Angel Juarbe
| Company type | Television series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment |
| Founded | July 2001 |
| Founder | George Verschoor, Robert Fisher Jr., Gordon Cassidy |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Reality television series |
Murder in Small Town X (MiSTX) is a reality television series from the United States, developed by George Verschoor, Robert Fisher Jr., and Gordon Cassidy, with Sgt. Gary Fredo, a California Police Investigator, serving as host. The program was broadcast on Fox between July and September 2001. Contestants were placed in a fabricated town setting to unravel a murder mystery. Each week, one participant was "killed off," resulting in their elimination; the last remaining contestant who solved the case received a prize of $250,000.
Although it falls under the reality TV genre, the show merges aspects of competitive reality programming, game shows, and mystery dramas. Significantly, the champion, Ángel Juarbe Jr., a firefighter from New York City, tragically lost his life during the September 11 attacks just one week following the finale.
Premise
The series gathered ten participants from various parts of the United States to act as novice detectives in the fictional fishing town of Eastport, Maine, referred to as "Sunrise" within the show.
At the outset, investigators were presented with fifteen suspects portrayed by actors playing local residents. Improvisational performers scattered around town offered clues that ranged from helpful to deceptive. Each week involved missions where contestants sought evidence and aimed to eliminate suspects while the murderer struck again, removing other players.
A Lead Investigator, known as the Lifeguard, was designated for every episode. The initial Lifeguard was selected randomly; thereafter, the eliminated contestant of the previous round chose their successor through a pre-recorded message. For the final two contestants, the most recently eliminated participant determined who had priority in selecting suspects to investigate.
Every three days, two envelopes—one red and one black—were discovered within the town. The red envelope contained a question related to that day's investigative progress, typically connected to a particular team. Providing correct answers allowed the killer to remove a suspect from suspicion; incorrect responses left the suspect list intact.
The black envelope held two smaller envelopes containing maps leading to isolated locations. Investigators (excluding the Lifeguard) voted for one individual to undertake the Killer’s challenge; meanwhile, the Lifeguard selected another participant. Each chose a map and ventured alone to separate sites under surveillance by night-vision cameras. One found an essential clue; the other was "murdered," ending their involvement. Their death scene was depicted from the killer’s viewpoint in a style reminiscent of classic slasher films.
The series was sponsored by Taco Bell.
Story
The narrative commenced with the murder of the Flint family and progressively unveiled hidden secrets as suspects were eliminated. Central to the mystery was the Duchamps family, who were killed in 1941 after uncovering illegal liquor smuggling endorsed by town officials belonging to a clandestine group called "The Order of the Scarlet Lupine" (O.S.L.). They were trapped inside their home and burned alive.
The killings were executed by an heir of a Duchamps survivor—the so-called "Burnt Face Man"—who sought vengeance against descendants of O.S.L. members. He left recordings intended for his child but took his own life after killing one responsible party. His offspring continued this vendetta, employing a bang stick and treating the murders like a game.
Ultimately, William Lambert (whose true surname was Duchamps), business partner to Nate Flint and a frequent suspect throughout the investigation, was unmasked as the killer. He targeted O.S.L. descendants including Blodgett (who was killed by his own father), DeBeck, Flint, Merchant, Rose, Thibodeaux, as well as investigators—using their bodies to reenact an interrupted family dinner destroyed by fire. Samantha "Sam" Larabee was intended as his final victim but was rescued by Ángel, who won the competition. The fictional police chief Dudley Duncan shot William Lambert, who then fell from a second-story window to his death.
