Ladies and gentlemen, the story you are about to see is true.
The names have been changed to protect the innocent.
This is the city.
Los Angeles, California.
I work here.
I'm a cop.
It was Tuesday, February 3rd.
It was cold in Los Angeles.
We were working the night watch out of homicide detail.
My partner's Frank Smith.
The boss is Captain Warman.
My name's Friday.
It was 18 minutes past 2 a.m. when we got to number 15 San Jose Street, the Green Light
Tavern.
A killer was loose in the city.
His weapon, a.38 caliber revolver.
His objective, robbery and murder.
Ambulance on the way, George?
Can't use it.
They're both dead.
Wife and husband.
Did you call the crime lab?
They're on the way.
Okay, we better take a look at that back room.
Right.
This the way you found them, Carly?
Nothing's been touched.
Safe was open when we got here.
Cleaned out.
Shot twice through the back, both of them.
They both dead when you got here?
The old man was.
She wasn't.
Did she say anything?
She said the hold up guy wanted all the money in the safe.
The old man gave it to him, pleaded with him not to shoot.
Yeah.
While he was handing over the money, the old man dropped a $10 bill.
He said he was sorry, stooped to pick it up.
Guy shot him through the back.
The woman said she turned to grab her husband.
Guy shot her through the back.
Did she get a description?
She didn't last that long.
Tough luck.
What were their names?
Mr. and Mrs. Enrique Cotero.
They ran the place.
Good people.
They always are.
Wonder how much money the guy got.
Not enough to pay the check.
Sergeant Allen and the crew from the crime lab arrived and went to work.
They dusted for fingerprints, took pictures of the back room, the safe, the victims.
Every object that could have any possible tie in with the crime was photographed.
Captain Lorman was with them.
Looks like that job over on the east side last month, Skipper.
Same M.O.
Kid with Ramsey.
He the witness?
Yeah, he worked for the Coteros, didn't he?
Yeah, bar boy.
Handyman, you know.
Ramsey's getting no place with him.
What's the matter?
Spanish.
Can't speak English.
Well, how's your Spanish, Frank?
Still high school Spanish.
All right.
Let's give it a try.
Was he the only one here?
When we got here, yeah.
Trabaja aqui como bar boy, verdad?
Si, senor.
Three months.
Mr. Cotero era muy bueno conmigo.
Como se llama?
Juan Pedillo.
Vivo al otro lado de la barra, en la casa de huéspedes.
What's he saying, Frank?
Well, his name's Juan Pedillo.
He's been working here for about three months.
He lives next door in the rooming house.
Claims he got along fine with Mr. Cotero.
Ask him to tell us how it happened, everything.
Juan, queremos saber exactamente como paso esto.
Díganos de todo lo que se acuerda.
El tiempo.
Que tanta gente había.
Quienes eran.
Todos los detalles.
Tome su tiempo.
Si.
Eran como, como cinco minutos para las dos.
Tiempo de cerrar.
Mr. Cotero apenas había cerrado la puerta de enfrente.
He says it happened around closing time, five minutes to two.
Mr. Cotero had locked up the front door.
Siga, Juan.
Si.
Yo estaba detrás de la barra.
Igualmente la señora Cotero.
Estábamos limpiando los vasos y poniéndolos en su lugar.
Solo estaba un marchante en la barra.
Estaba sentado a la orilla de la barra.
Allí.
Juan was behind the bar with Mrs. Cotero.
They were cleaning up the glasses and putting them away.
There was only one customer left.
He was sitting at the end of the bar.
Let's do him back there.
Yeah, go ahead, Frank.
Siga, Juan.
El marchante creo que se llama Pete.
Estuvo aquí anoche y la noche anterior.
Siempre se quedaba hasta que cerrábamos.
He says the customer's name was Pete.
Was in last night the night before.
Always stayed until closing time.
Bueno, Juan.
Siga.
La señora Cotero recogió el dinero del registro y se fue al cuarto de atrás.
La oficina está allí.
El señor Cotero se sentó con el marchante y bebió con él.
Este hombre Pete.
Un minuto.
He says about two o'clock Mrs. Cotero took the money from the cash register and went
into the back room.
La oficina.
Yeah, the office.
And Mr. Cotero sat down and had a drink with this guy Pete.
All right.
What happened then?
Luego, ¿qué pasó?
Bueno, yo limpie los vasos y como unos cuantos minutos después de las dos, llevé una caja
de botellas vacías a la bodega.
