WEBVTT 00:00.000 --> 00:12.040 Ladies and gentlemen, the story you are about to see is true. 00:12.040 --> 00:31.400 The names have been changed to protect the innocent. 00:31.400 --> 00:37.240 This is the city. 00:37.240 --> 00:42.720 Everybody starts out with the same chances. 00:42.720 --> 00:44.960 They grow up with a chance to play. 00:44.960 --> 00:55.160 The city provides playgrounds. 00:55.160 --> 01:09.880 Big schools give them a chance to learn, high schools, colleges. 01:09.880 --> 01:17.160 They all have an equal chance to obey the laws. 01:17.160 --> 01:19.000 Some of them don't take it. 01:19.000 --> 01:31.240 That's why I have a job, I'm a cop. 01:31.240 --> 01:32.480 It was Wednesday, January 14th. 01:32.480 --> 01:34.040 It was cold in Los Angeles. 01:34.040 --> 01:36.160 We were working the day watch out a homicide division. 01:36.160 --> 01:39.640 My partner's Frank Smith, the boss is Captain Warman. 01:39.640 --> 01:41.680 My name's Friday. 01:41.680 --> 01:44.440 The teletype from the doctor at the police academy had been posted. 01:44.440 --> 01:45.840 My name was on the list. 01:45.840 --> 01:49.360 At 830 a.m. I reported for my annual physical. 01:49.360 --> 01:52.360 Looks fine, Joe. 01:52.360 --> 01:59.360 I'm gonna have to pass you. 01:59.360 --> 02:02.680 You mean I'm okay for another year, huh? 02:02.680 --> 02:03.680 Yeah. 02:03.680 --> 02:04.680 How about that shoulder? 02:04.680 --> 02:05.680 What? 02:05.680 --> 02:06.680 Gunshot wound. 02:06.680 --> 02:07.680 Ever bother you? 02:07.680 --> 02:08.680 No. 02:08.680 --> 02:10.200 When we took the x-rays, it looked like you were gonna have trouble with it. 02:10.200 --> 02:11.200 Chipped bone? 02:11.200 --> 02:12.200 Uh-huh. 02:12.200 --> 02:14.200 You sure you never have any trouble with it? 02:14.200 --> 02:15.200 No. 02:15.200 --> 02:17.880 It's just that once in a while in the wet weather, it kind of aches a little bit, you 02:17.880 --> 02:18.880 know. 02:18.880 --> 02:19.880 Yeah, that happens. 02:19.880 --> 02:20.880 How old are you, Joe? 02:20.880 --> 02:21.880 Thirty-three. 02:21.880 --> 02:22.880 Still Central Homicide? 02:22.880 --> 02:23.880 Uh-huh. 02:23.880 --> 02:24.880 Serial number? 02:24.880 --> 02:25.880 2288. 02:25.880 --> 02:26.880 Two, eight, eight. 02:26.880 --> 02:27.880 Yeah, well, I guess that does it. 02:27.880 --> 02:28.880 You can get dressed. 02:28.880 --> 02:29.880 Okay, thanks. 02:29.880 --> 02:30.880 Keep me pretty busy, are they, Doc? 02:30.880 --> 02:31.880 4200 men, keep you hopping. 02:31.880 --> 02:32.880 Hi, Doc. 02:32.880 --> 02:33.880 Sorry to bother you. 02:33.880 --> 02:34.880 You through, Joe? 02:34.880 --> 02:35.880 Yeah, anything doing? 02:35.880 --> 02:36.880 Dead body call out near Westlake Park. 02:36.880 --> 02:37.880 We got it? 02:37.880 --> 02:38.880 Yeah, better get there. 02:38.880 --> 02:39.880 9320 Laurel Lane. 02:39.880 --> 02:40.880 I'm gonna have to go. 02:40.880 --> 02:41.880 I'm gonna have to go. 02:41.880 --> 02:42.880 I'm gonna have to go. 02:42.880 --> 02:45.880 What's the story? 02:45.880 --> 02:48.880 Old man found dead in his living room, bullet hole in his chest. 02:48.880 --> 02:49.880 Yeah? 02:49.880 --> 02:52.880 Boys in the radio car that answered the call thought the old man killed himself. 02:52.880 --> 02:53.880 They're not so sure now. 02:53.880 --> 02:54.880 What do you mean? 02:54.880 --> 02:55.880 I think somebody helped him. 02:55.880 --> 03:05.880 845 AM, we left the doctor's office at the police academy and we drove to the address 03:05.880 --> 03:10.880 in the Westlake area where the shooting had been reported. 03:10.880 --> 03:16.040 The dead man was identified as Martin Latimer, age 68, a retired owner of a couple of neighborhood 03:16.040 --> 03:18.080 grocery stores in the city. 03:18.080 --> 03:21.520 He was lying sprawled partly on his side on the floor. 03:21.520 --> 03:24.720 There was a bullet hole in his chest just above the heart where the slug had entered 03:24.720 --> 03:25.720 the body. 03:25.720 --> 03:28.560 There was another larger wound in the back through the right shoulder blade where the 03:28.560 --> 03:31.400 bullet had emerged. 03:31.400 --> 03:34.200 Approximately five feet from the body was a chair. 03:34.200 --> 03:38.520 There was a Winchester rifle wired firmly to the top, its muzzle pointing directly above 03:38.520 --> 03:41.040 the spot where the body lay on the floor. 03:41.040 --> 03:45.680 A thick white string was wound firmly around the trigger of the rifle. 