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Only Murders in the Building: Who Killed Ben Glenroy?

Who Killed Ben on "Only Murders in the Building?" What We Know So Far

Sep 6 2023

Watch out! This post contains spoilers.


Content warning: The following story contains spoilers for "Only Murders in the Building."

The final episode of "Only Murders in the Building" season two may have wrapped up who killed Bunny, but it left us with a brand-new mystery for the show's third installment.

At the end of the season two finale, Oliver (Martin Short) is asked to direct a new play on Broadway. He says yes, and we jump a year forward to the opening night. Oliver is trying to appease his star, Ben Glenroy, played by none other than Paul Rudd! Ben is annoyed at someone he refers to as a "f*ckbag," and he asks Oliver if the person has apologised yet. Oliver doesn't take sides but tells him to use his anger in his performance.

We soon realise who Ben was talking about: his costar, Charles (Steve Martin). The two, both wearing matching detective costumes, get into a fight on the stage. Charles warns Ben: "Be smart. Stay away from her," and then ominously says, "I know what you did."

In the audience, Oliver, Mabel (Selena Gomez), Lucy (Zoe Colletti), and Joy (Andrea Martin) are all excited for the show to begin and glad to have made it a year with no drama. But moments after the curtain rises, Ben drops dead to the seeming shock of everyone involved.

The first two episodes of season three premiered on 8 Aug. on Disney+, so we finally have some clues as to what went down and who could be responsible. We also finally learn the name of the play — "Death Rattle" — and some of its absurd plot, in which an infant is accused of killing a woman. But perhaps most shockingly, viewers learn Ben actually survived his apparent on-stage poisoning and was later killed at the Arconia when someone threw him down the elevator shaft. Could there potentially be two different killers? Who had access to both his dressing room and the hotel?

In episode three, which premiered on 15 Aug., Charles thinks the hankies that Ben gave the cast could prove who the killer is, while Mabel and Tobert (Jesse Williams) get their hands on footage of Ben right before his death, in which he's arguing with someone (or something). And in episode four, released on 22 Aug., Charles once again wonders if he's dating a murderer. In episode five, released on 29 Aug., the suspect list grows even more, with quite a few characters dropping incriminating clues. And in episode six, released on 5 Sept., Oliver, Mabel, and Charles revisit the theatre to do some more digging.

So, who killed Ben? Read on for the full list of suspects so far and what evidence we have for their guilt.

Image Source: Hulu

Did Charles Kill Ben?

Charles and Ben have major issues, and throughout the production of "Death Rattle," they are at each other's throats. Their feud apparently goes back to Ben's early days as an actor, when Charles got him fired from "Brazzos." But perhaps more than Ben and Charles's animosity, Charles's biggest motivation is that he didn't want to do the show anymore and was exhausted by the prospect of doing eight shows a week.

However, Charles is in the lift with Mabel and Oliver when Ben falls down the shaft, so it seems he's innocent.

Our verdict: Not guilty

Image Source: Hulu

Did Oliver Kill Ben?

Oliver has absolutely no motivation for killing Ben. After his death, he's terrified that his show is going to close, panicked that this is his last chance for theatrical success. Though Oliver is stressed balancing the different personalities of the cast, it seems extremely unlikely that it pushed him to murder Ben. Oliver was also in the lift when Ben died.

Our verdict: Not guilty

Image Source: Hulu

Did Mabel Kill Ben?

Mabel is actually not involved at all with "Death Rattle," and Oliver and Charles both note that they've all been spending way less time together. She has a long-standing crush on Ben, dated to the days when he starred on "Girl Cop." It's not clear how much she and Ben interacted before his death, but she has no motive for the murders. Plus, like Charles and Oliver, she was in the lift when he died.

Our verdict: Not guilty

Image Source: Hulu

Did Loretta Kill Ben?

