- 1 day ago
The manager of an apartment building is beaten to death with a hammer. Clues at the scene point to a man named 'Fred', who was playing cards with the victim. Fred has fled, possibly in another tenant's car.
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00:26This is the city, Los Angeles, California.
00:31It's the motion picture capital of the world.
00:35Some come to Los Angeles to see the stars or try to become one.
00:40Others come here and die.
00:43When they go suddenly, and with no apparent reason, that's when I go to work.
00:47I carry a badge.
00:50It was Wednesday, April 13th, it was warm in Los Angeles, we were working the day watch
00:54out of Homicide Division.
00:56The boss is Hugh Brown, my partner's Bill Gannon.
00:59My name's Friday.
01:01It was 12.20.
01:02I was on my way to lunch.
01:03A man by the name of Alexander Troy wouldn't be eating lunch today.
01:07We'd meet him in 50 minutes, but he wouldn't meet us.
01:10He'd have been dead for at least 10 hours.
01:21The story you are about to see is true.
01:24The names have been changed to protect the innocent.
01:49Hi, Joe.
01:50Hello, Dorothy.
01:51is that all you're having every day i'm a light eater no salt some wife she never put salt in
01:58and she knows i can't eat an egg without salt i thought you were on a salt-free diet
02:03i have an egg miller no thanks how about a cookie i'm on a sugar-free diet too
02:09what's the matter cafeteria crowded was it a mission of mercy your partner left his lunch
02:14on my desk this morning i hate to eat alone yeah she is prettier than petrovich or higby at that
02:19thanks friend have a cookie my daughter made them oatmeal and honey
02:27not bad if you had a wife i'd give her the recipe now that's the biggest incentive i ever heard
02:33for
02:33a man to rush out and get married well he wouldn't have to fight that lunchroom mob every day now
02:38you
02:38tell me would you let your daughter marry a cop joe she's only nine i'll wait friday gannon how are
02:46things in the business office as usual had your lunch just finishing up eat it on the way what
02:51you got 62 year old man yeah somebody beat him to death with a hammer
03:02101 p.m bill and i drove over to 17th street we turned north and headed for the 800 block
03:08it took us nine minutes to reach the address a two-story apartment building
03:12there were six units on each floor the dead man was in apartment 201
03:22homicide in there sergeant all these people live here yes sir we'll want to talk to him all right
03:29sergeant
03:31friday and gannon homicide golden 1812 dead man's the manager who put in the call the old man outside
03:36of my partner name's lewis adams must have happened a good 10 12 hours ago riggers set in
03:43pretty vicious joe yeah hammer looks like the first two blows did it the last four changed his
03:49personality phone in the hall i'll ask the skipper to make the notification
04:01what's the victim's full name alexander troy did you pick up anything on the name fred not a thing
04:06sergeant broken piggy bank think that could be the motive it's been done for less
04:15right thanks i wonder if you feel like mine waiting in your apartments please
04:18all right folks thank you very much laden prince and photog are on the way right we're police officers
04:23this sergeant friday my name's gannon hi mrs regis i'm up in 304 i wonder if i could speak to
04:29you
04:29before you go yes ma'am
04:33your name lewis adams that's right you live in the building do you sir 202 you want to tell us
04:39what
04:40happened yeah about 12 30 maybe i i knocked alex didn't answer so i called to him i know he's
04:48got
04:48to be in there every wednesday we go to cemetery we put flowers on the wives graves when's the last
04:55time you saw mr troy last night were you in his apartment oh no sir i just seen him here
05:01in the
05:01hallway what time was that do you remember around six last night was he alone or was someone with
05:07him he was alone him and me we don't have many friends him he don't have no friends now did
05:16he
05:16know anybody named fred would you know no sir nobody i ever heard him mention did you ever hear
05:21him argue with anybody you ever get into a fight with any of the tenants maybe somebody behind in
05:25their rent anything like that not alex he never threw anybody out that got behind in their rent
05:30he let him stay on he trusted him and they always paid up too all right sir thank you we
05:37want to
05:37check back with you wednesdays are going to be a lot longer now how's that sir
05:43there's three graves i got to put flowers on now
06:00goldman we'll be up in 304 let us know when that print man and photo get here will you right
06:18sergeant it's open
06:24miss ridges you want to see us yes uh will you be taking fingerprints in poor troy's room
06:31why well i'm afraid you're going to find terry's fingerprints all over there terry
06:36terry ridges he's my son he's 19 he was with troy last night what time was that
06:4310 11 i don't know something like that did he play cards with mr troy yes i guess so
