Dragnet: The Big Winchester (EP4929)

Summary

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The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio

Podcast Summary: Dragnet: The Big Winchester (EP4929)
Host: Adam Graham
Episode Air Date: October 23, 2025
Featured Drama Air Date: August 16, 1951

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Episode Overview

This episode features a classic installment of Dragnet, “The Big Winchester,” in which Detectives Joe Friday and Ben Romero investigate the suspicious death of an elderly man who appears to have committed suicide. However, the evidence they uncover quickly points to murder, sparking a meticulous and methodical investigation that ultimately exposes a calculated scheme involving identity manipulation and financial exploitation.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Case Introduction: The Scene of the Crime

• [02:30–08:45]
  • Joe Friday and Ben Romero arrive at the victim Martin Latimer’s cottage.
  • Latimer, a 68-year-old retired grocer, is found dead with a bullet hole in his chest; a string is tied to his finger and the rifle’s trigger.
  • At first glance, the setup looks like suicide, but Officer Harkness and the detectives question its plausibility due to inconsistencies with the bullet’s trajectory and positioning of the gun.
  • Memorable quote:
    “If the old man shot himself with that rig, it ought to make Ripley’s column.” – Ben Romero [12:16]

2. Early Investigation & Forensics

• [08:45–11:26]
  • Crime lab finds no conclusive signs of suicide, noting absence of fingerprints and bullet misalignment.
  • The tried-and-true Dragnet method of logical deduction is on display.

3. Interview with Neighbor, Mrs. Donworth

• [10:18–15:59]
  • Mrs. Donworth provides context on Latimer’s personality, health worries, and loneliness.
  • Latimer recently saw a doctor and received a clean bill of health.
  • Reveals information about a potential will and hints Latimer was considering marriage via correspondence.
  • Notable Moment: Mrs. Donworth confesses she would have married Latimer herself, underscoring themes of loneliness and missed connections:
    “I was right next door. Would have married him in a minute.” – Mrs. Donworth [16:01]

4. The “Lonely Hearts” Angle

• [16:08–18:35]
  • Discovery of numerous letters to women via a lonely hearts club, particularly a young woman, “Catherine.”
  • A photograph, purportedly of Catherine, is unsigned save for “With love, Catherine,” with no return address.
  • Club staff reveals a scam: letters sent to lonely older men, soliciting train fare and money, but the women never arrive.

5. Tracing the Photograph

• [18:35–21:52]
  • Friday and Romero track the photograph to a studio (M&Y Family Portraits on Melrose), where the girl is identified as Doris Chambers, a well-to-do student with no connection to Latimer.
  • The signed inscription is not hers; a classic case of stolen identity.
  • Scene underscores Dragnet's investigative doggedness—tracking the photo through photo labs and mounting marks.

6. Narrowing the Suspect

• [21:52–23:32]
  • Doris Chambers, upon reviewing the signature, recognizes the handwriting as that of Warren White, a former fiancé.
  • White was thorough and never did things “halfway.”
  • Memorable exchange:
    “What can they do to him?” – Doris Chambers
    “I don’t know. But they won’t do it halfway.” – Joe Friday [23:33]

7. Closing In: Surveillance and Confession

• [23:32–28:45]
  • Police trace Warren White’s moves, eventually staking out and entering his latest apartment.
  • After an all-night wait, White returns, confesses outright to the murder, and calmly discusses his motivations.
  • White admits using Doris’s photograph to perpetrate the "lonely hearts" scam for financial gain, culminating in the murder and faked suicide.
  • Poignant closing reflection by White, musing about childhood innocence and fate:
    “Bunch of kids playing in the schoolyard. Someday one of them’s a killer.” – Warren White [28:45]

8. Resolution

• [29:10–30:00]
  • Dragnet’s signature epilogue reveals White was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life at Folsom Prison.
  • The show reinforces the importance of careful, methodical police work and the tragic arc of loneliness and exploitation.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the improbability of suicide:
  “It’s way out of line. That’s the gun that killed him. The old man didn’t pull the trigger. Not from there, anyway.” – Joe Friday [09:17]

• On overlooked affection:
  “He wrote letters all over the country. Getting tired of working myself. Could have saved the postage, too… I was right next door. Would have married him in a minute.” – Mrs. Donworth [15:59–16:01]

• On thoroughness and motive:
  “Never known Warren to do anything in his life halfway, not once.” – Doris Chambers [23:26]

