nate Flint's Mistress | Cleared in Finale The Burnt Man's last film |
Alive |
| Jimmy Tinker | Hardware Store Employee, Abby Flint's boyfriend | Cleared in Finale The Burnt Man's last film |
Alive |
| Frank Kovick | Local Newspaper Reporter, Samantha Larabee's Fianceé |
Cleared in Finale The Final Confrontation |
Alive |
| William Lambert (William Duchamps) |
Nate Flint's business partner, owner of 2 Dollar Bill, later owner of The Sunrise Press |
The Killer | Killed in Finale by Dudley Duncan |
Kristen found G.D. at the end of the Killer's Game. Because Brian was killed by the killer, G.D. could not be the killer. In addition, G.D. was killed that night, but not found out until the next day.
Samantha was going to be William's final victim, but Angel rescued her before he could kill her.
Prudence was cleared because the Burnt Man says, "Goodbye my son...". This indicated that the killer had to be male.
Jimmy was cleared because he was too young to be the Burnt Man's son. He was 21, as the Burnt Man's final film is from 30 years ago.
International versions
| Country | Name | Host | Network | Date premiered | Prize |
 Brazil |
O Jogo | Zeca Camargo | Rede Globo Rede Globo Rede Globo , or simply Globo, is a Brazilian television network, launched by media mogul Roberto Marinho on April 26, 1965. It is owned by media conglomerate Organizações Globo, being by far the largest of its holdings... |
May 25, 2003-July 29,2003 | R$ Brazilian real The real is the present-day currency of Brazil. Its sign is R$ and its ISO code is BRL. It is subdivided into 100 centavos .... 250.000 |
 United Kingdom |
The Murder Game The Murder Game The Murder Game is a BBC Books original novel written by Steve Lyons and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Second Doctor, Ben, and Polly. The novel is notable for introducing an alien threat known as the Selachians, who reappear later... |
Bob Taylor | BBC | March 29, 2003-May 17,2003 | £25,000 |
 United States |
Murder In Small Town X Murder in Small Town X Murder in Small Town X is an American reality television series created by George Verschoor, Robert Fisher, Jr., and Gordon Cassidy and was hosted by Sgt... |
Gary Fredo | Fox Fox Broadcasting Company Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the... |
July 24, 2001-September 4, 2001 | $250,000 |
Episode 1
- Lifeguard: Andy
- Suspect Cleared: Dudley Duncan
- Sent to play the Killer's Game:
- Group's Pick: Shirley (6-3) - Chicken Farm
- Lifeguard's Pick: Kristen - Dog Island
- Investigator Murdered: Shirley
- Notes: Abby, Carmen, and Nate Flint are murdered by the killer in the beginning of the episode. The discovery of their murder was found by C.R. Flint and Samantha "Sam" Larabee. Carmen's body is found later in the ocean by G.D. Thibodeaux. Prudence Connor is discovered to have an affair with Nate Flint.
- Killer Clues: 1; At the beginning of the episode, the killer leaves a video of 15 suspects (1 of which is the killer). 2; Kristen discovers the remains of "The Bonny Rose", a boat owned by the late Oscar Blodgett.
Episode 2
- Lifeguard: Kristen
- Suspect Cleared: X-Ray
- Sent to play the Killer's Game:
- Group's Pick: Andy (7-1) - Old Mustard Mill
- Lifeguard's Pick: Brian - House at 45 Kendal Road
- Investigator Murdered: Andy
- Notes: Oscar Blodgett's body was dug up by the killer.
- Killer Clues: Brian discovers a can of sardines with the Kingfisher logo on the can. Inside the can are a set of fingers, (left ring and pinky finger) that belong to Nate Flint. They are pack in oil and mustard, the old way of packing fish, and were treated with chemicals that are used in taxidermyTaxidermyTaxidermy is the act of mounting or reproducing dead animals for display or for other sources of study. Taxidermy can be done on all vertebrate species of animals, including mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians...
.
