August 10, 2025 • 25 mins
Dragnet - Old Time Radio Show - 255 The Big Search
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Ladies and gentlemen.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
The story you were about to hear is true. The
names have been changed to protect the innocent. Dragonets. You
are detective Sergeant. You're assigned to Juvenile Detail. A thirteen
year old girl has disappeared from her home. There's reason
(00:31):
to suspect Paul. Play your job investigate.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
It was Saturday, Anightril seventeenth, was cold in Los Angeles.
We were working the night Watch out of Juvenile Detail.
My partner's Frank Smith, the boss's Captain Powers. My name
is Friday As I'm on way back in the fourth floor,
and it was eleven fifty two pm when they got
down to the main floor. Squadrom that's your job, Yeah,
I go, oh, not too good. Did you say anything?
Speaker 3 (00:59):
No?
Speaker 1 (00:59):
He says we got him for the job, but it's
gonna end there. He's playing a big man now. He
says he's not gonna name that other kid.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
Yeah. Him sweated out tonight. He'll feel different in the morning.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
Maybe if you're right, you ain't come in. Uh uh.
Speaker 4 (01:11):
As soon as I finish up this log, we can
shove off if you want to.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Right, you're going right home. Hmm, I say you're going
right home. Well, maybe i'd go by the city hall.
I'd like see Danny go window for a minute.
Speaker 4 (01:21):
Uh huh, what are you gonna eat? Then?
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Yeah, I'll probably grab something. Do you want to go?
Might as well?
Speaker 4 (01:26):
Kind of hungry, and I don't like to wake Fay up.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
She sleeps kind of lights you know, she always wakes
up when I get to rattling around the kitchen.
Speaker 4 (01:33):
You know, maybe stop and have a poached egg and
some corn beef hash. How does that sound to you?
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Like a poached egg and some going beef hatch?
Speaker 4 (01:41):
I'm not kidding.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
I'm hungry. I think you buy finished there? Yeah, I
want to see Danny before he leaves.
Speaker 4 (01:46):
Well, is it something special?
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Now? I heard that he had a set of golf
clubs for sale. Maybe i'd look at him. He's gonna
start playing golf, no or something. Maybe i'd take a
look at him. I got it. Funeral Division Friday, Yes, ma'am,
that's right. What's that address? All right? No, no, we'll
find it. We'll try not to worry. We'll be right there,
(02:08):
yes mam, goodbye, And that food year is gonna have
to wait? What thirteen year old kids missing? And probably
the neighbors and her mother thinks she's been kidnapped. Back
when I left the office immediately and we drove out
to the address I'd been given on the phone. The
caller had told me that her thirteen year old daughter
was missing from the house. We parked our car a
block from the place and walked the rest of the
way in the event that the house might be watched.
(02:30):
Twelve four sixty three Courtney Terrace was a large house
above Hollywood Boulevard. When we got there, all of the
lights were on. Frank waited while I went up to
the front door, and after a few minutes he joined us.
We were admitted to the house by a tall man
in his early forties who identified himself as the missing
girl's father, Gilbert Moran. He asked us to come into
the din of the house, where he gave us the story.
Speaker 5 (02:48):
My wife's with the doctor. She went all to pieces
when it had finally hit her.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
Yes, sir, Now if you check with the girl's friends.
Speaker 4 (02:54):
Yes, you're glad us call them all.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
None of them see her.
Speaker 4 (02:56):
How about the neighbors.
Speaker 5 (02:57):
Oh, we've talked to them too. They just can't tell
us anything. You've got to find her.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
Yeah, sure, we'll do our best. Miss Mary. Now you
want to start at the beginning and tell us what happened? Yeah?
Do you want a cigarette? No, you go ahead, I
have one here. How about you? Oh? I have was.
Speaker 4 (03:11):
Here's a match than.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Joe? Yeah? Thank you? All right, said anyone? Tell us
what happened?
Speaker 5 (03:20):
Well, Gladys and I went to a show the night
down on the boulevard.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
We left Bunny here doing her homework.
Speaker 5 (03:25):
Bunny, that's your daughter, yes, or her name's really Lucille,
but the kids at grammar school tagged her Bunny, and
she's been called that ever since.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
Uh huh. What time did you get here?
Speaker 5 (03:33):
Must have been about eleven forty somewhere near there.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
Did you notice that your daughter was gone right away? No, sir, not.
Speaker 5 (03:39):
At first, I locked up, and then Gladys and I
went upstairs. We checked Bunny's room and she was gone.
I said, glad to start of the thing, all kinds
of things.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
I tried to calm her down.
Speaker 5 (03:48):
We got Bunny's telephone book and started to call her friends.
We know most of them. They hadn't seen her. Finally,
I thought it'd be wrong to wait any longer, and
we called.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
You, all right, sure. Now do you want to give
the description of your girl?
Speaker 5 (03:58):
Would you wait just a minute.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
I'd like to talk up to the doctor and see
if gladyses are yes, you've ran ahead. She was terribly upset. Yes, orderstand?
Speaker 4 (04:09):
What do you think?
Speaker 1 (04:10):
I don't know, big house, nice neighborhood. Looks like he's
pretty well fixed, doesn't he? Yeah, nothing about a compact
yet the girl's only been gone a couple of hours.
Doctor's giving her a sentative. She's still pretty much upset, Yes, sir,
Now I what if he give us that description?
Speaker 5 (04:25):
Well, she's thirteen, about right for age.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
Body means her.
Speaker 5 (04:28):
She's about four feet eight, weighs around eighty pounds. What
colors her hair? Dark blonde? She was always after a
mother to let her use one of those rinses to
make it lighter.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
Gladys said she should wait. I see how about her eyes?
Speaker 5 (04:39):
Sort of brown?
Speaker 1 (04:40):
Light?
Speaker 5 (04:41):
We used to tell her that she had honey colored eyes,
a sort of golden brown, real long eyelashes.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Now, can you remember what she was wearing?
Speaker 5 (04:47):
Let me think, well as I remember, sir, she had
on a pair of clam diggers, Sir, clam digger short
slacks hit her about right here?
Speaker 1 (04:54):
Shortly? Uh huh? What color?
Speaker 5 (04:56):
Denim?
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Sort of light blue? I see you know?
Speaker 5 (04:58):
White blouse, sort of like a man shirt.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
How much? Shoes? Well?
Speaker 5 (05:03):
I think they were gosh, I'm sorry, so I just
can't remember now, as I possible.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
She might have changed your clothes before she left.
Speaker 5 (05:10):
She didn't leave starge, and she was taken out of here.
I'm sure it wasn't her idea, all.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
Right, sure we understand. Is there anything else about your
daughter that did make it easier for us to identify her?
