Dragnet: The Big Chance (EP1670)

Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This is your host, Adam Graham. If you have a comment, email it to me Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot net, follow us on Twitter at Radio Detectives, and become one of our friends on Facebook, Facebook dot com slash Radio Detectives.

The story you are about to hear is true, only the names and locations have been changed to protect the innocent. Dragnet Here a detective sergeant here assigned a homicide detail. He went to an early morning call a police officer on patrol duty disappears. Any attempt to contact him by car radio fails. Job find him.

Drag Net, the documented drama of an actual crime paull the next thirty 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, from official police violence, from beginning to end, from crime to punishment. Drag Net is the story of your police force in action.

It was Monday, June fourth, was sultry in Los Angeles. We were working early morning watch out a homicide. The partner's Ben Romero. The boss's chief detective's Thad Brown.

My name is Friday.

Was six forty five am when we got the Imperial Highway San Pedro cut off.

All right, Friday and Ramera, Yeah, that's right, Pete Sutton Insurance Department, All right, come we got here, sent as we could inspect your bowers for the end.

You know it had backstra in Central Homicide told us to check with Bowers at the Sheriff's office. Bowers directors to come out here to lend you a hand.

This thing happens close to the county line. They figured both departments ought to go to work on it. Sure, glad to have you looks like a tough one. Is this the highway patrol car the missing officer? He signed, Yeah?

Is it just the way we found it?

We turned off to the missions, motor was running, lights were on, must have been idling quite a while, the temperature was up pretty high. When'd you find it this way? Forty five minutes ago? Missing Patrolman's name is Eugene Brewer. State Highway Patrol called the Sheriff's department a little before six a. M told us the missing officer wasn't acknowledging his radio called. I talked to Mark Benson his radio right. We checked it. In fact, it was operating normal when

The shoulder of the road.

You said the car was running, that's right, emanates any engine trouble. Yeah, Oh, there's more to it than that, gotta be.

Nobody has any idea why or when he left his car.

You've got it all, you know, as much as we do. What was the check on Brewer?

Mark Benson says he's one of their top men. Been with highway Patrol for eight years. Good record all the way. Have you talk to anybody around here? Pretty remote spot out here, a lot of truck gardens, it's about all. My partner Dave Terry, turned up one man. Maybe he's got something that's him over by our car.

Hey, Dave, would you send him over here please.

Who is the fellow one of the farmers works at truck garden out here?

Names Henry Tanagucci.

Tennant second, Yes, sir, mister Tanagucci, this is Sergeant Friday and Rameira. Oh yes, sir, I know you filled my partner in, but would you mind going over it again for us?

All right?

I can tell you very little.

You know.

We start worked early in the garden, yes, sir, kind of a fellow. I work with Conye to cover. We're started on a string beings about five o'clock this morning, a pink patch near Imperial Highway. Yeah, we noticed a head. I'd stop off the side of the road. This happened all the time along the highway, but this stayed very long.

By what time did you notice this? Mister Tanner Gucci?

Must have been or ten minutes past five, I remember, asked Charlie Fujikuni cultivator man.

What time was?

Let's see? Did you see or hear anything out of the ordinary?

Oh no, sir.

We wait a while and the head I do not move. Connor and I decided maybe somebody was in trouble. This highway quite deserted early morning hours. What do you do then?

We walked up to see what was wrong.

When we get close, we could see what state highway car, so we know everything all right.

Did you see the officer in the car?

No, the door was opened on the other side. But maybe officer investigate something down in the brush.

Did you see him down there?

Oh?

No, we just think he was check up something.

So we go back to work. You saw nothing out of the ordinary, nothing unusual.

No, we don't.

We hear the radio play.

We know everything. Okay, that checks after radio was functioning when we got here.

You didn't notice any other cars around anywhere, did you? Well?

Knowsa.

Thank you very much, mister Tanagucci. Here's my car. I'd appreciate it. If you think of anything else, please let us know.

Yes, I will.

What happened to Alfice Sunday's car, We don't know. Oh, he's all right. Probably look for somebody.