Episode 3
- Lifeguard: Alan
- Suspect Cleared: Leita Rose-Blodgett
- Sent to play the Killer's Game:
- Group's Pick: Kristen (5-2) - Sunrise Theater
- Lifeguard's Pick: Lindsey - The Verdant Hothouses
- Investigator Murdered: Lindsey
- Notes: Jimmy Tinker is seen driving Abby Flint's car by X-Ray.
- Killer Clues: Not shown till the next episode, it is a roll of 16mm film featuring "The Burnt Face Man" recalling his most earliest memory in 1941 when he was 8 years old somehow escaping a fire, being found by a fishing boat 40 miles off the coast,being brought to Bar Harbor and not seeing the town of Sunrise until he "was a man".
Episode 4
- Lifeguard: Brian
- Suspect Cleared: Drew Chambers
- Sent to play the Killer's Game:
- Group's Pick: Kristen (5-1) - Grady Point Lighthouse
- Lifeguard's Pick: Stacey - The Marine Supply Warehouse
- Investigator Murdered: Stacey
- Notes: Lieta Rose-Blodgett is murdered by the killer at the beginning of the episode.
- Killer Clues: The Lost At Sea monument, which is a hand coming up from out of the ground. The base of the monument held name plates with one of the names (in this case, Duchamps), circled in blood.
Episode 5
- Lifeguard: Jeff
- Suspects Cleared: Deanna Harris, G.D. Thibodeaux
- Sent to play the Killer's Game:
- Group's Pick: Brian (3-2) - Kingfisher Aquaculture
- Lifeguard's Pick: Kristen - Thibodeaux's Cabin
- Investigator Murdered: Brian
- Notes: Kristen finds G.D. Thibodeaux dying at his house, and she and X-Ray rush him to the hospital.
- Killer Clues: 1; Kristen returns with another 16mm film, again of "The Burnt Face Man", talking about how he rigged The Bonny Rose (the clue from episode 1) by wrapping 8 feet of power cord around a propane tank and setting it off with a 6 hour kitchen timer, in the process murdering Oscar Blodgett. 2; G.D. Thibodeaux is also discovered wounded.
Episode 6
- Lifeguard: Katie
- Suspect Cleared: Samantha "Sam" Larabee
- Sent to play the Killer's Game:
- Group's Pick: Jeff and Kristen (2-2) - Jeff to Storage House behind DeBeck's Compound
- Lifeguard's Pick: Jeff and Kristen - Kristen to Sunrise Junkyard
- Investigator Murdered: Kristen
- Notes: G.D. Thibodeaux is killed by the killer at the beginning of the episode. Kristen is sent out to the play the Killer's Game for the fifth time, and this time she is finally eliminated.
- Killer Clues: 1; Jeff finds a giant sword with the initial "OSL" on it when it bursts into flames. 2; Not shown till the next episode, a piece of ripped paper with some visible words. Also on the paper is a picture of the same sword logo.
Episode 7
- Lifeguard: Ángel
- Suspects Cleared: Hayden DeBeck, Mary-Elizabeth Merchant, Emerson Bowden
- Sent to play the Killer's Game:
- Group's Pick: Katie (2-1) - Sunrise High School
- Lifeguard's Pick: Jeff - Kingfisher Cannery
- Investigator Murdered: Katie
- Notes: Hayden DeBeck and Rusty Crandell suffer a car accident, and the killer murders Hayden. Mary-Elizabeth Merchant is murdered later while she, Alan, and Katie are taking care of C.R. Flint.
- Killer Clues: Jeff finds a vault hidden behind a wall, again with a picture of the "OSL" logo. At the beginning of the next episode the vault is opened to the discovery of 8 bodies. Also found are crates with the "OSL" logo, empty liquor bottles, 24 rows of tobacco, and a "white powdery substance" which the investigators believe is cocaine.
Finale
- Lifeguard: Ángel
- Suspect Cleared: Rusty Crandell
- Sent to play the Killer's Game: Alan and Jeff - Alan to the Flints' House, Jeff to DeBeck's Compound
- Investigator Murdered: Jeff
- Notes: C.R. Flint passes away due to a brain embolism.
