Quillsville Cold Case (Queen of the Willis)

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The Quillsville Cold Case episodes are a series[1] of two-hour long episodes in the animated series Queen of the Willis and this spin-off. These episodes typically revolve around Seargant Detective Lilly Rush (voiced by Kathryn Morris), Detective Ava Willis (voiced by Ava Zinn) and/or a member of the Willis family in a setting not familiar to the show's normal location in Quillsville, Indiana. The first, titled "After Albert", aired as the Queen of the Willis fifth season finale on April 22, 2011. The episodes are known for featuring flashbacks and elaborate musical numbers, similar to Cold Case. The first (After Albert) follows the events of the first episode of Queen of the Willis. In January 2020, Queen of the Willis creator Ava Zinn announced that the thirteenth season will be an all-Quillsville Cold Case season and in July 2020, Zinn announced Quillsville Cold Case will be spun off from Queen of the Willis beginning in 2026. It was confirmed in a Twitter post by Zinn on September 27, 2020.


The Quillsville Cold Case episodes contain several signature elements, including a Cold Case opening sequence, custom musical cues and musical numbers, and parodies of Cold Case. Many of the episodes are popular among television critics, and have been nominated for several awards.

Premise[edit]

Like many episodes of Queen of the Willis, Quillsville Cold Case is set in the fictionalised Quillsville, Indiana, and follows Sergeant Detective Lilly Rush (voiced by Kathryn Morris), a former homicide detective with the Quillsville Metropolitan Police Department, who specializes in "cold cases", or investigations which are no longer being actively pursued by the department. In "Quillsville Cold Case: Albert Willis," then-detective Rush moved to Quillsville from Philadelphia, initially partnered with Officer Tiffani Donovan (voiced by Alexandra Moffitt), followed by Officer Jarrett Dailey (voice of Frank Davidson) and later Homicide Detective Ava Willis (voiced by Ava Zinn) after the latter's retirement from Craven Gifts. They work under Captain Brad Hunter (voiced by Ava Zinn) and are assisted by other detectives/officers.

Usually, each episode would focus on a single investigation. All cases involved crimes committed in Quillsville, although investigations occasionally required travel outside the city or Indiana. Cases were also spread out over much of the previous century, with some as recent as a year or two old and others dating back to the 1930s. Generally, an investigation would begin when the police received a new lead, or "new direction", on a case. This might be the discovery of a body, a new lead such as an alibi witness not found in the original investigation, new evidence pointing to the innocence of the accused, or a critical piece of evidence such as a murder weapon. In some cases, the lack of a body meant that it was originally unclear if a crime had even occurred, with people instead believing that the victim had merely left town.

Over the course of the episode, the detectives would interview witnesses associated with the crime and piece together the story of what led the victims to their death or overall injuries. These interviews were accompanied by flashback sequences to the time of the crime which dramatized the testimony. Witness testimony, even from people who would later be revealed as the suspect, was almost never false. At most the guilty party would lie by omission, leaving out critical details, or stopping their narrative before they implicated themselves. The witness testimony was also generally presented in chronological order so that it formed a cohesive linear story for the audience.

As in Queen of the Willis, Quillsville Cold Case episodes distinguishes "double casting" in which the characters and witnesses would flash back and forth in the scene representing them as they looked at the time of the crime and in the present day. This was done with different actors as children, much younger selves, and before one's gender transition if the year in question was well in the past. Ava Willis (voiced by Ava Zinn), for example, had flashbacks to herself as a child and teenager (voiced by Frank Davidson) in "After Albert" and "Something About Loose Ava", and as a young transwoman (voiced by Ava Zinn) in the former. Sometimes the twist in the story is that the prime suspect is the most obvious suspect [In "Something About Loose Frankie" the suspect is exactly the same person thrown in jail for it in the first place.]

At the end of the episode, when the suspect/s were exposed and confronted the confession would be in a flashback scene depicting the crime. The scene would show the details with exceptions having to do with the utter heinousness of the underlying motive of the crime such as rape or sexual assault. The police would be shown arresting the killer and walking them into custody. The killer and other characters in the story would be seen as flashing back to their younger selves and as now. The spirit of the victim would be seen either by Lilly, one of the other detectives or a loved one of the victim. This would be accompanied by the playing of a song meant to symbolize the period in which the crime took place.

