I know this one has been solved to some degree. I think it was established that it was Clarence Roberts that was found dead in the second fire and the man from the first fire that they thought for ten years was Clarence Roberts turned out to be someone else, they just don't know who. What I am wondering is that since Clarence Roberts was clearly alive in that ten years everyone thought he was dead, had nobody had contact with him? Had nobody seen him? Of course Perhaps he was living under an assumed name. I don't know but he pulled it off well. If the second fire hadn't happened, they probably would never have found out the truth about the first fire. They think whoever the person was, Clarence Roberts killed him.

I know this one has been solved to some degree. I think it was established that it was Clarence Roberts that was found dead in the second fire and the man from the first fire that they thought for ten years was Clarence Roberts turned out to be someone else, they just don't know who. What I am wondering is that since Clarence Roberts was clearly alive in that ten years everyone thought he was dead, had nobody had contact with him? Had nobody seen him? Of course Perhaps he was living under an assumed name. I don't know but he pulled it off well. If the second fire hadn't happened, they probably would never have found out the truth about the first fire. They think whoever the person was, Clarence Roberts killed him.

If the first fire happened in 2010 instead of 1970, there would be no fire in 2020 due to the fraud being uncovered with DNA and improvements in technology and forensics.

I know this one has been solved to some degree. I think it was established that it was Clarence Roberts that was found dead in the second fire and the man from the first fire that they thought for ten years was Clarence Roberts turned out to be someone else, they just don't know who. What I am wondering is that since Clarence Roberts was clearly alive in that ten years everyone thought he was dead, had nobody had contact with him? Had nobody seen him? Of course Perhaps he was living under an assumed name. I don't know but he pulled it off well. If the second fire hadn't happened, they probably would never have found out the truth about the first fire. They think whoever the person was, Clarence Roberts killed him.

I think it's pretty clear, that despite some family members' doubts at the time, that Clarence died in the second fire. But this all occurred in the days before DNA testing. It was also easier for a man to live under a different name in a different location in that era. Possibly hidden by friends or other family members? It is also not clear from the show just how long he was hidden by Geneva.

The mystery today is "who actually died in the first fire" and to a lesser extent, "who actually set the second fire," though I think the second fire was either a murder-suicide, or Geneva died so Clarence saw his goose was cooked, so he suicided and burned the place down. Maybe he accidentally got trapped in the fire and died.

I think it's pretty clear, that despite some family members' doubts at the time, that Clarence died in the second fire. But this all occurred in the days before DNA testing. It was also easier for a man to live under a different name in a different location in that era. Possibly hidden by friends or other family members? It is also not clear from the show just how long he was hidden by Geneva.

The mystery today is "who actually died in the first fire" and to a lesser extent, "who actually set the second fire," though I think the second fire was either a murder-suicide, or Geneva died so Clarence saw his goose was cooked, so he suicided and burned the place down. Maybe he accidentally got trapped in the fire and died.

You'd find this thread (https://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=34484&highlight=clarence+roberts&page=10) fascinating reading then.

I think you were on the right track too. I think after his last business venture went belly up, he concocted a murder-suicide plot & murdered a vagrant to pose as him in the first fire. That didn't work out though, he had to go on the lam and Geneva was left desolate. Eventually, whether because he had run out of resources, was overcome with guilt over what this had done to Geneva or both reasons, he came back home and ended it all in a murder-suicide (killing her, setting the place on fire and then killing himself)