Estuve allí creo que como cinco minutos.
Cuando oí el ruido, bang, bang.
¿Qué hizo entonces?
Deje caer las botellas y oí de nuevo, bang, bang.
Entonces corrí a ver.
Mr. y Mrs. Cotero estaban tendidos en el suelo.
Había sangre.
Este hombre Pete salía por la puerta de enfrente.
What's he saying Frank?
He says a couple of minutes past two he went back to the storeroom with a case of empty
bottles.
He was back there about five minutes when he heard gunshots.
He ran out and saw Cotero and his wife on the floor.
This guy Pete was going out the door.
La puerta de enfrente.
Yeah, the front door.
Just a minute.
Puede conocer a este hombre Pete?
Si lo ve de nuevo?
Oh, si señor.
Si lo conocería.
He says he'd know Pete if he saw him again.
Does he know anything about him?
Where he lives?
Where he hangs out?
Sabes donde vive Pete Juan?
Donde come?
Donde se mantiene?
No, estuvo aquí hoy anoche y antenoche.
Es todo lo que se señor.
Pete was in here for the past three nights.
That's all he knows.
Ask him if he remembers what Pete was drinking will you?
Yeah.
Juan, se acuerda lo que este hombre Pete estaba tomando?
No, señor.
No, señor.
No, señor.
No, señor.
No, señor.
No, señor.
No, señor.
No, señor.
Juan, se acuerda lo que este hombre Pete estaba tomando?
Lo que estaba bebiendo?
Oh, si señor.
Scotchy water.
Plain water.
Toda la noche lo mismo.
Scotch and water.
Drank the same thing all night.
Same guy?
Well, it ties in with that other job over on the east side.
Wherever the guy works, unconsciously, he seems to order the same thing to drink, doesn't
he?
Dispenseme.
Dispenseme, señor oficial.
Hay algo más que me acuerdo de él.
Algo más que él hizo.
Wait a minute.
I'll show you something else.
¿Qué fue eso, Juan?
¿De qué más se acuerda?
Cada noche él tocaba la máquina de música.
Allí la tocaba mucho.
Todo el tiempo pedía cambio.
He says Pete played the jukebox a lot.
Sí, señor.
La misma melodía.
Toda la noche.
De vuelta y de vuelta.
¿Cuál era esa, Juan?
¿Se acuerda?
Sí, señor.
Me acuerdo.
Venga acá le enseñaré.
What's he doing?
He wants to show us the jukebox.
He says Pete played the same tune all night.
Aquí, señor oficial.
Esta.
La número 14.
La tocaba toda la noche.
De vuelta y de vuelta.
Funny man.
That's the one.
Number 14.
Tune might be another one of his habits.
Let's play it.
Go ahead.
You got time?
Thanks.
I think I'll show you something else, Juan.
¿De qué más se acuerda?
El jukebox.
Allí la tocaba mucho.
Todo el tiempo pedía cambio.
Allí la tocaba mucho.
La misma melodía.
Todo el tiempo pedía cambio.
Allí la tocaba mucho.
Allí la tocaba mucho.
Allí la tocaba mucho.
Allí la tocaba mucho.
Allí la tocaba mucho.
Allí la tocaba mucho.
Allí la tocaba mucho.
Allí la tocaba mucho.
Allí la tocaba mucho.
Allí la tocaba mucho.
Allí la tocaba mucho.
Si esa es, él tocaba esa.
He says that's the one.
Must be in every jukebox in town.
What does that prove?
It's not going to be very much help.
A lot of people like that tune.
Only one man commits murder to it.
Ten minutes past 3 a.m., Tuesday, February 3rd.
Captain Lorman, Frank and I left the Greenlight Tavern and we took Juan Padillo, the young
bartender, back to the office with us.
With the help of an interpreter, a police stenographer took down his statement and then
we showed him three volumes of coming out mug shots.
Padillo and Frank started looking through them.
Captain Lorman and I went across the street to the old city jail building, the crime lab,
to see Russ Camp and ballistics.
How's it going, Russ?
I was still working on it.
It was pretty tough.
Why?
What's the matter?
Right here.
This is a bullet to kill that Eastside bar owner last month.
Yeah.
It's from a.38 Colt Special.
We know that.
It's a metal-piercing bullet.
Mm-hmm.
Those slugs are in good shape.
We weren't that lucky tonight.
How do you mean, Russ?
