Suspense – “Murder Strikes Three Times” (Mar 30, 1950)

Suspense – “Murder Strikes Three Times” (Mar 30, 1950)

They say lightning never strikes twice… but murder can. In “Murder Strikes Three Times,” a series of killings appears to follow a deadly pattern, each crime echoing the last with eerie precision. As detectives scramble to connect the dots, suspicion falls on everyone close to the victims — and the question grows sharper with every body: who will be next, and can the cycle be stopped before the third strike lands?

First broadcast March 30, 1950, this episode captures the late-era Suspense focus on taut police procedurals and crime thrillers. The story plays like a film noir puzzle — grim crime scenes, mounting paranoia, and a methodical search for the truth. The ticking structure of the “three strikes” motif creates a built-in countdown that ratchets the tension higher with each act.

What makes this installment so effective is the way it balances mystery with inevitability. The killer’s pattern is clear, but motives are murky, and every character seems to carry both secrets and fear. By the final twist, Suspense proves once again that justice is rarely simple — and terror thrives in repetition.

Cast & Production

Produced by William N. Robson, who brought sharp pacing and grit to the post-war years of Suspense.

Musical score by Wilbur Hatch, heightening the pulse with staccato strings and sudden crashes.

Starring Agnes Moorehead, one of the series’ most celebrated performers, whose intensity made every role unforgettable.

Why It Matters
“Murder Strikes Three Times” is a classic example of how Suspense could take a familiar crime formula and elevate it into art. The “rule of three” adds inevitability, echoing fairy tales and fables, but here the moral is soaked in blood. For listeners in 1950, the phrase “three times” became a promise they hoped — and dreaded — would be kept.

Bobby Jay’s Take
I love how this episode leans into rhythm. The murders come like drumbeats, and you can feel the audience bracing for the third. That’s the beauty of Suspense: it doesn’t just tell you a story, it teaches you to count the seconds until the next shock hits.

Presented by OTA Music Group as part of B4TV: Before Television — preserving the theatre of the mind for a new generation of listeners.