The Bad Seed is a 1985 American made-for-television horror film directed by Paul Wendkos for ABC Television.

[1][2][3][4][5] In the film, freak fatal accidents force a widow to realize her precocious 9-year-old daughter was born to kill.

Rachel Penmark is a young girl who is upset at not winning a penmanship medal at school, having lost to her classmate Mark Daigler.

During a school trip to the beach, Rachel tries to get Mark to give her the medal, he refuses and she chases him onto a fishing pier.

When he is found, unsuccessful attempts are made to revive him on the shore near the pier, and the death is ruled as an accidental drowning.

Emory mentions the name and case of serial killer, Bessie Danker; Christine's father, Richard Bravo, had worked on the story years earlier and the name seems to resonate with her.

Rachel is outside playing when the maintenance man, Leroy Jessup, teases Rachael that she does not seem sorry about Mark's death, to which she replies, "Why should I feel sorry?

Ms. Fern says that Rachel may finish out the remainder of the current school term, but that she will not be welcomed back next semester due to concerns about her behavior.

The next day, Richard confirms that the details of Christine's recurring nightmare are actually true memories, and they adopted her after Bessie was arrested.

Christine attempts a murder-suicide by giving Rachel an overdose of sleeping pills, and shooting herself with a revolver.