Only Murders in the Building Season 5 starts with a cliffhanger opening scene: Lester, the Arconia doorman, is killed at the fountain in the building. His untimely death opens up a fresh case for Charles, Oliver, and Mabel to solve and brings the three back to their own world that's full of secrets, clues, and suspense.
The murder is soon to raise eyebrows among both longtime and new residents of Arconia. In a place where billionaires, mob bosses, and politicians stand shoulder-to-shoulder, the list of potential suspects grows very quickly. As each episode reveals further layers of hidden agendas and secret factions, the three friends and the viewers are left wondering who among them might have killed Lester.
Jay Pflug in Only Murders in the Building Season 5
Pharmaceutical heir Jay Pflug is a suspect. His missing finger draws attention when investigators find a severed finger, leading to initial confusion. They are confused initially. It is later discovered that Nicky Caccimelio, under the influence of drink after consuming a drug, cut off Jay's finger with a cleaver.
The three learn that the cut-off finger they have found is not Jay's missing finger. Despite this factor ruling out direct involvement of Jay's missing digit and mutilated finger evidence, his prosperity, hiding, and conformity to Arconia's underground business put him in the suspect frame.
Bash Steeg in Only Murders in the Building Season 5
Bash Steeg, a computer mogul with a close association with the Arconia and its residents, is also in the running as one of the suspects. His tie to the hidden portions of the building, specifically the basement casino that Nicky installed, places him at around the middle point as far as investigation is concerned.
The team interrogates him, although the evidence remains tenuous at this point, and whether Bash is in or if he is merely being used as an alibi is unclear. Being close to the crime scene and with access to hidden portions of the building makes him an obvious target.
Camila White
Tycoon businesswoman Camila White is equally under suspicion as things unfurl. Reports that she is involved in Lester's death fuel legal disputes, with her remaining in the limelight. Her social engagements with other wealthy citizens and visiting significant events, including illegal operations within the building, fuel the rumors.
Although she was not a direct participant in the crime, her power and presence within the sphere of the building ensured that she was brought into the investigation.
Nicky Caccimelio in Only Murders in the Building Season 5
Nicky Caccimelio is the main character of interest throughout in Only Murders in the Building Season 5. A dry-cleaning firm owner with mob ties whose body is discovered later, after he had been missing early in the series. His magnetized playing card, an unspoken blueprint to the hidden casino, is linked with him and to both the Arconia's underworld and to the ongoing investigation.
Nicky's action, such as snapping Jay's finger, illustrates the complex correlations between suspects. Whether he is a victim, a suspect, or both, his timeline overlaps suspiciously with Lester’s death, adding layers of complexity to the case.
Mayor Tillman in Only Murders in the Building Season 5
Mayor Tillman, Keegan-Michael Key, brings political fervor to the case in in Only Murders in the Building Season 5. He shows up at Lester's funeral suspiciously, but no concrete evidence puts him at the crime scene specifically. His timing and presence, however, raise questions about whether he might be privy to information regarding things happening in the background, so he is an interesting character in the general mystery.
Whether he is or not a suspect, his role is symbolic of the season's stacking of surprise interest over the overall murder investigation.
Other prominent characters in Only Murders in the Building Season 5
Aside from the prime suspects, there are quite a number of other characters that show up in supporting but essential roles in the investigation. Lester's wife, Lorraine Coluca, is a suspect by association with the victim since she knows the victim closely, but no solid evidence against her.
Mabel's child pop star friend Althea shows up again with her past unsettled and stirs up trouble in Mabel's life, maybe with new clues or red herrings.
Sofia Caccimelio, a woman with a past connected to missing Nicky, also seems to be helping the team, stating that she feels dark magic was used.
They are not among the list of main suspects but are included in Lester's intricate plan for death.
What is known so far about Only Murders in the Building Season 5
There are a number of significant pieces of evidence uncovered in the investigation. The revelation of Lester's body in the fountain is the twist in the plot, and the missing digit that has been severed initially creates confusion and misdirection.
A magnetized playing card is one of the main clues that direct them to the hidden underground casino out of the reach of law, owned by Nicky Caccimelio and his ring. Overlapping timelines, clandestine settings, and individual contact among the Arconia residents complicate the mystery.
Clues lead them to deeper intrigues and backroom maneuvers, and the three must distinguish between genuine clues and deliberate red herrings introduced to conceal the truth.
Gaps and uncertainties in Only Murders in the Building Season 5
Even with the breakthroughs, the identity of the killer remains unrevealed. The suspects all have circumstantial evidence against them, but hardly any direct evidence. Motives range from money to revenge to personal anonymity, and an underground casino just makes things that much more complicated.
Red herrings and false clues are used deliberately so that everyone is confused and befuddled. The series will be structured so that it slowly reveals itself; otherwise, the mystery becomes too cliché and loses momentum.
Up to this point in Only Murders in the Building Season 5, the main suspects for Lester's murder are Bash Steeg, Camila White, Jay Pflug, and Nicky Caccimelio, with Mayor Tillman and others still in the running as well. The suspects are all linked somehow, by funds, crime syndicates, political influence, or association, which makes them suspect that is worth probing, with the evidence still patchy.
Along the way, the investigation will also become more intense, perhaps getting closer to the murderers or adding new suspects who had some part in the killing of Lester. Now all the characters surrounding the Arconia secrets and the life of Lester are suspects, and the suspense thus still exists and remains unsolved.