Dragnet: The Big Casing (EP4758)

Summary

The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio | Daily Mystery Dramas

Episode Summary: Dragnet: The Big Casing (EP4758)

Release Date: July 17, 2025
Host: Adam Graham
Detective Team: Joe Friday and Ben Romero

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Overview

In this captivating episode of Dragnet, titled "The Big Casing," listeners are transported back to March 3, 1951, in Los Angeles, where Detective Joe Friday and his partner Ben Romero tackle a seemingly straightforward case that unravels into a complex investigation. This summary delves into the key points, discussions, insights, and conclusions presented throughout the episode.

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The Case: Marie Robertson's Death

The episode begins with Sergeant Joe Friday introducing the case:

Joe Friday [02:06]: "The story you are about to hear is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent."

Marie Robertson is found dead, having been shot through the right temple with a .45 automatic pistol. Her husband, Andrew Robertson, claims it was a suicide, but initial evidence points towards murder.

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Investigation Process

Detective Friday and Romero arrive at the Kelsey Apartment Hotel, apartment 112, to investigate the scene.

Joe Friday [03:21]: "The facts show it to be murder. Your job, find out."

Upon arrival, they find Marie standing in the doorway, which quickly turns tragic as she pulls a gun to her head and fires. Despite Friday's efforts to intervene, Marie succumbs to her injuries.

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Key Evidence and Findings

The investigation reveals several inconsistencies:

1. Empty Cartridge Casing:

   • Ted Carlton [04:27]: "Empty cartridge casing here on the floor."
   • The location of the casing in the living room contradicts the supposed position of suicide in the kitchen.

2. Neighbor Testimonies:

   • Neighbors testify to frequent and loud arguments between Marie and Andrew Robertson, suggesting a possible motive rooted in marital discord.

3. Marie’s Behavior:

   • Marie confides in neighbors about fearing her husband's temper, indicating potential threats:

     Marie Robertson [09:23]: "Andy gets so mad sometimes, I think he's going to kill me."

4. Forensic Analysis:

   • Lee Jones [20:50]: "We noticed this crimping is something entirely different."
   • The forensic team discovers unique markings on the cartridge casing that do not align with a suicide scenario.

5. Flour Traces:

   • Traces of flour found on the barrel of the gun and Marie’s hands suggest a struggle or movement inconsistent with her initial statement.

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Resolution and Exoneration

As evidence mounts, Detective Friday and Romero confront Andrew Robertson with the inconsistencies in his story. Despite his insistence on suicide, the forensic evidence, combined with neighbor testimonies and Marie’s own fears for her safety, lead to his exoneration.

Lee Jones [21:08]: "It matches."

The coroner's report confirms that Marie was shot from an extreme close range, reinforcing the murder theory over suicide. Ultimately, a hearing exonerates Andrew Robertson, clearing him of any involvement in his wife's death.

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Host Commentary and Insights

After the dramatization, Sam, the host, provides insightful analysis:

Sam [28:11]: "This episode has always been one that highlighted our hero's humanity and the fallibility of police officers."

Sam emphasizes the importance of not jumping to conclusions based on initial evidence and highlights how Detective Friday and Romero initially overlooked crucial forensic details. The episode serves as a reminder of the meticulous nature required in detective work and the value of forensic science in uncovering the truth.

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Listener Feedback and Additional Discussion

Sam also engages with listener comments, drawing parallels between classic radio dramas and modern adaptations, such as an Ironside TV episode mirroring the plot of Dragnet: The Big Casing. He reflects on his personal journey through various detective series, underscoring the enduring appeal of well-crafted mystery stories.

Sam: "Without Mathnet, I probably wouldn't be doing this podcast..."

Additionally, Sam addresses online reviews and listener surveys, reinforcing the podcast's commitment to delivering authentic and engaging old-time radio detective stories despite occasional critiques.

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Conclusion

"Dragnet: The Big Casing" serves as a compelling narrative that not only entertains but also educates listeners on the intricacies of criminal investigations. Through Joe Friday and Ben Romero's dedication, the episode underscores the importance of evidence-based conclusions and the humane aspects of detective work. Host Sam's commentary further enriches the listening experience by providing thoughtful reflections and fostering a connection with the audience.

For fans of classic detective stories and old-time radio dramas, this episode offers a perfect blend of suspense, character development, and procedural accuracy, making it a standout installment in the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio series.

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Notable Quotes

• Joe Friday [02:09]: "Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent."
• Marie Robertson [09:23]: "Andy gets so mad sometimes, I think he's going to kill me."
• Sam [28:11]: "This episode has always been one that highlighted our hero's humanity and the fallibility of police officers."

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Further Resources

For those intrigued by this episode, The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio offers a rich archive of classic mystery dramas. Subscribe via your favorite podcast app or visit greatdetectives.net to explore more episodes and support the show.

Transcript

[Adam Graham]

Sam.

[Sam]

Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This is your host, Adam Graham. In a moment, we're going to bring you this week's episode of Dragnet. But first I want to encourage you, if you're enjoying the podcast, to please follow us using your favorite podcast software. And if you're enjoying the podcast on YouTube, be sure to like the video, subscribe to the channel and mark the notification bell. All those great things that help YouTube channels to grow. Today's program is also brought to you in part by the financial support of our listeners. You can support the show on a one time basis by mailing a donation to Adam Graham, P.O. box 15913. That's P.O. box 15913, Boise, ID 83715. I want to thank John and Joy and Carol for supporting the program. That way you can also become one of our ongoing Patreon supporters for as little as $2 per month by going to patreon.greatdetectives.net and I want to go ahead and thank our latest Patreon supporters. And I want to thank T. Tom and Pam, all coming on board at the psalmist level of $4 or more per month. Thank you so much for your support. Well, now from May 3, 1951, it's the big case scene.

