 You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned to the business office. Past records show that you can expect 170 crimes to occur in the city during the next 24 hours. You don't know where. You don't know when. Your job. Handle them. You met a 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. Friday, July 10th was hot in Los Angeles. We've been assigned to the business office morning watch. My partner's Frank Smith. The boss is Captain Gilbert. My name's Freddie. I was on my way back from the coffee room and it was 12.10 a.m. when I got back to room 21 of the business office. Talking to a buddy. Oh, hi, Joe. Hey, try to stay around, would you? I've been here 20 minutes. I've had 29 phone calls and written three reports. Okay, I brought you some coffee back. Oh, thanks. Hey, how you feeling? Any better? A little bit. I don't know what it is. I ain't going all over. I think I'm coming down with a cold. That's too bad. A lot of that going around. Where's Skipper? He ran over the crime lab. Won't talk to Pinker. How about the fool card? Do you check them? Yeah, the book here sometimes. There it is, right on that paper there. Over there. There. Oh. Yeah, five of them out. Check from the book. Yes, ma'am. Something to do for you? You a detective? Yes, ma'am. That's right. All right. Yeah, ma'am, my car's been stolen. All right. I told one of the officers on the corner about it, but he said it might work faster if I came up here. Yes, ma'am. That's right. The car's stolen. All you've got to do is go out and find it. Just find my car. What kind of a car is it? Well, it was a brand new Chevrolet. That's 1954. That's right. Bell air with the windows that fold down. All right. Now, we'll need to know some more things here before we can start looking for it. Yes, what's that? Your name? Avis Bowen. That's A-V-I-F. Well, that's right. There's no other way to spell it. Avis Bowen. Yes, ma'am. Do you have a middle initial? R. I hope you're not going to ask me what it stands for. No, that won't be necessary. There isn't anybody that knows what my middle name is. Yes, ma'am. All we want is the initial. Well, that's all you're going to get. All right, Mrs. Bowen. It's Miss. All right. What's the license number? Oh, now, I think it's 1-U-44441. All right. Wait just a moment, please. Who are you calling now? DMV. Who's that? Department of Motor Vehicles. Oh, my, all this going on. It's a wonder you ever catch anybody. Hi, Harry. This is the body over at the business office. California License 1 Union 44441. That's right. Tell them it's a bell air with the windows that fold down by themselves. Yes, ma'am. Doesn't it? Well, hold on here. You sure about that license number? What do you mean? Well, it kind of looks like you made a little mistake, Miss Bowen. I did not because still- Yes, we understand that, but you gave us the wrong license number. 1-U-44441. I remember it because of all the fours. Harry, I'll call you back. Oh, Miss Bowen, that number is registered to a 1940 Studebaker. My license number? Well, I don't know, but the one you gave me, yes, ma'am. 1954 Chevrolet Bell Air, windows that fold down by themselves. Yes, ma'am, I understand. There must be several hundred cars that look like that. You've seen them before. Well, you act like you've never seen a car like that. There are lots of them around. Mine's light blue with a gold on top. We still need the license number. Do you think you have it at home? Yes, I guess so. All right, fine. If you'll phone it in to us, we can start looking for it. Well, how do you expect me to get there? Ma'am. Home? How do you expect me to get there? I don't have a car to drop you off. Well, it's about time I was getting some kind of service around here. Yes, ma'am. I think I'll write a letter to the papers about this. All right, ma'am. The whole thing, right down to that TMV or whatever it is, expose the whole mess. Oh, you're going to be mighty sorry you ever opened this can of beans. We're going the best we can, ma'am. Well, that's not very much. Standing around here making phone calls isn't finding my car. Well, you said it yourself, didn't you? What's that? There must be several hundred cars like yours here in the city. Yes. If we find out the right license number, how are we going to find it? You ought to be ashamed of yourself. Ma'am. You're nothing but a fake. I'll take your turn. You ain't no detective. The business office, room 21. It's open 24 hours a day, but it's after the detective division closes that it begins to work. While patrol units in the city function normally, the men in the business office give advice on booking procedure, policy matters, and other police business. They issue pool cars and riot guns. And in the event of an emergency, they act as advisors and an overall