The first of fourteen bookend episodes, mostly seen during later seasons. Jessica tells us about her book and is only the narrator. You can see her at the beginning and at the end of the show, and a couple of times in between.
Four of the actors all guest starred on The Golden Girls (1985) in important roles. Herb Edelman (Stan - Dorothy's ex-husband), George Grizzard (Blanche's husband George), Scott Jacoby (Dorothy and Stan's son Michael), and Dinah Manoff ( as next door neighbor Carol - which lead to spinoff Empty Nest (1988).)
The plot for this episode is very similar to the plot for Perry Mason (1957), The Case of the Cheating Chancellor (1965), including the use of phone call information/tracking to trap the murderer, an angered professor that wants to be credited in for his contributions to a publication, a student demonstration, and other parallels.
In addition to four cast members in this episode, also appearing on The Golden Girls (1985), there is a connection to Liberace. Liberace was a huge fan of The Golden Girls, as he was dying of AIDS, and this episode, featuring four actors who appeared on that show, was the first episode of Murder, She Wrote (1984) to air after Liberace died. It aired on television four days after his death, to be exact.