[Joe Friday]

The story you are about to hear is true.

[Ben Romero]

Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent.

[Joe Friday]

You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned a homicide detail. You go to an apartment house in.

[Ben Romero]

Answer to a shooting and dead body.

[Joe Friday]

Call her husband tells you it's suicide.

[Ben Romero]

The facts show it to be murder. Your job, Find out.

[Narrator]

Dragnet the documented drama of an actual crime. For the next 30 minutes in cooperation with the Los Angeles Police Department, you will travel step by step on the side of the law through an actual case transcribed from official police files. From beginning to end, from crime to punishment, Dragnet is the story of your police force in action.

[Andrew Robertson]

It was Sunday, March 9th. It was windy in Los Angeles. We were working the day.

[Ted Carlton]

Watch out.

[Andrew Robertson]

A homicide detail. My partner's Ben Romero. The boss is Thad Brown, Chief of detectives. My name's Friday. It was 4:35pm when we got to the first floor of the Kelsey Apartment Hotel, apartment 112.

[Lee Jones]

Hi, Joe.

[Adam Graham]

Ben.

[Lee Jones]

Hi, Harry.

[Adam Graham]

How are you?

[Ted Carlton]

What have you got here?

[Lee Jones]

A woman's dead.

[Marie Robertson]

Shot through the right temple with a.45 automatic.

[Lee Jones]

Husband claims it's suicide.

[Andrew Robertson]

What's the name?

[Marie Robertson]

Mr. And Mrs. Andrew Robertson.

[Lee Jones]

Wife's name was Marie.

[Marie Robertson]

That's Mr. Robertson?

[Adam Graham]

Right over here.

[Andrew Robertson]

Has the crime lab been called? About 10 minutes ago.

[Adam Graham]

Fine.

[Marie Robertson]

Mr. Robertson, this is Sergeant Romero. Sergeant Friday.

[Joe Friday]

How do you do?

[Andrew Robertson]

How are you, sir?

[Ted Carlton]

Have you questioned Mr. Robertson?

[Marie Robertson]

No, not yet.

[Andrew Robertson]

Mr. Robertson, do you want to tell us what happened here?

[Joe Friday]

I'd just gotten back from the corner grocery store. My wife and I had a little argument going. It started before I left for the store and it was still on when I got back.

[Andrew Robertson]

I see.

[Joe Friday]

She was fixing chicken fried steaks for dinner. Putting a flour on them. We had a few more words and I went over and sat on the davenport right where I am now. She was standing there in the doorway to the kitchen. She said something that set me off and I guess I got pretty mad and said a few things. Then she went back over to that little nightstand there by the door to the kitchen.

[Ted Carlton]

That one right there?

[Joe Friday]

Yeah, that's it. That's where I keep my army automatic. She pulled it out of the drawer and backed up into the kitchen. She put the gun to her head and said, this will put an end to the argument once and for all. I yelled at her and tried to stop her, but I was too late. She pulled the trigger and fell right.

[Andrew Robertson]

There where she is. What'd you do then?

[Joe Friday]

I went upstairs to Ted Carlton's place. He lives in 212, right above us. We don't have a phone here. I asked him to call the police and send for an ambulance.

[Ted Carlton]

Did you go over to see how badly your wife was shot?

[Joe Friday]

Yeah. I forgot to tell you. The minute she fired, I rushed right over to her, but I was too late.

[Andrew Robertson]

She was dead now. Did you touch anything in here, move anything at all?

[Joe Friday]

No, sir, not a thing. I've been sitting here ever since I got back down from Ted's room upstairs.

[Andrew Robertson]

I see.

[Adam Graham]

Joe? Yeah?

[Ted Carlton]

Empty cartridge casing here on the floor.

[Adam Graham]

Yeah.

[Andrew Robertson]

When Jones gets here, we'll measure the distance. Just a minute. We can put this saucer over till the crime lab gets here.

[Lee Jones]

All right, Riley. All right.

[Joe Friday]

Crime lab's here. Friday, Lee Jones.

[Andrew Robertson]

Oh, hi, Lee.

[Lee Jones]

Hello, Joe Baynard.

[Adam Graham]

Hi. Lee Fremont.

[Andrew Robertson]

Would you mind taking Mr. Robertson downtown? We'll be right down as soon as we finish up here.

[Lee Jones]

Right, Joe.

[Ted Carlton]

See you later.

[Andrew Robertson]

Thanks a lot, Harry.

[Marie Robertson]

Let's go.

[Lee Jones]

What do we got here?

[Ted Carlton]

Shot through the right temple. Husband claimed suicide.

[Lee Jones]

What's under the saucer?

[Ted Carlton]

Empty casing.

[Lee Jones]

Looks like she was flouring meat, huh?

[Andrew Robertson]

That's what the husband says. Yeah.

[Lee Jones]

It's probably what that is in the barrel of the automatic there.

[Ted Carlton]

Yeah, we noticed that.

[Lee Jones]

Wastebasket sure full, isn't it?

[Adam Graham]

Yeah.

[Lee Jones]

Right tempo, huh? 45 automatic.

[Adam Graham]

Yeah.

[Lee Jones]

If she shot herself in the kitchen, how do you figure the empty casing got out there in the living room? Position of the body doesn't want. That'll be Ed McGill, the photographer coming Friday.

[Adam Graham]

How are you, Ed?

[Marie Robertson]

Well, what you want to shoot?

[Lee Jones]

Why don't you get an overall of the room first and grab one in the kitchen there.

[Adam Graham]

All right.

[Andrew Robertson]

Wait till I get that saucer off the casing, Ed.

[Adam Graham]

Okay. Right.