plan for the dispersal of policemen. The captain on duty is in effect the acting chief of police. On the average weeknight, the activities are slow and routine. But over the weekend, the men involved can expect to handle several hundred phone calls from the thousands put through the complaint board. These calls deal with every crime in the municipal and penal code. In addition to this, they handle the citizen traffic through the city hall. Next door is a report room where statements are taken and forwarded to the captains of the detective divisions for appropriate action. Frank and I had checked in at 12 midnight, and for the following half hour, we did business as usual. At 12.41 a.m., we got a hotshot call reporting a sound of shots in the 4200 block on Albany Street. At 12.43, the call was changed to a shooting and ambulance follow-up. At 12.45, the hotshot phone rang again. That's shooting? Yeah, it's a homicide now. Gonna call a unit? Better have them check it out. Same address as the shots? A couple of houses down. This Friday business office, when you put out a call to 1K5, have them cover the shooting and ambulance follow-up at 4289. That's 4289 Albany. He's got it. Nice. Thank you. Looks like a good one, huh? Yeah. Turns out we'll get Geesey out of bed. Well, that'll make him happy. He'll end up in there last week. All right, Joe. Bob, what do you got? Oh, you want to sit down there, Bob? What do you see? I don't know. We found in front of one of the burlesque houses on Main. The place was closed. He was just standing out there looking at the pictures. You got a name on it? Uh-uh. Haven't ever get him to say anything. You want to give it a try? All right. You want to tell us who you are, old fella? Come on, we want to help you, but there's not much we can do if you won't tell us your name. It's doing about as good as we did. Okay, I look pretty wobbly when we stop. All right. What do you want to do? We'll take him over to Georgia Street. You got a wallet? Let me look at it, will you? Maybe the something in here will help us. Yeah. You want the money? No. A few cards here. What's that one there? Something written on the back. Looks like a phone number. Yeah, that's what it is. You want to call and see if they know who he is? Yeah, I'll give it a try. He just sits still right there. This is Officer Frank Smith, Los Angeles Police Department. No, there's nothing wrong. We have a man here in the office. He's carrying a card with his phone on it. I wonder if he can tell us who he is. That's my animal. He looks to be in his late 70s. We've got white hair. That's right. Always wearing a brown little sweater, black pants and a black felt hat. That's right. You want to give me that again? No, he's all right. Yeah, that's right. We'll have him brought home. Right away. That's mine. Thank you. And we got it. His name is McKinley Dunn. He lives out on Vincent Avenue in Highland Park. Talk to his daughter. Yeah. She says they got into an argument after breakfast. McKinley here just got up and walked out of the house. She hasn't seen him since. Pretty worried about him. Figures. Says he's always kind of independent. A little bit of run improvement. Hey, you want us to take her? No, we can't have you out of service that long. I'll call Highland Park and have them pick him up. You want to take him over to York Boulevard and make the transfer there, Bob? Sure thing. Thank you. All right, Mr. Dunn. Here you are. We'll put this back in your pocket. Come on, sir. We'll take you home. Thanks, Joe. There's no trouble, Bob. Tell the boys from Highland Park to have his daughter put a card in the wallop with all the information on it when you're making it easier next time. Sure. I think the car's not going to do any good, Joe. No. The car's not going to help. The daughter says she always puts one in. As soon as the old man gets out of the house, he tears it up. I got it. We'll go solve it Friday. Uh-huh. Photography, get there. How many? We'll see you then. Sam and 1K5 on the shooting. Yeah. They got two suspects in custody. They're bringing them both in. Uh-huh. Third man left the scene. Sam says the accidental death possibility is out now. Yeah. It's a clean case of murder. Ten minutes later, the officers in Unit 1K5 arrived with the two suspects. They were identified as Fred and Harriet Purcell. The names were run through R&I, but no record was found on either one of them. It was obvious that the two people had been drinking heavily. The husband was taken to the report room while Frank and I questioned the woman. I don't remember too good. Everything seemed to happen so fast, that all of a sudden there was this kind of noise and Norman was dead. Norman, is that the victim? Yeah. Norman Mancreep. You must know who had the gun. I've been saying that