Speaker 5 (05:17):
I can't think of anything.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
All right, Frank? What if you call us in? Please? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (05:21):
May I use your phone?
Speaker 1 (05:22):
Mist? Certainly? Where is it? Please? Right through that door.
Speaker 5 (05:25):
There's an alcove in the hall, all right. The light
switches on the right, just behind the doors. Say wait
a minute, yes, sir, I forgot about Skippy. It was
a Skippy, the dog, Bunny's dog. He's gone too, is
the right? He must be with Bunny first time I
thought of him. He's usually right with her all the time.
I haven't seen him since we got home.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
What kind of an animal is he?
Speaker 5 (05:43):
Golden cocker?
Speaker 1 (05:43):
About four years old?
Speaker 5 (05:44):
Bunny got him for her ninth birthday.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
I see, got to call it into Huh. Yeah, I
wonder if I could see her room. Oh, sure, it's
upstairs this way. I hope you're not gonna be angry,
mister Miriam. What is there been any trouble here in
your home at my affected the girl? What do you mean, well,
in the arguments, disagreements, anything that might have upset her? No, no, upstairs. Yes,
(06:08):
how about boyfriends? You mean?
Speaker 5 (06:10):
Does Bunny have any that's right, older couple of kids in.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
Her class she has over once in a while.
Speaker 5 (06:14):
She's not allowed any nighttime dates. I see once in
a while on a weekend we go to a show
and take one of the kids with us.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
Is there any one boy that she sees more than
the others? Oh?
Speaker 5 (06:23):
No, Gladys and I both think she's too young for that.
It's down this way. Such, all right, This is her room.
When we left, she was sitting right there at the desk.
You can see how there's paper scattered all over.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
Yeah, looks a little like it was a struggle that.
Speaker 5 (06:43):
She wouldn't do anything like this.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
If you just walked out. No, sir, what does this
door lead over here? Outside to a walk that runs
around the house lot. Was it this way when you
came home? Oh, yes, sir, I didn't touch a thing.
Speaker 5 (06:55):
As soon as I realized she was.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
Gone, the radio was still all one.
Speaker 5 (06:58):
I told you, I didn't touch a thing. She's been kidnapped, sage,
and somebody took her out of this house. Him instaurment,
What is it where you found.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Something under the bed?
Speaker 6 (07:09):
Hear don.
Speaker 5 (07:11):
It's her dog Skippy.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
Yeah, it looks like he's been beaten to death, isn't it.
Frank called the office and the description of the missing
girl was broadcast. Captain Warren Stilson was contacted and he
sent a crew man out to the house to go
over the room for physical evidence. The telephone company was
contacted and the arrangements were made for an extension phone
to be placed in the same room as the existing instrument.
(07:36):
In this manner, if the kidnappers she'd attempt to make
contact with Miran, we could relay instructions to him easily.
All of these preparations, however, were made with the thought
that the house might be under surveillance by the person
or persons who had taken the child. A team of
men from Georgia Street Juvenile was set out to the house.
In the twenty four hour watch was set up. Frank
and I began to talk to the neighbors and friends
of the Maryans. None of them could shed any light
(07:57):
on the missing teenager. By forming a to six on
Sunday morning, there still had been no attempt at communication
by the kidnappers. By this time, the girl's description had
been given out to all officers in the city who
might come in contact with her. Although when we talked
with the neighbors we'd ask them to keep the inquiries
in strictest confidence. One of them had gotten in touch
with a local newspaper, and before we had a chance
to stop at the news of Bunny Moran's disappearance was out.
(08:20):
The other papers in the city picked up the news,
and by noon on Sunday, special editions were on the streets.
One forty pm, still no word from the girls. Of
doctors her friends were requestioned without results. All of the
people who knew her or who had any dealings with
her were interrogated, still no leads. The examination by members
of the crime lab turned up no usable evidence. They
established that the dog had been killed with a metal
(08:42):
book nd the Federal Bureau of Investigation was contacted and
they assigned a team of agents to work with us.
By six twenty pm, missus Moran was in a state
of complete collapse. The entire city and the state were
looking for a thirteen year old daughter. A round up
of all known deviates was started. Ten thirty eight pm.
Frank and I got back to the office. I'll check
(09:02):
the book, alright, the skipper in, No, I don't think so,
I grew up, said he went over to the city
hall meeting.
Speaker 4 (09:07):
With Chief Brown and alarm and.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
Anything in the book, and then.
Speaker 4 (09:12):
Let's see it has a couple of calls.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
Nothing they can't wait though, Man, you better call Fay
hadn't she didn't te her where you are? Yeah, I
guess I want a tag by late Prince before we
go out the house.
Speaker 4 (09:27):
Yeah, check with the f G guy.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
Yeah, they got the description of all the border points.
None of the guys. You remember seeing the girl figure
she's still in the state.
Speaker 4 (09:35):
Then, oh, hi, honey, that's me.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
M I know.
Speaker 4 (09:41):
Well I didn't get a chance. Well, I figured you
to read it, you know. No, uh, oh okay, pretty Bee. Yeah,
Joe is too. No nothing yet was that? Well, you know,
I can't talk about that, honey. Yeah, well, don't worry,
(10:02):
no little headache.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
Yeah, I'll take a mess. Look, I'll call you first
chance I get Yeah, okay, goodbye, worry now, Yeah, she
always is when I'm late. Let's go. Yeah, let's go.
I get it. Gueneral Division, Friday, how long ago?
Speaker 4 (10:24):
Where right?
Speaker 1 (10:26):
We'll wait here? Yeah, no alcohol, he's over, Chief Brown,
We'll wait yeah. Bye, what do you got? Kidnapper made contact?
He called and wanted to talk to Miran. Drugg has
heard him make the call and notified Hollywood Division. Yeah,
he's in custody now. Frank and I waited until the
(10:47):
suspect was brought into the office for questioning. He'd been
apprehended in a drug store. While he was on the
phone talking to mister Moran. A radio card picked him
up and driven him over to Georgia Street. Juvenile. We
called Captain Powers at the city Hall and he immediately
came to the office. At ten fifty six pm, the
suspect to Rhymes. He was taken to the office of
the night Watch commander for questioning.
Speaker 6 (11:04):
All right, what's your name?
Speaker 1 (11:05):
You are the cop? You tell me?
Speaker 6 (11:07):
Take everything out of your pockets.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
The word Is this a shakedown?
Speaker 6 (11:09):
Don't you hear good?
Speaker 1 (11:12):
All right, there's my wallet, any money in it? A
couple of brought take it out?
Speaker 5 (11:17):
What are you doing playing a lucky dollar?
