The Killer Must Kill Again (1975) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Giorgio married Norma purely for her money and has been having numerous affairs while trapped in an unhappy marriage. When he witnesses the killer dumping a body and finds the killer's lighter engraved with his own initials, Giorgio sees an opportunity. He blackmails the killer with the lighter, offering silence in exchange for killing Norma, effectively arranging his wife's murder without getting his own hands dirty.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes early that Giorgio's marriage is purely transactional, setting up his willingness to have Norma killed for financial freedom.

• giorgio mainardi
• norma
• murder plot
• marriage
• money

The lighter is the key piece of evidence that connects the serial killer to Giorgio. When Giorgio takes it from a crime scene, he gains leverage over the killer. The killer agrees to kill Norma because Giorgio promises not to turn him in to the police if he carries out the murder. The lighter represents their deadly bargain and becomes the thread that eventually ties Giorgio to the crimes.

• lighter
• evidence
• blackmail
• killer
• giorgio

Luca and Laura are a young couple looking for a way to escape and enjoy a seaside getaway. When they spot the killer's car unattended, they see an opportunity to steal it for their trip. They have no idea the trunk contains Norma's corpse, making their discovery of the body a terrifying turning point that puts them directly in the killer's path.

Foreshadowing: The couple's impulsive decision to steal the car sets the entire second half of the film in motion.

• luca
• laura
• car theft
• getaway
• norma body

The killer pursues them because they stole his car, which contains Norma's body in the trunk. Since the car is connected to his murder of Norma, the killer cannot afford to let the couple go free with the evidence. He tracks them down to recover the car and eliminate witnesses to his crime, turning his originally simple job into a violent pursuit.

• killer
• pursuit
• Luca
• Laura
• revenge
• car

When the killer tracks Luca and Laura to the rundown villa, he finds Laura alone and attacks her, sexually assaulting her in a violent outburst fueled by rage over the carjacking. Meanwhile, Luca is distracted with the blonde woman in the back of the car. The assault marks a brutal escalation of violence, and Laura remains bound and trapped until she finds an opportunity to fight back.

Foreshadowing: The killer's violent temperament is established early through his serial killings, making this attack consistent with his character.

• laura
• villa
• assault
• violence
• killer

Luca picks up a stranded blonde woman on the roadside and brings her back to the villa. When Luca and the blonde return together, the killer attacks them. He knocks Luca unconscious and fatally stabs the blonde woman to death. Her death adds to the body count and intensifies the danger as the killer continues his rampage.

• blonde woman
• dizzie
• luca
• villa
• murder

After being assaulted and bound by the killer, Laura waits for her moment and manages to break free from her restraints. In a desperate final confrontation, she seizes a knife and stabs the killer to death, ending his reign of terror. Her survival and counterattack represent the turning point where the victims gain the upper hand against their attacker.

• laura
• killer
• self-defense
• stabbing
• survival

The police suspect Giorgio's involvement in Norma's disappearance but lack sufficient evidence to arrest him. They design a trap by leaving Norma's car, with her body still inside, in front of Giorgio's house. The authorities anticipate that Giorgio will feel compelled to dispose of the evidence, thus revealing his guilt. The plan works perfectly when Giorgio is caught trying to sink the car and body.

Foreshadowing: The police investigation has been building throughout the film, with officers already suspicious of Giorgio's feigned grief.

• police trap
• giorgio
• evidence
• norma car
• arrest

Giorgio is arrested when police catch him in the act of trying to sink Norma's car and body in the water. The evidence from the car links him directly to the murder plot he made with the killer. His attempt to destroy the proof of his crime becomes the very thing that exposes his involvement, leading to his arrest.

• giorgio
• arrest
• evidence
• police
• confession

After Norma is murdered, Giorgio puts on an act of grief to avoid raising suspicion about his involvement. He pretends to be devastated by his wife's disappearance, hoping to maintain his innocence in the eyes of the police. However, his performance is unconvincing, and investigators quickly become suspicious of his motives and behavior.

Foreshadowing: The police note his suspicious behavior early, setting up their eventual investigation.

• giorgio
• acting
• police
• suspicion
• norma