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Secrets and Lies - Season Finale - Advance Preview and POLL: "Who killed Tom Murphy?"

May 1, 2015

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This Sunday, Secrets and Lies closes a season of mystery, affairs and torture, but most of all a season of secrets and lies. Yet the biggest secret of the show has not been revealed: who killed Tom Murphy? There have been lots of hints as to who the killer is, but we won't know the identity of the murderer till Sunday's finale. However, we can always speculate and that is exactly what I'm going to do for this preview. Below, I look at the ten characters that are either series regulars or have heavily recurred throughout the season. I rank these characters from least likely to be the killer to most likely, and give me pros for and cons against him or her being the killer. Please note that I have not seen the season finale so this list is just based on my own guesses. Your guess is as good as mine, so further below I have included a poll so you can vote on your prime suspect.

10. Andrea Cornell
Pros: If this hard-boiled detective is not afraid to put her own daughter in jail, would she be afraid to kill a young boy? I don't think so. Plus, she had all the means to frame Ben for the murder.
Cons: She might have had the means, or the opportunity, but she has no motive. I can't think of a good reason why she would kill Tom and/or frame Ben. Also, if the show is renewed for season 2 (which is a safe bet given last Sunday's series high ratings), she is the only character of the show that will return. That would be kind of difficult if she were in jail.

9. Elaine Williams
Pros: Remember her husband Kevin? He was Ben's stalker and tortured him to confess to Tom's murder. Kevin told Ben his wife had an affair while he was serving in Kuwait. Even after her husband's arrest, Elaine continued to give Ben suspicious looks. Maybe she wanted Ben arrested so she could get away with Tom's murder? There is just something about her that I don't trust, but I can't exactly pinpoint what it is.
Cons: Again, I had no idea why she would kill Tom. Maybe she thought he would be better off dead than with a psychotic mother? Perhaps her suspicious looks are just because her husband is in jail.

8. Ben Crawford
Pros: He had the means, the motive and the opportunity. That's all we need for a conviction, right? He had the murder weapon with probably Tom's blood all over it and chose to bury it. He had no memories of the night until a few weeks ago. And he was still the last person to see Tom alive other than his killer. Maybe the show fooled us all along into thinking it was someone else when the killer really was and always will be Ben Crawford himself.
Cons: The show has given me enough reason not to suspect Ben too much anymore. He really cared for Tom, even though he didn't know it was his son. Plus, when he played the tooth fairy the night of Tom's murder, it seems he wasn't all that drunk anymore.

7. Natalie Crawford
Pros: She used to babysit Tom and as a result spent a lot of time with him. Maybe Tom said something that might have made Natalie think her father had an affair with Jess. Also, she left Tom one night to go out partying and perhaps she didn't want Jess to know about this. I think her sudden change of behavior throughout the series was suspicious as well. In the first five or so episodes, she hated her father and even thought he might have killed Tom. Later on, she was much more supportive of Ben. It is possible this is just due to her being a teenager and all that, but could there be something more going on?
Cons: There is once again no clear motive here. She might have left Tom alone, but would she really kill him for that?

6. Dave Lindsey
Pros: Comic reliefs always hide something, don't they? Dave has been a big friend to Ben, even supporting him when Ben threw him out. He helped him get rid of the evidence and even saved him when Cornell almost found his flashlight in the woods. But maybe Dave has been so supportive, because he is Tom's killer? Perhaps he overheard the fight Ben and Christy had the night of the murder and killed Tom with Ben's flashlight to hide his friend's affair. And being the lazy man he is, he just put the murder weapon right back where he found it.
Cons: Dave has been very supportive of Ben, but would he really kill for him? I don't think he is some kind of hit man. Maybe he is just the comic relief after all?