Loretta (played by Meryl Streep) is a working actor who wonders if "Death Rattle" will finally be her big break. When Ben apologises to the cast after his poisoning (and before his ultimate death), Loretta is one of the only people he doesn't actually apologise to, and he calls her a "fellow snake." For her part, she seems to really hate his guts.

In episode five, Loretta and Oliver go on their long-awaited date, and she reveals to him that she called Ben a "f*cking pig" and they got into a big fight before the show. Did she write the words on his mirror? Later, Oliver snoops around her apartment and finds a book she has full of clips of Ben. It's very creepy, and potentially very damning.

In episode six, Oliver is pretty panicked that Loretta is the killer, especially when he learns she got into a huge fight with Ben on opening night of "Death Rattle." He seems convinced she's the one who wrote "f*cking pig" on the mirror. It seems whatever happened to Ben, Loretta is at the centre of it.

Our verdict: Maybe guilty

Image Source: Hulu

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Did Tobert Kill Ben?

Tobert is a documentarian hired by Ben to capture his journey to the stage. In episode three, Mabel catches him sneaking around Ben's apartment, but he claims it's because he just wants the documentary footage because he knows he can make a doc about Ben's death. He tells Mabel he doesn't typically get involved, but maybe this time he will. Is he just covering up a guilty conscious?

In episode five, he goes on a "stakeout" with Mabel that is maybe more of a date, and they see Jonathan performing a weekly cabaret show. Tobert admits he doesn't think he's a suspect. In episode six, we learn he and Mabel slept together, and he keeps inserting himself into the murder investigation. Is he trying to keep suspicions away from himself?

Our verdict: Maybe guilty

Image Source: Hulu

Did Joy Kill Ben?

Joy (Andrea Martin) is briefly introduced in season two as a stylist on the set of Charles's "Brazzos" revival. The two finally agree to go on a date at the end of the last episode. A year later, when season three picks up, they're in a committed relationship. She tells Charles that it's OK for him to be happy that the show is over. In episode four, she tells Charles, "I'm gonna look out for you Charlie, just like I did with Ben Glenroy. He knew if he touched one hair on your gorgeous little head, he was gonna have to deal with me." That's some pretty damning evidence. Later, Mabel, Charles, and Oliver reveal that someone wrote "F*cking pig" in lipstick on Ben's dressing room mirror, and Joy reveals that it was her lipstick that was used. Probably all of this is a misdirect (it's quite early in the season to figure out the murderer), but it is compelling.

In episode five, Charles makes clear to Joy his suspicions that she's the murderer, and (understandably) she does not take it well. She reveals she was on backstage opening night — to cover a mysterious red mark Ben had on his face right before the curtains rose. She also breaks up with Charles.

Our verdict: Maybe guilty

Image Source: Hulu

Did Gregg Kill Ben?

Gregg is Ben's stalker, and the police believe he's guilty. But Mabel is convinced they're wrong. As Charles notes, it's a little early in the season to find the killer, so while Gregg might be guilty of other things, he's probably not the murderer.

Our verdict: Probably not guilty

Image Source: Hulu

Did Howard Kill Ben?

Howard (Michael Cyril Creighton) starts dating Jonathan (Jason Veasey) midway through season two, and Jonathan is a Broadway actor. In season three, he's Ben's understudy. Though Howard has always dreamed of being a Broadway star himself, he settles for being Oliver's assistant. In episode six, he reveals his own guilt over the murder — because he believes the theatre is cursed and he didn't take the steps needed to prevent the curse. Unless Howard is a very good actor (and it's basically established that he's not), he seems not guilty.

Our verdict: Probably not guilty

Image Source: Hulu

Did Jonathan Kill Ben?

If Howard didn't do it, maybe Jonathan did. After Ben's near death, he notes that he told Jonathan he'd never set foot on the stage even though he's the understudy. In episode five, we learn he performs in a secret cabaret show and is getting some sort of info — or drugs — from Ben's doctor, Dr. C. But in episode six, we find out it's just because he's so stressed about being the lead, which he really, really didn't want. With no motive, we feel comfortable saying he didn't do it.