• On childhood and fate:
  “Bunch of kids playing in the schoolyard. Someday one of them’s a killer.” – Warren White [28:45]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment Description | Timestamp | |----------------------------------------------------|--------------| | Investigation of the crime scene | 02:30–08:45 | | Interview with Mrs. Donworth | 10:18–15:59 | | Discussion of the lonely hearts angle | 16:08–18:35 | | Tracing the photograph through photo studios | 18:35–21:52 | | The break: Handwriting and Doris Chambers | 21:52–23:32 | | Closing in on Warren White | 23:32–28:45 | | White’s confession and poetic closing | 28:45–29:10 | | Dragnet epilogue: Results of trial | 29:10–30:00 |

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Host Commentary (Adam Graham)

[30:00–34:22]

• Adam Graham reflects on the episode’s themes, likening the scheme to a “1950s version of identity theft,” albeit low tech and more easily traced than today’s scams.
• Highlights the dry humor between Friday and Romero, especially as they debate the merits of a suspect’s apartment while on a stakeout.
• Shares listener comments and answers a question about the history and policy issues of the death penalty in kidnapping cases.

Notable Adam Graham Quote:

• “A bit of a 1950s version of identity theft working here, although low tech and far more easily traceable than its modern variant.” – Adam Graham [30:00]

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Tone & Style

• Authentic, methodical, and understated: The episode maintains the classic Dragnet tone, focused on procedural realism and minimal melodrama.
• Nuanced portrayal of loneliness and exploitation: The plot underscores social vulnerability, the allure of companionship, and the risks of exploiting those desires.

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Summary for New Listeners

This episode of Dragnet exemplifies the genre’s devotion to step-by-step investigation, problem-solving, and human drama. Friday and Romero’s determined investigation moves from crime scene analysis through classic detective legwork—interviewing neighbors, following correspondence leads, and chasing down clues on a seemingly innocuous photograph—culminating in a fraught, reflective confession from the killer. The narrative is peppered with subtle wit, poignant character moments, and a strong sense of time and place.

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For Further Engagement

• Listen to more Dragnet episodes for similarly nuanced, case-based police dramas.
• Subscribe via your favorite podcast app or visit greatdetectives.net.
• Share your thoughts or questions with Adam Graham for possible inclusion in future listener feedback segments.

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Transcript

[Joe Friday]

Limu Emu.

[Ben Romero]

And Doug, here we have the Limu emu in its natural habitat, helping people customize their car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual. Fascinating. It's accompanied by his natural ally, Doug. Limu is that guy with the binoculars watching us. Cut the camera. They see us. Only pay for what you [e-mail] Liberty Liberty Liberty Liberty Savings vary underwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and affiliates. Excludes Massachusetts. What do you think makes the perfect snack? Hmm, it's gotta be when I'm really craving it and it's convenient.

[Joe Friday]

Could you be more specific?

[Ben Romero]

When it's cravinient.

[Joe Friday]

Okay.

[Ben Romero]

Like a freshly baked cookie made with real butter, available right down the street at a.m. p.m. Or a savory breakfast sandwich I can grab in just a second at AM pm. I'm seeing a pattern here. Well, yeah, we're talking about what I crave, which is anything from AM pm. What more could you want? Stop by AM PM where the snacks and drinks are perfectly craveable and convenient. That's cravenience and AM pm Too much good stuff.

[Adam Graham]

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 do want to encourage you. If you're enjoying the podcast, please follow us using your favorite podcast software. Today's program is 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, peelbox 115913. That's P.O. box 159 13, Boise, ID 83715. And you can also become one of our ongoing Patreon supporters for as little as $2 per month at patreon.greatdetectives.net but now, from August 16, 1951, here is the big Winchester.

[Ben Romero]

