 Ladies and gentlemen, the story you're about to hear is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent. You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned a burglary detail. After weeks of investigation, a suspect in a burglary is picked up. You've got the evidence for a conviction but over $200,000 in loot is still missing. Your job? Find it. The documented drama of an actual crime. For the next 30 minutes in cooperation with the Los Angeles Police Department, you will travel step-by-step on the side of the law through an actual case transcribed from official police files. From beginning to end, from crime to punishment, Dragnet is the story of your police force in action. It was Saturday, March 5th. It was warm in Los Angeles. We were working the day watch out a burglary detail. My partner is Frank Smith, the boss is Captain Bernard. My name is Friday. We're on our way back from the cell block and it was 9.45 a.m. when we got to the interview room. Fell on each section. I'll get the light. Go on in, Bowen. Sit down. You want to smoke? You want to talk to us this morning? You're not doing yourself any good this way, Bowen. We checked your apartment, Bowen. Found a set of tools. Our crime lab says are the ones used in the Hendricks job. We can put you in the front room of the house. You're dead, Bowen. Why don't you admit it? This is the first time you've been nailed for anything big. You go along with this and the judge might take it into consideration. If we have to write it up this way, he's liable to throw the book in your face. Who was with you on the job, Bowen? We know you didn't swing along. Somebody had to carry the light. Come on. Who was it? All right. What about the loot? Where's that? That stuff's not going to do you any good in the joint. There's over 200 grand in furs and jewelry missing. We know you had it. Now where is it? How about it, Bowen? You're just causing yourself a lot of grief. Okay. Let's go. On your feet. Come on. Too bad, cop. Is that so? Sure. There's nothing you can do to make me tell where this stuff is, not a thing. Sure. You're never going to find out where it is. Never. Well, it really doesn't make a lot of difference. You're never going to use it. Three weeks previously, on February 10th, two unidentified persons had entered a home in the Bel Air District. They'd taken furs and jewelry, valued at over $200,000. The investigation conducted by Burgary Detail had netted one of the suspects. He was identified as Cade Bowen, WMA, 32 years. His arrest record had listed several charges of drunk driving and disturbing of peace. However, he'd never been picked up on a felony before. In spite of our efforts, we'd been unable to break him down. He refused to identify the other suspect or to tell us where we could recover the stolen goods. All of his friends and relatives were questioned. None of them could aid us. The case on him was prepared for the district attorney's office and we continued to look for the other suspect. Monday, March 7th, 8.02 a.m. I checked into the squad room. That you, Joe? Yeah. You're late. A couple of minutes here. I got it. Burgary Friday. Oh yeah, Emery. Sure. No, not a sign of it. But we'd like to hear it anyway. Where can we meet you? Where? Yeah, all right. We'll be right over. About five minutes. Right. Goodbye. It was Emery. Who? Emery Docks, says he wants to see us. What about? Some stolen fur coats. Frank and I left the office and drove over to see the informant. We found him in Pershing Square watching a checker game. Just a minute, Joe. I'll be with you. All right. No, no, no, not that one. Always does it. Okay, let's go. Always the same with that guy. Is that all right? Yeah, always the same. Set him up that way and he'll jump. As soon as he does, game is over. He can't see it, but it's over. Real pigeon for the setup. You sit over there and talk. You know my partner, don't you, Emery? Yeah, sure. Hi. How you doing? Not too bad. I guess you can't win them all. We can sit there. What do you want to see us about? Oh, I fell over something the day before yesterday. I thought maybe it'd make sense for you. I met a guy who had some coats for sale. The price he was quoting had to be hot. Where'd you meet him? The bar over on first. Say a friend? Not to make a touch. I see him in the bar once in a while, but he don't ever buy a drink. By the night, he got real palsy-welsy. I don't know, maybe he was gassed or something. But he sure was friendly. You met him in the bar? Yeah, he stopped and never built before I ate. This guy was there, sitting on the stool next to me. Got to talk and he almost knocked me over when he bought a drink right on the floor. He knocked me. One thing led to something else. He asked what I was doing. I said, oh, just about anything to turn a buck. He asked me if I had any money. I wasn't using it. I said I didn't. Yeah. Said it was too bad. Said if I could raise a couple long