History Main / MistakenConfession

* In ''Film/LAConfidential'', where suspects for a mass homicide in a diner actually confess to kidnapping and gang rape.

-->'''Johnny:''' It no my fault! The neighbor's dog told me to steal cable!

* In the ''WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse2013'' short "[[Recap/MickeyMouseS3E15SockBurglar Sock Burglar]]", Minnie interrogates Goofy as a suspect in the sock-stealing case. He confesses to drinking all the milk from Mickey's carton and backwashing it.

-->'''Johnny:''' It wasn't my fault! The neighbor's dog told me to steal cable!

'''Ted:''' Hitchhikers? I don't know - twenty-five... fifty maybe - who keeps track? Hey, I know this is the Bible Belt, but where I come from this is not that big a deal.
-->-- ''Film/TheresSomethingAboutMary'' [Detective Krevoy is talking about murder. [[HilarityEnsues Ted is talking about giving hitchhikers a ride]].]

!!Examples

[[folder:Comicbooks]]

[[folder:Film]]

%%* Happens in a novel called ''TheFuturist''.

* In the ''Series/{{Warehouse 13}}'' episode "Age Before Beauty", Pete and Myka are investigating the murders by artifact of several supermodels and notice that Jenny the PA is acting suspiciously. They confront her, and she tells them that the models deserve to pay. They tell her that this is a poor justification for murder. Shocked, she explains that she thought they were busting her for dealing drugs. Later in the episode, one of the designers confesses to giving Myka "a killer dress": he gave her a metaphorically killer dress as a snub to one of the other models. For those unfamiliar with the show's premise, Pete and Myka are tracking down objects with mysterious properties, so a dress that kills anyone who puts it on would've been par for the course.

[[folder:Theatre]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]

[[folder:WebOriginal]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', Lisa tries to get Jessica Lovejoy to confess to stealing the church's collection money, so she stands in front of the congregation and asks that the criminal confess now. As she didn't specify which crime she was referring to, everyone in town starts owning up to random things. And when Jessica plays dumb through the entire thing, Lisa just says "Oh what the heck...IT WAS JESSICA LOVEJOY!"
-->'''Skinner:''' I smelled marijuana smoke in Vietnam!
-->'''Grampa:''' I was the one who cancelled ''Series/StarTrek''!
-->'''Dr. Hibbert:''' I left my Porsche keys in Mrs. Glick!

--->'''Pinkie Pie:''' NO! You're not understanding me! I want you to confess!
--->'''Spike:''' I'm the one who spilled juice all over Twilight's copy of Magical Mysteries and Practical Potions! *wince*
--->'''Pinkie Pie:''' And?
--->'''Spike:''' And I'm the one who used up all the hot water in Ponyville yesterday when I took a seven-hour bubblebath! *harder wince*
--->'''Pinkie Pie:''' AND?
--->'''Spike:''' ...And sometimes, when no one's around, I do this... *flexes arms in front of mirror* Lookin' good, Spike! Lookin' REAL good!
--->'''Pinkie Pie:''' *EyeTake*
** Yet another example occurs in this show in which Zecora is trying to get Apple Bloom to confess to using some of her potion ingredients thereby coming down with an amusing disease. A confession is the only thing that will make the antidote (a flower) grow. Pinkie Pie was within earshot and inadvertently came to believe that she was the one who needed to confess to something. "I ate five corn cakes....SIX! I ate six corncakes."
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Doug}}'' once accidentally turned in a doodle he made of Mrs. Wingo along with his homework assignment, and was panicking as she began grading each of the papers. Doug decided to try and act casual and maybe she would never find out he made the drawing. But as soon as she asked who turned in something, before she could finish the sentence, Doug confessed, only to find out she was asking who had turned in a paper titled "My First Pair of High Heels" (which is Bebe's paper and forgot to write her name).

