A mystery finally solved! - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Starbright726 · 03-30-2003, 07:50 PM

I FINALLY saw the episode of The System about the murder of Beverly McGowan, the woman who advertised for a roommate and got a reply from "British IBM employee" Alice, who did a numerology chart for her. A few days later Bev was found murdered in a ravine and Alice assumed her identity. The System is an hour-long show on Court TV and I was thrilled the episode came on I believe Thursday (sorry I couldn't get to my computer and inform everyone before hand).

ANYway, it cleared up something that had been on my mind since I first saw the UM segment years ago. Days after Bev was found dead a "man in a cheap Cleopatra wig" rented a car in the states for a London airport. Well, it turns out the man, Alice's accomplice was in fact ALICE. She was a woman who was impersonating a man who was impersonating a woman. I am relieved to finally know that there isn't a second party walking around scot free for killing Bev.

It also explored Alice's state-of-mind, that she was basically a bipolar manic-depressive and needed to assume identities to fill an emptiness inside of her. She was NOT a sane person. I wished they would've went more into her background, but I wasn't disappointed with the show.

EyesoftheNile · 04-01-2003, 10:19 AM

I remember that story. I believe that AMERICA'S MOST WANTED also may have covered this murder story. That is so odd....so that woman Alice was probably the slayer of Beverly? Wow- thats weird. I don't know if Alice is a serial killer, but if so, that is rare, because most serial killers are male.

Starbright726 · 04-01-2003, 07:02 PM

Yes, AMW did do a profie of the case. A tipster called in and reported where Alice lived after seeing a rebroadcast in 2002 and Alice shot and killed herself when police went to her house. Nobody will ever know if she was a serial killer because she took all her secrets to her grave.

Last week I saw an old episode of UM and they played the case without the update! This made it seem as if she's still alive and a fugitive. I don't think that's right to people who aren't familiar with everything's that's happened. The least lifetime can do is scroll an update at the bottom of the screen when showing earlier versions of cases.

Thracian · 04-08-2003, 05:05 PM

Wow . . . thanks for the info! I wish I had access to Court TV.

Starbright726 · 04-13-2003, 10:29 PM

The episode didn't answer most the questions I was hoping they would; I wish someone is making plans to write muchmore on this case, because this story would make an excellent true crime book. it won't be easy because the whereabouts of Alice is scarce during some years, but I'm sure now that she's dead people are going to be very willing to talk. Something the System did clarify that I always suspected was that Beverly was bisexual and had probably fallen in love with Alice. Alice always conned female love interests because it was easy manipulating admirers. It still baffles me, though, that Beverly was willing to give up everything- her car, job, condo, friends- to go gallivanting with someone she had known for only four days. That is another mystery that may never be solved.

fleafly · 06-29-2003, 06:24 PM

There is a new episode of the system that deals with the person that murdered Beverly McGowan. It doesn't talk much about the murder, but rather about this "Alice" and how the police looked for her for 12 years. The episode is called the Chameleon. Here is the episode summary:

The Chameleon

For 12 years, Elaine Antoinette Parent eluded authorities on two continents and traveled the world on stolen identities, earning the nickname The Chameleon.

An expert con-artist and mistress of disguise with 20 known aliases, Elaine Parent was beautiful, clever - and deadly. The 12-year international search for her began in 1990 after the body of 34-year-old Beverly McGowan was found in a St. Lucie County, FL canal. Parent, who at that time was known only as "Alice", had befriended McGowan and stolen her identity. A few days after the body was found, "Alice" used McGowan's cancelled credit card to rent a car in London which alerted local police -- and the investigation became an international manhunt. For over a decade, United States and United Kingdom authorities worked together to track down the suspected killer. She was dubbed "America's Most Wanted Woman."

The System highlights how she kept one step ahead of law enforcement authorities, and features interviews with the dedicated local, national and international investigators who spent years on Parent's trail. With the assistance of a renowned psychological profiler Court TV gets inside the mind of this complex criminal. Several women who were befriended by Parent and then had their identities stolen by her describe the Elaine Parent they knew.

In the end, Elaine Parent stayed one step ahead and eluded investigators a final time. Police finally tracked her down in her home in Panama City, Florida, on April 6, 2002. After police arrived at her house she gave them false identification, then went to her bedroom and shot herself. She was 59 years old.

tvscript124 · 03-16-2026, 04:44 PM

I'm still wondering if the accomplice "Sam" really does exist. I hope he is no longer on this earth and where he belongs...where it's eternally hot.