06:49troy was a card nut he'd play cards with anybody you or your son happen to know anyone by the
06:54name of
06:54fred fred no neither one of us where's your son now mrs ridges he's working he's a box boy at
07:01the falcon market it's the one on the corner you mind if we look around mrs ridges well no go
07:06right
07:06ahead
07:09i wasn't expecting company i guess i should have put that laundry away yes ma'am
07:18mrs ridges this t-shirt this belonged to your son
07:21oh he spilled something on it i tried to wash it out for him chocolate or something you mind if
07:25we take
07:25it alone why should i i know it's chocolate we leave you one of our cards mrs ridges officers
07:32would you let me know if it's chocolate or something else yes ma'am either way
07:50s.i.d ran terry ridges t-shirt through the stain was human blood typo alexander troy the victim
07:56also had typo you guys know where the murder cops hang out we're headed there we'll show you i'm
08:02looking for two fuzz named friday again you found him i understand you're looking for him we're
08:06looking for a lot of people ridges is my name terry ridges come on we want to ask you a
08:10few
08:11questions that's why i'm here my old lady told me what's up old man short was okay in here
08:22sit down before we talk we want to advise you of your constitutional rights i'm a minor daddy
08:28minors have rights too any statement you make to us may be used against you in a court of law
08:32you have the right to remain silent you have the right to the presence of an attorney if you cannot
08:37afford one one will be appointed before any questioning you understand that what's the
08:41difference i got nothing to hide do you understand it yeah yeah i dig i dig what blood type are
08:46you
08:46what am i a doctor how should i know let's say hot what time was it when you last saw
08:51alexander troy
08:52you want to know about the blood in my t-shirt huh when'd you last see troy 10 30 11
08:56something like
08:57that me and chick chick this barber lives in the building this fellow chick what's his full name
09:02chick's all i know i ask him where we find him right downstairs in the lobby
09:13chick's full name was chesney guthrie he was anxious to cooperate terry ridges waited in the
09:18squad room while we talked to him we advised guthrie of his rights you understand that mr guthrie
09:22yes very fair very fair you're a barber that right oh no i'm a hairstylist there's a difference
09:29now you go to a barber but a hairstylist could do wonders for you you stay with your barber
09:38nothing personal you know your blood type guthrie oh of course i'm a free good donor of the red cross
09:43i'm type o
09:47oh i see the blood on terry's shirt yeah that's mine i'm afraid i had a nosebleed last night
09:54do you have nosebleeds often no but then i don't get hit in the nose often either
09:58who hit you terry he hit me with a can of hairspray see my nose started to bleed and i
10:03grabbed
10:03him must have got on his shirt why'd he hit you well it started when i asked him for the
10:06money
10:06what money i styled his hair for him see now we get twelve dollars for a styling i offered to
10:13style
10:13terry's hair for four he agreed and then after mr troy told him how nice he looked we went back
10:20to my
10:20place what time did you see troy oh around 10 30 or so and mr troy told terry i'd done
10:27a superb
10:27job which i had of course sure how long were you in the troy apartment oh five maybe 10 minutes
10:36the other man made some nasty remarks about hairstyling what other man the one alex was
10:41playing cards with what's his name do you know i don't recall he's new in the building
10:47from back east somewhere judging from his way of speaking
10:51all i know is i get the impression he doesn't like me so i give him the impression i don't
10:56like
10:56him was he still with troy when you and terry left yeah playing cards terry and i went back up
11:02to my
11:02place 303 i'm in and i was starting to spray his hair when i reminded him about the four dollars
11:09he
11:09owed me and he got annoyed anything else you'd like to add well gentlemen now if you suspect that
11:16terry had anything to do with mr troy's death believe me he's a fine young man
11:23oh temper yeah but he gets over it right away look instead of asking him questions or even me for
11:31that matter why don't you talk to the man in 302 what man is that well i just told you
11:35tell us again
11:36the cocky one from back east that was playing cards with alex he's not nice
11:513 55 p.m we asked ridges and guthrie to keep us advised of their whereabouts
11:57409 p.m bill and i arrived back at the scene of the murder to look for a man named
12:01fred
12:02in apartment 302 the door was slightly ajar
12:15looks like he left in a hurry looks like he had a reason
12:23well who are you we're police officers good my name is marcus dinner i own this building can you
12:30give us the name of the tenant 302 not out of hand no but troy'll have the name in his
12:34rent