It makes us even we're looking for him. Monday, June fourth, eight am, according to our instructions, we headed back to the Hall of Justice to check in with Inspector Gordon brought Bowers and Captain Garner Brown of the Sheriff's Department. They were coordinating his search for the missing Highway patrolman Eugene Brewer. Spector ed Backstrand, Central Homicide was helping out to the peace officer. Cooperation with all branches of the

Nothing now, nobody.

Saw somebody did We haven't found him, Inspector Bauer.

We both figure the only thing to do is to ask the cooperation of the newspapers.

We got it.

Pretty good layout, the.

Stories, and every morning edition in town they're running a picture in full description of the missing patrolman.

We talked to everybody we could find in a general area out there.

We were two hours at it.

The spot where the patrol car was found is pretty remote couple of gas states and some vegetable gardens.

He told you about the ten and Gucca Fella checked all his friends that work with him.

They couldn't add anything.

Maybe the newspaper will turn up something. I sent a special detail out there to fan out and search the entire area five square miles.

Yeah, it will take time. There's nothing else we can do.

No, there's nothing more we can do.

There's nothing anybody can do until we can show him the patrol cars how to carry two men.

Nobody seems to be able to do anything by it.

Maybe they will now, sending one officer out in the patrol cars like trying to run a trolley line with one man. How many cases can you remember? An hour department ed deadman pulled the car over and Doug ten at three o'clock one morning. Driver turned out to be a guy with the record. Deadman couldn't know that. While he was making out the traffic ticket, the guy shot him down the street.

Deadman died before he could get help.

Yeah, he'll do a lot of griping that he'd take the division. But those men in the patrol cars and the motorcycle boys, they get the dirty end.

Of the deal, for sure, you bet they do.

When of the detective ists in on a job, he knows who he's after, what he looks like, what he can expect when.

He finds him.

The boys in the patrol cars answer a call three ninety four, fifteen or five oh seven. Sure we know what they're supposed to be. But how often do they turn out that way prowler or peeping tom? How many times do they have a gun in their pocket? How many cops do they kill every year?

And we've all been through it, you know what it is.

Yeah, but how often do we think about it when we're griping on steakhouts.

Let me tell you something. This goes for me as well as you.

Let's not forget who the real cream of the force is, the backbone of any police department. Men on wheels, no question, Thank every Sorry. I didn't mean to make a speech, but when something like this happens, it gets to me. They're riding on short odds as it is. There ought to be two men in every patrol Calm.

Or we should have been somebody else with Brewer. The guy on the job just doesn't disappear without a trace.

It's just what he's done. You checked everywhere everything. Excuse me? Powers who Yeah, I send them right in this My health truck driver by the name of Matt Wolf says he's got something for him. Come in, mister Wolf, Yes, come in, mister Wilf inspected backstrand Sergeant Friday Romero, how.

Do you do him?

I saw the story in this morning's Times. I don't know what I got's worth the him, but I figured i'd better pass.

Along with you guys. Something on the missing Highway patrol then, well, I.

Don't know the reason I'm here.

Maybe it's just a coincidence, but I gave a fellow hand early this morning out of the Imperial Highway, not far from war.

The paper here says that empty patrol car was about what time was that, mister will All around four.

Thirty this morning?

Do you want to tell us about it?

Yeah?

Yeah, I'm an independent trucker. I haul top soil for different nurseries. Stuff out there in imperials good rich stuff. We did it right out of the side of the hill.

Him.

Well, I just loaded up and sas I'm my way back to town. This fella flags me down, said he'd had a flat pulled out on the shore of the road to fix it. Said he didn't know it was sand. After he'd fixed the flat, he found out he's stuck. He couldn't get his car. You gave him a hand, huh, not out with a flat. He already had that fixed. But I turned him off, and that's how it became suspiciously fell.

How do you mean well?

