Murder and mayhem was the theme Saturday night as Peach Brandy Cottage opened its doors for a presentation of The Curse of the Hopeless Diamond.

South Carolina theater group “The Show Offs” kept the audience laughing and wondering who killed Reginald Potter, owner of the infamously cursed Potter Diamond.

With a hilarious cast of characters, including “four of the world’s most famous detectives,” the show offered an evening of clues and audience participation, including a Vegas style showgirl routine with some of Dawson County’s finest men dancers.

Proceeds from the mystery dinner theater benefit the cash-strapped Dawson County Humane Society, which has began an aggressive fundraising campaign.

County budget cuts forced the shelter to tighten its belt and make drastic reductions in services over the the last few months.

“We think this mystery dinner event is a great way to raise money for the shelter,” said shelter fundraising chair Virginia Matteson.

Matteson said society volunteers plan to raise about $85,000 to cover shelter expenses this year.

“That’s a lot of money to bring in from this small community,” she said, adding the shelter’s fundraising committee has now grown to about 22 volunteers.

“We’ve just brainstormed and came up with ideas.”

Several other events are planned for the next few months, including a golf tournament May 24, a poker run June 5 and a summer concert at Peach Brandy Cottage, featuring Butch and the Buckheads and Elvis tribute artist Damon Hendrix on June 11.

“The puppies and kitties need us,” Matteson said Saturday night as she thanked supporters and the owners of Peach Brandy Cottage, Caroline Christie and Alan Metzel, who offered the facility free of charge for the fundraising event.

For more information on the shelter or the upcoming events, call (706) 265-9160.