12:35receipt book where would that be sir right down here come on
12:43hold it a minute before you seal it thanks
12:47he kept it right over here in the bookcase you know i was here just last week picking up the
12:51rents
12:51we're dealing cash only that's a sad thing a sad thing
12:57well that's gone i suppose you notice that what's that sir
13:00the cash box couldn't have been very much in it since last week
13:04would you know exactly how much
13:05no but i'll figure it up and give you a call
13:07appreciate that
13:14well that's funny
13:19receipt's been torn out
13:24a check of apartment 302 revealed a telegram that had been torn to pieces
13:29from boston
13:30addressed to frederick altosca wharf hotel san francisco
13:34remain there letter follows dad
13:38get off a radiogram to boston i'll call the wharf hotel
13:59sergeant
14:01miss ridges
14:01my car it's been stolen
14:03when
14:03oh i know is i park it out in front every night and i went down this morning and it
14:07wasn't there
14:07it's a red plymouth barracuda license number tvq 553
14:12what year is the 1966
14:13does your son ever drive it
14:15sometimes
14:15but i asked him he thought maybe it was the finance company
14:18i'm behind in my payments
14:20but i called and it wasn't them
14:21it's been stolen
14:22i see
14:23can you get it back
14:24we'll try
14:34that's it we'll be in as soon as we finish up here
14:36thanks ed
14:37hold on a minute
14:37hang on
14:38hello ed this friday
14:39yeah
14:40on that appb on tosca
14:42he's probably driving a stolen 66 red plymouth barracuda
14:45tom victor queen 553
14:47you got it
14:48right
14:49thanks a lot
14:50ridges woman says her car is missing
14:52outside chance tosca might have stolen it
14:54maybe
14:55there's nothing else here
14:56i told the coroner we'd seal the door
15:00uh excuse me sir
15:01do you know when is alice's funeral
15:03no sir we wouldn't know that
15:05well there's something really important that i got to tell the mortician
15:07what's that mr adams
15:09it's about his wife's wedding ring
15:10he wanted it to be buried with him
15:12does the mortician have it
15:14no sir we didn't find any jewelry in the room
15:17well he kept it right on the nightstand by his bed
15:19could we look please
15:21yes sir all right
15:39can i touch this
15:40yes sir go right ahead
15:43oh no
15:44it's gone
15:45he always left it right there in plain sight
15:48yes sir could you describe the ring for us
15:51braided gold
15:52with little blue stones
15:54who would want to do that
15:56steal a poor dead man's ring
15:58what kind of a person would do that
16:01the same kind who'd beat him to death with a claw hammer
16:105 48 p.m bill and i returned to the pab
16:13we had an answer from boston
16:14captain brown brought in the information that had come in over let's
16:17the law enforcement teletype system
16:19subject wanted by authorities in boston for car theft assault and assault with intent to kill
16:24frederick l tosca male caucasian age 19
16:28looks like he might have a traveling companion
16:30yeah who's that female caucasian camille gearhart age 17 reported missing
16:34alleged girlfriend of suspect
16:36here's a rundown on tosca's record he's a real hard nose
16:39yeah first arrest armed robbery age 12
16:42you still got a stakeout on that apartment
16:44right skipper
16:45how about a radiogram on the car
16:46went out this afternoon
16:50homicide friday
16:52i see
16:52thank you very much mr dinner
16:54what the no sir
16:56no not yet
16:59the price of life keeps going down doesn't it
17:01hmm
17:02troy was killed for six dollars and 58 cents
17:097 35 p.m bill had gone home
17:12i stayed to clean up some paperwork
17:13it was a warm evening so i walked across the street grabbed a sandwich and went home
17:17when i got there the phone was ringing
17:21the cottonwood arizona police department had our suspect in custody
17:24the gearhart girl was being held with him
17:2810 0 5 p.m
17:29extradition papers were made out
17:31bill had drawn the necessary expense money for the trip to cottonwood arizona
17:35hey we gotta move it if we're gonna catch that 11 o'clock flight
17:38yours
17:38don't be funny
17:39dorothy miller's coming along to handle the girl
17:41where's your gear
17:42don't worry i got it
17:43where
17:43you wouldn't catch me carrying one of those spy cases
17:45where's your gear
17:46oh come on joe
17:48toothbrush toothpaste
17:49razor
17:50clean socks
17:52clean underwear
17:53clean shirt
17:55you could have fooled me
17:56sure
17:58you know joe in all the years we've worked together you still haven't learned
18:01what's that
18:02how to travel light
18:091 a.m april 14th
18:10we landed at flagstaff arizona
18:12where we were met by chief everett snotty of the cottonwood police department
18:16while he drove us the necessary 50 miles to cottonwood
18:18he filled us in
18:21officer al ward had observed the stolen vehicle
18:23and had apprehended the suspect and his girlfriend as they were speeding on highway 89
18:27they were taken into custody and held in the cottonwood jail
18:322 15 a.m