Through the flashbacks, the show examined many issues related to 20th century history, including: racism, homophobia, sexism, abortion, and police brutality. All of the cases are based on real life experiences events or victims, akin to the "ripped from the headlines" style from shows like Law & Order.

Episodes[edit]

No. in
series
No. in
season
Title Directed by Written by Original air date Production
code
137
138
139
140
Season 5
Episode 35, 36, 37 and 38
Albert Willis
After Albert
Ava Zinn
Amanda Bearse
Kathryn Morris


April 22, 2011 (2011-04-22) (Queen of the Willis)
April 5, 2024 (2024-04-05)(Quillsville Cold Case)
527
528
529
530
Quillsville Police reopens the August 10, 2002 drowning of Ava's brother, Albert, and begins remembering details about the day her brother died. Quillsville Police learns that the Albert was being stalked by his estranged wife, Julie Crawford, who was recently released from prison and starts dating the husband of Ava's boss, Robert "Crob Bob" Craven, whom she begins to abuse. The investigation takes a scary turn when a hostage situation arises and Quillsville Police Seargenat Detective Lilly Rush makes the bold decision to confront Julie one-on-one.
216
217
Season 9
Episodes 12 and 13
Something About Loose Ava

Jacqui Fountaine Ava Zinn


January 8, 2021 (2021-01-08) (Queen of the Willis)
April 12, 2024 (2024-04-12)(Quillsville Cold Case)
901
902
In 1982, Ava becomes an object of romantic affection to Joanna Ferguson, the school's third grade teacher, girls basketball coach and volleyball coach. They take a sudden interest in each other, and begin sending each other notes and begin a secret relationship. After Ava breaks off the affair as Christiana Sellars and Alisan Porter are impregonated by Ava, Joanna becomes possessive than they were before. In 2019, Ava finally then admits everything to her father for the first time in 38 years, despite Ava having told Melissa and Ava's grandfather, Carter with Lilly Rush witnessing.
271 Season 11
Episode 16
The Molestation of Marissa Porter

Rachael Passalt Kathryn Morris & Alexandra Moffitt


January 13, 2023 (2023-01-13) (Queen of the Willis)
April 19, 2024 (2024-04-19) (Quillsville Cold Case)
1115
Haunted by a childhood memory, Alisan asks Sharane to reopen the 1987 murder of Alisan's sister, Marissa, an 11-year-old girl who was kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and murdered found dead in an alleyway. When it is discovered Alisan had moved from Quillsville to Worchester, Massachuttess, Quillsville Police investigates the possible tensions surrounding Marissa's death.

Among them, Marissa's murderer left several anonymous messages and notes in the Quillsville and Worchester between 1989 and 2015, openly boasting about Dorthy's murder and threatening to kill again, including Alisan. Thirty-five years later, the long-lost murder weapon is turned in as part of a gun buyback program. Quillsville Police begins the daunting task of tracing the gun back to its previous owners in an effort to find the original shooter.

278
279
280
281
282
283
Season 12
Episode 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, & 6
Quillsville Cold Case: From Retirement to Homicide Detective

Ava Zinn Ava Zinn


August 18, 2023 (2023-08-18)
August 25, 2023 (2023-08-25)
September 1, 2023 (2023-09-01)
September 8, 2023 (2023-09-08)
September 15, 2023 (2023-09-15)
September 22, 2023 (2023-09-22)
April 26, 2024 (2024-04-26)(Quillsville Cold Case)
1201
1202
1203
1204
1205
1206
Several stories mesh together in this six-part episode as Quillsville Police reopens the 2019 murder of Fox 11 news anchor Zach Mullins. They soon learn that he had just finished working on a big story involving an Fox 11's dangerous working conditions shortly before his death. They also uncover the fact the dog bites Mullins suffered in 2007 did not come from Tabby after all, but also bit Gene Cox in 2009, Ken Owen in 2010, Scott Swan in 2019, as well as killing four Port Melissa/Fort Wayne anchormen in 2020 and Chris Moollooly in 2023.