03:45.680 --> 03:49.000 It ran through a metal ring on the stock of the gun and stretched across the room where 03:49.000 --> 03:51.920 it had been tied to the dead man's left index finger. 03:51.920 --> 03:56.280 At first glance, it seemed like an obvious suicide arrangement. 03:56.280 --> 03:59.680 Officer Harkness, one of the men in the radio car who answered the call, didn't agree. 03:59.680 --> 04:00.680 I don't know, Sergeant. 04:00.680 --> 04:01.680 Maybe I'm all wet. 04:01.680 --> 04:02.680 This doesn't gel right for me. 04:02.680 --> 04:04.280 Who found the body, Harkness? 04:04.280 --> 04:06.040 Next door neighbor, Mrs. Donworth. 04:06.040 --> 04:07.040 My partner's with her now. 04:07.040 --> 04:08.640 Did you fellas call the crime lab? 04:08.640 --> 04:09.640 Yeah, they're on their way. 04:09.640 --> 04:11.480 The old man, the only one who lived in the house here? 04:11.480 --> 04:12.960 Yeah, that's what the neighbor told us. 04:12.960 --> 04:15.880 Sure would like to see what the crime lab crew's gonna think of it. 04:15.880 --> 04:16.880 Why, what's the big question, Harkness? 04:16.880 --> 04:18.800 Well, I know it's none of my business, Sergeant. 04:18.800 --> 04:19.800 You fellas are the detectives. 04:19.800 --> 04:21.840 I just couldn't help but notice, though. 04:21.840 --> 04:22.840 Yeah, what's that? 04:22.840 --> 04:25.240 Over there, that rifle wired to the back of the chair. 04:25.240 --> 04:26.240 Yeah. 04:26.240 --> 04:31.120 Take a side along the barrel, see what you think. 04:31.120 --> 04:36.480 Yeah, pointed right in the straight line with the body. 04:36.480 --> 04:38.400 Well, that much fits. 04:38.400 --> 04:41.600 The old man pulled the string tied to his index finger that set off the trigger and 04:41.600 --> 04:43.280 took the slug right through the chest. 04:43.280 --> 04:44.280 That's what I figured. 04:44.280 --> 04:47.160 Take a look at the wall directly behind the old man. 04:47.160 --> 04:49.160 Slug went clean through the body, we know that. 04:49.160 --> 04:51.400 Through the chest, above the heart, and then out through the shoulder blade. 04:51.400 --> 04:52.760 Yeah, I see what you mean. 04:52.760 --> 04:53.760 Take a look at that wall there. 04:53.760 --> 04:55.760 Not a mark on it. 04:55.760 --> 04:59.720 Well, one thing's sure, if the old man was shot in that position, the slug had to come 04:59.720 --> 05:00.720 this way. 05:00.720 --> 05:02.720 Went through his body at just about this height. 05:02.720 --> 05:06.760 We ought to find the bullet hole in this wall right along here. 05:06.760 --> 05:10.200 Yeah, there's not a trace of a slug any place. 05:10.200 --> 05:11.200 No. 05:11.200 --> 05:12.920 Not much chance it could have been deflected either, is there? 05:12.920 --> 05:14.880 That's what I thought at first too, Sergeant. 05:14.880 --> 05:15.880 Yeah. 05:15.880 --> 05:17.640 Down by your right knee, on the wall. 05:17.640 --> 05:18.640 Take a look. 05:18.640 --> 05:22.680 Yeah, that looks like it. 05:22.680 --> 05:24.720 There's something wrong here, Joe. 05:24.720 --> 05:28.240 That rifle never could have thrown a slug that far down on the wall, wired to the chair 05:28.240 --> 05:29.240 the way it is. 05:29.240 --> 05:31.960 Yeah, besides, it's way out of line, almost four feet here. 05:31.960 --> 05:34.120 I know it's none of my business, Sergeant. 05:34.120 --> 05:35.120 Couldn't help but notice it though. 05:35.120 --> 05:36.600 You want me to stand by outside? 05:36.600 --> 05:37.600 Yeah, okay. 05:37.600 --> 05:38.600 And would you mind checking with the neighbor lady? 05:38.600 --> 05:39.600 What's her name? 05:39.600 --> 05:40.600 Mrs. Donworth. 05:40.600 --> 05:41.600 Yeah, you said she lives right next door? 05:41.600 --> 05:42.600 Yeah, on this side. 05:42.600 --> 05:45.400 Would you mind telling her we'll be over here in a few minutes and ask her to wait? 05:45.400 --> 05:47.400 Right, we'll check with you before we leave. 05:47.400 --> 05:48.400 Thanks, Ardentus. 05:48.400 --> 05:49.400 Now look at that gun again. 05:49.400 --> 05:54.400 It's a 30-30, isn't it? 05:54.400 --> 05:55.400 Yeah, that's right. 05:55.400 --> 05:56.720 Sure doesn't add up too well, does it? 05:56.720 --> 05:59.720 Even if the old man jerked the gun when he pulled the trigger with that string arrangement 05:59.720 --> 06:02.680 there, the slug couldn't have passed through his chest, out his back, and then hit the 06:02.680 --> 06:03.680 wall where it did. 06:03.680 --> 06:06.320 Joe, stand right behind the body, will you? 06:06.320 --> 06:08.000 Let's see if we can line this thing up. 06:08.000 --> 06:11.800 No, a little more to the left. 06:11.800 --> 06:12.800 Little more. 06:12.800 --> 06:13.800 More like this? 06:13.800 --> 06:14.800 Yeah, that's it. 06:14.800 --> 06:15.800 Let me see. 06:15.800 --> 06:16.800 No, not a chance, Joe. 06:16.800 --> 06:17.800 It's way out of line. 06:17.800 --> 06:23.760 If this is the gun that killed the old man, he didn't pull the trigger. 