Fatal Vision: Jeffrey MacDonald vs. Paul Stombaugh

A scene from the 1984 TV-Movie 'Fatal Vision' (based on the novel of the same name by Joe McGinniss) dramatizing the story of Dr. Jeffrey MacDonald. In 1979, MacDonald, a Green Beret captain, was convicted of murdering his pregnant wife, Colette, and their two young daughters, Kimberly and Kristen. He continues to maintain that a band of drug-crazed hippies actually committed the murders.

In this scene, the FBI's Paul Stombaugh (Mitch Ryan) explains his theory of what actually happened the night of the killings to Colette's stepfather, Freddy Kassab (Karl Malden). Kassab, originally a fervent supporter of MacDonald's, later became convinced of his son-in-law's guilt and was largely responsible for finally bringing him to trial nearly 10 years after the muders. Jeffrey MacDonald (Gary Cole) is shown committing the murders based on Stombaugh's scenario.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Jeffrey
• MacDonald
• Freddy
• Kassab
• Paul
• Stombaugh
• Joe
• McGinniss
• Fatal
• Vision
• Gary
• Cole
• Karl
• Malden
• Mitch
• Ryan
• Green
• Beret
• Murders
• FBI

[BettinaBalser]

The decision to not include a musical soundtrack as the murders unfold on the screen was absolute genius. Just the narration...the violence unfolding and just the calm voice telling us what we were saying...allows for our own horror at WHAT MURDERMAC DID TO HIS FAMILY to really register. That horrible moment when you realize that he killed them. It couldn't have happened any other way.

[jksonny]

@BettinaBalser I agree completely.

[SUNMAYDEN518]

I think he got in a fight with his wife, lost control and the kids witnessed it Steve

[xcookiemuncherx]

cold hearted bastard,killing his own children,he deserves to die by the same method, but would want to kill him slowly as possible

[MrDkay88]

@steve7395 yeppers

[jksonny]

@MrDkay88 That's definitely possible. Jeff may have finally decided to go to bed and upon finding that Kimmy had wet the bed, started raising hell and yanked her off the bed, prompting Colette to defend her daughter. Another possibility: Supposedly, Jeff usually made Colette sleep on the couch when one of the children was in their bed. After finding Kimmy, he may have ordered Colette to the couch and she refused. I can certainly see that setting him off.

[jksonny]

@MrDkay88 I've heard that theory and I know Freddy Kassab concluded that Colette caught Jeff in the act of molesting Kimmy and that's what started the fight. I definitely think it's possible but I'm not convinced that's what happened. Some of the evidence points to possible molestation but other information does not. In any event, it's an interesting hypothesis. Too bad we'll never know for sure.

[MrDkay88]

I believe he struck kimmy deliberatly to spite collette prompting her to stab him with the knife and then he struck her and bashed her! 

[MrDkay88]

@jksonny he was molesting Kimberly

[stitchesful]

@BettinaBalser  I also agree. I don't see how anybody could think any differently.

[58936865233]

It was an awesome book and a pretty good movie

[lostindiancamp]

Makes my skin crawl when he finds Collette in the child's room and goes in to kill his wife.

[lostindiancamp]

This is one of the best TV movies that I have ever seen. I could watch it today after all these years and still be glued to my TV. I wonder what the fight was all about that started all of this rolling. Did Collette catch him cheating again? Was he on drugs and got ticked off about the baby wetting the bed, causing him not to be able to sleep in his bed?