Meanwhile, Ava is skeptical when she hears that Mayor Pence is considering marrying her brother Albert, due to the problems Albert had before with three abusive ex-girlfriends and an abusive ex-wife whom the Quill County coroner now says killed another man, Danrick Cereack, in 2002.

  • In the intro, Zach Mullins and Angela Stroup mentions the ending of the 2008 Writer's strike and the shows such as Cold Case and CSI: Miami (in which both shows also aired on CBS at that time as well as featuring Kathryn Morris and David Caruso as Philadelphia Detective Lilly Rush and Miami Lieutenant Horatio Caine in live-action form, respectively in addition to their respective voice of Lilly Rush and Harry Willis) would be returning, however the 2008-2009 television season had their scripted shows either debut or have their season premieres between October and December.
  • First official appearance of Albert Willis.
  • Loosely based on Taylor University's Whitney Cereack story of mistaken identity.
290
291
292
293
Season 12
Episode 13, 14, 15, 16
Quillsville Cold Case: Sweating Bullets

Karly Jameson Karly Jameson


February 2, 2024 (2024-02-02)
February 9, 2024 (2024-02-09)
February 16, 2024 (2024-02-16)
February 23, 2024 (2024-02-23)
May 3, 2024 (2024-05-03) (Quillsville Cold Case)
1213
1214
1215
1216
When ballistics tie a recent murder case of Ava Willis' to a serial killer who has been inactive since 1998, a tough FBI agent with ties to Brad Hunter shows up to enlist the team's aid in finding the killer who has eluded her for 27 years. After determining the serial killer's identity - and some of his likely future targets - the team and the FBI work together to apprehend him while trying to locate and protect the people he's preparing to kill.
  • There is no song used in the intro nor the finale.
  • The last scene in Part 2 depicts another victim being shot, showing the killer that the team is trying to track down.
298
299
Season 12
Episode 21 & 22
Cruel & Desperate Justice

Ava Zinn Ava Zinn


May 10, 2024 (2024-05-10)
May 17, 2024 (2024-05-17)
TBD(Quillsville Cold Case)
1221
1222
In a retelling of the made-for-TV movies Desperate Justice (1993) and Cruel Justice (1999), the team reopens the 2003 rape of Laura Donaldson. The team discovers that the young man was a serial rapist, whose victims, including, were rebuffed when they sought help. When Laura falls victim to a second rape by the same suspect, Laura's sister Angie and father, Bob, stop at nothing to seek justice. Despite best efforts by the Quillsville Metropolitan Police Department, the court system fails Laura, Angie and Bob and the latter two take matters into their own hands, even if it means murder.
  • All songs are performed by series creator Avril Lavigne and series creator Ava Zinn
  • Song featured in the intro: "I'm With You", by Avril Lavigne.
  • Song featured in the finale: "My Happy Ending, performed by Avril Lavigne and Ava Zinn
  • Song featured in the closing credits: "Ordinary Day", performed by Ava Zinn.
300 Season 13
Episode 1
Quillsville Cold Case: Peggy Harvey

Season Atkins Ava Zinn & Karly Jameson


August 16, 2024 (2024-08-16)
1301
Peggy Willis' widow Charlie Harvey does not believe she killed in an freak accident in 2012. Quillsville Police must re-examine the original crime scene to see if Peggy could've been murdered and if so, who or what really killed her?
301 Season 13
Episode 2
Quillsville Cold Case: Final Teaching

Season Atkins Thia Tola


August 23, 2024 (2024-08-23)
1302
The team reopens the 1994 rape and murder of Kate Zobrowski, a 16-year-old girl after the man who is about to be executed for the murder tells Lt. Jeffries that he was set up by one of the detectives who had originally investigated the case (and has since resigned). QMPD discovers that they may be too late to save the man, due to the arrogant District Attorney Pia Yoque stonewalling them and Kate's sister, Dana Jane Zobrowski (the teacher of Emilie Willis).
302 Season 13
Episode 3
Quillsville Cold Case: Bail Mail Scam