06:23.760 --> 06:24.760 Not from there, anyway. 06:24.760 --> 06:27.480 There was one other chance, isn't there? 06:27.480 --> 06:28.480 Yeah. 06:28.480 --> 06:36.040 I think we'll have to go to the forum. 06:36.040 --> 06:38.700 Sergeant Jay Allen and a crew from the crime lab arrived and went to work. 06:38.700 --> 06:42.400 We put in a call to the coroner's office and asked them to remove the body. 06:42.400 --> 06:47.760 915 A.M., we went next door to talk to the neighbor who had found the body, Mrs. Elsie 06:47.760 --> 06:48.760 Donworth. 06:48.760 --> 06:50.280 I went over to pick up his laundry, officer. 06:50.280 --> 06:52.320 I do laundry for half a dozen people here in the neighborhood. 06:52.320 --> 06:54.400 I don't charge any more than the regular laundries do. 06:54.400 --> 06:57.200 A lot more particular with shirts and things. 06:57.200 --> 06:58.200 I see, Miss Donworth. 06:58.200 --> 06:59.200 Would you go on, please? 06:59.200 --> 07:00.880 I went over about 8 o'clock this morning. 07:00.880 --> 07:03.160 I walked in and called out, but he didn't answer. 07:03.160 --> 07:05.480 Then I went into the parlor, and there he was. 07:05.480 --> 07:10.880 Poor old man looked so sad lying there all alone, that big gun strapped to the chair. 07:10.880 --> 07:12.680 It gave me the coldest feeling. 07:12.680 --> 07:14.480 It was the same way when Claude died. 07:14.480 --> 07:16.040 Claude was my husband. 07:16.040 --> 07:17.280 I understand. 07:17.280 --> 07:18.760 Only Claude didn't shoot himself. 07:18.760 --> 07:19.760 Uh-huh. 07:19.760 --> 07:21.800 I take it you knew Mr. Latimer pretty well, ma'am? 07:21.800 --> 07:22.800 Oh, I suppose. 07:22.800 --> 07:24.200 He didn't have any relatives. 07:24.200 --> 07:25.200 Poor man, all alone. 07:25.200 --> 07:27.560 He was in the grocery business for years. 07:27.560 --> 07:29.200 Made some nice money, I guess. 07:29.200 --> 07:30.520 Tired about eight years ago. 07:30.520 --> 07:31.520 Sold both his stores. 07:31.520 --> 07:34.040 He had an income from a mortgage on one of them. 07:34.040 --> 07:35.040 $150 a month. 07:35.040 --> 07:36.040 Oh, yes, he was very comfortable. 07:36.040 --> 07:37.040 Uh-huh. 07:37.040 --> 07:39.080 He wasn't a penny pincher tall, but he was thrifty. 07:39.080 --> 07:41.720 It was the same way with my husband, Claude. 07:41.720 --> 07:45.360 He used to say, take care of the dimes, the dollars will take care of themselves. 07:45.360 --> 07:48.280 Miss Donworth, can you think of any reason why Latimer would want to take his own life? 07:48.280 --> 07:51.520 Oh, I suppose poor old man was getting along in years. 07:51.520 --> 07:53.920 Used to complain all the time about his health. 07:53.920 --> 07:56.440 For a long time there, he was afraid he was going to die with cancer. 07:56.440 --> 07:57.440 Is that so? 07:57.440 --> 07:58.440 Does he have cancer, do you know? 07:58.440 --> 08:01.720 Oh, no, but he kept thinking he was going to die with it. 08:01.720 --> 08:03.680 Mr. Latimer was always talking about it. 08:03.680 --> 08:06.160 I'm going to check with Jay next door and see how they're making out. 08:06.160 --> 08:07.160 Tell him where we are. 08:07.160 --> 08:08.160 Right. 08:08.160 --> 08:09.160 I'll be right back. 08:09.160 --> 08:12.480 Mr. Latimer was so upset about it, he finally went to see a doctor. 08:12.480 --> 08:15.160 He came back and told me the doctor said for him not to be so silly about it. 08:15.160 --> 08:17.040 He was a well man and good health. 08:17.040 --> 08:18.040 That was last week only. 08:18.040 --> 08:20.280 When was the last time you saw Latimer, ma'am? 08:20.280 --> 08:21.280 Day before yesterday. 08:21.280 --> 08:25.280 Oh, we laughed and joked over the back fence. 08:25.280 --> 08:28.240 Poor old man had such a nice smile. 08:28.240 --> 08:30.120 Reminded me a good deal of my husband, Claude. 08:30.120 --> 08:32.400 I'd like to have your honest opinion here, Ms. Donnelly. 08:32.400 --> 08:33.880 Do you think Latimer killed himself? 08:33.880 --> 08:34.880 Well, I suppose. 08:34.880 --> 08:37.680 That rifle in there, that terrible contraption. 