to myself, but it doesn't do anything. I guess I had too much to drink. Who else is in the apartment with you? You mean besides Fred and me? That's right. It's just the three of us, that's all. We got a report that was not a man present. Well, then you're no more than me. All right. You want to give us the whole story? No beginning when? From the start. Okay. I had a tooth pull this morning. I guess that's what caused all our trouble. How's that? My tooth was impacted. I had it pulled in a dense game. You shot an overcoat and you pulled it to a can. I can't. I can't. I got home and the overcoat started to wear off. The whole side of my face started to hurt. Terrible. Yeah. Well, I told Fred about it. It was a terrible thing. And I tried to tell him how much it hurt. He was a clawed. Told me to have a drink and forget it. And it wasn't long before we were having the beef. Oh, Fred. He was very bright at times, you know. I guess I'd have a little sympathy for his wife at a time like that. That's right. Not old Fred. He was a clawed. Told me to pour myself a little drink and shut up. Was man free there at the time? Yeah. How many Fred had been playing pinnacle when I came home? I guess they'd been at it all afternoon. Norman was on my side. Made Fred mad. And we got to fighting pretty good. Norman was right with me. Yeah. Told him Fred he ought to be quiet. I think Fred was sore about being beat up pinnacle. He thinks he's pretty good player. One long after that there was a shot and Norman was dead. Were you in the room at the time? No. Where were you? Out in the kitchen. I went out to get some more ice. Who was in the room when you left? Norman. No one else. If there was, I would have sold you. Just a minute. I'll get it. It was all a party. No man. No man, you'll have to call him tomorrow. Yes, ma'am. That's right. Let's go on here. You know Mrs. Regiman? No. Is it Leo Regiman? Yeah, a lot about it. She told the investigating officers there was another man in the apartment. Said that he left right after she heard the shots. She would. She already got her nose where it doesn't belong. Oh, she's pretty certain about what she saw. Didn't ask her if she saw the man. Let her tell you who he was. Well, I think it'd be better if you did. Then it ain't gonna be good because I don't know. Did you hear anybody come into the place when you were in the kitchen? Nope. You're pretty sure of that, huh? Oh, look. I got enough trouble. Me and my old man's in jail. My face feels like it's coming off. I want to get home and get some sleep. If I knew anything I'd have told you a long time ago. Leave me alone. What did you do after you heard the shot? Went in to see where it was. That's all. Just opened the door and looked. Norman was lying there on the floor. Where's your husband? Just standing there looking at Norman. Where was the gun? Glad to have it. Whose gun is it? I don't know. You never saw it before? I don't like guns. I don't like to have them around. I don't look at them when they are. I never saw it before. You talked to Fred yet? No, I'm not sure. No. Well, he looked at it the same story, the same way I told it. You'll see. No need to even talk to him. Is that right? Sure. You already got it the way I told you. What more you want? Just one thing I can think of. Yeah? The truth. You are listening to Dragmit, the authentic story of your police force in action. I attempted to talk to the husband Fred Purcell. He was too drunk to be coherent. We made arrangements for some hot coffee to be brought in. His wife was taken to the interrogation room to wait until we could fill out the reports. At 4.20 a.m. we got another hot shot call regarding a cutting on South Fifth Street. The investigating officers found the knifing had resulted from a quarrel between a man and his common law wife. The woman was in critical condition. She was removed to Georgia Street receiving hospital and the husband was booked in at the main jail on charges of assault with a deadly weapon. We notified Chief of Detectives Thad Brown and Captain Norman of the shooting and the cutting. During the next hour, there were two armed robbery reports, several burglaries and numerous fights. 