Season Atkins Lanise McClannahan


August 30, 2024 (2024-08-30)
TBD
1303
Quillsville Police reopens the 1968 murder of Martha Carthy, a 15-year-old friend of Crystal Donovan, after an undelivered letter shows up in Harry and Finola's Indianapolis home. QMPD learns that a black man was a con artist who was manipulating the Martha Carthy into committing various crimes.
303 Season 13
Episode 4
Quillsville Cold Case: The Prom from Hell

Season Atkins Maci Blanca


September 6, 2024 (2024-09-06)
TBD
1304
Quillsville Police reinvestigates the 1989 murder of Stewart Jolkowski, a 17-year-old boy who was buried alive on the night of his prom at Quillsville Central High School (the same prom Angie proposed to Ava), after the alleged killer turns himself in and claims to have struck again. QMPD races against time to discover the man's modus operndi in order to locate the latest victim before it is too late.
304 Season 13
Episode 5
Quillsville Cold Case: Anna & I

Season Atkins Kendra Ray


September 13, 2024 (2024-09-13)
TBD
1305
After a notorious pimp is arrested for prostitution, Quillsville Police reopens the 2008 murder of Ana Crostillo, a Hispanic woman found stabbed in an alleyway, who had worked for the pimp as a prostitute. The case soon takes a personal turn when Ava's transgendered daughter Deanna and QMPD learns Monique Cruz and Deanna had a close relationship with Ana prior to her death as well as Deanna's rape.
305 Season 13
Episode 6
Quillsville Cold Case: Blown Away

Season Atkins Donna Doogan


September 20, 2024 (2024-09-20)
TBD
1306
Quillsville Police reinvestigates the 2011 death of 2-year-old Chella Zamora, who died after falling through her bedroom window, along with her then 48-year-old (now 73) grandmother, Rosie, who survived, but suffered severe head trauma, putting her a 13-year coma. Her recent awakening makes not only Rosie's daughter Charlene (then 33, now 56 who attended high school with Angie Donaldson), Sgt. Lilly Rush and QMPD try to put the pieces together to determine if this young grandmother, young mother or someone else is responsible for the tragedy.
306 Season 13
Episode 7
Quillsville Cold Case: Battered Husbands

Season Atkins Olivia Everman


September 27, 2024 (2024-09-27)
TBD
1307
In a retelling of the 1978 NBC made for TV movie Battered, Harry Willis, Daniel Rose, and Dallas Cowboy relive the horror of domestic violence at the respective hands of Peggy, Jill, and Cassandra Sellars.

Note: Although the events in the episode took place in 1978, despite the songs "I Wanna Be Your Lover", "Bad Reputation" and "In The Air Tonight" were respectively released in 1979, 1980 and 1981. This also marks the first (and only) Queen of the Willis episode that the main voice actors Zinn, Ray, Jameson, Lavigne, and Jameson have all performed songs in the same episode. Zinn previously sung She Wants To Dance With Me with Rick Astley and Billie Jean in "Meet the Pamhousers"

307 Season 13
Episode 8
Quillsville Cold Case: Richmond Quill Explosion

Season Atkins Karly Jameson


October 4, 2024 (2024-10-04)
TBD
1308
Quillsville Police reinvestigates a mysterious 2013 explosion that killed 22 people and destroyed a LGBT-themed nightclub when the newly discovered remains of 22-year-old Benjamin Haley are discovered and it is revealed that he was killed by a headshot wound, which leads the team to deduce that the explosion was actually a cover-up. The investigation reveals that the victim’s profession was conflicting with his personal life.
308 Season 13
Episode 9
Quillsville Cold Case: Caring About Cara

Season Atkins Samantha Zinn


November 1, 2024 (2024-11-01)
TBD
1309
Quillsville Police reinvestigates the 1993 murder of Cara Lott (born Cary Lott), a 20-year old transgender female who was strangled to death hours after closing up a local fast food restaurant, after the victim's sister Rachelle presents Ava Willis (who herself personally to warn Cara throughout high school as Cara was bullied), Melissa Rose and Sgt. Lilly Rush evidence to suggesting that someone had been stalking her since graduating from Quillsville Central High School. The investigation uncovers her life wasn't picture perfect with several people harboring resentment towards her, including her own parents.
309 Season 13
Episode 10
Quillsville Cold Case: Daddie Dearest

