 The story you are about to hear is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent. Drag net. You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned a homicide detail. A killer is losing your city. You don't know who he is or where to find him. You don't know who his victim will be. Your job, stop him. It was Tuesday, May 13th. It was warm in Los Angeles. We were working the day, watch out a homicide detail. My partner's Frank Smith. The boss is Captain Norman. My name's Friday. I was on my way back from handwriting and it was 826 a.m. when I got to room 42. Homicide. You got it? Yeah. Don just finished up. He says the handwriting matches. Victim wrote the note. Huh, that's it then, huh? Yeah. Did you talk to his wife? Yeah, she's pretty broken up. Figures. Ate too fast. I got a heartburn. Well, why don't you take a couple of those peptopals or whatever it is? Let's get on with this. A lot of work here. Hey, there's an idea. Never thought of that. Yeah, I got some of my locker over here. You sure have. Last time I bought a big box of them. There must be some left. Find them? Yeah. He thinks the husband fits in, huh? Yeah, all the way along. What are you doing, huh? I said, what are you doing there? Well, I found the peptons. Yeah, but what are you doing with them there? Oh, put them together. I must have dropped them sometimes so y'all the pills are all broken up. Trying to put one together. You can't be too careful. Can't take too much. Where's this one? Oh, there. One pill is all you're supposed to take. Just one. I don't understand. What do you mean? How you can come in here and no sleep? Upset stomach and feel so good. Yeah. You know something, Joe? What's that? It's a pose. I really don't. You don't, huh? Nope. That ought to be about right, I guess. Does that look like one pill to you? I don't know, Frank. I hope so. It's too important a decision for me to help you with it. Oh, peptopal. Good for what ails you. Potent, Joe. Real potent. I just wanted if you were all through now. Oh. As soon as I scraped the crumbs away. OK. I'm with you. Here's one you missed. Thanks. I'm half gone. OK. OK. Yeah. Well, are you all through now? You've had your pill and everything was. Joe, I took my pill. I've got the peptopals all worked out now. What can I do for you? I'll get it. Yeah, shooting at the corner of Broadway in San Julian. Who's the victim? Traffic officer. We left the office and drove to the scene of the shooting. Traffic at the intersection had come to a virtual stand still. 18 feet from the northwest corner lying in the middle of the pedestrian crosswalk was a uniformed traffic officer. He was wearing a white cap of the traffic division. There was a large blood stain on the right side of his chest and the service revolver was still in this holster. By the time we got to the scene, the ambulance had arrived and the wounded officer was being given emergency treatment. Other officers were trying to get the traffic moving again and additional men were throwing up a blockade around the immediate vicinity in an attempt to apprehend the person who shot the policeman. Captain Warman and Chief Detective Stad Brown arrived and took charge of the search. Frank and I checked through the crowd that had gathered and we found a witness to the shooting. I saw the whole thing, officer, right from the beginning. I saw it just about the most awful thing I ever saw. All right, sure. Just give us your name. Roy Hickock. It's H-I-C-K-O-K. All right, Mr. Hickock. Now, if you'll tell us what happened. I was on my way to work, walking down the street. I got to the corner here, Broadway in San Julian. I got to the corner. I stopped for a light. Go ahead. I just stood there waiting for it to be timed across. All of a sudden, this car came up and slid to a stop. The light changed and he had a stop. He must have been going pretty fast because he went clear out into the intersection. And the officer, the one who was shot, held up his hand. I think that was the only reason the driver didn't run the light. The officer held up his hand. Probably should go ahead. Well, the fella stopped, but he was right in the middle of the crosswalk. Everybody had to go around the car, you know, out into the intersection. He was right in the middle and we all had to go around it. Well, he just sat there. He didn't make any try to back up or nothing. He just sat there, kind of waiting for the light to change again so he could get going. Let's see. Then the officer, the one who was shot, he started to walk over to the fella. I guess he wanted him to back up. Must have been something like that. He wanted him to get out of the way. What happened then? Well, all of a sudden, this guy in the car just started shooting. Where was the officer when the shooting started? Well, he hadn't even got to the car yet. He must have been about 10, 12 feet from it. This guy pulled out the gun and started powing away. Point blank, he did it right in the policeman's face. Everybody on the street got panicky when they heard the shooting. Started to run