Benefit of the Doubt (2012)
As we near the end of the Jesse Stone movie franchise, Paradise Police Chief Stone has come full circle—once again, unemployed! This time, he was forced into retirement by town council president, Carter Hanson who immediately appointed his son-in-law, William Butler to replace Stone. Butler is a scheming, corrupt cop whose insensitive personality and divisive leadership cause Stone’s longtime staff members Luther “Suitcase” Simpson and dispatcher Rose Gammon to resign. Naturally, Stone sees no redeeming qualities in his replacement, either. Losing this job hits him hard, and he struggles to resist coping by cozying up to a bottle of scotch. Then Butler is murdered, blown up along with Officer D’Angelo in their squad car. Hanson reinstates Stone as temporary chief—only until he finds the killer. Stone discovers seemingly unrelated clues that eventually lead to an old nemesis, but there’s someone higher up the chain of command in this criminal organization, the kingpin who’s pulling all the strings, and Stone aims to uncover this mystery man’s identity. But he’d better have eyes behind his head because someone has Jesse Stone in his crosshairs.
Fun trivia:
Flashback to Magnum P.I.! Near the end of Benefit of the Doubt, Jesse Stone checks the time on his watch, a silver Rolex—the same watch Tom Selleck wore in his role as private investigator, Thomas Magnum.