1001 Radio Crime Solvers: THE BIG TRUNK and THE BIG CUT (Dragnet) Episode Date: January 7, 2026
Host: Jon Hagadorn

Episode Overview

This episode of “1001 Radio Crime Solvers” features back-to-back classic Dragnet radio stories: “The Big Trunk” and “The Big Cut.” Both are procedurals told in the signature, sober Dragnet style, following Sergeant Joe Friday and his partner Frank Smith as they investigate crimes in postwar Los Angeles. The first story, "The Big Trunk," centers on the mysterious disappearance—and murder—of a woman named Josephine Allen. The second, "The Big Cut," is a jewelry-store burglary case cracked through patient detective work and forensic clues.

Listeners experience two intricate cases that showcase the doggedness of radio’s quintessential detectives, methods of mid-century police investigation, and multiple twists involving suspects, evidence, and old-fashioned interrogation.

Case One: The Big Trunk (00:00 – 24:37)

Main Investigation

• Opening Scene:

  • Joe Friday and Frank Smith are called to the home of Mrs. Harrison, who reports her neighbor, Josephine Allen, missing (02:00).
  • The detectives establish Josephine recently divorced and had numerous male acquaintances, including David Lansing, who wanted to marry her.
  • Mrs. Harrison hints at ongoing jealousy and “fights so loud I could hear them all the way over here” between Josephine and Lansing (04:43).

• The Crime Scene:

  • Detectives find Josephine’s house undisturbed—meals set for two, food untouched, no signs of a struggle (05:21).
  • In the garage, they discover a trunk prepared for shipping, labeled to David Lansing. Inside: Josephine’s body (06:14).
  • Quote: “We know where she is. Yeah. Let’s find out who put her there.” (06:31)

• Suspect Tracing:

  • Lansing’s arrest record and potential motive are established; he’s not home but identified by his landlady and tracked via his roommate (07:00–09:04).
  • Roommate Mark Gilson describes Lansing’s jealousy, drinking, and mental state: “It takes him a while to make up his mind about what to do. But once he decides, there’s not anything to stop him.” (09:00)

• Evidence Review:

  • Handwriting samples are taken since the label on the trunk is a key clue (10:15).
  • Rope knots on the trunk are of the type “generally used by seamen” (10:38).

• Detective Work and False Leads:

  • Dody Fredericks, Lansing’s ex, reveals Lansing borrowed $30 and claimed he was leaving for San Francisco after Josephine’s disappearance (11:26–13:07).
  • Coroner confirms time of death was Friday night.
  • Lansing is found, arrested for drunk, and interrogated. He vehemently denies involvement (15:00–16:00).
  • Handwriting analysis exonerates him: “Kind of looks like we might have the wrong man.” (16:23)

• The Real Killer—Jordan Allen:

  • Josephine’s ex-husband, Jordan Allen, marine background, is interviewed. Under pressure, he confesses:
    • He hoped for reconciliation, but when Josephine confirmed her intent to marry Lansing, “There wasn’t anything else I could do.”
    • He admits mailing the trunk to Lansing to “get rid of it or have him take the rap for it.” (23:00–24:20)
  • Quote:
    • Allen: “The big thing is that you know I really loved her. You gotta believe that I did love her.”
    • Friday: “Yeah, you had a funny way of showing it, didn’t you?” (24:27)

• Case Resolution:

  • Jordan Allen is tried and convicted of second-degree murder.
  • Narrator: “On November 18, trial was held... Jordan Keith Allen was tried and convicted of murder in the second degree... punished by imprisonment from five years to life.”

Case Two: The Big Cut (24:37 – End)

Main Investigation

• Burglary Discovery:

  • A jewelry store, owned by Ray Hemp, is broken into through a hole in the wall from the adjacent barber shop. Nearly all valuables taken (24:37–25:30).
  • Key forensic clue: stocking footprint with blood, suggesting the thief worked barefoot and cut his foot on a broken skylight (27:00–28:30).
    • Quote: “Looks like it could be blood. Possibly. Might have cut his foot. What do you think?”
  • Crime lab says socks from suspect would tie in with blood and plaster.