everywhere, yelling, screaming, real panic. What did the officer do? Nothing. He stood there and looked surprised. Then he tried to get his gun out of the holster, but before he could do it, the fella in the car shot a couple more times and the policeman fell down. What did he do there? You mean the guy in the car? Yeah, that's right. We took off, drove right through the people and drove down San Julian. It's a wonder he didn't kill somebody the way he drove off. Just didn't care about anybody. Barreled south on San Julian. Did you talk to the other officers about this? Not too much. Seems like as soon as it happened, there were so many people around. There wasn't much time to talk to anybody. I called down where I work and I told them I'd be late. I told them to expect me when I walked in. I never did see so many policemen or cars. Just a minute, will you? Folks, you'll have to get back here, please. Give us a little more. All right, thank you. Can you give us a description of the car? The one that the killer drove? Yes, sir. Well, you bet I can. I can tell you all about it. Why would you go ahead? Well, it was a dark color sedan. A blue, a dark blue. What kind of car was it? You mean the brand? Yes, sir. Well, I'm not real sure about that. It all happened so fast. You know, all of a sudden it was over, right? And we got a kind of a quick look at it because I wasn't paying much attention to it. Well, folks, you'll have to stay back here, please. Right, hold him back over there, will you? Yeah. Now, what kind of a car was it? Well, I think it was either a Plymouth or maybe a DeSoto. But I'm not sure. But you're pretty sure about the color, are you? Oh, yeah, it was blue, dark blue. What about the man driving the car? Did you get a good look at him? Yeah, I guess just about everybody did. You know, sitting out there in the middle of the street like that, everybody that went by him had a look at him. Could you give us a description of him? What do you want to know? Well, how about the color of his hair? It was light, not real blonde, but a light color. How about his eyes? It looked like they were blue. How old would you say the man was? I don't know, maybe 24, 25, around in there. He wasn't real old. Was he clean-shaven? Yeah. How about glasses? Do you remember? Was he wearing it? No. Was there anything about him that would make it easier for us to identify him? I don't think I know what you mean. Well, was there anything about him, a scar, or maybe a birthmark? Something like that you might have seen. Not that I remember. I might have had something like that, but if he did, I don't remember. Did you have the chance to see what the man was wearing? Well, just that he had on a white shirt and a jacket, it looked like the ones they issue in the Army. You know, the kind of windbreaker type of light material. Did the man say anything? If he did, I didn't hear it. As soon as he started shooting, it seemed like a roof come off. All the noise, everybody yelling, trying to get out of the way of the bullets. He said anything. I sure didn't hear it. I see. Is there anything else that you can give us on the man? Well, there is, Sergeant, but I feel a little silly about it. What's that to you? What's about the car? I told you I didn't pay much attention to it, not at first. Well, after the shooting started, then I got as good a look as I could. I got a pretty good look at the back of it when the guy took off. Just a minute, I didn't hear you. I said I got a pretty good look at the back of it when the guy took off. You know, when he went down the street. I see. I feel a little silly because I didn't get more. How's that? The license number. I can only get four of the numbers. The witness was able to give us the numbers. One sugar, one three nine. A broadcast was gotten out carrying this information and a search was started through auto records in an attempt to come up with the owner of the vehicle. Two men were detailed to the Department of Motor Vehicles to assist their men in the search of the files. Meantime, Chief Brown and Captain Lawman had ordered roadblocks to be put up on San Julian and all streets leading to adjoining areas. The one witness, Roy Hickock, was taken to the city hall and he was shown the mug books. He was unable to come up with an identification on the suspect. 1240 PM, Frank put in a call to Georgia Street receiving hospital and found that Officer Larry Jarreau was still in a critical condition and that he had not regained consciousness. His family had been notified and the car was dispatched to bring his wife to the hospital. All people in the immediate vicinity of the shooting were interrogated and their statements were taken, but none of them could give us a lead as to the identity of the suspect. 