6.7
/10
Dist. Atty. Gerard Darnelle is a fictional character portrayed by Wilbur Fitzgerald in the TV series In the Heat of the Night.
They appear in 38 episodes out of a total of 146 aired

Dist. Atty. Gerard Darnelle

by Wilbur Fitzgerald

character

Episodes38

  • 8.1
    /10

    A.K.A. Kelly Kay
    episode S2.E12 february 1989
    Joanne must reveal a painful part of her past to Gillespie after a long lost acquaintance escapes from prison.
  • 9.2
    /10

    Rape
    episode S3.E1 october 1989
    When Althea is raped by a colleague, Gillespie and the Sparta PD must solve the case before a furious Virgil gets revenge on his own.
  • 7.9
    /10

    A Loss of Innocence
    episode S3.E15 february 1990
    The Sparta Police uncover the shocking living conditions of a high school student, after Althea Tibbs asks them to investigate the residence after the girl's fifth truancy.
  • 7.5
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    Home Is Where the Heart Is
    episode S3.E17 march 1990
    A minister is killed when he attempts to close down a brothel in Sparta.
  • 8.3
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    Night of the Killing
    episode S3.E20 march 1990
    Gillespie and Tibbs clash over who the guilty party is in the murder of a cab driver, until a local informant provides some vital information.
  • 8.3
    /10

    Citizen Trundel: Part 1
    episode S3.E21 may 1990
    Harriet Delong's sister is killed in a murder ordered by her married lover, the wealthiest man in Sparta. Harriet accuses the police department of not properly bringing the mam to justice.
  • 8.7
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    Perversions of Justice
    episode S4.E4 october 1990
    Tempers flare in Sparta when an elementary school teacher is accused of molesting one of his students.
  • 8.9
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    And Justice for Some
    episode S4.E5 october 1990
    Virgil's young neighbor is badly injured in a hit-and-run accident caused by a cocky drug trafficker.
  • 8
    /10

    Quick Fix
    episode S4.E7 november 1990
    While spending his day off fishing, Bubba's dog unearths a dead infant, found to have been born to a mentally-challenged teenager.
  • 7.8
    /10

    A Problem Too Personal
    episode S4.E9 november 1990
    Harriet Delong's son is implicated in the investigation of an armed robbery committed by her ex-husband.
  • 8.3
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    Shine on Sparta Moon
    episode S4.E14 january 1991
    A teenage girl is killed and her boyfriend blinded in a car accident caused by spiked moonshine.
  • 8
    /10

    An Execution of Trust
    episode S4.E15 january 1991
    A psychiatrist, bound by her own rule of confidentiality, holds information proving that a man about to be executed for murder may actually be innocent.
  • 8.1
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    A Child of Promise
    episode S4.E16 february 1991
    A promising high school student is determined to encourage his younger brother to make positive choices in his life.
  • 8.3
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    Laid to Waste
    episode S4.E18 february 1991
    Parker finds himself attracted to the main witness of a murder investigation, a beautiful blind girl who overheard her neighbor's murder.
  • 7.5
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    No Other Road
    episode S4.E21 march 1991
    Harriet's son tries to have his father's death row conviction overturned.
  • 7.8
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    Liar's Poker
    episode S5.E4 october 1991
    A man hosting his annual high stakes poker game is murdered.
  • 7.9
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    Unfinished Business
    episode S5.E6 november 1991
    Bubba returns to Los Angeles to tie up some loose ends from his last trip there.
  • 8.3
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    An Eye for an Eye
    episode S5.E10 december 1991
    D.A. Darnell's daughter is kidnapped by the father of a man Darnelle sent to prison, who committed suicide.
  • 7.7
    /10

    Odessa
    episode S5.E15 february 1992
    Sparta Police is on guard to control racial tension when a ceremony is held to honor the first black woman who registered to vote in Sparta.
  • 8
    /10

    The Law on Trial
    episode S5.E22 may 1992
    The trio receives an outpouring of support from the town and the police department in the days leading up to their trial. Romance is in the air for Bill Gillespie and Harriet DeLong.
  • 7.8
    /10

