 The idea for the episode came from Matt Groening , who had wanted to do an episode in which Mr. Burns was shot , which could be used as a publicity stunt . The writers decided to write the episode in two parts with a mystery that could be used in a contest . It was important for them to design a mystery that had clues , took advantage of freeze frame technology , and was structured around one character who seemed the obvious culprit . While deciding who the culprit was , Oakley and Weinstein pitched Barney Gumble because he was a character that could go to jail and it could change the dynamic of the show . Mirkin suggested Maggie because he felt it was funnier and wanted the culprit to be a Simpsons family member . Oakley and Weinstein were initially unsure about having Maggie as the culprit , and it was decided that the episode would end with Maggie shifting her eyes and making it look like it was not a complete accident . 