-->'''Doug:''' I suppose you're wondering why you're here? Certain accusations have been made recently.\\

* In the ''WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse2013'' short "WesternAnimation/SockBurglar", Minnie interrogates Goofy as a suspect in the sock-stealing case. He confesses to drinking all the milk from Mickey's carton and backwashing it.

* In KevinJAnderson's ''Literature/{{Blindfold}}'', capital crimes on the remote human colony Atlas are brought before a caste of genetically-engineered [[PsychicPowers telepaths]] called Truthsayers who use a drug called [[MeaningfulName Veritas]] to allow them to perceive another brain's electrical impulses (i.e. thoughts). They are able to determine guilt or innocence based on the accused's own thoughts and memories. Their decision is final and cannot be appealed. The entire Atlas society holds on the idea that the Truthsayers are never wrong. Along comes Troy Borren, a young SpaceElevator worker who is late filing a report, so he breaks into the building after hours in order to claim that he filed the report on-time. Unfortunately, he stumbles on the body of his boss, recently killed on the BigBad's orders. Troy is arrested and brought before a young Truthsayer named Kalliana, who has recently been traumatized by the mind of an insane mass murderer. She interprets Troy's intense feelings of guilt over the break-in as admission of guilt about the murder of his boss. By the time she realizes she was wrong, it's too late.

'''Bebe:''' [[GetOnWithItAlready Get to the point, Doug!]]

* ''{{Doug}}'' once accidentally turned in a doodle he made of Mrs. Wingo along with his homework assignment, and was panicking as she began grading each of the papers. Doug decided to try and act casual and maybe she would never find out he made the drawing. But as soon as she asked who turned in something, before she could finish the sentence, Doug confessed, only to find out she was asking who had turned in a paper titled "My First Pair of High Heels" (which is Bebe's paper and forgot to write her name).

-->-- ''TheresSomethingAboutMary'' [Detective Krevoy is talking about murder. [[HilarityEnsues Ted is talking about giving hitchhikers a ride]].]

* In the ''{{Tintin}}'' book ''Flight 714'', the millionaire Laszlo Carreidas is kidnapped and injected with a truth serum in an attempt to force him to reveal the details of his SwissBankAccount. But instead of revealing the relevant details, Carreidas engages in boastful rants about his underhanded exploits, much to the annoyance of his captors. HilarityEnsues when Rastapopoulos, the mastermind behind Carreidas' capture, is accidentally injected with the serum in a struggle.

* In ''MyCousinVinny'', the protagonists are arrested after realizing they accidentally took a can of tuna from a store without paying for it. In reality, the shopkeeper had been murdered shortly after they left, and witnesses reported seeing a car like theirs leaving the store. So, they confess to what think is just a shoplifting charge, and are shocked when they realize it's a murder charge. Part of the problem is that when one of the defendants realizes the charge against him, he incredulously repeats "I shot the clerk?" several times in an attempt to clarify.
* In ''LAConfidential'', where suspects for a mass homicide in a diner actually confess to kidnapping and gang rape.

* ''ThirdRockFromTheSun'' had an episode where Dick confessed to [[MistakenForGay being gay]], but thought he was confessing to being an alien. [[HilarityEnsues Hilarity Ensued]].

* Pretty much every episode of ''{{Frasier}}'' ever.

* In ''TheOffice'' accountant webisodes, the accountants asked Phillis if she had spent any company money on something, hoping to find the missing $3000, she admits to having bought something with a company card, but it was a heel for her shoe, only costing $14.
* ''TheWire'' features a drug dealer named Cheese being caught talking about killing "my dog" on the phone, and the cops listening in on it through their wiretap are stunned that he's freely discussing killing a friend. Turns out he really was talking about his dog, who he had to kill after it was injured in a dog fight, and the cops have just advertised that they have a wiretap up over this.

