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"Killing" my character.

T

TI Irwin

This one's been bugging me... My preferred genre is almost always realistic fiction and I try to make the storyline as close to reality as possible. As a writer I'm finding myself stuck with one hell of a challenge.

For the story I have written, one of the pivotal plot points involves a murder. Here's the catch... the guy I'm "murdering" isn't supposed to actually die; the character comes back towards the end of the story and it's revealed that the whole thing was staged.

WAIT! That's not all... there's more. What makes this particular part difficult is that the "death" of the character has to be convincing enough to convict my lead of murder... without a body.
I already did research and I understand that's difficult as it is without Corpus Delicti, but that's why I'm trying hard to come up with something that works.

Now there CAN be traces from the victim: blood, hair, etc. to help indict the lead character, and there probably should be. BUT for the storyline, the victim character can not be killed.


So really, the question becomes; How do you kill someone and make the body untraceable, but still have enough evidence to call it murder?
 
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It's not exactally what you need (I like a witness too), but if your story were still undeveloped..

What if:

1. THE LEAD is hot on the trail of A KILLER who owes some BAD PEOPLE a lot of money.
2. The Killer is about to dispose of A BODY (via fire) of one of the Bad People he owes.

3. When the Lead catches up and almost has the Killer in his clutches…
4. A Guard or something is like “Hey you!”

5. The Lead is collared for starting a fire to dispose of a body.

6. The Killer skates, off the hook for murder, free of the Lead’s pursuit, and now in the clear of big debts -because it’s believed he is dead.

7. The Bad (but powerful) People pull some strings and get the Lead released on like bond.

8. They tell him they don’t believe he murdered the Killer, and in fact they want him to find the Killer because they’re sure the Killer off’d one of their own kind (Which he did) AND they know the best way to catch The Killer is to let him think they think he is dead and that the Lead is rotting in a cell for it.

9. So essentially the Lead must work for the Bad People to not only track down the Killer, but to also save his own neck, while the clock ticks and time is running out.


-Thanks-
 
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I'm assuming the *victim* is setting up the *killer* for the murder. How about the *victim* drawing his own blood (pint a week) until he has a few (3-4) quarts, then planting the volume. Statistically, authorities would assume he couldn't have survived.
 
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Buddy Greenfield said:
It's not exactally what you need (I like a witness too), but if your story were still undeveloped..

What if:

1. THE LEAD is hot on the trail of A KILLER who owes some BAD PEOPLE a lot of money.
2. The Killer is about to dispose of A BODY (via fire) of one of the Bad People he owes.

3. When the Lead catches up and almost has the Killer in his clutches…
4. A Guard or something is like “Hey you!”

5. The Lead is collared for starting a fire to dispose of a body.

6. The Killer skates, off the hook for murder, free of the Lead’s pursuit, and now in the clear of big debts -because it’s believed he is dead.

7. The Bad (but powerful) People pull some strings and get the Lead released on like bond.

8. They tell him they don’t believe he murdered the Killer, and in fact they want him to find the Killer because they’re sure the Killer off’d one of their own kind (Which he did) AND they know the best way to catch The Killer is to let him think they think he is dead and that the Lead is rotting in a cell for it.

9. So essentially the Lead must work for the Bad People to not only track down the Killer, but to also save his own neck, while the clock ticks and time is running out.


-Thanks-
Click to expand...

bird said:
I'm assuming the *victim* is setting up the *killer* for the murder. How about the *victim* drawing his own blood (pint a week) until he has a few (3-4) quarts, then planting the volume. Statistically, authorities would assume he couldn't have survived.
Click to expand...

Here's the story in a nutshell:

It's all about misdirection. What the viewer will see is the lead wrongfully being charged with the murder of the victim. Towards the beginning of the story the lead sees the "murder" and the viewer sees that the he is not the actual killer. So the film APPEARS to be a court drama where the lead is desperately fighting for his freedom from a crime he did not commit.

That's not what's really going on. I leave subtle clues thought the script as to what's really going on and then the audience gets a nice twist at the end:

The Victim and Killer are actually both "in on it". The REAL plot is that they are stealing a priceless item that was well hidden inside a maximum security prison. So they stage the victim's death in an elaborate plot to get the lead in the prison cell with the item.
When I said the victim comes back, it's at the conclusion to the film and he is the one who helps his accomplice, the lead, break out of prison with the loot.
 
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You could add another twist at the end where something goes wrong and the victim gets thrown in a psych ward for the rest of his life because he's already dead and no-one would know,

and the killer gets stuck in jail for 25 to life.

:)

You could also have them pull an Eraser and use another body that is burnt beyond recognition and authorities assume it's the victim's body...

And the victim goes the extra 9 yards and pulls out a few molars to throw in the mess so the dental records point to the victim.
 
