"Don't count ya chickens before they hatch"

THEM.Investigation

Dead?

The controversial deaths of these two officers

Introduction

Spears 'went' in the explosion. Chandler "went" when he topped himself.
Perhaps there is more to this that "fate" says, because, both deaths have unanswered questions, and moreover, could be suspicious.
Wishful thinking or unwritten truth?

Soap is frequently blasé about showing particular events at the fear of offending viewers, leaving many questions unanswered.
It relies all too often on this theroem:

"People believe what they want to believe."

Circumstances of Kate Spears' death

After leaving Chandler rolling on the ground, Kate returned to CID and her colleagues. The last shot of her before the explosion was when the lights lost power.

After the explosion, there were no shots on her 'in St Hughes', nor of her family at any stage. Also, Kate claims that her parents were 'tossers' in episode Two-Way Burn, which could imply a broken or waining relationship. The past tense also indicates the past- and, in episode Liquid City, she had said she "wish I had mine", in context meaning they were both dead.The only proof that they were actually with her was hearsay- one of the officers said that she was.
Her mother was allegedly at the funeral of 012 and spoke to Chandler about her.

Who is this woman really?

Questions to be asked are:

How badly was she injured in the fire?
What proof is there that she was in St Hughes and was in the CID building at the time of the explosion?

How much evidence is there that she died as a result of injuries from the explosion, and, how can anyone be sure that anyone other than Ben Hayward actually died from it? (Ben was the only officer shown on-screen in hospital)

Circumstances of Tom Chandlers' Death

Tom Chandler's office suicide leave a lot of unanswered questions.

When Tom Chandler supposedly 'went down in a ball of flames', he was in Meadows' office with his in-labour newly-made wife, Debbie McAllister and Meadows himself.

For a man who went from zero to psychopath in a matter of a few months and the departure from Sun Hill of Alex Cullen, Chandler's dirty history seems highly unlikely. In fact, it probably was impossible when he was devised, since "it all came out" and was over and done with in those six months.
Asside from this, the name "Julie Cooper" seems to fit nowhere, but it was her that PC Des Taviner threatened Chandler with when Chandler came down hard on PC Reg Hollis' use of the PNC, in the episode Liquid City. Des accused Chandler of "dropping" her and their engagement after he learnt she was manic depressant.

When Chandler was at Hendon in 1982, a lot of alcohol and testosterone turned what was a graduating party into the fatal weapon of his witchhunt. Below is the account, in the words of Chandler's brother, James Chandler.

Peter Marsden was a friend of Tom's. It was summer, 1982. There was a party for the graduates, at Hendon. Peter's sister Louise came to the party. She was very pretty. Tom, was going out with Anne Merrick at the time. I was 17 at the time, I was doing my A levels. I just came to see my big brother in uniform. I can see Anne now, she was really angry with Tom, he was flirting with Louse, they had a row, Anne left he party early. Everybody's having a good time. I can remember Tom and Gordon and Dave all dancing with Louise; and then she isn't there anymore. None of them. Peter's asking everyone, "where, where's my sister?"...I got to the halls of residence to try to find him. I'm pretty drunk by now, there are noises coming from the room on the corridor; I hear music, voices, lots of laughter and I head towards the room. I try to open the door, its not locked, but someone's leaning against it. I get angry, they're not letting me into the party. I rush at the door, finally it gives way. I look around for Tom. Then I see Louise, she's been held down on the bed, by two men, someone has their hand over her mouth, and my brother Tom is on top of her. I will never forget the look on her face, she's looking directly at me. Then someone pulls be out of the room, and then, a month later...
Meadows: Louse Marsden kills herself.