- Killer Clues: The final Killer Clue, Alan comes back with another 16mm film. "The Burnt Face Man" holds up a picture of him as a child with his family during ThanksgivingThanksgivingThanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
of 1941 and said how the OSL (Order of the Scarlet Lupin), namely Oscar Blodgett, Hayden DeBeck, and Calvin Roosevelt Flint (C.R. Flint) locked the family up and burned them alive after the government came across the group's bootleggingRum-runningRum-running, also known as bootlegging, is the illegal business of transporting alcoholic beverages where such transportation is forbidden by law...
scheme and stated that everyone, including a pregnant woman, died in the fire. He continues with saying how the fire was to get rid of all the evidence of the liquor and tobacco as well as the Duchamps, as they knew all about the illegal smuggling. "The Burnt Face Man" also talks about how he had returned to take revenge on the members of the OSL, but after killing Blodgett, he had "become a monster" and was going to take his own life. Telling his child that they are too little to understand and that the video will be sent to his child long after he is gone, "The Burnt Face Man" ends his last video with his final words ".... Goodbye, my son."
- Suspects Cleared: Prudence Connor, Jimmy Tinker, Frank Kovick
- The Final Confrontation:
- Alan: Frank Kovick - Kovick's Boathouse
- Ángel: William Lambert - Lambert's House
- The Killer: William Lambert
- The Runner-Up: Alan
- The Winner: Ángel
- Notes: Samantha "Sam" Larabee is kidnapped by the killer. Alan and Ángel pursue their suspects, and the killer turns out to be William Lambert. Samantha is rescued, and Dudley Duncan shoots William. Emerson Bowden rewards Ángel with a check for $250,000 for solving the mystery. After the killer is uncovered, a letter, still in Lambert's hands, is opened and read, stating, "I was a child when you went away, so in yours eyes I never grew up. When my mother died, I found your film, and I knew what I had to do to become a man. Now I've completed your life's work. Your loving son, William."
Season finale
The finale aired on September 4, 2001. The final two investigators, Alan and Ángel, both chose Frank Kovick as the "killer". The tie was broken by Jeff, the final "victim", who had picked Alan as the one who got to confront his first choice. However, it turned out that both finalists were wrong and therefore Ángel Juarbe, Jr. solved the final mystery and won the prize money. Ángel was a firefighter from New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and was killed one week later in the World Trade Center collapse
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
on September 11, 2001. A statue of a fisherman that had been created for the show and left behind in Eastport, Maine after production wrapped has since been refurbished and now bears a plaque commemorating Ángel. The statue stands in downtown Eastport on the waterfront.
Controversy
A running coincidence throughout the show's run was that Kristen had burnt bridges with almost all of the contestants, so she was continuously voted out to play the killer's game (with a 50% chance of returning home). She was sent out a total of five times she was on the show. She also had furious clashes with fellow investigator Stacey, up to the point where Kristen and Stacey were both sent out together in Episode 4, in which Kristen eventually returned again. She returned every time until her demise at the "Sunrise Junkyard" (which was actually filmed in Meddybemps, MaineMeddybemps, Maine
Meddybemps is a town in Washington County, Maine, United States. The population was 150 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
, a neighboring town of Eastport).
Kristen appeared in the 3rd season of the NBC reality series The Apprentice as a brunette, in contrast to her bleach-blonde hair, where she was again notable for having established contentious relationships with the other contestants. She was fired at the end of the fourth episode as the Project Manager of her team, where both teams failed for the first time in The Apprentice history.
The show winner, Ángel Juarbe, Jr, being a seven-year veteran of the fire-fighting force, was apart of one of the first units to the World Trade Center emergency. He was caught in the collapse of the first tower and remains among one of the hundreds of rescue personnel listed as missing or presumed dead.
Cancellation
Although critically acclaimed, the series did not achieve strong ratings and was not renewed by Fox. The format was sold to the BBC who made a British version (with slight amendments to the rules) in 2003 entitled The Murder GameThe Murder Game (TV series)
The Murder Game was a British reality television series that aired on BBC One from March through May 2003. The show was based on the American FOX television show Murder in Small Town X. Though classified as a reality television series, it was more accurately a hybrid of reality TV, game show, and...
. Ratings were poor and the program was not a critical success.
External links
- Website discussing the British version.