I offered to get out, hook up the toe chain. He said, no, no, just stand a cab. I figured if he could do it along, though I was me, I pulled him out. Here's the funny plant. Here's him a chain, got a kink in it from the way to the poll. It's no mean job to handle it alone, he says, Right, he'll do it himself. Seem to me like he didn't want me to get a good look at him or his car. I could be wrong, but well that's the way it struck me. Did you notice anything, Yes,

That's a real funny one.

What do you mean it is a.

Fairly new car.

I'd sayen older than the last year's my Liettle Plymouth. If the risk is sounding completely nuts. I'm going to tell you that car looked like I had just been painted. There's nothing wrong in that.

Is it?

Well?

There is if you're off on the side of the road at that time in the morning throwing cheap black pain all over a fairly new car. He's using a spray gun. I could understand part of it. What's that is his license plate?

Front one?

It was all painted over here. You couldn't read any of the numbers. What led you to believe he just finished painting his car?

Always hands and arms?

It was always closed.

See that kind of paint you put all on the.

Right and who am? Well?

I don't know. Was it was it worth bothering you guys about you? Really it was, mister Wolf. I can't tell you just what it means now. Maybe it doesn't mean anything, but certainly it's out of the ordinary and worth reporting to the police.

Wow, sir, I'd like to see your boys find it missing. Officer thought it was pretty rotten in Denmark about that one.

Huw.

Maybe we found a whole maybe, but I'd like to have you and me Mary help out in the next step.

What's that go up a roadblock? Ten? Thirty am.

Before we left the Sheriff's office, the truck driver nat Wolf gave Inspector Bauers a description of the man in the Plymou sedan. Together with Lieutenant Pete Sutton and Dave Terry, we drove to the Imperial Highway. Nat Wolf showed us the spot beside.

The road where he towed the man.

The area was checked and sample scrapings of the black paint were taken. There was no chance of taking a tire impression because of the loose sand in the area. All physical evidence was taken back to the crime lab for analysis. Gnat Wolf returned to the office to check through mug books for possible identification of the man he helped out. Meantime, a special detail of man continued to search the area where the missing patrolman had disappeared.

Three a m.

According to instructions, the roadblock was established at the spot where the abandoned patrol.

Cardsman found Imperial Highway San Pedro cut off.

Success play was one.

Police business.

Yes, sir, I wonder if you could help us out.

Certainly you travel this highway every night, ma'am, Yes I do. I'm in the vegetable business. Did you come this way last night about this time. I run pretty much on schedule.

Yes I did.

Did you notice anything unusual along the highway? I bet I know what this is about that missing highway patrol man.

Yes, ma'am.

We're stopping everybody to see if they can give us any information that might help us out.

Oh I wish I could, but I didn't see a thing that poor fella.

Do you think you'll find him?

M we're trying off all right, Sorry I.

Can't help you.

Can I go now? Yes, ma'am?

Thank you?

Thinks really good party?

How'd you do?

Nothing? What time you got your uh? Almost four? Got a little more hot coffee in that jugus?

That's fine with me, you know.

Here we I.

Cuts in the lid here and trump and thanks, so watch your fingers it's hot. Yeah, yeah, that's good. Now I'll take this one.

I'm wanna put my coffee on the fender here, don't knock it off on how much you thank you?

Hey?

Wait a minute, wait a minute, colla, can you see my light? I haven't even got a cigarette, I mean my flashlight.

I got a cigarette, lader. If I don't do you any good.

You've been drinking haven't you.

Yes, I have.

I never get drunk, but I've had a little drink.

I'm sorry, but I'm gonna have to ask you to pull over the side of the road.

Okay, what happened to my car? It was broke?

Better let me do it, huh. I wanna slide over a little bit there.

I'll never pick up hitch hikers.

I'm just gonna move your car to the side of the highway.

Now, many troubles you, No, five oh two.

We'll have to hold him awhile.

We'll tell your friend to get into here's the citland.

We're not going far. Where we're going right? Here?

Is this the road to Pistonol Beach?

No? Not this one.

Well, that dirty little ernie he lied again. He hates clams.

What's that?

I've been trying for five months to get the Pismo Beach for a bowl of cram chowder. I haven't major.

