An egotistical but successful star of a TV detective show murders his blackmailing producer, and makes it look like a stickup robbery. Lt. Columbo dismantles his seemingly solid alibi.
The curator of a family-run museum murders her brother when he threatens to dissolve the financially strapped institution, and makes it look like the museum's guard, who she also kills, is the culprit. Lt. Columbo is on the case.
A high IQ Sigma Society member murders his business partner and fellow society member when he threatens to expose him as an embezzler, while engineering a seemingly foolproof alibi. Lt. Columbo outsmarts the genius.