[Lee Jones]

Mary, you want to move over there, Lou?

[Ted Carlton]

Oh, yeah, thanks.

[Adam Graham]

All right.

[Marie Robertson]

Now, you want the kitchen.

[Lee Jones]

Right from where you are now is good. We can get out of your way here.

[Marie Robertson]

Okay, this is fine.

[Lee Jones]

Now, right over the body. Better get that chair to stand up.

[Ted Carlton]

Oh, yeah.

[Adam Graham]

Here you are.

[Marie Robertson]

Not much room to work in here.

[Lee Jones]

Can you get it all in there?

[Adam Graham]

Yeah, I think so.

[Lee Jones]

Use the wastebasket as your outside line here and kitchen sink on the other side. Can't get the sink in.

[Marie Robertson]

Will you settle for the wastebasket only?

[Lee Jones]

Fine. Just use that as your right hand sideline, huh?

[Adam Graham]

Okay.

[Andrew Robertson]

So while you fellas finish up in here, we're gonna run upstairs in a minute.

[Adam Graham]

Okay, Joe, come on.

[Ted Carlton]

Where do you want to go first? 212.

[Andrew Robertson]

Well, that's this Ted Carlton Robertson mentioned in it.

[Ted Carlton]

Yeah, the fellow who's supposed to have called in for him.

[Adam Graham]

All right.

[Andrew Robertson]

There it is, right at the head of the stairs.

[Adam Graham]

Yes?

[Ted Carlton]

Police officers. You're Mr. Carlton?

[Marie Robertson]

Yes, that's right.

[Adam Graham]

Come in. Thank you very much.

[Marie Robertson]

This is an awful thing, isn't it?

[Andrew Robertson]

Yes, sir. We understand that you're a friend of the Robertsons.

[Marie Robertson]

Yes, I am. Have you found out anything yet?

[Andrew Robertson]

You think Andy killed her?

[Ted Carlton]

We don't know. We haven't completed our investigation.

[Marie Robertson]

Oh, I see. I'll bet that's the way it was. I hate to say that, but from all indications, it certainly looks that way.

[Adam Graham]

How do you mean?

[Marie Robertson]

The argument, the shouting, then that single shot. I don't know, but it sure struck.

[Adam Graham]

Me that Andy did it.

[Ted Carlton]

When did the argument start? Was it prolonged?

[Adam Graham]

You know. What do you mean?

[Ted Carlton]

When did it start?

[Adam Graham]

What time?

[Ted Carlton]

You know, this one Today started about.

[Marie Robertson]

3:30 when Andy got back from the store. But they've been arguing ever since I've known him.

[Andrew Robertson]

And how long have you known them?

[Marie Robertson]

About two years. Those two never should have gotten married.

[Adam Graham]

To begin with, if I'm any judge.

[Ted Carlton]

Are you married?

[Marie Robertson]

No, sir, I'm not.

[Andrew Robertson]

Wonder if you could tell us, did Mrs. Robertson ever say anything that would lead you to believe that she was in fear of her life?

[Marie Robertson]

Well, yes, she did. One time, Andy stalked out of the apartment down there and Marie came up here to see me. She was in tears, all broken up about it, as usual during these spats.

[Adam Graham]

I see.

[Marie Robertson]

She said, I'll try to remember exactly how she put it. She said, andy gets so mad sometimes, I think he's going to kill me.

[Ted Carlton]

What did they usually argue about, do you know?

[Adam Graham]

All different things.

[Marie Robertson]

This particular time that I was telling you about, I think it was over as being late for dinner.

[Adam Graham]

I see.

[Andrew Robertson]

Now, aside from this one instance, is there anything else that you can tell us?

[Marie Robertson]

Well, Andy has a terrible temper that I know. We used to go out and bowl once in a while. Marie, Andy and myself, we had to stop every time he'd miss a spare. You'd think it was the end of the world.

[Andrew Robertson]

Would he usually seem to take it out on his wife?

[Marie Robertson]

Most of the time, yeah. Although I must say I caught it a few times myself. Abusive language. She really carried on over nothing at all.

[Ted Carlton]

Did Robertson leave his wife home alone much of the time?

[Marie Robertson]

No, not any more than usual. Seems like he always wanted to get home just so they could argue. Everybody in that far from the house knows about him.

[Andrew Robertson]

You said that Mrs. Robertson came up here after that one particular argument. Is that right? Yes, it is right. Well, did she come up here often?

[Marie Robertson]

No, not very often. Just when she was unusually upset and.

[Adam Graham]

Her nerves were on edge.

[Marie Robertson]

But only then when Andy would rush out mad.

[Andrew Robertson]

Well, do you know whether or not Robertson owns a gun? Yes, I believe he does.

[Marie Robertson]

Matter of fact, I know he does. One night we were having trouble with prowlers and he came up here with his automatic.

[Adam Graham]

I see.

[Marie Robertson]

Later on, I think I asked him where he got the gun. He said, from the army.

[Ted Carlton]

Is there anything else you can add, Mr. Gordon?

[Marie Robertson]

I was the one who called the police.

[Adam Graham]

You knew that?

[Ted Carlton]

That's what we understand.

[Marie Robertson]

Didn't Andy tell you? He came up here right after the shot and asked me to call the police for him.

[Adam Graham]

They don't have a phone.

[Andrew Robertson]

Well, exactly how did he tell you?

[Marie Robertson]

What do you mean?

[Andrew Robertson]

Well, what were his exact words? Can you remember them?

[Marie Robertson]

Well, he said, my wife shot. Call the police and get an ambulance, quick.

[Andrew Robertson]

What was your reaction to this?

[Marie Robertson]

I'd heard the shot, so I wasn't too surprised. But when Andy came running up here, I knew before he said a word. You could tell.

