Sleeping Dogs (Quincy, M.E.)

Sleeping Dogs
Series Quincy, M.E. Season 7 Episode 6 Airdate November 17, 1982 Airtime 60 minutes Runtime approx. 51 minutes without commercials Production No. 130 Writer Preston Wood Director Georg Fenady Music by Guest Star(s) Brion James as Harry Muller; Sheila Larken as Jane Lemner; John Anderson as Police Chief Frank Ollano Victim Harry Muller Autopsy Findings Single gunshot wound; ballistic striation & GSR confirm only one shot fired Network NBC Production Company Universal Television / MCA Previous Episode Unreasonable Doubt (Quincy, M.E.) Next Episode Science for Sale (Quincy, M.E.) Previous Season Next Season

Screencap from “Sleeping Dogs” showing Quincy in court

Screencap from Sleeping Dogs

Episode Quote

"If six people pull the trigger, justice becomes a minefield." ~ Dr. Quincy, in Sleeping Dogs (Quincy, M.E.)

Episode Overview

Sleeping Dogs is the sixth episode of Season 7 of Quincy, M.E., first aired on NBC on November 17, 1982 :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}. Quincy must testify in a small‑town murder trial involving bully Harry Muller. After witness intimidation leads to an acquittal, Muller is shot dead—then **six unlikely suspects falsely confess**. Quincy’s forensic acumen uncovers the single true shooter and restores accountability :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}.

Application of The QME Episode Laws

Law 1 – Quincy Must Be Right Quincy's forensic investigation doesn't stop at multiple confessions—he verifies **only one fatal shot** and identifies the real shooter.
Law 2 – There Must Be a Social/Ethical Issue This story confronts **vigilante justice**, small‑town solidarity, and moral complicity in crime.
Law 3 – Quincy Must Tackle a Complex, Difficult Topic With **six false confessions**, Quincy navigates a moral labyrinth about collective guilt and responsibility.

Law 4 – Quincy Must Apply Forensic Science Uses **ballistics**, **gun‑shot residue (GSR)** screening, and **rifling striation** analysis to isolate the one true shooter.

Episode Synopsis

Quincy is summoned to a small-town trial where Harry Muller—a violent local bully played by Brion James—is acquitted after witnesses are intimidated :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}. Hours later, Muller is found shot dead. In a bizarre development, **six members of the town** each confess, surrendering identical revolvers. The police label it self‑defense. Quincy disagrees, recognizing **only one bullet fired**. Through forensic testing—ballistics and GSR—he determines who truly pulled the trigger. The real shooter steps forward, breaking the town's silent code.

Episode Navigation

Unreasonable Doubt (Quincy, M.E.) • **Sleeping Dogs** • Science for Sale (Quincy, M.E.) Season 7 Overview: Full Episode List

Main Cast

• Jack Klugman as Dr. R. Quincy
• Robert Ito as Sam Fujiyama
• Val Bisoglio as Danny Tovo
• John S. Ragin as Dr. Robert Asten
• Garry Walberg as Lt. Frank Monahan
• Joseph Roman as Sgt. Brill

Guest Cast

• Brion James as Harry Muller – the victim/town bully :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}
• Sheila Larken as Jane Lemner – witness
• John Anderson as Police Chief Frank Ollano – enforces town consensus

Case File Summary

Victim: Harry Muller (LACC Case #78.xxx) Preliminary Findings: Single fatal gunshot wound; six guns surrendered Forensic Tests: Ballistic comparison, GSR, striation analysis Conclusion: Only one bullet fired. Quincy identifies Tom Bishop as sole shooter, others confessed to shield him.

Alleged Perpetrator(s)

• Tom Bishop – true shooter, identified via GSR and ballistics.
• Carol Fields, Joe Sanderson, Ellen Markham, Linda Cortez, and Paul Ryker – all confess but are proven innocent.

Victims

• Harry Muller – notorious local bully, acquitted, then shot dead.

Pictures

File:Sleeping Dogs Bullet Analysis.png

Laboratory comparison of bullet striation marks

File:Sleeping Dogs GSR Test.png

Gunshot residue testing narrows suspect

Filming Locations and Exterior Footage

Shot on location in and around **Los Angeles County**, including the local courthouse, small-town stores, police station, and the LACC morgue :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}.

Forensic Science Insight

• **Ballistics:** Strand-by-strand rifling analysis confirms single bullet origin.
• **GSR Testing:** Identifies actual shooter under multiple confession cloud.
• **Striation Match:** Cross-section examination eliminates false confessors.

Themes & Tropes

• Mob/Vigilante Justice – community punishes outside of legal boundaries.
• The Lone Truthbearer – Quincy stands firm amid collective deception.
• Science vs. Assumption – hard facts expose societal myth.

Reception & Ratings

Rotten Tomatoes notes the unique premise: *“Six people in a small town all confess to the shooting death of a man”* :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}. No official Tomatometer score available. IMDb/Trakt rate ~6.8/10 :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}. Fans applaud the moral complexity and forensic rigor.

Trivia

• Brion James’s performance as Muller aired just before his role in *Blade Runner*.
• The premise mirrors real-life vigilante cases of the early 1980s.

Cultural Impact

Highlights the power—and limits—of communal loyalty. Reinforces Quincy’s role as a scientific moral compass in law enforcement–shaped narratives.

See Also

• Quincy, M.E.
• List of Quincy, M.E. episodes
• Forensic pathology
• Ballistics
• Vigilante justice

External Links

• IMDb: Sleeping Dogs
• Trakt summary
• Rotten Tomatoes – S8E06