Well, here's the four bullets they fired in the back room of the Greenlight Tavern tonight.
What happened to them?
Must have had a heavy load.
They penetrated the bodies and buried themselves in the wall and floor.
Badly deformed?
Yeah.
It's going to take some work.
Can't tell you much right now.
What can you tell us, Russ?
Well, I checked the bullets, examined the lands, markings.
They got a left-hand twist.
And they came from a Colt?
Yeah,.38 Colt Special.
Same type gun killed that man last month.
That's not enough to go to court with, is it?
It's enough for us right now.
Well, we should get a make on one of these four bullets.
It'll take a little time.
Yeah.
Now, you see these two slugs?
Yeah.
The grooves, striations, they're pretty badly mutilated.
There's no chance for any fancy work there, but we still have a good bit left down here
at the base of the bullet.
And with any kind of a break, you can match them.
I hope so.
Grab a lead, Joe.
Yeah, I got it.
Crime Lab, Friday.
Jeffering.
Yeah.
Right away.
Smith?
Yeah.
Juan Padilla just identified the killer.
There's his picture.
There's his package.
Is Juan sure that's the right man?
Dispense me, senor official.
Que dijo usted?
El dijo, estas segura que este es el hombre.
Oh, si, senor.
Es el, estoy seguro.
He's sure.
Well, according to his R card, Albert J. Stacey, white male American, 5'11", 170 pounds,
brown hair, blue eyes.
Here's a red flag on his index card, violation of parole.
Got out of San Quentin 18 months ago.
Burglary, auto theft, armed robbery.
He's used a gun before.
That makes him number one.
By 4 a.m., an APB and a radiogram on Albert Stacey had been dispatched.
The manhunt got underway.
At 10 o'clock that morning, Sergeant Allen reported on his findings at the scene of the
murder.
No fingerprints, no additional physical evidence.
We counted on getting the suspect's prints from the glass that he was drinking from at
the bar, but either Mrs. Cotera or Juan had unknowingly given the killer his first big
break.
All the glasses had been washed, wiped, and neatly put away before the shooting.
The prints had been destroyed in the process.
Just after lunch, Russ Camp and ballistics came up with an answer.
The bullets which killed Mr. and Mrs. Cotera came from the same gun which killed the East
Side bar owner a month before, a.38 Colt Special.
Homicide, Lorman.
Yes, Carly.
Where?
Good, thanks.
I just picked up Stacey.
They're bringing him in.
6 p.m. Tuesday, February 3rd, Albert Stacey was booked at the main jail on suspicion of
187 PC, murdered.
On his person was found a.38 Colt Special.
The gun was immediately taken to the crime lab for examination.
Stacey was brought to the interrogation room.
Frank and I questioned him for four hours.
He denied any connection with the two robberies and the murders.
At 10 o'clock that night, we set out for coffee and sandwiches.
Stacey ate heartily.
He was worried, but he didn't have the attitude of a trap murderer.
The questioning went on.
Midnight came.
Stacey hung on to his story.
He refused to say where he was at the time of the killings.
He had nothing to do with the robberies, nothing to do with the murders.
At 4 a.m., Frank and I took time out for a smoke.
He's bound to break.
He's got to.
Well, either he's a great actor or I'm tired.
He doesn't strike me as a guilty man.
Well, I'm with you, but what about his record and the mug shot the kid picked up?
See you.
Yeah.
How's it going?
Nothing.
Russ Camp just called about Stacey's gun.
Yeah.
Maybe we found the right man, but we got the wrong gun.
11 a.m., Wednesday, February 11th.
We were refused a complaint against Albert Stacey by the district attorney's office on
the grounds that we were unable to present sufficient evidence against him.
We then filed on Stacey for violation of the state penal code, Chapter 339, Statutes of
1923 as amended 1947, sub 2, an ex-convict with a gun.
We put a hold on Stacey for his parole officer.
He was to be returned to San Quentin.
Frank and I started all over again from the beginning.
The complete description of the suspect, along with his method of operation, was distributed
to every tavern and cocktail lounge in the city.
A special detail of men from the Metropolitan Division was assigned to stand a special watch
between the hours of midnight and 3 a.m.
During the month that followed, we set trap after trap for the killer.
He failed to take the bait.
Another month passed.
We watched and we waited.
1 a.m., Saturday, April 4th.
Frank and I were cruising the central area.
Attention all units, all units.
A 2-11 in shooting in the bar on the corner of Bellevue and Allison.