And from Chandler himself, speaking to Peter Marsden:

At ah, at the party...Louise was visiting. Obvious I met her before school holidays, that kinda thing; y'know she was very pretty but she was a kid I, I didn't pay her any attention. Then you brought her up to Hendon, it was different. Grown up. Filled out. From the minute she arrived she was all over me- flirting, laughing, little looks, little touches. I remember Gordon saying I was 'in'. Then, ah, he had the party on the Saturday night and everybody got drunk he made punch that blew everyone's balls off. You were there with whatsaname, thingy...Dippie Maria. You had some kinda row, Maria left, you went after her. And ah I was going out with Anne. She got all moody because of me an' your sister. I mean it was obvious there was an attraction, the chemistry...so Anne gave me an ultimatum and I told her to stuff it so she left. Not that I could've cared less, stupid cow. So I started drinking with Louise, dancing with her. Gordon was right. I was "in". So I kissed her. And she liked it. She liked it a lot. And she kissed me back. Then I pulled her towards me, I tried to touch her. And when I tried to touch her she pulled away. Said it wasn't what she wanted. Well if it wasn't what she wanted, what was the whole evening about? I mean what was it some kind of stupid game? I mean everybody had seen it the way she looked at me the way that she touched me how much she wanted me and she did! She did want me! Everybody knew it! Gordon all the guys new it and that's why they helped hold her down. I mean yeah, yeah, she was saying no, but she meant yes I knew she meant yes we all did and she definitely meant yes! So I gave her what she wanted, and she really wanted it, I mean she was calling out and she was screaming like a banshee! She was making so much noise Gordon had to put his hand over her mouth to stop her waking up the whole college! So she's been asking for it all night, I give her what she wanted, I mean what the hell is wrong with that!?

And his later admission to Meadows:

I raped Debbie last night, I raped my own wife and I'm not sorry. That's bad, isn't it?

Knowing his time was severely limited at Sun Hill, Chandler took a revolver (assuming it was a 6-chamber single action revolver) and four bullets out of the evidence cupboard.

Exhibit 1

He loaded it, called McAllister in and while talking to her, cocked the gun, ensuring a bullet was loaded.

Exhibit 2.1

Gun uncocked; note bullet in barrel at the top

Exhibit 2.2

Gun cocked; bullet is now in barrel.

Over the rest of the episode, though, the actual placement of the bullets themselves becomes more unclear.

Exhibits 3.1, 3.2, 3.3

3.1	3.2
3.3

In 3.1, the ammo is clearly in (in a clockwise direction starting from top) 2nd, 4th and 5th barrel. In 3.2, though, it looks as if the 1st and 2nd barrels contain ammo and in 3.3 (milliseconds before shot) there are only noticeable ammo in the 4th and 5th cartridge. As seen in 2.2, there are definitely ammo in the 4th and 5th cartridges.

Aside from this, aftermath is more mysterious. The only shots anywhere near the office are of McAllister being aided out by Meadows with blood on her shirt, then PC Cass Rickman "seeing" the body.

At no time is the body shown, nor any blood other than on McAllister and Rickman later eating hot chips, dipping them rather suggestively in tomato sauce while describing the state of the body.

Exhibit 4

The body

Later, some indescript men, who could not have been CIB officers because autopsies are not their field, and who have not been seen elsewhere in the episode, carry the alleged "body" out.
There is no mention of autopsy (if one was done) nor funeral, nor of the state of Chandler's family after the event.

Poorly orchestrated suicide or conspiracy?

Little over a few months ago, Chandler was rational, logical, empathetic and moral; perhaps unhealthily power-hungry but nevertheless capable. How did a man fall flat on his face due to allegations that related to 20 years ago with only witness evidence?

It is likely that this was a non-standard suicide, if it was that. To bleed as much as Cass implied, the wound would have to have been in his torso. Also, the gun was fired at a distance; how else could such a clear shot (3.3) of it be taken otherwise?

Repeat that of above, who were the men that carried Chandler's body out? Was there an autopsy?

Was there a funeral? Who attended? Where is he buried?

Conclusion

Spears "died" in a time of upheaval at Sun Hill, morality sliding by the minute. Her mother was dead but she attended at the funeral- why would she lie about the living status of her parents? She was in a relationship with a potentially dangerous but powerful boss- it was dangerous for her to hang around. She was also bright, intelligent, and very clever.
How much would it take for a girl like her to slip away unnoticed?

Tom Chandler's death leaves speals of unanswered questions. A gap here, a gap there, and a gap everywhere leaves insecure evidence that he died that day. Pure observation and colaberation of the facts detest to the widely-accepted assumption that he suicided.

So what do you want to believe?

Last Updated: Wednesday, 28 April, 2004 4:28 PM