False Arrest (film)

False Arrest is a 1991 American television film based on the real-life murders of William Redmond and Helen Phelps and the true story of Joyce Lukezic, who was wrongfully convicted of being one of the masterminds behind the murders.^[1] Directed by Bill L. Norton and starring Donna Mills and Steven Bauer, the film was broadcast in two parts on November 3 and 6, 1991.^[2][3][4]

False Arrest
Genre	Drama
Based on	False Arrest: The Joyce Lukezic Story
Written by	Joyce Lukezic Ted Schwarz Andrew Laskos
Directed by	Bill L. Norton
Starring	Donna Mills Steven Bauer Lane Smith Robert Wagner
Music by	Sylvester Levay
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
Production
Executive producers	Joel Fields Ronald H. Gilbert Leonard Hill
Cinematography	Robert Draper
Editor	Mark W. Rosenbaum
Running time	192 minutes
Production companies	Joel Fields Productions Leonard Hill Films Ron Gilbert Associates
Original release
Network	ABC
Release	November 3 (1991-11-03) – November 6, 1991 (1991-11-06)

Synopsis

On New Year's Eve 1980, in Phoenix, Arizona, William "Pat" Redmond, his wife, Marilyn, and her mother; Helen Phelps, are hustled into a bedroom in their house by three men with guns and are each shot in the back of the head. Both Pat and Phelps die while Marilyn survives. Joyce Lukezic, the wife of Pat Redmond's business partner, Ron Lukezic, is charged with masterminding the murders.

After going to jail, Joyce suffers a heart attack, is abandoned by her lawyer and husband, and is attacked in prison. She also attempts suicide. When Joyce gets a new lawyer, she tells him she suspects her husband is the true mastermind behind the murders. She eventually gets a retrial and is found innocent.

Cast

• Donna Mills as Joyce Lukezic
• Steven Bauer as Detective Dan Ryan
• Lane Smith as Martin Busey
• James Handy as Thomas Thinnes
• Lewis Van Bergen as Arnie Merrill
• Dennis Christopher as Wally Roberts
• Paul Gleason as Arthur Ross
• Penny Fuller as Marilyn Redmond
• Kiersten Warren as Eden
• Jason London as Eric
• Brian Bonsall as Jason Lukezic
• Robert Wagner as Ron Lukezic
• Robert Sampson as Pat Redmond
• Harriet White Medin as Helen Phelps

References

1. Fitzpatrick, Tom (November 6, 1991). "As seen on TV, a famous Phoenix murder". Phoenix New Times. Archived from the original on January 28, 2024. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
2. "Arizona wants to execute last surviving defendant of Valley murder plot". KPNX. July 19, 2022. Archived from the original on January 1, 2024. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
3. Shales, Tom (November 2, 1991). "'Arrest': Shut And Open Case". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on January 28, 2024. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
4. Willman, Chris (November 6, 1991). "TV Reviews : ABC's 'False Arrest' Manages to Remain Arresting". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 31, 2024. Retrieved February 3, 2024.

External links

• False Arrest at IMDb