The story you are about to hear is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent. You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned a homicide detail. An elderly man is found dead in the living room of his home. There's a single bullet hole in his chest. On the surface, it appears the man took his own life. But the evidence points to the opposite. Your job, investigate 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. Was Wednesday, January 10th. It was cold in Los Angeles. We're working the day watch out of Homicide detail. My partner's Ben Romero. The boss is Thad Brown, Chief of Detectives. My name's Friday. It was 8:25am when I got to the Police academy. The doctor's office. Morning. Morning. Can I help you? I'm checking in for my annual physical. Oh, okay. All right, let's see. Your name? Joe Friday. See Friday. Just like the day in the week. Yeah, that's right. Friday. Can't seem to find it. You sure you were notified? Yeah, the teletype was posted in the office a couple of days ago. Annual physical exams. My name was right near the top of the list. F, R, I, D A Y. Huh? Oh, yeah. Yeah. Here you are. Joseph Friday. That's it. Yeah. Well, all right, Friday, let's get your name down here. Okay. Age 34. Where you work? Central Homicide. Serial number 2288. 2288. Okay, pilot, you want to step this way? All right, Step off your shoes, your coat and shirt. Okay. Well, they're keeping you busy? Oh, pretty busy, yeah. 4,500 men in the department. Everyone has to have an annual physical. Better get you Wade, and send you along inside. Doc's probably ready for you by now. Over here. Well, never fails. Dr. Vance is off him. Is that. Just a minute. It's for you. Friday. Your office. Thank you. Body talking. This is Ben, Joe. You about through over there? No, not quite. I haven't seen Doc Vance yet. What's the matter? Dead body. Call out by Westlake Park. Radio cars out there now. No one else in Homicide to handle it? Not right now. They're pretty busy. No use you coming back to the office. Why don't you meet me out there? It's 9320 Laurel Lane. All right. Just a minute. Have that pad, doc. Thank you. 9320 Laurel. I got it. What's the story? Old man was found dead in his living room, bullet hole in his chest. Men in the radio car said. At first it looked like the old man had killed himself. They're not so sure now. What do you mean? They think he had some help. 8:45am I left the doctor's office at the Police academy and drove to the Westlake area where I met Ben in front of the cottage where the dead body had been found. We went inside and checked with one of the men from the radio car who was standing by. The dead man was identified as Martin Latimer. Age 68, a retired owner of a couple of neighborhood grocery stores in the city. He was lying sprawled on his side on the floor. There was a bullet hole in his chest, just above the heart where the slug had entered the body. There was another, larger wound in the back through the left shoulder blade where the bullet had emerged. Approximately eight feet across the room from the body was another chair. It was a Winchester rifle wired firmly to the top, its muzzle pointing directly above the spot where the body lay on the floor. A thick white string was found, wound firmly around the trigger of the rifle. It ran through a metal ring on the stock of the gun and stretched across the room where it had been tied to the dead man's right index finger. At first glance, it seemed like an obvious suicide arrangement. Officer Harkness, one of the men in the radio car who had answered the call, took exception. I know, Sergeant. Maybe I'm all wet. Just doesn't gel right for me. Who discovered the body, Harkness? Next door neighbor, Mrs. Donworth. My partner's with her now. You fellas call the crime lab? Yeah, they're on their way out. Was the old man the only one who lived in the house here? Yeah, that's what the neighbor told us. Sure like to see what the crime lab crew's gonna think of it. What's the big question, Harkness? Well, I know it's none of my business, Sergeant. You fellas are the detectives. I just couldn't help but notice, though. What's that? Well, here, over here. This rifle wire to the back of the chair. Take a sight along the barrel of the rifle, see what you think. Right through the sight, huh? Mm. Pointed right above the arm chair over there. It's in a straight line with the body. That much fits. The old man pulled a string tied to his index finger and it set off the trigger. Took the slug through the chest. Yeah, that's what I figured. Now here, take a look at the wall directly behind the old man. Yeah, the slug went clean through the body, we know that. Through the chest, above the heart, then out through the shoulder blade. I see what you mean. Oh, here, now take a look at this wall here. Got a mark on it. Yeah. One thing sure. If the old man was shot in that position, the slug had to come this way. Well, pass through his body right about this height here. Uh huh. We ought to find the bullet hole in this wall right around here. It ought to be. Not a trace of a slug here. Not much chance it could have been deflecting. Do you think well, that's what I thought. It's a. 3030 Winchester. Enough power to go through a couple of plaster walls. Well, we know the slug went through the body. It's gotta be somewhere in one of these four walls. Take a look over here and see what you think. All right. Down here, near the corner of the wall. Where? Well, right here. Yeah, it looks like it. Ben. Something's out of kilter. The rifle never could have thrown the slug this far down on the wall. Not the way it's wired to the chair there. Besides that, it's way out of line. At least four feet, the way I figured. Here. I know it's none of my business, Sergeant. I couldn't help but notice it, though. You want me to stand by outside? Yeah. Okay, if you will. Would you mind checking with your partner? See if we can have that neighbor lady brought over for questioning, will you? Right. I'll check with him now. Thank you. Sure. I'm gonna take another look at that rifle. Well, it sure doesn't add up too well, does it? Even if the old man jerked the gun when he pulled the trigger, with that string arrangement, the slug couldn't have passed through his chest, out his back, and then hit the wall where it did. Stand just behind the body, will you, Joe? See if it's possible to line it up. All right. What about here? Look about it to you. Yeah, that's good. Let me see. No, not a chance, Joe. It's way out of line. That's the gun that killed him. The old man didn't pull the trigger. Not from there, anyway. Well, there's one other chance. Yeah, Somebody pulled it for him. Lt. Lee Jones arrived with his crime lab crew and went to work. We put in a call to the coroner's office. And then the dead man's neighbor, Mrs. Elsie Dunworth, was brought over for questioning. She was a chubby, matronly lady, about 45. She told her she'd been a neighbor to the aging Martin Latimer for more than 10 years. I take it you knew Mr. Latimer pretty well, man?

