Sophie Townsend (Joan Severance) is a hidden villainess from "Money Plane," episode 3.17 of CSI: Miami (airdate March 7, 2005). She is the mother of socialite Caitlyn Townsend, who was found dead after a private cargo jet crashed.
Caitlyn had been running a charity for runaway girls, but as revealed later on, Sophie turned heel at some point by looting from her daughter's charity. As part of her heel turn and embezzlement, the evil Sophie had Heidi Dillon forge Caitlyn's signature onto checks that were intended for Caitlyn's charity, and later turned the checks into cash, which would be deposited into the Pummelo Corporation, Sophie's account in Charleston, South Carolina.
Calleigh Duquesne and FBI Agent Peter Elliott discovered Sophie's embezzlement, and made the connection due to the fact that Sophie's family made millions in the Florida citrus industry. In her confrontation with Calleigh and Horatio Caine, Sophie defended her actions, stating that she had to live up to the family name after a citrus freeze left her flat broke. In response to Horatio's question regarding Caitlyn's murder, Sophie denied killing her daughter. Though Sophie's denial about Caitlyn turned out to be true, it can be assumed that she was arrested for embezzlement.
Trivia[]
- Joan Severance is best known for playing villainess Eve in See No Evil, Hear No Evil. She also appeared as the villainous Jane Ambergris on The Hitchhiker, and later appeared in the 2007 horror film, Born, as the evil Dr. Sammael.