At the end it's revealed that she's suffering from a kind of aneurysm that affects her memory, probably has no more than two months to live, and more than likely doesn't even remember committing the murder. This episode is notable for being the only time that Columbo didn't actually apprehend the killer, choosing to let her live out the rest of her brief time in freedom.
I saw this one when it originally aired in 1975 and really liked it, but for some reason for all these years I remembered her medical condition as being one of the earliest TV references to Alzheimer's, when it fact that is not the case. Maybe I need to get myself checked out as well.
Not a particularly well-crafted "mystery" - the plot holes have already been pointed out in other user comments; "Rockman"'s comments in particular crack me up! But the chemistry between the actors, Janet Leigh's particularly sympathetic villain and admirable athleticism, and the unusual ending make it a fun way to pass a couple of hours.
Note of warning: I saw this episode on the Hallmark Channel a couple of weeks ago, and all scenes relating to the Lt. being pressured to take a marksmanship test had been completely deleted, presumably to make time for more commercials. I think there was also some bits relating to a clue, having to do with the little circles that appear in the corner of the screen on a film that signal the need to change reels, that were also cut out, but I could be mistaken about that. It has been twenty-six years since I last saw it, and I could be confusing this episode with another one.
I saw this one when it originally aired in 1975 and really liked it, but for some reason for all these years I remembered her medical condition as being one of the earliest TV references to Alzheimer's, when it fact that is not the case. Maybe I need to get myself checked out as well.
Not a particularly well-crafted "mystery" - the plot holes have already been pointed out in other user comments; "Rockman"'s comments in particular crack me up! But the chemistry between the actors, Janet Leigh's particularly sympathetic villain and admirable athleticism, and the unusual ending make it a fun way to pass a couple of hours.
Note of warning: I saw this episode on the Hallmark Channel a couple of weeks ago, and all scenes relating to the Lt. being pressured to take a marksmanship test had been completely deleted, presumably to make time for more commercials. I think there was also some bits relating to a clue, having to do with the little circles that appear in the corner of the screen on a film that signal the need to change reels, that were also cut out, but I could be mistaken about that. It has been twenty-six years since I last saw it, and I could be confusing this episode with another one.