5.31 a.m. Frank went down the hall and brought back two beef and cheese sandwiches and some coffee. At 5.46 we got a call from the men in Unit 1K5 telling us that they were on the way into the office with a gun that had been used in the killing of Norman Mancreef. Ten minutes later, two uniformed officers brought in a pair of possible car thieves. One of them was held in the hall while Frank and I talked to the driver of the car, a Melville Hobart, age 19. Where'd you get the car? I bought it. Where? Well, from a lady. She put them out in the paper, said she had this year a sharp 52 fault for sale. You remember what paper? Well, no, sir. Yeah, I think it was one that morning one. When'd you buy the car? I don't know. Well, you must have some idea. Oh, I reckon maybe it was in January. Yeah, around there in January. Let me take a look at your driving license, will you? Yes, sir. There you are. Take it out of the wallet, will you? Oh, yes, sir. Here it is. What's your present address? Sir? You still live here on Echo Park Boulevard? No, sir, I moved. I got me placed over on Olympic. How long you live there? You mean Olympic, sir? That's right. I know. Reckon maybe a couple months. Don't you know for sure? Well, see, I got just your bad memory. I think it's been a couple months. You live with your family? No, sir. They down south. Where is that? New Orleans. They know you're out here? Yes, sir. When'd you come to California? August. Last year? Oh, yeah, last year. You got a job at Craft Factory out in the valley. It's got a long drive to work for you, no? Yes, sir. But I got a good deal on the place I live at, see? How come you haven't reported the change of address to the Department of Motor Vehicles? Reckon, I just forgot. I got this year bad memory, you know. When you bought the car, did you finance it? Sir? You buy it on time. You pay cash for it. The cash. You got the pay slip then, haven't you? The lady sold it to me, signed it. Where is it? I don't know, sir. Didn't she give it to you? No, sir. She told me she was going to send it to Sacramento someplace. Did you get any kind of a receipt for your money? Yes, sir. Well, where is that? In Mawallet. Let's see it. Yes, sir. I got it right here someplace. Pretty funny about this. What's that? Well, I wouldn't steal no car. It's pretty funny to think I did. All right. Now, how about that receipt if you found it, Jen? Yes, sir. Now, here it is. The lady sold me the car. What's her name here? Oh, yeah. I guess so. She wrote it. When'd you say you bought the car? I guess. This year, huh? Yes, sir. You sure you couldn't be wrong about the date? Oh, no, I don't know. Maybe. Where'd you meet the woman who wrote this receipt? At her place. Where's that? Out in Westwood. I think that's what you call it. Apartment out there. You remember the address? No, sir. You haven't got any idea at all where it is, huh? Well, it was up on Wiltshire. I know that. Apartment on the second floor. Mm-hmm. I think it was number B or something like that, I don't know. Right. Yeah. Now, what'd you make all that big deal about when I bought the car? I ate on the bill of sale as a year ago. Well, somebody must have made a mistake. Now, we knew that when you walked in, we're trying to find out who. What do you got, anything? Yeah, it checks out names in the books. Less department B. Yeah, now that could be it. I know that it was on the second floor. It looks right out on Wiltshire Boulevard. All right, man. You go over there and sit down. I won't be right with you. It's going to be okay. We'll see. Now, look, I didn't steal that car, mister. I should have told him about how I moved. But I did not steal the car. All right. Yes, sir. It seems to check out that on the bill of sale could be a mistake. A woman might have just written her own year. Yeah, it's pretty close to first if it happened. I need to give the kid his first felony booking, don't you? Yeah. What do you want to do? Yeah. Let's hold him over till we can check with a woman. Yeah. Officer. Hmm? Going to be all right? We'll see. You ain't going to send me to jail. No, not yet. You wait down the hall with him. Now, as long as you know I did not steal the car. We'll check with a woman first thing in the morning. I won't tell you one thing, though. Yes, sir. We're going to give you a break by not booking you right now. Don't make a sorry about it. Oh, no, sir. Thank you. All right, go on. Get out of here. Where is Jimmy? He's down the hall. The officer there will take you. Yes, sir. Officer? Yeah. Thank you again, you hear? Yeah, you take care of that bad memory, will you? I got it. Headquarters Smith. Oh, yeah. Yeah? What's the address? No, he's not here. Just a second. I'll check. Police went out in Hollywood. He wants permission to kill a skunk. What? He wants to kill a skunk caught in a trap. I guess it's all right if it's the other way they can get rid of it. The way he puts it, it is. Really? Yeah. What's that? Why don't you better check with the watch commander. Yes. Okay, good night. I got an injured animal report. Turns out the people out there had trouble with skunks. Got a permit for the traps and caught one tonight. Once they had it, they didn't know how to get rid of it. I better make a report on it. Must have been pretty funny. Officer said we could use the skunk in the department. What was that? Officer said we could use the skunk in the