* The character Wade did this regularly in the U.S. Acres segment of ''GarfieldAndFriends''. In one episode the farm's cow had been stolen. Wade was questioned, and within minutes, he confessed to, among other things: wearing wax lips out of season, putting lettuce and tomato on a corn beef sandwich, eating all of a piece of bread but the crust, and phoning information for numbers he could have looked up himself. However, he didn't even mention the missing cow.

* Happens in a novel called ''TheFuturist''.

** Happened the other way around in ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' episode "Phases" - Xander thought Larry was confessing to being a werewolf, when in fact he was just coming out of the closet.
*** Happened the normal way in the same conversation. Xander had previously been possessed by a hyena spirit, so knew a little what it would be like to be a werewolf. His little speech on the subject made Larry think that Xander was coming out the closet, and that encouraged Larry to.

* One episode of ''Series/{{Castle}}'', they catch up to a murder suspect, and the first thing she says is: "I did it. I did it, I did it." (She was admitting merely to taking a bribe to put the victim on that particular jury.)

* In the play/film ''Theatre/ArsenicAndOldLace'', [[AxeCrazy Jonathan]] thinks he's caught by the police when the police really just caught another policeman who forgot to check in.
** Not to mention Mortimer's aunts casually confessing to their serial murders in front of the police chief despite his frantic attempts throughout the movie to keep them from being discovered. Fortunately, they've just signed papers committing themselves to a mental institution so he manages to convince the police not to believe them.
--->'''Mortimer:''' ''[[SarcasticConfession Certainly]]'', there are thirteen bodies buried in the cellar. And I've got [[RefugeInAudacity hundreds more]] up in the attic, Captain!

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': Pinkie decides to interrogate Spike to find out [[ForgottenBirthday why her friends are ignoring her]]...
-->'''Pinkie Pie:''' NO! You're not understanding me! I want you to confess!
-->'''Spike:''' I'm the one who spilled juice all over Twilight's copy of Magical Mysteries and Practical Potions! *wince*
-->'''Pinkie Pie:''' And?
-->'''Spike:''' And I'm the one who used up all the hot water in Ponyville yesterday when I took a seven-hour bubblebath! *harder wince*
-->'''Pinkie Pie:''' AND?
-->'''Spike:''' ...And sometimes, when no one's around, I do this... *flexes arms in front of mirror* Lookin' good, Spike! Lookin' REAL good!
-->'''Pinkie Pie:''' *EyeTake*

Compare YouJustToldMe and OneDialogueTwoConversations. Subtrope of PoorCommunicationKills.

* In the first season finale of ''WebVideo/GemmaAndTheBear'' [[spoiler:[[GuardianEntity Bear]] tied Tom up and locked him in a closet. Luckily, Tom was in love with Gemma and promised not to tell the police or the FBI. Several minutes later, two FBI agents show up in Gemma's office and she blurts out that she had ''nothing'' to do with the kidnapping! They had no idea what she was talking about]].

* A pretty wrenching example in ''TheFugitive'', as the injured Helen Kimble dials 911. Her final words are "Richard... he's trying to kill me". The prosecution uses this as proof of Kimble's guilt, claiming that Helen was naming him as her assailant (completely overlooking the fact that at the beginning of the call, she clearly states that someone has broken in), never considering or realizing what really happened--that she was calling ''to'' her husband, begging for help.

* One episode of Series/{{Castle}}, they catch up to a murder suspect, and the first thing she says is: "I did it. I did it, I did it." (She was admitting merely to taking a bribe to put the victim on that particular jury.)

* On one of the very few episodes of the short-lived sitcom ''Go Fish'', a high school teacher thinks his student is on drugs, while the student is under the impression that the teacher thinks he's gay. In a hilarious instance of a confession being mistaken by ''both'' parties, the entire affair is resolved when the student explains, "I'm straight."

* In [[http://www.ddtcomic.com/2013/02/26/tell-tale-taint/ this]] ''Dewey Defeats Tarzan'' strip, one character incorrectly thinks he is being confronted and starts to confess to something (probably) pretty terrible.