18:34policewoman miller brought the female suspect camille gearhart from her jail cell to chief snotty's office
18:39you got a lot of nerve waking me up in the middle of the night like this
18:43these are los angeles police officers
18:45they want to ask you a few questions
18:46it's our duty to inform you that you have the right
18:49answer or not answer get me a lawyer
18:51i know i know the whole scam
18:53you got a cigarette
18:54you old enough to smoke
18:55i'm old enough to do anything
18:57including clam up
18:59i know my rights fuzz
19:01and i got a right to not even talk to you
19:03you're wasting your time in my beauty sleep
19:06because i ain't telling you nothing
19:08not a thing about nothing
19:11now how about that cigarette
19:12let me get back to that flea bag they call a cell
19:24you got nice eyes
19:26for a cop
19:32and i'll bet your mother had a loud bark
19:442 22 a.m bill advised the suspect frederick l tosca of his rights
19:48you said that real nice shorty
19:50i understand that good
19:54your little buddy here
19:56he ought to be in the movies
19:57do you understand why you're under arrest
19:59yeah because these small town cops watch too much tv
20:03they think they're all jay egger hoover
20:07but they've got nothing on me
20:10and like you said shorty
20:11i understand my rights
20:13anything you'd like to tell us
20:15sure
20:15the capital of california is sacramento
20:17the capital of florida is tallahassee
20:19the capital of texas is austin
20:22what else you want to know
20:23where'd you get that car you were driving
20:25the capital of new york is albany
20:26the capital of nevada is reno
20:28anything else
20:29why did you kill alexander troy
20:32you may not believe this officer but
20:36the capital of kansas
20:38is topeka
20:40now on the other hand
20:41the capital of vermont
20:42all right let's go tosca
20:44you mean that's all you want from me
20:46you better brush up on your geography
20:48is that right
20:48the capital of nevada is carson city
20:578 15 a.m thursday april 14th
21:00we'd had four hours sleep
21:01a quick breakfast
21:02and had obtained a warrant
21:03to search the car tosca had stolen
21:05from mrs ridges in los angeles
21:07the cottonwood police had impounded the vehicle
21:20from troy's rent book
21:22the receipt that was torn out
21:23maybe that punk tore himself out a ticket to san quentin
21:29we brought camille gearhart back to chief snotty's office
21:3210 20 a.m
21:33you guys must have thick ears
21:35didn't you hear me when i told you last night
21:37i'm not answering no questions
21:38we're not gonna ask you any camille
21:40because you don't seem to know anything
21:41no we're gonna tell you what happened
21:43so you will know in case anybody asks you
21:45now listen carefully
21:45you and fred went down to mr troy's apartment
21:47you hit him with a hammer
21:48you stole his money
21:49you tore the rent receipt out of his book
21:51so nobody would know your name
21:52and you stole a red automobile
21:54from in front of the apartment house
21:55i don't know what you're talking about
21:56fred wadded up the rent receipt
21:58and threw it out of the car window
21:59but it blew back into the luggage area
22:01and here it is
22:04now camille
22:05do you have any questions
22:07you stupid guys really think i'm a dumb dumb don't you
22:10well i ain't that dumb
22:11prove it
22:12what if fred did kill the old man
22:14just supposing
22:15and what if he did take the car
22:16i know the law mister
22:17and i know a wife can't testify against her husband
22:20are you married miss gearhart
22:21what do you think that is a bagel
22:23braided gold with small blue stones
22:28yeah camille i guess you are married
22:30you guess
22:32what else do you think a ring means
22:34well i'll tell you this one means
22:35you're both going back to los angeles
22:36to stand trial for murder
22:51yes sir
22:53yes sir
22:54like the way you two handle that
22:56real style
22:57wouldn't have been anything to handle
22:58if it wasn't for your department chief
23:00say you being from l.a. and all
23:02maybe you got an idea
23:03how i might work something out
23:05well we'll be glad to help if we can
23:06well you see there's bob weigel
23:08al ward and me
23:09that's all there is
23:10how do you mean chief
23:11that's the old apartment here
23:12three of us
23:13i see
23:14thought maybe you might have a suggestion
23:16on what
23:17sure is a tough problem to solve
23:19what's that chief
23:20i'm having a devil of a time
23:22trying to figure out a vacation schedule
23:43the story you have just seen is true
23:46the names were changed to protect the innocent
23:50on july 20th trial was held in department 184 superior court of the state of california
23:56in and for the county of los angeles
23:58in a moment the results of that trial
24:05the suspect was found guilty of murder in the first degree and was sentenced to death
24:17the suspect was found guilty as an accessory to murder in the first degree
24:21the
24:25the
24:32THE END
25:03THE END
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