Unmasking the Killer: Decoding the Mystery of Maddie's Murder

Netflix's latest release, School Spirits, explores the intricate mystery surrounding the identity of Maddie Nears' (Payton List) killer - a mystery that proves to be more complex than anticipated.

The series opens with Maddie finding herself in a state of limbo, uncertain of her fate. Despite the town's belief that she simply vanished or fled, the absence of evidence and blood spatter in the school's basement leaves her trapped in uncertainty. As she encounters other spirits who perished at her school, Maddie begins to suspect that something isn't right.

She is the only one with no memory of her fate and believes she was murdered. With the help of the others, she embarks on a mission to uncover the identity of her killer. However, being trapped as a ghost presents several challenges.

In the eight episodes of School Spirits, fans are taken on a suspenseful journey, suspecting nearly everyone as the perpetrator, including her closest friends, boyfriend, and other school staff. Below is an analysis of potential suspects in Maddie's murder in School Spirits. Caution: Spoilers ahead!

Who killed Maddie?

No one technically killed Maddie in School Spirits. The cliffhanger finale unveiled Janet, another ghost who did not "move on" as she was supposed to, and instead took over Maddie's body and sent her soul to purgatory.

As Episode 8 unfolds, Maddie and Simon become suspicious of almost everyone. However, they have no choice but to consider Maddie's mother as a suspect after Nicole confesses to stealing money from Mr. Anderson and Claire through blackmail in order to be with Simon and Maddie. Nicole later admits to burying the money after dropping off Claire's mother.

After being followed by a mysterious figure, suspicions arise that Maddie’s mother may have taken the money. However, when Simon discovers an envelope in Maddie’s room, he finds her necklace inside instead of the expected money. This necklace was worn by Maddie on the day of her supposed death, but she entered purgatory without it. Meanwhile, Wally and Charley question Mr. Martin about Dawn’s passing and find that it was vastly different from Janet’s, leading them to suspect that important information is being withheld from them.

As Simon crafts a plan to coerce Maddie’s mother into confessing by having her accept her daughter’s writing award, Xavier, Claire, and Nicole explore an abandoned house, which is the same location where police discovered Maddie’s backpack. Wally and Charley dig into Dawn’s school records in hopes of uncovering clues about her passing. During their research of Split River’s history, Wally uncovers that a fallout shelter was constructed in the school during the time of nuclear threat, replacing an old chemistry lab that was destroyed in a fire.

Wally and Charley realize that the fire must be the one Mr. Martin referred to before his death. They are shocked to discover that two people died in the fire: Mr. Martin and Janet, who was never mentioned to have any connection to him. Meanwhile, Maddie's mom reveals the truth about the day Maddie supposedly died. Maddie had come to see her mother, who was likely drunk, and confessed to using her college fund to buy a cabin. This led to a heated argument, during which Maddie gave her mother a necklace to pawn and told her to never see her again. As Wally and Charley explore the fallout shelter, they come across a series of journals written by Mr. Martin and hidden behind a box.

The stories of everyone are detailed like test subjects while Nicole and Xavier explore the abandoned house. Claire spots someone entering and goes to warn them, but the person flees and accidentally wounds Xavier. Nicole captures the fleeing car on video and sends it to Simon after noticing something unusual. Meanwhile, Wally and Charley uncover more evidence implicating Mr. Martin in setting the fire, with none of the journals mentioning Janet. Rhonda arrives and admits to following Mr. Martin, revealing a canister containing items related to each of their deaths. They are then trapped inside a fallout shelter.

In the auditorium, Simon confesses to Maddie that he believes she is a figment of his imagination to help him cope. However, in the video that Nicole sent, a very much alive Maddie is seen in the side mirror of the truck.

In pursuit of Simon, Maddie is unexpectedly thrown back to the boiler room where she hears a plea for help, triggering painful memories of the past. After a heated argument with her mother, she hears a woman in distress and discovers a fallout shelter. Upon opening the door, she witnesses Mr. Martin engaged in a conversation with an unseen figure, before he suddenly shouts Janet's name and a shadowy figure enters Maddie's body.

Returning to the present, Maddie hears the voices of others calling for help, but they warn her not to trust Mr. Martin. As she catches sight of him at the top of the stairs, the scene shifts to a bus station where Maddie appears to be physically present, but her body is being controlled by Janet.

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Editor's P/S

As a Gen Z fan, I am intrigued by the mystery surrounding Maddie's murder in School Spirits. The show does a great job of keeping viewers guessing until the very end, and I was surprised by the reveal of the killer.

I think the show's exploration of the afterlife is also interesting, and I enjoyed seeing Maddie interact with the other ghosts in purgatory. Overall, I think School Spirits is a fun and suspenseful show that is sure to appeal to fans of teen dramas and mysteries.