[Ted Carlton]

Just to look at him, you could tell what?

[Marie Robertson]

Something was wrong. I had a hunch all along that this might happen someday.

[Ted Carlton]

What's that?

[Marie Robertson]

That Andy would kill his wife.

[Andrew Robertson]

Ben and I continued questioning the various neighbors in the apartment building. Their stories all matched in every detail. The Robertsons had been known to argue quite frequently and quite loud. None of the neighbors could definitely say that they had ever heard Andrew Robertson threaten his wife. All of them volunteered it would be entirely possible. We put in a call to R and I. We found that there was no previous record on Andrew Robertson nor his wife, Marie. Before Lee Jones had finished his investigation, Layton fingerprint men had arrived and the men from the coroner's office were still standing by for removal of the body. We canvassed the neighborhood and checked with the various merchants in the area. They could shed no further light on the death of Marie Robertson. The coroner removed the body from apartment 112 and Lee Jones continued with his investigation. Ben and I returned downtown for further interrogation of the suspect.

[Joe Friday]

Everything I've told you is the truth.

[Ted Carlton]

Would you mind going over it just once more?

[Adam Graham]

All right.

[Joe Friday]

We had our quarrels and arguments and I guess some of them were pretty bad. But I never do a thing like this to Marie.

[Andrew Robertson]

Well, you don't seem very upset about all this, Robertson.

[Joe Friday]

I'm not crying, if that's what you mean. I'm sorry. She had to do it. Tried to stop her, but there was nothing I could do.

[Andrew Robertson]

You seem to be taking all this pretty well under the circumstances.

[Joe Friday]

I don't know if I can explain how I feel about it. You see, Marie and I weren't too happy the past couple of years. We've been married eight years and I guess from the start we never could hit it off.

[Ted Carlton]

Did you used to argue quite a bit?

[Joe Friday]

No, not at first, we didn't. Just seemed that we've drifted apart the last couple of years. Seem to fight all the time over nothing at all. I honestly believe we fell out of love.

[Andrew Robertson]

Would you mind telling us again exactly what happened this afternoon?

[Joe Friday]

First of all, I got up. I always liked to sleep on Sundays. She asked me to go to the store. That started the argument. She knows I don't like to go shopping, but it seemed like she was always forgetting something and I'd have to go. When I got back from the store, she was making chicken fried steaks for dinner. She was putting a flour on the meat. We argued back and forth for a minute and then she stepped into the living room. I went over and sat on the davenport.

[Adam Graham]

All right, go on.

[Joe Friday]

We had a few more words and she went over to the small nightstand by the kitchen door. And took out my army automatic that I kept in there. She backed up into the kitchen and pointed the gun at her head. Here, she said. This will end the argument once and for all. As I said, I was on the davenport about 12ft away from her.

[Adam Graham]

I yelled at her.

[Ted Carlton]

What did you say?

[Joe Friday]

I said, marie, put that gun down. It's loaded. Before I could reach her, she pulled the trigger.

[Adam Graham]

Then what'd you do?

[Joe Friday]

I rushed over to her, but it was too late.

[Andrew Robertson]

She was dead. What happened then?

[Joe Friday]

We don't have a phone, so I rushed upstairs to the apartment. Right over us. Ted Carlton's. I asked him to phone for the police and the ambulance.

[Andrew Robertson]

Did you tell Carlton about your wife?

[Joe Friday]

Yes, I did. I told him she'd been shot.

[Ted Carlton]

Then where'd you go?

[Joe Friday]

So just like I told you, out the apartment. I went back downstairs and waited in the living room for you people to get there.

[Ted Carlton]

Did you go near your wife's body?

[Adam Graham]

No, I did not.

[Andrew Robertson]

Did you always keep that gun loaded? Yes, I did.

[Joe Friday]

I always kept it loaded and actuated the shell in the chamber. But I kept the safety lock on. Marie knew how to operate the gun because I showed her for when I was out late. She wasn't strong enough to actuate it, but she could work to safety.

[Ted Carlton]

Did your wife ever try to commit suicide before?

[Joe Friday]

Not to my knowledge.

[Andrew Robertson]

Mr. Robertson, you sure that everything you've told us is the truth?

[Joe Friday]

It's the absolute truth, every word of it.

[Andrew Robertson]

Mel? Sir, here's the way it looks to us. We think you killed your wife.

[Adam Graham]

I didn't.

[Ted Carlton]

Let us lay out a few things for you. We talk to your friends and neighbors in the apartment house. We have people who will testify to the fact that your wife was afraid.

[Adam Graham]

That you might kill her.

[Ted Carlton]

She told one man that it isn't true.

[Joe Friday]

I don't know what she may have told somebody, but I didn't kill her.

[Ted Carlton]

It's a known fact throughout the entire apartment building that you and your wife had violent quarrels. The kind of argument, from all reports.

[Adam Graham]

That could easily lead to something like this.

[Joe Friday]

I told you, we argued, but I didn't kill Marie. I couldn't do a thing like that.

[Andrew Robertson]

Mr. Robertson, we've made a preliminary investigation of your apartment. You say your wife killed herself. Let me show you some of the flaws in your story here.

[Joe Friday]

All I can say is what I've told you is the truth. I didn't kill her.

[Andrew Robertson]

Now, you told us that your wife went to the nightstand and got the gun.

[Joe Friday]

That's right.

[Andrew Robertson]

How did she Pick up the automatic.

[Adam Graham]

How do you mean?

[Andrew Robertson]

Well, how'd she take it?

[Adam Graham]

From the drawer.

[Joe Friday]

Like anyone would pick up a gun by the butt. She picked it up like anybody would who was going to use it.

[Andrew Robertson]

You're sure about that?

