1 00:00:28,399 --> 00:00:35,719 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. 2 00:00:36,079 --> 00:00:39,640 This is your host, Adam Graham. In a moment, we're 3 00:00:39,640 --> 00:00:44,240 going to bring you this week's episode of Dragnet. But 4 00:00:44,399 --> 00:00:48,119 first I do want to let you know that if 5 00:00:48,119 --> 00:00:51,520 you're enjoying the podcast, you can follow us using your 6 00:00:51,719 --> 00:00:55,759 favorite podcast software, and today's program is brought you in 7 00:00:55,840 --> 00:00:59,520 part by the financial support of our listeners. You can 8 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:02,600 support the show on a one time basis by melee 9 00:01:02,759 --> 00:01:08,400 a donation to Adam Graham piobox one five nine one three. 10 00:01:08,959 --> 00:01:14,079 That's pio box one five nine thirteen, Boise, Idaho eight 11 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:17,760 three seven one five. You can also become one of 12 00:01:17,799 --> 00:01:21,760 our ongoing Patreon supporters for as little as two dollars 13 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:27,079 per month. Just go to Patreon dot Great Detectives dot net. 14 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:32,200 But now, from September twenty seventh, nineteen fifty one, here 15 00:01:32,359 --> 00:01:34,719 is the Big September Man. 16 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:46,000 Speaker 2: The story you were about to hear is true. The 17 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:57,480 names have been changed to protect the innocent. You're a 18 00:01:57,519 --> 00:02:02,200 detective sergeant. You're assigned a homicide detail. An attractive blonde 19 00:02:02,239 --> 00:02:05,319 secretary is found beaten to death in a downtown office building. 20 00:02:05,959 --> 00:02:08,479 You have only one lead to start with a length 21 00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:11,840 of steel pipe wrapped in heavy paper. There's no trace 22 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:24,919 of the killer. Your job get him. 23 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:29,000 Speaker 3: Dragnet the documented drama of an actual crime. For the 24 00:02:29,039 --> 00:02:32,599 next thirty minutes, in cooperation with the Los Angeles Police Department, 25 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:35,199 you will travel step by step on the side of 26 00:02:35,199 --> 00:02:38,840 the law through an actual case, transcribed from official police bias, 27 00:02:39,319 --> 00:02:43,319 from beginning to end, from crime to punishment. Dragnet is 28 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:45,199 the story of your police force in action. 29 00:02:50,879 --> 00:02:54,039 Speaker 4: It was Wednesday, September twenty eighth, was hot in Los Angeles. 30 00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:56,520 We're working the night watch out of homicide detail. My 31 00:02:56,639 --> 00:02:59,520 partner's Ben Romero. The boss's Thad Brown, Chief of Detective's 32 00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:01,800 my names. I was on the way back from the 33 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:03,879 crime lab and it was eleven forty eight pm when 34 00:03:03,919 --> 00:03:11,080 I got to Room forty two Homicide Romeo, Ben, Hey, 35 00:03:11,159 --> 00:03:15,039 Rameol not here you ridy? Oh yeah, lope, how are you? 36 00:03:15,039 --> 00:03:17,240 You've seen Ramero around the last half hour, supposed to 37 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:17,879 meet him here. 38 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:20,479 Speaker 5: He's coming gone still around the building though. Got a call. 39 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:21,599 Speaker 4: What was it about? You know? 40 00:03:21,919 --> 00:03:24,080 Speaker 6: Yeah, I was on that killing the night call came 41 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:25,960 for one of the cruiser cars checking the neighborhood down 42 00:03:25,960 --> 00:03:28,080 where it happened, ye know, they find something picked up 43 00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:30,719 a guy about three blocks in the murder scene, acting suspicious. 44 00:03:31,199 --> 00:03:32,919 Speaker 5: Men in the cruiser car. Figured maybe you'd want to 45 00:03:32,919 --> 00:03:33,319 talk to him. 46 00:03:33,319 --> 00:03:34,400 Speaker 4: They're bringing the man in now. 47 00:03:34,639 --> 00:03:37,960 Speaker 5: Yeah, yeah, even know. We're checking with the crime lab. 48 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:42,639 Speaker 4: Yeah, not much murder weapons. About all we got so far. 49 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:44,879 It's a piece of pipe with heavy manilla paper wrapped 50 00:03:44,919 --> 00:03:45,240 aro on it. 51 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:47,319 Speaker 5: Lighting prints do any good? 52 00:03:47,479 --> 00:03:49,520 Speaker 4: Yeah, they lifted a lot of fingerprints. They all belonged 53 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:50,840 to the victim. None of them are four him. 54 00:03:51,879 --> 00:03:53,879 Speaker 5: Hey you got a tooth pick Joe and corner and 55 00:03:53,919 --> 00:03:54,560 the coventer. 56 00:03:54,719 --> 00:03:56,360 Speaker 4: No, I haven't want you to try the chop draw 57 00:03:56,400 --> 00:03:58,319 over there in Mike Pena's desk he usually has. 58 00:03:58,319 --> 00:04:03,080 Speaker 5: Oh yeah, thanks. I understand. It wasn't much to look 59 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:03,879 at the killing. 60 00:04:03,919 --> 00:04:05,680 Speaker 4: I mean it was a pretty vicious thing. The girl 61 00:04:05,719 --> 00:04:06,639 took a terrible beating. 62 00:04:06,960 --> 00:04:08,479 Speaker 5: Oh who found the body? 63 00:04:08,639 --> 00:04:10,879 Speaker 4: One of the scrub women in the building was an 64 00:04:10,919 --> 00:04:13,400 office up on the ninth floora import export company. Victim 65 00:04:13,479 --> 00:04:15,000 was a secretary there. She's a pretty girl. 66 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:16,399 Speaker 5: M hm. She did long. 67 00:04:16,959 --> 00:04:19,360 Speaker 4: Must have happened around seven o'clock tonight. That's my figure. 68 00:04:19,399 --> 00:04:20,079 It's just a gas. 69 00:04:20,639 --> 00:04:22,600 Speaker 5: What's the girl's name been identified yet? 70 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:26,120 Speaker 4: Yeah, Adele Prior. Her boss is out of town. She 71 00:04:26,199 --> 00:04:28,959 was working in the office alone. Was no one suspicious 72 00:04:28,959 --> 00:04:30,920 scene entering or leaving the office around the time of 73 00:04:30,959 --> 00:04:32,439 the murder. There's no one we know of anyway. 74 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:35,920 Speaker 6: You know, it's gonna take a lot of checking. Yeah, 75 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:38,040 any idea what the motive could have been. 76 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:40,360 Speaker 4: Well, it wasn't robbery. They didn't keep any cash in 77 00:04:40,360 --> 00:04:42,160 the office as far as we know. The girl wasn't 78 00:04:42,160 --> 00:04:45,160 carrying much money. We'll start making the rounds of the 79 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:47,160 morning checking with her friends, see what we can pick up. 80 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:50,519 Joe Friday, Yeah, right here, back here, Ben. 81 00:04:50,720 --> 00:04:52,600 Speaker 7: Oh, oh, hi, Joe lovely. 82 00:04:52,800 --> 00:04:54,639 Speaker 5: Hi. They bring the guy in Ben, mm hmm. 83 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:55,759 Speaker 7: I hope you briefly about it. 84 00:04:55,839 --> 00:04:57,879 Speaker 4: Jo. Yeah, a cruiser car picked up a suspicious looking 85 00:04:57,879 --> 00:04:59,439 guy near the murder scene. That about size of it. 86 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:02,000 Speaker 7: That they found the man beating his head against a 87 00:05:02,040 --> 00:05:04,079 brick wall in the back alley about two blocks from 88 00:05:04,079 --> 00:05:06,600 the office building where we found a body. Guy had 89 00:05:06,639 --> 00:05:08,560 been drinking heavily and when they picked him up, he's 90 00:05:08,600 --> 00:05:12,000 pretty far gone. Kept mumbling something about how he didn't 91 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:15,279 deserve to live. He was a murderer killer not too cohering. 