[Joe Friday]

Yeah, I suppose. Didn't have any relatives. Poor man, all alone. He was in the grocery business for years. He made some nice money, I guess. Retired about eight years ago. Sold both his stores. Had an income from a mortgage on one of them. $150 a month. Yeah, he was very comfortable. Wasn't a penny painter at all, but he was thrifty. It was the same way with my husband, Claude. He used to say, take care of the dimes and the Dollars will take care of themselves.

[Ben Romero]

Well, Mrs. Dartmouth, can you think of any reason why Latimer would want to take his own life?

[Joe Friday]

Oh, I suppose. Poor old man's getting along in years. A long time there, he was afraid he was going to die with cancer.

[Ben Romero]

Is that so? Did Mr. Latimer have cancer, do you know?

[Joe Friday]

Oh, no. He kept thinking he was going with it. Could you come next door to my place while I get some of my laundry out? We could talk there. It's just across the yard.

[Ben Romero]

All right, ma'. Am. That'll be fine. Do you want to tell Lee Jones will be next door, Ben? Guess you better let Harkness know, too. Yeah, right. I'll tell. Thank you.

[Joe Friday]

About that cancer business, officer. Mr. Latimer was always talking about it.

[Ben Romero]

Yes, ma'. Am.

[Joe Friday]

He finally went to a doctor about it. That was last week. Only he came back and he told me the doctor said for him not to be so silly about it. He was a well man in good health.

[Ben Romero]

When was the last time that you saw Latimer, ma'? Am?

[Joe Friday]

Day before yesterday. Oh, we laughed and joked over the back then. Poor old man. He had such a nice smile. Remind me a good deal of Claude. That was my husband.

[Ben Romero]

I'd like to have your honest opinion, Ms. Donworth. Do you think Mr. Latimer killed himself?

[Joe Friday]

Well, I suppose. That rifle in there, that terrible contraption.

[Ben Romero]

Joe, I wonder if I could talk to you, man. Yeah, okay. Would you like to go on ahead over next door, ma'? Am. We'll be right with you.

[Joe Friday]

All right, Officer.

[Ben Romero]

Thank you very much. We'll be right there, ma'.

[Joe Friday]

Am.

[Ben Romero]

Yeah, Crime lab crew's having a field day. Let's see. If the old man shot himself with that rig, it ought to make Ripley's column. They find anything? Definite? Dusted the rifle for fingerprints. Didn't find a warrant. How about that? Yeah, it makes less sense than that slug buried in the corner of the wall, doesn't it, Jared? Checked the desk in the living room. Found some correspondence Latin was having with some woman through a lonely hearts club. You find any reason why he'd want to die? Pretty good reason why he'd want to live. Found a photograph. Beautiful girl. Looked to be about 24 or 5. What about it? She was going to marry him. The crime lab crew continued their routine investigation of Martin Latimer's cottage. They removed the.30 30 slug from the corner of one wall. Ben and I went next door to question the neighbor, Mrs. Donworth. There didn't seem to be any common ground at all. Between the evidence in the house and the information that she had to offer. As we continued questioning her, Mrs. Darworth remembered that a month before, Latimer had told her that something might happen to him. And he wanted to make out a will. He asked if she would witness the will. A few days later, Latimer's lawyer came to the house. And Mrs. Dunworth witnessed the signing. At that time, she said, Latimer made the remark. I don't feel like going on much longer. Anyway. If death means arrest, I think I deserve one. Mrs. Donworth kept busy with the laundry while we interviewed her.

[Joe Friday]

Could you let me get by to the mangle, Officer? I have to get some of this ironing done.

[Ben Romero]

Yes, ma'. Am. I'm sorry. I'm afraid there's one thing I don't remember you telling us, ma'. Am. Did you hear anything out of the ordinary going on next door or this morning or last night?

[Joe Friday]

No, nothing I noticed. Anyway. Officer, do you see that knob on the washer? The one on the left?

[Ben Romero]

Oh, you mean this over here?

[Joe Friday]

Yeah. Just lift it up and turn around. Off, please. It says off right there in the dial.

