Gary Cole’s Shocking Role: Convicted Murderer Before NCIS Stardom

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  • ‘Fatal Vision’ Features One of the Most Celebrated and Disturbing Murder Cases
  • The Mystery of ‘Fatal Vision’ Is the Motive
  • Gary Cole Plays Jeffrey MacDonald as If MacDonald Is Innocent

It feels like just a short while back when the original NCIS franchise’s lead actor, Mark Harmon, parted ways with the series, giving way to Gary Cole who now plays Special Agent Alden Parker. Over 60 episodes across four seasons, Cole has been a significant part of NCIS. Just as Harmon’s portrayal of Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs for 19 seasons reshaped his acting career, it seems that Cole’s association with NCIS might eclipse his extensive and diverse past work.

In 1984, Cole first appeared as the lead in the critically-praised TV miniseries “Fatal Vision.” This series tells the true story of Jeffrey MacDonald, a former Green Beret doctor who was found guilty of murdering his pregnant wife and two daughters on a military base in 1970. The narrative unfolds from the aftermath of the murders, then delves into MacDonald’s tumultuous, decade-long legal journey that ended on August 29, 1979, with his conviction for murdering his family and receiving a life sentence.

In a forerunner to Cole’s gripping portrayal of Ted Bundy, the real-life serial killer, in the 1986 television miniseries “The Deliberate Stranger”, Cole skillfully depicts MacDonald as a man whose amiable exterior belied profound deceit. While “The Deliberate Stranger” mainly explores Bundy’s heinous crimes and eventual arrest, “Fatal Vision” stands out for its exploration of the intriguing question behind MacDonald’s motives.

‘Fatal Vision’ Features One of the Most Celebrated and Disturbing Murder Cases

The movie titled “Fatal Vision” starts on the bleak morning of February 17, 1970, at an apartment within Fort Bragg military base in North Carolina. Here, we find Army Special Forces doctor Jeffrey MacDonald, portrayed by Gary Cole, in a state of panic as he calls emergency services, reporting the gruesome murders of his expectant wife Colette and their daughters, five-year-old Kimberley and two-year-old Kristen.

In later interrogations, MacDonald recounted a chilling scenario resembling that of Charles Manson, stating he was dozing on the living room couch before being jolted awake by the screams of Colette and Kimberley. He claimed to have been assaulted and overpowered by four attackers, one female and three males, who subsequently brutally murdered MacDonald’s wife and daughters. On the headboard of the master bedroom, the word “PIG” was scrawled in capital letters using Colette’s blood.

In a starkly different scenario, the mysterious attackers responsible were never apprehended or identified. MacDonald’s injuries, however minor – including bruises, cuts, scratches – didn’t necessitate stitches. On the other hand, Colette, Kimberley, and Kristen suffered gruesome fates; they were attacked with an ice pick, a kitchen knife, and a piece of lumber respectively, all found outside the back door of their apartment, and cleaned of fingerprints. The inconsistencies in MacDonald’s account, coupled with the damning blood evidence, provide strong indications of his involvement in the murders that night. This evidence allows us to trace the movements of both MacDonald and his victims.

This finding is particularly significant for Colette, because although her corpse was discovered lying on the floor of her own room, traces of her blood were found in Kristen’s bedroom, on the bed and on one wall. This suggests that Colette, who had been viciously attacked with a knife 16 times and an ice pick 21 times, entered Kristen’s room in a desperate bid to help her, who was also brutally attacked with a knife 33 times and an ice pick 15 times.

The Mystery of ‘Fatal Vision’ Is the Motive

One intriguing point about Fatal Vision is that although the evidence strongly suggests Jeffrey MacDonald’s guilt, his trial for murder lacked a crucial factor: a clear motive. While a compelling reason to commit murder isn’t essential for a conviction, when circumstantial and physical evidence are strong, juries often struggle to convict a defendant of murder, particularly first-degree murder, without a powerful motive in place. This absence of a definitive motive is likely why MacDonald was found guilty of first-degree murder in Kristen’s case but only second-degree murder for the deaths of Colette and Kimberley.

It’s thought that the killings were instigated by a heated argument between Colette and MacDonald concerning allegations of MacDonald’s infidelity, which then turned violent in a short period. On the other hand, Joe McGinniss’s gripping book, Fatal Vision, implies that MacDonald might have killed his family due to an uncontrolled outburst of psychotic anger, potentially triggered by MacDonald’s excessive use of amphetamines.

Nevertheless, even though there was uncertainty about the motive, the jury in MacDonald’s murder trial made a guilty verdict surprisingly quickly, within approximately six-and-half hours. However, this verdict was overturned on appeal in 1980 due to claims of a constitutional rights violation. Later, in 1982, the United States Supreme Court reinstated this verdict.

Gary Cole Plays Jeffrey MacDonald as If MacDonald Is Innocent

Gary Cole portrayed MacDonald in “Fatal Vision” in an intriguing manner, suggesting that MacDonald held a strong conviction of his own innocence, similar to Jeff Bridges’ portrayal of Jack Forrester in “Jagged Edge.” This is evident in MacDonald’s bold move to testify on his own behalf in court.

The alluring influence of McDonald’s, which has amassed countless devotees over the past four decades, is masterfully depicted in Joe McGinniss’ book titled “Fatal Vision.” At first, McDonald willingly collaborated with McGinniss on the project until McGinniss came to believe that McDonald was a self-centered psychopath who had murdered his family and held unwavering faith in his ability to deceive everyone. Unfortunately, “Fatal Vision” is currently not available for streaming.

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2025-02-16 22:02