| “ | So you see, Inspector, DNA's not going to cut it in court, is it? It was a very good try, though. But no cigar, as they say. | „ |
| ~ Cartwright taunting Neville Parker. |
David Cartwright is a major antagonist in the British murder mystery TV series Death in Paradise. He is a criminologist who murders a man named Jake Dalton simply to see if he can get away with it. Although he only appeared in one episode in series 12 (and appears posthumously in another), the investigation into Cartwright's death results in one of the most memorable and consequential twists in the show's history.
He was portrayed by Patrick Kennedy.
Biography[]
Background and crime[]
From a young age, David Cartwright was fascinated with criminals and why they choose to do bad things. By the time of Death in Paradise, he's a well-respected and renowned criminologist who has authored several books on criminal psychology. He advised the police on active criminal cases, including one particular serial killer case. Even after the case was solved, Cartwright became obsessed with why the killer had done what he did. He devoted most of his time to interviewing the man in prison, desperately trying to empathise with the killer and understand his actions. This eventually cost Cartwright his sanity, and his colleagues at the university where he worked forced him to step down. Cartwright was outraged that his career was over and became bitter and vengeful, but there was nothing he could do other than retire to the Caribbean island of Saint Marie.
Unknown to everyone else, Cartwright was even more dangerous than he appeared. Thanks to his warped mind, Cartwright now fantasised about murdering random people just to see what it would feel like. Two years after moving to Saint Marie, Cartwright finally decided to act on his new murderous desires. His chosen victim was water taxi driver Jake Dalton, the husband of Cartwright's cleaner Rose Dalton. He knew that Rose was cheating on Jake with another man, and it's heavily implied that he intends to frame Rose for her husband's murder.
A few weeks before committing the crime, Cartwright arranged an online Q&A session to take place at the same time as he plans to kill Jake. He also changed the locks on his door, giving him an excuse to visit Rose's house and thus a plausible reason why his DNA might be found there. Through conversations with Rose, Cartwright learned Jake's schedule and how it aligns with his wife's. He thus knew that Jake would be at home by himself when Rose was cleaning his room. When Rose arrived at his house in the morning, Cartwright told her that he would be in his study the whole time for his Q&A so she wouldn't disturb him. With Rose thinking he was in his study, he slipped out and went round to her house, where he stabbed Jake to death. Cartwright then arranged the wall behind him to look exactly like the wall in his study at home. With his victim's body not even cold, Cartwright proceeded to host his Q&A session from the crime scene, with the redecorated wall making it seem as though he was at home when the murder was committed. Just for fun, Cartwright had previously sent Detective Inspector Neville Parker of the Saint Marie Police a letter informing him that a murder would be committed that day.
The investigation[]
Neville interviews Cartwright about Rose's whereabouts when her husband was murdered. Cartwright tells him that Rose was at his house the entire time and couldn't have done it. However he does make a point of telling Neville that Rose was having an affair, and was always picked up from work by a man who wasn't Jake but who she was very affectionate with. As he leaves, Neville notices that Cartwright has the same kind of envelope that the letter presaging the murder was sent in. Cartwright later casts further suspicion on Rose by telling Neville that he was in his study the entire time and can't say for sure whether she left the house early, but his behavior tips Neville off that something is up.
It's revealed that during the latter interview, Cartwright stole Neville's phone just to mess with him. He visits Neville at the police station, ostensibly to return the phone but really to flaunt his guilt in front of Neville. He feigns surprise when it's suggested that he could be a suspect, and suggests that in his expert opinion the killer would have to be highly intelligent. Cartwright takes pleasure in knowing that Neville is aware of what he did but unable to prove it. Neville contacts Cartwright's old colleagues and discovers his history with the serial killer. During a meeting with other officers the next day, he suddenly realises how Cartwright did it.
At some point between these two scenes, Cartwright was visited by Neville's girlfriend Sophie Chambers and asked to sign a copy of his book Murder in Mind. He makes the signature out "To my number one fan", unaware that this is part of a wider plot by Sophie and he has just signed his own death warrant.
Cartwright is invited to meet Neville at Jake Dalton's house. Neville confronts him and explains in detail exactly how and why Cartwright committed the murder. Cartwright doesn't deny it but merely asks Neville to prove it. Neville tells him that the lab is testing samples from the crime scene and will soon find his DNA, but Cartwright reveals his prior visit to the house and claims this explains why his DNA is at the scene. A horrified Neville is left with nothing to arrest Cartwright, who smugly invites him to a book signing at a nearby hotel that afternoon.
Murder[]
Neville returns to his shack on the beach, where he tells Sophie that Cartwright has gotten away with it. His rage is further stoked when Sophie gives him a package she claims was delivered that day: the signed copy of Murder in Mind. Neville storms over to the hotel where Cartwright is having his book signing and is let into the room, where he confronts Cartwright. Shortly afterwards, Sophie approaches his hotel room's back door, knowing that he will recognise her as a fan. Cartwright indeed recognises her and lets her in, at which point Sophie pulls a knife and stabs him in the stomach. As Cartwright dies, Sophie replaces the room key with a similar-looking key, which she leaves by the body, and locks the back door as she leaves. It thus appears as though Neville committed the murder when Cartwright let him in through the front door, and Neville is arrested. While the police are arresting him, Sophie takes advantage of the distraction to swap the keys back.
Despite being arrested, Neville ultimately manages to identify the killer. Sophie confesses when confronted and is arrested, solving the murder of David Cartwright.