Yes, all right, you just sit here a while and sober up with you. I'm gonna hold onto your keys and get them back to you. You haven't got a bottle in the car? Heavy? No?

I never drink and drive. Alcohol and gasoline do not mix.

You drive this road every night every night, and.

He keeps telling me to take me to Pismo Beach. I love crams.

You just sit here and sober up, happy drunk. Yeah, he's too drunk to drive, getting along towards daylight.

Where I put my clock?

No, I've put it over here, Joe friend, we knock it out. No thanks, this one's mine day.

Hu seem to come in bunches. You get to her three and then you wait for an hour.

You know they don't use this highway much since they put that all.

In the channel at least business. Yes, sir, you travel this highway every night about this time once in a while. I haven't been over this way in a week. You didn't drive this way last night, No, sir, I didn't anything the matter. Routine check. Thank you very much.

You can go on nothing.

It looks like a hopeless job, doesn't it.

M business is picking up?

Here comes another one.

It looks like one of your sheriff's cars peaked.

Yeah, Reynolds homicide.

Eat something, Yeah, Reynolds, you can pack up.

They found him, Is he all right? Two bullet holes in the back of his head.

You are listening to drag net.

Five am Tuesday.

The body of Highway Patrolman Eugene Brewer was found half buried in a shallow grave approximately four and a half miles from the point where his car had been found standing on the highway. The scene was roped off, photographed measurements were taken, and the area carefully gone over for any physical evidence. A few scattered residents were again checked

No one could give us any further information.

The corner's autopsy showed that Patrolman Brewer had been shot three times in the chest, one bullet directly entering his heart. He'd also been shot twice through the base of the skull. One pm Wednesday, I get it homicide Friday eight sudden Joe.

Yeah, just had a call from our Hollywood substation. Women reported a car stolen on Sunday night. Thought the guy was going to bring it back. That's why she didn't report it sooner.

What about it?

Bee to a Plymouth Sedan last year's model, the same type the truck driver told us about.

It sounds good.

We already have a broadcast out on it. We're putting out an APB. Now you want to check and see if they got it on to Night's Hot.

Sheet right any on the guy who stole the.

Car, boyfriend of the woman who owned it. He left her in a restaurant and got away with her car. Remember the description of the guy the truck driver helped out Monday morning, m the guy that stole this woman's car. It's the same. Yeah, still doesn't prove he had anything to do with it.

Doesn't prove he didn't.

Together with Pete Sutton and Dave Terry from the Sheriff's office, we drove out and interviewed the woman whose car had been stolen. She told us that the man who had taken her car had also been seen in the company of one of her girlfriends, of Miss Helen Farrell, who worked as a cashier at a Hollywood theater. The faral girl identified the man as Mike Lopino, whom she gave us a snapshot of me. She also gave us his

We checked this in the painter's apartment. Found a shirt and pair of pants, black pains on both of them. All right, sent for that truck driving that little to identify this picture here? Do you find anything else in the about him?

Well, this address book, there's no local places in it. There are all Las Vegas and THEVD addresses.

That's it.

Huh Yeah, what'd you get from the record? You're on the guy.

The Iburea pulled the package on him. That is Mama sheet, Thank you.

Yeah.

My Flippino spent some time at San Quentin armed robbery, grand theft, auto assault, pretty good record.

It's still not positive he had anything to do with the brew of killing. Why he's got the training part. Yeah, send them right in, Matt wilf am in mister Wolf, good bye Verty.

Shame about that boy?

What about it in the paper?

Yeah?

Got a photograph. We'd like you to look at miss the Wolf.

You bet.

Yeah, that's the man for sure. Sure, no mistake. Hey, why do you suppose he was pinning that car four o'clock in the morning. Maybe that's what that patrol in Lana don't know.

We waited for an answer on the APB. Two days pans Saturday, June ninth, received a phone call from the Las Vegas, Nevada Police Department. The stolen black Sedan had been found in the downtown area of Las Vegas. We requested them to put a stake out on the sedan and ask them not to disturb either the car or its contents. Together with Pete Sutton from the Sheriff's office, Mark Benson from the Highway Patrol, and Ray Pinker of

This is all you've done on him? Man, Gee, that's most of it. Yeah, since we staked out that black sedan, I've had the town covered. Filipino.