[Ben Romero]

Yes, ma'. Am. I see. There you are.

[Joe Friday]

Yeah. Thanks. No, there was nothing I heard from next door. Remark about. Of course, it's so noisy around here that time of morning, you can't even hear yourself think.

[Ben Romero]

Anyway, how's that, man?

[Joe Friday]

Trucks passing by up and down every morning. They're not small trucks, either. They start in at 6am they rattle past for two, three hours. Please.

[Ben Romero]

The first good explanation we've had on this thing. Could you give us the names of some of the other people on the street who knew Mr. Latterman pretty well? Mrs. Donwan?

[Joe Friday]

Yeah, I suppose. I don't think any of them knew the poor old man as well as I did. Most of them are younger folks. Yeah. Parties and things. When you get up around 65 or past it, like Mr. Latimer, parties don't mean so much anymore.

[Ben Romero]

Yes, ma', am, I understand.

[Joe Friday]

Yeah, just a nice quiet home with a good heating system, Good books on the shelf. Good man around the house. About all you can ask for.

[Ben Romero]

Yes, ma'. Am. Well, thank you very much. We'll leave our card here in case you want to contact us for any reason.

[Joe Friday]

No, I don't.

[Ben Romero]

There's one more thing, Mrs. Donworth. We understand Latimer was corresponding with several women through a lonely hearts club. Did he ever mention that to you?

[Joe Friday]

No, he never did. I found out from the mailman. He's a Regular gossip.

[Ben Romero]

And Latimer never mentioned any of the women that he corresponded with, is that right?

[Joe Friday]

I pretended I didn't even know about it. He never brought it up. Don't understand why he'd want to meet a lady that way. Almost as Emma looking for is a man with money so they can quit work and lay around the house.

[Ben Romero]

Well, thanks again, Mrs. Donworth. Been very helpful.

[Joe Friday]

Yeah. Poor old man. I wonder what made him write letters after silly women. Little good they'd have done him. He wrote letters all over the country. Getting tired of working myself. Could have saved the postage, too.

[Ben Romero]

Beg pardon?

[Joe Friday]

I was right next door. Would have married him in a minute.

[Ben Romero]

We left Mrs. Donworth's house a few minutes past noon and we went back next door to Latimer's cottage. The crime lab crew had finished their investigation and the deputy coroner arrived. He took the body downtown for autopsy. We talked over the crime lab findings with Lt. Lee Jones, and he felt the same way that Ben and I did. The theory that Latimer had shot himself could. Death was possible in many respects, but it was far from plausible. We checked through Latimer's correspondence with the women that he'd contacted by mail through the Lonely Hearts Club. Especially the young girl he obviously intended to marry. Judging from his letters to her. Her picture showed her to be a brunette, dark eyes, young and very attractive. The inscription at the bottom read, with love, Catherine. There was no return address on either the photo or the letter. Ben called a check with the Lonely Hearts Club. Yes, ma'. Am. No, that's all right. We'll probably be dropping down to talk to you. Yes, Brian? What'd they say? Might be it, Joe. Club secretary says they've been having trouble with somebody who signs their pictures just like this one. With love, Catherine. I described the picture, and the secretary says it's the same girl. What's the angle? Girl doesn't belong to the club, but somehow she got a list of the members and their addresses. She writes to them, usually old men. Gets them set for marriage and they send for her. Her letters come from the east, from different cities. She writes and asks for train fare. Out here, men send her the money for clothes and train fare, and that's the last of it. She's gone. It adds up, all right. This one letter here. This one. I hate to ask you, dear, but if you could send me the traveling money and just a little extra for some clothes, I will take the first train and be with you in a week to become your wife. Awaiting that precious moment and so on. Kind of poured it on thick. What's the date on there? Let's see. December 30th. It's 12 days ago. What do you think? That's possible. She could have showed up, tried to grab all the old man's money she could find. Maybe he caught her at it, she killed him. Rigged up this phony setup to make it look like Latimer shot himself, huh? And hold more water. If we could find out she really came here. Maybe we better start ringing a few doorbells. The other neighbors might come up with something. What do you say? Let me see that girl's picture again, will you? Yeah, yeah, yeah. No photographer's name now. Look in the back here, Ben. No, down here in the corner. In the corner of the picture mounting. Oh, yeah, yeah.xxx6y3. Must be some kind of manufacturer's marking. Photography supply. Guess it stands for the type of paper, huh? Do you know anything about the photo business? No, I don't. Neither do I. Let's find somebody who does, huh? Before we drove the office, Ben and I covered the rest of the neighborhood and talked to everybody who knew the dead man, Martin Latimer, even remotely. They told us nothing that we didn't already know. There'd been no stranger seen visiting the old man. No one had noticed anything out of the ordinary. And Latimer's daily routine? 3 o' clock that afternoon we checked with the police photo lab. They told us that the symbols stamped on the cardboard frame of the photograph signed Catherine were symbols used by a photo supply company up in San Francisco. We went back to the office and got in touch with the San Francisco firm. We were told that the symbols indicated the style and the size of photographic mounting and further, that this particular type of mounting was distributed only throughout seven Western states. They gave us a list of 18 photo studios in Los Angeles who kept that particular mount in stock. It was a long chance, but we started checking them out. Meantime, we'd run the girl through R and I and gotten out an APB seeking information on her. Three days later, Ben and I had checked out 10 of the 18 photo studios on our list. The 11th was the M and Y family portraits on Melrose. Yes, sir. Help you? Police officers. Would you mind taking a look at this photograph here, please? Let's see. Would you like an enlargement? Got a special price on enlargements this week. No, sir. Just like to know if you can identify this girl, that's all. Well, do you recognize her at all, sir? I know her. Sure you wouldn't like an enlargement. You're in a cruiser car of a metropolitan police department. You receive a routine radio call.