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Do a search of killers who staged their own deaths. Car crash with blood dripping from the car is one. Another was a guy got a dead body, put it in his trailer home and blew the whole thing up. it's been done in real life, so steal from reality.
 
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Try these ideas.

Instead of a fancy big prison, the priceless item is on a 10 day transit from one secure location to another. Along the way it will be stored in secure locations each night. One night, three days before the final location is reached, the nightly secure storage location is in a small town jail.


The day before, in that small town, the murder takes place. It "looks" real to the viewers and many town witnesses, it is treated as a real crime, but since its such a remote town, the "forensics tests" blood samples etc will take a few days to process. Also, the mortuary\morgue is closed for a few days. Hey its a small town, not a lot of action, or maybe its opening weekend of deer season.. some reason why everyone important is taking a few days off.. only the sheriff deputy is on duty, the morgue is closed and the judge is pissed off that he was dragged off the mountain.. in any event our murderer ends up in the small town clink BEFORE the item arrives..


You might have some misdirecting drama, such as one of the security drivers happens to be from this small town and the "victim" is his 2nd cousin by marriage, hence we have a dramatic reason why these two story lines are intersecting. Drama it up by maybe having the cousin almost really kill the murderer...

Assuming that the murderer is fearing for his life, we watch as the "murderer" makes his escape, inspecting, but apparently leaving the priceless item behind in his haste to escape certain death at the hands of a mob..

Now for the big reveal: Flash forward to the priceless item being unloaded to its final location, "Hey, its a fake!" .. inter cut with the forensic reports getting back to the small town sheriff (blood was fake etc), inter cut with the murderer, victim and the priceless artifact sipping margaritas in Mexico. Maybe flash back to the break out where he actually replaces the item with a fake, as well as the victim unzipping the body bag in the morgue. ...
 
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it might also be easier for us or yourself to come up with a way, if we know why he does it. Is he rich or poor? Does he have gambling debts, where the bookie might have had him killed? What's his circumstances?
 
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I might go with the perfect actually non-criminal series of events (Maybe not murder and that have a rational explanation- I hope, but that) seem like exactly what will get the Lead put in prison (claiming he is innocent of course). So after he is locked up and retrieves said item and its time for someone to come forward (As per the plan) to prove the Lead’s innocence, there is a twist, that person ends up dead in a way that cast suspicions on the Lead like he did it.

-Thanks-
 
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Did you ever see the first SPECIES movie? Do you remember how Sil staged her own death? She cut off her own finger, thew it in the car, and had another woman die for her. But, she made sure the fall gal was incinerated.

Leave behind some that is traceable like a tooth for a dental record trace, or skin, blood or saliva.

In one season of Smallville, Lana Luther escaped Lex by faking her own death by killing a clone Lex Luther made of her in a van explosion.

How about having a limb cut off and that is the found remains in a body of water full of Parana.

Or, you can have an identical twin no one knows about. DNA would be very similar.
 
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Hold on a second. Since when are high-security prisons used to store high-value items? Prisons are full of criminals, and many of the gaurds are corrupt. I'm sorry, but this detail does not smack of realism.

I like wheatgrinder's idea. Same basic story. Same basic premise. But instead of a jail, a small town, or a train, or some kind of something that you could make a caper out of.

And, if the two of them are in cahoots, it would seem to me that the easiest way to fake a murder and intentionally get caught, would be to plant some faked evidence, give the suspect a motive, and make them confess.

I love caper movies. This one sounds like it could be really fun. Don't forget that they have to double-cross each other. Standard caper fair, and it works every time!
 
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I'll try and answer everyone's questions as best I can and respond to your suggestions. I appreciate the ideas you guys have helped with. I have quite the intellectual ping pong ball bouncing around the confines of my head right now, so thanks.

I'm still pretty new to the forum, I'm not opposed to putting this script on here if you guys would be interested in seeing it. Where would I do that? And is that a copy/paste sort of thing or what?

- Thanks.

ROC said:
You could add another twist at the end where something goes wrong and the victim gets thrown in a psych ward for the rest of his life because he's already dead and no-one would know,

and the killer gets stuck in jail for 25 to life.

:)

You could also have them pull an Eraser and use another body that is burnt beyond recognition and authorities assume it's the victim's body...

And the victim goes the extra 9 yards and pulls out a few molars to throw in the mess so the dental records point to the victim.
Click to expand...

I never thought about adding another conflict between the thieves. Originally this was intended as a short but I'm having thoughts on turning this into a feature now.

I want the thieves to "get away with it". I like crime dramas that make protagonists out of criminals.

