M. William Phelps

And so, at least in theory, they could be ganging up on someone they now disliked for whatever reason, or they all just felt like killing someone and chose Clara's father.

But Patrick House coming forward entirely changed the narrative.

What it looks like is that when Patrick House retreated and ran from Clara the moment he realized this was no damn fantasy, Clara simply found another stooge in Kyle and used Kyle's insecurities and mental illness to manipulate him.

From there, Clara started telling Kyle the OG would sneak into her room when she was at home and, quote, finger her, never taking it any further than that sexually.

Then she made it seem like her father was a pedophile who regularly downloaded child pornography, both allegations factually disproven by law enforcement and, I need to say, in no way true.

By then, Kyle had told Clara that he had been sexually abused himself, so her allegations enraged Kyle.

He felt for her and had no idea she was lying.

One night, after Clara showed Kyle several journal entries in which she describes in graphic detail the alleged sexual abuse, Kyle slammed the journal shut and proclaimed, I'll protect you.

They were no longer playing a game.

This was for real.

After Patrick House came forward, Detective Locke went back to Katie Inglis and asked her additional questions.

Katie tells them about a conversation she had with Clara just a few days before the murder.

I just wish he'd leave me alone and let me live my life, Clara tells Katie.

I wish he was dead.

Katie doesn't know what to say.

Clara then tosses out, I stand to inherit a third of a million dollars, but I can only get it after he's dead.

By December 6, 2001, just two days before the murder, Clara amped up the urgency to get it done.

She called Kyle.

You need to take care of this, she said.

Now.