The Most Compelling Theories About Who Killed Tim Kono on 'Only Murders in the Building' Thus Far

Publish date: 2024-05-08

The podcast hosts in 'Only Murders in the Building' are trying to figure out who killed Tim Kono. Details on the best theories so far.

Source: Hulu

Since the mystery-comedy original Only Murders in the Building premiered, viewers and the main characters/podcast hosts, Oliver Putnam (Martin Short), Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez), and Charles-Haden Savage (Steve Martin), have been trying to answer one lingering question: who killed Tim Kono (Julian Cihi)?

The longtime Arconia resident was shot to death in his luxury apartment on the night when a fire alarm was pulled in the building. As the trio has investigated Tim's death, they've learned that he counted a few neighbors as his enemies. But, who is his killer? Read on for the most compelling theories (thus far).

Source: Hulu

Here are the best theories about who killed Tim Kono in 'Only Murders in the Building.'

Viewers likely won't learn the identity of the murderer until the tenth and final episode of Season 1. Though more information about the killing and the other Arconia residents will come out in the upcoming episodes, there are already a few compelling suspects.

Sting

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The Police singer is the most obvious suspect, which likely means that he isn't the actual killer. In the fourth episode, "The Sting," the podcast trio learns that Tim Kono used to work for the musician. Their professional relationship ended with a firing after Tim lost a lot of money for Sting. The hosts' suspicions heighten when they learn that Sting stayed at the Arconia during the fire alarm incident on the night of Tim's murder.

Sting later admits that he feels guilty about Tim's death, because he thinks that the businessman completed suicide.

Because there are still a lot of episodes left in Season 1, it's unlikely that Sting will end up being the killer.

Jan

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Jan's (played by Amy Ryan) main role on the show is currently to be Charles' romantic interest. However, it could be a shocking ending for the show if she is revealed to be the killer.

Her motive or connection to Tim isn't clear yet, but there have been a few breadcrumbs dropped to indicate that she isn't the nice bassoon player that she makes herself out to be.

During her date with Charles, Jan he talked about how she's always felt like a second option in her life. She also opened up about the demise of her past relationship to an unnamed man, which could be Tim.

Jan plays her bassoon out of the window in her apartment each night. The window overlooks the Arconia courtyard, so she could have watched as all of the residents left for the fire drill to sneak in and kill Tim.

Her bassoon playing also could have annoyed Tim, as the podcast trio has already learned that he was quick to anger.

Oscar (or his dad).

Viewers have yet to see Oscar (Aaron Dominguez) in the present day, but he was involved in the flashback scenes about the Hardy Boys. After Zoe fell off the roof of the Arconia, Tim accused Oscar of pushing her.

Oscar was convicted of her murder, but his dad still works in the building (and he has keys to every apartment). While it's implied that Oscar is behind bars, viewers have yet to find out exactly where he is.

Plus, as Mabel learned when she asked his dad about speaking to him, the family is still angry at the other Hardy Boys members for what happened to Oscar.

Mabel Mora

Source: Hulu

Another surprising conclusion would be if one of our main characters is the perpetrator.

It is suspicious that Mabel didn't tell Charles or Oliver about her longtime connection to the victim. Her role on the podcast could be a classic case of a murderer getting involved and being overly helpful in an investigation to keep tabs on it.

Tim and Mabel's friendship ended on bad terms, but it's evident that she still cared deeply for her fellow Hardy Boys member.

Tim Kono

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The police initially ruled that the Arconia resident completed suicide, and sometimes the simplest answer is the correct one. While this would be a disappointing ending for viewers and for the amateur sleuths, it could make a point about how some people have become overly obsessed with true crime.

The man in the tie-dye sweatshirt.

The identity of the person in the sweatshirt (who Charles assumed was a man) has not yet been revealed, so it could be any of the aforementioned characters on this list, except for Mabel or Tim.

This person was seen running up the stairs while the fire alarm was going off, and the fourth episode concludes with the individual following Mabel.

While Tim's other neighbors, like Bunny (Jayne Houdyshell) and Howard Morris (Michael Cyril Creighton) also had reasons to be upset with him, the podcast creators already seemingly moved on in their investigation.

New episodes of Only Murders in the Building drop on Tuesdays on Hulu.

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