[Lee Jones]

Positive.

[Andrew Robertson]

She didn't touch anything but the butt.

[Joe Friday]

Well, she had part of her hand on the trigger.

[Andrew Robertson]

We know that, but she didn't touch any other part of the weapon.

[Joe Friday]

She did not. She didn't have time.

[Andrew Robertson]

Well, then how do you account for the fact that we found traces of.

[Adam Graham]

Flour on the barrel of the gun?

[Joe Friday]

Well, sure. She was flowering meat.

[Andrew Robertson]

Well, how'd the flour get on the barrel?

[Adam Graham]

I don't know.

[Andrew Robertson]

Well, isn't it true that when you approached her with the automatic pointed at her, she tried to ward off the shot with her hand? Isn't that how the flour got on that barrel?

[Joe Friday]

That isn't true.

[Ted Carlton]

Now, you said your wife was putting flour on some stakes.

[Joe Friday]

That's right.

[Ted Carlton]

How do you account for the fact that we didn't find any flour on the butt of the gun where it belonged or on the drawer of the nightstand where you say she first picked up the automatic?

[Joe Friday]

I can't answer that. I don't know what all this means.

[Andrew Robertson]

Well, it means that unless you've got some kind of explanation, we have to assume that you're lying, that you killed your wife.

[Joe Friday]

I don't know how to explain all these things, but I didn't kill her.

[Ted Carlton]

Mr. Robertson, you say you were an army man. Isn't that what you told us out at the apartment?

[Joe Friday]

Yes, I was a sergeant in the army during the last war.

[Ted Carlton]

What outfit were you in?

[Joe Friday]

I was an instructor in sidearm weapons at Santa Ana Army Air Base.

[Ted Carlton]

Then you'd be somewhat of an Authority on the Colt.45 caliber automatic pistol, wouldn't you?

[Joe Friday]

I guess I would, yeah. That was one of the weapons I instructed in.

[Ted Carlton]

You'd know all about the system of ejection employed by the colt company on their.45 automatic?

[Joe Friday]

Yes, I would.

[Ted Carlton]

The empty casing ejects to the right up and back.

[Adam Graham]

Is that correct?

[Marie Robertson]

Yeah, that's right.

[Ted Carlton]

In other words, if you were pointing a.45 at me and you pulled the trigger, the empty casing would eject to your right up and fall on the floor to the rear on your right side.

[Adam Graham]

All right?

[Joe Friday]

Yeah, that's where it would end up.

[Ted Carlton]

You still maintain that your wife shot herself?

[Joe Friday]

Yes, I do.

[Ted Carlton]

Where was she standing when she pulled the trigger?

[Joe Friday]

As I told you before, in the kitchen.

[Ted Carlton]

How was she standing? What do you Mean, which way was she facing?

[Joe Friday]

Let's see. Facing me. Yeah, that's right. In the kitchen, with her back to the sink, facing out toward me.

[Adam Graham]

And where were you?

[Joe Friday]

On the davenport, in the living room, facing her.

[Ted Carlton]

Now, bearing in mind what we've already discussed and agreed upon concerning the ejection system of a.45, how do you account for the fact that the empty casing was found in the living room 6ft and 4 inches from the kitchen? But let's see, I'll figure it for you. The empty casing should have been found on the floor of the kitchen somewhere to the right and rear of your wife. Isn't that about it?

[Joe Friday]

I don't understand. Why are you trying to prove me guilty? I've told you, and I swear to you, I didn't kill my wife.

[Andrew Robertson]

Well, it'd be a physical impossibility for that empty casing to have landed anywhere but in the kitchen if your wife had pulled the trigger of that automatic.

[Adam Graham]

Now, how about that?

[Joe Friday]

What can I say? Please believe what I'm telling you. I didn't do it.

[Andrew Robertson]

Not according to the evidence.

[Joe Friday]

I don't understand any of this.

[Andrew Robertson]

Well, here's the way we've got it reconstructed.

[Adam Graham]

You had a quarrel. You got the gun.

[Andrew Robertson]

You met your wife at the doorway to the kitchen. You pointed the gun at her. She tried to ward it off with her left hand, leaving flour on the.

[Adam Graham]

Barrel of the gun. You fired.

[Andrew Robertson]

And the casing was thrown up and.

[Adam Graham]

Back to the right where it landed on the rug of the living room.

[Ted Carlton]

The testimony of the neighbors, the flower in your wife's hand, the position of the empty casing.

[Adam Graham]

Robertson, you're in.

[Joe Friday]

I don't know why all these things are the way you say they are.

[Adam Graham]

We do.

[Andrew Robertson]

We don't believe your wife committed suicide. You think about it.

[Adam Graham]

Come on, Ben. Yeah. Well, what do you think?

[Ted Carlton]

Evidence we've got so far has got him tabbed.

[Adam Graham]

Yeah.

[Andrew Robertson]

With all that proof, he still refuses to cop out.

[Ted Carlton]

Something doesn't jive.

[Andrew Robertson]

Maybe we can find out why.

[Narrator]

You are listening to Dragnet.

[Andrew Robertson]

We had Gene Bechtel take Andrew Robertson's statement. We had his testimony that his wife had committed suicide. A fact that he couldn't prove and that we could disprove. We had before us the final investigation. All evidence was taken to the crime lab for analysis. The photographs taken at the scene were developed and brought in for careful checking. In accordance with Robertson's story, both he and his deceased wife were given paraffin tests to determine the presence of nitrates. Both of Them were fingerprinted and latent prints Details started to check them out. Two teams of men were sent out to talk with the close relatives of the two people. Sunday, March 9, 7pm we got a call from Lt. Lee Jones that he had the final results of his investigation. We went over to the second floor of the Central Station crime lab.