bills, he could turn me on to something good. The coats? Yeah, yeah. Told me how a friend of his came up with these fur coats, wanted to dump them. Said the price was real good. What kind of coats were they? Mink. Full length. Had a couple of those scarf things, too. He said there was stone martin or something, you know, where the skins look like they're biting each other. Yeah. Like those. Stone martin, I think. Mm-hmm. Got me the big thing about how the price was right and if I had any loot, I could come out with a big thing. Did he say where his friend got him? No. Matter of fact, I don't think there was a friend. Coaches were in his car. I know if I had that kind of merchandise, I wouldn't put it in nobody else's pocket. That's for sure. What's his fella's name, you know? The Jarvis Dean. That's D-E-A-N. I guess so. What do you know about him? Well, not much. I told you, I seen him around. He's an angle fella. Always looking for a touch. He holding any kind of a job? Not so as it would stand out. How's he live? Oh, for other people, mostly. Once in a while, he makes a big score and he's popping for drinks all over the place. A couple of days, he's blown the wine and he's back on the door. You know where he can find him? I can't give you no address. Usually around the bar? Mostly. You won't find him there for a couple of days now, though. Hmm? He said something about going out of town down to Palm Springs. Something about how he could make a contact down there and unload the coats. Has Jarvis Dean ever been arrested? Well, I know we didn't spend a lot of time talking about jails. Figures, though. What do you mean? Well, the way he talks, some of the people I've seen him with, six to an evening, they can draw you a floor plan or the laundry up at Cube. Give us the name of the people. Well, if it's all the same to you, I'd rather not. They ain't done nothing to me and I'd like to keep it that way. Some of them are pretty mean. You understand it, isn't it? I'm afraid, but I don't see no reason to stand up and up. Does Dean say where this contact was at Palm Springs? Oh, he mentioned some bar called Spankies, that's all. In the town itself? Yeah, yes, sir. When I couldn't spring the money to go with him, he kind of cooled off. You know, he stopped being real friendly. I got the thinking about it and figured maybe it'd mean something to you, so, well, the guy goes around with a couple of grand furs in his car. He didn't win him in a raffle. We've got to be something there. Do you any good? I will check it. When I first heard about it, I thought I'd do some good right away. I thought of you guys right away. I always like to try and help when I can. You know how it works out both ways? Maybe you can give me a hand sometime. You know, like now? What? I could sure use a couple of bucks. Things ain't been going too good. No, that's too bad. It's just temporary. It won't last a couple of days. I've got a job coming up, a hotel over on Wilshire. Pearl Diamond. The guy's been drafted and I'm in line for the job in just a couple of days. Well, I only got a couple of bucks, Henry. You can have him with a little help. Sure, Joe. Anything at all. There you are. Thank you. Here you got a pencil. A what? Got one I can use? Yeah, here. I always like to keep these things legal. You never know. There you are. I owe you. Pay you back as soon as I start to work. Don't worry about it, Henry. No, no, no. You got to do these things up legal. Can you tell us what this guy, Dean, looks like? Yeah. You think there's really something to it, huh? Oh, you can check it. Well, it's your figures. He stole the coats and then he reasoned he'd want to give them away if he didn't. Mm-hmm. A guy like that, he don't do nothing for nothing. Got to be a payoff, sometimes. Well, when he won't be disappointed. There'll be one. Frank and I got the description of Jarvis Dean and the car he was driving when we returned to the office. We had the name run through R&I and we found a record. The mug shot was pulled and shown to Emory Docks. He said it was the man who tried to sell him the coats. We put out a local broadcast and an APB on the suspect and his car. 11.25 a.m. Cade Bowen was questioned again, but he refused to give us any information on whether or not Dean was as accomplished in the burglary. At 2.30 that afternoon, Frank and I met with Captain Bernard in his office. You think it's a Hendricks loot? Should be. We've checked around. There haven't been any other thefts that had covered. Got the list? Yeah, here. Thanks. Now, you can see right there, Skipper. Two mink coats, one stole, stolen Martin's scarf. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. What about the jewelry? Well, he didn't say anything about it. It doesn't mean it's not there. Mm-hmm. What about this bar in Palm Springs you mentioned? Spankeys? Yeah. You know anything about it? We know where it is. What kind of place is it? Resort Town Bar. What about the reputation? It's clean. We never had any reports about it. Mm-hmm. You think that's where they'll turn the stuff? Well, we don't know. All we got's the name. Some place to look. The one we've had. You can't get anything out of Bowen? He won't even admit he's in Los Angeles. What you got to say about the evidence? Just sit some looks at it. And Palm Springs is the only lead you got? That's it. Okay, trot it down. Can you leave right away? I can't. How about you, Smith? Just call Fay. That's it, then. Go on down there, see what you can find out. Be sure to check with their department. They might have something for you. All right. Why don't you be back? Well, if it works out, it should be some time in the morning. Check with me as soon as you get in. Yeah. This fellow dean got a record. Yeah. Assault 211. Sounds like he might be heavy. It's possible. Well, take it easy. Yeah. He's the fellow you're after. He's not going to want to give that stuff up. Well, that puts it on our backs. Mm-hmm. We've got to convince him. Frank and I went down to the car pool and checked out a trip car. Two hours later, we pulled in the Palm Springs. We talked to the local authorities. They had nothing on Jarvis Dean. As far as they knew, there was nothing wrong with Spanky's bar. We got the address of the place and drove over. Yeah. What'll it be? Police officers like to ask a few questions. Oh, yeah. Like cops, huh? Something wrong? Oh, I'd like to ask you some questions. Sure. Come on back here. It'll be easier to talk. All right. What can I do for you? I'd like you to take a look at these pictures and tell us if you know this man. No, I never saw him. How about this one? Sure. Yeah. Yeah. He's been around. Is he here now? No. He doesn't usually make it this early. He's coming around 10 in there. You know where we can find him? What's he done? Police business. Well, just so it doesn't get anybody here in trouble, that guy's a real crackpot. What do you mean? He's lonely. He's a good business. But if I had my brothers, I'd just as soon as he stayed away. Why is that? Well, the way he acts. We got a lot of big people coming here. You know, the picture crowd, a lot of money, they like things quiet. They come down here for a rest and that's what they want. I like that, fella. They don't help. They're right. Sure. He gets gassed, makes a big noise all about how he's buying drinks for the house. I like that kind of stuff. Drinks aren't bad enough, but he's got to start a pitch. What do you mean? I've been trying to set something up, some kind of a deal. You know what it is? No, I don't pay a lot of attention. I just hear him talking to some of the people. Gets any worse, though. I'm going to have to 86 him. Does he come in alone? No, sometimes. What do you mean? Well, there's a chick he brings in once in a while. The two of them just sit there and drink. Do you know her? Why, is she in trouble? Do you know her? Yeah, her name is Blanche. She lives down here. She or her? She was. When? Well, half an hour ago. No, half a dozen places inside a block. She could have gone. If you want to talk to her, the best thing would be to wait right here. All right. She was carrying a real load when she walked out. I hope that food helps her. He said she lives down here. Yeah, she's got a place out the south end of town. What does she do for a living, you know? Well, I don't know. I don't think she's got a job. Seems I heard her say she was divorced. Probably got a chunk of dough from her old man. She and her fellow pretty friendly. You mean the guy in this picture? Yeah. I guess she could say that. Most of the time they're together. How often is he here? Well, he comes in the place every night, you know, when he's in town. Is that quite a bit? Yeah, three, four days a week. You ever hear what he did for a living? No, I don't think he works steady. Hey, there's your girl now. All right. Want me to drink, huh? Yeah. Blanche has a couple of fellas here I want to talk to you on. I don't know. I'd like to talk to fellas. They're friends of yours, old Bart. I know they're okay. Yeah, sure, Blanche. You see them? Hey, you know, they're pretty nice looking. You know that fella? Yeah. You're pretty nice looking. Wonder if we get to a booth might be a little easier to talk to you. All the same to you. I'll talk right here. I won't say a thing. What's your name, honey? Friday. Say, that's a funny name. Like today, huh? That's right. It's my partner, Frank Smith. I do. Oh, come on, now. Don't try to pitch that at me. Smith. No phony if I ever heard of one. Hey, Bart. Yeah, Blanche. Have that drink. I can't see her all night, you know. You think you had enough of that? No. You just keep your big gap shot. You better take it easy, Blanche. Take it easy, nothing. You don't follow the name like Friday and Smith going to tell me and not to have a drink. There's a couple of phonies. That's what they are. All right. Phonies. Settle down now. We're police officers. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Well, I'm the clean the sheba. What do you think of that? Hmm? What do you think of that, Mr. Phony? Come on, Blanche. You better quiet down. Don't yell at me, you bartender. You got any class at all? You keep these mashers out of here. They'll find a lousy bar here running. Let's go outside, lady. You just try and take me out there. You come another step on that. Blanche, please, honey. Take it easy. All right. Miss, you said enough. Now let's go outside. Oh, sure. You got a big picture of that. Me going out there and you two can gang up on me. No. That's N-O. I ain't going to no place with you. You've got it wrong. I have, have I? Well, I'll just show you. Ah, please. Hey, let's stop him. We are the police. You have to shove me around anymore. He's leaving me alone. That's all. He's leaving me alone. You've got some hot coffee. Yeah, sure. I'll get it. Bring it back to this booth here, will you? Come on. Everything's going to be all right, lady. No, it isn't. Not ever again. Not ever. All right. Sit down, ma'am. There's a handkerchief. Oh, thank you. I've never done anything like that before. That's all right. I guess I'm arrested. Not yet. I didn't mean anything by it. Nothing. I guess I didn't know you guys. And then I was a little drunk. Just all of a sudden, I wanted to hit something. That's all. Just hit something. You were handy. Here's your coffee. Thanks. You want cream, you should. No, but... Anything I can do for you? No, that's all. I'll be up front up there as well. All right. Go ahead, miss. Try the coffee. It might make you feel better. Oh, yeah. It's hot. Aren't you sorry about hitting you? I'm sorry. Really? It's nice of you to say so. What were you going to ask me when all this started? You want to take a look at this picture here and tell us if you know the man? Sure. I guess I owe you that. Is it a guy? Yeah, that one there. Oh, sure. It's Jarvis. Last name, Dean? Yeah. What do you know about him? Guy. Got a couple of drinks with him. You know where he is? No. He's gone this morning. I had a cup of coffee. I haven't seen him since then. Is he still in town? I don't think so. You know where he is? No. He said he'd run up to L.A. on some business. Do you say what kind of business? No. We hadn't talked much about that. You got any idea where Dean was going in L.A.? Hmm. He didn't give me an address. Do you say when he'd be back? Uh-uh. That's what we had the beef about. He just shoved off. Said something about meeting a guy up there. He just fell into some kind of trouble. And he had to try and square it. Do you say who it was? I'm not sure. Can I remember? That's pretty important. Mm-hmm. Now, wait a minute. Oh, yeah. Yeah. It was a... Bowen. I had to see a guy named Bowen. Do you say what it was about? No. What did I even remember? He just told me that he and this Bowen guy were on a deal together. Bowen had lost it up. Mm-hmm. Said he had to take care of him. The description of Dean's car that the girl gave us matched the one we'd gotten from our informant. We checked the room he'd occupied in Palm Springs. We talked to the local authorities. They agreed to check further on the suspect. Frank and I left for Los Angeles. The following morning, we contacted Captain Bernard. It all goes together. Huh? You better find him fast. Why, is something wrong? I don't know, but it could happen. What do you mean? Bowen was released on a writ last night. Additional bulletins were gotten out on both men. Bowen's house was put under surveillance. And all of his known hangouts were watched. Two days passed without word. And then on Thursday, March 10th at 10.57 a.m., Frank and I got back to the office from checking out a lead. Righty? Yeah. Not in the book for you. Important. Thank you. What is it? It's supposed to call the sheriff's department. Huh. Wonder what it is? I don't know yet. We'll find out. Well, I didn't figure it would, Joe, not until he made the call. Just wondered what it was. Dave Cherry, please. Joe Friday. No, we haven't. Where? Any idea when that happened? No, we better come over and see you. Right. Bye. We're in trouble. What do you mean? I don't know. I found a body out on the desert this morning. Looks like it was a hit and run. Bowen? No, Jarvis Dean. Frank and I left the office and went over to the Hall of Justice where we met with Sergeant Dave Terry. He showed us the photographs taken at the scene and the reports filed by the officers who discovered the body. From the appearance that had been struck by a car traveling at high speed, a thorough search had been made of the area, but no trace of Jarvis Dean's car could be found. There was no apparent explanation as to how he'd gotten out on the desert. Another local in an APB was gotten out asking that Cade Bowen be picked up for questioning on suspicion of murder. A week went by. There was no word of the