Charlie Magwood is a character appearing in the episode The House in the Woods of the ITV crime drama Midsomer Murders.
Charlie was guilty of the fatal shooting of a police constable eighteen years before, when Charlie's armed robbery to pay back heavy debts was interrupted. His twin brother Jack Magwood took the blame for the crime and was imprisoned for it, as he felt like Charle deserved more love and attention, with the couple who cared for them during wartime, Mr and Mrs. Bennett, dying from depression out of the grief of Jack's false incarceration because they loved Jack more. Jack escaped and returned to the old Winyard house, leaving Charlie with the danger of getting found out, especially when real estate agents and prospective buyers were snooping around the property, which could have unearthed evidence.
Charlie killed a couple who were browsing the house at night, sneaking up behind them in the car and garroting them with piano wire one at a time. The real estate agent on the property was killed next, having been lured to Winyard. Charlie hoped Jack would be framed again, and Jack was arrested once found. But Charlie killed the agent while Jack was still in custody, beginning his absolution of guilt. Charlie was arrested when the gun was found in the home's chimney, with Jack's prints on the barrel and Charlie's on the trigger. That clinching evidence secured Charlie's arrest, after Jack's life was narrowly saved when Charlie tried to kill him too, waking him up to Charlie's personality.
Victims[]
- P.C. Colin Armstrong - Shot with a gun. Murder took place 18 years prior to the events of the episode.
- Caroline Cave - Garroted with a piano wire while sitting in her car.
- Peter Cave - Garroted with a piano wire after getting into his car.
- Harriet Davis - Garroted with a piano wire while sitting at the table inside Winyard estate.
- Jack Magwood - Attempted to garrote with a piano wire when he returned to the house; was rescued when Charlie was arrested.