In an effort to raise money for a new microfilm reader, the Friends of the Margaret Reed Crosby Memorial Library held the first Murder Mystery dinner last week at the Crosby Memorial Library.
After a packed audience raised over $600 dollars Saturday night, the group decided to put on an encore performance for members of the Newcomers Club at Hide-A-Way-Lake Thursday.
The event centered on the “murder” of Friends Chairman Linda Hanberry and the resulting investigation of each Friends Board member, conducted by “Investigator” Jim Luke.
Luke presented each suspect, asking them to tell the jury (the audience) their defense and why they were not Hanberry’s “murderer”.
As Luke went down the list of characters with names like “Pistol Paul” and “Peach Tea Sweetie Beverly,” they each testified about an “accidental incident” that could have resulted in Hanberry’s death. The actors acted out each incident, slipping in events, jokes and information about the library such as the new automatic doors and the number of programs held in Holland Hall.
Each had their own motive for “killing” Hanberry, from Library System Director Carol Phares’ view that, with Hanberry out of the way, she could install another set of automatic doors on the Kirkwood Street entrance, to Kathleen Holland’s motive of taking over chairmanship of Friends.
At the end of the show, Luke asked Newcomers members to vote on who they believed “killed” Hanberry.
In the end, the underestimated Peach Tea Sweetie Beverly was revealed as Hanberry’s “murderer,” to much applause and laughter from the audience.
The group thanked everyone for coming and asked for their continued support of the library as Friends members work to raise $6,000 for the new microfilm machine. Hanberry said the new machine will allow visitors to make digital copies of records to take home, including Picayune Item archives dating back to 1904.
“Our local history is deteriorating,” Hanberry said.