Source
r/FanTheories•
ezreading

[Beetlejuice] Adam & Barbara Maitland didn't die in an accident. They were murdered!

FanTheory

By none other than their rudely overbearing realtor, Jane Butterfield. From the very moment Jane jump scares her way into the story she's hot on the Maitland's asses to allow her to sell their house, and it's noted, that they've refused repeatedly. Adam & Barbara go into town almost immediately after Jane leaves their house and are killed returning home when their car goes off a bridge to avoid hitting a dog.

I propose that after being refused too many times and in need of a commission to care for her weirdass, sickly son, that Jane cut the brakes of the Maitland's car which is why they couldn't stop from going off the bridge. Damage to the car hid Jane's sabotage and she walked away scot free with a hefty commission after a quick turnover of the house to the Deetz's.

Posted Aug 19, 2018, 6:19 AM UTC

4511
FuelCleaner•

That would explain why they are ghosts doing a haunting instead of moving on. Unfinished business and foul play leading to ghosts and all that.

15
Zorak6•

Sounds feasible. I like it. I'll have to keep this in mind the next time I get around to watching it.

8
SupaBloo•

But if she cut the brakes at their house, wouldn't they notice on their way to town?

2
ezreadingOP•

It would take time for the leak from the cut to become noticeable. Their trip into town was too quick for the Maitlands to notice anything was wrong until it was too late.

0
SupaBloo•

After looking it up, even a small hole in a cut break line would apparently be noticeable as the fluid is released while the brake is pressed. From the discussions I read, a small cut might last a couple miles, but the brakes would feel noticeably squishy, and a big cut would be noticeable immediately.

She would've had to research how to perfectly cut the line so it lasted longer, and she would've had to been lucky that Adam wouldn't notice any difference in his brakes, while also having the brakes only go out at the perfect time for it to matter at the bridge. That's a lot of coincidental stuff that has to come together for it to work.

5
LefroyJenkins•

Maybe she's done this before?

3
MsChairModelLady•

Maybe she did it so poorly that they lasted that long. Her original intent could have been to have them crash on the way out instead of on the way back, or anywhere, really, and the car going off the bridge was just happenstance.

1
gobothewicked•

I'm good with it. I always thought she was creepy. And that does feel like a burtonesque tid bit!

2
moviechick85•

Well played! This is a great theory

2
ezreadingOP•

Oh neat!

https://metro.co.uk/2018/08/20/beetlejuice-fan-drums-up-adam-and-barbara-murder-theory-7861101/amp/

I feel like Navin R Johnson the day the new phone books came out.

"I'm somebody now! Millions of people look at this book every day! This is the kind of spontaneous publicity - your name in print - that makes people. I'm in print! Things are going to start happening to me now."

2
NoifenF•

Late to this party but did you ever notice that when she tries to convince the Maitland’s to sell up her argument is the house is too big for them but she then sells it to a family with only one extra person?

That implies to me that she did only want the money.

2
HenceFourth•

I've always suspected this, but felt it needed more evidence. Great theory.

1
SupaBloo•

Wouldn't she have had to cut the brakes after they got into town? If she cut the brakes while at their house, then they would've noticed well before heading home. They would've noticed the first time they tried braking on their way to town.

1