Contestants
| Contestant | Profession | Origin | Elimination Round | Location of Final Killer's Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shirley King | Owner of Home Health Agency | Henderson, Nevada | Episode 1 | Chicken Ranch |
| Andrew "Andy" Landan | Media Planning Specialist | Chicago, Illinois | Episode 2 | Old Mustard Mill |
| Lindsey Labrum | Student | Las Vegas, Nevada | Episode 3 | The Verdant Hothouses |
| Stacey Carmona | Bartender | Staten Island, New York | Episode 4 | The Marine Supply Warehouse |
| Brian Porvin | Medical Student | Fort Lauderdale, Florida | Episode 5 | Kingfisher Aquaculture |
| Kristen Kirchner | Mortgage Banking Professional | Los Angeles, California | Episode 6 | Sunrise Junkyard |
| Katie Kloecker | Temporary Office Worker | Erie, Pennsylvania | Episode 7 | Sunrise High School |
| Jeff Monroe | Model | Portland, Oregon | Finale | DeBeck's Compound |
| Alan Frye | Delicatessen Proprietor | Knoxville, Tennessee | Runner-Up | Kovick's Boathouse |
| Ángel Juarbe Jr. | Firefighter | The Bronx, New York | Champion | Lambert's House |
Voting history
| Episode | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Finale | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eliminated Contestant | Shirley | Andy | Lindsey | Stacey | Brian | Kristen | Katie | JeffTemplate:Ref | N/A | |
| Group's Selection | Shirley | Andy | Kristen | Kristen | Brian | Jeff, KristenTemplate:Ref |
Katie | Alan, JeffTemplate:Ref | ||
| Lifeguard's Selection | Kristen | Brian | Lindsey | Stacey | Kristen | Jeff | ||||
| Ángel | Shirley | Andy | Kristen | Kristen | Brian | Jeff | L.G. | L.G. | WINNER | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alan | Shirley | Andy | L.G. | Kristen | Brian | Kristen | Katie | JeffTemplate:Ref | RUNNER-UP | |
| Jeff | Shirley | Andy | Kristen | Kristen | L.G. | Kristen | Katie | AlanTemplate:Ref |
colspan= "2" bgcolor= "darkgray" align= "left"|Murdered | |
Katie
|'Italic' Shirley' | Andy | Kristen | Kristen | Kristen | bgcolor= "#0000FF" L.G. | style= "background:red;" Jeff | colspan= "3" bgcolor= "darkgray" align= "left"|Murdered | | ||||||||||
| Kristen |
style= "background:pink;" Jeff | bgcolor= "#0000FF" L.G. | style= "background:pink;" Stacey | style= "background:pink;" Jeff | style= "background:pink;" Brian | style= "background:red;" Jeff | colspan= "4" bgcolor= "darkgray" align= "left"|Murdered | | ||||||||||
Brian |
Shirley | style= "background:pink;" Andy | Kristen | bgcolor= "#0000FF" L.G. | style= "background:red;" Kristen | colspan= "5" bgcolor= "darkgray" align= "left"|Murdered | | ||||||||||
Stacey |
Shirley | Andy | Kristen | style= "background:red;" Kristen | colspan= "6" bgcolor= "darkgray" align= "left"|Murdered | | ||||||||||
Lindsey |
Jeff | Andy | style= "background:red;" Stacey | colspan= "7" bgcolor= "darkgray" align= "left"|Murdered | | ||||||||||
| Andy |
bgcolor="#0000FF" L.G. | style ="background:red;" Lindsey | colspan ="8" bgcolor ="darkgray" align ="left"|Murdered | | ||||||||||
| Shirley |
style ="background:red;" Jeff | colspan ="9" bgcolor ="darkgray" align ="left"|Murdered | | ||||||||||
Italicized names represent votes that were not disclosed publicly and are inferred from alliances.
During episode six, a deadlock in votes between Jeff and Kristen resulted in lifeguard Katie sending both contestants to the Killer's Game. In the final episode, Alan and Jeff refrained from voting against each other due to Ángel's immunity, which eliminated the need for casting votes.
The Killer's Questions
Throughout the series, investigators discovered envelopes in two colors: black envelopes were connected to the Killer's Game, while red envelopes contained questions related to specific aspects of the investigation. Only those actively participating in the case at that time could provide accurate answers. For instance, in Episode 2, the question asked was "What was Oscar Blodgett's birthdate?"—a detail best known by Andy and Angel, who were guarding his gravesite. The team submitted their responses via email to the killer’s anonymous account and received confirmation when answers were correct. Correct replies helped eliminate suspects from suspicion; incorrect responses had no documented consequences (all questions were answered correctly).
