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. The series immerses contestants in a fictional town, and challenges them to solve a murder. Each week, one of the contestants is "murdered" (and removed from the show); the final contestant solves the case and wins $250,000.
Although classified as a reality television series, given the format's unique nature, it was more accurately described as a hybrid of a reality TV show, game show, and mystery drama. It is notable for the fact that its winner, New York City fireman Ángel Juarbe Jr., was a first responder who died in the line of duty during the September 11 attacks, exactly one week after the show's finale aired.
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, Maine (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 was chosen by random draw. For the following episodes, the Lifeguard is chosen by the investigator who was eliminated the previous episode via pre-recorded message. For the final two investigators, the previous investigator who was eliminated 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 eliminated off the show by being "murdered by the killer", with their last seconds seen through the eyes of said "killer" in the manner of classical slasher films.
Taco Bell promoted the show.
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 bound 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, 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, resulting in the creation of the killers game.
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, Thibodeaux, and the eliminated investigators, using their corpses to recreate the unfinished family dinner they had before being interrupted by the fire. Samantha "Sam" Larabee was supposed to be William's last victim (completing the set), 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 ContestantOccupationHometownEliminatedFinal Killer's Game LocationShirley KingHome Health Agency OwnerHenderson, NevadaEpisode 1Chicken RanchAndrew "Andy" LandanMedia PlannerChicago, IllinoisEpisode 2Old Mustard MillLindsey LabrumStudentLas Vegas, NevadaEpisode 3The Verdant HothousesStacey CarmonaBartenderStaten Island, New YorkEpisode 4The Marine Supply WarehouseBrian PorvinMedical StudentFort Lauderdale, FloridaEpisode 5Kingfisher AquacultureKristen KirchnerMortgage BankerLos Angeles, CaliforniaEpisode 6Sunrise JunkyardKatie KloeckerOffice Temporary WorkErie, PennsylvaniaEpisode 7Sunrise High SchoolJeff MonroeModelPortland, OregonFinaleDeBeck's CompoundAlan FryeDelicatessen OwnerKnoxville, TennesseeRunner-Up Kovick's BoathouseÁngel Juarbe Jr. FirefighterThe Bronx, New YorkWinnerLambert's House
Voting history Episode1234567FinaleEliminatedShirleyAndyLindseyStaceyBrianKristenKatieJeffN/AGroup's PickShirleyAndyKristenKristenBrianJeff,KristenKatieAlan,JeffLifeguard's PickKristenBrianLindseyStaceyKristenJeff
Group VotingÁngelShirleyAndyKristenKristenBrianJeffL.G.L.G.WINNERAlanShirleyAndyL.G.KristenBrianKristenKatieJeffRUNNER-UPJeffShirleyAndyKristenKristenL.G.KristenKatieAlanMurderedKatieShirleyAndyKristenKristenKristenL.G.JeffMurderedKristenJeffL.G.StaceyJeffBrianJeffMurderedBrianShirleyAndyKristenL.G.KristenMurderedStaceyShirleyAndyKristenKristenMurderedLindseyJeffAndyStaceyMurderedAndyL.G.LindseyMurderedShirleyJeffMurdered
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 a 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.
The game
The Killer's Questions During each episode, the investigators would find a pair of red and black envelopes. While the black envelopes were for the Killer's Game, the red envelopes contained a questions for the investigators. The question usually pertained to one specific part of the day's investigation, and was only able to be answered correctly by the investigators that took part in the investigation at that point. For example, in Episode 2 the question was "what was the date of Oscar Blodgett's birth?" Andy and Angel were guarding his grave plot after it was vandalized and would be the ones who could answer it. When the group decided on an answer, they would email the answer to the killer's anonymous email address. The killer would then send them confirmation of a correct or incorrect answer. A correct answer eliminated a suspect, while an incorrect answer did nothing (this however is unknown since all questions were answered correctly).
EpisodeQuestionTeam's AnswerCorrect/WrongCleared Suspect1"Because there were no bodies found, what did I wrap the bodies into to remove them from the house?"Bed LinensCorrectDudley Duncan2"What was the date of Oscar Blodgett's birth?"1924CorrectX-Ray3"What is the daily tidal variation in Sunrise?"23 feetCorrectLeita Rose-Blodgett4"What is Pavor Nocturnus?"A sleeping disorder involving night terrorsCorrectDrew Chambers5"How many sweepers were at the pier when Connor and Lambert killed the shark?"12CorrectDeanna Harris6"What rank was Connor's father?"Master SergeantCorrectSamantha "Sam" Larabee7"What Bible chapter says: 'When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous.' ?"Proverbs 21:15CorrectEmerson BowdenFinale"What year did my father die?"1971CorrectRusty Crandall
The Suspects These are fifteen suspects, in the order they were cleared of being the killer.
SuspectPlayed ByOccupationSuspect StatusLife StatusDudley DuncanTerence Paul WinterPolice ChiefCleared Episode 1Killer's QuestionAliveX-RayShishir KurupTaxi Cab DriverCleared Episode 2Killer's QuestionAliveLeita Rose-BlodgettJoy ClaussenMail Center Operator, the Flint's neighbor,Oscar Blodgett's widowed wifeCleared Episode 3Killer's QuestionMurdered Episode 4Drew ChambersRonnie WarnerClub OperatorCleared Episode 4Killer's QuestionAliveDeanna HarrisJennifer TungSecretary of The Sunrise Press, AttorneyCleared Episode 5Killer's QuestionAliveG.D. ThibodeauxPat BattistiniFerry Boat Captain, Fisherman,Vietnam War VeteranCleared Episode 5After Killer's GameMurdered Episode 6Samantha "Sam" LarabeeHeather CampbellDiner Owner, Frank Kovick's fiancéeCleared Episode 6Killer's QuestionAliveKidnapped and RescuedHayden DeBeckDon ChastainGeneral, Mind/Science LeaderCleared Episode 7MurderingMurdered Episode 6Noted Episode 7Mary-Elizabeth MerchantJennifer DibertAbby Flint's best friendCleared Episode 7MurderingMurdered Episode 7Emerson BowdenTim WalkoeTown MayorCleared Episode 7Killer's QuestionAliveRusty CrandallKent GeorgeChurch Reverend and Pastorof The First Church of SunriseCleared in FinaleKiller's QuestionAlivePrudence ConnorCaitlin KeatsGarage Owner, Nate Flint's MistressCleared in FinaleThe Burnt Man's last filmAliveJimmy TinkerCory PendergastHardware Store Employee, Abby Flint's boyfriendCleared in FinaleThe Burnt Man's last filmAliveFrank KovickChristopher Liam MooreLocal Newspaper Reporter,Samantha Larabee's fiancéCleared in FinaleThe Final ConfrontationAliveWilliam Lambert(William Duchamps)Tom StechschulteNate Flint's business partner, owner of 2 Dollar Bill,later owner of The Sunrise PressThe KillerKilled 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.