5. Nicole Mullen
Pros: She slept with Jess' ex-husband Scott. She knew Jess was psychotic and violent. Jess might have had a bad influence on Tom, but Nicole knew Scott would never get custody over Tom. So she killed Tom to protect him from his mother. There was no other option for her to protect her nephew. Or even better, she left Tom wandering alone through the woods to prove that Jess is not a good mother. However, something went wrong and she had to kill Tom, so his death was just an accident.
Cons: These theories sound pretty far-fetched. Also, the promo shows Cornell saying it was a premeditated murder, so it can't be my second theory.

4. Michael James
Pros: Christy's brother seems like the kind of guy who handles things. He seems like someone who would come to his siter's aid any minute she called him. Maybe Christy called him after her and Ben's fight at the night of the murder, and he decided to kill Tom to destroy Ben. He seems to hate Ben a lot and wants him out of his sister's life more than anything. Also, he gave Christy a lot of cash throughout the years just so she could leave Ben. Framing Ben would finally give Michael what he wants.
Cons: The killer's m.o. was female according to Cornell. However, I could see Michael easily using drowning to kill Tom.

3. Christy Crawford
Pros: Christy is a smart woman. After her big fight with Ben, she connected the dots to conclude that Tom was Ben's son. She subsequently killed him in the woods. And as an extra bonus, she framed her husband so she could finally divorce him. She had enough money from her brother to start a new life far away. She didn't need her brother to kill Tom, that was something she could do herself.
Cons: Would she really kill her husband's extramarital son? And would she really put her kids through the misery that they have gone through?

2. Jess Murphy
Pros: Last week's episode revealed that Jess had bipolar disorder, was psychotic and could be violent if she didn't take her pills. She also had another child, a daughter named Jane, that died within a year after she was born. According to Nicole, Jane died of sudden infant death syndrome, but Ben thinks it might be murder. Perhaps she killed her second child as well. Jess also said that Ben and her can make another one after having sex, which is kind of a weird thing to say from a mother who just lost her child. Could she have had a psychosis at the night of the murder and (accidentally) killed her son?
Cons: Despite being heavily unstable, she loves Tom. That should count for something, right?

1. Abby Crawford
Pros: Abby is a daddy's girl, she said it herself in the latest episode. She overheard the fight between her parents at the night of the murder. She was afraid her parents would separate, so she made sure he had to stay. A death in the neighborhood surely lead to her parents comforting each other and growing closer, right? Alternatively, she might have been jealous at Tom because her father give him a lot of attention. So she killed her half-brother, a fact which she couldn't have known. All in all, Abby has shown a lot of signs of being a sociopath.
Cons: Killing Tom would make her lose her father anyway. She might have unknowingly framed her father by putting that flashlight back in the garage. During the entire investigation, she could have done something that would throw Ben off as the prime suspect, but she didn't. And most of all, if she knew Ben had an affair with Jess, she should have known that Jess would turn to him if her son was dead.

Other suspects
Is it possible that somebody else killed Tom? I'm not ruling out anyone, so here is an overview of other characters that could have had a hand in Tom's death:
-Scott Murphy
-Joseph Richardson
-Vanessa Richardson
-Kevin Williams
-Lisa Daly
-Matt Daly
-Tyler Daly
-Arthur Fenton
-John Garner

However, I must say, if one of them turns out to be the killer, I will be slightly disappointed. Of these characters, only John Garner is mentioned as a guest star in the press release for the finale. Then again, Nicole and Michael aren't credited in the release either, yet they are still on my suspect list.

Okay, now it's your turn! Who do you think killed Tom Murphy? You can vote for one option in the poll below. I would also love to hear your theories, crazy or not, in the comment section below. And of course, don't forget to watch the season finale this Sunday at 9/8 c on ABC. A promo for the episode can be found below the poll.