Season Atkins Jacqui Fountaine


November 8, 2024 (2024-11-08)
TBD
1310
Captain Brad Hunter reopens the 1995 murder of his father Bradley Hunter, Senior, an upper-class househusband and retired schoolteacher, when new evidence suggests that his killer may have been from his social circle. Quillsville Police soon discovers that the victim was having marital problems that affected even his own daughter (and Captain Hunter's sister Brenda), whom Jefferies had personally promised Brenda that they would catch find the killer.
310 Season 13
Episode 11
Quillsville Cold Case: Opioid Amber

Season Atkins Marti McDaniel & Nadia Lorenzo


November 15, 2024 (2024-11-15)
TBD
1311
Quillsville Police reopens the 2015 death of Amber Jarmon, who drowned in her ex-husband's pool during a power outage. The drowning was originally ruled as accidental caused by opioids, but the discovery of the woman's fingernail underneath the diving board suggests she may have been held under. The team learns that the victim had a twisted relationship with her family, particularly her daughter.
  • All songs in this episode are performed by Ariana Grande.
  • Song featured in the intro: "Problem", by Ariana Grnade.
  • Song featured in the finale: "Dangerous Woman", by Ariana Grande.
  • Song featured in the closing credits: "One Last Time", by Ariana Grande.
308 Season 13
Episode 12
Quillsville Cold Case: Doctor Death of Indiana

Season Atkins Danielle McClannahan


November 29, 2024 (2024-11-29)
TBD
1309
Quillsville Police reinvestigates the 1983 murder of 25-year-old Kristen Bucklew, a young wife and mother who was recovering from injuries sustained in an explosion outside her own house while picking up what was supposed to be a box of laundry detergent shortly before she was to testify in court against a man who indecently exposed himself to her in public. The daughter believes the man is culpable, but when the team delves into Brad Hunter's personal life, they discover a shocking secret that could lead them to the true killer, implying that her husband or a doctor/nurse may have been involved since the victim fell into cardiac arrest.
317 Season 14
Episode 4 & 5
Quillsville Cold Case: Between the Legs

Alexandra Moffitt Rachael Passalt


January 17, 2025 (2025-01-17)
TBD
1404
1405
The team reinvestigates the 2001 murder of Donalyn Sulkkin, a fourteen-year-old transboy who was in foster care with his younger sister at the time of his death when a convict discloses information that leads them to the primary crime scene. When the team stumbles upon his songbook, they discover that the lyrics could be the key to catching his killer.
317 Season 14
Episode 9
Quillsville Cold Case: Freedom Writers

Season Atkins Ava Zinn


February 21, 2025 (2025-02-21)
TBD
1409
The team reopens the 1981 murder of Lisa McKinney, a 32-year-old inner-city schoolteacher at what is now Marla Keller High School, when her car keys are discovered in an old desk at the high school. The investigation leads them to her class of rowdy, underachieving students, one of whom that could know the truth of the night.
  • This episode appears to be based on Bel Kaufman's Up the Down Staircase.
  • Song featured in the intro: Cool Night by Paul Davis
  • Song featured in the finale: For Your Eyes Only by Sheena Easton
  • Based on Freedom Writers
321 Season 14
Episode 13
Quillsville Cold Case: Lori, Lori, Lori

Alexandra Moffitt Ava Zinn


April 18, 2025 (2025-04-18)
TBD
1413
The 1996 disappearance of Lori Dubinski, a 26 year old anchor/reporter from then-CBS affiliate WIBC, who was trying to unionize her coworkers to battle the sexist work area of the television broadcast news industry (which has since had a two-woman anchor mandate by Mayor Pence) is reopened after her remains are found by Angie in the rubble of a demolished Quillsville department store.
  • Song featured in the intro: Just a Girl by No Doubt.
  • Song featured in the finale: Back for Good by Take That.
330 Season 14
Episode 22
Quillsville Cold Case: The Stalking of Ava Willis