[Joe Friday]

All units. Attention all units.

[Ben Romero]

Pick up and hold for investigation.

[Joe Friday]

The following vehicle. 1948 Ford two door sedan. Black, white, sidewall tires.

[Ben Romero]

There are many cars that fit this description. You listen for more facts.

[Joe Friday]

This car will have extensive damage to right front end. License number 9 Robert 9707 in the seven column. 9 Robert 9707 KMA 367.

[Ben Romero]

Now you can pin it down to one. Saturday, January 13th, 1:35pm we showed the photograph of the girl to the proprietor of the photo studio on Melrose Avenue. And he identified her as one of his customers. He told us her name was Doris chambers. She was 22 years old and a postgraduate student in chemistry at the university. She came from a fairly well to do family and her father was the president of a local neighborhood bank. She didn't even come close to the type of girl that we were looking for. We got the address from the photographer, drove out to the home and interviewed the Chambers girl. She gave a younger appearance than she did in her picture. She couldn't recognize the handwriting on the photo, nor did she understand the inscription. With love, Catherine. After questioning her, it became apparent that she knew nothing at all about 68 year old Martin Latimer. I wonder if you'd mind taking another look at the handwriting on the page picture, miss. Familiar at all?

[Joe Friday]

No. No, I couldn't be sure either way. Seems like I've seen it though.

[Ben Romero]

Well, when did you say you had this picture made, Miss?

[Joe Friday]

About a year ago at graduation. My mother had extra copies made up. She liked it. I didn't care for it much.

[Ben Romero]

Could you tell us how many people have prints of this picture?

[Joe Friday]

Mama had two dozen copies made up. She took 12 and I took 12. She sent them to relatives. Friends of ours kept a few.

[Ben Romero]

What'd you do with yours?

[Joe Friday]

Sent them to friends, girls at school, few of my boyfriends.

[Ben Romero]

Can you remember if you autographed any of them?

[Joe Friday]

No. Some of them the ones for my girlfriends. Others who gave out playing.

[Ben Romero]

Can you try and think who you gave those to, miss? The unsigned pictures.

[Joe Friday]

One went to Carl. I know that. Ray and Fred and Don Warren. I think that's it.

[Ben Romero]

Wonder if we could have their full names and addresses, please?

[Joe Friday]

Yes, all right.

[Ben Romero]

You know what?

[Joe Friday]

I'm saving all this junk for old letters. Could I see that picture, please?

[Ben Romero]

Yeah, I hear you.

[Joe Friday]

Look. It's the same writing. I thought I'd seen it before. Babe, I saw a letter from Warren. See the writing? Doesn't it look the same to you?

[Ben Romero]

Looks close, Joe. Yeah, when I've done my own handwriting. Check it over. Who is this? Warren, Ms. Chambers.

[Joe Friday]

Warren White. Here's his address right here.

[Ben Romero]

I'll copy it, Jim. Fine.

[Joe Friday]

Warren and I went to college together. We were engaged to be married for a while and then I broke it off.

[Ben Romero]

I see.

[Joe Friday]

Warren's a serious boy. He was very thorough. Perfectionist, you know. Sergeant. Never does things halfway.

[Ben Romero]

That so?

[Joe Friday]

Never known Warren to do anything in his life halfway, not once.

[Ben Romero]

Well, he's gonna have a perfect record if that handwriting matches.