527 PM, Frank and I went back to the office. While he checked by auto records, I put in a call to Captain Lawman. Yeah, Skipper. No, no, they're still checking. Yeah. Well, Frank's down there now. 124 and Peter Farron. Yeah, he looked at him, but he wasn't able to give us anything. No, I'd say he couldn't give us anything. Last we heard, he was still unconscious. Yeah, sir. Well, you left a word that were to be called if he comes up. No, no, Glendale McCready were over there. Yeah, she's taken it pretty hard. Joe. Right. Just a minute, I got Skipper on the phone. If anything turns up, we'll call you. Joe, yeah, Gordon. Hold on a minute, we're Skipper. Yeah, what do you got? Well, they made the car. Yeah, it was stolen this morning. We got a pretty good piece of news. No, Frank just came in. They made the car. We stole him this morning. We got in touch with the owner of the car and we talked to him. He told us that he'd noticed that the car was gone from the place where he'd left at the night before and that he'd filed a report on it immediately. We got a full description of the vehicle and the supplementary broadcast was gotten out. 8.14 PM, we got a call from Georgia Street Hospital telling us that Officer Jiro had regained consciousness and he could be questioned. Frank and I left the office and drove over to see him. The time we got there, however, he lapsed into a coma again. We talked to Dr. Sebastian. He told us that he'd removed four bullets from Jiro's body. One of the shots had severed the officer's spinal cord. In the event that he pulled out of it, he'd never walk again. Frank and I talked with Galindo and McCready. They'd been able to interview the wounded officer, but they hadn't been able to get any additional information from him. As we walked down the hall, we met Mrs. Jiro. Sergeant Friday? Yes, ma'am. I'm Ellen Jiro, Larry's wife. Yes, ma'am. Do they know yet? Do they know if Larry's going to be all right? Well, it'd be better if you talk to Dr. Sebastian, Ms. Jiro. I have. He tells me they don't know yet. How can they say that? They don't know. Larry's been here for almost 12 hours. They must know something. Why won't they tell me? We're sorry, Ms. Jiro. Have you caught the man yet? The man who did this to Larry, have you got him yet? No, ma'am, not yet. Then what are you doing here? Why aren't you out looking for him? We're doing everything we can, ma'am. But you haven't caught him. You're all running around looking, but you haven't caught him. Well, that's doing a lot of good. It makes me feel a lot better to know that the man who shot my husband is still running free. We're sorry. That doesn't help, Sergeant. I can't take it home with me and spread Dr. Sorrow in front of my children. They're still going to want to know where their father is. They're still going to want to have him back. Your good wishes aren't going to be enough. Joe, I'll check the office. All right. Tell the Skepper we're going to tag Metro Division. Right. Ms. Jiro, we know how you feel. We know what's going through your mind. My partner there was just shot not too long ago, and I've been right here in the same place waiting for a report, too, just like you. I know what it is to see the doctor come out of a treatment room and not say anything. I know there isn't much I can say to make it easier, but we can tell you this. There are 4,000 policemen in this city. Every one of them is looking for the man who shot your husband. Joe? Yeah. The suspect. Yeah. They found him. The tip had come in from a man who had phoned the complaint board and said that he knew where the suspect was hiding. The man wouldn't give his name. Immediately, two cars were dispatched to the address. It was a cheap rooming house on East 4th Street. The manager of the place said that there was a tenant who matched the description of the suspect in a room on the 5th floor. He'd given the name James Krell. When the investigating officers had approached the room, they were met with gunfire. They returned the fire. The building was evacuated, and the streets in front of the building were roped off. Several more cars arrived from Metro Division, and the building was completely surrounded. Frank and I stopped by the office and picked up tear gas equipment. From what we were told, the suspect had barricaded the door leading into the room with furniture. The only way we had to get him out alive was with gas. Frank and I talked with Captain Lorman and with Chief Brown. We decided to use a flight-right shell and blast through the door. Frank took the gun, and we went up to the 5th floor. The halls were empty. Yeah, I'll say. Let's give him another chance, all right? All right, Krell. We'll give you one more chance to come out of there. Come on, Krell. Open the door and throw the gun out. He's not coming out. All right, that's the last time we're on, Krell. Get out of here, pal. Get out of here. You try to come through that door, and I'll kill you. I swear, I'll kill you where you stand. All right, Frank. Let's put the mask on. All right. You all right? Yeah. I gotta go. Yeah. Move in there, furniture. I'll cover this time, all right? Watch it. All right, throw the gun out here. Throw the gun out first, and then you follow it. OK, OK. I'm doing what you say. Here's the gun. I quit. I got it. All right, Krell. Come on out with your hands