Open House 1987

On-air tragedy and shockwave

During a morning broadcast, a teenage girl who was molested by her father calls David Kelley, a radio psychologist at KDRX, and shoots herself on the air. The shocking event shocks the studio and triggers an investigation into the caller and the violence surrounding the Open House Killer. David and the staff begin to grapple with the fallout as the case starts to unfold.

Fourth victim found at a listing

While showing a house to prospective buyers, a real estate broker discovers the decomposed remains of another realtor in the washroom, confirming a fourth victim in the killer's spree. The grim discovery ties the murders to a pattern centered on open houses and property listings. Investigators begin to connect the case to the taunting killer known as the Open House Killer.

Trash-picking vagabond

Outside Grant Real Estate, a vagabond rummages through trash and pockets discarded Seller Listings. The theft hints at the killer's fixation with real estate and the hidden world of property deals. The incident adds another layer to the suspect pool around the listings.

Murder at a listed house

The vagabond goes to a listed house and murders the realtor and buyer inside using a razor-bladed plunger. The brutal crime scene confirms the killer's presence at multiple properties and escalates the threat to anyone connected to open houses. Investigators begin to map the killer's pattern of attacks.

Harry taunts the host on air

The Open House Killer, who signs himself as 'Harry', calls KDRX to taunt David. His rambling messages frame the murders as deserved payback and reveal his growing fixation with the media and the real estate world. The broadcasts mark the killer's direct engagement with the city and its institutions.

Break-in and electrocution

After an open house, Harry breaks into the property and electrocutes the realtor with frayed wires. The act escalates his violence and raises the stakes for staff and clients alike. Police and real estate agencies scramble to tighten security around listings.

Detective Shapiro joins the investigation

Detective Arnold Shapiro is assigned to work with the station to track Harry down. He coordinates with KDRX and local agencies to map the killer's pattern. The investigation intensifies as media scrutiny grows.

Industry safety measures

Real estate agencies implement new safety precautions for agents and showings. The measures are designed to deter further incidents but prove inadequate against Harry's unpredictable methods. The industry remains anxious about future open houses.

Another agent is murdered by hanging

Harry targets another agent and murders her by hanging, signaling a brutal expansion of his methods. The act deepens public fear and puts investigators on higher alert. Security around properties is tightened in response.

Dominatrix leads to a perilous deal

Barney Resnick visits a prospective client, a dominatrix, who agrees to sell her home through his agency if he engages in kinky sex with her. The encounter exposes the sleazy underside of real estate deals and foreshadows further conflicts.

Resnick killed and the home owner falls

Harry follows Resnick to the dominatrix's meeting and murders him by decapitation with an axe. He also kills the home owner by snapping their neck during the confrontation. The double murder underscores the killer's escalation and reach into the industry.

Lisa abducted

The next day, Harry abducts Lisa, who later provides cryptic hints about her whereabouts when he calls KDRX to taunt David. The abduction escalates the stakes for the station and the investigation. David begins to infer the extent of Harry's reach.

Tension at the empty house

David tracks Lisa and Harry to an empty house, and authorities swarm the building as news crews gather nearby. Harry vents about the media's absence and rails against corporations and the real estate industry he blames for his downfall. The confrontation builds toward a final showdown.

Climax: Shapiro shoots the killer

Just as Harry is about to slit Lisa's throat, Detective Shapiro shoots him and knocks him through a glass door. The narrow intervention interrupts the murder and marks the turning point of the pursuit. The station and authorities coordinate to secure the scene.