The Strangler

Leo Kroll is introduced as a mother-fixated lab technician who collects dolls. He is also revealed to be a serial killer responsible for the deaths of several nurses, which leads to police questioning him. Despite his ties to the murders, he successfully claims his innocence at this stage.

Kroll states that his next victim will be Clara, a nurse caring for his hospitalized mother after her heart attack. He lures Clara to her death and leaves a doll at the crime scene, indicating a psychological connection to his crimes. His actions are part of his compulsive pattern.

Kroll undergoes police questioning regarding Clara's murder and passes a lie detector test, which results in his release. His apparent innocence complicates the investigation and temporarily dismisses suspicion from law enforcement.

Kroll visits his mother in the hospital to tell her about Clara’s murder, which causes her to have a second, fatal heart attack. This event deepens his emotional instability and ties his actions to his obsession with his mother.

Kroll returns to the amusement park where he notices Barbara, a co-worker of Tally. His nervousness and missed game rings reveal his inner turmoil, and Barbara’s mimicry of a doll triggers his breakdown, reminding him of his mother.

Kroll impulsively goes to Barbara's apartment and strangulates her as she steps out of the shower. This murder, unrelated to his earlier victims, confuses police efforts by shifting suspicion from nurses to park employees.

With his mother's death, Kroll feels a sense of freedom and begins to believe his violent tendencies may diminish. He then visits Tally and proposes marriage, but she rejects him, fueling his internal conflict.

After Tally rejects him, Kroll becomes convinced that he must kill her as part of his violent pattern. Police gather a description of the suspect, finally linking Kroll to multiple murders through their investigation.

Kroll hides in Tally's apartment, waiting to kill her when she returns home. Law enforcement places a bug in her room, attempting to monitor Kroll's actions to prevent the murder and arrest him.

As Kroll begins to strangle Tally, police burst into the room and open fire, hitting him. Kroll is thrown through the window and falls to his death. It remains uncertain whether Tally survives the assault.