behind your head. Come on, move. All right, like you say. I'm coming. All right, come on, move. Down here. Come on, move, Krell. All right, this will do. Stand, Krell. Hands up against the wall. Come on, Krell. Do what he says. I can't breathe. I'll do whatever you say, but I can't breathe. I can't breathe. That gas. You better get used to it, Krell. What? That cop dies. They won't let you walk out of the room. The suspect was taken to Georgia Street receiving hospital for treatment. When the investigating officers had approached the room that he was hiding in, Krell had shot at them through the door. They'd returned the fire, and one of the bullets had shattered his left wrist. We got his full name when we ran him through R and I. We found that he had a minor record in California and was, at the time, a deserter from the Army. His wrist was taken care of, and then Frank and I talked to him in the treatment room. Lousy deal all the way around. Is that right? Sure. You guys had no right to come up there and shoot off that gas. We didn't call it. Lousy deal. Why'd you shoot that officer? I thought he was going to shoot me with self-defense. When they picked him up, his gun was still in his holster. Then somebody put it back. Why do you want to shoot you? Who knows? Who can figure any cop? You all say this. Why'd you do it? Look, I'll tell you nice and plain. I drove up to the signal. I stopped. This wise cop came over and started to rouse me about being in the intersection. I told him to shut up. I don't have to take that kind of talk from nobody. He pulled the gun. It was self-defense. We got a couple of people saw the whole thing. They tell a little different. They're either psych or else you're paying them off. How long have you been there long? Who says I am? The Army. I could square that beef with him. What about that car you were driving this morning? What about it? Where'd you get it? It belongs to a friend of mine at Bard. The owner reported it's stolen. He must have forgotten he told me to take it. What's the friend's name? He just walked out and said he was going to shoot you. Is that it? Yeah, guys just say it. It's all you cops. I put that uniform on. You all think you could boss anybody around. Well, you made a mistake with this one. Isn't anybody bosses me around? How long have you been in town? Why? Answer the question. A couple of weeks. You've been here all for over six months. Now where you been? Around. Where? I like to travel. Manager of that rooming house says you just checked in this morning. Is that right? You talked to where I didn't. All right, where you been staying? There goes the memory again. Look, you're in trouble, Crow. Talk like that won't do you any good. One of those things, I wish I could help you, fellas, but there's nothing I can do. Where'd you get the car? From a friend. What's his name? I don't remember. But he said you could take it. Yeah. Then why'd he report it stolen? Ask him. We did. He says he doesn't know you. Where'd you get the gun? Picked it up? Where? Bought it. Don't know the name of the store. It's being checked now. You might as well save time and tell us. You're getting paid. What did the officer say before you shot him? Didn't say anything. Just pulled his gun. I was fast to self-defense. Well, you might think this is a game, Crow. You maybe think you're a big man sitting here. I don't want to set you straight. You're in trouble. More trouble than you've ever been in before. We've got at least 20 people who saw you deliberately gun that cop. They're willing to swear to it in court. You know what I think it was? Then you go ahead and tell us. It was this kind of purple flash, and all of a sudden this cop was laying there. Maybe it wasn't self-defense. Maybe it was temporary insanity. Hey, how's that sound? Temporary insanity. He died? No, not yet. Cops and cats, you can't kill him. You made a pretty good try. All right, Mr. Run your feet. What for? All right, let's go. We're going to jail? Get up, Crow. Maybe you're going to take me to the gas chamber right now, huh? Do without a trial or nothing. Just lock me up and drop the eggs. You're awful close to it, mister. You've got to get me there first. You're standing in front of it right now. I'll tell you what, I'll give you a tender one. It'll make it. Come on. I bet you guys would just love to have me make a break, huh? Now, you listen, Crow, with that arm, we can't put handcuffs on you, but you're still in custody. Don't try anything. Well, how about it? You'd like that, wouldn't you? Get your pictures and all the papers. A row of cops killed criminals. All right, in here. Yeah, you guys would really like that. I'm going to give you something for free, Crow. Well, yeah, what's that? You talk a lot, but you don't say anything. Always happens. Put a guy in the uniform right away, he's a big man. A bum on the outside to just give him a badge in a suit right away, he's big. Yeah, sure. Come on. Hey, how's about a cigarette? Here. Thanks. Got a match? Come on, move. The car's back this way. Wait a