Robert van Scoyk

Robert Van Scoyk, best known for writing and producing TV mystery shows, left his native Ohio for New York to attend Columbia University and NYU, and got his start working as a page at NBC. Van Scoyk began writing in the late 1950s, penning episodes of "The Imogene Coca Show," "Kraft Theater," and "The Ann Sothern Show." When he was hired to write for the first 90-minute Western series, "The Virginian," he moved to Los Angeles, where he would live for the rest of his life. After many stints writing for various dramas and mysteries, like "Banacek," "Ellery Queen," and "Columbo," Van Scoyk was hired to write and produce the series "Murder, She Wrote," which became enormously popular and enjoyed a 12-year run, with Van Scoyk involved for the entire life of the series. He was the executive story editor for much of his time on the show, though he also wrote 25 episodes. Van Scoyk died in Los Angeles in 2002 at the age of 74, due to complications from diabetes.