Dragnet: The Big Waiter

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 homicide detail. A 64-year-old shopkeeper is found murdered, beaten to death in the back room of his store.

The body bears the marks of a savage attack. There's no trace of the killer. Your job? Get him. 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 Wednesday, February 19th, was cloudy in Los Angeles. We were working tonight, watch out a homicide detail.

My partner's Ben Romero, the boss is Thad Brown, chief of detectives, my name's Friday. We were on the way out from the office and it was 10.56 pm when we got to 10.16 South 12th Street, the apex men's shop.

Yes sir? Friday in Romero, Central homicide. ID card. Oh yeah, so I've been waiting for you. My partner's upstairs in the back talking to victim's wife. You answered the call, did you? Yeah, that's right.

Miles and Keever Unit 16 are. Who are you? I'm Miles. Now, Keever's talking to Mrs. Wilford, victim's wife. She found the body. What's that up above? I said music up there somewhere sounds like a party.

Oh yeah, well that's a dance place. Takes the whole upper floor of the building. Wonderland dance hall I think that's it. What was the body found Miles, you know? Well the wife wasn't very definite about it. She told her she came in the shop here about ten o'clock tonight.