• Initial Leads and Informants:

  • Sgt. Friday and Smith get a tip from Frederick Garth, a small-time crook recently arrested, about a man selling a stolen watch (31:00–32:10).
  • Victor Gordon, ex-con, admits to buying the watch but claims innocence about the theft. A gun found in his room gets him booked for another violation (33:10).
  • Gordon says he got the watch from “Kermit,” whose description leads detectives to Kermit Wayne.

• The Break in the Case:

  • Wayne is identified by his girlfriend and tracked via his car.
  • On surveillance, Wayne is picked up limping (a cut on his foot), matching the blood evidence at the scene (38:00–39:00).
  • In his girlfriend’s apartment, detectives find a suitcase full of stolen jewelry (40:00).

• Interrogation and Forensic Tie-In:

  • Despite initial denials, Wayne is confronted with evidence: blood in his socks, debris in his pants, photos from the scene.
  • Quote: “Sound like we’re bluffing? You want to tell us about it now?” (41:35)
  • Wayne finally confesses.

• Case Resolution:

  • Kermit J. Wayne is convicted of first-degree burglary: “punishable by imprisonment in the state penitentiary for a period of not less than five years.”
  • Victor Gordon found guilty of dangerous weapons law violation.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• About Motive and Love:

  • Allen: “Long as she’s gone... Big thing is that you know that I really loved her.” (24:20)
  • Friday (dryly): “Yeah, you had a funny way of showing it, didn’t you?”

• On Detective Work:

  • Gilson: “Takes him a while to make up his mind... but he’s always right. No, not always.”
  • Friday: “Looks like he missed this time.” (09:10)

• On Lucky Breaks:

  • Frank Smith (philosophizing while on stakeout): “Clocks that are broke—twice a day, they’re right. How’d you like to be right only twice a day?” (36:40)
  • Friday: “Wouldn’t be so good if you worked in a chicken hatchery, though.”

• Police Philosophy:

  • Friday, to suspect Wayne: “There’s something you should have learned real young. You wouldn’t be worrying about the breaks now.”
  • Wayne: “What’s that?”
  • Friday: “The Eighth Commandment.” (41:40) (Thou shalt not steal.)

Key Timestamps for Major Segments

• Start of Case One (The Big Trunk): 00:00

  • Harrison interview: 02:00–04:45
  • Discovery of trunk: 05:21–06:30
  • Lansing interrogation: 15:00–16:30
  • Jordan Allen’s confession: 23:00–24:20

• Start of Case Two (The Big Cut): 24:37

  • Burglary discovered: 24:40
  • Evidence collection (footprint/blood): 27:00–28:30
  • Interview with informant Garth: 31:00–32:10
  • Arrest of Wayne: 38:00–39:00
  • Confession confrontation: 41:00–41:40

Tone and Style

Dragnet’s tone is measured, restrained, and by-the-book:

• Dialogue is clipped and matter-of-fact.
• Expository narration by Friday is unwaveringly calm and clinical.
• The show avoids melodrama, emphasizing logical deduction, witness interviews, and physical evidence.
• Dark humor and low-key philosophy surface in Smith’s asides.

Conclusion

This episode exemplifies the “just the facts” police drama of Dragnet—painstaking, methodical, and unglamorized. Both cases are resolved through careful evidence-gathering, unwavering pursuit, and logical deduction, supported by the iconic calm of Sgt. Friday and the soft wit of Frank Smith. The Dragnet template endures as a touchstone of the detective genre, with stories rooted in the real police files, offering satisfying closure for even the toughest cases.

For listeners who appreciate golden-age detective radio, this double-feature Dragnet delivers two tightly conducted mysteries, sharp dialogue, and the enduring appeal of "just the facts, ma'am."