Polk County News
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • November 1, 2017 9A
COURTESY OF THE DALLAS DOWNTOWN ASSOCIATION
The Dallas Downtown Association’s murder mystery attracted about 110 people on Saturday.
EDDIE NELSON/for the Itemizer-Observer
The murder mystery had a cast of colorful characters.
One ‘murder’ solved
Another awaits for DDA’s 2018 mystery dinner
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
DALLAS — Just as one
murder was solved, another
one happened.
That’s the cliffhanger the
Dallas Downtown Associa-
tion’s murder mystery left
players with on Saturday.
About 110 people fol-
lowed the clues during the
event, a fundraiser for the
DDA that took over down-
town Dallas for the after-
noon. Players went shop to
shop in search of characters
and clues.
Seventeen people correct-
ly named the murderer —
and soon to be victim —
Drew Golden, a jealous
Moon Shadow Playhouse
stage hand played by Elaine
Ginter.
As it turns out, her thwart-
ed acting ambitions had
nothing to do with the rea-
son she resorted to murder,
said mystery organizer
Eddie Nelson.
Performers wasted no
time coming up with a body
on Saturday, revealing the
dearly departed moments
into the opening act of the
event.
That unfortunate and
unloved soul was none other
than Ashton Jade, actress
and aspiring TV news an-
chor played by Rachel
Phelps.
“Everyone had a reason to
EDDIE NELSON/ for the Itemizer-Observer
The end of the Dallas Downtown Association’s murder mystery will lead into the be-
ginning of a new mystery in 2018.
COURTESY OF THE DALLAS DOWNTOWN ASSOCIATION
Seventeen people figured out who killed Ashton Jade.
hate Ashton,” Nelson said of
the character in the murder
plot.
Golden’s motive was a
classic: Money. Golden and
Jade are cousins, and before
taking Jade’s life — and
meeting her own end — she
convinced their 95-year-old
great-grandfather to cut Jade
out of his will, leaving Gold-
en as the beneficiary.
Greedy Golden also poi-
soned her great-grandfather
with night shade.
As she confessed at
Pressed Coffee & Wine Bar
during the big reveal, the
bartender Ava Lime — who
also works for the mob —
sent her a drink.
Golden took a sip.
“After she drank it, she
became woozy and
slumped in her chair and
died,” Nelson said.
Next year’s murder mys-
tery will start there, with the
same cast of characters and
players trying to identify a
new killer.
Nelson said the actors did
a good job of deceiving
would-be sleuths.
“Twenty-five thought the
killer was Logan Plum (Mark
Brehm), the anti-social elec-
trician,” Nelson said. “He
played his role well. He even
gave me the creeps.”
Like this year, the 2018
murder mystery event will
begin with an optional
karaoke party that will dou-
ble as celebration of life for
Golden on the night before
the mystery, Nelson said.
“It was fun,” Nelson said.
“We can hardly wait to do it
again.”
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