Speaker 1 (11:18):
Contact somebody in your hands. Put the wallet on the table.
Get the other pockets off. Nothing in them. Let us
worry about that, all right?
Speaker 5 (11:26):
Change is a calm handkerchief, clean too, matches cigarettes? Is
a pen of pencil set?
Speaker 1 (11:36):
A couple more pennies. That's it. I want to check
it drum.
Speaker 5 (11:40):
Yeah, mister Walllett, it was in my pot.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
I asked you if it was yours. Yeah, driver's license here,
it's your true name.
Speaker 5 (11:48):
Better read it so you can have it in the record.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
Mark Lawrence Landsdale. That's a true name. That's what it says.
You still live at the same address.
Speaker 6 (11:56):
Yeah, I'm gonna ask you one question, Landslam.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
I want the right answer.
Speaker 5 (12:00):
Where will I get if I come up with a winner?
Speaker 6 (12:01):
Where's the Moran?
Speaker 1 (12:02):
Girl?
Speaker 6 (12:03):
I know what you're talking about, and you better find out.
Thirteen year old kids missing? You called her parents and
ask for fifty thousand dollars for a return. Hour's a girl.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
I thought you arrested guys for using the need to
answer the question, mister, if I had it, you'd get it.
Speaker 6 (12:16):
All right, mister, I'm gonna ask you once more, where's
the girl?
Speaker 1 (12:19):
I don't know what you're talking about.
Speaker 6 (12:20):
I think you're pretty big, don't you.
Speaker 5 (12:23):
I'll answer that one for you.
Speaker 1 (12:24):
You do that with you. You say this girl's.
Speaker 5 (12:26):
Been kidnapped, all right, this is your party. You say
you can prove that I made a call asking for
fifty thousand bucks.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
So far, I'm on the right track, all right.
Speaker 5 (12:37):
Then it figure is that if you're so sure I
got something to do with it.
Speaker 6 (12:40):
If I'm here, the girl's in trouble, don't it go ahead?
If I don't turn.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
Up something bad, it's likely to happen to her. True,
you still love. But if it's like I say.
Speaker 5 (12:50):
That I don't know anything about it, then that you're
gonna have to turn me loose.
Speaker 4 (12:53):
Anyway, I got nothing to worry about.
Speaker 5 (12:54):
Go. You keep me hearing your priced kids live land
up in a ditch.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
You let me go, and maybe you got a chance
to get in the back.
Speaker 6 (13:03):
I'm gonna spell it out for you, Lanthel, and you
listen good. There's nothing getting you out of here.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
Nothing.
Speaker 6 (13:07):
I got two kids on my own, and I know
how those parents feel. I'm on their side. If anything
happens to that girl, you won't forget it for the
rest of your life.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
And if I've got anything to say about it, that.
Speaker 6 (13:14):
Won't be very long.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
I'll pull every string I notice. See that.
Speaker 6 (13:17):
I get to take you to the joint and strap
you in the chair myself. If you harm that kid
in anyway, you won't live long enough to regret it.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
Big man with a badge, they get it, juvenile Friday, Right, well,
all right, I'll tell him, well, all right, bye, fine.
The Hollywood station, Skipper, Yeah, they found the girl, so
(13:45):
call it. Come from the Hollywood Police Station telling us
that the Maran girl had been found. We contacted Lieutenant
heart Groves and had Mark Lansdale held for further questioning. Frank,
Captain Powers and I left the office and drove to
the Courtney Terra's address where the girl had been taken.
When we got there, there was an uniformed were standing
to the front door. We went in and found and
Missus Moran with their daughter Bunny, waiting for us. The
girl appeared to be all right. Her face was dirty
(14:07):
and scratched, her clothing was torn, but she appeared to
be in good health.
Speaker 7 (14:10):
Are you hungry, dear? Would you like a bowl of
soup or something? It's not too much trouble, not at all, honey.
I'll get it right away. Now you stop, when you.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Get tired, I will know it. You want to go ahead, Bunny?
Speaker 3 (14:26):
Yes? Where do you want me to begin?
Speaker 1 (14:29):
What happened? On Saturday night?
Speaker 3 (14:31):
Daddy and mother went to a show. I was upstairs
doing my homework. I see, I guess I was up
there half an hour maybe more. Seems like that long.
Hard to tell when you're doing work, you know. Yeah, Anyway,
the first thing I knew it was somebody at the
front door. I heard the bell, went downstairs. There were
two men there, I see. They asked if my mother
(14:51):
and father were home. I told him to know that
they'd gone out. And then they told me that they
knew that all the time. Said there'd been some kind
of an act. I should go with him right away.
Said it was an emergency.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
And you went with him, did you? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (15:06):
I went upstairs to birob to get a coat. I
wanted to make sure Skippy was all right. Yeah, one
of them went with me. Well, I was getting my coat.
I remembered that sometimes kidnappers tell people there's been an
accident so they can take him away, you know how
they do.
Speaker 5 (15:20):
It was a good thinking bunny.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
Did you go ahead please? Miss?
Speaker 3 (15:23):
I asked the man who followed me where mom and
dad were? What hospital? He said they were in a hospital.
They'd been taken to some kind of an emergency place.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
He said that they were not in the hospital.
Speaker 3 (15:33):
Not what he said. They've been taken to some sort
of emergency ahead.
Speaker 1 (15:37):
Well.
Speaker 3 (15:38):
When I asked him for the name of the place,
he wouldn't tell me, just said I should hurry up,
and my folks has been hurt pretty bad.
Speaker 5 (15:44):
It's a dirty lie.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
Anyway. I told him I wouldn't go, and he grabbed me.
He said he was gonna take me.
Speaker 5 (15:49):
I should like to get my hands on him.
Speaker 6 (15:51):
Was the other man downstairs all this time?
Speaker 3 (15:53):
I guess, so I didn't see him.
Speaker 7 (15:55):
All right, go ahead, and here's your soup, and I
drink it while it still.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
It's so kind.
Speaker 7 (16:01):
It's black bean, just like you like. He's gone now
out of thoughts.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
There was some nice crackers there too, Thanks mother, It's good.
I'm hungry.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
He'd like to go ahead, Miss, fleet.
Speaker 7 (16:18):
Can't you let her eat? Poor child, after what she's
been through.
Speaker 6 (16:21):
There's another man out missus marahm, who's gotta find it?