[Joe Friday]

What can they do to him?

[Ben Romero]

I don't know. But they won't do it halfway. 255, 5pm we left the home of Doris Chambers and drove down Beverly Boulevard to 743 North Clairwood Avenue. An apartment house where the suspect was supposed to be living. We talked to the manager and he told us that Warren White had moved without giving notice. Three days before on January 10, the same day 68 year old Martin Latimer was found dead in his home. We got on the phone, talked to Doris Chambers again and she gave us a lead on Warren White's married sister. 7:30pm we met with the sister of the murder suspect and she told us that her brother Warren had phoned that morning and asked for an emergency loan of $200. Which she didn't have to give him. The sister gave us White's new address and we checked it out. It was one of those rundown futuristic style apartment houses built in the mid-30s. Was on a narrow road high above Sunset Boulevard overlooking most of Hollywood. White wasn't in and the manager said he wasn't expected back till early the next morning. We had the manager let us in White's apartment. We waited. Midnight 1am no sign of the suspect. No denying it. It's sure a beautiful view from here. The best in town. Be nice for single fellas up here, wouldn't it? Wouldn't work with the family though. How about you, Joe? Why don't you get your mother looking around up here? Be a beautiful place for the two of you. No, I don't think Ma would ever leave the house. Been there for 40 years. I guess she'll stay there till she dies. Would be nice up here though, wouldn't it? What a view, huh? Why don't you try talking the wind to it? You got nothing to lose. I might do that. Why don't you slide up one of the windows, get a Little stuffing in. Yeah, yeah. Oh, smell that air, huh? That's great. What time you got? 1:45. We waited. 3am 4am 4:30. Was cold. Still no sign of a suspect. Warren White. 5am 5:30. 6am the sky was getting light over in the east. 6:30. 7am 7:30. We kept waiting. No sign of the suspect. We called the office and arranged for a relief. 8am we could hear groups of youngsters passing by outside. Trooping into the main yard of a grammar school just below the apartment house. We kept waiting. At 8:15am we heard a car pull up in front of the apartment house. Footsteps came down the driveway, up the path and stopped. Outside the door. We heard a key turn in the lock. What is this? What do you want? You want White? Yes. Police officers. Got some questions we'd like to ask him. It's all right, officers. Why don't you sit down? I'm not going to give you any trouble, Huh? I killed him. Maybe I'll never know why, but I killed him. One converse about it. Must have had a reason for it. Rigging it for a suicide. Do you have anything against it? I hardly even knew. Used that picture of Doris to fool. Made some good money doing it. I needed it. You willing to give us a statement about the whole thing? I haven't anything to hide, Officer. The minute I killed him, I knew it was all over. Right there in that one minute. I knew you'd come and find me. Somehow I didn't know when. But you'd come and find me. Well, okay, Ben. We better head downtown. Yeah. What? It's a great sound, isn't it? What's that? The schoolyard. The kids got a great sound to it. Good one. You want to get your hat? All right. How can anybody figure? You start in the schoolyard like those kids down there running around yelling. I started the thing. Better get going. I wonder what it is that happens. An eight year old redhead kid. Must be one down there now. The other kids will grow up, get jobs, work and die. It'll be all right. Yeah. One kid will end up in an alley with a gun in his hand. How can anybody figure? I don't know. Bunch of kids playing in the schoolyard. Someday one of them's a killer. Yeah. Let's go. You tell me. What's the answer? The story you have just heard was true. Only the names were changed to protect the innocent. On April 2, trial was held in Superior Court Department 88, City and County of Los Angeles, State of California. In a moment, the results of that trial, Warren Thomas White was tried and convicted of murder in the first degree. He received a sentence of life imprisonment. He is still serving his term in the state penitentiary, Folsom, California. Ladies and gentlemen, to build our strength against aggression, we've got to equip our armed forces with weapons of war and at the same time produce plenty of civilian goods so that we can keep prices down. Remember, the better we produce, the stronger we grow. 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. Stay tuned for counterspy next over NBC. And Doug, here we have the Limu Emu in its natural habitat, helping people customize their car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual. Fascinating. It's accompanied by his natural allied, Doug. Uh, Limu is that guy with the binoculars watching us? Cut the camera. They see us. Only pay for what you need@liberty mutual.com. liberty, Liberty, Liberty, Liberty Savings. Very underwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and affiliates. Excludes Massachusetts.

