Podcast Summary: "This is Your FBI – The Innocent Killer" (01/11/1946)

Podcast: Choice Classic Radio Detectives | Old Time Radio
Episode Date: November 30, 2025
Original Air Date: January 11, 1946
Main Cast: Choice Classic Radio
Episode Title: The Innocent Killer

Overview

This suspenseful episode from "This is Your FBI" dramatizes a case from the FBI’s Alaskan files about a murder pinned on an innocent man by circumstance and clever manipulation. Set against the stark, isolated backdrop of rural Alaska, the story exposes how easy it is for the guilty to exploit circumstantial evidence and how determined investigation is critical to true justice. The narrative follows a murder investigation that evolves into a tale of deception, greed, and escape, culminating in a classic Golden Age radio resolution.

Key Discussion Points and Plot Breakdown

1. The Setting and Crime Unfold:

• (03:44 - 06:34)
  • The episode establishes the dangers of relying on circumstantial evidence.
  • In a remote Alaskan village, Nan Miller mans a trading post as a blizzard howls. Kurt Williams arrives, interrogates her about the government assayer’s murder in Fairbanks, growing tense when she mentions the suspect matches his description: "He was wearing a red and black mackinaw, just like the one you got on." (06:23, Nan Miller)
  • Nan attempts to defuse the situation with calm, offering tea, while implying to Kurt that she expects to take some action.

2. FBI Investigation Begins:

• (07:04 - 08:46)
  • Special Agent Rankin and Marshal Henderson arrive in Fairbanks. They analyze the crime scene, rule out robbery, and note signs of struggle.
  • A suspect, Uncle Andy, is linked due to previous threats but appears a dubious fit.
  • Key insight: The investigation remains professional and focused on facts, not assumptions—"We're not overlooking any angle. Marshall, let's run them all down." (08:22, Marshal Henderson)

3. Back at the Trading Post:

• (08:46 - 10:14)
  • Nan and Kurt share a tense dialogue, each revealing frustrations and desperation. Nan leverages Kurt’s predicament to pressure him into taking her with him when he flees: "You're getting me out of here and back to the States." (09:59, Nan Miller)
  • Uncle Andy, a drunken prospector with a history of quarrels with the victim, arrives, further complicating the situation.

4. Shifting Suspicion and Conspiracy:

• (12:17 - 15:03)
  • Uncle Andy boasts about his wealth kept in the trading post’s safe; Kurt sees him as their "passport" to escape, planning to exploit Andy’s nest egg.
  • The relationship dynamics between Nan, Kurt, and Andy portray a web of opportunism and mistrust.

5. The Frame-Up and Its Consequences:

• (18:16 - 20:22)
  • The murder of Uncle Andy is staged to look like self-defense by Nan; she tearfully recounts (falsely) to the authorities that Andy, drunk and armed, tried to shoot her, leading to his death during a struggle.

6. Investigation Breaks Down the Deception:

• (22:49 - 24:08)
  • Special Agent Rankin and Marshal Henderson begin questioning Mrs. Miller’s story. Forensic inconsistencies emerge: no powder burns on Andy's coat, multiple unidentified fingerprints on the liquor bottle, and witnesses confirm Andy wasn't seen with a pistol.
  • They suspect Nan and an unknown man (later confirmed as Kurt) conspired in the murders and theft.

7. The Escape and Final Pursuit:

• (24:28 - 27:18)
  • Nan and Kurt attempt to escape by train with the stolen money, arguing over terms of their partnership.
  • The FBI picks up their trail through clues left on the red and black mackinaw.
  • Notable moment: The link is made via a hotel envelope found in the coat, tying Kurt back to his hotel and revealing his identity.

8. Resolution:

• (27:31 - 28:19)
  • Marshals confront the fugitives at the hotel, stating: “The red and black mackinaw that you used to make Uncle Andy appear guilty established your own guilt." (27:48, Marshal Henderson)
  • Both are arrested: Kurt is convicted of first-degree murder; Nan receives a lengthy sentence as an accomplice.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• FBI’s Philosophy:
  "Your FBI… takes nothing for granted, suspects all evidence until proven valid, and never jumps at conclusions."
  —Narrator (03:44)

• Revealing Tension:
  "You are the guy the marshal's looking for?"
  "That's right."
  —Nan Miller & Kurt Williams (09:22–09:26)

• Nan’s Manipulation:
  "You're getting me out of here and back to the States."
  —Nan Miller (09:59)

• Cynicism About Justice:
  "Occasionally justice comes too late to fully spare an innocent person... But the truly guilty will not escape justice."
  —Narrator (28:19)

• Investigative Insight:
  "I wonder if you'd go out and get Mrs. Miller and bring her in here for further questioning. Meantime, I'm going to try and find out who belongs to that third set of fingerprints."
  —Marshal Henderson (24:01–24:08)

• The Clue That Broke the Case:
  "The red and black mackinaw that you used to make Uncle Andy appear guilty established your own guilt. I found a hotel envelope that had slipped down in the lining of that coat."
  —Marshal Henderson (27:48)

Important Timestamps

• 03:44 – Introduction to the FBI’s cautious investigative philosophy
• 06:22 – Nan describes the suspect as "a fellow about your size…wearing a red and black mackinaw"
• 08:22 – FBI refuses to overlook any possible angle
• 09:59 – Nan coerces Kurt into taking her with him
• 14:43 – Andy declares his money is in John Miller’s safe: "$5,000 if he's holding a nickel"
• 18:55 – Nan recounts (fabricated) shooting of Uncle Andy to agents
• 23:40 – Bottled evidence reveals a third person's fingerprints
• 27:48 – FBI links the coat directly to Kurt’s guilt

Tone and Style

The episode's tone is classic radio noir: terse, suspenseful, and steeped in moral ambiguity. Characters speak in hard-boiled, clipped dialogue, and the narrative voice delivers sober lessons about the fallibility of justice and the necessity for vigilance and reasoned investigation.

Conclusion

"The Innocent Killer" offers a thrilling window into both historical law enforcement storytelling and the enduring dangers of circumstantial evidence. The plot’s twists underscore the importance of rigorous investigation as embodied by the FBI agents, whose commitment to truth ultimately ensures that justice catches up with the guilty, even when initial appearances deceive. The episode delivers both entertainment and a subtle cautionary tale about the limits of coincidence and the power of careful detective work.