Matthew McConaughey’s first acting role helped solve a murder case
Matthew McConaughey’s acting debut helped to solve a years-old murder case.
The 56-year-old star is best-known for his big-screen roles, including Dazed and Confused, Dallas Buyers Club and The Wolf of Wall Street.
However, prior to all of that fame and success, McConaughey appeared in an episode of Unsolved Mysteries, which aired in December 1992 during the show’s fifth season.
In the episode, McConaughey portrayed Larry Dean Dickens, a 26-year-old Marine from Pasadena, Texas, who confronted Edward Harold Bell, who was accused of exposing himself to young girls.
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During the 1978 confrontation, Bell shot Dickens once with his pistol, before going to his vehicle, grabbing a rifle and fatally shooting him.
Bell was arrested but was then later released on bail, after which he fled the US and made his way to Mexico and Central America where he spent 14 years on the run.
However, on 14 February 1993, just weeks after McConaughey’s episode of Unsolved Mysteries aired, Bell was captured in Panama City following a joint operation from the FBI and Panamanian National Police.
He was convicted and sentenced to 70 years in jail, but died behind bars in 2019.
Speaking to Variety about his acting debut this weekend, McConaughey quipped: “I’m gonna toot my own horn a little bit.
“The Unsolved Mysteries episode I did? They caught the guy weeks later — based on what I did.”
An update about the case on the Unsolved Mysteries website reveals that ‘at least’ two viewers recognised Bell and called in helping to pave the way for his arrest.
“When this story aired, at least two viewers recognised Edward Bell. One said he had recently met Bell during a business trip to Panama City, Panama,” the update explains.
“Another viewer claimed that Bell had lived in Panama for several years. According to Special Agent Rolando Moss of the Houston FBI, Bell was prospecting for gold on land he owned near Panama City:
“The Panama police were able to locate Mr. Bell, at which time, they placed him under arrest, and the FBI, along with the Panama City Police Department then brought Mr. Bell back to the United States.”
“Edward Harold Bell was convicted of murder and sentenced to 70 years in prison. He has since been named as a ‘person of interest’ in the murders of six young girls in the Galveston area.”
Although McConaughey appears to be pleased with his part in the long-running series, a producer from Unsolved Mysteries admitted that it wasn’t the Oscar-winner’s finest work.
Speaking on the one-off document Unsolved Mysteries: Behind the Legacy, which marked a whopping 35 years of the show, the producer said: “Matthew McConaughey had to do a fairly robust death scene.
“"He was working in his garage and he was shot by a man who pulled up with a shotgun. Let's just say... his acting has come a long way since then."
The show, which was revived for Netflix a few years back, has helped to solve more than 250 cases during its run.
Topics: TV and Film, Matthew McConaughey
Claire Reid