Ngo-1985 icala lokubulala lanyakazisa idolobhana laseNiantic Connecticut. Unkosikazi okhulelwe utholwe eklinyiwe ekamelweni ngesikhathi umyeni wakhe ehambile ngomkhumbi. Ubugebengu abuzange buxazululwe kwaze kwavela ufakazi ozonikeza abaphenyi umkhondo, kuzo zonke izindawo, ikhophi ye-VHS yefilimu esabekayo.

U-Ed no-Ellen Sherman babonakale bengumbhangqwana ojabule edolobheni lonke, bobabili abaqeqeshiwe, u-Ellen ongumshicileli, u-Ed enguthisha ekolishi lomphakathi lendawo. Nakuba babebonakala beyisibonelo somusa womphakathi, izimpilo zabo zangasese zaxoxa indaba ehlukile. U-Ed wayengumhlengikazi owayevame ukuhlanganyela ekushintsheni amakhosikazi nasemaphathini ocansi. U-Ellen wayebonakala engenandaba futhi wayevame ukwenza le misebenzi.

Faka uNancy Prescott, inkosikazi ka-Ed owakhulelwa waba nengane ngesikhathi bethandana. U-Ellen ngokwesilinganiso sakhe watshela u-Ed ukuthi ashiye uNancy ukuze baqale kabusha.

U-Ed wavuma futhi lezi zithandani zazama ukuvuselela umshado wazo, naye u-Ellen wakhulelwa.

Kepha ngeSonto ngo-Agasti 1985, ngenkathi u-Ed ehamba nohambo lokuhamba ngomkhumbi nabangane bakhe abane, wathola ucingo oluvela emaphoyiseni emsakazweni wesikebhe, ethi umkakhe okhulelwe ufile. Watholwa ngumngani womndeni wesilisa u-Ed ayecele ukuthi ambheke ngalobo busuku.

Uma uthi nhlá, kubukeka sengathi kungene umuntu ongenile wangena kubo wakhipha impilo ka-Ellen wabe esehlehla ngokuxhamazela, empeleni i-air conditioner isavuliwe.

Izindwangu entanyeni ka-Ellen zinikeze umhloli wezokwelapha ubufakazi obenele bokuthola ukuthi uklinywe ngezingubo zakhe zangaphansi. Kepha uphenyo oluqhubekayo luzokhombisa nokuthi uklinyiwe ngaphambi iphenti belihambe emqaleni wakhe. Abahloli bezokwelashwa banqume ukuthi wabulawa ekuqaleni kwangeSonto.

Umbuzo wasala; ngubani owayengenza lokhu? Futhi njengoba kwenzeka njalo, abaphenyi babheka kuqala kumlingani njengomsolwa. Kepha u-Ed ubekade engekho ohambweni lokuhamba ngomkhumbi ngeSonto, ubene-alibi eqinile, enofakazi abane. Wayengeke akwenze. Angaba kanjani ezindaweni ezimbili ngasikhathi sinye?

U-Ed wayekhulume ngisho nomkakhe ngobusuku bokubulawa kwakhe endlini yomngani, bonke bamuzwa ocingweni.

Ososayensi be-Forensic badideka ikakhulukazi uDkt Henry Lee we-Connecticut State Crime Lab. Kuze kube yilapho kuqhamuka umuntu ophethe ithiphu ezoshaya isivalo secala.

Ufakazi uthe ubehlangane no-Ed esitolo samavidiyo sendawo ekuseni ngohambo lwakhe lokuhamba ngomkhumbi. Uthi u-Ed uncoma i-movie esabisayo ebizwa Blackout, okuyimpicabadala ngendoda ekhubazekile okuthiwa u-Allen Devlin, okungenzeka ukuthi ekuqaleni yabulala umkakhe nezingane ngesihluku yase ishintsha ubugebengu ukuze ivimbele abaphenyi.

Kule filimu, uRichard Widmark, uDetective Joe Steiner, udidekile futhi uzimisele ukufakazela ukuthi empeleni u-Allen ubhekene nokubulawa ngesihluku.