I thought about burning the body before. I don't want any real murders to occur. That leaves grave robbery for a body... Not sure I like that idea. I'll put some thought to different angles on that approach.

ussinners said:
Do a search of killers who staged their own deaths. Car crash with blood dripping from the car is one. Another was a guy got a dead body, put it in his trailer home and blew the whole thing up. it's been done in real life, so steal from reality.
Click to expand...

Good advice, thanks. Ironic... dying is easy. But pretending to die, not so much...

wheatgrinder said:
Try these ideas.

Instead of a fancy big prison, the priceless item is on a 10 day transit from one secure location to another. Along the way it will be stored in secure locations each night. One night, three days before the final location is reached, the nightly secure storage location is in a small town jail.


The day before, in that small town, the murder takes place. It "looks" real to the viewers and many town witnesses, it is treated as a real crime, but since its such a remote town, the "forensics tests" blood samples etc will take a few days to process. Also, the mortuary\morgue is closed for a few days. Hey its a small town, not a lot of action, or maybe its opening weekend of deer season.. some reason why everyone important is taking a few days off.. only the sheriff deputy is on duty, the morgue is closed and the judge is pissed off that he was dragged off the mountain.. in any event our murderer ends up in the small town clink BEFORE the item arrives..


You might have some misdirecting drama, such as one of the security drivers happens to be from this small town and the "victim" is his 2nd cousin by marriage, hence we have a dramatic reason why these two story lines are intersecting. Drama it up by maybe having the cousin almost really kill the murderer...

Assuming that the murderer is fearing for his life, we watch as the "murderer" makes his escape, inspecting, but apparently leaving the priceless item behind in his haste to escape certain death at the hands of a mob..

Now for the big reveal: Flash forward to the priceless item being unloaded to its final location, "Hey, its a fake!" .. inter cut with the forensic reports getting back to the small town sheriff (blood was fake etc), inter cut with the murderer, victim and the priceless artifact sipping margaritas in Mexico. Maybe flash back to the break out where he actually replaces the item with a fake, as well as the victim unzipping the body bag in the morgue. ...
Click to expand...

You gave me a lot there... Sort of a different direction than what I already have but I'll play with the ideas. Thanks.

ussinners said:
it might also be easier for us or yourself to come up with a way, if we know why he does it. Is he rich or poor? Does he have gambling debts, where the bookie might have had him killed? What's his circumstances?
Click to expand...

All the people involved with the theft need money for varying motives. The value of the loot is substantial.

Buddy Greenfield said:
I might go with the perfect actually non-criminal series of events (Maybe not murder and that have a rational explanation- I hope, but that) seem like exactly what will get the Lead put in prison (claiming he is innocent of course). So after he is locked up and retrieves said item and its time for someone to come forward (As per the plan) to prove the Lead’s innocence, there is a twist, that person ends up dead in a way that cast suspicions on the Lead like he did it.

-Thanks-
Click to expand...

Murder is more fun IMO :) But that's a good idea to look into other alternatives for my crime. Thanks.

Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC said:
Did you ever see the first SPECIES movie? Do you remember how Sil staged her own death? She cut off her own finger, thew it in the car, and had another woman die for her. But, she made sure the fall gal was incinerated.

Leave behind some that is traceable like a tooth for a dental record trace, or skin, blood or saliva.

In one season of Smallville, Lana Luther escaped Lex by faking her own death by killing a clone Lex Luther made of her in a van explosion.

How about having a limb cut off and that is the found remains in a body of water full of Parana.

Or, you can have an identical twin no one knows about. DNA would be very similar.
Click to expand...

I definitely want to leave some traces... A tooth or hair is good, an arm or leg might be little extreme. lol I mean the heist is lucrative, but I'm not sure I'd willingly cripple myself for any amount of money.

What I have now is the body "disappearing" in the Missouri River with the car for evidence. That way, He can live... I don't really like that though. Thus the reason I have come to all of you.

Cracker Funk said:
Hold on a second. Since when are high-security prisons used to store high-value items? Prisons are full of criminals, and many of the gaurds are corrupt. I'm sorry, but this detail does not smack of realism.

I like wheatgrinder's idea. Same basic story. Same basic premise. But instead of a jail, a small town, or a train, or some kind of something that you could make a caper out of.

And, if the two of them are in cahoots, it would seem to me that the easiest way to fake a murder and intentionally get caught, would be to plant some faked evidence, give the suspect a motive, and make them confess.

I love caper movies. This one sounds like it could be really fun. Don't forget that they have to double-cross each other. Standard caper fair, and it works every time!
Click to expand...

The item was hidden by an inmate who died in the cell. It's hidden in such a way that you can't find it unless you know exactly where to look.

Actually, the corrupt guard is an important character. He's the one who sets the entire thing up :)

Again, I like the added conflict between the thieves. I'll have to paint a picture for that somehow... "standard" isn't my style tho. I like taking the normal and making something unexpected from it.
 
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