[Adam Graham]

Welcome back. A bit of a 1950s version of identity theft working here, although low tech and far more easily traceable than its modern variant. I love that exchange where she said to Joe Friday, well, what can they do to him? And he said, I don't know, but they won't do it halfway. It was also kind of fun to have Friday and Romero jonesing about the suspect's apartment. Yeah, they so often get stuck on these really long waits where they're waiting around for someone. And I guess if you're gonna do that, it's good to do it somewhere where you get a nice view. Well, now we turn to listener comments and feedback. And we start on Spotify with a comment from Mechanic66, who writes they had to change the penalty for kidnapping from death because there was no incentive to keep the victims alive. Well, I think there's some intuitive logic in that. That doesn't appear to be the case, at least from a statutory perspective. The death penalty provision of the federal kidnapping statute was overturned in 1968 in the court case United States versus Jackson. And the reason it was overturned in that case was because the death penalty could only be imposed by the jury. So if kidnappers had a bench trial, they. They had no possibility of being executed. What the court found in that particular case is that having that provision impaired the right to trial by jury because essentially the defendants would have to fear for their lives if they went ahead and exercised their constitutional right in that case. Now, according to Justice Department interpretation, the death penalty is now available for kidnapping under the 1994 crime bill. And there are states where there are aggravated kidnapping statutes still. But from a practical standpoint, it's not done. And I think it more has to do with the idea that courts have taken a dim view of death penalty for cases that have not resulted in death. It's not, say, a Supreme Court precedent that you couldn't do it, absolutely, but there's enough potential risk of an appeal that prosecutors generally just don't consider it an option. So the death penalty has gone away for kidnapping as a practical matter, more as a concern about the way courts would rule rather than concerns about these sort of perverse incentives it might create for kidnappers. Then we have a couple of Comments over on YouTube regarding the big sophomore Sarge 714 says, thank you Adam, for this stream and Sangriff says five star drama. Well, thank you so much. Appreciate you taking the time to comment on YouTube. Well, now it's time to thank our Patreon supporter of the day. And I want to go ahead and thank John patreon supporter since September 2016, currently supporting the podcast at the Shamas level of $4 or more per month. Thanks so much for your support, John. And that will actually 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 notification bell. All those great things that help YouTube channels to grow. We will be back next Thursday with another episode of Dragnet, but join us back here tomorrow for yours truly, Johnny.

[Ben Romero]

Doll, or where your husband disappeared the night before last.

[Joe Friday]

Yes, that's right.

[Ben Romero]

What time?

[Joe Friday]

I'm. I'm not sure. Around 9 o' clock that night, somebody came to see him. A strange sort of man.

[Ben Romero]

How do you mean strange?

[Joe Friday]

Well, he was dressed in rough clothes, a seaman's jacket. He said he was an old friend of my husband's.

[Ben Romero]

Did he give you his name, Mrs. Foreman?

[Joe Friday]

Only blinker.

[Ben Romero]

Blinker?

[Joe Friday]

Yes, he said that's what everybody called him, I guess because he kept blinking his eyes very rapidly.

[Ben Romero]

I see.

[Joe Friday]

Well, I showed this, this Blinker person into the den where my husband was and left the two of them together. A few minutes later my husband came out and told me he was going to drive Blinker downtown and find him a hotel room. So I went to bed. I was tired and went right to sleep. And, well, my husband and I have adjoining bedroom. When I went in to call him Yesterday morning he was gone. The bed, it hadn't been slept in. I called his office thinking he might have decided to work late, but they hadn't seen him.

[Ben Romero]

Then you call the police?

[Joe Friday]

Yes.

[Ben Romero]

Mrs. Foreman, had your husband ever mentioned this man Blinker before?

[Joe Friday]

No, I'm quite certain he hadn't.

[Ben Romero]

Can you describe him?

[Joe Friday]

Well, he.

[Adam Graham]

I hope you'll be with us then. In the meantime, send your comments to Box [e-mail] follow us on Twitter at Radio Detectives and check us out on Instagram. Instagram.com Great Detectives from Boise, Idaho, this is your host, Adam Graham, signing off.

[Ben Romero]

And Doug, Here we have the Limu Emu in its natural habitat, helping people customize their car insurance and safety. Save hundreds with Liberty Mutual. Fascinating. It's accompanied by his natural ally, Doug. Uh, Limu is that guy with the binoculars watching us? Cut the camera. They see us. Only pay for what you [e-mail] Liberty Liberty Liberty Liberty Savings Fairy Underwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and affiliates. Excludes Massachusetts.

[Joe Friday]

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[Ben Romero]

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[Joe Friday]

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[Ben Romero]

Plus 24. 7 customer support. His venue never misses a beat.

[Joe Friday]

Call quickgranger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done.