Tracia Matthewson Ava Zinn


June 20, 2025 (2025-06-20)
TBD
1422
The team reopens the 1998 attack and rape of a pianist after a fan convicted of attacking her is released from prison and once again a threat to the pianist. She begins remembering details about the night of the attack and rape. The team learns that the girl was being stalked by a transman and three women respectively named, Ethan, Hope, Trina, and Melinda. The investigation takes a scary turn when a hostage situation arises with the SWAT team firing one shot into the window of the homicide office wounding Melinda but not seriously, Trina firing one shot at Captain Hunter wounding him but also not seriously which promps Ava to make the bold decision to confront Ethan, Hope, Trina, and Melinda one-on-one where Hope shoots Ava and all four are shot dead by Sergant Rush.
  • Song featured in the intro: Cush by Jennifer Paige.
  • Song featured in the finale: Truly Madly Deeply by Savage Garden.
  • This case was loosely based on the murder of Shanda Sharer in 1992 by Melinda Loveless, Laurie Tackett, Hope Rippey, and Toni Lawrence.
  • At the end of the episode while at the hospital after being shot by Hope, Ava says "Grandpa" just before the end credits start to roll leaving viewers to wait until the first episode of season 15 to see if she survives.
331 Season 15
Episode 1
Quillsville Cold Case: Thrill Kill

Amanda Bearse Kellie Martin


August 8, 2025 (2025-08-08)
1501
After Ava's incident, she returns and the team reopens a brutal 1994 triple-murder case in which three young boys, 10-year-olds and best friends Sean Raymes, Hank Russo, and George Costley were all murdered when the mother of one of the two teenagers convicted of the crime comes forward with evidence that they were innocent. The investigation uncovers major errors made by the original investigation from inconsistent evidence to overzealous officers, which has since left Quillsville Police, making questionable choices.
  • Based loosely on the West Memphis 3.
  • All the music featured in this episode is performed by Amy Grant.
  • Song featured in the intro: "Lucky One", by Amy Grant.
  • Song featured in the finale: "Whatever It Takes", by Amy Grant.
  • Throughout the episode, Detective Ava Willis has flashbacks from when she was shot at the end of season fourteen and continued for a few episodes as a result.
  • After the intro, Detective Ava Willis is seen testifying in court about the night of her car accident and Hope Kitchener can be seen walking free and she continues to stalk Detective Ava Willis for several episodes as a result.
335
336
Season 15
Episodes 5-6
Quillsville Cold Case: Easy Prey

Kellie Martin Karly Jameson


September 5, 2025 (2025-09-05)
1505
1506
In 1990, a cross-country serial rapist and killer (voiced by Seth MacFarlane) ended his criminal career with the kidnapping, rape and imprisonment of Avril Lavigne, then 16 now 51. He murdered at least eight women that landed him on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List.
337 Season 15
Episode 7
Quillsville Cold Case: The 35 Year Outrage

Kellie Martin Season Atkins


September 12, 2025 (2025-09-12)
1507
Detective Ava Willis is pushed to her limits when she and Sergeant Lilly Rush find themselves tormented by Avril's kidnapper and rapist with a score to settle 35 years after. Meanwhile, Sergeant Payton Martin quietly buys a house in Quillsville for her cousin, Kellie, who is going through a divorce.
352 Season 15
Episode 22
Quillsville Cold Case: Secret Witness

Kellie Martin Thia Tola


April 23, 2026 (2026-04-23)
1522
In 1985, Avril Lavigne, then 11, and Kellie Martin, then 10, play a mischievous game of "peeping Tom" and are drawn into a murder case in Quillsville, only to findthemselves being stalked by a child molester who is finally caught after 40 years thanks to Ava and Lilly.


Refrences[edit]

  1. "Relying on stereotypes, ‘Queen of the Willis’ sticks to its formula, ‘Deanna & Brandi’ shows a softer side". 

External links[edit]