History Main / LightsOffSomebodyDies

* ''Series/MidsomerMurders'': In "Written in the Stars", the VictimOfTheWeek is part of a gathering observing a total eclipse. As the hill is plunged into total darkness by the eclipse, he is bashed over the head by a rock. A bystander screams as the sunlight returns and she sees the body.

* Used in ''Series/{{Tracker}}''. One of the fugitive aliens cut the lights in the Watchfire, then killed someone while the lights were off.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': Invoked InUniverse by Bart Simpson. After telling his class a ghost story, he reassures them that Dark Stanley [[TemptingFate would never dare]] attack a crowded, [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial well-lit]] [[KilledMidSentence --]] The lights go out, then back on, and Bart is "dead" on the ground with exposed brains.

In RealLife, this kind of murder would be very difficult to actually pull off, unless [[AnimalAssassin animals are used]]. The murderer would have to be able to see in the dark, in order to avoid tripping over things or bumping into people. Then they would have to correctly identify the person they want to kill without seeing their face. (This sometimes leads to a plot twist where it turns out that [[MurderByMistake somebody else in the room was actually the murderer's intended victim]].) They'd also need to work out how to discreetly get the lights ''off'' in the first place -- everyone is going to suspect that shady-looking fellow who was hanging around the light switch. Might work more plausibly if the murderer has an accomplice, who waits until the murderer has their target within reach before killing the lights. [[BellisariosMaxim Best not to think about it too hard.]]

* Parodied in one sketch of ''Series/StudioC'' with a Mystery Theater theme. After Jason learns that the lights temporarily turn off every time lightning strikes nearby, he tries to kill guests when this happens. However he can't get the timing right - he keeps killing guests after he sees lightning, but before the lights actually go off, in full view of everyone else. Despite this, each time when the lights come on he tries to [[TheButlerDidIt blame it on the butler]].

* In the first "Tales of Interest" episode of ''{{WesternAnimation/Futurama}}'', Leela's last four victims are all killed this way.
-->'''Leela''': [[LampshadeHanging Could you get the lights on your way out?]]

* In ''Manga/DetectiveSchoolQ'', there's a murder while a PhonyPsychic has the lights turned off as part of a ritual. [[spoiler:She was strangled by the sons of the family since they thought she was an accomplice of their [[EvilUncle Evil Aunt]] who wanted to go the FinancialAbuse on the heiress and their little sister. [[IroNy She turned out to be]] [[SelfMadeOrphan their mom under a disguise]].]]

* One of ''[[Manga/KindaichiCaseFiles Kindaichi Returns Series]]'' cases, titled "Black Spirit Hotel Murder Case", combines this trope with FallingChandelierOfDoom. In the middle of filming a horror movie, a chandelier falls down after a blackout occurs and kills an actress sitting below it, making people believe that the culprit is someone not present during the shoot. [[spoiler:In reality, the killer replaced the screws holding the chandelier up with an electromagnet beforehand. This way said chandelier will surely fall when blackout occurs.]]

* Used in the [[SlasherMovie slasher]]-themed episode of ''Series/BoyMeetsWorld'', "And Then There Was Shawn"; the victim is a one-time character in the show named Kenny, who is [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice stabbed in the head with a pencil]].

* Used in the [[SlasherMovie slasher]]-themed episode of ''Series/BoyMeetsWorld'', "And Then There Was Shawn"; the first victim is Kenny, who is [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice stabbed in the head with a pencil]].
-->'''Shawn:''' (''Angela screams upon seeing Kenny's dead body'') No, no, no. You scream when the lights go off. If you scream when the lights come on, it takes away from the first scream. (''Angela continues to scream as she points at Kenny's dead body'') Now, you're just being loud.\\

-->'''Shawn:''' (''Angela screams upon seeing Kenny's dead body'') No, no, no. You scream when the lights go off. If you scream when the lights come on, it takes away from the first scream. (''Angela continues to scream as she points at Kenny's dead body'') Now, you're just being loud.
(''Cory and Topanga turn around to see Kenny's dead body, then they and Shawn, Eric and Jack gasp in horror'')\\

%%* Used in the [[SlasherMovie slasher]]-themed episode of ''Series/BoyMeetsWorld'', "And Then There Was Shawn".

%%* Used in the [[SlasherMovie slasher]]-themed episode of ''Series/BoyMeetsWorld''.

* Used in the [[SlasherMovie slasher]]-themed episode of ''Series/BoyMeetsWorld''.

* In the Literature/MissMarple novel ''Literature/AMurderIsAnnounced'', a personal ad appears in the town newspaper, announcing that a murder will take place in a certain house at a certain time, and inviting everyone to come over. The GenreBlind locals assume the ad is inviting them to a party game and attend. Naturally, the owner of the house claims to know nothing about the ad, and then at the right time the lights go off, a menacing person with a bright flashlight appears, and two shots are fired. When the light scome on, it is found that the hostess has been grazed by a bullet apparently aimed at her, and the gunman is lying dead on the floor. It is assumed that he killed himself after botching the murder attempt (but, of course, this is quite far from what actually happened). The shootings don't take place in the dark, but everybody but the gunman is blinded by the flashlight.