08:37.680 --> 08:38.680 See you in a minute, Joe. 08:38.680 --> 08:39.680 Yeah. 08:39.680 --> 08:40.680 Excuse me, Ms. Donnelly. 08:40.680 --> 08:41.680 Surely. 08:41.680 --> 08:42.680 Anything? 08:42.680 --> 08:47.800 The crime lab's having a field day, Joe. 08:47.800 --> 08:51.160 They say it'd be absolutely impossible for the old man to kill himself with that raid. 08:51.160 --> 08:52.160 Did they find anything definite? 08:52.160 --> 08:53.600 Dusted the rifle for fingerprints. 08:53.600 --> 08:54.600 Didn't find a one. 08:54.600 --> 08:57.320 Makes less sense than that slug buried in the corner of the wall. 08:57.320 --> 08:58.320 Another thing. 08:58.320 --> 08:59.320 I checked the desk in the living room. 08:59.320 --> 09:02.840 Found some correspondence that Latimer had with the Lonely Hearts Club. 09:02.840 --> 09:06.160 Judging from the letter, seems Latimer was getting set to marry the girl. 09:06.160 --> 09:07.640 Big picture of her attached to the letter. 09:07.640 --> 09:09.120 Yeah, did you find out why he'd want to die? 09:09.120 --> 09:10.960 Pretty good reason why he'd want to live. 09:10.960 --> 09:11.960 Yeah. 09:11.960 --> 09:12.960 Beautiful girl, looks to be about 24, 25. 09:12.960 --> 09:13.960 Yeah. 09:13.960 --> 09:18.800 She was going to marry him. 09:18.800 --> 09:22.340 The crime lab crew went on with their routine investigation of the Martin Latimer house 09:22.340 --> 09:25.160 while Frank and I continued to talk to the neighbor, Mrs. Donworth. 09:25.160 --> 09:28.600 There didn't seem to be any common ground at all between the evidence in the house and 09:28.600 --> 09:30.840 the information she had to offer. 09:30.840 --> 09:34.720 As we continued questioning her, Mrs. Donworth remembered that a month before, Latimer had 09:34.720 --> 09:38.240 told her that something might happen to him and that he wanted to make out a will. 09:38.240 --> 09:39.880 He asked her to witness the will. 09:39.880 --> 09:43.920 A few days later, Latimer's lawyer came to the house and Mrs. Donworth read it and witnessed 09:43.920 --> 09:44.920 the signing. 09:44.920 --> 09:49.720 At that time, she said Latimer made the remark, I don't feel like going on much longer anyway. 09:49.720 --> 09:52.280 If death means arrest, I think I deserve one. 09:52.280 --> 09:56.400 Ma'am, did you hear anything out of the ordinary going on next door this morning or last night? 09:56.400 --> 09:59.880 No, there's nothing I heard from next door to remark about. 09:59.880 --> 10:03.400 Of course, it's so noisy around here that time of morning, you can't even hear yourself 10:03.400 --> 10:04.400 think. 10:04.400 --> 10:05.400 How's that, ma'am? 10:05.400 --> 10:08.160 The trucks passing by, up and down, up and down every morning. 10:08.160 --> 10:09.640 Not small trucks either. 10:09.640 --> 10:13.120 They start in at 6 a.m. and they rattle past for two or three hours at least. 10:13.120 --> 10:15.800 Could you give us the names of some of the other people on the street who knew Mr. Latimer 10:15.800 --> 10:16.800 pretty well? 10:16.800 --> 10:17.800 Yes, I suppose. 10:17.800 --> 10:21.380 I don't think any of them knew the poor old man as well as I did. 10:21.380 --> 10:24.400 Most of them are younger folks, parties and things, you know. 10:24.400 --> 10:28.560 When you get up around 65 or past it like Mr. Latimer, parties don't mean so much anymore. 10:28.560 --> 10:29.560 I understand. 10:29.560 --> 10:33.720 Yes, just a nice quiet home with a good heating system, good books on the shelf, and a good 10:33.720 --> 10:35.640 man around the house about all you can ask for. 10:35.640 --> 10:37.160 Well, thank you very much, ma'am. 10:37.160 --> 10:38.160 Here's our card. 10:38.160 --> 10:40.040 If you think of anything else, please call us. 10:40.040 --> 10:41.040 All right. 10:41.040 --> 10:42.040 Frank Smith. 10:42.040 --> 10:43.040 That's you, huh? 10:43.040 --> 10:44.760 That's right, Homicide, extension 2521. 10:44.760 --> 10:46.960 Just one more thing, Ms. Donworth. 10:46.960 --> 10:50.240 We understand Latimer was corresponding with several women through a lonely hearts club. 10:50.240 --> 10:52.120 Did he ever mention that to you by any chance? 10:52.120 --> 10:53.120 No, he never did. 10:53.120 --> 10:56.400 I saw the circulars and stuff around his house, though. 10:56.400 --> 10:58.920 And Latimer never mentioned any of the women that he corresponded with, huh? 10:58.920 --> 11:00.600 Well, I pretended I didn't know about it. 11:00.600 --> 11:02.080 He never brought it up. 11:02.080 --> 11:06.000 I don't understand why he'd want to meet a lady that way. 11:06.000 --> 11:08.920 All most of them are looking for is a man with money so they can quit work and lay around 11:08.920 --> 11:09.920 the house. 