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I Am a Killer: Released Season 1 finale recap: A New Motive

By Wade Wainio

PARIS, FRANCE - NOVEMBER 02: Netflix logo is displayed during the 'Paris Games Week' on November 02, 2017 in Paris, France. Netflix is an American company offering streaming movies and TV series on the Internet. 'Paris Games Week' is an international trade fair for video games and runs from November 01 to November 5, 2017. (Photo by Chesnot/Getty Images)
PARIS, FRANCE - NOVEMBER 02: Netflix logo is displayed during the 'Paris Games Week' on November 02, 2017 in Paris, France. Netflix is an American company offering streaming movies and TV series on the Internet. 'Paris Games Week' is an international trade fair for video games and runs from November 01 to November 5, 2017. (Photo by Chesnot/Getty Images) /
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The season finale of the Netflix series I Am a Killer: Released looks at the future of convicted murderer Dale Sigler and explores the motive for his original crime.

The season finale of I Am a Killer: Released mostly stays with freed murderer Dale Wayne Sigler and his penpal, Carole Whitworth, at her home in Cade Lake, Texas. A few things change, though. His parole officer has allowed him to attend church, where he explains that, contrary to what he stated before, he didn’t murder Subway restaurant employer John Zeltner in an armed robbery. He now tells the congregation that John had “blackmailed” him into a homosexual relationship.

[NOTE: Like with many true crime stories, this one has elements that might offend people. Frankly, it can be difficult to address such issues without crossing the proverbial line somewhere. Nevertheless, as I write this recap, I am trying my best to present it as it appears, while highlighting questions naturally raised by the subject matter.]

I Am a Killer: Released, April 6, 1990, and beyond

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Dale claims that being molested as a kid led to his demons, elaborating that he knew and trusted Zeltner. However, Sigle now insists that John tried to abuse him, threatening to tell everyone they had a relationship if he refused sexual advances. There is several questions that are difficult to answer: Did this actually occur? Could this have been enough to inspire Dale Sigler to murder John Zeltner?

There’s almost no way to know exactly what happened, or what Dale Wayne Sigler’s actual motives were at the time. To complicate things even further, it’s absolutely true that, at times, people can murder each other with little to no rational, concrete motives. These things are not always like a conventional detective story where one can say “This is how the murder occurred and here is why.”

Abuse, homophobia, a combination…or was it really just a robbery gone wrong?

Dale does maintain that John didn’t deserve to die, but that (in so many words) he was in a dark place when he committed the murder. Either way, Carole Whitworth says Dale is impressing churchgoers. Also, I Am a Killer: Released interviews with Carole’s grandson, Shannon, who agrees with his girlfriend that Dale seems reformed. Still, when the murder’s homophobic elements seem to resonate with the church crowd, the new motive definitely won’t sit well with everyone (though Dale Sigler denies hating gay people, he cites the Bible as calling it an “abomination”).

I Am a Killer: Released also talks to Detective Tommy Lenoir regarding Dale’s revised story. He doesn’t believe it but thinks it should have been told to a jury either way. He accuses Dale of reversing roles, turning John into a victim. He also adds that Dale shouldn’t only thank God but society for giving him a 2nd chance. Such stories definitely give us things to talk about.

Can the truth truly be known?

It’s important to remember that this isn’t about every murder case or even murders in general. This is about a specific murder. That can always complicate the question of “Why didn’t he act differently?” It’s even true that, even if John Zeltner hadn’t done anything the average person would consider abusive, it could have still registered as “abuse” in Dale Sigler’s mind.

Dale says it’s not about shifting blame but telling the truth, adding the old adage that hindsight is 20/20. He says he didn’t kill Zeltner merely for being gay and is careful to add that he’s not trying to justify it. To add yet another confusing element, let’s allow that Dale himself might attribute a different motive to the crime than he actually had as it happened. In any case, it is true that Dale Sigler is now free, which is not a luxury every convicted murderer enjoys.

The victims and the future

As the episode winds down, Prosecutor Greg Miller notes that John Zeltner can’t defend himself against any accusations, which makes it easier for Sigler. Who can deny that? Meanwhile, two members of John’s family, Forest, and John Harlan Zeltner say they won’t forgive Dale whether he killed John for money or personal reasons.

On the bright side, Dale Wayne Sigler doesn’t seem interested in going to prison again, either for murder or any other crime. We see him get a job at a ranch, and Carole says he is “a big kid at heart.” As the episode ends, Dale looks more like an average person looking for a new place to live and a new job.

Next. 5 true crime miniseries to stream on Hulu. dark

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