92 00:05:15,639 --> 00:05:17,439 Speaker 5: They asked him about the dead girl, dope briar. 93 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:19,680 Speaker 7: Yeah, but the stuff he said didn't make much sense. 94 00:05:19,839 --> 00:05:21,480 He sobered up a little since he picked him up. 95 00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:22,720 We might as well see what we can get out 96 00:05:22,759 --> 00:05:23,600 him before we booke him in. 97 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:23,879 Speaker 3: Huh. 98 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:25,279 Speaker 7: Got him in the interrogation room. 99 00:05:25,319 --> 00:05:28,360 Speaker 4: Now, okay, you got to try anything. Any calls come in. 100 00:05:28,399 --> 00:05:30,360 You know where to find a slope, Yeah, sure, right, 101 00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:30,879 thanks a lot. 102 00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:35,120 Speaker 7: Did you check with the crime lab, Joe? 103 00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:35,439 Speaker 8: Yeah. 104 00:05:35,600 --> 00:05:38,000 Speaker 4: About all we're sure of is the murder weapon. No prints, 105 00:05:38,040 --> 00:05:39,160 no other physical evidence. 106 00:05:39,519 --> 00:05:41,920 Speaker 7: Maybe it won't matter. Got half an idea we might 107 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:44,199 have the killer now. The guy they picked up, how 108 00:05:44,199 --> 00:05:45,800 they figured it just too hunch. I don't think he's 109 00:05:45,839 --> 00:05:47,000 a drunk as he pretends. 110 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:48,920 Speaker 4: We're gonna have to place him a lot closer to 111 00:05:48,920 --> 00:05:50,920 the murder scene than two blocks away. You can't prove 112 00:05:50,920 --> 00:05:51,879 a thing the way it stands. 113 00:05:52,079 --> 00:05:53,920 Speaker 7: I was downstairs when they brought the man in and 114 00:05:53,959 --> 00:05:56,519 talked to him while they would bringing up the interrogation room. Yeah, 115 00:05:56,720 --> 00:05:59,199 told me he noticed the dead girl all right, said 116 00:05:59,199 --> 00:06:01,000 he was with her and before she died. 117 00:06:06,160 --> 00:06:09,079 Speaker 4: Shortly before eight o'clock that night, a scrub woman in 118 00:06:09,079 --> 00:06:11,720 a downtown office building near the intersection of eighth and 119 00:06:11,800 --> 00:06:14,639 South Grand Avenue entered an office on the ninth floor 120 00:06:14,680 --> 00:06:18,079 of the building to do her usual cleaning chores. Lying 121 00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:21,199 face down behind a desk in the small office, she 122 00:06:21,279 --> 00:06:24,079 found the body of twenty eight year old secretary Adele Pryor, 123 00:06:24,199 --> 00:06:27,399 beaten to death. When we arrived at the scene, routine 124 00:06:27,439 --> 00:06:30,800 investigation began, but almost immediately we found ourselves down a 125 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:34,560 blind alley. Repeated questioning of all persons in or about 126 00:06:34,560 --> 00:06:37,079 the office building failed to turn up anything in the 127 00:06:37,079 --> 00:06:40,240 way of Leeds thorough investigation of the murder scene, but 128 00:06:40,319 --> 00:06:42,480 the crime lab crew met with the same kind of luck. 129 00:06:43,399 --> 00:06:45,680 They knew they had the murder weapon. That was all. 130 00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:48,720 The deputy corner arrived and removed the body to the 131 00:06:48,759 --> 00:06:52,040 morgue for posting. At ten o'clock that night, three hours 132 00:06:52,079 --> 00:06:55,160 after the approximate time of the prior girl's death, officers 133 00:06:55,160 --> 00:06:57,879 in a cruiser car patrolling the area found a drunken 134 00:06:58,000 --> 00:07:00,319 man butting his head against a cement wall and uttering 135 00:07:00,319 --> 00:07:03,160 incoherently about a murder. He was picked up and taken 136 00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:06,120 immediately to the interrogation room, where Ben and I questioned him. 137 00:07:06,439 --> 00:07:08,319 We'd talked to him a full hour before he began 138 00:07:08,399 --> 00:07:11,439 to make sense. He gave his name as Robert French, 139 00:07:11,480 --> 00:07:15,480 aged thirty four, an unemployed electrical engineer. While we questioned him, 140 00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:17,600 two men from homicide were sent to check the hotel 141 00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:19,240 room where French told us he was staying. 142 00:07:19,480 --> 00:07:22,839 Speaker 9: I don't know. I guess I had three four drinks 143 00:07:22,839 --> 00:07:25,199 at Dusty's place, and I went down the street to 144 00:07:25,240 --> 00:07:27,879 the Blue Canario had some more drinks there. I don't 145 00:07:27,920 --> 00:07:30,480 remember what happened after that. I wasn't feeling so good. 146 00:07:30,680 --> 00:07:34,279 Speaker 7: You say you were drinking at Dusty's place around seven pms? Then, right, 147 00:07:34,319 --> 00:07:37,279 Frank suppose so? I wasn't watching the clock. I guess 148 00:07:37,279 --> 00:07:38,120 it was around seven. 149 00:07:38,240 --> 00:07:39,959 Speaker 4: Well, did you talk to anybody while you're in the bar? 150 00:07:40,160 --> 00:07:40,240 Speaker 3: No? 151 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:42,800 Speaker 9: Just a bartender. His name is Sarge. I don't know 152 00:07:42,920 --> 00:07:44,720 his last name. He'll tell you I was there. 153 00:07:44,839 --> 00:07:46,959 Speaker 4: What time was it when you got to Dusty's place, French? 154 00:07:47,120 --> 00:07:49,839 Speaker 9: I couldn't tell you for sure, about six thirty. Maybe 155 00:07:50,040 --> 00:07:51,240 Sarge could probably tell you. 156 00:07:51,279 --> 00:07:53,680 Speaker 7: The bartender when you were coming up in the elevator, 157 00:07:53,720 --> 00:07:55,480 you told us you knew a Dell prize. 158 00:07:55,519 --> 00:07:57,720 Speaker 9: Yeah, I knew her used to work for a husband 159 00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:00,560 or ex husband, I mean, had been divorced seven eight 160 00:08:00,639 --> 00:08:01,079 years now. 161 00:08:01,879 --> 00:08:03,879 Speaker 7: You said you saw Adele Pryor in her office late 162 00:08:03,879 --> 00:08:06,959 this afternoon, French. What was the reason for the visit? 163 00:08:07,120 --> 00:08:09,079 Speaker 9: I bought a couple of dollars from her. She was 164 00:08:09,120 --> 00:08:11,959 always pretty good that way, nice kid. Don't know why 165 00:08:11,959 --> 00:08:13,800 anybody'd want to kill her like that? 166 00:08:14,040 --> 00:08:16,079 Speaker 4: Well, how about the show that you were putting on 167 00:08:16,079 --> 00:08:18,360 out on the street tonight, French? Beating your head against 168 00:08:18,399 --> 00:08:19,600 that wall? What was that all about? 