11:09.920 --> 11:11.400 Well, thanks again, Ms. Donworth. 11:11.400 --> 11:13.000 Yes, poor old man. 11:13.000 --> 11:16.000 I wonder what made him write letters after silly women. 11:16.000 --> 11:17.760 A little good they'd have done him. 11:17.760 --> 11:19.000 He wrote letters all over the country. 11:19.000 --> 11:20.000 Yes, ma'am. 11:20.000 --> 11:21.760 I was getting tired of working myself. 11:21.760 --> 11:23.760 He could have saved the postage, too. 11:23.760 --> 11:24.760 Well? 11:24.760 --> 11:26.760 I was right next door. 11:26.760 --> 11:39.480 I would have married him in a minute. 11:39.480 --> 11:42.400 We left Mrs. Donworth's house and we went back next door to Latimer's house. 11:42.400 --> 11:46.240 The crime lab crew had finished their investigation and the coroner's deputies had arrived. 11:46.240 --> 11:48.720 They took the body downtown for autopsy. 11:48.720 --> 11:52.240 We talked over the crime lab findings with Sergeant Jay Allen and he felt the same way 11:52.240 --> 11:53.600 Frank and I did. 11:53.600 --> 11:57.400 The theory that Latimer had shot himself to death was possible in many respects, but it 11:57.400 --> 11:58.960 was far from plausible. 11:58.960 --> 12:04.300 We checked through Latimer's correspondence with the women he contacted by mail, especially 12:04.300 --> 12:08.160 the young girl he obviously intended to marry, judging from his letters to her. 12:08.160 --> 12:11.320 Her picture showed her to be brunette, dark eyes, young, very attractive. 12:11.320 --> 12:13.720 The inscription read, with love, Catherine. 12:13.720 --> 12:19.720 There was no return address either on the photo or on any of the letters. 12:19.720 --> 12:20.720 Nine fifty-two a.m. 12:20.720 --> 12:22.360 We put in a call to the mail club. 12:22.360 --> 12:23.360 Yes, ma'am. 12:23.360 --> 12:24.360 We may drop down to talk to you. 12:24.360 --> 12:25.360 Thank you very much. 12:25.360 --> 12:26.360 Goodbye. 12:26.360 --> 12:27.360 What did they have to say? 12:27.360 --> 12:28.360 Well, it might be, Joe. 12:28.360 --> 12:33.320 The club secretary says they've been having trouble with somebody who signs a picture 12:33.320 --> 12:35.640 just like this one with love, Catherine. 12:35.640 --> 12:36.640 I described the picture. 12:36.640 --> 12:38.680 The secretary says it's the same girl. 12:38.680 --> 12:39.680 What's the angle? 12:39.680 --> 12:42.560 Well, the girl doesn't belong to the club, but somehow she got a list of the members and 12:42.560 --> 12:43.560 their addresses. 12:43.560 --> 12:47.960 She writes to them, usually old men, gets them set for marriage, and they send for her. 12:47.960 --> 12:48.960 Yeah. 12:48.960 --> 12:51.040 Her letters come from the East, usually different cities. 12:51.040 --> 12:53.320 She writes and asks for train fare out here. 12:53.320 --> 12:56.240 The men send her the money for clothes and train fare, and that's the last of it. 12:56.240 --> 12:57.240 She's gone. 12:57.240 --> 13:00.240 Well, that adds up all right, doesn't it? 13:00.240 --> 13:03.160 One letter here. 13:03.160 --> 13:06.160 This one. 13:06.160 --> 13:11.720 I hate to ask you, dear, but if you could send me the traveling money and just a little 13:11.720 --> 13:15.920 extra for some clothes, I will take the first train and be with you in a week to become 13:15.920 --> 13:20.600 your wife, awaiting that precious moment with love. 13:20.600 --> 13:22.400 Kind of pours it on thick, huh? 13:22.400 --> 13:23.400 What's the date on that one? 13:23.400 --> 13:24.400 Let's see. 13:24.400 --> 13:26.280 He was mailed December 30th. 13:26.280 --> 13:27.280 That's 14 days ago. 13:27.280 --> 13:28.280 What do you think, Joe? 13:28.280 --> 13:29.280 I don't know. 13:29.280 --> 13:30.280 It's possible. 13:30.280 --> 13:33.480 She could have showed up, tried to grab all the old man's money she could find. 13:33.480 --> 13:34.480 Maybe he caught her at it. 13:34.480 --> 13:37.560 She killed him, rigged up this phony setup to make it look like Latimer shot himself. 13:37.560 --> 13:40.800 It'd hold more water if we could find out she really came here. 13:40.800 --> 13:42.840 Maybe we'd better start ringing a few doorbells. 13:42.840 --> 13:44.320 The other neighbors might come up with something. 