Speaker 7 (16:24):
He's right, gladys, Well you go ahead and eat while
you're talking. Yes, mother, I'm not too fast.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
Right, please go ahead of me.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
Well, when he grabbed me, Skippy, that's my dog. He
got sore, got real mad when he saw the man
grab me, and he jumped at the man, tried to
bite him. I see the man hit Skippy grabbed him
and hit him a lot. I guess he killed him.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
I don't know what happened.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
Then, Well, he took me out. The car sparked outside
in front of the house.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
Did he get a good look at the car? Mm hmm.
Speaker 4 (16:56):
You can give us a description of it him?
Speaker 3 (16:58):
Yeah, I can tell you all about it.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
Right.
Speaker 3 (17:00):
Would the men take you, well, they'd go for a
long time. I think it's up in the hill, someplace,
up in a little canyon. There's just kind of a
house there, tar paper looks like the buildings they had
when they were building the freeway. Tar paper shacks, like
the you know they keep the blueprints in. One of
those didn't even have a floor, just dirt. They put
me in there and left me. I heard him lock
(17:20):
the door and they went away.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
I see.
Speaker 3 (17:23):
I didn't know what to do. Sat there for a
little while and tried to think what to do.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
Did they have your tide in anyway?
Speaker 4 (17:28):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (17:29):
They had ropes around my hands and around my feet.
I fell asleep after a while, cried for a while,
and then fell asleep.
Speaker 5 (17:36):
Oh my poor babies.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
I guess it was morning. When I woke up. I
couldn't tell too good because there wasn't any window in
the shack, just the walls and no floor. First, when
I woke up, I didn't know where I was, and
I remembered.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
Did either of the men come back at all? No.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
I sat there for a while, and then I tried
to think of some way I could get away. Yeah,
there was a whiskey bottle on the floor, and I
kicked it until I broke it. Then I took one
of the pieces and cut the ropes on my hands.
I untied my feet and then just went around the shack,
kicking the walls until I found a place that wasn't strong.
I found one. I crawled through.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
Where'd you do?
Speaker 3 (18:10):
Then I started to walk. It's pretty late by that time,
and I started to walk down the road. I was
looking for a house. I got to the street and
walked along it for a while. There weren't many cars,
but the truck came along. The driver stopped and gave
me a lyft, drove me to lawl in Hollywood Boulevard,
and then let me out. Yeah, after that, I walked home.
Speaker 5 (18:28):
You were real brave, honey.
Speaker 3 (18:29):
It was pretty scared a lot of times. I didn't
know what to.
Speaker 5 (18:33):
Do, and you just bet they were a baby. But
you did good.
Speaker 7 (18:36):
You're safe now.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
Can he describe the two men for us? Do you think?
Speaker 3 (18:39):
I guess so? One of them was dark, kind of short,
looked like, oh, what's his name? You see him on
television all the time? Real moon looking. I was think
of his name, exactly like him.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
What about the other one?
Speaker 3 (18:52):
He wasn't very big either, kind of brown hair or
sin had blue eyes, watery blue eyes.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
Were those the only two men you saw?
Speaker 8 (19:00):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (19:00):
Just to too.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
Did they talk about anybody else being in on the
kidnapping with him? Do you remember that?
Speaker 3 (19:05):
I could hear?
Speaker 1 (19:06):
You're sure about that?
Speaker 5 (19:07):
I yes, session was so important about that.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
Well, so we've got a man in custody, the one
who calls you yes. Neither one of these descriptions match him.
We continued to talk to the Moran girl. We got
a complete description of both men and Bob and of
the car they used. Local and apps were gotten out
on them. The fact that the descriptions varied and did
not match the suspect we had in custody meant very little.
(19:30):
A witness or a victim under stress might easily be mistaken.
We talked with a family doctor and he told us
that after a good night's sleep, the girl would be
able to cooperate with us completely. The following morning, Monday,
April nineteenth, the special show up was arranged at the
main jail. Our suspect was placed in the line with
other men in custody. Bunny Moran failed to identify him.
Frank and I took her over to the city Hall
(19:51):
and had her look through mugshots that had been pulled
from packages as a result of a run by the
stats office. She was unable to point out a suspect.
She could show us the shack where she'd been held captive.
She said she could. We called her parents and told
them where we were going, and then we left the office.
We picked up a policewoman and drove out the freeway
to Sunset Boulevard and turned off. When we got the
Laurel Canyon Boulevard, we drove past Lookout Mountain Avenue, and
(20:13):
then we turned left onto a dirt road. We drove
for about a mile and a half. There was no
sign of any type of building.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
Right up ahead, around the next corner.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
Shure, you're on the right road.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
Yeah, I remember walking down this one.
Speaker 1 (20:25):
That's right as far as we can go.
Speaker 4 (20:29):
That it.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
Maybe I did make a mistake, Maybe I did.
Speaker 7 (20:33):
I was sure.
Speaker 3 (20:34):
It was a long year, but maybe I was wrong.
It might have been the next road up, you know,
the one pass where we turned off, Uh.
Speaker 1 (20:40):
The one turn around Frank, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
Oh sure, I'm sorry about it.
Speaker 1 (20:46):
That's all right, miss guess it seems like.
Speaker 3 (20:48):
A wild goose chase. Hum.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
No, sure, hope not.
Speaker 3 (20:51):
I know where it is.
Speaker 7 (20:52):
I just got mixed up.
Speaker 6 (20:54):
All right, we'll.
Speaker 3 (20:55):
Find it, I'm sure we will. Can't just disappear, Cannon, No,
not like it. Here's someplace you'll see.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
Yeah, we'll see. We went back to Laurel Canyon Boulevard
and drove up all of the dirt roads in the vicinity,
we didn't find the shack. Each time Bunny Moran would
offer some excuse. Finally, we asked her to describe the
truck that had picked her up. She gave us a
description that would fit two or three hundred vehicles in
the city. She was unable to tell us the name
(21:22):
of the driver who'd stop. We took her back to
the office and asked her to go over the story again.
When she finished, Frank left to get Captain Powers that
you want to tell us now?
Speaker 7 (21:31):
What you mean?
Speaker 1 (21:32):
The real story, the way it really happened, might be
easier if you told us first. Don't you think I.
Speaker 3 (21:36):
Told you There isn't any more to tell. I told
you all how it happened.
Speaker 1 (21:39):
Why you're lying, I'm not why it happens now. Look,
there are half a dozen places where the story you
just told us doesn't fit with what you said last night.
Speaker 3 (21:51):
I was tired last night. Maybe I didn't remember.
Speaker 1 (21:53):
It's kind of hard to buy too many things that
don't check out. Miss the story about your dog, the
fact that you can't find the shack, you don't know
who the driver of the truck was. There are a
lot of things I.
Speaker 3 (22:02):
Forgot, that's all I made mistake? Didn't you ever make
a mistake?