A 2-11 in shooting in the bar on the corner of Bellevue and Allison.
Suspect left the scene on foot.
Suspect is wearing dark coat, light trousers.
1-R-5, take the call.
Code 3.
Code 3.
Code 3.
Code 3.
Code 3.
Code 3.
Code 3.
Code 3.
Code 3.
Code 3.
Code 3.
Code 3.
Code 3.
Code 3.
Code 3.
Code 3.
Code 3.
Code 3.
Code 3.
Code 3.
Code 3.
Code 3.
Code 3.
Code 3.
Let's go.
1-K-80.
1-K-80.
1-K-80.
Go ahead.
On that call to Bellevue and Allison, we are in the vicinity.
We will handle it.
1-K-80.
Roger.
1-K-80.
Any further description on the 2-11 suspect?
1-K-80.
No further details.
Suspect wearing dark coat, light trousers.
Left the scene on foot.
Code 3.
Let's roll it.
2 minutes later, Frank and I got to the windmill.
Two minutes later, Frank and I got to the Windsor Buffet.
The robbery victims were the owners, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Lineberger.
Mrs. Lineberger did all the talking.
1.25 a.m., Frank and I continued questioning Mr. and Mrs. Lineberger.
Their description of the suspect, his M.O., and all of his actions
matched those of the man who had shot down Mr. and Mrs. Katerra two months before
and the Eastside bar owner a month before that.
The Lineberger's told us that the suspect drank only scotch and plain water
and that he played the jukebox incessantly.
The same tune, Funny Man.
That's right, Funny Man. That's what he played.
I got a good look at his wrist, too, his right wrist.
What about it?
He's got a picture tattooed on the underside.
What kind of a picture?
Looks like a cat, a black cat.
Do you by any chance have the glass that he was drinking out of?
Yeah, it's over by the door.
Smash the bits.
Sure, I threw it at him when he ran out the door.
2.12 a.m., Frank and I drove Mr. and Mrs. Lineberger to the office
where we took their statements and filled out a crime report.
After that, we went down the hall to R&I and had one of the officers on duty
check through the oddity file for us.
That's it, Joe. Only guy on the file with a tattoo of a cat on his wrist.
Yeah.
He's got a different tattoo on his left wrist.
He's only got one name.
Wesley R. Guttridge.
We pulled his mug shot.
It was almost a dead ringer for Stacy.
We compared descriptions.
They matched almost perfectly.
A radiogram was sent out on him and communications broadcast a want for murder.
Captain Worman, Frank and I checked our informants and all our available sources of information
for the whereabouts of Wesley Guttridge.
There was no trace of him.
Two days passed.
We continued cruising the Central and Hollenbeck Park area.
Unit 1A5, out for 7, KMA 367.
Correction, 7R6.
That's 2421 Beverly Boulevard.
A prowler now.
KMA 367.
Attention all units.
Attention all units.
At 5th and Winston, the bar, a 211 and shooting, code 3.
Suspect left the scene on foot.
Suspect was headed west on 5th Street.
Attention all units.
All units.
At 5th and Winston.
♪♪
The name of the place was Doris and Jim's.
Inside we found a man lying on the floor, face down.
He was dead.
There were three bullet wounds in his back.
Jim gave him the money.
Every penny of it.
He had to.
Jim gave it to him.
He didn't have to shoot him.
He didn't have to kill him.
We gave him the money.
Shut that thing off, will you?
Oh!
Oh!
Oh!
Oh!
Oh!
♪♪
5 a.m., Tuesday, April 7th.
Frank and I sat in on a meeting with Captain Warman.
Plans for a citywide dragnet operation to apprehend the killer were discussed and formulated.
By 7 a.m., an overall plan was set in motion.
Every available man was ordered up for special duty in the central area,
the Newton Street Division, the University Division,
and the Hollenbeck and Highland Park areas.
Additional men from the Metropolitan Division,
plus an extra complement of 45 radio and detective cars were assigned to the manhunt.
The search for Guttridge went on all that day, all that night into the following morning.
No sign of him.
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday.
Still no sign of him.
The 24-hour watch continued.
Five days, ten days, two weeks.
Tuesday, April 28th.
It was the end of the third week.
Our relief showed up a few minutes before midnight.
Before we went home, Frank and I stopped by the office to check with Captain Warman.
They told us in homicide that he was down the hall in communications.
All units.
All units.
What's doing, Skipper?
