I said "Gee, don't you guys just love turnips?" I wonder if pollywogs like them.

I agree that affirmative phone records prove little/nothing, but negative phone records would be quite incriminating. Likewise, a shot might be audible through the receiver to someone on the other end if he were actually in a call, or at least they could confirm how the call ended.

Not that I presume it's quite so easy as that.

For calling the police it depends, if there were a scream/shot or shot/scream then yes, dialing the police would seem prudent certainly moreso than moving towards the shot.

I'll re-read and vote tonight, but I think I'm inclined to vote for the bedroom.

I have an alarm system at my house and at work, both have multiple codes to turn them off so that way it is known who turned on or off the alarm. At work and my home it is anyone with access to the building.

So it is looking like we are only able to look at one area or thing at a time by consensus or majority vote but are free to discuss everything at all times? I mean we can get more info on the video or upstairs room but not both at the same time?

I'm going to assume that's a vote.
Just as long as you don't feel smurf hands, you should be ok.
....I think.
It's hard to say exactly what each search will turn up. I only have about 5 thin leads which I thought might be important after my conversation with the GOGfather and some blathering from Sergeant Zeagold.
Correct. These searches take a long time, y'know. I'd say about a day's worth of time. Trust me, in this line of work, you can never go too fast. Which is why I always take a puzzle break every hour.
Now, what's an eight-letter word for "swamp"?

Treibsand?
Quagmire?
Cesspool?

Thanks for the help, but nope, I already figured it out:
"GOG FORUM"
It was the only thing that fit with the existing letters.

Not a vote, I will bold my vote to make it easier. Not sure I think the video tape is the place I want to start.

My bad.
Carry on.

Got any 5-letter words for "shipping", while you're at it?

china
everything is shipped from there

Thanks for the help, but nope, I already figured it out:
"AUAPB"
It was the only thing that fit.

So basically we're looking at a limited cast of characters who are still alive:

Mike (camera)
LeRoy (production)

And two who are dead:
Markus
Lynette

The farmer is a character but as he doesn't get any billing in post #5 he's presumably null for the rest of the game and just a plot device ("makeshift gurney owner").

Can't entirely rule out that Markus or Lynette shot the other and then was finished off. In terms of classic means/motive/opportunity, the gun is the means. Opportunity here is primarily a function of timeline. Other evidence looks roughly like this imo:

Bedroom - motive
Leroy - timeline, perhaps motive
Crime scene - timeline, perhaps means
Autopsy - confirm means, perhaps timeline
Video - timeline

I guess I'd like to hone in on the 'why' first - show me the Master Bedroom!

If the Master Bedroom is where we will get phone records I am for this

I tend to doubt we'll get phone records at all. If you haven't followed Zeo's puzzles he tends to leave a few pieces blank, thus the competition is a mix of inductive and deductive reasons, and/or just pulling guesses out of one's behind.

I have not followed any before :)

That's ok, I still want to look at the house first so the Master Bedroom is a good place to start!

You poor, deprived individual.
Now you've got the idea.