169 00:08:19,959 --> 00:08:23,680 Speaker 9: Drunk? Really drunk, felt so low I wanted to kill myself, 170 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:24,800 just lay down. 171 00:08:24,639 --> 00:08:27,439 Speaker 4: And die from How's that you remorseful? Felt sorry for 172 00:08:27,480 --> 00:08:28,120 something you'd done. 173 00:08:28,240 --> 00:08:30,879 Speaker 9: I don't know. I don't think of any special reason 174 00:08:30,920 --> 00:08:32,799 for it. When I get that way, I just keep 175 00:08:32,840 --> 00:08:35,480 thinking I want to die. I haven't got the nerve 176 00:08:35,519 --> 00:08:37,559 for it, though, I know that, Like my old man 177 00:08:37,600 --> 00:08:39,240 always used to tell me, I haven't got the nerve 178 00:08:39,279 --> 00:08:41,960 to do anything right. Just wasn't born that way. I 179 00:08:41,960 --> 00:08:45,639 guess that's it. Do you use narcotics, French? No, I 180 00:08:45,679 --> 00:08:48,240 haven't even got the nerve for that booze. That's all. 181 00:08:48,559 --> 00:08:52,759 It's good enough for me, see you think we could 182 00:08:52,759 --> 00:08:54,919 go out for coffee. Maybe I could use it. 183 00:08:55,440 --> 00:08:58,039 Speaker 4: We'll have something brought up. Huh, Ben, you mind going 184 00:08:58,039 --> 00:08:59,919 down the hall check with Littlepie, ask him to ask 185 00:08:59,919 --> 00:09:03,279 a coffee brought up? Huh yeah? Okay, and see if 186 00:09:03,320 --> 00:09:04,799 those two men are checked back in here? 187 00:09:04,799 --> 00:09:12,159 Speaker 9: Would you right? Appreciated? Sergeant? Sure can be mean when 188 00:09:12,159 --> 00:09:13,360 all this boozewears off. 189 00:09:13,440 --> 00:09:14,879 Speaker 4: I'd like to ask you a little more about the 190 00:09:14,879 --> 00:09:17,200 prior girl friends. Just how well did you know her? 191 00:09:17,399 --> 00:09:19,320 Speaker 9: Not too well, I guess I used to see her 192 00:09:19,360 --> 00:09:23,120 maybe once a month up there at their office. Yes, right, 193 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:25,639 she was a nice girl. Whenever I was broke, I 194 00:09:25,639 --> 00:09:27,600 could always depend on her for a couple of bucks. 195 00:09:27,919 --> 00:09:28,440 Speaker 5: I liked it. 196 00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:29,200 Speaker 9: Was a nice person. 197 00:09:29,399 --> 00:09:30,480 Speaker 4: Did you ever go out with her? 198 00:09:30,559 --> 00:09:30,759 Speaker 8: Oh? 199 00:09:30,879 --> 00:09:33,759 Speaker 9: No, I never did, no romance stuff. I didn't like 200 00:09:33,759 --> 00:09:35,440 her that way. She was just a good person. We 201 00:09:35,480 --> 00:09:41,679 got along, okay. No cigarette, No, it's not things. It's 202 00:09:41,720 --> 00:09:46,799 full of cotton already. 203 00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:50,639 Speaker 4: How about this business of Adele prior lending you money? 204 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:52,360 She think quite a bit of you, boy. 205 00:09:52,399 --> 00:09:54,600 Speaker 9: I did her a couple of favors once when I 206 00:09:54,679 --> 00:09:57,279 was working for her husband she was still married to him. 207 00:09:57,519 --> 00:09:59,120 She was going out with the guy she liked on 208 00:09:59,159 --> 00:10:00,919 the side. She was out with this guy once and 209 00:10:00,919 --> 00:10:02,840 I saw him together. She asked me not to say anything, 210 00:10:02,840 --> 00:10:05,440 so I didn't. Before she got a divorce, I used 211 00:10:05,440 --> 00:10:07,240 to cover up for her all the time. She never 212 00:10:07,279 --> 00:10:07,720 forgot it. 213 00:10:07,759 --> 00:10:09,080 Speaker 7: I guess how. 214 00:10:08,960 --> 00:10:11,200 Speaker 4: About when you saw her in her office tonight franchise? 215 00:10:11,200 --> 00:10:12,279 She see him all right to you? 216 00:10:12,559 --> 00:10:15,360 Speaker 9: Yeah, same as ever. Asked her if she could lend 217 00:10:15,360 --> 00:10:16,360 me a five, and she did. 218 00:10:16,559 --> 00:10:17,159 Speaker 4: I left. 219 00:10:17,480 --> 00:10:18,879 Speaker 9: It was about a quarter after six. 220 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:21,080 Speaker 4: I guess anyone else in the office when you left. 221 00:10:21,200 --> 00:10:23,360 Speaker 9: Yeah, it was a guy waiting in the little reception 222 00:10:23,480 --> 00:10:25,279 room there. Didn't know who he was. 223 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:26,679 Speaker 4: Do you remember what he looked like? 224 00:10:28,559 --> 00:10:31,039 Speaker 9: Tall fella about my size, my age. 225 00:10:32,559 --> 00:10:33,720 Speaker 7: Joe, Can I see you man? 226 00:10:37,440 --> 00:10:37,799 Speaker 4: Yeah. 227 00:10:37,919 --> 00:10:40,000 Speaker 7: Dorothy and Brian have checked in and just got back 228 00:10:40,039 --> 00:10:43,159 from going over French's hotel room. They find anything white shirt, 229 00:10:43,159 --> 00:10:45,200 a pair of bronze shoes, pair of dark trousers. 230 00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:45,759 Speaker 4: What about them? 231 00:10:45,879 --> 00:10:50,559 Speaker 7: Bloodstains on all of them. 232 00:10:50,600 --> 00:10:53,399 Speaker 4: The stained pieces of clothing found in the suspect's hotel 233 00:10:53,480 --> 00:10:55,720 room were delivered to Lieutenant Lee Jones at the crime 234 00:10:55,799 --> 00:10:59,679 lab for detailed examination. Coffee was brought in and Ben 235 00:10:59,720 --> 00:11:02,559 and I continued to question French until about four am. 236 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:05,159 He denied any knowledge or complicity in the killing of 237 00:11:05,159 --> 00:11:07,840 twenty eight year old Adele Prior. He told us the 238 00:11:07,840 --> 00:11:10,200 bloodstained clothing in his hotel room was the result of 239 00:11:10,240 --> 00:11:12,240 an accident he'd been in two weeks before when he'd 240 00:11:12,240 --> 00:11:15,399 been drinking heavily. He was checked through R and I 241 00:11:15,480 --> 00:11:17,240 while we talked to him, but he had no previous 242 00:11:17,279 --> 00:11:20,639 criminal record. French kept insisting that we check on the tall, 243 00:11:20,759 --> 00:11:22,799 dark haired man who had been waiting in the reception 244 00:11:22,919 --> 00:11:25,360 room of the prior girl's office the night before. When 245 00:11:25,399 --> 00:11:28,559 French left her, We gave the description of the suspect 246 00:11:28,759 --> 00:11:31,360 along with them to the Stat's office, requesting them to 247 00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:34,519 furnish us with any information regarding any assaults or any 248 00:11:34,600 --> 00:11:38,440 solved or unsolved murder. At four point fifteen am, we 249 00:11:38,480 --> 00:11:40,799 booked in Robert French at the main jail and suspicion 250 00:11:40,840 --> 00:11:44,399 of one eighty seven PC murder. The next morning, at 251 00:11:44,399 --> 00:11:49,080 ten am, the legwork began. Lopez and Dougherty from Homicide 252 00:11:49,120 --> 00:11:51,639 started checking on the background an alibi of the suspect, 253 00:11:51,759 --> 00:11:54,960 Robert French. He didn't hold much water. None of the 254 00:11:55,000 --> 00:11:56,879 people at either of the bars where French said he'd 255 00:11:56,879 --> 00:11:58,840 been drinking at the time of the murder, could definitely 256 00:11:58,919 --> 00:12:02,000 vouch for his presence. But they all volunteered the information 257 00:12:02,039 --> 00:12:04,080 that no matter how much he drank, French was never 258 00:12:04,159 --> 00:12:07,799 violent toward other people, only himself. Lopez and Doherty continued 259 00:12:07,799 --> 00:12:09,919 investigating the suspect while Ben and I checked on the 260 00:12:09,919 --> 00:12:12,519 background of the victim of del Pryor. At eight twenty 261 00:12:12,559 --> 00:12:14,360 five pm, we got back to the office. 262 00:12:15,559 --> 00:12:18,039 Speaker 7: Hi, been waiting for you too. I'm hoping you and 263 00:12:18,080 --> 00:12:19,000 Doherty do any good. 264 00:12:19,399 --> 00:12:22,120 Speaker 5: Nothing to celebrate over long day, tired feet. 265 00:12:22,440 --> 00:12:24,120 Speaker 4: What'd you find out, LOPI, anything new at all? 266 00:12:24,399 --> 00:12:24,559 Speaker 5: Oh? 267 00:12:24,600 --> 00:12:26,399 Speaker 6: Maybe French as are a man, can't prove it, but 268 00:12:26,559 --> 00:12:28,879 me every place we checked, everybody we talked to the 269 00:12:28,879 --> 00:12:31,639 same answer. Yeah, he's a smart guy with a good education. 270 00:12:31,720 --> 00:12:34,120 He's on the bottle and he's out of work. Everybody 271 00:12:34,159 --> 00:12:36,000 seems to like him. He gets drunk, but he never 272 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:39,080 bothers anybody. That's about the worst anybody can say about him. 273 00:12:39,559 --> 00:12:40,279 Speaker 5: Drinks too much? 274 00:12:40,320 --> 00:12:42,000 Speaker 4: Well, how about his being friends with the dead girl? 275 00:12:42,080 --> 00:12:43,080 Did think of anything there? 276 00:12:43,360 --> 00:12:45,360 Speaker 5: Yeah, it only proves he was telling you the truth. 