Speaker 1 (22:06):
A lot of them? But last night you said that
only one of the men went upstairs with you, And
isn't it right? You seem pretty sure about.
Speaker 3 (22:13):
It then, And I guess that's what I said.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
Only one of the men went with you?
Speaker 3 (22:17):
Huh, that's what I said?
Speaker 2 (22:19):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (22:20):
Well, and why when you told the story just now,
did you say that both of them went with.
Speaker 7 (22:25):
I don't know, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
You're getting me only stuff?
Speaker 1 (22:31):
Did you kill your dog? Did you? Yes? Why I had.
Speaker 3 (22:40):
To make the story sound really? I didn't one, but
I had to.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
Well, why'd you do it at all? Miss?
Speaker 3 (22:50):
So they wouldn't mind? That's the reason.
Speaker 1 (22:53):
What do you mean, so who wouldn't mind?
Speaker 3 (22:57):
You'll think it's still you won't think it's a good reason.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
Why don't you tell me? Anyway?
Speaker 3 (23:04):
Because I was failing, I flunked at school. I flunk,
and I didn't want my folks to know. They'd be
real mad, real mad.
Speaker 1 (23:13):
So you figure this kidnappling out and played it that way.
Speaker 3 (23:17):
Yes, I thought that if something bad happened to me,
they'd be so glad to have me back. It wouldn't
matter about my flunking.
Speaker 1 (23:27):
The whole thing was alive from the beginning to hand.
H Yet all of it all right. Next time we
better get going where let me take your home.
Speaker 3 (23:38):
You can tell my folks about it.
Speaker 1 (23:40):
We haven't got much choice, haven't we.
Speaker 3 (23:42):
They'll be mad, Madden, they've ever been well.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
I guess they will.
Speaker 3 (23:46):
Well, I tell them, what'll I say?
Speaker 1 (23:48):
I'll tell you. Why don't you try something different? Tell
them the.
Speaker 8 (23:51):
Truth present At the meeting where mister and missus Gilbert
Moran and their daughter Lucilla, it was decided that no
criminal complaint be issued and the girl was released to
the custody of her parents, with the understanding that she
(24:11):
be given psychiatric help. Further investigations showed Mark Harkwell Lansdale
was wanted by authorities in Sacramento to answer.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
A burglary charge.
Speaker 2 (24:21):
He was released to them.
Speaker 5 (24:22):
Dragnet The Story of Your Police Force in Action as
a presentation of the United States Armed Forces Radio Service.
Speaker 9 (25:03):
That's Supper stop by steps
Speaker 1 (25:40):
And seven
Ladies and gentlemen.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
The story you were about to hear is true. The
names have been changed to protect the innocent. Dragonets. You
are detective Sergeant. You're assigned to Juvenile Detail. A thirteen
year old girl has disappeared from her home. There's reason
(00:31):
to suspect Paul. Play your job investigate.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
It was Saturday, Anightril seventeenth, was cold in Los Angeles.
We were working the night Watch out of Juvenile Detail.
My partner's Frank Smith, the boss's Captain Powers. My name
is Friday As I'm on way back in the fourth floor,
and it was eleven fifty two pm when they got
down to the main floor. Squadrom that's your job, Yeah,
I go, oh, not too good. Did you say anything?
Speaker 3 (00:59):
No?
Speaker 1 (00:59):
He says we got him for the job, but it's
gonna end there. He's playing a big man now. He
says he's not gonna name that other kid.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
Yeah. Him sweated out tonight. He'll feel different in the morning.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
Maybe if you're right, you ain't come in. Uh uh.
Speaker 4 (01:11):
As soon as I finish up this log, we can
shove off if you want to.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Right, you're going right home. Hmm, I say you're going
right home. Well, maybe i'd go by the city hall.
I'd like see Danny go window for a minute.
Speaker 4 (01:21):
Uh huh, what are you gonna eat? Then?
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Yeah, I'll probably grab something. Do you want to go?
Might as well?
Speaker 4 (01:26):
Kind of hungry, and I don't like to wake Fay up.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
She sleeps kind of lights you know, she always wakes
up when I get to rattling around the kitchen.
Speaker 4 (01:33):
You know, maybe stop and have a poached egg and
some corn beef hash. How does that sound to you?
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Like a poached egg and some going beef hatch?
Speaker 4 (01:41):
I'm not kidding.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
I'm hungry. I think you buy finished there? Yeah, I
want to see Danny before he leaves.
Speaker 4 (01:46):
Well, is it something special?
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Now? I heard that he had a set of golf
clubs for sale. Maybe i'd look at him. He's gonna
start playing golf, no or something. Maybe i'd take a
look at him. I got it. Funeral Division Friday, Yes, ma'am,
that's right. What's that address? All right? No, no, we'll
find it. We'll try not to worry. We'll be right there,
(02:08):
yes mam, goodbye, And that food year is gonna have
to wait? What thirteen year old kids missing? And probably
the neighbors and her mother thinks she's been kidnapped. Back
when I left the office immediately and we drove out
to the address I'd been given on the phone. The
caller had told me that her thirteen year old daughter
was missing from the house. We parked our car a
block from the place and walked the rest of the
way in the event that the house might be watched.
(02:30):
Twelve four sixty three Courtney Terrace was a large house
above Hollywood Boulevard. When we got there, all of the
lights were on. Frank waited while I went up to
the front door, and after a few minutes he joined us.
We were admitted to the house by a tall man
in his early forties who identified himself as the missing
girl's father, Gilbert Moran. He asked us to come into
the din of the house, where he gave us the story.
Speaker 5 (02:48):
My wife's with the doctor. She went all to pieces
when it had finally hit her.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
Yes, sir, Now if you check with the girl's friends.
Speaker 4 (02:54):
Yes, you're glad us call them all.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
None of them see her.
Speaker 4 (02:56):
How about the neighbors.
Speaker 5 (02:57):
Oh, we've talked to them too. They just can't tell
us anything. You've got to find her.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
Yeah, sure, we'll do our best. Miss Mary. Now you
want to start at the beginning and tell us what happened? Yeah?
Do you want a cigarette? No, you go ahead, I
have one here. How about you? Oh? I have was.
Speaker 4 (03:11):
Here's a match than.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Joe? Yeah? Thank you? All right, said anyone? Tell us
what happened?
Speaker 5 (03:20):
Well, Gladys and I went to a show the night
down on the boulevard.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
We left Bunny here doing her homework.
Speaker 5 (03:25):
Bunny, that's your daughter, yes, or her name's really Lucille,
but the kids at grammar school tagged her Bunny, and
she's been called that ever since.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
Uh huh. What time did you get here?