suspect. Border stations had been alerted in the event he tried to escape into Mexico. Checkpoints at the California Nevada border had descriptions of both the car and the suspect. Saturday, March 19th, Frank and I got back from the stats office. Well, that's another dead end. Yeah. What about you now? We can check with the skipper to see if he's got any ideas. All right. Where have you been? Been looking for you? Stats office. They just finished a run. They didn't come up with anything. You don't need it. Huh? You got half the country looking for Bowen and he's in your pocket. What do you mean? Main jail. Picked up last night in the 502. Cade Bowen had been picked up the night before at the corner of 7th and Hill Street. He'd been observed by a radio car driving in an erratic manner and had refused to stop when the officers directed him to. After a 10-block chase, he'd been halted, but when the officers asked to see his identification, he told them he didn't have any. He was taken to the main jail and booked uncharges of drunk driving. A check of his fingerprints had revealed his name and we were notified. His car had been impounded and the crime lab was going over it. We had the suspect brought to the city hall. What is it this time? I held up the Federal Reserve. All right. Come off it, Bowen. You know where you're sitting now. This is the last time around for you. I've heard that before. You won't hear it again. Where have you been for the last week? Sleeping. All right. Now where? Any place I could find a soft mattress. Hey, you guys ought to pull some strings and get some new bedding over the main jail. Those bunks are hard. Sure. You know a man named Jarvis Dean? Hmm? Jarvis Dean, do you know him? Mike? That's no answer. That's the best I can do. Look, mister, we're getting tired of playing with you. You're in trouble and it doesn't come in any bigger sizes. Now, I'm not going to tell you to play it smart because you wouldn't know what I was talking about, but you snapped to and answered these questions. Now, do you know Jarvis Dean? I met him. When did you see him last? A couple of weeks ago. We understand he was with you on the burglary. It's a fairy tale. We got it straight. I didn't know you listened to gossip. Where'd you get the car you were driving last night? I bought it. From who? You used car dealer. Well, then you tell us why it's registered to Jarvis Dean. Well, I don't know anything about that. The last time we talked, it was for a burglary beef. It's a lot more serious this time. That's so. That's right. Suspicion to murder. Who'd I kill? Jarvis Dean. You're out of your head. We always are. Now tell us why he let you drive his car. I don't know if it is his car. Department of Motor Vehicles says it is. We checked it. All of the stolen merchandise was found. Now you've got no right to go through my things. Last time we heard of the stuff Jarvis Dean had it. What's the matter? Did you ever fight about what to do with it? Maybe you got sorry because he was letting you carry the beef yourself. Is that what happened? Come on, Bowen. You're boxed in. I don't know what you're talking about. Now let's check the office to see if there's any word from the crime item. I'll do it. Tell you what, cop? Hmm? You win. I'll tell you. About Dean? I don't know anything about him. I'm talking about the burglary. Yeah. I did it. You don't have to go any further. No deal. We got you on something bigger. I think we can make that hold up. Look, I'm willing to cop out to the other. How'd you do? Well, here's the report. Now that wraps it up. Yeah? All right, Bowen, let's go. Huh? We don't have to talk to you anymore. The crime lab just finished going over the car. Yeah? They found where you had that fender repaired. Oh, some drunk ran into me. They checked the springs underneath, found traces of fabric, matched the jacket Dean had on when he was killed. We got enough to make you on it. You can't prove I was driving the car. Now there's no way you can prove it. We think we can. Go ahead. You just take it into court. Try. By the time you get through the judge and the jury will be laughing. Is that right? Sure. They'll tell you how far out you are. They'll laugh right in your face. They'll tell you something too. Yeah? And they won't be laughing. The story you've just heard is true. The names were changed to protect the innocent. On July 16th, trial was held in Department 98, Superior Court of the State of California, in and for the county of Los Angeles. In a moment the results of that trial. Cade Neil Bowen was tried and convicted of murder in the first degree and received sentence as prescribed by law. On recommendation of the jury, he was sentenced to life imprisonment in the state penitentiary, San Quentin. You have just heard Dragnet, a series of authentic cases from official files. Technical advice comes from the office of Chief of Police W. H. Parker, Los Angeles Police Department.