Good guess, David, but not the answer I am looking for.

Here is a hint: keep focusing on the murder plot.

There can't be anything in common between
"Ransom for a Dead Man" and "A Friend in
Deed" which are among the very best episodes,
and "Mind Over Mayhem" which is a disgrace
to the entire series, a real turkey (sorry
for the rant but it bugs me that Levinson
and Link's quality control let that terrible
episode go out with their name on it!)

Let me agree with YM about Mind over Mayhem - it is dull, the characters are ones that you just can't sympathise with and it ruins an extremely strong season! Ok Fielding's rant over!

Leslie and Dr. Cahill are the only two murderers in the original episodes that hold a certain distinction. Halperin and Mason hold a similar, but slightly different, distinction.

Just a wild guess:

With Leslie and Cahill, their child/step-child, knows they committed the murder.

With Halperin and Mason, their friends know they committed murder.

This is tough.

ot: I don't think Neil Cahil knew his father did it.

Good guess, Charlie2, but not it.

I can't think of any other good hints without giving it away. I will post the answer tomorrow night.

Here is the answer:

Leslie Williams and Dr. Cahill are the only two murderers in the original episodes who commit the actual act of their murder while sitting down.

Halperin drowns his wife while he is on his knees (not technically sitting), and Eric Mason is actually lying down while on the phone orchestrating the provoking of the dogs.

Everybody else does their deed while standing up!

oh wow!! that is so cool E!!
i would never have thought of that at all!!

Excellent!

Thanks, Cass and David!

I just thought of a murderer I may have overlooked...was Norman Paris standing when he dropped the mixer in the bathtub, or did he actually sit down before doing so? I can't remember.

I also didn't count murderers like Riley Greenleaf, who is sitting in his car when the bomb goes off killing Eddie, but he gave Eddie the drugged wine and rigged the bomb while standing. (If he had activated the bomb by remote control while sitting in his car, then it would have counted, but he is just enjoying a cigarette while waiting around to make sure that the bomb does go off.)

no E you did fine....paris was not sitting when he threw the mixer in the tub...and riley wouldn't have counted because as you say, the drugging of eddie and the rigging of the bomb was done while he was in the apartment.

this really was a goodie E!

Thanks again, Cass!

Wasn't Beth Chadwick (Lady in Waiting) lying in bed when she shot Bryce?

ohhhhhh wow...i think she was c.g............good one!!

I looked at this one carefully before posting my original question, and at the moment she fires the gun she is standing up next to the bed. (I think she is lying down on the bed during the fantasy sequence.) After firing the gun, she immediately runs to the body.