[Lee Jones]

Got a couple of things for you.

[Adam Graham]

Okay.

[Lee Jones]

How'd you make out with Robertson?

[Andrew Robertson]

Well, he insisted it was suicide. What's your ID on it?

[Lee Jones]

Let me show you what we got.

[Adam Graham]

All right. Yeah.

[Lee Jones]

Look at this.

[Ted Carlton]

No picture of the.45 casing.

[Lee Jones]

That's right. Take a close look at it. Right here in particular.

[Adam Graham]

Yeah.

[Lee Jones]

You notice this one edge is a little crimped here.

[Adam Graham]

Yeah.

[Andrew Robertson]

Ejector marks.

[Lee Jones]

No, here are your ejector marks up here. See, this crimping is something entirely different.

[Ted Carlton]

What is it?

[Lee Jones]

You remember where you found this case?

[Ted Carlton]

6Ft 4 inches into the living room.

[Marie Robertson]

That's right.

[Andrew Robertson]

We wondered how it could have been thrown that far by the ejector. If the husband's story is true, the.

[Lee Jones]

Ejector didn't do that. I wondered too. On closer inspection, I noticed this crimping. Let me show you how this casing got out there in the living room. Here's an identical.45 caliber called empty casing.

[Adam Graham]

Yeah.

[Lee Jones]

We place it here on the floor on a piece of carpeting the same thickness that was in their kitchen linoleum. Now watch this. I'll step on it. Hitting it from an angle. There's your answer to that. When the husband ran over to his wife's side, what did he say he did?

[Ted Carlton]

Yeah, it's about the size of it.

[Lee Jones]

He stepped on the casing accidentally and certainly not caring about it at that moment, bounced out into the living room just like a tiddlyweek. Now here, notice the casing. Now the crimping. Check it against the photo.

[Andrew Robertson]

Looks exactly the same way. It matches.

[Lee Jones]

Did the flower on the barrel of the gun. It was flour, by the way. Did it figure in for you fellas?

[Andrew Robertson]

Well, yeah. We figured the wife was trying to ward off the gun when he pointed it at her.

[Lee Jones]

Certainly the logical deduction. Let me show you how it really got on there. Here's that shot of the kitchen out there.

[Adam Graham]

Uh huh.

[Lee Jones]

Notice the wastebasket here. Pretty full, isn't it?

[Ted Carlton]

Yeah, we noticed that when we were out there.

[Lee Jones]

What you probably didn't notice is this here's a blow up of just that section where the wastebasket was. Can you see what's on the top of the stuff in the basket there.

[Adam Graham]

Holes over here leave little lights in it.

[Andrew Robertson]

Looks like a flour sack, isn't it?

[Lee Jones]

That's right. An empty flour sack. Now, figuring the position of the body in relation to that wastebasket, when she dropped the gun fell from her hand, striking the wastebasket, bouncing off and landing on the floor where you found it.

[Ted Carlton]

You said when she dropped the gun, you figured it was suicide.

[Lee Jones]

It's beginning to shape up that way, isn't it?

[Ted Carlton]

There was no flower found on the butt of the gun.

[Lee Jones]

That part of the automatic didn't come in contact with the flour sack.

[Andrew Robertson]

Yeah, but at least she was flouring meat.

[Lee Jones]

There were no traces of it on her right hand. On the palm, just on the back. In checking the clothing, we found streaks from of flour where she could have wiped her hands clean before picking up the gun.

[Andrew Robertson]

Yeah, and out there we could only see the backs of her hand. The coroner checked that through.

[Adam Graham]

Huh.

[Andrew Robertson]

Doesn't look like he killed her.

[Lee Jones]

There's more here. As you know, we ran paraffin tests on both the victim and Robertson.

[Adam Graham]

Yeah.

[Lee Jones]

Here's the results of the test.

[Ted Carlton]

See Andrew Robertson, known nitrates negative. Marie Robertson, evidence of nitrates positive.

[Andrew Robertson]

She fired a gun. He didn't hunt.

[Lee Jones]

That's it. Something else? Here's the report from Leighton. Prints, smudges, one good thumbprint. Right hand belonging to Marie Robertson. Indicating she was the last one to handle the weapon.

[Ted Carlton]

Well, that's about it, Lee.

[Lee Jones]

No, that's more fair. Now, this shot was taken facing the east wall of the kitchen. That's the wall that would be on anyone's left sitting on the davenport in the front room. Wouldn't be possible to see that wall from the davenport.

[Adam Graham]

No, it wouldn't. That's right.

[Lee Jones]

You can see the white X where we located the slug relative to the position of the body. If she was standing, holding the gun at approximately a right angle with the side of her head, the bullet would come to rest approximately 4 inches below.

[Ted Carlton]

The crown of her head was a checkout.

[Lee Jones]

The coroner says she was 5 4. The bullet was found at a height of 5 and 1 8. Proving that she shot herself rather than anyone else doing it. Judging from the inclination of the bullet. As you know, this is critical. From what it's worth, the condition of the wound indicates that it was inflicted from extreme close range. Fair point when you consider that most people wouldn't submit to being shot from close range without a struggle or unless taken by surprise.

[Andrew Robertson]

From all reports, we know she wasn't taken by surprise.

[Lee Jones]

Well, that's it. Fellas that's all I have.

[Andrew Robertson]

Thanks, Lee. Sure enough.

[Lee Jones]

Crime lab.

[Adam Graham]

Jones.

[Lee Jones]

Yeah, right here.

[Adam Graham]

Just a minute for either one of you.

[Joe Friday]

All right, Lee.

[Adam Graham]

I'll get it, huh? Thanks, Friday. Oh, hi, Harry. You did, huh?

