Previously in Deadloch episodes, a series of murders took place, prompting the lead investigator, Dulcie Collins, to suspect a connection between the murders due to the similar pattern of the killings. Detective Eddie Redcliffe from Darwin joined the investigation, but she wasn’t much of a help due to her propensity to jump to conclusions without any strong evidence. Eddie admitted that she wanted to solve this case as soon as possible and get back to Darwin to earn appreciation from her colleagues, who considered her a failure and a horrible investigating partner. However, toxicology reports of the dead bodies revealed the presence of pentobarbital in their blood, leading Dulcie to come to the conclusion that the killer must be a woman. But why was she so sure about that? Let’s find out what additional evidence she would gather to confirm her suspicion.
Spoilers Ahead
Who Was The First Victim In The Deadloch Murder Case?
Episode 4 of Deadloch began with Dulcie and Cath attending a couples therapy session while Eddie Redcliffe was seen talking to a mannequin. She had a sudden realization regarding her personal hygiene, which prompted her to change her beach shirt and shorts and put on some fresh clothes. The investigation proceeded with Dulcie putting all the pictures of the female suspects on the board. The suspects were almost all the local women connected to the murders, including Sam O’Dwyer’s wife, Victoria; their daughter, Skye; and Rod Dixon’s wife, Margaret.
First, Dulcie and Eddie started off their inquiry with Margaret since Rod Dixon was the first known victim. Margaret, on the other hand, was urging Miranda, a young woman, to apply for a scholarship, leaving her confused about Margaret’s underlying motives behind this help. Eddie and Dulcie shortly arrived unannounced at Margaret’s residence, but as soon as they arrived, Eddie started digging through Margaret’s belongings and discovered from a family album that in Rod Dixon’s family, his ancestors had all been laid to rest on a private island, whereas Rod Dixon’s dead body was buried in a local cemetery. This raised suspicion because if Margaret was so devastated by her husband’s death, why didn’t she bid him a proper farewell, adhering to their long-standing family tradition? Eddie couldn’t get a satisfactory answer from Margaret to dispel her suspicions about her. Later, Abby informed the investigators that Margaret was estranged from Rod, who was a pathetic, misogynistic individual, probably involved in an extramarital affair.
A major breakthrough emerged regarding Sam O’Dwyer’s murder case. Particularly, his toxicology report didn’t show any presence of pentobarbital in his blood, but shockingly, the forensic examiner, Kate, discovered a female pubic hair from Sam O’Dwyer’s mouth, indicating that he might have engaged in a sexual act prior to his death. In this regard, constable Sven dug up the criminal records of the local women and came across Wendy Taylor’s file. Wendy Taylor, who happened to be the mother of Sharelle, the bartender we have seen in the previous episodes, had been charged and imprisoned for assaulting Sam O’Dwyer. Dulcie and Eddie interrogated Sharelle about this incident, but her refusal to discuss the matter heightened their suspicion.
Finally, a local make-up artist, who was a bit of a blabbermouth, helped the investigators unearth an underlying truth regarding the murder case. She told the investigators about the day when she was supposed to book Sam O’Dwyer’s football club for her brother’s party, but Sam didn’t show up. It was the time when Rod Dixon was still alive, meaning that Sam O’Dwyer had already gone missing prior to Rod Dixon’s death. Eddie facepalmed, reckoning that Sam O’Dwyer had been the first victim all along.
The Deadloch murder case was getting more complicated due to the unwelcome interference of local reporters. One of them, named Megan, wrote an article on Eddie Redcliffe, criticizing Eddie’s capability as an investigator. Though Eddie didn’t pay much attention at first, she later recognized the consequences of the media’s involvement in the investigation. The media was also pressurizing Mayor Aleyna to make a statement about the case, but Dulcie had strictly forbidden Aleyna from speaking to the press. Dulcie was keeping the case highly confidential, as nobody in the town seemed reliable. But as a part of the investigation, Dulcie had to inquire after Aleyna as well as her wife, Cath, if they had ever prescribed pentobarbital to anyone in this town. Being medical personnel, both Aleyna and Cath had access to the drug. However, while Aleyna didn’t recall prescribing it to anyone, Cath revealed that she had prescribed pentobarbital to Margaret for her horse. Eddie was once again trying to conclude that Margaret was the killer, but it was later revealed that Margaret was in Italy when Rod Dixon died.
Meanwhile, on Dulcie’s birthday night, she brought Eddie home, unaware of the surprise party that Cath had planned for her. Seeing Eddie in the house, Cath was suspicious that Dulcie was having an affair with Eddie. In a previous murder investigation in Sydney, Dulcie had an extramarital affair with her investigating partner, which nearly destroyed Cath’s ability to trust Dulcie ever again. Although Cath had given the relationship a chance, she was afraid that history might repeat itself. However, Eddie clarified that she had no interest in pursuing a relationship with Dulcie, as she was interested in Ray, and the feeling seemed to be mutual.
How Did Dulcie Confirm That The Killer Was A Woman?
Cath took a sigh of relief, but she continued to make the atmosphere uncomfortable for Dulcie with her explicit sexual talk, leading Dulcie to isolate herself for a while. Meanwhile, Abby informed Dulcie that Mayor Aleyna had held a press conference to discuss the Deadloch murder case. Without wasting any time, the investigators hurried to stop the conference at any cost. Eddie managed to arrive on time and interrupted Aleyna before she could spill any information, but the persistent reporter bombarded Eddie with her relentless questions regarding the investigation, pressuring her to answer. But before Eddie could answer or avoid the questioning, she collapsed on the floor, unconscious.
On the other hand, Abby confronted her childhood friend Sharelle, asking her to assist the investigation by sharing any relevant information she might have been withholding. However, in an effort to avoid the conversation, she accidentally spoke out a lot, claiming any woman could have been motivated to kill O’Dwyer because he was a womanizer. These words slipped from Sharelle’s mouth right in front of Dulcie, who could confirm that the killer was a woman. At the end of Deadloch episode 4, we see a mysterious individual from behind watching the TV news and loading a syringe of pentobarbital. She was probably on her way to kill another man from the town. Let’s find out who the next victim will be in the subsequent episodes of Deadloch.
Final Words
Based on all the findings in the murder case, we are yet assured that the perpetrator is a woman who might be a victim of the misogynistic actions of the men she targeted. All the deceased men up until now, including the Latham Brothers and Rod Dixon, were infamous for their misogynistic and womanizing attitudes, which could serve as a strong motive behind their murders. But Sam O’Dwyer stood out from the rest due to his reputation for kindness and generosity. However, at the conclusion of the episode, Sharelle’s revelation was something that completely contradicted the preexisting concept about O’Dwyer. Needless to say, we are looking for a vigilante serial killer who was considering murdering these men as the only way to punish them. Perhaps the victims’ tongues being severed indicate that she might have been subjected to sexual harassment before, prompting her to seek revenge.
