Wendy Stroud was a midwife who was critical in Adrian Monk solving the murder of his wife, Trudy.
Biography[]
She was the first midwife Dr. Nash hired, and had never shown up late for work. On January 23, 1983, Wendy assisted Trudy Monk in the delivery of her daughter with Ethan Rickover. Although the baby was healthy, she had been conceived in an affair that Rickover had to conceal, so he made Trudy believe the child had died shortly after birth. He presumably bribed Wendy to say the same, and she set the baby girl up for adoption, claiming to have found her by a playground.
Over the next few years Wendy became accustomed by unknown means to Christianity.
Fourteen years later, Rickover was being nominated for judge. Wendy discovered this and deciding she could no longer lie, told him she was going to confess the truth about the affair and Trudy's baby. Rickover then killed Wendy and buried her body in his backyard by a sundial. Overzealous to ensure Wendy did not tell Trudy the truth, he proceeded to kill Trudy as well so there would be no connection between them. He pulled it off successfully and it remained hidden for twelve years.
However, when Rickover later had to kill Dr. Nash when he found the birth records of Trudy's daughter, Trudy's husband, detective Adrian Monk, eventually put the pieces together by a video Trudy made for him before her death. He makes Rickover dig up Wendy's remains (which he marked by the sundial next to a big tree). Rickover commits suicide to avoid prison for three murders, but his last words and a newspaper about Wendy "finding" a baby girl, Monk realizes Trudy's daughter Molly is alive.
Trivia[]
- Her good intentions to reveal Molly's existence ultimately lead not only to her own death, but the death of Trudy Monk, an event which caused Adrian to suffer a nervous breakdown and worsen his bizarre habits due to the love of his life not being there to comfort him.
- In another view it also shows Wendy's sheer stupidity at not considering the consequences; completely ignoring that someone powerful as Rickover would retaliate.
- Ultimately, Wendy is the one who (indirectly) caused Adrian over a decade of misery, although the direct person responsible for Adrian's grief is none other than Trudy's true killer, Ethan Rickover.