13:44.320 --> 13:45.320 What do you say? 13:45.320 --> 13:46.920 Let's take another look at that girl's picture, huh? 13:46.920 --> 13:49.320 Here you are. 13:49.320 --> 13:52.720 No photographer's name. 13:52.720 --> 13:55.720 Underneath here, down the corner of the mounting, see? 13:55.720 --> 13:56.720 XXX6Y3. 13:56.720 --> 13:59.560 Must be some kind of manufacturer's mark. 13:59.560 --> 14:00.560 Photographic supply, huh? 14:00.560 --> 14:01.560 Mm-hmm. 14:01.560 --> 14:03.280 Guess it stands for the type of mounting, huh? 14:03.280 --> 14:04.840 You know anything about the photo business? 14:04.840 --> 14:05.840 No. 14:05.840 --> 14:06.840 I don't either. 14:06.840 --> 14:16.560 Well, let's find somebody who does. 14:16.560 --> 14:19.240 Before we drove back to the office, Frank and I covered the rest of the neighborhood 14:19.240 --> 14:22.880 and talked to everybody who knew the dead man, Martin Latimer, even remotely. 14:22.880 --> 14:24.440 They told us nothing we didn't already know. 14:24.440 --> 14:26.800 There'd been no stranger seen visiting the old man. 14:26.800 --> 14:32.320 No one had noticed anything out of the ordinary in Latimer's daily routine. 14:32.320 --> 14:35.640 Three o'clock that afternoon, we checked with the photo supply firm where we found out that 14:35.640 --> 14:39.560 the symbols stamped on the cardboard frame of the photograph signed Catherine were symbols 14:39.560 --> 14:42.000 used by a photo supply company in San Francisco. 14:42.000 --> 14:45.680 We went back to the office and got in touch with the San Francisco firm. 14:45.680 --> 14:49.720 We were told that the symbols indicated the style and size of photographic mountings and 14:49.720 --> 14:53.920 further that this particular type of mounting was distributed only throughout seven western 14:53.920 --> 14:54.920 states. 14:54.920 --> 14:58.480 They gave us a list of 18 photo studios in Los Angeles who kept this particular mount 14:58.480 --> 14:59.480 in stock. 14:59.480 --> 15:08.240 It was a long chance, but we started checking them out. 15:08.240 --> 15:11.720 Meantime we'd run the girl through R and I and gotten out an APB seeking information 15:11.720 --> 15:12.720 on her. 15:12.720 --> 15:19.440 Monday, January 19th, I checked into the office. 15:19.440 --> 15:20.440 Homicide Friday. 15:20.440 --> 15:21.440 Oh, hi, Fay. 15:21.440 --> 15:23.760 No, no, he's not right now. 15:23.760 --> 15:25.480 I expect him in almost any minute. 15:25.480 --> 15:26.480 Yeah. 15:26.480 --> 15:27.480 Mm-hmm. 15:27.480 --> 15:28.480 Sure, yeah. 15:28.480 --> 15:29.480 I'll tell him. 15:29.480 --> 15:30.480 Oh, handsome. 15:30.480 --> 15:31.480 Okay. 15:31.480 --> 15:34.480 Three pounds of ground round. 15:34.480 --> 15:35.480 Yeah. 15:35.480 --> 15:36.480 Lean. 15:36.480 --> 15:37.480 Yeah. 15:37.480 --> 15:38.480 Mm-hmm. 15:38.480 --> 15:39.480 No, I'll tell him. 15:39.480 --> 15:41.480 Oh, a loaf of rye bread. 15:41.480 --> 15:42.480 Uh-huh. 15:42.480 --> 15:43.480 With what? 15:43.480 --> 15:44.480 Oh, seeds. 15:44.480 --> 15:45.480 With seeds. 15:45.480 --> 15:46.480 Yeah. 15:46.480 --> 15:47.480 Okay. 15:47.480 --> 15:48.480 Uh-huh. 15:48.480 --> 15:49.480 And a quart of cream. 15:49.480 --> 15:50.480 Oh, ice cream. 15:50.480 --> 15:51.480 Yeah. 15:51.480 --> 15:56.480 No, I don't know what anybody want with a quart of cream either. 15:56.480 --> 15:57.480 What kind? 15:57.480 --> 15:58.480 Chocolate. 15:58.480 --> 15:59.480 Okay. 15:59.480 --> 16:00.480 Uh-huh. 16:00.480 --> 16:01.480 That's it, huh? 16:01.480 --> 16:02.480 Right. 16:02.480 --> 16:03.480 Sure, I'll be happy to. 16:03.480 --> 16:04.480 Oh, pretty good, Fay. 16:04.480 --> 16:05.480 And the kids? 16:05.480 --> 16:06.480 Fine. 16:06.480 --> 16:07.480 Well, we've been pretty busy lately, you know. 16:07.480 --> 16:08.480 Uh-huh. 16:08.480 --> 16:09.480 Sure, I'll try to make it next week. 16:09.480 --> 16:10.480 Right. 16:10.480 --> 16:11.480 Bye. 16:11.480 --> 16:12.480 Oh, Fay. 16:12.480 --> 16:13.480 She hung up. 16:13.480 --> 16:14.480 Oh. 16:14.480 --> 16:15.480 Your wife. 16:15.480 --> 16:16.480 Oh, what's she want? 16:16.480 --> 16:17.480 Some stuff she wants you to bring home tonight. 16:17.480 --> 16:18.480 Yeah. 16:18.480 --> 16:19.480 Seeds? 16:19.480 --> 16:20.480 Yeah, for a rye bread. 16:20.480 --> 16:21.480 Oh, I'll bring it. 16:21.480 --> 16:22.480 I'll bring it. 16:22.480 --> 16:23.480 I'll bring it. 16:23.480 --> 16:24.480 I'll bring it. 16:24.480 --> 16:25.480 I'll bring it. 16:25.480 --> 16:26.480 I'll bring it. 16:26.480 --> 16:27.480 Yeah, for a rye bread, you know. 16:27.480 --> 16:28.480 Well, why didn't you write it down, Joe? 16:28.480 --> 16:29.480 RV's seed doesn't mean anything. 