The Night Brings Charlie

Charlie Puckett became the prime suspect because he was a disfigured gardener who wore a mask similar to the one worn by the killer during the beheadings. The killer had been wearing swimming goggles and a burlap sack over his head, and Charlie's mask closely matched that description, making him an obvious candidate for the police investigation.

Carson set a trap in the interrogation room to expose the true killer. He revealed that he had investigated Walt's past and found a disturbing history - Walt had dismembered a civilian in Vietnam, but the charges were dropped. When Carson mentioned that Charlie had been released from custody, Walt panicked and his guilty reaction confirmed his involvement, leading him to confess that Charlie helped him kill the Vietnamese girl and was responsible for the Pakoe murders.

Walt Parker had served alongside Charlie Puckett in Vietnam, where he committed a dismemberment of a civilian. This violent act resulted in charges that were ultimately dropped, allowing Walt to return to civilian life without conviction. This hidden past was what Sheriff Carson uncovered during his investigation.

Walt escaped because his stepdaughter Jenny had gone to the abandoned barn where Charlie once lived. Fearing for Jenny's safety knowing Charlie was dangerous and already at the barn, Walt made a desperate escape from the detention facility to protect his family.

Charlie reached the barn first, leaving a trail of death behind him by killing several people and wounding Sheriff Carson. He cornered Jenny inside the barn, but Tanya (Walt's other daughter) arrived just in time to save her sister. During the chaos, the sisters accidentally shot their father Walt with Carson's gun. In the final act of protection, Walt set Charlie on fire to stop him and save his daughters.

Walt sacrificed himself to protect his daughters from Charlie. After being accidentally shot by his daughters and knowing Charlie was still a threat, Walt used his remaining strength to set Charlie ablaze, ensuring the killer could no longer pursue his daughters. This final act of bravery ended his life but saved Tanya and Jenny.

During the intense confrontation at the barn with Charlie advancing, the sisters were in a panic and misinterpreted the situation. When Walt approached them, they were holding Carson's gun and accidentally fired it in their fear and confusion, striking their father.

Charlie was released because there was insufficient evidence to hold him, despite being the prime suspect. He had refused to talk during questioning, and without a confession or concrete proof linking him to the murders, the police had no legal basis to keep him detained.

Charlie escaped any justice for his crimes. While Carson and his team searched the lake where Charlie had fled, the district attorney prematurely closed the case, blaming all the murders on Walt. The film ends with Charlie hitchhiking on the town's outskirts, picking up a female victim, suggesting his killing spree will continue.

The DA chose to close the case and blame all the murders on Walt because it was the convenient solution. Even though Carson knew Charlie was still dangerous and at large, the DA was content to accept Walt as the sole perpetrator, allowing the town to feel a false sense of resolution without pursuing the actual escaped killer.

The summary does not explicitly explain what caused Charlie's disfigurement, only noting he was a disfigured gardener who wore a mask. His physical appearance, combined with the similar mask he wore, made him the initial suspect in the beheading murders.

Walt confessed about the Vietnamese girl because he was panicked and realized his secret was exposed. When Carson revealed he knew about Walt's Vietnam dismemberment and hinted that Charlie had been released from custody, Walt's guilt overcame him. He admitted that Charlie was 'like him' and had helped kill the Vietnamese girl, attempting to explain his own violent past by implicating Charlie.