Stephan Zawadzkie, a man charged with murder, develops a close bond with Maddie. In Lady in the Lake, Dylan Arnold plays Stephan.
Before Tessie Durst disappeared, she was seen at a fish store owned by Stephan Zawadzkie’s family. She had spoken to Stephan about fish.
Not long after, Tessie’s body was found by Maddie. Due to the presence of aquarium gravel under Tessie’s fingernails, the police suspect Stephan.
Stephan struggles with mental illness and faces physical abuse from his mother whenever he misbehaves.
Eventually, Stephan takes his mother hostage in their fish store. He dons a gas mask before breaking down and surrendering to the police.
Stephan shares his story with Maddie
Determined to uncover the truth behind Tessie’s murder, Maddie writes to Stephan, hoping that he will reveal what happened.
She writes that she feels a connection with Stephan, as he was the last to see Tessie alive and she was the first to see her dead. She also expresses sympathy for his situation.
Surprisingly, Stephan contacts her, asking to meet her. While Maddie only wants to meet Stephan for a story, he wants to connect with her.
He tells her that he is a conscientious objector, so he does not believe in taking lives. He shares his religious beliefs with Maddie as well as the fact that he lost his father at the age of seven.
Stephan insists that he did not kill Tessie or leave her body at the lake, but no one believes him. Even Maddie remains skeptical.
What Maddie does believe are his claims that conscientious objectors are being subjected to human experiments in a secret military program called Operation Whitecoat.
Stephan was also subjected to these experiments. He claims that these experiments, aimed at preparing a defense for the US against biological warfare, caused his mental illness.
Maddie uses this information to write an article about Stephan’s past to get a job. The article also garners sympathy for Stephan, who was previously seen as a cold-blooded murderer.
The truth behind the accusations against Stephan
Maddie’s article cannot change the fact that Stephan is a dangerous man. He sets a man on fire to create a distraction and escapes from prison. He then finds and breaks into Maddie’s apartment.
Stephan wants to flee somewhere far away with Maddie, but he realizes that will not happen only after he corners her in her apartment.
Maddie somehow manages to get him to leave. The unexpected encounter with Stephan leaves Maddie shaken but unharmed. Stephan is later found by the police near the lake.
A few days later, when Cleo’s body is found in the lake, the police suspect Stephan of her murder as well, but he denies it.
This time, Maddie believes him because Stephan was with her that night. Maddie then meets Stephan’s mother and realizes that she wants Stephan in prison.
Stephan’s mother will do anything to keep the truth about Tessie’s death hidden, even if it means making an attempt on Maddie’s life.
After his mother stabs Maddie and takes her own life, Stephan reveals that it was his mother who killed Tessie to cover up the fact that Stephan attempted to sexually assault Tessie.
Stephan had been telling the truth all along, a truth his mother tried to bury to protect herself. However, he remains in prison, sentenced for his crimes against Tessie.
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