Character Relationship Map: Deranged

Characters

• Ezra Cobb (played by Roberts Blossom) — protagonist
• Harlon Kootz (played by Robert Warner) — supporting
• Mary (played by Micki Moore) — supporting
• Maureen Selby (played by Marian Waldman) — supporting

  An eccentric middle-aged woman and self-proclaimed psychic. Ezra murders her during a sexual encounter, an act that directly triggers his subsequent serial killing spree.

• Sheriff (played by Robert McHeady) — supporting
• Sally (played by Pat Orr) — supporting

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Ezra Cobb → Maureen Selby (Romantic Sexual Encounter) — Their sexual encounter becomes the immediate trigger for Ezra's serial killing spree.

  Ezra becomes acquainted with Maureen, and he murders her during a sexual encounter.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Harlon Kootz → Sally (Social Local Connection) — Sally is connected to Harlon's household, while his trap unintentionally affects her escape.

  Sally arrives at Harlon's house with his teenage son, and a bear trap set earlier by Harlon and the boy later injures her.

• Harlon Kootz → Sheriff (Alliance Investigation Partner) — They jointly confront the evidence of Ezra's killings.

  Harlon and the Sheriff arrive together at the Cobb farm and find Ezra in the kitchen.

• Ezra Cobb → Sheriff (Conflict Suspect And Investigator) — The Sheriff becomes part of the discovery of Ezra's crimes.

  The Sheriff arrives with Harlon and finds Ezra in the kitchen after Sally disappears.

• Ezra Cobb → Sally (Conflict Predator And Victim) — Sally becomes another target in Ezra's expanding killing spree.

  Ezra shoots Sally, pursues her after she escapes into the woods, and later shoots her to death.

• Ezra Cobb → Mary (Conflict Predator And Victim) — Ezra deliberately traps and kills Mary after exposing his corpse-filled house.

  Ezra slashes Mary's tires, lures her to his house, incapacitates her, and later beats her to death with a human femur bone.

• Ezra Cobb → Harlon Kootz (Social Friend) — Harlon is one of Ezra's known local acquaintances before becoming connected to the response against him.

  Ezra visits Harlon at his house, and the two discuss Mary's disappearance.

Story Analysis

A socially isolated farmer's inherited fear, hallucinations, and corpse obsession develop into serial murder before local resistance destroys his home.

Plot Progression

1. A Farm Shaped By Fear — Ezra lives on a rural farm under harsh religious conditioning and fear of women. After his mother's death, he withdraws into isolation.
2. The Grave Opens — Auditory hallucinations drive Ezra to exhume and reconstruct his mother's body. Newspaper obituaries then suggest a new way to obtain bodies and companionship.
3. The First Killing — Ezra meets Maureen Selby, an eccentric self-proclaimed psychic, and murders her during a sexual encounter. This killing initiates his serial murder pattern.
4. Bodies At Home — Ezra traps Mary by sabotaging her car and luring her to his house. After she discovers the corpses, he binds and assaults her before killing her.
5. The Farmhouse Burns — Ezra targets Sally, pursues her after an escape, and kills her in the woods. Harlon and the Sheriff discover the farmhouse evidence, and townspeople later burn the farm.