Maria Deschier (Murder, She Wrote)

Maria Deschier (Kathleen Beller) is the main villainess from "When the Fat Lady Sings," episode 6.08 of Murder, She Wrote (airdate November 19, 1989). She is an opera performer and the girlfriend of reporter Barry Sanderson.
As revealed later on, Maria was also the lover of Lou Faraday, and they were both conspirators of the theft and smuggling of a collection of emeralds. The emeralds were smuggled into a San Francisco opera company, and as part of the plan to retrieve them, Maria got herself hired and introduced herself as the long lost daughter of famed singer Rosanno Bertolucci. Faraday had access thanks to Maria, but unbeknownst to him, Maria had no plans on sharing the ill-gotten loot with him, feeling she deserved it all for doing the proverbial heavy lifting.
Rosanno caught Faraday with Maria and threatened to kill Faraday if he ever returned, giving Maria the opportunity to use Rosanno's overprotective nature to her advantage. Later that evening, Maria met Faraday at an alley as promised, and was struck by her lover out of anger for what occurred with Rosanno. Maria turned heel afterwards by shooting Faraday to death, using Rosanno's gun to commit the murder as part of her plan to frame him. The villainess took Faraday's jacket due to gunshot residue being on the weapon, and afterwards, the evil Maria phoned Barry and coerced him into helping her with her scheme, which he does by luring Rosanno to the area and firing a gunshot. Rosanno fired back in response, thinking it was Faraday, and after seeing him dead, Rosanno had a heart attack due to his belief that he killed him (Rosanno survived).
It was Rosanno's aunt, Teresa Mancini, who revealed to Jessica Fletcher that Maria was Rosanno's daughter from a previous relationship, stating that the truth was hidden from Rosanno's wife, Silvana, due to Silvana being barren and fears that she may be upset if she found out. In the episode's climax, however, Silvana expressed elation after Teresa introduced Maria as Rosanno's daughter, but after Teresa left, Silvana suddenly turned heel by pointing a gun at Maria and voicing her bitterness and jealousy over her existence. In a twist, Maria stated that she wasn't really Rosanno's daughter and revealed her and Faraday's scheme to get the emeralds, and that led to Silvana calling in Jessica, who--along with Dennis Stanton and police--entered the room, leaving Maria stunned that she was tricked into confessing. Maria was arrested (off-screen) for her various crimes, with the rest of her reveal being made through a recording.
==Gallery==
Maria Murderess.gif|Maria killing Lou Faraday
Maria Reveal.png|Maria after her confession
Category:1980s
Category:Adulteress
Category:Brunette
Category:Conspirator
Category:Deceiver
Category:Femme Fatale
Category:Greedy
Category:Live Action Villainess
Category:Murder: Gun
Category:Murderer
Category:Pistol
Category:Show Business
Category:Thief
Category:Villain's Lover
Category:Villainous Reveal
Category:Fate: Arrested