277 00:12:45,399 --> 00:12:47,320 Speaker 6: Though, as far as we could find out, there was 278 00:12:47,360 --> 00:12:49,919 nothing going between the two of them. Everything that God 279 00:12:49,960 --> 00:12:52,799 only verifies what he told you. He had no interest 280 00:12:52,799 --> 00:12:54,159 in the girl except the bar offer. 281 00:12:54,200 --> 00:12:55,840 Speaker 4: When he was broke. You got in touch with the 282 00:12:55,840 --> 00:12:56,960 girl's ex husband, did you? 283 00:12:57,200 --> 00:12:58,480 Speaker 10: Yeah, he couldn't add anything. 284 00:12:58,679 --> 00:13:02,600 Speaker 5: All clear there? Hey, uh by the way here, Lee 285 00:13:02,720 --> 00:13:04,759 Jones called from the crime light just for you. Came in. 286 00:13:05,120 --> 00:13:05,679 Speaker 7: What did he have? 287 00:13:05,840 --> 00:13:06,279 Speaker 4: Lope? 288 00:13:06,480 --> 00:13:08,879 Speaker 6: Finished testing the blood stains and those clothes they found 289 00:13:08,879 --> 00:13:10,240 in French's hotel room. 290 00:13:10,440 --> 00:13:12,759 Speaker 10: None of the stands on a mass victim's blood type. 291 00:13:12,799 --> 00:13:13,799 Speaker 5: It's another dead end. 292 00:13:14,080 --> 00:13:16,840 Speaker 4: Yeah, it's sure hard to figure. You got anything else, Lope? 293 00:13:16,960 --> 00:13:20,519 Speaker 5: Oh yeah, he's good. A report for you from the 294 00:13:20,559 --> 00:13:21,240 stats office. 295 00:13:21,279 --> 00:13:21,840 Speaker 4: Oh thank you. 296 00:13:22,159 --> 00:13:23,720 Speaker 5: He asked to make a run for you last night. 297 00:13:23,840 --> 00:13:24,360 Speaker 4: Yeah I did. 298 00:13:26,200 --> 00:13:27,000 Speaker 7: What's it looked like? 299 00:13:27,320 --> 00:13:31,639 Speaker 4: Just not? Yeah, it doesn't help much. Looks like more legwork. 300 00:13:31,879 --> 00:13:33,039 Speaker 10: What's that you we? 301 00:13:33,159 --> 00:13:35,559 Speaker 4: French told us when he left Adell prior last night, 302 00:13:35,639 --> 00:13:37,279 there was a man in the reception room waiting to 303 00:13:37,279 --> 00:13:39,320 see her. He gave us the guy's description and the 304 00:13:39,320 --> 00:13:41,720 stats office made a run on it for us. This 305 00:13:41,840 --> 00:13:42,879 is the best one they got. 306 00:13:43,080 --> 00:13:43,559 Speaker 7: Yeah. 307 00:13:43,840 --> 00:13:46,360 Speaker 4: The guy's name is William Tanner wm A thirty three 308 00:13:46,399 --> 00:13:48,879 years old, six foot, one hundred ninety five pounds, dark hair, 309 00:13:48,960 --> 00:13:49,639 dark complexion. 310 00:13:49,840 --> 00:13:51,919 Speaker 7: It's a description French gave us as a guy. 311 00:13:51,799 --> 00:13:53,440 Speaker 4: And the rest of it's a lot closer to home. 312 00:13:53,480 --> 00:13:54,000 Speaker 10: What do you mean? 313 00:13:55,159 --> 00:13:58,559 Speaker 4: William Tanner was a prominent suspect in the Donaldson murder 314 00:13:58,600 --> 00:14:02,519 last September. Testimony of friends and relatives subsequently cleared him. 315 00:14:02,720 --> 00:14:06,159 Donaldson's murder is still unsolved. What's the point, Well, the 316 00:14:06,200 --> 00:14:08,440 same thing that killed Donaldson killed a Dell pryor what 317 00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:10,519 do you mean? Piece of steel pipe wrapped in paper. 318 00:14:12,600 --> 00:14:15,559 To the working detective assigned to examine a criminal case, 319 00:14:15,799 --> 00:14:18,720 the element of coincidence, when it occurs, generally serves to 320 00:14:18,720 --> 00:14:23,080 complicate any investigation towards the solution of the crime. Coincidence 321 00:14:23,120 --> 00:14:25,480 may mean a lot, or it may mean nothing. In 322 00:14:25,519 --> 00:14:28,639 any event, it can't be dismissed. This time we had 323 00:14:28,639 --> 00:14:31,559 two examples of coincidence to deal with. A girl had 324 00:14:31,559 --> 00:14:34,000 been beaten to death in an office building within two 325 00:14:34,080 --> 00:14:36,440 blocks of the murder's scene. We found a man fairly 326 00:14:36,440 --> 00:14:39,080 well acquainted with a victim who admitted seeing the girl 327 00:14:39,120 --> 00:14:42,759 within an hour of her death. Primary investigation uncovered some 328 00:14:42,960 --> 00:14:45,960 facts which tended to incriminate the man some facts which 329 00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:48,720 tended to prove him innocent. Was his presence in the 330 00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:51,600 immediate neighborhood of the killing only coincidental? Or was he 331 00:14:51,600 --> 00:14:53,679 there at the particular time for the purpose of murder 332 00:14:54,039 --> 00:14:56,919 We didn't know. By the same token, a man by 333 00:14:56,919 --> 00:14:59,559 the name of William Tanner was suspected one year before 334 00:15:00,120 --> 00:15:03,120 beating an elderly woman to death with an identical murder weapon, 335 00:15:03,360 --> 00:15:06,600 a length of steel pipe wrapped in paper. This same person, 336 00:15:06,639 --> 00:15:09,360 William Tanner, matched the description of a man reportedly seen 337 00:15:09,480 --> 00:15:13,639 entering Adele Pryor's office shortly before she was murdered. Tanner 338 00:15:13,679 --> 00:15:16,480 also had a criminal record of one conviction for assault. 339 00:15:16,919 --> 00:15:19,399 Maybe it was a lead, maybe it was nothing. It 340 00:15:19,480 --> 00:15:22,360 had to be checked out. We showed Tanner's mugshot to 341 00:15:22,399 --> 00:15:25,559 our first murder suspect, Robert French, but he failed to 342 00:15:25,600 --> 00:15:28,720 identify it. We went to William Tanner's last known address, 343 00:15:28,720 --> 00:15:31,240 but he'd moved. We checked with his next of kin, 344 00:15:31,360 --> 00:15:34,399 his brother, Martin Tanner. He was with a city fire department. 345 00:15:34,799 --> 00:15:36,919 We found him on duty at the neighborhood fire station 346 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:39,600 on Norwich Avenue. 347 00:15:41,360 --> 00:15:43,519 Speaker 10: No, I'm afraid not Sergeant, I haven't seen my brother 348 00:15:43,559 --> 00:15:45,759 Bill in three weeks now. If he's not at his apartment, 349 00:15:45,799 --> 00:15:46,600 I couldn't tell you where to. 350 00:15:46,799 --> 00:15:48,600 Speaker 7: We tried the last address we had on him. He 351 00:15:48,639 --> 00:15:50,720 wasn't there, eighty six twenty five Norman Road. 352 00:15:50,840 --> 00:15:52,879 Speaker 10: Oh no, no, he moved out of there six seven 353 00:15:52,879 --> 00:15:54,799 months ago. I got his new address in my locker. 354 00:15:54,840 --> 00:15:55,840 I can give it to you if you want. 355 00:15:55,840 --> 00:15:56,519 Speaker 4: We'd appreciate it. 356 00:15:56,600 --> 00:15:59,559 Speaker 10: Yeah, Okay, back this way and then upstairs. All right, 357 00:16:01,000 --> 00:16:03,480 what's it about, Sergeant, My brother in some kind of 358 00:16:03,480 --> 00:16:04,000 trouble again? 359 00:16:04,039 --> 00:16:06,080 Speaker 7: I guess huh, Oh, it's just a routine check. You 360 00:16:06,120 --> 00:16:08,480 sound like you almost expect your brother to be in trouble. 361 00:16:08,559 --> 00:16:10,639 Tanner to tell you the truth, I guess I do. 362 00:16:10,759 --> 00:16:11,200 Speaker 4: I don't know what. 363 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:15,639 Speaker 10: Excuse me, man, No, it's not our call. 364 00:16:16,120 --> 00:16:18,159 Speaker 4: Well, how would you mean that, tenor what's happened to 365 00:16:18,159 --> 00:16:18,519 your brother? 366 00:16:18,720 --> 00:16:19,600 Speaker 10: Well, tell you the truth. 367 00:16:19,639 --> 00:16:20,039 Speaker 5: I don't know. 368 00:16:20,120 --> 00:16:22,000 Speaker 10: Bill and I used to live together with our mother. 369 00:16:22,279 --> 00:16:24,440 Ma died about two years ago. I don't think Bill 370 00:16:24,480 --> 00:16:26,440 ever really got over it. He was a lot closer 371 00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:29,200 to Mott than I was. After she died, he drank 372 00:16:29,279 --> 00:16:31,120 quite a bit for a while, and he tried women 373 00:16:31,200 --> 00:16:33,519 a lot something. After that, he turned to religion. We 374 00:16:33,559 --> 00:16:36,360 thought that had helped, would have too, except that he's 375 00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:39,320 an odd guy, even finds ways of distorting the Bible. 