[Andrew Robertson]

What's that?

[Adam Graham]

Yeah. Do you have a letter with you? It does, huh? Yeah.

[Andrew Robertson]

Yeah, right, Harry.

[Adam Graham]

Thank you very much. Bye, Harry. Fremont.

[Andrew Robertson]

He just left Marie Robertson's mother.

[Ted Carlton]

What'd she have to say?

[Andrew Robertson]

Well, Fremont says she gave him a letter. He's on his way in with it now. It was written by Marie Robertson. Says something about taking her own life. Her mother says that the husband couldn't have done it. Says the daughter shown indication in the past of wanting to take take her own life.

[Ted Carlton]

Well, that about singers.

[Lee Jones]

It makes you feel kind of girl, doesn't it?

[Adam Graham]

Yeah.

[Lee Jones]

Find a man clear on a charge instead of having to hang him up.

[Adam Graham]

Come on, Ben. Right.

[Lee Jones]

Where you headed?

[Andrew Robertson]

Back Cross street.

[Lee Jones]

Wait till I get my coat.

[Adam Graham]

I'll go with you. What for?

[Lee Jones]

I want to see him too.

[Adam Graham]

When you tell him.

[Joe Friday]

The story you have just heard was true.

[Ben Romero]

Only the names were changed to protect the innocent.

[Narrator]

On March 12, the hearing was held in the office of the coroner, City and county of Los Angeles, State of California. In a moment, the results of that hearing. Andrew William Robertson was immediately released from custody. A 510 form was made out exonerating him from any complicity in the death of his wife.

[Ben Romero]

Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. James M. Fox, president of the Southern California chapter of the Mystery Writers of America. The Edgar Allan Poe Awards of the Mystery Writers of America are made each year for outstanding contributions in the field of mystery. This year, by a nationwide vote of 300 professional mystery writers, the radio award goes to Dragnet. For consistent excellence in the use of the medium in the best traditions of our craft. The Mystery Writers of America are happy to present their Edgar's statuettes of Poe to Dragnet's Jim Moser, who writes the scripts and a duplicate statuette to Dragnet. Congratulations, Mr. Moser.

[Ted Carlton]

Thank you, Mr. Fox.

[Narrator]

You have just heard Dragnet a series of authentic cases from official files. Technical advice comes from the office of Chief of Police W.H. parker, Los Angeles Police Department.

[Ben Romero]

Stay tuned for Counter Spy next over many NBC stations.

[Sam]

