Night of the Strangler 1972

Denise reveals pregnancy to her brothers

In New Orleans, Denise Roberts tells her brothers Vance and Dan that she is pregnant. Dan immediately learns the baby’s father is black, and he threatens Denise and her fiancé, demanding she get an abortion. The confrontation sets up the motives and danger surrounding the pregnancy.

Dan confronts Denise about paternity and abortion

Dan learns the baby’s father is black and reacts with threats against Denise and her fiancé. He pressures Denise to terminate the pregnancy, escalating the family’s conflict. The tension foreshadows the violence to come.

Denise returns to New York and informs fiancé of miscarriage

Denise travels back to New York and tells her fiancé that she has miscarried the child. She is visibly anxious about her brothers' threats, hoping the danger will fade. The miscarriage heightens the urgency of their situation.

Fiancé is killed by an assassin

While Denise expresses concern about her brothers' threats, an assassin ambushes and kills her fiancé. The murder occurs in the same general sphere of Denise's life and raises the stakes for her safety. The killer disappears, leaving Denise to return to New Orleans alone.

Denise is murdered in her apartment

Back in New Orleans, an intruder enters Denise's apartment and drowns her in her bathtub. He then slashes her wrists, attempting to disguise the death as a suicide. The staged suicide completes the early murder spree.

Weeks pass; Father Jessie returns to the parish

Weeks later, the long-absent black priest Father Jessie returns to the local parish. His reappearance signals the reemergence of social and spiritual tension in the town as the murders continue. The atmosphere grows increasingly tense.

Dan marries Carol

Dan marries Carol, who had previously been Vance's girlfriend. The wedding links the brothers’ fates more tightly and sets the stage for further tragedy. The union also makes Carol a new target in the killer's plan.

Carol is killed by a venomous snake in a bouquet

After the wedding, a venomous snake concealed in a bouquet of roses is delivered to their home and kills Carol. The method underscores the calculated nature of the murders. The event marks a brutal escalation in the killer’s reach.

Gardener Willie attacks Dan at the marina

Willie, the Roberts' gardener, attempts to stab Dan at the local marina. Dan shoots him in self-defense, removing another threat. The marina becomes a recurring scene of confrontation in the mystery.

Assassin returns; guard shoots the assassin

The assassin reappears and aims to shoot Dan, but a guard at the marina shoots him first. The ongoing near-fatal confrontations heighten the sense of danger surrounding Dan. The killer’s persistence is finally interrupted this time.

Ann is killed by poisoned arrow from booby-trapped car

Vance's wife Ann is killed by a poisoned arrow fired from a booby-trapped arrow in Vance's car. The murder deepens the family’s peril and shifts the focus to Vance’s inner circle. The mystery widens as more suspects emerge.

Vance stabs Dan; Dan kills Vance

Blaming his brother for Ann’s death, Vance stabs Dan in the chest with a throwing knife. Dan fights back and kills Vance in self-defense, turning the family feud into a fatal conclusion for one more member. The line of murders tightens around Denise’s fate.

Jessie reveals true identity as Jake and orchestrator of the murders; Jake kills Dan

Jessie reveals that he is actually Jake, and that the real Jessie was the man who impregnated Denise. Jake had orchestrated the string of murders in revenge for his death. He shoots Dan and leaves as the police begin to arrive.