376 00:16:40,200 --> 00:16:42,159 I guess he's still pretty religious. He goes to all 377 00:16:42,159 --> 00:16:44,360 the revivals, the tent meetings, all that kind of thing. 378 00:16:44,600 --> 00:16:46,320 Speaker 4: Huh. Do you know any of his women friends? 379 00:16:46,600 --> 00:16:46,840 Speaker 7: Yeah? 380 00:16:46,879 --> 00:16:48,159 Speaker 10: I do, two or three of them. 381 00:16:48,240 --> 00:16:50,639 Speaker 4: How about the name Adele Pryor does that mean anything 382 00:16:50,639 --> 00:16:50,799 to you? 383 00:16:51,639 --> 00:16:54,000 Speaker 10: Would she be kind of a pretty girl, blonde hair, 384 00:16:54,159 --> 00:16:55,240 nice clothes, Yeah, that's right. 385 00:16:55,279 --> 00:16:56,159 Speaker 7: Have you met her, Tanner? 386 00:16:56,360 --> 00:16:56,559 Speaker 5: Yeah? 387 00:16:56,600 --> 00:16:58,519 Speaker 10: Bill had me meet her once. He seemed to like 388 00:16:58,519 --> 00:16:59,120 her quite a bit. 389 00:16:59,759 --> 00:17:01,639 Speaker 7: Was it pretty serious about her? Or would you know that? 390 00:17:01,879 --> 00:17:02,080 Speaker 5: Yeah? 391 00:17:02,120 --> 00:17:04,039 Speaker 10: He was serious about her, all right, He told me that. 392 00:17:04,119 --> 00:17:06,279 I don't think it worked both ways though, looked to 393 00:17:06,319 --> 00:17:08,839 me like she was playing the field. Bill took it 394 00:17:08,920 --> 00:17:09,640 way too serious. 395 00:17:09,759 --> 00:17:10,200 Speaker 4: How do you mean? 396 00:17:10,920 --> 00:17:12,839 Speaker 10: Well, they went together steady for a while and then 397 00:17:12,839 --> 00:17:13,880 they broke it up cheated. 398 00:17:13,920 --> 00:17:16,359 Speaker 4: I mean, how'd your brother take that? 399 00:17:16,359 --> 00:17:18,599 Speaker 10: That's so good? I remember the night about a month ago. 400 00:17:18,880 --> 00:17:21,480 Never saw a bill like that before. Real bad shake 401 00:17:21,759 --> 00:17:23,960 wasn't drinking either. Is that you never saw a bill 402 00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:26,640 like that? In my life, like what Tanner off his head, 403 00:17:26,839 --> 00:17:28,200 He could have gone out and killed the girl. 404 00:17:31,440 --> 00:17:34,119 Speaker 4: Before we left the fire station. We got William Tanner's 405 00:17:34,160 --> 00:17:37,039 new address from his brother Martin. It was the same 406 00:17:37,119 --> 00:17:39,640 address as that of the murdered girl, Adele Pryor, an 407 00:17:39,680 --> 00:17:42,559 apartment house close by the intersection of Wiltshire and Lobrea. 408 00:17:43,119 --> 00:17:45,559 Tanner's apartment was on the third floor, just down the 409 00:17:45,559 --> 00:17:48,720 hall from the prior girl's apartment, but Tanner wasn't there. 410 00:17:49,200 --> 00:17:51,440 The apartment manager told us he'd moved out the night 411 00:17:51,480 --> 00:17:54,599 before without leaving a forwarding address. Ben put in a 412 00:17:54,599 --> 00:17:57,599 call to the suspect's place of business, an industrial chemical company, 413 00:17:57,880 --> 00:18:00,119 where Tanner was employed as assistant office man. 414 00:18:00,440 --> 00:18:04,599 Speaker 7: What was the reason, sir, oh I see huh yeah, 415 00:18:04,640 --> 00:18:06,720 well all right, thanks very much. We'll be checking with 416 00:18:06,759 --> 00:18:11,039 you later. By what they say, Tanner left yesterday, quit 417 00:18:11,079 --> 00:18:13,359 without giving any notice. Told him he had a better job. 418 00:18:13,400 --> 00:18:28,519 Line where South America. 419 00:18:26,200 --> 00:18:29,599 Speaker 3: You are listening to dragnet authentic stories of your police 420 00:18:29,680 --> 00:18:30,319 force and action. 421 00:18:34,720 --> 00:18:38,200 Speaker 4: Saturday, October first, eight am, we got out a broadcast 422 00:18:38,240 --> 00:18:41,720 and an APB on murder suspect William Tanner. We checked 423 00:18:41,720 --> 00:18:44,000 with the local US state Department office, but they had 424 00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:46,599 no record of granting a passport recently to a William 425 00:18:46,640 --> 00:18:49,880 Tanner to travel in a South American country. We talked 426 00:18:49,880 --> 00:18:53,119 to the various consulates in the city representing South American nations, 427 00:18:53,160 --> 00:18:54,640 but none of them had issued a visit to a 428 00:18:54,680 --> 00:18:58,839 William Tanner recently or anyone answering his description. Together with 429 00:18:58,880 --> 00:19:01,440 Brian and Lopez from Hide, Ben and I continued the 430 00:19:01,480 --> 00:19:04,720 search for the missing suspect. The deeper we checked into 431 00:19:04,759 --> 00:19:07,759 his background, the more we became convinced that mentally Tanner 432 00:19:07,839 --> 00:19:10,599 was far from normal. Most of the people who knew 433 00:19:10,599 --> 00:19:12,720 the suspect told us the same story as brother had 434 00:19:12,720 --> 00:19:16,279 given us. In recent months, Tanner had taken strongly to religion. 435 00:19:17,079 --> 00:19:20,680 He attended revival meetings and similar religious exercises every night 436 00:19:20,680 --> 00:19:23,839 in the week. He talked nothing but repentance. He quoted 437 00:19:23,880 --> 00:19:27,160 the scriptures constantly. He adopted the habit of carrying a 438 00:19:27,200 --> 00:19:30,119 Bible with him wherever he went, reading from it aloud 439 00:19:30,160 --> 00:19:32,960 every chance he got. He kept urging his friends to 440 00:19:33,039 --> 00:19:37,039 join him in being saved. On Monday, October third, we 441 00:19:37,119 --> 00:19:40,400 began a check of the various revival halls. On Wednesday, 442 00:19:40,440 --> 00:19:43,720 October fifth, we found him. He was attending a gospel 443 00:19:43,759 --> 00:19:45,759 revival in a meeting hall in the south end of 444 00:19:45,759 --> 00:19:48,160 the city. He told us he had a room in 445 00:19:48,200 --> 00:19:50,559 a small hotel directly above the meeting hall, but he 446 00:19:50,599 --> 00:19:53,480 seemed reluctant to take us up there. While low pezant, 447 00:19:53,480 --> 00:19:55,319 Bryan got a pass key from the manager and went 448 00:19:55,400 --> 00:19:57,960 up to check the room. Ben and I questioned Tanner 449 00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:00,240 downstairs in the lobby of the meeting. 450 00:20:01,039 --> 00:20:03,279 Speaker 10: I'm sorry to hear about Dell. What happened to her? 451 00:20:03,359 --> 00:20:04,519 It's a terrible thing, isn't it. 452 00:20:04,599 --> 00:20:07,119 Speaker 7: Yes, sir, we understand you knew Adele Prior fairly well, 453 00:20:07,160 --> 00:20:08,279 mister Tanner, is that Greg? 454 00:20:08,359 --> 00:20:10,079 Speaker 10: Yes, that's correct. I liked her quite a bit of 455 00:20:10,119 --> 00:20:12,000 one time. You see a lot of each other. I 456 00:20:12,039 --> 00:20:13,599 was engaged to her, you know, well, how was it 457 00:20:13,680 --> 00:20:14,359 you never married? 458 00:20:14,400 --> 00:20:16,319 Speaker 4: Tanner? Did she break off the engagement? No? 459 00:20:16,319 --> 00:20:18,240 Speaker 10: No, I was lucky. I found out in time I 460 00:20:18,279 --> 00:20:19,039 broke off with her. 461 00:20:19,359 --> 00:20:20,960 Speaker 4: What do you mean you found out in time? What'd 462 00:20:20,960 --> 00:20:21,480 you find out? 463 00:20:21,799 --> 00:20:24,960 Speaker 10: I found the truth, Sergeant, the everlasting word for Know 464 00:20:25,079 --> 00:20:28,960 this and understand that no unclean person or covetous one 465 00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:31,440 has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and God. 466 00:20:32,039 --> 00:20:36,039 For these have given themselves up in despaired sensuality, readily 467 00:20:36,079 --> 00:20:40,039 practicing every kind of uncleanness. Do not then become partakers 468 00:20:40,039 --> 00:20:43,240 with them. That's the everlasting Word, Sergeant, the Holy Book. 469 00:20:43,599 --> 00:20:45,559 Speaker 7: Yes, sir, I'm not quite sure of folly. 470 00:20:46,039 --> 00:20:48,480 Speaker 10: Open your eyes and ears to the everlasting Word, and 471 00:20:48,519 --> 00:20:52,000 you will know and understand all things. It's very simple, Officer. 472 00:20:52,039 --> 00:20:55,200 I don't want to say anything uncharitable about her. Adele 473 00:20:55,319 --> 00:20:57,160 wasn't for me. I'm glad I found out in time, 474 00:20:57,240 --> 00:20:57,599 that's all. 475 00:20:58,039 --> 00:20:59,960 Speaker 7: When's the last time you saw it? Tanner? You remember? 