03-30-2003, 07:50 PM	#1
Starbright726 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Mar 30, 2003 Posts: 50	A mystery finally solved! I FINALLY saw the episode of The System about the murder of Beverly McGowan, the woman who advertised for a roommate and got a reply from "British IBM employee" Alice, who did a numerology chart for her. A few days later Bev was found murdered in a ravine and Alice assumed her identity. The System is an hour-long show on Court TV and I was thrilled the episode came on I believe Thursday (sorry I couldn't get to my computer and inform everyone before hand). ANYway, it cleared up something that had been on my mind since I first saw the UM segment years ago. Days after Bev was found dead a "man in a cheap Cleopatra wig" rented a car in the states for a London airport. Well, it turns out the man, Alice's accomplice was in fact ALICE. She was a woman who was impersonating a man who was impersonating a woman. I am relieved to finally know that there isn't a second party walking around scot free for killing Bev. It also explored Alice's state-of-mind, that she was basically a bipolar manic-depressive and needed to assume identities to fill an emptiness inside of her. She was NOT a sane person. I wished they would've went more into her background, but I wasn't disappointed with the show.

04-01-2003, 10:19 AM	#2
EyesoftheNile Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Mar 10, 2003 Location: Norcross, Georgia Posts: 50	I remember that segment I remember that story. I believe that AMERICA'S MOST WANTED also may have covered this murder story. That is so odd....so that woman Alice was probably the slayer of Beverly? Wow- thats weird. I don't know if Alice is a serial killer, but if so, that is rare, because most serial killers are male.

04-08-2003, 05:05 PM	#4
Thracian Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Nov 07, 2002 Posts: 81	Wow . . . thanks for the info! I wish I had access to Court TV.
	__________________ Alyssa Fan of Unsolved Mysteries since 1992

04-01-2003, 07:02 PM	#3
Starbright726 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Mar 30, 2003 Posts: 50	Yes, AMW did do a profie of the case. A tipster called in and reported where Alice lived after seeing a rebroadcast in 2002 and Alice shot and killed herself when police went to her house. Nobody will ever know if she was a serial killer because she took all her secrets to her grave. Last week I saw an old episode of UM and they played the case without the update! This made it seem as if she's still alive and a fugitive. I don't think that's right to people who aren't familiar with everything's that's happened. The least lifetime can do is scroll an update at the bottom of the screen when showing earlier versions of cases.

04-13-2003, 10:29 PM	#5
Starbright726 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Mar 30, 2003 Posts: 50	The episode didn't answer most the questions I was hoping they would; I wish someone is making plans to write muchmore on this case, because this story would make an excellent true crime book. it won't be easy because the whereabouts of Alice is scarce during some years, but I'm sure now that she's dead people are going to be very willing to talk. Something the System did clarify that I always suspected was that Beverly was bisexual and had probably fallen in love with Alice. Alice always conned female love interests because it was easy manipulating admirers. It still baffles me, though, that Beverly was willing to give up everything- her car, job, condo, friends- to go gallivanting with someone she had known for only four days. That is another mystery that may never be solved.

06-29-2003, 06:24 PM	#6
fleafly Member Forum Cub Join Date: Jun 29, 2003 Posts: 2	There is a new episode of the system that deals with the person that murdered Beverly McGowan. It doesn't talk much about the murder, but rather about this "Alice" and how the police looked for her for 12 years. The episode is called the Chameleon. Here is the episode summary: The Chameleon For 12 years, Elaine Antoinette Parent eluded authorities on two continents and traveled the world on stolen identities, earning the nickname The Chameleon. An expert con-artist and mistress of disguise with 20 known aliases, Elaine Parent was beautiful, clever - and deadly. The 12-year international search for her began in 1990 after the body of 34-year-old Beverly McGowan was found in a St. Lucie County, FL canal. Parent, who at that time was known only as "Alice", had befriended McGowan and stolen her identity. A few days after the body was found, "Alice" used McGowan's cancelled credit card to rent a car in London which alerted local police -- and the investigation became an international manhunt. For over a decade, United States and United Kingdom authorities worked together to track down the suspected killer. She was dubbed "America's Most Wanted Woman." The System highlights how she kept one step ahead of law enforcement authorities, and features interviews with the dedicated local, national and international investigators who spent years on Parent's trail. With the assistance of a renowned psychological profiler Court TV gets inside the mind of this complex criminal. Several women who were befriended by Parent and then had their identities stolen by her describe the Elaine Parent they knew. In the end, Elaine Parent stayed one step ahead and eluded investigators a final time. Police finally tracked her down in her home in Panama City, Florida, on April 6, 2002. After police arrived at her house she gave them false identification, then went to her bedroom and shot herself. She was 59 years old.

03-16-2026, 04:44 PM	#7
tvscript124 Member Forum Regular Join Date: Nov 01, 2024 Posts: 519	I'm still wondering if the accomplice "Sam" really does exist. I hope he is no longer on this earth and where he belongs...where it's eternally hot.