department. Says he'd qualify on the target range any day. No, no, we got the word. Where you been? Check out with a lamp? K-5. Yeah. They just picked up a third person in the shooting. Three minutes later, the officers in unit one K-5 brought in a tired looking man in his late 20s. His name was Harry Carnell. He'd been drinking, but he seemed to be in complete control of his faculties. He ran his name through R and I, but we found no record on him. The officers also brought in the murder weapon, a .32 caliber automatic. A check of gun records gave us the name of the store where it had been bought and the name of the owner. According to the registration, it belonged to Fred Purcell. The crime lab reported there were no fingerprints on the weapon. We tried once more to talk to Purcell, but again, we were unable to. We asked Harry Carnell, the latest suspect, to tell us the story of the shooting. I went up to the place to collect some money, man. What happened when he got to the apartment? He knocked on the door and Purcell let me in. Who was in the room? Just him and man. That's all? Yeah. All right, go ahead. I came in and said I had to have the loot, and the man kept telling me he was stony. Bill. He said to check him tomorrow. Mm-hmm. Purcell got in his bag, said he was always welching in the basement. You mean between there and there? Yeah, they were both pretty gassed when I got there. Do you have anything to drink with him? No, no. I had a date, sir. That's what I needed the money for. I got a girl with a pretty big appetite. I was broke and I figured I'd tap man for what he owed me. For what? Anyway, these two got in a big beef. Purcell told Mancreef to get out. He wouldn't go. So Purcell ran over to a desk there in the room and hauled out this big gunstar to blaze away. How many shots he fired? Well, one's all I remember. Might have been more, but I didn't spend a lot of time counting. Just one, huh? Yeah. Well, guys, that's a clay pigeon on your head. You ain't gonna stand there. What happened then? Purcell pointed the gun at me. He said I should get out, too. I didn't feel like telling him he was wrong. During the time you were there, did you see anybody else at all? No. Fred's wife was around someplace, I guess. Why do you say that? Well, they started yelling at each other. I heard Mancreef say they'd bother Harriet. That's Fred's wife, Harriet. What? I took off like a big bird. Where'd you go? My place. I had a couple of belts and then walked by the apartment to see what was going on. An old broad there started yelling about how I was the guy who ran out of that place after the shooting. Next thing I know, I got the collar on, and here I am. What was Purcell doing when you last saw him? I was standing over Mancreef holding the gun, looking like a cover on a pulp magazine. You willing to sign a statement of what you just told us? Well, sure. I got no part in this action. I just went to collect a bet at the wrong time, that's all. Pretty lousy night. Missed my date, didn't collect the money, end up in a can. It's pretty lousy. But I'm not the only one, though. Old Purcell always thought he was such a great card player. He's a real fish. He lost six bucks tonight. Well, you're part right. Huh? He lost more than that, didn't he? Harry Carnnell was taken to the report room where he made a full statement. At 7.03 a.m., Lieutenant Ray Geesey from Homicide Division came in and took over the investigation. Fred Purcell was questioned and he made a voluntary statement that he'd shot and killed Norman Mancreef. He couldn't remember why he'd done it. He was removed to the main jail and booked in on a charge of violation of Section 192 P.C. Manslaughter. His wife and Carnnell were released from custody. They made out reports to all divisions for the follow-ups on crimes committed during the night. At 8.02 a.m., the men on the day watch came in and relieved us. It's gonna be a nice day. Yeah. Two clouds up there. Might keep the heat down. Yeah, let's go. You wanna stop for breakfast? Well, I guess I might as well, yeah. What do you think, Joe? Hmm? You like to drive the business office for permanent duty? No, sir, not me. I guess okay once in a while. I don't think I'd like it steady, though. Huh? Not busy enough. It is true. The names were changed to protect the innocent. On November 18th, 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. Further investigation proved that the purchase of the automobile by Melville Halbert was legal and no further charges were made. Frederick Neil Purcell was tried and found guilty of manslaughter and received punishment as prescribed by law. Manslaughter is punishable by imprisonment in the state penitentiary for a period not to exceed 10 years. 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.