About the Author - Daniel van der Veer
Daniel van der Veer is a Dutch university student studying Psychology. On SpoilerTV he is a reviewer of NCIS, The 100, Stalker, Madam Secretary and the upcoming show American Odyssey. He also enjoys LOST, Arrow, NCIS: Los Angeles, NCIS: New Orleans, Nikita, The Blacklist, Scorpion and How To Get Away With Murder.
Recent Reviews by Daniel van der Veer (All Reviews)

49 comments:

  1. I have said since episode 2 that I thought it was Abby!! So I am quite happy everyone is jumping on the bandwagon now, even though I think last episode hinted at it just a little bit too much for it tooo much. But she still is 100% my guess.

    Very nice round up Daniel!

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  2. Oh god when I saw the title I was like "HOW on earth did you get to see it?:D"
    Good preview anyway!!

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  3. Yep when I saw your comment saying that you thought that Abby killed Tom I just couldn't quite picture it. I mean a little girl killing a little boy? But now with all the hints... She just wants her father to herself.
    Well done!

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  4. Let's see if I have been right or not :P

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  5. I think it is Abby and if it is anyone else then I will be shocked.

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  6. Thank you! Abby has always been a bit suspicious to me so all the hints only seem to confirm that. I didn't even mention the event at the fireworks of the last episode and the blood spatter in my preview. Many people say that Cornell identified the killer by the blood spatter, and because Abby is the only person that is smaller than the other women, she must be the killer. I do agree though, that last episode hinted a bit too much in that direction. It's realy fun speculating about this mystery, it's like HTGAWM all over again! I'm looking forward to a new mysterey next season and to more speculation.

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  7. Ha, sadly I didn't get to see the episode in advance. Just pure speculation on my part.

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  8. Great work. Love the pro and cons thing.
    I'm at the moment torn between the women in Ben's life. Natalie, Jess or Christy. Jess and Christy are unlikely as they were thrown under the bus recently.
    Natalie is my guess.

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  9. It was a pleasure! Really fun to speculate about this mystery!

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  10. Well, she was in the original series, so she might not be here, just to spice things up.

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  11. There are some people (especially omabin) who don't want to know who the killer was in the original series. Could you remove or edit your comment?

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  12. Abby is my number one suspect as well.

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  13. Goodbye Revenge 😢 2011-2015April 30, 2015 at 8:12 PM

    I loved loved this show

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  14. Sorry! I deleted the post ;-)

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  15. Thanks a lot, really appreciate it!

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  16. Thank you! Natalie is definitely a possibility. I went back and forth between putting her on seventh on the list or fifth. I really think it's either one of numbers 1-7. I would be shocked if it's anyone else.

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  17. This show has grown on me so much! It has been a gripping mystery season. We have obviously speculated a lot about it already, but who do you think is the killer?

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  18. Dave was my main suspect for a lon time, I never really gave up on him till the press release for the finale. It indicates Ben will sacrifice himself for someone, and it would be on of his daughters. Natalie seems like the wildcard here, she has a lot of anger in her but is reasonable enough to play it cool and stufd.

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  19. Just going with what you posted here, my vote is on the moms, either of the look like very plausible choices. The kid is also a good choice, but they've made her too creepy and too emotionally detached to Tom's death (let me say I only saw the pilot, so there she seemed to care too little, I don't know if she's come around), so she may be the obvious murder, so her chances of actually being the murder decrease exponentially. So I guess, I still go with the mom's.

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  20. If you were right after you... I'll buy you a virtual beer!

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  21. Thanks man, really appreciate helping me out here ;)

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  22. Ahah let's see. I am very excited!!

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  23. Last week's episode really hinted at Abby being the killer, but it also hinted at Jess and Christy. So I'm really not sure anymore, but I think it could be anyone from the numbers 1-7 on my list.

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  24. Abby would be so obvious and disappointing...I mean, she is the same killer that australian version, are the writers so poor of ideas?

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  25. Could you maybe not spoil the killer of the Australian version? There are some people that don't want to know that. It would be great if you could edit your comment :)

    Other than that, yeah, it would be disappointing if it were the same killer.

