Somebody Has to Shoot the Picture

Ray Eames has spent seven years on death row. For his final moment, his last request is that his execution be photographed, a demand Paul Marish reluctantly agrees to fulfill. The arrangement sets the stage for a fraught investigation that will challenge the official story.

Marish arrives at the airport to take the assignment and meets Jake Rusher, McGrath's former partner. Rusher urges him not to photograph the death, arguing it will retraumatize those who would rather forget Eames. His warning hints at a hidden truth behind the case.

On the day of the scheduled execution, Eames is brought to the chair and blindfolded. At the last moment, a reprieve is ordered, and the execution is halted.

Marish leaves the prison as protests swirl outside. At his home, Rusher frees the pets, marks a crime-scene photo with 'NO JUSTICE,' and then shoots himself.

Dan Weston, a Time reporter, arrives to help Marish pursue the story. They begin to assemble the facts and search for the truth behind the McGrath murder.

Marish and Weston visit Hannah McGrath and policeman Jerry Brown to break the news of Rusher's suicide. They learn the emotional toll on the family and community.

Marish and Weston interview D.A. Steve March, who defends the official line that Eames was a patsy and that the death penalty exists for cases like this. Marish questions the rhetoric and seeks deeper truths.

As the investigation deepens, a romance develops between Marish and Hannah, raising personal stakes for the pursuit of justice. The relationship complicates the dynamic of truth-telling and accountability.

Marish discovers the crime-scene photo left by Rusher is reversed compared to the courtroom image, implying the bullet came from a different direction. This finding fuels his suspicion that Eames did not shoot McGrath.

Knighton reveals that Floyd Tatum, Eames's former informant, is alive and was receiving money from Rusher to keep silent. Marish, Hannah, and Brown locate Tatum to confront him.

Tatum refuses to testify but Marish secretly records his confession. He reveals a drug-trafficking plot involving Knighton, Rusher, and himself, and confirms that McGrath had uncovered their scheme.

Hannah admits she had an affair with Rusher, giving him a personal motive to murder her husband. The admission adds complexity to the case and supports the broader conspiracy.

That evening, Hannah and Marish rush back to town with Tatum's taped confession and present it to D.A. March and Judge Landis. Landis refuses to grant Eames another trial, calling the evidence hearsay.

At the prison, Marish tries in vain to stop the execution, yelling at the glass and pleading with the authorities. It takes two electrical charges to kill Eames, and the process is completed.

Landis reprieves Eames too late; Marish photographs the stunned warden and the confused witnesses. He exits the prison amid fireworks and a crowd divided between candlelight protesters and celebrants.