Claire Whitfield (Diagnosis Murder)

Claire Whitfield (Brynn Thayer) is the main villainess from Diagnosis Murder episode 4.24, "The Merry Widow Murder" (airdate May 1, 1997). She is the scheming wife of the wealthy Elliott Whitfield, but as shown in the beginning of the episode, she was having an affair with a younger man, Max Halleck. Claire planned to kill Elliott and inherit his wealth, and her evil plan started with Max punching Claire to make it look like Elliott was abusive towards her. She later went up to Mark Sloan and informed him of the bruise and her worries that Elliott has sleep apnea. To make sure that the claims are passed off as fact, Claire records Max making snoring noises, and gives the tape to Mark while claiming that the snores belong to Elliott.
Claire later checks in to a hotel room, but this was part of the centerpiece of her plan to kill her husband. She later drove back home and committed the act by drugging Elliott's warm milk, then later bringing out Max to place Elliott on his bed, where he was smothered with a pillow. It was made to look like Elliott died of sleep apnea, and after the deed was done, Claire and Max drove to their hotel room together. Both Mark and Steve Sloan were on the case, but Claire attempted to take care of that when she released a video of herself acting seductive with Mark, making it look like they're having an affair. Claire's ruse is revealed when she's interrogated by Steve, and it is there that she sold out Max, claiming that he killed Elliott on his own. Unbeknownst to Claire, Max was outside the interrogation room hearing Claire sell him out, and he angrily enters and implicates Claire's role in the murder. Both Claire and Max were arrested.
== Trivia ==
* Brynn Thayer later appeared on the series as scheming villainess Clare Brantigan in Season Seven's "Man Overboard."
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Category:1990s
Category:Adulteress
Category:Betrayer
Category:Blonde
Category:Business Suit
Category:Conspirator
Category:Deceiver
Category:Femme Fatale
Category:Greedy
Category:Hero's Lover
Category:High Heels
Category:Incapacitator
Category:Live Action Villainess
Category:Master Manipulator
Category:Murderer
Category:Murder: Indirect
Category:Villain's Lover
Category:Villainous Reveal
Category:Fate: Arrested