Speaker 5 (03:33):
Must have been about eleven forty somewhere near there.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
Did you notice that your daughter was gone right away? No, sir, not.
Speaker 5 (03:39):
At first, I locked up, and then Gladys and I
went upstairs. We checked Bunny's room and she was gone.
I said, glad to start of the thing, all kinds
of things.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
I tried to calm her down.
Speaker 5 (03:48):
We got Bunny's telephone book and started to call her friends.
We know most of them. They hadn't seen her. Finally,
I thought it'd be wrong to wait any longer, and
we called.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
You, all right, sure. Now do you want to give
the description of your girl?
Speaker 5 (03:58):
Would you wait just a minute.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
I'd like to talk up to the doctor and see
if gladyses are yes, you've ran ahead. She was terribly upset. Yes, orderstand?
Speaker 4 (04:09):
What do you think?
Speaker 1 (04:10):
I don't know, big house, nice neighborhood. Looks like he's
pretty well fixed, doesn't he? Yeah, nothing about a compact
yet the girl's only been gone a couple of hours.
Doctor's giving her a sentative. She's still pretty much upset, Yes, sir,
Now I what if he give us that description?
Speaker 5 (04:25):
Well, she's thirteen, about right for age.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
Body means her.
Speaker 5 (04:28):
She's about four feet eight, weighs around eighty pounds. What
colors her hair? Dark blonde? She was always after a
mother to let her use one of those rinses to
make it lighter.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
Gladys said she should wait. I see how about her eyes?
Speaker 5 (04:39):
Sort of brown?
Speaker 1 (04:40):
Light?
Speaker 5 (04:41):
We used to tell her that she had honey colored eyes,
a sort of golden brown, real long eyelashes.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Now, can you remember what she was wearing?
Speaker 5 (04:47):
Let me think, well as I remember, sir, she had
on a pair of clam diggers, Sir, clam digger short
slacks hit her about right here?
Speaker 1 (04:54):
Shortly? Uh huh? What color?
Speaker 5 (04:56):
Denim?
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Sort of light blue? I see you know?
Speaker 5 (04:58):
White blouse, sort of like a man shirt.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
How much? Shoes? Well?
Speaker 5 (05:03):
I think they were gosh, I'm sorry, so I just
can't remember now, as I possible.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
She might have changed your clothes before she left.
Speaker 5 (05:10):
She didn't leave starge, and she was taken out of here.
I'm sure it wasn't her idea, all.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
Right, sure we understand. Is there anything else about your
daughter that did make it easier for us to identify her?
Speaker 5 (05:17):
I can't think of anything.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
All right, Frank? What if you call us in? Please? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (05:21):
May I use your phone?
Speaker 1 (05:22):
Mist? Certainly? Where is it? Please? Right through that door.
Speaker 5 (05:25):
There's an alcove in the hall, all right. The light
switches on the right, just behind the doors. Say wait
a minute, yes, sir, I forgot about Skippy. It was
a Skippy, the dog, Bunny's dog. He's gone too, is
the right? He must be with Bunny first time I
thought of him. He's usually right with her all the time.
I haven't seen him since we got home.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
What kind of an animal is he?
Speaker 5 (05:43):
Golden cocker?
Speaker 1 (05:43):
About four years old?
Speaker 5 (05:44):
Bunny got him for her ninth birthday.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
I see, got to call it into Huh. Yeah, I
wonder if I could see her room. Oh, sure, it's
upstairs this way. I hope you're not gonna be angry,
mister Miriam. What is there been any trouble here in
your home at my affected the girl? What do you mean, well,
in the arguments, disagreements, anything that might have upset her? No, no, upstairs. Yes,
(06:08):
how about boyfriends? You mean?
Speaker 5 (06:10):
Does Bunny have any that's right, older couple of kids in.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
Her class she has over once in a while.
Speaker 5 (06:14):
She's not allowed any nighttime dates. I see once in
a while on a weekend we go to a show
and take one of the kids with us.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
Is there any one boy that she sees more than
the others? Oh?
Speaker 5 (06:23):
No, Gladys and I both think she's too young for that.
It's down this way. Such, all right, This is her room.
When we left, she was sitting right there at the desk.
You can see how there's paper scattered all over.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
Yeah, looks a little like it was a struggle that.
Speaker 5 (06:43):
She wouldn't do anything like this.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
If you just walked out. No, sir, what does this
door lead over here? Outside to a walk that runs
around the house lot. Was it this way when you
came home? Oh, yes, sir, I didn't touch a thing.
Speaker 5 (06:55):
As soon as I realized she was.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
Gone, the radio was still all one.
Speaker 5 (06:58):
I told you, I didn't touch a thing. She's been kidnapped, sage,
and somebody took her out of this house. Him instaurment,
What is it where you found.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Something under the bed?
Speaker 6 (07:09):
Hear don.
Speaker 5 (07:11):
It's her dog Skippy.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
Yeah, it looks like he's been beaten to death, isn't it.
Frank called the office and the description of the missing
girl was broadcast. Captain Warren Stilson was contacted and he
sent a crew man out to the house to go
over the room for physical evidence. The telephone company was
contacted and the arrangements were made for an extension phone
to be placed in the same room as the existing instrument.
(07:36):
In this manner, if the kidnappers she'd attempt to make
contact with Miran, we could relay instructions to him easily.
All of these preparations, however, were made with the thought
that the house might be under surveillance by the person
or persons who had taken the child. A team of
men from Georgia Street Juvenile was set out to the house.
In the twenty four hour watch was set up. Frank
and I began to talk to the neighbors and friends
of the Maryans. None of them could shed any light
(07:57):
on the missing teenager. By forming a to six on
Sunday morning, there still had been no attempt at communication
by the kidnappers. By this time, the girl's description had
been given out to all officers in the city who
might come in contact with her. Although when we talked
with the neighbors we'd ask them to keep the inquiries
in strictest confidence. One of them had gotten in touch
with a local newspaper, and before we had a chance
to stop at the news of Bunny Moran's disappearance was out.
(08:20):
The other papers in the city picked up the news,
and by noon on Sunday, special editions were on the streets.
One forty pm, still no word from the girls. Of
doctors her friends were requestioned without results. All of the
people who knew her or who had any dealings with
her were interrogated, still no leads. The examination by members
of the crime lab turned up no usable evidence. They
established that the dog had been killed with a metal
(08:42):
book nd the Federal Bureau of Investigation was contacted and
they assigned a team of agents to work with us.
By six twenty pm, missus Moran was in a state
of complete collapse. The entire city and the state were
looking for a thirteen year old daughter. A round up
of all known deviates was started. Ten thirty eight pm.