| Episode | Question | Team's Answer | Correct/Wrong | Suspect Cleared |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Since no bodies were found, what did I use to wrap them for removal from the house?" | Bed Linens | Correct | Dudley Duncan |
| 2 | "On what date was Oscar Blodgett born?" | 1924 | Correct | X-Ray |
| 3 | "What is the daily tidal range at Sunrise?" | 23 feet | Correct | Leita Rose-Blodgett |
| 4 | "Define Pavor Nocturnus." | A sleep disorder characterized by night terrors | Correct | Drew Chambers |
| 5 | "How many sweepers were present at the pier when Connor and Lambert killed the shark?" | 12 | Correct | Deanna Harris |
| 6 | "What was the military rank held by Connor's father?" | Master Sergeant | Correct | Samantha "Sam" Larabee |
| 7 | "Which Bible chapter contains the verse: 'When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous'?" | Proverbs 21:15 | Correct | Emerson Bowden |
| Finale | "In which year did my father pass away?" | 1971 | Correct | Rusty Crandall |
The Suspects
During the course of the series, fifteen individuals were sequentially exonerated:
| Suspect | Portrayed By | Profession | Status as Suspect | Current Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dudley Duncan | Terence Paul Winter | Police Chief | Cleared in Episode 1 (Killer's Question) | Alive |
| X-Ray | Shishir Kurup | Taxi Driver | Cleared in Episode 2 (Killer's Question) | Alive |
| Leita Rose-Blodgett | Joy Claussen | Mail Center Operator, Neighbor, Widow of Oscar Blodgett | Cleared in Episode 3 (Killer's Question) | Deceased (Episode 4) |
| Drew Chambers | Ronnie Warner | Club Operator | Cleared in Episode 4 (Killer's Question) | Alive |
| Deanna Harris | Jennifer Tung | Secretary at The Sunrise Press, Attorney | Cleared in Episode 5 (Killer's Question) | Alive |
| G.D. Thibodeaux | Pat Battistini | Ferry Captain, Fisherman, Vietnam Veteran | Cleared after Killer's Game in Episode 5 | Deceased (Episode 6) |
| Samantha "Sam" Larabee | Heather Campbell | Diner Owner, Fiancée of Frank Kovick | Cleared in Episode 6 (Killer's Question) | Alive; Kidnapped and Later Rescued |
| Hayden DeBeck | Don Chastain | General, Leader in Mind/Science Field | Cleared for Murdering in Episode 7 | Deceased (Episode 6); Referenced in Episode 7 |
| Mary-Elizabeth Merchant | Jennifer Dibert | 'Abby Flint’s Best Friend' | Cleared for Murdering in Episode 7 | Deceased (Episode 7) |
| Emerson Bowden | Tim Walkoe | Town Mayor | Cleared in Episode 7 (Killer's Question) | Alive |
| Rusty Crandall | Kent George | Church Reverend and Pastor of The First Church of Sunrise | Cleared in Finale (Killer's Question) | Alive |
| Prudence Connor | Caitlin Keats | Garage Owner, Mistress to Nate Flint | Cleared via Burnt Man’s last film in Finale | Alive |
| Jimmy Tinker | Cory Pendergast | Hardware Store Worker, Abby Flint’s Boyfriend | Cleared via Burnt Man’s last film in Finale | Alive |
| Frank Kovick | Christopher Liam Moore | Local Newspaper Reporter, Fiancé of Samantha Larabee | Cleared during Final Confrontation in Finale | Alive |
| William Lambert ('William Duchamps') | Tom Stechschulte | Nate Flint’s Business Partner; Owner of 2 Dollar Bill and later The Sunrise Press | Identified as The Killer | Killed by Dudley Duncan in Finale |
Passing of Ángel Juarbe Jr.
A week following the broadcast of the finale, Ángel Juarbe Jr., who had served seven years with the FDNY and was a first responder during the September 11 attacks, was reported missing. Initial accounts mistakenly stated he was caught in the collapse of the North Tower; however, he was actually trapped in the collapse of the adjacent Marriott Hotel while conducting a rescue operation alongside a Ladder 12 lieutenant. His death was officially confirmed on November 28, 2001, when his remains were recovered from the Marriott debris near the World Trade Center site. The series' well-known fisherman statue was later dedicated as a tribute to Juarbe.
Series termination
Due to underwhelming audience numbers, Fox opted not to continue the show. The concept was subsequently licensed to the BBC, which launched a UK adaptation named The Murder Game in 2003 featuring slight modifications to the rules. Despite this, it did not achieve significant viewer ratings or critical praise.
Global adaptations
| Country | Title | Presenter | Channel | Premiere date | Prize money |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | O Jogo | Zeca Camargo | Rede Globo | May 25, 2003 – July 29, 2003 | R$250,000 |
| United Kingdom | The Murder Game | Bob Taylor | BBC | March 29, 2003 – May 17, 2003 | £25,000 |
See also
External links
- Fox Broadcasting Company reality television shows
- 2000s American reality television series
- 2001 American television series debuts
- 2001 American television series endings
- Eastport, Maine
- Television series about fictional serial killers
- Television shows filmed in Maine
- Reality competition television series
- World Trade Center