Left to right: Brian Patten, Jenny Burke, Justin Tockey, Cliff Salas.

More than 200 Sand Springs residents came together Saturday evening at the Case Community Center to eat dinner, bid on silent auction items, and help solve a murder. The murder was fictitious, the food was delicious, and the event raised thousands of dollars for the Sand Springs Sertoma Club and Quota International Club.

Sertoma stands for "Service To Mankind" and is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping individuals with hearing disabilities. The club sponsors community events such as the annual July 3rd fireworks show at Case Community Park (formerly River City Park). Quota International is a women's organization helping those with hearing and speech impairments.

At the Eleventh Annual Murder Mystery Dinner, attendees were fed by Klein's Catering Service out of Perry, Oklahoma. Nearly a hundred items were donated to the auction, ranging from cookbooks to alcohol, candy baskets, jewelry, and more. The theme was "I Loathe A Parade" and participants competed in an American-themed costume contest.

The participants worked together with their table to solve the murder of Joe Possumz, mayor of the fictitious city of Elmtown. Possumz was a polarizing politician who died under mysterious circumstances during the town's Independence Day Parade.

Each table was given a newspaper article and each participant was given a clue. The suspects made their way around the room taking questions at each table over the course of the evening. At the conclusion of the interrogations, each table filled out a paper with their suspect, method, and motive.

Suspects included Rhonda Ripley (Jenny Burke), owner of Horsebalm Stables, who stood to lose half of her ranch to imminent domain if the Mayor's proposed new four-lane road was approved.

Rockwell Kenmore (Justin Tockey), AKA Rocky the Clown, planned to run against the mayor in the upcoming election. Rocky leveled allegations of corruption against Possumz, and was excited that the City would be able to move forward under new leadership. He blasted the mayor in the face with a super soaker not long before his death.

Mona Minski (Patty Dixon) is an ex-girlfriend of the mayor's and is head of the Elmtown Marching Mommas. She admitted to spraying the mayor with itching powder that was concealed in one of her pompoms.

Albert Ames (Cliff Salas), owner of Ames Chimney Sweeping and Fireplace Service, was regularly coated in chimney soot containing toxic materials. He was good friends with Vern Fullerton, who also handled his dry cleaning.

Dottie Pinewood (Debbie Nobles), the mayor's assistant, was the daughter of a former mayor and may have been offended by Possumz's claims that he was the best mayor in town history. She gave Possumz a hot dog shortly before his death, and endorsed Kenmore during questioning. She claimed that Possumz was underhanded and hoped that Kenmore would win.

Vern Fullerton (Brian Patten), part time weatherman for a local tv station, was Grand Marshall in the parade, and predicted that the mayor would "get the soaking of a lifetime" during the forecast the day before. He accused the mayor of bullying him in high school and had a fondness for Ripley.

The story and scripts were written by Jack Pachuta of www.mysterypartyhost.com.

Also starring in the production were Ryan and Sue Price as Detectives Blew and Spangle, respectively.