Uyasikhumbula isixhobo sokupholisa umoya? Ku "Blackout" umbulali usebenzisa iqhinga elihlakaniphile ukuze alahle abaphenyi. Uphendulela into esetshenziswayo iye endaweni yayo ephezulu futhi ayishiye isebenza.

Amazinga okushisa abanda ngokweqile anciphisa inqubo eqinile yokufa kanye nokubola komzimba okungadala ukuthi abaphenyi balinganisele ngokungafanele isikhathi sangempela sokufa.

Bobabili u-Widmark efilimini nabaphenyi bempilo yangempela ecaleni lika-Sherman bathola lokhu kugebenga kokubulala. Odabeni lukaSherman lapho umphenyi wecala enqume ukuthi isikhathi sokushona kube yiSonto, balinganisela ukuthi njengoba kusebenza isiphephetha-moya, isikhathi sokufa bekuyizinsuku ezimbili ezedlule, ngoLwesihlanu. Lokhu kusho ukuthi u-Ed ubengakwenza ngaphambi eshiya uhambo lwakhe lokuyodoba.

Yize kunjalo, u-Ed wayefonele umkakhe ebangeni eliqhele ngamakhilomitha ngobusuku bokubulawa kwakhe futhi abangane bakhe bangakufakazela lokho. Ngaphandle kokuthi u-Ed wayengazi, kwakukhona omunye umuntu ocingweni, enye yamadodakazi omnumzane owabika ukuthi uthathe umamukeli ukuze ashaye ucingo amzwe ekhuluma, kuphela ubengakhulumi nomkakhe, ubekhuluma ngale kukhala ngakolunye uhlangothi: ucingo bekungamanga.

Ngokusho kohlelo iForensic Files (isiqephu esigcwele ngezansi), u-Ed waklinya unkosikazi wakhe waze wafa ngezandla ngemuva kokudla isidlo sasebusuku ngoLwesihlanu. Ube esegoqa ingubo yangaphansi emphinjeni ukuzama ukudukisa abaphenyi ukuthi bacabange ukuthi kuyicala lezocansi.

Ngemuva kwalokho, futhi ikhuthazwe yi-movie Blackout, wabe esephendulela isipholile somoya phezulu ukuze abambezele inqubo yokubola ekugcineni adukise i-Coroner kanye nesikhathi sangempela sokufa. Wabe esehamba elibangise kwamngane wakhe lapho eya kodoba khona futhi wahlekisa ngocingo kamuva ngalobo busuku endlebeni zabangane bakhe, kodwa wayengazi ukuthi kukhona omunye owayelalele.

Ekugcineni sibonga ibhayisikobho Blackout, abaphenyi baphetha ngokuthi ngamakhaza ashubisa umnkantsha, isikhathi sangempela sokufa sasingeyona iSonto, kodwa izinsuku ezimbili ekuqaleni ngenkathi u-Ed wayesesekhaya.

U-Ed Sherman waboshelwa ukubulala. Abashushisi baphikisa ngokuthi u-Ellen uselahlile umshado wabo futhi ufuna isehlukaniso. Yena, ekubeni engumnikazi oyinhloko webhizinisi utshele u-Ed ukuthi angaba nentombi yakhe nesikebhe, hhayi okunye okunye.

Ngesikhathi sokuqulwa kwecala, abameli babenentshisekelo enkulu yokwazi kabanzi ngesikhathi sokufa kuka-Ellen. Ngokuya ngobufakazi obusenkantolo banquma ukuthi u-Ed wayenesikhathi nenhloso yokubulala, kwathi eminyakeni eyisithupha ngemuva kwaleli cala watholakala enecala lokubulala, futhi wagwetshwa iminyaka engama-50 ebhadla ejele.

U-Ed akazange alivume icala futhi eminyakeni emithathu ngemuva kokutholakala enecala washonela ejele ngemuva kokuhlaselwa yisifo senhliziyo.