Searching for clues was only part of the fun at the Murder Mystery fundraiser for Kelsey’s Place on Saturday, June 7.

Actors and actresses dressed up and acted out scenes leading up to a mock murder in an old white house, located on Second Avenue in Clanton.

The guests had the opportunity to tour the house and enjoy a dinner provided by Boomerang’s and Durbin Farms.

After dinner, the guests were led outside, where moderator Gary Henry explained how the evening’s events would unfold.

The mystery began as a scream was heard inside the building and a pool of fake blood was found in the staff’s headquarters.

Guests followed clues upstairs to find a body of a young woman (an actress), and then were encouraged to find clues around the house and talk to the characters in an effort to solve the mystery.

The suspects included Lord and Lady Westby (Tommy and Ann Glasscock), the newly-engaged Lady Lila Westby and Ambroise Hanes (Kristin and Kyle Mims), the housekeeper (Annette Row), and the butler (Barry Rowe), all of which the guests could interact with.

Interestingly, the characters were given clues to share but were not informed of the answer to the mystery ahead of time, so they were solving the mystery along with the guests.

The evening came to a close as the butler was revealed as the murderer, and the door prizes were given out.

In addition to providing a fun and intriguing evening for the guests, the fundraiser helped Kelsey’s Place raise $1,750.

Kelsey’s Place is a non-profit organization in Clanton that is dedicated to helping people overcome obstacles with employment through lessons in writing resumes, filling out job applications, searching for jobs and much more.

Owner Renee Smith said that the money would go toward purchasing a printer, updating some office equipment and paying for routine expenses.

“By all accounts, the murder mystery was a big success,” Smith said. “Kelsey’s Place plans to make this an annual event.”

Several local businesses contributed to the success of the fundraiser by providing Kelsey’s Place with help or items of use.

“I just want to say thank you to everyone that helped out,” Smith said. “The actors and actresses, those that provided food and door prizes or anything else, and especially everyone that came out and participated.”

For more information on Kelsey’s Place, call 205-755-7101 or e-mail kelseysplace950@gmail.com.