476 00:21:00,279 --> 00:21:02,920 Speaker 10: No, I don't, not exactly. I think I saw her 477 00:21:02,960 --> 00:21:05,240 week or so before it happened, before they found her dead. 478 00:21:05,599 --> 00:21:06,799 Where was that that you saw? 479 00:21:07,400 --> 00:21:08,400 Speaker 4: How's that? I say? 480 00:21:08,400 --> 00:21:10,000 Speaker 7: Where was it the last time you saw. 481 00:21:09,799 --> 00:21:12,240 Speaker 10: Her on the street? It was downtown somewhere. I passed 482 00:21:12,240 --> 00:21:12,839 her on the street. 483 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:14,839 Speaker 4: Used to live in the same apartment house she did. 484 00:21:14,839 --> 00:21:16,559 Isn't that right just down the hall from her? 485 00:21:16,680 --> 00:21:17,359 Speaker 10: Yes, sir, I did. 486 00:21:17,480 --> 00:21:19,799 Speaker 4: Why and for a full week you didn't happen to 487 00:21:19,839 --> 00:21:21,799 see the prior girl around the apartment building at all. 488 00:21:22,319 --> 00:21:24,319 Speaker 10: No, that's right. When I broke off with Adele, that 489 00:21:24,480 --> 00:21:26,119 was it, I had no reason to see her anymore. 490 00:21:26,200 --> 00:21:28,359 Speaker 7: Well, it's not too clear, Tanner. It doesn't gibe with 491 00:21:28,400 --> 00:21:30,400 what we've been told about you and the prior girl. 492 00:21:30,599 --> 00:21:32,559 Speaker 10: Well the lies, of course. I suppose you know that 493 00:21:33,440 --> 00:21:36,079 Dell was a beautiful girl, very beautiful. A lot of 494 00:21:36,160 --> 00:21:38,079 men she knew were jealous of them all. 495 00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:40,160 Speaker 4: The way we understand a Tanner, you never did break 496 00:21:40,160 --> 00:21:42,039 off with miss Pryor. You were going around with her, 497 00:21:42,079 --> 00:21:43,240 and you were seen with her right up to the 498 00:21:43,279 --> 00:21:43,880 day of her death. 499 00:21:43,880 --> 00:21:45,680 Speaker 10: Well, that's certainly a lie, and I can prove that. 500 00:21:45,759 --> 00:21:47,880 As soon as I found out about Adele, and that 501 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:49,640 was weeks before she was scared. As soon as I 502 00:21:49,720 --> 00:21:52,119 found out that was the end, I broke. 503 00:21:51,920 --> 00:21:53,720 Speaker 4: Off with it right away. Like to know what you're 504 00:21:53,720 --> 00:21:55,240 referring to, Tanner, You find out. 505 00:21:55,079 --> 00:21:59,240 Speaker 10: What Adele Adele? She was one of those huh, I'm sorry, 506 00:21:59,279 --> 00:22:02,359 she was the sinner. I almost went out of my 507 00:22:02,400 --> 00:22:05,279 mind when I found out she knew it was wrong. 508 00:22:05,400 --> 00:22:07,720 She must have known was right there in the book 509 00:22:07,759 --> 00:22:10,839 for anybody to read. Do not let sin rain and 510 00:22:10,880 --> 00:22:12,799 your mortal body so that you obey its. 511 00:22:12,759 --> 00:22:15,319 Speaker 4: Lusts Now, look, Tenor, what are you trying to tell us. 512 00:22:15,680 --> 00:22:16,440 It was terrible. 513 00:22:16,559 --> 00:22:21,480 Speaker 10: She sinned all the time. She committed terrible sins. Will 514 00:22:21,519 --> 00:22:24,000 you committed a side room over here, I can tell 515 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:25,440 you all about her. I justice, so you will not 516 00:22:25,480 --> 00:22:26,200 talk about it here. 517 00:22:26,279 --> 00:22:27,440 Speaker 7: I'm sure go ahead. 518 00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:29,400 Speaker 4: In here. 519 00:22:29,839 --> 00:22:30,640 Speaker 10: Huh huh. 520 00:22:32,119 --> 00:22:33,960 Speaker 7: Just one question before you get started. 521 00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:34,720 Speaker 4: Tenor Yes? 522 00:22:34,960 --> 00:22:36,880 Speaker 7: Did you ever visit a Dell prior to a place 523 00:22:36,920 --> 00:22:38,839 of business downtown at her office? No? 524 00:22:38,960 --> 00:22:41,079 Speaker 4: I never did. Why did you visit a Dell Prior 525 00:22:41,119 --> 00:22:42,559 at her office the day she was killed? 526 00:22:42,759 --> 00:22:45,200 Speaker 10: The Lord is my witness, Sergeant, I have nothing to fear. 527 00:22:45,400 --> 00:22:46,799 Why should you ask me that question? 528 00:22:46,920 --> 00:22:48,559 Speaker 4: Oh, we have a report that you were seen going 529 00:22:48,559 --> 00:22:50,480 into the office less than an hour before the prior 530 00:22:50,519 --> 00:22:52,799 girl was murdered. Like to have you clarify that for 531 00:22:52,920 --> 00:22:53,440 us if you would. 532 00:22:53,640 --> 00:22:54,680 Speaker 10: Certainly it's a lie. 533 00:22:54,559 --> 00:22:56,279 Speaker 7: And you're sure you weren't in that office with it 534 00:22:56,440 --> 00:22:57,319 just before she died. 535 00:22:57,640 --> 00:22:59,519 Speaker 10: Well, let me tell you about her sins. There was 536 00:22:59,640 --> 00:23:01,799 never anything as evil as this, sergeant? 537 00:23:02,119 --> 00:23:02,680 Speaker 4: Is that right? 538 00:23:02,960 --> 00:23:05,079 Speaker 10: Yes? It was a terrible shock. I like to Dell. 539 00:23:05,160 --> 00:23:07,720 I think I loved her. We've been going out for 540 00:23:07,720 --> 00:23:09,920 two months. Sometimes I'd take her here so that she 541 00:23:10,000 --> 00:23:12,319 could learn about the everlasting words, so that she could 542 00:23:12,359 --> 00:23:16,279 know about the terrible sin some people commit, or drinking 543 00:23:16,359 --> 00:23:19,640 and parties and carryings on things no one should do, 544 00:23:19,759 --> 00:23:22,559 especially girls like at Deell, beautiful girl. 545 00:23:22,680 --> 00:23:24,880 Speaker 4: How can you be sure she was doing anything wrong? Tanner? 546 00:23:24,920 --> 00:23:26,480 Do you have any real proof of that everything? 547 00:23:26,599 --> 00:23:29,680 Speaker 10: Sergeant? I knew just knowing that she was sinning against 548 00:23:29,720 --> 00:23:30,119 the Lord. 549 00:23:30,319 --> 00:23:32,279 Speaker 7: Did you know any of the other mention what I was? 550 00:23:32,559 --> 00:23:35,039 Speaker 10: They were sinful? I knew that they only liked to 551 00:23:35,079 --> 00:23:36,240 Dell because she was beautiful. 552 00:23:36,240 --> 00:23:37,839 Speaker 4: Did you know any of the men, Tanner? Did you 553 00:23:37,880 --> 00:23:39,319 know for a fact that there was anything wrong? 554 00:23:39,359 --> 00:23:41,680 Speaker 10: I knew everything, Sergeant. She was a beautiful girl, and 555 00:23:41,680 --> 00:23:43,359 I thought she was a woman of the Lord, and 556 00:23:43,400 --> 00:23:45,720 I wanted her from my wife, but she gave in 557 00:23:45,759 --> 00:23:46,119 to sin. 558 00:23:46,839 --> 00:23:49,160 Speaker 4: Now I guess that's her business. Tenor how she lived, 559 00:23:49,200 --> 00:23:50,839 we're trying to find out how she died. 560 00:23:50,799 --> 00:23:54,000 Speaker 10: Well, just let me tell you about it. I'd lie 561 00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:55,839 there in the dark in my room upstairs, and I'd 562 00:23:55,880 --> 00:23:58,640 wait to hear her come in down the hall was 563 00:23:58,680 --> 00:24:00,799 always late, two and three o'clock in the morning, I'd 564 00:24:00,799 --> 00:24:01,279 hear it comes. 565 00:24:01,279 --> 00:24:03,319 Speaker 7: We still haven't told us, Dannan, what about the men? 566 00:24:03,400 --> 00:24:05,519 She went out with this program, slaves. 567 00:24:05,119 --> 00:24:07,480 Speaker 10: Of the devil, every one of them. I thought, I 568 00:24:07,519 --> 00:24:08,240 go out in my mind. 569 00:24:08,880 --> 00:24:10,680 Speaker 4: All right, Now, come on, you want to tell us, mister, 570 00:24:10,720 --> 00:24:12,799 howbotch is that? What made you do it? No? 571 00:24:12,880 --> 00:24:14,480 Speaker 10: Wait a minute, you don't want to wait to listen. 