Welcome back. To me, this episode has always been one that highlighted our hero's humanity and the fallibility of police officers. It's a case where Joe Friday and Ben Romero got ahead of the actual evidence and appropriate interpretation of it in a haste to close what looked like an open and shut case. Probably influenced by so many cases where people lied to them. And so many instances where the husband did it. Even the narrator was in on it saying the facts indicated that a murder had been committed. That was a bit off. They didn't really understand the facts or wait for them to be analyzed or wait for all the facts in the case of the testimony of the mother in law. I mean, Friday used a word like impossible for where the shell casing ended up that a lot of people could have supposed and come up with a plausible explanation, which of course wouldn't have been evidence, but it's hard to say, ah, that's impossible. Of course, trained police officers have experience and they can read a scene and they also have instinct that has been honed by that experience. But that's not a substitute for the work of the forensic scientist and this episode brought that point home. And Herb Butterfield, I think we hear him play a lot of roles in this series, but he is really good as Lee Jones in professionally bringing home the evidence and and explaining the science and showing what really happened and how the inconsistencies they saw were explained. To be fair, some of their analysis may have been thrown off by the oddities of the space. It occurred in a small apartment where movement was probably a challenge, but Jones gets to the bottom of it. And I like when Ben got to the point of saying, okay, I guess you proved we were wrong. And Lisa said effectively, wait, here are some more reasons you were wrong. Of course, in a professional setting it should never be about ego, and certainly not when it comes to law enforcement. It should be about getting it right and being sure that justice is done and they pretty much are with him and being glad the truth came out, even if it showed that they made a mistake. I have a comment from Daniel who emails in and said and this is regarding the Big Saint. I started playing this week's episode of Dragnet, the Big Saint, and was surprised that it was the same basic plot as an Ironside TV episode I'd watched only a few hours earlier. Season one episode 12 a very cool Hawk car, updated a bit, 60s versus 50s, but it was even a Cadillac that was used to catch them. Of course, Ironside took more liberties with the drama, but it was clearly inspired by Dragnet or the actual events that Dragnet was based on. Well Daniel, thank you so much for letting me know and I will try to get to watch that episode of Ironside. Unfortunately, all of my extra TV viewing at this point is taken up by Get Smart. I'm trying to announce the newsletter kind of got pushed back because of events in the family. But we are trying to get that first issue out. And for that first issue, I'm watching all of the episodes from season one of Get Smart. But would you believe I only have two episodes left? Okay, would you believe, would you believe 10? Okay, how about 20? Not quite that many, but as soon as I give some free extra TV watching time, I'll check that out. And I am looking for more reasons to watch episodes of Ironside and Kojak and all those good things that have been posted over on Amazon prime recently. And then over on the site called X, Bernard writes hi, have you seen any copies of the new Dragnet TV series ever plays Adam this is the 89 to 90 version, 52 TV episodes. And the answer is yes, I did. I did not see it when it was originally on the air. My dad was not someone who would let nine or ten year old watch modern crime drama and I can appreciate that. One of the early forgotten TV streaming services was called into tv. It was an ad supported service that was started by Tom Warner and AOL and it launched in 2005. It came onto AOL in 2006, but anyone could watch it and they had some TV shows on there. And at this point I believe that the Original Dragnet and Adam12 were being licensed at least when I watched them on into tv, which I think really kind of wound down towards the end of the 2000s, but they were on either Hulu or Netflix one. So Into TV got the rights to a lot of shows that were a bit rarer and more off the beaten path and among them were the new Dragnet and the new Adam 12. And I watched quite a few episodes of the new Dragnet, a few of the new Adam 12. And overall I actually enjoyed the new Dragnet. I don't think it was great, but it was a pretty good series. You had two pretty solid lead actors. You had Jeff Osterhagen as Sergeant Vic Daniels and Bernard White as his partner Carl Molina. And the cases pretty much follow Dragnet formula and in terms of the crimes and the way they portrayed the investigation were very true to the original. I enjoyed it, but I can see why it didn't make it. And it had really two problems going for it. It was too much like the original Dragnet and it was not enough like the original Dragnet. On one hand, it was so much like Dragnet in terms of formula and approach to case and even being a half hour in length in many ways. Television had moved on in police shows. A half hour crime drama in the late 1980s was a bit unusual. I mean, and it doesn't bother me because I love them. And I grew up on a lot of half hour dramas in the 80s and early 90s, things like RIN 1010, canine cop or My Secret Identity or the Superboy series. I have fond memories, cheaply made syndication and so some of the issues didn't in that regard didn't bother me. On the other hand, you just have the lack of Jack Webb, and I think that is huge for Dragnet. You can't really overstate how important Jack Webb and Joe Friday are to the series as a whole. And again, I think that the actors in there did a really good job. That's part of the reason why I enjoyed it a lot more than the new Adam 12, where the leads were a bit more spotty. Osterage had a decent career in the 70s and 80s. He was in the sackets, among other things. And Bernard Wyatt is still active. He was even in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But neither one of them were Jack Webb, and they didn't quite have that combination. They did make believable everyman cops, but neither one of them was Jack Webb. And the music they could not. They didn't get the iconic Dragnet music. They went with more of a kind of typical jazzy 80s theme. And it's not bad, but it's kind of forgettable. But I liked it fine. It's just not been legally available anywhere for at least the last 15 years. Plus I did see someone post in an online forum that there are ways to get it illegally. And while I enjoyed new Dragnet, I could not imagine anyone taking the risk involved with getting illegal content to watch it. There are some clips you can find online, and I think certainly the opening sequence. But yeah, it's a series that got unfortunately memory holed. But it's worthwhile if you're a big Dragnet fan and want more. Now, if you want more of a 1980s take on Dragnet that veers closer to the original, then I actually recommend Mathnet, which has got pretty much all of its episodes have been posted on YouTube. It was a PBS parody for the kids program Square One that eventually practically devoured Square One tv. The theme music is very close to the original, although a little bit different, and I think the humor and the relationship between the two partners is a lot closer to what you saw on television with Dragnet. Now I'm a bit biased towards mathnet because without mathnet I probably wouldn't be doing this podcast it was Mathnet which got me interested in the 1960s Dragnet TV series, which got me interested in the 1950s Dragnet TV series which got me interested in the radio series which got me more bored broadly interested in old time radio in general. But at any rate thank you for the question Bernard. Really appreciate it. Then we turn to the Apple Podcast store where we have a new review from Scholar Ace Records who writes a wide variety that changes semi regularly with a different show six days a week there is a show for anyone. There have been a few over the years that I haven't connected with, but with six shows a week this is a trifle. I know some have a problem with Adam's voice and or commentary, but this is not the basis of the podcast. I for one appreciate the historical context and for those who don't there is a skip button and Adam always puts in a small pause between his opening and the start of the radio show. Again, if you like detective shows, this is the best. And the genre. Well thanks so much. Appreciate you taking the time to leave a review and provide a bit of a counterbalance to the sort of negative, some of the negative reviews that have been left there which we don't read out because we don't want to dwell on non constructive negativity. And then we turn to our listener survey where Scott in Beaverton writes thank you for a great show. Well, thanks so much Scott. And now it's time to thank our Patreon supporter of the day and I want to go ahead and thank Idle patreon Supporter since April 2021, currently supporting the podcast at the rookie level of $2 or more per month. Thanks so much for your support and that will do it for today. If you're enjoying the podcast, please follow us using your favorite podcast software. And if you're enjoying the podcast on YouTube, be sure to like the video, subscribe to the channel and mark the not notification bell. And now to the part I'm having to re record because I was so used to Dragnet being on Saturday and being the end of our programming week. But we will be back next Thursday with another episode of Dragnet. But join us back here tomorrow for yours truly, Johnny Doll or where.

[Harry]

Look Dal, I already told the cops that Claire was here in the club last evening. All evening until midnight, out in the bar most of the time.

[Lee Jones]

What difference does it make?

[Harry]

How about the rest of the time we were talking here in my office, Just the two of you? Just the two of us. Now look darling, what it boils down to is you've each got alibis for one another, huh? That's right. Now look, nosy boy. Claire didn't kill Benton. At the moment, I wasn't thinking so much about her.

[Adam Graham]

Wait a minute.

[Harry]

If you're trying to pin this on me, Benton, you and Claire have been pretty friendly. Santis, she benefits to the tune of a hundred grand by Benton's death. Look, Dala, Dala, you're blowing smoke in the wrong direction. I like the arrangement the way it was.

[Adam Graham]

Why should I try to change it?

[Harry]

That's a good question. So just let it drop.

[Adam Graham]

You get me?

[Harry]

You got nothing to worry about, Santis. If you've got nothing to hide.

[Sam]

I hope you'll be with us then. In the meantime, send your comments to box Thirteenreatetectives.net Follow us on Twitter at radiodetectives and check us out on Instagram. Instagram.com Great. Detectives from Boise, Idaho, this is your host, Adam Graham, signing off.