Just a minute.
All units.
Two eleven and a shooting.
In the bar.
At 1231 North Fremont.
One two three one North Fremont.
One K six one.
Analyte call. Code three.
One K six one. Roger.
One K six one. That's Ramsey and Crowley, isn't it?
All units. Two eleven suspect has been identified by a victim as Wesley Guttridge.
Murder suspect.
The 1200 block of North Fremont's in the stakeout area, isn't it?
Right on the edge of it, I think.
Yeah, here it is. Right here.
Guttridge is going to have a rough time.
The neighborhood here should be pretty well covered.
All units. On the two eleven and shooting at 1231 North Fremont.
Suspect left scene in a light tan 1950 Ford sedan.
License. Seven Tom. Seven nine. Seven two.
Seven Tom. Seven nine. Seven two.
Suspect headed south on Fremont.
One K sixty one. One K six one.
We have spotted two eleven suspect.
Tan Ford sedan. License. Seven Tom. Seven nine. Seven two.
Suspect is traveling at high rate of speed.
West on third. Now crossing Lucas.
We're in pursuit. One K six one. Roger.
All units. On all frequencies. Stand by.
One K six one is in pursuit of two eleven murder suspect.
Suspect is heading west on third street.
Now crossing Lucas on third street.
Now crossing Lucas Avenue. One K six one.
Pursuing suspect west on third street.
Now crossing Union Avenue. Push it Jim. Don't lose it.
One K six one. Roger. All units.
Suspect headed west on third street.
Crossing Union Avenue. Units one R one three.
One A one seven. One R one nine.
Block the intersection at West Lake and third street.
One R thirteen. Roger. One A one seven. Roger.
One R nineteen. Roger. Units one R one one.
And one A one two. Block the intersection at third street and Alvarado.
One R eleven. Roger.
We're closing in on him.
One K six one. One K six one.
Suspect now headed north on Burlington. Crossing Miramar.
North on Burlington. Crossing Miramar.
Watch it truck Jim.
One K six one. Roger. All units.
Suspect now headed north on Burlington. Crossing Miramar.
North on Burlington. Crossing Miramar.
Maybe they got him blocked.
One K six one. One K six one. Go ahead.
Still pursuing suspect north on Burlington. Now crossing second street.
Looks like a dead end. I think we got him blocked.
He's turning around.
Watch it Jim. Here he comes. Look out.
There goes our windshield.
You see all right Jim? One K sixty one. One K six one.
Maybe you heard it. He got by us.
Suspect now headed east on Beverly Boulevard. Crossing Belmont.
Are you receiving us? One K sixty one. We are receiving you.
All units. Suspect now headed east on Beverly Boulevard. Now crossing Belmont.
One K sixty one is in pursuit.
One K six one. Suspect just turned off Beverly on the Figueroa.
Heading north on Figueroa. Crossing Temple.
Just a minute. Hold it.
Just turned on Alpine. Hold it. Turn it again.
Suspect now headed north on Alameda. Headed for the Southern Pacific train yards.
Now crossing north Broadway. Going into the yards.
No losing Jim.
All units. All units. Converge on Southern Pacific train yards.
All units converge on Southern Pacific train yards.
From North Main to the river. From Alhambra Avenue to Macy Street.
Suspect is in the yards. Suspect is in the yards.
Not making it easy. He's got nothing to lose.
One K six one. One K six one.
One K six one. Come in.
One K six one. Come in.
One K six one. We have suspect in custody.
We have suspect in custody.
One K six one. Roger. All units.
One K six one has suspect in custody.
Return to your districts. Return to your districts.
All frequencies clear.
Well I guess that does it.
Yeah sounds like nobody was hurt. They didn't ask for an ambulance.
Big night. Lucky one.
Well I'm going home. See you fellas in the morning.
Good night Skipper. Good night. Good night. Good night.
KMA three six seven. Time check. Twelve thirty AM.
How about that? What's the matter?
It's a wristwatch of mine. Jeweler worked the whole thing over.
Gave it a complete overhaul. Look at that Joe.
Five minutes slow. Wait till I talk to that jeweler.
Well how long ago did he work on it?
Oh just four or five years ago. Why?
Good night Frank. Yeah.
What time you got lieutenant?
On August twenty eighth trial was held in department eighty two superior court of the state of California in and for the county of Los Angeles.
In a moment the results of that trial.
The suspect was tried and convicted of murder in the first degree.