Frank and I got back to the office. I'll check
(09:02):
the book, alright, the skipper in, No, I don't think so,
I grew up, said he went over to the city
hall meeting.
Speaker 4 (09:07):
With Chief Brown and alarm and.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
Anything in the book, and then.
Speaker 4 (09:12):
Let's see it has a couple of calls.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
Nothing they can't wait though, Man, you better call Fay
hadn't she didn't te her where you are? Yeah, I
guess I want a tag by late Prince before we
go out the house.
Speaker 4 (09:27):
Yeah, check with the f G guy.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
Yeah, they got the description of all the border points.
None of the guys. You remember seeing the girl figure
she's still in the state.
Speaker 4 (09:35):
Then, oh, hi, honey, that's me.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
M I know.
Speaker 4 (09:41):
Well I didn't get a chance. Well, I figured you
to read it, you know. No, uh, oh okay, pretty Bee. Yeah,
Joe is too. No nothing yet was that? Well, you know,
I can't talk about that, honey. Yeah, well, don't worry,
(10:02):
no little headache.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
Yeah, I'll take a mess. Look, I'll call you first
chance I get Yeah, okay, goodbye, worry now, Yeah, she
always is when I'm late. Let's go. Yeah, let's go.
I get it. Gueneral Division, Friday, how long ago?
Speaker 4 (10:24):
Where right?
Speaker 1 (10:26):
We'll wait here? Yeah, no alcohol, he's over, Chief Brown,
We'll wait yeah. Bye, what do you got? Kidnapper made contact?
He called and wanted to talk to Miran. Drugg has
heard him make the call and notified Hollywood Division. Yeah,
he's in custody now. Frank and I waited until the
(10:47):
suspect was brought into the office for questioning. He'd been
apprehended in a drug store. While he was on the
phone talking to mister Moran. A radio card picked him
up and driven him over to Georgia Street. Juvenile. We
called Captain Powers at the city Hall and he immediately
came to the office. At ten fifty six pm, the
suspect to Rhymes. He was taken to the office of
the night Watch commander for questioning.
Speaker 6 (11:04):
All right, what's your name?
Speaker 1 (11:05):
You are the cop? You tell me?
Speaker 6 (11:07):
Take everything out of your pockets.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
The word Is this a shakedown?
Speaker 6 (11:09):
Don't you hear good?
Speaker 1 (11:12):
All right, there's my wallet, any money in it? A
couple of brought take it out?
Speaker 5 (11:17):
What are you doing playing a lucky dollar?
Speaker 1 (11:18):
Contact somebody in your hands. Put the wallet on the table.
Get the other pockets off. Nothing in them. Let us
worry about that, all right?
Speaker 5 (11:26):
Change is a calm handkerchief, clean too, matches cigarettes? Is
a pen of pencil set?
Speaker 1 (11:36):
A couple more pennies. That's it. I want to check
it drum.
Speaker 5 (11:40):
Yeah, mister Walllett, it was in my pot.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
I asked you if it was yours. Yeah, driver's license here,
it's your true name.
Speaker 5 (11:48):
Better read it so you can have it in the record.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
Mark Lawrence Landsdale. That's a true name. That's what it says.
You still live at the same address.
Speaker 6 (11:56):
Yeah, I'm gonna ask you one question, Landslam.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
I want the right answer.
Speaker 5 (12:00):
Where will I get if I come up with a winner?
Speaker 6 (12:01):
Where's the Moran?
Speaker 1 (12:02):
Girl?
Speaker 6 (12:03):
I know what you're talking about, and you better find out.
Thirteen year old kids missing? You called her parents and
ask for fifty thousand dollars for a return. Hour's a girl.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
I thought you arrested guys for using the need to
answer the question, mister, if I had it, you'd get it.
Speaker 6 (12:16):
All right, mister, I'm gonna ask you once more, where's
the girl?
Speaker 1 (12:19):
I don't know what you're talking about.
Speaker 6 (12:20):
I think you're pretty big, don't you.
Speaker 5 (12:23):
I'll answer that one for you.
Speaker 1 (12:24):
You do that with you. You say this girl's.
Speaker 5 (12:26):
Been kidnapped, all right, this is your party. You say
you can prove that I made a call asking for
fifty thousand bucks.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
So far, I'm on the right track, all right.
Speaker 5 (12:37):
Then it figure is that if you're so sure I
got something to do with it.
Speaker 6 (12:40):
If I'm here, the girl's in trouble, don't it go ahead?
If I don't turn.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
Up something bad, it's likely to happen to her. True,
you still love. But if it's like I say.
Speaker 5 (12:50):
That I don't know anything about it, then that you're
gonna have to turn me loose.
Speaker 4 (12:53):
Anyway, I got nothing to worry about.
Speaker 5 (12:54):
Go. You keep me hearing your priced kids live land
up in a ditch.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
You let me go, and maybe you got a chance
to get in the back.
Speaker 6 (13:03):
I'm gonna spell it out for you, Lanthel, and you
listen good. There's nothing getting you out of here.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
Nothing.
Speaker 6 (13:07):
I got two kids on my own, and I know
how those parents feel. I'm on their side. If anything
happens to that girl, you won't forget it for the
rest of your life.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
And if I've got anything to say about it, that.
Speaker 6 (13:14):
Won't be very long.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
I'll pull every string I notice. See that.
Speaker 6 (13:17):
I get to take you to the joint and strap
you in the chair myself. If you harm that kid
in anyway, you won't live long enough to regret it.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
Big man with a badge, they get it, juvenile Friday, Right, well,
all right, I'll tell him, well, all right, bye, fine.
The Hollywood station, Skipper, Yeah, they found the girl, so
(13:45):
call it. Come from the Hollywood Police Station telling us
that the Maran girl had been found. We contacted Lieutenant
heart Groves and had Mark Lansdale held for further questioning. Frank,
Captain Powers and I left the office and drove to
the Courtney Terra's address where the girl had been taken.
When we got there, there was an uniformed were standing
to the front door. We went in and found and
Missus Moran with their daughter Bunny, waiting for us. The
girl appeared to be all right. Her face was dirty
(14:07):
and scratched, her clothing was torn, but she appeared to
be in good health.
Speaker 7 (14:10):
Are you hungry, dear? Would you like a bowl of
soup or something? It's not too much trouble, not at all, honey.
I'll get it right away. Now you stop, when you.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Get tired, I will know it. You want to go ahead, Bunny?
Speaker 3 (14:26):
Yes? Where do you want me to begin?
Speaker 1 (14:29):
What happened? On Saturday night?
Speaker 3 (14:31):
Daddy and mother went to a show. I was upstairs
doing my homework. I see, I guess I was up
there half an hour maybe more. Seems like that long.
