Laura Corning (Kim Johnston Ulrich) is one of the main villainesses from "The Marriage Counselor," episode 6.05 of Matlock (airdate November 8, 1991). She is one of the patients of noted marriage counselor Harding Fletcher.
Laura appeared early in the episode after Fletcher's session with Ginnie Morell and her husband, Joe, and it was there that she told Fletcher she was having a crisis, and needed his help. She then walked over to him, and they romantically embraced each other, revealing themselves as an adulterous couple. Laura and Fletcher continued their latest dalliance at the former's home, which she shared with her husband, Allan Corning. Allan's appearance led to Laura sending Fletcher away, but even after he was gone, Allan learned about the affair and confronted Fletcher.
Meanwhile, the evil Laura later colluded with not only Ginnie, but another of Fletcher's mistresses, Claudette Hertz, to kill Fletcher and steal his documentation of his affairs, which had each of them mentioned. The villainous trio killed Fletcher with gunshots, with each woman firing a single one leading to his death. Afterwards, the villainesses removed the safe and took the documents, with the safe being left in Claudette's home. Allan ended up charged with the murder, and even with that, Laura continued hiding her own role while embracing her husband later in the episode.
Laura's alibi had her (along with Claudette and Ginnie) at the Wives Only seminar, but it was revealed to be an alibi that Laura cooked up to cover for herself and her cohorts. Ben Matlock revealed the entire scheme while cross-examining Claudette, leaving Laura and Ginnie only to watch as their plan was falling apart. Claudette's off-screen confession to the group's actions led to Laura being arrested (off-screen), along with her cohorts, for Fletcher's murder.
Trivia[]
- Kim Johnston Ulrich later played evil scientist Antoinette Baines on Lois & Clark's pilot episode, and also played villainous conspirator Janine Vogel on Diagnosis Murder.