minute. What do you want? A cigarette. Not doing me much good without a match. All right, here. All right, Crow, hold it up. Hold it up or I'll shoot. Down, come on. How about it, John? I guess he was right. That bet about the gas chamber? Yeah. He won't make it. The doctor was called down from the hospital and the suspect, James Crow, was pronounced dead. The body was removed to the county morgue. And going over the dead man's effects, we found a receipt from one of the downtown hotels. There were two names listed on it and a notation to the effect that the rent on room 517 had been paid for a week. The other name on the slip was Sidney Larson. We checked it through R&I and we found that Larson had a long felony record in California and had been paroled two months previously. The report came back on the gun that Krell had used. It was among seven revolvers that had been stolen from a hardware store in Tulare on May 6th. The other six guns were still missing. We checked with Dr. Sebastian on Officer Jero's condition. We were told that the policeman was still unconscious, but that he had passed the critical stage. Mrs. Jero collapsed when she heard the news that her husband would never walk again and she was placed under sedative. 1048 p.m., Frank and I left the office and drove over to the hotel named on the receipt that we found. It was a rundown place with a potted rubber plant on the lobby. We rang the bell on the counter and waited. Yeah? You the manager here? All right, now I am. Yeah, what? Police officers want some information. About what? Take a look at this. That one of your receipts? Let me take a look. Oh, wait a minute. Let me get the lights on so I can see. Yeah, there's a name right on the top. Sure looks like it's one of ours on it. You recognize the two names on it? Oh, wait a minute. Yeah, yeah, I do. Yeah, I recognize them good. Is fellow Larson Zien now? I don't know. We don't keep a very close tab on the people who stay here. Service isn't too good, but we don't ask questions. Change the sheets once a week. We don't ask questions. Zien? It might be. I'd have to check it. This is a police investigation, Mr. Is Larson in? I'll check the box. Well, keys gone must be upstairs. He alone? Can't say. He might be. I didn't hear nobody go up, but then I don't listen too good. Show us the room. You mean I got to go up with you? Come on, Mr. Let's go. Look, we got a nice, quiet hotel. We don't cause no trouble. There's no reason for you cops to come snooping around. You've got the pass, Keith. Yeah, let's go. Perhaps take the elevator up. I can't go to the stairs. All right. Go ahead. The two of them have been here. Larson and Krell, how long have they been here? I'll have to check the book for that. Can't carry those things around in my head. If I did, there wouldn't be no room for the important things. About when? What? About when did they come in? Oh, I don't know. Maybe two, three weeks around in there. They got any friends? Almost everybody's got a few friends. Any of them come around here? No, not that I've seen. We're not soopy like some. I'll get the door. All right, which way? What? Which way is 517 to the left? I don't want no trouble here now, huh? We're not going to make any. Look, this is a quiet hotel. We don't want any of the tenants to get sore. You guys are going to walk out. I got to live here. I don't want no trouble. Take that side, Frank. Yeah. Look, you stand back out of the way and keep still. No trouble. Now, huh, please. Keeps your voice down. No trouble. He's got a gun. Get out of here. Come on. All right, come on. Come here. You've got no right to come in like this. I'll check the room, Joe. What are you looking for? I'm registered. You check my parole officer. He'll tell you I'm clean. What about the gun? All right, so I got a gun. You're an ex-con, aren't you? Big deal. All right, let's go. Where? You've been there before. Take a look, Joe. Why them? All right, where'd you get these? You find out, cop. You're getting nothing from me. All right, come on. Hey, kiddies, let's go. What about Krell? You get him, too? That's right. You got him in jail? He's dead. Krell? That's right. He tried to make a break, and it didn't work. Poor kid. Didn't know what it was all about. Wanted to be a tough guy. Yeah, and you were going to show him how, weren't you? Nice kid. He wanted to be a big man. We had all planned. Hit the big time. Got the guns. He went out to get a car this morning. That's probably why he killed a cop. Krell got scared. He didn't know he wanted to be big. He wanted people to talk about him. Don't worry about it, mister. Huh? They will. The jury returned to verdict that the death of James Edward Krell was justifiable homicide. Sidney Carter Larson was filed on for ex-convict with a gun. And upon completion of sentence on that count was released to the authorities of Tulare, California for prosecution on a charge of burglary. The authentic story of your police force in action and starring Jack Webb, a presentation of the United States Armed Forces radio service.