    Last Rights
    episode S6.E8 december 1992
    The doctor treating Virgil's dying aunt is the chief suspect in a series of mercy killings.
  • 8.1
    /10

    Judgment Day
    episode S6.E12 january 1993
    A prominent judge's wife threatens to reveal a skeleton in his closet unless he grants her a lucrative divorce.
  • 8.1
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    Falsely Accused
    episode S6.E13 february 1993
    Wilson Sweet's job is put on the line when he is accused of soliciting a bribe from a shady used car salesman.
  • 7.8
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    A Dish Best Served Cold
    episode S6.E18 march 1993
    When an embezzler returns to Sparta after serving a prison sentence, quite a few people become suspects when the man is killed.
  • 7.7
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    Legacy
    episode S6.E19 march 1993
    A man is determined to make sure a young woman does not receive her inheritance, promised by his grandfather 3 decades earlier.
  • 7.6
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    Even Nice People
    episode S6.E20 april 1993
    Shady real estate developers try to drive Gillespie's daughter out of her property, in order to make way for a new development project.
  • 8.2
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    Lake Winahatchie
    episode S6.E21 may 1993
    The common-law husband of Lana's mother returns to Sparta and tries to extort money from the land developers, who are eventually driven out of town.
  • 8.7
    /10

    Child's Play
    episode S7.E1 september 1993
    Many changes come to Sparta. Virgil Tibbs has left the Sparta Police Department and he, Althea and their twins have returned to Philadelphia, PA so Virgil can complete his law school studies. Bill Gillespie has been voted out as chief and is replaced by FBI Agent Hampton Forbes from Memphis, TN. Forbes inherits the case of a reclusive man who is murdered as he is awaiting trial for manslaughter.
  • 8.2
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    Hatton's Turn: Part 1
    episode S7.E2 september 1993
    Gillespie gets the last laugh against the city council when he is named Newman County Sheriff to replace an ailing Will McComb, who has suffered a heart attack. As county sheriff, Gillespie's first case is that of a triple murder, where the investigation points to a good natured, mentally challenged teenage boy.
  • 8.6
    /10

    Hatton's Turn: Part 2
    episode S7.E3 september 1993
    Gillespie and Forbes become fast friends when both police forces team up and solve the triple murder. Attorney Wade Hatton returns to Sparta and hopes to rekindle a romance from the past with Sarah Hallisey.
  • 8.9
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    A Depraved Heart
    episode S7.E4 september 1993
    Bubba Skinner is determined to have a womanizing real estate agent charged with attempted murder after the man knowingly infected Bubba's friend with HIV.
  • 8.2
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    Virgil Tibbs: Attorney at Law
    episode S7.E8 november 1993
    Virgil Tibbs returns to Sparta with a law degree, news of his failed marriage and a murder suspect to defend.
  • 8.1
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    Good Cop, Bad Cop
    episode S7.E13 january 1994
    Virgil defends Parker Williams when he is accused of police brutality during an arrest involving Parker's ex-fiance.
  • 7.7
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    Conspiracy of One
    episode S7.E17 february 1994
    Virgil Tibbs finds himself on both sides of the law when he is asked to handle the probate of a verbally abusive alcoholic woman, whose death may not have been an accident.
  • 7.7
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    Give Me Your Life: Part 1
    episode S7.E23 may 1994
    Sparta Police and the Newman County Sheriff's Department join forces to investigate the antics of a religious cult that has taken up residence in an abandoned school building.
  • 8.3
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    Give Me Your Life: Part 2
    episode S7.E24 may 1994
    The investigation uncovers evidence of statutory rape and drug dealing within the cult. It is further complicated by the actions of an overly aggressive newspaper reporter, as well as the discovery of school age children being members of the cult. But in the end, teamwork pays off and everyone is driven out.
  • 7.5
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    A Matter of Justice
    episode S8.E1 october 1994
    An local retired judge's depraved grandson goes on a serial killing spree in Sparta.
  • 7.7
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    Grow Old Along with Me
    episode S8.E4 may 1995
    When a former cop marries a wealthy widow, his ex-girlfriend sees an opportunity for blackmail. But their plan to keep her quiet and out of their lives does not exactly go as planned.