16:29.480 --> 16:32.480 How'd you do it? 16:32.480 --> 16:34.040 Well, I covered seven photographic studios. 16:34.040 --> 16:36.000 On the eighth, I got lucky. 16:36.000 --> 16:37.000 Yeah? 16:37.000 --> 16:53.040 Doris Chambers, age 22. 16:53.040 --> 16:58.040 Monday, January 19th, 1030 a.m. The proprietor of the photo studio on 16:58.040 --> 17:01.640 Melrose Avenue had identified the girl in the picture. He told us she was Doris 17:01.640 --> 17:05.640 Chambers, age 22. She came from a fairly well-to-do family and her father was 17:05.640 --> 17:10.360 manager of a local neighborhood bank. We drove over to talk to her. 17:10.360 --> 17:14.280 She couldn't recognize the handwriting on the photo nor did she understand the 17:14.280 --> 17:17.840 inscription with love, Catherine. After questioning her it became apparent she 17:17.840 --> 17:21.400 knew nothing at all about 68 year old Martin Latimer. I wonder if you'd mind 17:21.400 --> 17:25.680 taking another look at the handwriting on that picture, miss. Take a close look. Is 17:25.680 --> 17:31.160 it familiar at all to you? No, no I couldn't be sure either way. Seems like 17:31.160 --> 17:34.760 I've seen it though. When did you say you had that picture made? About a year ago at 17:34.760 --> 17:39.240 graduation. My mother had extra copies made up. She liked it. I didn't care for 17:39.240 --> 17:42.680 it much. Could you tell us how many people have prints of this picture? Mama had 17:42.680 --> 17:47.120 about two dozen copies made up. She took 12 and I took 12. She sent them to 17:47.120 --> 17:50.880 relatives and friends of ours. She kept a few. What'd you do with yours? Sent them to 17:50.880 --> 17:55.120 friends, girls at school, a few of my boyfriends. Can you remember if you 17:55.120 --> 17:59.360 autographed any of them? Yes, some of them. The one for my girlfriends. The others I 17:59.360 --> 18:02.800 gave out plain. Can you try and think who you gave those to, miss? The unsigned 18:02.800 --> 18:12.360 pictures. One went to Carl. I know that. And then Fred and Don and Ray and Warren. 18:12.360 --> 18:16.480 Yeah, I think that's it. I wonder if we could have their full names and addresses 18:16.480 --> 18:22.360 please. Yes, all right. I'm pretty sure I've got them in here someplace. I don't 18:22.360 --> 18:28.280 know what I'm saving all this junk for. Old letters and... Just a minute. That's 18:28.280 --> 18:33.480 funny. It's the same handwriting, isn't it? I thought I'd seen it before. Ma'am? This 18:33.480 --> 18:37.720 old letter from Warren. See the writing? Doesn't that look the same to you? Looks 18:37.720 --> 18:41.840 close, Joe. Yeah, well they have Don and Myron handwriting. Check it over. Who is this, Warren, 18:41.840 --> 18:47.760 Miss Chambers? Warren White. Here's his address right here. I got it, Joe. Warren and I went 18:47.760 --> 18:51.440 to college together. We were engaged to be married for a while. Then I broke it off. 18:51.440 --> 18:56.160 I see. Warren's a serious boy. He's very thorough. A perfectionist, you know, 18:56.160 --> 19:00.440 Sergeant. Never does things halfway. Is that so? I've never known Warren to do 19:00.440 --> 19:04.200 anything in his life halfway. Not once. Well, he's gonna have a perfect record if 19:04.200 --> 19:07.400 that handwriting matches, isn't he? What can they do to him? I don't know, but they 19:07.400 --> 19:12.600 won't do it halfway. 19:12.600 --> 19:18.680 1102 a.m. We left the home of Doris Chambers and drove down Beverly Boulevard 19:18.680 --> 19:22.440 to 743 North Clairwood Avenue, an apartment house where the suspect was 19:22.440 --> 19:25.760 supposed to be living. We talked to the manager and he told us that Warren White 19:25.760 --> 19:30.240 had moved without giving notice five days before on January 14th, the same day 19:30.240 --> 19:34.640 68 year old Martin Latimer was found dead in his home. We got on the phone, 19:34.640 --> 19:38.320 talked to Doris Chambers again, and she gave us a lead on Warren White's married 19:38.320 --> 19:44.040 sister. The following day we located the sister of the murder suspect and she 19:44.040 --> 19:46.720 told us that her brother Warren had phoned that morning and asked for an 19:46.720 --> 19:51.000 emergency loan of $200 which he didn't have. The sister gave us White's new 19:51.000 --> 19:56.840 address and we checked it out. We had the manager let us in White's apartment. It was 19:56.840 --> 19:59.960 one of those rundown futuristic-style apartment houses built somewhere around 19:59.960 --> 20:03.860 the mid-30s. It was on a high narrow road above Sunset Boulevard overlooking 20:03.860 --> 20:07.480 Rose to Hollywood. White wasn't in and the manager said he wasn't expected back 20:07.480 --> 20:10.560 until early next morning. 