572 00:24:14,519 --> 00:24:15,519 You say, made me do it? 573 00:24:15,559 --> 00:24:16,039 Speaker 9: Made me do what? 574 00:24:16,200 --> 00:24:17,759 Speaker 4: I think? You know what we mean? Tannor you want 575 00:24:17,759 --> 00:24:18,480 to tell us now. 576 00:24:18,400 --> 00:24:20,880 Speaker 10: It's a terrible thing. All is sin around us. It's 577 00:24:20,920 --> 00:24:24,400 a grave thing. The whole world. There is not one 578 00:24:24,720 --> 00:24:28,160 just man. There is none who understands. There's none who 579 00:24:28,200 --> 00:24:30,680 seeks after God. There is none who does good, No, 580 00:24:31,319 --> 00:24:34,519 not even one. The throat is an open separacher. With 581 00:24:34,680 --> 00:24:38,319 their tongues they have dealt deceitfully. The venom of asps 582 00:24:38,400 --> 00:24:40,559 is beneath their lips. Their mouth is full of cursing 583 00:24:40,599 --> 00:24:43,759 and bitterness. Destruction and misery are in their ways and 584 00:24:43,799 --> 00:24:46,720 the path of peace they have not known. There's no 585 00:24:46,799 --> 00:24:50,480 fear of God before their eyes, no fear of God. 586 00:24:50,720 --> 00:24:53,799 Speaker 7: M yes, sir, we're still like an answer to our question. 587 00:24:53,839 --> 00:24:55,319 Maybe we could talk a little better downtown. 588 00:24:55,440 --> 00:24:58,240 Speaker 10: The wisdom and the knowledge is here, And now I 589 00:24:58,319 --> 00:25:00,680 knew Adele and her terrible sin they had to be 590 00:25:00,680 --> 00:25:03,599 paid for. Adele had to pay for every one of them. 591 00:25:03,640 --> 00:25:05,000 Speaker 4: You want to get to the point, mister, Now, what 592 00:25:05,079 --> 00:25:06,240 is it? What are you trying to tell us? 593 00:25:06,240 --> 00:25:08,400 Speaker 10: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the charity 594 00:25:08,440 --> 00:25:10,359 of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be 595 00:25:10,519 --> 00:25:14,319 with you all. Amen. So she sinned, and so she 596 00:25:14,440 --> 00:25:17,359 died well the name of God and the name of 597 00:25:17,359 --> 00:25:18,319 our Lord. Amen. 598 00:25:19,720 --> 00:25:27,640 Speaker 4: I killed her. William Harrold Tanner was brought downtown immediately, 599 00:25:27,640 --> 00:25:30,319 where he volunteered a complete statement admitting full guilt for 600 00:25:30,359 --> 00:25:33,839 the murder of Adele Prior. Bloodstained clothing found in his 601 00:25:33,920 --> 00:25:37,039 room corroborated his story. It was obvious that the man 602 00:25:37,119 --> 00:25:40,359 was mentally unbalanced. He gave us the details of how 603 00:25:40,400 --> 00:25:43,000 he murdered a Dell Prior because she spurned his attentions. 604 00:25:43,680 --> 00:25:46,240 We began questioning him about the Donaldson murder, which had 605 00:25:46,279 --> 00:25:48,359 taken place more than a year before and which was 606 00:25:48,359 --> 00:25:52,599 still unsolved. The victim, sixty four year old Louise Donaldson, 607 00:25:52,640 --> 00:25:55,119 had met death in the same manner as Adele Prior. No. 608 00:25:55,240 --> 00:25:57,000 Speaker 10: I didn't know the old lady, but she had money. 609 00:25:57,000 --> 00:25:59,480 I'd been told that I was broken. I needed the cash, 610 00:25:59,480 --> 00:26:00,759 so I thought be a good thing. 611 00:26:00,880 --> 00:26:02,839 Speaker 7: This was in September a year ago that. 612 00:26:02,799 --> 00:26:05,400 Speaker 10: You murdered, yes, or September. All right, she was all alone, 613 00:26:05,440 --> 00:26:08,000 she didn't have anybody, she was sick. I probably did 614 00:26:08,000 --> 00:26:08,400 her a favor. 615 00:26:08,680 --> 00:26:11,039 Speaker 4: Your package here says that you figured in the investigation 616 00:26:11,119 --> 00:26:13,240 on the plot to blow up the Rexmore Hotel about 617 00:26:13,240 --> 00:26:15,400 three years ago. Homemade bomb planted in the basement of 618 00:26:15,400 --> 00:26:15,799 the hotel. 619 00:26:15,880 --> 00:26:18,400 Speaker 10: Yes, that was mine three years ago in September. Never 620 00:26:18,440 --> 00:26:20,599 could have traced him, too bad the bomb didn't go off. 621 00:26:20,640 --> 00:26:22,839 I hated those hotel people a right, right, What was 622 00:26:22,839 --> 00:26:24,799 the matter? I worked at that hotel once, you know, 623 00:26:24,839 --> 00:26:28,000 I worked hard too. One Saturday that held up a paycheck. 624 00:26:28,039 --> 00:26:31,759 I didn't get it till next Tuesday. Never forgot that September. 625 00:26:32,359 --> 00:26:34,039 Speaker 4: September, Now, what's that got to do with it? 626 00:26:34,200 --> 00:26:34,559 Speaker 10: I don't know. 627 00:26:34,680 --> 00:26:34,920 Speaker 4: Really. 628 00:26:34,960 --> 00:26:37,640 Speaker 10: September has always been the time. That's all I work 629 00:26:37,680 --> 00:26:40,720 into some kind of trouble. Last four years, every September, 630 00:26:40,720 --> 00:26:42,640 I don't know what it is. Seems to be the 631 00:26:42,640 --> 00:26:45,519 best time to get rid of them. Yeah, September, it's 632 00:26:45,519 --> 00:26:50,000 always September. I didn't really want to kill Adele. Wasn't 633 00:26:50,000 --> 00:26:53,160 anything else I could do. She was a sinner, yeah, drinking, 634 00:26:53,279 --> 00:26:56,000 running around. She committed sins all the time. Worst kind 635 00:26:56,039 --> 00:26:56,599 of sins. 636 00:26:56,759 --> 00:26:59,400 Speaker 4: Terrible. Let me tell you, maybe you better check the 637 00:26:59,400 --> 00:27:01,680 book tenor your way ahead of her. What do you mean, 638 00:27:01,880 --> 00:27:03,519 what kind of sins? Worse than murdered? 639 00:27:11,680 --> 00:27:15,119 Speaker 2: The story you have just heard was true. The names 640 00:27:15,160 --> 00:27:16,799 were changed to protect the innocent. 641 00:27:17,160 --> 00:27:20,200 Speaker 3: On January tenth, trial was held in Superior Court, Department 642 00:27:20,240 --> 00:27:23,119 eighty seven, City and County of Los Angeles, State of California. 643 00:27:23,279 --> 00:27:35,480 In a moment the results of that trial, further investigation 644 00:27:35,559 --> 00:27:38,799 proved beyond the doubt that William Tanner, besides murdering Adele Prior, 645 00:27:38,839 --> 00:27:41,039 had also taken the life of sixty four year old 646 00:27:41,119 --> 00:27:44,440 Louise Donaldson the year before, and that he was responsible 647 00:27:44,480 --> 00:27:46,960 for the attempted bombing of the Rexmore Hotel the year 648 00:27:46,960 --> 00:27:51,400 before that. After examination by three psychiatrists appointed by the state, 649 00:27:51,839 --> 00:27:53,799 the suspect was found to be sane at the time 650 00:27:53,839 --> 00:27:57,039 of the murders. Tanner was convicted of first degree murder 651 00:27:57,039 --> 00:27:59,640 and received the death penalty. He was executed in the 652 00:27:59,720 --> 00:28:11,440 lethal gas chamber at the State Penitentiary San Quentin, California. 653 00:28:12,160 --> 00:28:15,240 You have just heard Dragnet a series of authentic cases 654 00:28:15,240 --> 00:28:18,640 from official files. Technical advice comes from the Office of 655 00:28:18,680 --> 00:28:22,160 Chief of Police W. H. Parker, Los Angeles Police Department. 656 00:28:23,279 --> 00:28:26,240 Speaker 4: Stay tuned for Counterspy next on NBC. 657 00:28:34,920 --> 00:28:38,759 Speaker 1: Welcome back. To admit that this is one of those 658 00:28:38,920 --> 00:28:43,599 cases where doing video theater can present a challenge, because 659 00:28:44,240 --> 00:28:48,480 we played this on video theater about six months ago, 660 00:28:48,920 --> 00:28:52,759 and the main points I can offer would be kind 661 00:28:52,759 --> 00:28:58,039 of repeating themselves, as what stands out here is the 662 00:28:58,119 --> 00:29:04,319 need for the police to look beyond what's obvious and 663 00:29:04,599 --> 00:29:08,480 to dig deeper to find the truth, as well as 664 00:29:08,519 --> 00:29:13,480 the overall sensitivity with which the way that the suspect 665 00:29:14,359 --> 00:29:20,079 twisted religion was used. And that's perfectly illustrated, I think 666 00:29:20,119 --> 00:29:24,880 by the fact that he had committed these to other 667 00:29:25,079 --> 00:29:30,319 crimes before he had gotten into religion or started using 668 00:29:30,440 --> 00:29:36,839 religious language. This isn't a case where a suspect did 669 00:29:36,880 --> 00:29:41,240 something out of a religious motivation. It's a case where 670 00:29:41,640 --> 00:29:48,279 he used religious language to justify his own inclinations. The 671 00:29:48,279 --> 00:29:51,519 only other thing that I noticed here