* In ''TheSimpsons'', Lisa tries to get Jessica Lovejoy to confess to stealing the church's collection money, so she stands in front of the congregation and asks that the criminal confess now. As she didn't specify which crime she was referring to, everyone in town starts owning up to random things. And when Jessica plays dumb through the entire thing, Lisa just says "Oh what the heck...IT WAS JESSICA LOVEJOY!"

[[folder:Videogames]]

* In the ''Series/{{Warehouse 13}}'' episode "Age Before Beauty", Pete and Myka are investigating the murders by artifact of several supermodels and notice that Jenny the PA is acting suspiciously. They confront her, and she tells them that the models deserve to pay. They tell her that this is a poor justification for murder. Shocked, she explains that she thought they were busting her for dealing drugs. Later in the episode, one of the designers confesses to giving Myka "a killer dress": he gave her a metaphorically killer dress as a snub to one of the other models.

* In the play ''Theatre/TheMiser'' by french author Creator/{{Moliere}}, the eponymous miser, Harpagon, accuses his servant Valere of stealing his stash of money. Valere thinks he is talking about his daughter promising to marry Valere. [[HilarityEnsues This misunderstanding goes on as Valere talks about the beautiful eyes of Harpagon's 'treasure'...]]

** There's also the episode where Bart believes Flanders killed his wife after overhearing him saying "I've killed her... I'm a mur-[[CatchPhrase diddly]]-urdler!" Turns out he just killed a ficus plant.

* In an episode of {{NCIS}}, all signs point to the doctor being the one who killed the nurse and let the patient (who Abby had befriended) die. The doctor confesses, but believes they're interrogating him about him embezzling, not murder. [[spoiler: As it turns out, the patient was never under the doctor's care, never died, and was the one who killed the nurse.]]
* In an episode of ''TheLucyShow'', Lucy was arrested in a case of MistakenIdentity over several jewel robberies. She accidentally confessed to a few of them at the police station. She thought she had been arrested for littering.

* On one episode of MalcolmInTheMiddle, Hal tries to run a father-son race with Dewey, despite being temporarily blinded. He goes off track and eventually tears through what he ''thinks'' is the finish line tape, but is actually tape around a crime scene. He immediately starts jumping up and down and gleefully shouting "I did it!"
* On 227, Lester shows up at his wife Mary's hotel room in order to surprise her. He's shocked to find men's clothing in her closet (which she bought for ''him''). When she returns to the room, he holds up one of the shirts, asking her, "How could you do this to me?", assuming she's having an affair. Thinking he's complaining about the clothes and not understanding why he's upset, she blithely declares, "Honey, I do it all the time! Whenever I shop, whenever I travel! I thought you liked it!"

** Also happens while Doug tries to tell his friends he's not coping a teen star.
-->'''Doug:''' I suppose you're wondering why you're here? Certain accusations have been made recently.\\
'''Roger:''' [[NoodleIncident Alright, I did it! Big deal!]]\\
'''Doug:''' Did what, Roger?\\
'''Roger:''' Oh, you don't know? Never mind.\\
'''Bebe:''' [[GetOnWithItAlready Get to the point, Doug!]]

* ''{{Doug}}'' once accidentally turned in a doodle he made of Mrs. Wingo along with his homework assignment, and was panicking as she began grading each of the papers. Doug decided to try and act casual and maybe she would never find out he made the drawing. But as soon as she asked who turned in something, before she could finish the sentence, Doug confessed, only to find out she was asking who had turned in a paper titled "My First Pair of High Heels".

->'''Detective Krevoy:''' [trying to control himself] This wasn't your first time, was it, Ted? How many we talking?
->'''Ted:''' Hitchhikers? I don't know - twenty-five... fifty maybe - who keeps track? Hey, I know this is the Bible Belt, but where I come from this is not that big a deal.