When you think of John Ritter, you probably think of Jack Tripper tripping over a couch or that endearing, exasperated dad energy he brought to 8 Simple Rules. He was the king of physical comedy. The guy was approachable. He was "safe."
But in 1999, he did something that genuinely freaked people out.
He played Dr. David Farris in the CBS made-for-TV movie Lethal Vows. If you haven't seen it, or if you only remember it vaguely from a late-night rerun, you’re missing out on one of the most chilling "charming sociopath" performances ever put to film. It wasn't just a career pivot; it was a total demolition of his nice-guy persona.
Honestly, the scariest part isn't even Ritter’s acting—it’s the fact that the whole thing actually happened.
The Chilling True Story Behind Lethal Vows
The movie is a dramatization of the real-life case of Richard K. Overton, a high-IQ computer consultant and psychologist from Dana Point, California. In the film, Ritter's character is a charismatic, well-liked doctor. In reality, Overton was a man who lived a double life fueled by intense jealousy and a terrifyingly methodical approach to murder.
The plot kicks off with Ellen Farris (played by the always-excellent Marg Helgenberger), David’s ex-wife. She has been suffering from a mysterious, soul-crushing illness for over a decade. We're talking hair loss, extreme fatigue, and neurological issues that doctors just couldn't pin down.
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Then David’s new wife, Lorraine (Megan Gallagher), suddenly gets sick with the exact same symptoms.
She dies. Quickly.
While the town mourns the "tragic loss" and consoles the grieving Dr. Farris, Ellen starts putting the pieces together. She realizes her own "mystery illness" miraculously improved once she stopped living with David. It’s a classic gaslighting scenario, but with a lethal, chemical twist.
What Really Happened to Janet Overton?
In real life, Janet Overton was a popular school board member. She collapsed and died in 1988 in her driveway while her son looked on. At the time, the autopsy was inconclusive. It stayed that way for months.
The break in the case didn't come from a high-tech lab. It came from Overton’s first wife, Dorothy Boyer. She called the cops and basically said, "Hey, just so you know, Richard tried to kill me with selenium back in the 70s."
He’d been slipping it into her coffee and shampoo.
When investigators went back and looked at Janet’s remains, they found she hadn't just been poisoned with selenium—which causes a slow, agonizing decline—but had eventually been finished off with cyanide. Richard Overton had been keeping a detailed diary of his wife's movements and his own "treatments" for her.
Why John Ritter Was the Perfect (and Most Disturbing) Choice
Casting a beloved comedian as a cold-blooded killer is a gamble. If they overact, it’s campy. If they underplay it, it’s boring. Ritter hit this impossible middle ground.
He used his natural "Bambi eyes" and that stuttering, "who, me?" charm to make the character's transition into a monster feel visceral. You see him being the "perfect" dad one minute, and then there’s a flicker in his eyes—a brief moment of cold, calculating stillness—that makes your skin crawl.
Basically, he weaponized the audience's trust in him.
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A Departure from "Jack Tripper"
Most actors spend their whole lives trying to get people to like them. In Lethal Vows, Ritter leaned into being loathsome. There's a scene where he’s "helping" his ex-wife with her health while secretly ensuring she stays sick enough to not interfere with his new life. It’s disgusting. It’s brilliant.
Experts in forensic psychology often point to this performance as one of the most accurate depictions of a high-functioning sociopath. David Farris doesn't twirl a mustache. He doesn't scream. He just manipulates reality until his victims start to question their own sanity.
The Science of the Crime: Selenium and Cyanide
The movie does a decent job of explaining how the poisoning worked, but the reality is even more technical. Selenium is an essential trace mineral, but in high doses, it is incredibly toxic.
- Initial symptoms: Metallic taste, "garlic breath," and brittle hair.
- Long-term effects: Cirrhosis of the liver, pulmonary edema, and death.
The problem for investigators—both in the movie and the real Overton case—was that selenium mimics many natural autoimmune diseases. Because Richard/David was "helping" care for his wives, he could control the dosage.
When the selenium wasn't working fast enough on Lorraine (Janet), he switched to cyanide. He even tried to mask the tell-tale almond scent of cyanide by using a chlorine-based "water supplement" pill. The level of premeditation here is what makes the story stand out in the true crime canon.
Does the Movie Still Hold Up?
Honestly? Yeah.
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Sure, it has that 1990s TV-movie lighting and a slightly dated soundtrack. But the tension is real. Unlike modern true crime documentaries that rely on "vibes" and slow-motion b-roll, Lethal Vows focuses on the procedural dread of a woman realizing the man she loved is actively trying to erase her.
It's also a fascinating look at the legal hurdles of the era. Proving "intent" in a poisoning case before the explosion of DNA and advanced toxicology was a nightmare. The real Richard Overton wasn't convicted until 1995, seven years after Janet's death.
Key Takeaways for True Crime Fans
If you're planning to hunt down a copy of this (it pops up on YouTube and various streaming "bins" occasionally), keep these points in mind:
- Trust your gut: The film is a masterclass in showing how "intuition" is often just your brain processing red flags you're trying to ignore.
- The "Nice Guy" Trap: Be wary of the person who is too perfect, especially when things start going wrong.
- Ritter's Range: If you only know him from comedies, this is essential viewing to understand why he was considered one of the greats of his generation.
The legacy of Lethal Vows isn't just about the scares. It’s about how it brought attention to the "silent" nature of domestic abuse through poisoning—a method that is often overlooked because it doesn't leave the same bruises as physical violence.
For your next steps, check out the book Final Affair by Frank McAdams. It goes into the granular, often disturbing details of the Richard Overton trial that the movie had to trim for time. You can also look up the 1995 trial archives if you want to see the "diary entries" that eventually put the real David Farris behind bars for life.