is that this 672 00:29:51,680 --> 00:29:56,799 is probably the only time that they had this episode 673 00:29:56,920 --> 00:30:01,839 air in September, and it's it's a little unusual for 674 00:30:01,920 --> 00:30:06,720 a dragon that episode like this to be seasonally appropriate. Now, 675 00:30:06,720 --> 00:30:09,720 of course you do have the Christmas episodes that aired 676 00:30:09,720 --> 00:30:13,559 at Christmas, but those were really an exception. There were 677 00:30:13,759 --> 00:30:19,599 many crimes that occurred at Christmas or Passover or New 678 00:30:19,680 --> 00:30:26,920 Year's and they essentially just aired whatever part of the 679 00:30:27,039 --> 00:30:30,599 year they aired. So to make sure that the Big 680 00:30:30,680 --> 00:30:35,720 September Man aired in September, that's an interesting choice, although 681 00:30:35,759 --> 00:30:40,319 it wouldn't be repeated on television. Listener comments and feedback now, 682 00:30:40,519 --> 00:30:44,519 and we have a comment regarding the Big Waiter from 683 00:30:44,559 --> 00:30:48,759 Mechanics sixty six, who writes on Spotify all the talk 684 00:30:48,799 --> 00:30:52,359 about food made me hungry. Her Butterfield may not play 685 00:30:52,440 --> 00:30:56,119 Lean Jones when he plays other characters, but I've certainly 686 00:30:56,160 --> 00:31:00,400 heard him play multiple parts many times on different shows, 687 00:31:00,680 --> 00:31:05,000 and I think that's definitely true. He was one of 688 00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:09,519 those radio actors who was just so valuable to have 689 00:31:09,680 --> 00:31:14,480 around because he could double and triple up quite easily. Admittedly, 690 00:31:14,559 --> 00:31:18,079 I think it happens more on the shows where he 691 00:31:18,440 --> 00:31:22,720 doesn't have a regular role, but even on Dangerous Assignment, 692 00:31:23,160 --> 00:31:28,079 for example, because the commissioner was generally after the first 693 00:31:28,160 --> 00:31:32,200 few episodes, only in the first scene of the show. 694 00:31:32,519 --> 00:31:37,160 He could easily come back and provide a second voice. 695 00:31:37,240 --> 00:31:41,759 He was just an incredible character actor, and my appreciation 696 00:31:41,960 --> 00:31:45,400 for him has only grown in recent years. And then 697 00:31:45,480 --> 00:31:49,839 we have a comment over on YouTube from Eric regarding 698 00:31:49,880 --> 00:31:53,279 The Big Crazy. That was a strange one. Did this 699 00:31:53,440 --> 00:31:57,440 episode come from a case in the late eighteen hundreds? 700 00:31:57,480 --> 00:32:01,200 How else could Friday and Romero not fired after that? 701 00:32:01,799 --> 00:32:06,319 I really really did not like that in that story. 702 00:32:06,359 --> 00:32:09,559 In the very grounded world of Dragnet, are you sure 703 00:32:09,599 --> 00:32:13,480 you didn't accidentally play an episode of Inner Sanctum or 704 00:32:13,519 --> 00:32:17,640 The Whistler? Well, Eric, it was Dragnet, but I get 705 00:32:17,720 --> 00:32:22,359 the feeling that it was to borrow phrase from mister Spock, 706 00:32:22,640 --> 00:32:26,400 not Dragnet as we know it. I don't know for 707 00:32:26,559 --> 00:32:32,240 sure when this case, the one that the Dragnet episode 708 00:32:32,319 --> 00:32:36,960 was based on, actually occurred, but there are at least 709 00:32:37,359 --> 00:32:41,640 three episodes of Dragnet that have been traced definitively to 710 00:32:41,759 --> 00:32:45,279 the nineteen twenty And of course, just two days ago 711 00:32:45,359 --> 00:32:48,319 we played an episode of The Big Story, which aired 712 00:32:48,359 --> 00:32:51,720 in nineteen forty seven but was based on an incident 713 00:32:51,759 --> 00:32:56,480 that occurred in nineteen fifteen. I think that I could 714 00:32:56,559 --> 00:33:01,359 buy that this occurred in the first cour century of 715 00:33:01,400 --> 00:33:06,359 the twentieth century. Eric, I was thinking it had to 716 00:33:06,400 --> 00:33:11,079 be sometime in the nineteenth but I think modernity creep 717 00:33:11,240 --> 00:33:17,039 slowly and the difference between late nineteenth and early twentieth 718 00:33:17,079 --> 00:33:20,359 century is probably not as profound as one might think. 719 00:33:20,759 --> 00:33:23,400 But thanks so much, appreciate the comment and get where 720 00:33:23,400 --> 00:33:26,599 you're coming from totally. All right, Well, now it's time 721 00:33:26,640 --> 00:33:28,799 to thank our Patreon supporter of the day, and I 722 00:33:28,880 --> 00:33:32,960 want to thank Daniel, Patreon supporter since June twenty twenty four, 723 00:33:33,079 --> 00:33:36,359 currently supporting the podcast at the rookie level of two 724 00:33:36,400 --> 00:33:39,440 dollars or more per month. Thanks so much for your support, Daniel. 725 00:33:39,880 --> 00:33:42,720 That will actually do it for today. If you're enjoying 726 00:33:42,759 --> 00:33:47,960 the podcast, please follow us using your favorite podcast software. 727 00:33:48,480 --> 00:33:51,599 If you're enjoying the podcast on YouTube, be sure to 728 00:33:52,000 --> 00:33:54,599 like the video, subscribe to the channel, and mark the 729 00:33:54,640 --> 00:33:59,200 notification bell all those great things that help YouTube channels grow. 730 00:34:00,160 --> 00:34:04,279 Me back next Thursday with another episode of Dragnet. But 731 00:34:04,519 --> 00:34:08,760 join us back here tomorrow for yours truly, Johnny Dallar, 732 00:34:08,920 --> 00:34:10,119 where I'll. 733 00:34:09,920 --> 00:34:11,039 Speaker 4: Be very honest with you. Doctor. 734 00:34:12,320 --> 00:34:15,360 Speaker 8: His insurance company thinks your opinion of death from natural 735 00:34:15,440 --> 00:34:19,000 causes might be wrong. My tentative opinion, mister Dollar, Lamont 736 00:34:19,039 --> 00:34:22,639 Schofield suffered from well rather than boy with a lot 737 00:34:22,639 --> 00:34:25,119 of medical terminology. Let's say he had a heart condition, 738 00:34:25,199 --> 00:34:27,440 one that required that he'd take it easy, and of 739 00:34:27,440 --> 00:34:31,199 course medication, what kind of medication digitalis for the most 740 00:34:31,199 --> 00:34:34,599 part to limit the frequency of his heart contractions. And 741 00:34:34,679 --> 00:34:38,239 more recently he's been receiving intervening injections of sidillanid. 742 00:34:39,119 --> 00:34:41,559 Speaker 4: His nurse gave him the injections. 743 00:34:41,800 --> 00:34:43,280 Speaker 9: Yes, it's under my orders. 744 00:34:43,639 --> 00:34:48,559 Speaker 8: I understand. She's an old burlesqueen. Some years ago he 745 00:34:48,639 --> 00:34:52,360 starred Mary in one of his Broadway productions. It was 746 00:34:52,400 --> 00:34:55,079 a flop, But shouldn't he have had a regular license 747 00:34:55,280 --> 00:34:56,199 registered nurse. 748 00:34:56,760 --> 00:34:58,840 Speaker 10: She was a registered nurse, mister Dollar. 749 00:35:00,159 --> 00:35:00,679 Speaker 7: A good looker. 750 00:35:02,079 --> 00:35:05,639 Speaker 8: Over the years, Lamart kept himself pretty well, surrounded by 751 00:35:07,119 --> 00:35:09,800 well some of them were very pretty girls, but not 752 00:35:09,880 --> 00:35:12,119 this Mary. So a doubt they were all after his money, 753 00:35:12,199 --> 00:35:15,960 including Mary. Well, mister Dollar, I told you my tentative 754 00:35:16,000 --> 00:35:19,440 opinion was death due to natural costs. So the paper's reported. 755 00:35:19,480 --> 00:35:22,320 But now let's face it, doctor if she hastened his 756 00:35:22,400 --> 00:35:25,840 demise by saying overdose in one of those injections I 757 00:35:25,960 --> 00:35:29,639 learned and while acting under your orders by using something 758 00:35:29,639 --> 00:35:32,800 that you put into her hand now justin look pretty 759 00:35:32,840 --> 00:35:34,239 bad for you too, couldn't it. 760 00:35:34,719 --> 00:35:37,280 Speaker 1: You'll be with us then in the meantime. Send your 761 00:35:37,280 --> 00:35:41,239 comments to Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot net, follow 762 00:35:41,320 --> 00:35:44,719 us on Twitter at Radio Detectives, and check us out 763 00:35:44,760 --> 00:35:50,800 on Instagram, Instagram, dot com slash Great Detectives From Boise, Idaho. 764 00:35:51,079 --> 00:35:53,519 This is your host, Adam Grahamson and all