Legacy of Blood (1978)

Set in an indeterminate year in the early 20th century in New England, sisters Margaret (Elaine Boies) and Mary Lennox (Marilee Troncone) reside on Hanley Island as caretakers of the Hanley family home. The mansion has been unoccupied since the deaths of Mr. and Mrs. Hanley. The sisters are also custodians of their mentally disabled brother, Carl Lennox (Chris Broderick), who has violent outbursts.

Meanwhile, in Boston, Massachusetts, Regina Hanley (Dale Hansen) and her husband, James Jimmy Smith (Joe Downing), receive a letter from lawyer Samuel Schaeffer (Martin Reymert) regarding the estate of Regina's deceased father, John Hanley. Short on monetary funds, Regina reluctantly agrees to borrow money from James' mother to visit her sisters so they can review their inheritance. The eldest Hanley sister, Jennifer (Louise Gallandra), is married to the wealthy Robert Burke (Stanley Schwartz), while the middle child, Louise (Jeannie Cusick), and her husband, John Halverson (Peter Barcia), have a comfortable life in New York City with their seven-year-old daughter, Charlotte (Lynn Snyder). Louise is excited to see her sisters again and invites them to stay at her home for the reading of the will. The night before leaving for New York, Regina tells James of her fear about the trip, explaining that she has premonitions. Regina does not want to go, but James reminds her there is a large inheritance at stake, and they need the money. Upon arriving in New York, the sisters spend the day together without their husbands. At lunch at a local restaurant, the sisters reminisce about their strange father, and recall that they rarely saw him. They lament that even their own late mother did not understand John. Later that day, Louise takes her sisters to visit Baba (Bob Elia), a psychic and spiritual advisor. When Louise asks Baba about their upcoming trip to Hanley Island, Baba warns that one of them will not return. The psychics protege, Eena (Lisa Boies), becomes agitated while chanting and tries to prevent the sisters from leaving. However, Baba demands the sisters leave immediately. Back on Hanley Island, Margaret and Mary discuss spending their whole lives serving the Hanley family and hope to receive compensation from the estate. The next day in New York, the lawyer, Schaeffer, reads a letter from John Hanley addressed to the sisters and their husbands. John confesses that he despised their mother and includes his daughters husbands in the will, claiming that any man who puts up with his wife's children deserves a share of the Hanley fortune. John's letter instructs the couples to spend three days on Hanley Island before they can hear his bequest. In case of any unforeseen events, the eldest heir must re-distribute his bequest according to her wishes. The next day, the three couples arrive on the island. On the way to the house, Mary discovers that her brother, Carl, has killed his pet rabbit, and she rushes to bury the creature to calm him. Inside the house, Louise and Jennifer wonder about their parents' secrets. They feel sorry that Mary and Margaret have spent their whole lives catering to their mother. After dinner, Carl has a violent outburst and Mary rushes him upstairs, assuring Robert that the boy is not dangerous. In Jennifer and Robert's room, Robert complains there is no telephone or any other means of communication with the mainland. Margaret brings Jennifer and James an oil lamp for their room. When Regina turns down the bed linens, she finds Carl's disemboweled pet rabbit with a note attached, warning: 'Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit. 'Regina later complains that she deserves a greater share of the inheritance, because she is the poorest sister. James hears a strange noise at the door and goes to check, finding a bloody red X on their door. James tells Regina to stay in their room so he can investigate, then searches the basement and encounters an unseen person whom he recognizes. Moments later, Regina peeks out of her room and finds John hanging in the stairwell, dead. The next day, Mary mentions to Margaret that she buried Carl's dead rabbit, and does not know how it ended up in Regina's bed. Margaret replies that she kept Carl tied up in his room all night, so he could not have killed James. After lunch, Margaret asks Robert to collect wood. Later, in the basement, Robert sorts through the wood in the basement and finds a piece marked with a bloody X. Suddenly, a strange figure attacks, ties him down, and saws him in half. Later that evening, as dinner approaches, Jennifer wonders why Robert has not returned. Sitting down to eat, Mary brings in a covered pan. She opens it to reveal Regina's decapitated head. Later, Louise and Jennifer weep uncontrollably as John attempts to calm them. John searches for Robert in the basement, where he finds a photograph dated 1880, signed: To my favorite daughter M. H., Love J. H. As he heads upstairs, a mysterious figure viciously kills him with a pitchfork. Later, Mary looks for Carl and finds him trying to hide the photograph. Mary reads the signature and realizes M. H. stands for Margaret, her sister. Margaret suddenly appears and slashes Mary with a butcher knife. Carl runs for his life. Elsewhere, Louise and Jennifer hear the commotion and rush out of their room. Carl runs inside and knocks over an oil lamp. As Louise and Jennifer run away from the fire, they confront Margaret, who threatens them with a butcher knife and explains that she is their half sister from another mother. Louise and Jennifer's mother abused Margaret throughout her entire life. The elder Mrs. Hanley recruited Mary and Carl to cover up Margaret's true paternity. Plotting revenge, Margaret intends to pin all of the murders on Carl; then plans to kill him in self-defense after she murders Louise and Jennifer. However, Carl grabs Margaret, causing her to tumble down the stairs. The butcher knife flies out of her hands and lands in her head, killing her. Louise and Jennifer are the only survivors of the massacre.