Silly killer?.

hisgrandmogulhighness says >Tommy is notorious for playing around the whole building, especially the fire escapes . . . he cold easily have an accident . . . conveniently eliminated, and believable . . . who would doubt it?

Okay but we're looking at this from the perspective of the killers. If we were talking about expanding the plot or writing another movie that would be different but we're not.

Why would the Kellersons commit another crime especially murder and risk arousing suspicion that could lead to further scrutiny or to their capture? Let's not forget, they're trying to get away with something; theft and murder to be exact. Killing Tommy doesn't help in that regard at all especially because, at that point, no one's buying his story.

If Tommy dies, even accidentally, or goes missing, any of the following (or any number of other things) could occur:

- Even in those days, there were forensics and medical examiners. They may not have had today's sophisticated tools and tests but they usually could tell if someone had been 'helped' to die – was pushed, had injuries inconsistent with their 'accident', etc. If he goes missing, other neighbors may have heard the commotion or seen something that ties Tommy to the Kellersons just before going missing. The officer on the beat and the cabbie had also seen Tommy with them earlier that night and they were talking about beating him.

- Even if it appeared to be an accident, the police would be called. They could start asking questions and if it's discovered the dead kid had recently been to the police station in fear and carrying on about a murder, any good investigator would have to consider the possibility the killers bumped off the witness; or they'd have to rule it out. One trip down to the station, that daffy Mrs. K might spill the beans. That may be enough to get them arrested and convicted of both or either murder. If not, it's still not in their benefit either. They're criminals. As such, they don't want to be on the police's radar for any reason.

- Even if it doesn't happen that way, the officers who had met Tommy may feel a sense of guilt or responsibility for not having believed him or taken him seriously. They could take it upon themselves to take another look at the couple. If the Kellersons get spooked, they'd probably end up leaving town anyway. At that point, it would seem more suspicious to up and leave just when the police are asking questions. By then, the police may have enough info to be able to track them back to family or prior known locations. The police may also uncover previous crimes, arrest records, or complaints. I’m sure this isn’t the Kellersons’ first rodeo. The police would likely alert other jurisdictions; limiting the Kellersons’ ability to move around, establish a new life elsewhere, and continue in their line of work. Sometimes all it takes is one loose string to unravel an entire tapestry.

- Tommy's parents would be grieving the death of their only child. It's not unusual for people to suddenly forget a loved one's faults after their death; especially soon after. They'd realize Tommy wasn't such a bad kid and, as you pointed out, he'd been up and down those fire escapes for years. He even slept out there at times. Oh wait..., that's when that story would pop into their heads and nag at them. They'd wonder if perhaps he had seen something after all. He did say they would try to kill him next. What a coincidence; maybe even a bit too convenient.

- No doubt, the Kellersons would stop by to pay their respects and offer condolences. They'd have to keep up appearances; not doing so might raise suspicion. Again, Mrs. K would be overcome with guilt. She didn't want the kid killed. Her behavior, if not that day, but day in and day out seeing Tommy's parents or walking past their door or hearing his death discussed by neighbors, etc. would likely break her and lead her to give them away. Why risk that? Again, they'd have to hightail it out of there but now with two murders over their heads and possible question marks.

- It seems all roads lead to them leaving town. Doesn't it make sense to do that before people start looking in their direction? Thankfully, criminals usually get caught; sometimes it's directly related to their crime; other times it's due to the things they do as part of the cover-up. It's not unlike telling lies to cover up an initial lie and having the whole thing explode in the liar's face.

Leaving Tommy alone may seem counter-intuitive but really it's not. Given the circumstances, along with leaving town, it's the only thing that makes sense for the Kellersons. Ironically, while I do want them to pay for their crimes and I do NOT want any harm to come to Tommy, going after him actually increases the odds they will NOT get away with what they've done.

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Here's a real life example:

A few years ago I heard this strange story about a Brazilian criminal and drug dealer. He had a lucrative crime/drug business going in one of Brazil's favelas (slum neighborhoods). He started worrying about a bunch of homeless kids who were always hanging around, committing petty crimes, and attracting the attention of the police to his area.

Long story short, he murdered or otherwise 'got rid of' quite a few of the kids. Like a fool, he thought if he got rid of these unwanted kids the constant police visits would come to an end or at least be less frequent.

Naturally, a bunch of dead kids, even forgotten street kids attracted a greater police presence and the guy was eventually caught. While serious, his other crimes were only compounded by the fact he murdered all those kids.

It's bad enough to commit one crime, but committing other crimes, often equally or more serious in nature, to cover-up the original crime makes absolutely no sense. All it does is ratchet up the situation making it more, not less, likely, the criminal will get caught.

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