Our verdict: Probably not guilty

Image Source: Hulu

Did Bobo Kill Ben?

Bobo (Don Darryl Rivera) is another cast member we don't know much about. Ben notes, "All I ever do is say no to you," but doesn't explain what that means. We'll have to wait and see how involved Bobo is.

Our verdict: Maybe guilty

Image Source: Hulu

Did Dickie Kill Ben?

Dickie (Jeremy Shamos) is Ben's brother and manager. We don't learn a lot about him in the first two episodes, but it wouldn't be surprising to learn he had a complicated relationship with his brother.

Our verdict: Maybe guilty

Did Ty Kill Ben?

Ty is another cast member who could have lingering issues with Ben. We'll have to wait and see if he had more motivations for killing him.

Our verdict: Maybe guilty

Image Source: Hulu

Did Kimber Kill Ben?

Kimber (Ashley Park) is the ingénue of the cast, and Ben says things got "so messy" between them. In episode three, Charles thinks she might be the murderer because she doesn't have Ben's opening night gift anymore, but in the next episode, she tells Mabel she sold it on eBay. Their fight, she says, was because he was going to endorse her line of skin care, but ultimately bailed. For now, she seems uninvolved.

Our verdict: Maybe guilty

Image Source: Hulu

Did Donna Kill Ben?

Donna (Linda Emond) is one of the "Death Rattle" producers. Was she so worried the show was going to flop that she decided to kill her leading man and take the remaining money? We'll have to wait and see.

Our verdict: Maybe guilty

Image Source: Hulu

Did Cliff Kill Ben?

Cliff (Wesley Taylor) is Donna's son and her producing partner. Their relationship so far is a bit bizarre, but Cliff's motives are unclear right now.

Our verdict: Maybe guilty

Image Source: Hulu

Did KT Kill Ben?

KT (Allison Gunn) is the stage manager whom Ben gave a very hard time. Did she snap and take him out? KT plays her biggest role yet in episode six, though nothing incriminating arises. We do know that her office door was locked on opening night when she claims to never lock it, and she has all sorts of documents and a paper shredder. Is she covering up evidence?

Our verdict: Maybe guilty

Image Source: Hulu

Did Jerry Blau Kill Ben?

In episode six, Oliver learns that Jerry Blau (Peter Bartlett) is squatting in the theatre after he got fired from directing "Death Rattle" himself. Jerry, it turns out, witnessed an altercation between Loretta and Ben on opening night, when she called him a "f*cking pig," and Charles ended up punching Ben.

It seems Jerry's role in the show is mostly to be an eyewitness, but could he have something else to hide? Was he bitter that he got fired from the show? It's possible.

Our verdict: Probably not guilty

Did Will Kill Ben?

Will (Ryan Broussard) is definitely protective of his dad Oliver, but it seems he's not really involved in "Death Rattle." Unless we learn that he was lurking behind the scenes, we feel comfortable saying he's not involved in the murders.

Our verdict: Not guilty

Image Source: Hulu

Did Zazz Kill Ben?

Zazz (Jane Lynch) was not a major force in season two, but viewers will remember that she's Charles's stand-in and body double. She appeared in episode five of the new season, but she was completely uninvolved in the "Death Rattle" drama.

Our verdict: Not guilty

Image Source: Hulu

Did Jan Kill Ben?

Jan (Amy Ryan) is also not a major player in season two, but she does reiterate her obsession with Charles when he visits her in prison. But if Jan was involved in Ben's death, it would make her some sort of elite criminal mastermind, and it strains credulity.

Our verdict: Not guilty

Image Source: Hulu

Did Lucy Kill Ben?

Lucy (Zoe Colletti) and Charles had a very close relationship, so it seemed possible that she was the one who killed Ben, out of protection for her surrogate father figure. But it seems Lucy isn't in season three at all.

Our verdict: Not guilty

Image Source: Hulu

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