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  26. Please feel free to speculate on the identity of the killer, but please do not include spoilers regarding the identity of the killer in the orginal Australian version.

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  27. I apologize, did I cancel my comment?

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  28. No worries! I have read the identity of the killer but I know there are people that don't wish to know. And yes you have deleted your comment. Thanks!

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  29. I would be really disappointed if the killer is that person.

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  30. I've been thinking it's been Abby for a while, but I'm conflicted because I'd rather be surprised by the identity of the killer but at the same time Abby being the killer provides it's own kind of punch (a child killing another child).


    I still haven't watched the last episode but I plan on watching it tonight. This Sunday is especially going to be a nice one for me because of the penultimate episode of OUAT (sort of), the finale of Secrets and Lies and the season premiere of Penny Dreadful :)

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  31. it would be logical to chose Jess ... it could have been an accident... I really cannot ruled her out
    But Abby the "Daddy Girl" as she said ... she has a bad temper, perhaps she heard the converation about Tom and become Jealous... She can definitely be the one ... but who knows, others have motives too.. but this 2 are more obvious

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  32. Also want to add that there was an interview, about a month ago I think where Ryan Phillippe (or another actor/actress) was asked whether he was shocked when learning the killer's identity and he said that they'd shot four alternate killer scene as a result he still didn't know who the killer was lol.
    Bottom line: 4 potential killers.... Abby, Jess, Christy and Cornell...?
    I mean... if it's Cornell I'll lose my jaw.

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  33. I'll be extremely shocked if it's Cornell since she's returning for season 2!

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  34. Maybe there's a time jump or something... I really don't know.
    Or maybe it could be a mystery she solved a year before the one she's trying to solve right now.

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  35. Now that would be a good twist.

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  36. Conell would be a huge shock but I don't think it's her since she is returning for season 2. Maybe Jess, Christy, Abby and Natalie. I think it was an interview with Kadee Strickland by the way.

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  37. I agree, these two are the most obvious. But they might suprise us and reveal another killer.

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  38. The latest episode was excellent! I can't wait for the finale! Abby is my prime suspect, but I'm not ruling anyone out.

    Nice Sunday it will be for you then! Enjoy your shows!

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  39. As I said below, maybe there's going to be some sort of time jump in season 2 or maybe season 2 will be about Cornell a case from a year/ten years ago.

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  40. I will be pleasantly surprised if it's not the same as the Australian version. Hope the show doesn't disappoint.

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  41. Well, that might be possible. I'd be really shocked if it's her though.

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  42. I think it was Abby.

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  43. It's definitely Abby,i really hoped they wouldn't go this lame route but last episode all but confirmed it!

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  44. Abby---but when Ben learns this, he will accept blame and that will be "The Lie" (the episode title).

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  45. I think it was ABBY. For one thing, in the recent episode, Abby knew exactly where the spare key to Jess's house was. As for who was trying to frame Ben later, I think perhaps Christy somehow found out that Abby was the killer and tried to protect her by pointing the evidence at her husband. Also, there is a chance that Abby somehow FOUND out that Tom was her brother...and wanted him out of the way. Jess and Christy were singled out as being WAY TOO obvious in the recent episode. Both are suspected. And I think casual viewers would point the fingers at them. It's not Natalie since in the UK version, she was the killer. And here the killer will be different. So it cannot be anyone else. If it's NOT Christy/Jess/Nat...that only leaves Abby. Less casual viewers would think Abby would do this. And her being a killer would bring out the most amount of drama and consequences. So yeah, I'm going with ABBY.

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  46. THis series is based off the Australian version. It is so obvious that the American version is using the same killer as Australia. PERSONALLY I would have enjoyed it much more if they changed the murderer. It would have thrown us off completely. I won't mention the Australian killer just in case someone here on this post hasn't read that version online.

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  47. derekmorgansfakegirlfriendMay 2, 2015 at 1:22 AM

    I definitely think it was Abby too

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