In a somewhat unusual Murder She Wrote episode, the opening minutes show a young woman racing into the local church to make a confession that she's murdered someone before hurrying out. When a body turns up on the beach the next morning, Sheriff Metzger arrests the wrong man. The priest is well aware of this but is unable to take action due to the seal of the confession and must rely on Jessica to solve the case and see justice is done.
Tropes:
- Anti-Villain: Mrs. Desmond's nurse was having an affair with Evan and murdered him out of jealousy and disgust after discovering he once again tried to rape his stepdaughter. The woman went out of her way to frame Eddie even though Kelly would've been easier to pin the crime on, since even Kelly herself thought she did kill Evan in self-defense. The nurse believed Kelly had gone through enough because of her stepfather.
- Asshole Victim: Evan West. Just about every other trope on this page elaborates why.
- Attempted Rape: Evan pulled this on Kelly when she was 16, which is why she left town for college. When he tried it again, she almost killed him in self-defense. Her mom's nurse finished the job.
- Beach Episode: A lot of the episode is set on Cabot Cove's beach.
- Death by Woman Scorned: Mrs. Desmond's nurse was sleeping with the victim and murdered him out of both jealousy and moral outrage upon learning he was trying to assault Kelly and subsequently injured.
- Don't Tell Mama: Kelly refuses to step forward at first, not so much because she fears punishment, but because she knows it would break her mother's heart to find out that her husband tried to rape her daughter and that Kelly was the one who killed him.
- Everyone Has Standards: Mrs. Desmond's nurse was willing to have an affair with a married man, but reached her breaking point when she discovered said married man tried to rape his stepdaughter and had to admit to herself it wasn't the first (and probably wouldn't have been the last) time he tried it. When Jessica asks why the nurse tried to frame Eddie instead of Kelly knowing what she'd done, the woman figured Kelly suffered enough and was trying to give her a break.
- Lecherous Stepparent: Kelly's stepfather tried to rape her when she was 16, and tried again when she came home from college, causing her to stab him.
- Not Quite Dead: It turns out that Kelly really didn't kill her stepfather, he survived the attack and was finished off by his mistress.
- Secret-Keeper: It is indicated that Eddie knew or suspected what Kelly's stepfather did to her, based on his angry comment that he was the one who made her go away from town.
- Sleeping with the Boss's Wife: Or rather, sleeping with the boss's husband. In addition to lusting after Kelly, Evan West was having an affair with his wheelchair-bound wife's nurse.
- Throw the Dog a Bone: Eddie was framed for the murder because Mrs. Desmond's nurse understood how much Kelly suffered thanks to her stepfather, figuring she earned a break.