No one saw him abandon that car. Huh.

No one we know of.

No had good cooperation from the newspapers. Story has been on page one since.

The thing broke.

Anything kind of those names we got from Lapino's address book to the ones we've phoned for you.

Let's see, I got the list right here.

Yeah, here we are.

These are the ones my men have checked out already. George Connolly, nothing there. Harry Carlson, he and his wife have been checked out. Nothing there. We'gham Spencer, nothing in his place. We've got them all staked out, at least two to go. U. That's right, we're checking the last two and now. Nothing from the railroad station's the airline. They've been covered ever since we got your phone call. I could be wrong, but I think your man's still

They showed him his mugshot. He swearrez, it's the guy.

All we can do now is sweat it out.

My men have covered everything. I don't know what else we can do. Yes, excuse me, Cheef Miller. Yeah, the shirt, it's him. Oh, don't try to handle it a long. Keep the place covered the best you can.

We'll be right out.

They found him.

Two Las Vegas detectives named Billings and Vance answered a phone tip from a groceryman in the east end of town. He said a man had been buying groceries from him for the past two days and lived in the apartment house above the store. The two detectives showed the groceryman and La Pino's mugshot, and he gave a pos the identification.

Vance.

Yeah, Chief, that's a story. Well he's in there, hasn't been out all day, Apartment ten B.

We'll take the front.

Chief manager thinks Lapino has a gun. Majors cleaning the apartment, fontslus slugs and addressed drawer.

He still wanted Friday. Sorry headache, Joe, and I am going chief right. Vance gets the men up on the roof to cover you.

Already fann him out around the building.

I don't know what they tell you in La on one of these things, but here we tell him to be careful.

Right, Chief, let's go. Ten B's on the second floor.

Let's take the stairs. It's a long way up, and yeah, this way.

You cover him.

Ye, shut right through the door, and he's got two left. He's got another gun. Let's take him one good kick out to get the lot right. Just a minute, let's go beat.

Like take what you.

Let a long latino?

Thank god, it's come on, get up all right, Okay, I get the cut.

That's a big idea, they'd tell us you killed that patroller. He got tough.

He didn't have to kill him in spite of the stolen car.

What else could I do?

Come on you? He had as much chats as I did.

That figures. Yeah, two bullet holes in the back of his head.

The story you have just heard was true, only the names and locations were changed to protect the innocent.

On October, second trial was held in Superior Court Department ninety one, city in County of Los Angeles, State of California. In a moment the results of that trial, Michael Everett Lupino was tried and convicted of murder in the first degree. The jury failed to recommend the death penalty. Lupino is now serving his life term in the state penetate entry.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Los Angeles Police Department requests the cooperation of all dragnet listeners in the following police matter. The Los Angeles Police Department would like every and any information regarding a gun fitting the following description thirty eight caliber Special Smith and Wesson Revolver Gold Seal model. The gun has a blue steel four inch barrow. The serial number is two to one eight eight two one eight eight.

Thank you.

You have just heard Dragnet, a series of authentic cases from official files. Technical advice comes from the Office of Chief of Police WH Parker, Los Angeles Police Department.

Coming up Duffy's Tavern.

Three times Mean Good Times on NBC.

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Welcome back, Well. This episode featured a slot different friends in the beginning only the names and location have been changed to protect the innocent, and in many ways that makes sense because the circumstance of this death doesn't necessarily scream an event that had to have happened in Los Angeles in the urban section. Now, there were sections of particularly the Greater Area, that were a little less populated, where some aspects of the story may be more plausible.

And.

Imagine the excuse me, imagine the residents of those houses gathered around their radio every week listening to another case being cracked by a great detective. Well, thank you so much for your kindo and definitely a lot of good points in there, and certainly the lack of gunplay would be something that would find dragnant throughout all of its seasons and shifts. And I think it has a very