20:22.400 --> 20:28.680 We waited. Midnight, 1 a.m. No sign of the suspect. You know Joe you can't beat it. 20:28.680 --> 20:33.360 The view from up here is beautiful. Yeah it's nice isn't it? You ought to look around 20:33.360 --> 20:37.120 and find a place like this for yourself. Be great. Well the rent's too high up here. 20:37.120 --> 20:41.440 Well it's the location I guess. You know people love hillsides, love to be high. 20:41.440 --> 20:48.400 The higher you are the more it's fuss. First the location is great. Public school right down there. 20:48.400 --> 20:52.120 And if you take Sunset Boulevard down to the freeway you're in the city hall in 20:52.120 --> 20:55.760 ten minutes. Doesn't take me much longer. I had about 20 minutes is all. Yeah but 20:55.760 --> 21:07.680 you don't have the view Joe. I don't smell that air. What time you done? 1 45. 21:07.960 --> 21:15.240 We waited. 3 a.m. 4 a.m. 4 30. It was cold. Still no sign of the suspect, Warren White. 21:15.240 --> 21:19.480 5 a.m. 5 30. 21:19.480 --> 21:26.600 6 30. 7 a.m. 7 30. We kept waiting. No sign of the suspect. We called the office 21:26.600 --> 21:30.840 and arranged for a relief. 8 a.m. We could hear groups of youngsters passing by 21:30.840 --> 21:34.320 outside drooping into the main yard of the school just below the apartment 21:34.320 --> 21:39.120 house. We kept waiting. 8 15 a.m. 21:41.360 --> 21:48.600 Come on in. What is this? What do you want? You Warren White? Yeah. Stand still. He's clean Joe. 21:48.600 --> 21:54.040 Well what do you want? Police officers. You been drinking? A little but it's all right. 21:54.040 --> 21:56.800 Why don't you sit down officers? I'm not gonna give you any trouble. What do you 21:56.800 --> 22:03.320 mean? I killed him. Maybe I'll never know why but I killed him. Sit down officers. 22:03.320 --> 22:07.480 Some bourbon in the kitchen you want some? No thanks. Why'd you kill the old man 22:07.480 --> 22:11.880 son? You want to tell us? I don't know. Probably a hundred reasons. Not sure of 22:11.880 --> 22:16.600 any one of them. Something I never realized before. Yeah. I mean killing a 22:16.600 --> 22:22.080 man taking a human life. I guess nobody knows what it is till they do it. Most 22:22.080 --> 22:25.160 complicated thing in the world. There must have had a reason for it. Killing him, 22:25.160 --> 22:28.400 rigging him for a suicide. Do you have anything against him? I hardly even knew him. 22:28.400 --> 22:34.080 I used that picture of Doris to fool him. Made some good money doing it. I needed 22:34.080 --> 22:36.880 it. You're willing to give us a statement about the whole thing? I haven't anything 22:36.880 --> 22:41.800 to hide officer. The minute I killed him I knew it was over. Right there in that one 22:41.800 --> 22:47.560 minute. I knew you'd come and find me somehow. I didn't know when but I knew you'd 22:47.560 --> 22:52.480 come and find me. All right. We better head downtown. Yeah. 22:54.360 --> 23:02.520 That's a great sound isn't it? What's that? Scrooge yard kids. Got a great sound to 23:02.520 --> 23:11.960 it. Good one. Yeah. Could I please go over there for a minute? All right. 23:19.800 --> 23:24.760 All right. How can anybody figure it? You start in the scrooge yard. You like those 23:24.760 --> 23:33.560 kids down there running around yelling. I started the same. Yeah. I wonder what it 23:33.560 --> 23:40.040 is that happens. An eight-year-old redheaded kid. Must be one down there now. Other 23:40.040 --> 23:46.520 kids will grow up, get jobs, work and die. It'll be all right. Yeah. One kid will end up 23:46.520 --> 23:51.000 in an alley with a gun in his hand. How can anybody figure it? I wouldn't know. 23:51.000 --> 23:57.720 Bunch of kids playing in a schoolyard. Someday one of them is a killer. Yeah. You tell me. 23:57.720 --> 24:23.640 What's the answer? 24:27.720 --> 24:53.080 On April 8th, trial was held in Department 88 Superior Court of the State of California in and 24:53.080 --> 25:00.680 for the County of Los Angeles. In a moment, the results of that trial. 25:00.680 --> 25:19.480 The suspect was tried and convicted of murder in the first degree. 26:00.680 --> 26:05.880 Thank you.