Jessica Fletcher, Meet Ann Rule

Or: I am Convinced Angela Lansbury Read The Stranger Beside Me.

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Let's talk about season 1, episode 6, Lovers and other Killers.

Look, let's not beat around the bush. This episode is weird. The appeal of Murder, She Wrote, is that the series feels like a warm sweater you put on at the end of long day. There is a comfort in knowing that each episode will follow a formula: the sheriff of every town is just a little too trusting and doesn't have enough street smarts; the young couple are so close to getting married, if only this darn murder could be solved; Jessica is visiting an old friend she hasn't seen since before Frank died. But season 1, episode 6 is not like this. It is, again, weird. It leaves a metallic aftertaste in your mouth. And it should go without saying — I am obsessed with this episode.

So what is about Lovers and other Killers that makes it feel so different from the rest of the Murder, She Wrote universe? Well, it's simple, really. Unlike any other episode in the series, this one is based on an actual true crime case. For whatever reason, the writer’s decided to momentarily leave behind the comfort of fictional murder, opting instead to delve into the world of actual mayhem.

Okay. Fine. I don’t have any "proof" that this episode was inspired by true events. I do not have a primary source that confirms this theory of mine. But anyone with even the slightest interest in true crime can see that Lovers and other Killers is so clearly based on Ann Rule’s seminal text: The Stranger Beside Me.

Don’t believe me? Let me prove it to you.

Ann Rule was one of the most celebrated true crime authors of the 20th century. And while she covered numerous famous cases, The Stranger Beside Me was her first and most well known book. It is a first hand account of Rule’s friendship with Ted Bundy, who she met while volunteering, years before the world would find out that he was the serial killer haunting the Pacific Northwest. Once Bundy became a suspect in the killings, Rule was forced to grapple with the evidence and determine if her friend and former colleague truly was responsible for these horrific crimes against young women.

Is this ringing any bells? Have you been convinced?

You know what? Let’s just break it down. Here is all of my evidence:

1. The Stranger Beside Me Was Released in 1980.

Bundy’s killing spree lasted from 1974 - 1978, or at least the confirmed killings. It was a

huge case that held the nation’s attention for the entire decade. And Rule’s book was

released in 1980, meaning her story was widely known by the time Murder, She Wrote

was being conceived and the first episodes were being written. Those in the writer’s room

had to be aware of Rule’s firsthand account of Bundy.

2. Lovers and other Killers takes place in Seattle.

Both Ann Rule and Ted Bundy were Seattleites, and the greater Seattle area is where

Bundy would take his first confirmed victim.

3. Lovers and other Killers was filmed on the University of Washington Campus.

This is where Ted Bundy attended college, graduating in 1972.

4. Jessica comes to Seattle to give lectures at a local university.

Ann Rule gave lectures across the country to benefit law enforcement, though she was

giving lectures on the psychology of serial killers and not how to write a

murder mystery.

5. Our suspected murderer is a college student.

When Bundy was first arrested, he was enrolled in law school. Our suspected murderer

in Lovers and other Killers, David Tolliver, is still earning his bachelors, but the current

university student comparison still holds.

6. Jessica and Ann Rule are both crime writers.

This needs no further explanation. And it is good evidence.

7. David Tolliver and Jessica meet through work.

Ann Rule and Ted Bundy met because they were both volunteers a suicide prevention

center. While volunteering isn’t a paying job, anyone who has volunteered will tell you it

is still work. Jessica and David meet because she hires him to be her secretary while she

is in Seattle.

8. David Tolliver is charming to the point of it being off putting.

Even if you don’t know anything at all about true crime, I would bet you know that Ted

Bundy is most famous for being a “charming” person. It is speculated that he was able

to murder so many women because he was so charming that no one would have ever

guessed that such a nice young man could be capable of murder. (I personally think that

charming should be replaced with the words “white male privilege” in any conversation

about Bundy, but, alas, the reputation of charm persists.)

9. David Tolliver is *into* Jessica.

In The Stranger Beside Me, Rule spends a few paragraphs of the book disputing the

claim that there was anything romantic between herself and Bundy. She claims that she

saw him more like a son or brother than anything even close to a love interest. But the

thought that there was something more than friendship between them still persisted. And I

think that rumor is reflected in the wild way that David tries to seduce Jessica throughout

the episode.

10. When David Tolliver becomes a murder suspect, Jessica still supports him.

Ann Rule and Ted Bundy maintained their friendship for a time even after Bundy was

arrested. When he was first released on bail and awaiting trial, the two would often get

together for lunch and discuss his case and potential innocence. Rule was not

completely deceived; she was not adamant that she believed him incapable of murder,

she just wasn’t sure enough of his guilt to sever ties yet. Now, doesn’t that sound like

Jessica Fletcher?

11. Jessica tells David Tolliver that she may write a book about him

ANN RULE WROTE A WHOLE BOOK ABOUT BUNDY.

12. And Finally - David Tolliver and Ted Bundy honestly look so similar.

Okay, it isn’t perfect. There are differences, but overall, they could be cousins.

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So, there you have it. A definitive list that — without a doubt — proves my theory.

Now, I hear what you’re saying: “But David Tolliver is proven innocent at the end of the episode! And Ted Bundy was guilty!”. You’re right, and that’s a fair point. But you, dear reader, are forgetting two things: 1. The person who is the most obvious killer is never the true culprit on Murder, She Wrote. If David had been guilty, the episode would have no intrigue. It would be a bad episode! It needed the twist of his innocence. 2. David may be innocent of this crime, but it is heavily implied that he is certainly guilty of others. And if he hasn’t killed yet, Jessica clearly thinks he will soon.

In this fan’s eyes, Lovers and other Killers was inspired by The Stranger Beside Me. It’s not even a little subtle, you can see the influence as soon as we meet David Tolliver. And yet I can find nowhere else online where people are talking about this! Maybe this is because the episode is 38 years old. But I don’t care! Hear me world! JESSICA FLETCHER AND ANN RULE SHALL GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS SISTER DETECTIVES AND BEST FRIENDS.