Hard to tell when you're doing work, you know. Yeah, Anyway,
the first thing I knew it was somebody at the
front door. I heard the bell, went downstairs. There were
two men there, I see. They asked if my mother
(14:51):
and father were home. I told him to know that
they'd gone out. And then they told me that they
knew that all the time. Said there'd been some kind
of an act. I should go with him right away.
Said it was an emergency.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
And you went with him, did you? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (15:06):
I went upstairs to birob to get a coat. I
wanted to make sure Skippy was all right. Yeah, one
of them went with me. Well, I was getting my coat.
I remembered that sometimes kidnappers tell people there's been an
accident so they can take him away, you know how
they do.
Speaker 5 (15:20):
It was a good thinking bunny.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
Did you go ahead please? Miss?
Speaker 3 (15:23):
I asked the man who followed me where mom and
dad were? What hospital? He said they were in a hospital.
They'd been taken to some kind of an emergency place.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
He said that they were not in the hospital.
Speaker 3 (15:33):
Not what he said. They've been taken to some sort
of emergency ahead.
Speaker 1 (15:37):
Well.
Speaker 3 (15:38):
When I asked him for the name of the place,
he wouldn't tell me, just said I should hurry up,
and my folks has been hurt pretty bad.
Speaker 5 (15:44):
It's a dirty lie.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
Anyway. I told him I wouldn't go, and he grabbed me.
He said he was gonna take me.
Speaker 5 (15:49):
I should like to get my hands on him.
Speaker 6 (15:51):
Was the other man downstairs all this time?
Speaker 3 (15:53):
I guess, so I didn't see him.
Speaker 7 (15:55):
All right, go ahead, and here's your soup, and I
drink it while it still.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
It's so kind.
Speaker 7 (16:01):
It's black bean, just like you like. He's gone now
out of thoughts.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
There was some nice crackers there too, Thanks mother, It's good.
I'm hungry.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
He'd like to go ahead, Miss, fleet.
Speaker 7 (16:18):
Can't you let her eat? Poor child, after what she's
been through.
Speaker 6 (16:21):
There's another man out missus marahm, who's gotta find it?
Speaker 7 (16:24):
He's right, gladys, Well you go ahead and eat while
you're talking. Yes, mother, I'm not too fast.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
Right, please go ahead of me.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
Well, when he grabbed me, Skippy, that's my dog. He
got sore, got real mad when he saw the man
grab me, and he jumped at the man, tried to
bite him. I see the man hit Skippy grabbed him
and hit him a lot. I guess he killed him.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
I don't know what happened.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
Then, Well, he took me out. The car sparked outside
in front of the house.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
Did he get a good look at the car? Mm hmm.
Speaker 4 (16:56):
You can give us a description of it him?
Speaker 3 (16:58):
Yeah, I can tell you all about it.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
Right.
Speaker 3 (17:00):
Would the men take you, well, they'd go for a
long time. I think it's up in the hill, someplace,
up in a little canyon. There's just kind of a
house there, tar paper looks like the buildings they had
when they were building the freeway. Tar paper shacks, like
the you know they keep the blueprints in. One of
those didn't even have a floor, just dirt. They put
me in there and left me. I heard him lock
(17:20):
the door and they went away.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
I see.
Speaker 3 (17:23):
I didn't know what to do. Sat there for a
little while and tried to think what to do.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
Did they have your tide in anyway?
Speaker 4 (17:28):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (17:29):
They had ropes around my hands and around my feet.
I fell asleep after a while, cried for a while,
and then fell asleep.
Speaker 5 (17:36):
Oh my poor babies.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
I guess it was morning. When I woke up. I
couldn't tell too good because there wasn't any window in
the shack, just the walls and no floor. First, when
I woke up, I didn't know where I was, and
I remembered.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
Did either of the men come back at all? No.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
I sat there for a while, and then I tried
to think of some way I could get away. Yeah,
there was a whiskey bottle on the floor, and I
kicked it until I broke it. Then I took one
of the pieces and cut the ropes on my hands.
I untied my feet and then just went around the shack,
kicking the walls until I found a place that wasn't strong.
I found one. I crawled through.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
Where'd you do?
Speaker 3 (18:10):
Then I started to walk. It's pretty late by that time,
and I started to walk down the road. I was
looking for a house. I got to the street and
walked along it for a while. There weren't many cars,
but the truck came along. The driver stopped and gave
me a lyft, drove me to lawl in Hollywood Boulevard,
and then let me out. Yeah, after that, I walked home.
Speaker 5 (18:28):
You were real brave, honey.
Speaker 3 (18:29):
It was pretty scared a lot of times. I didn't
know what to.
Speaker 5 (18:33):
Do, and you just bet they were a baby. But
you did good.
Speaker 7 (18:36):
You're safe now.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
Can he describe the two men for us? Do you think?
Speaker 3 (18:39):
I guess so? One of them was dark, kind of short,
looked like, oh, what's his name? You see him on
television all the time? Real moon looking. I was think
of his name, exactly like him.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
What about the other one?
Speaker 3 (18:52):
He wasn't very big either, kind of brown hair or
sin had blue eyes, watery blue eyes.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
Were those the only two men you saw?
Speaker 8 (19:00):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (19:00):
Just to too.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
Did they talk about anybody else being in on the
kidnapping with him? Do you remember that?
Speaker 3 (19:05):
I could hear?
Speaker 1 (19:06):
You're sure about that?
Speaker 5 (19:07):
I yes, session was so important about that.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
Well, so we've got a man in custody, the one
who calls you yes. Neither one of these descriptions match him.
We continued to talk to the Moran girl. We got
a complete description of both men and Bob and of
the car they used. Local and apps were gotten out
on them. The fact that the descriptions varied and did
not match the suspect we had in custody meant very little.
(19:30):
A witness or a victim under stress might easily be mistaken.
We talked with a family doctor and he told us
that after a good night's sleep, the girl would be
able to cooperate with us completely. The following morning, Monday,
April nineteenth, the special show up was arranged at the
main jail. Our suspect was placed in the line with
other men in custody. Bunny Moran failed to identify him.
Frank and I took her over to the city Hall
(19:51):
and had her look through mugshots that had been pulled
from packages as a result of a run by the
stats office. She was unable to point out a suspect.
She could show us the shack where she'd been held captive.
She said she could. We called her parents and told
them where we were going, and then we left the office.
We picked up a policewoman and drove out the freeway
to Sunset Boulevard and turned off. When we got the
Laurel Canyon Boulevard, we drove past Lookout Mountain Avenue, and
(20:13):
then we turned left onto a dirt road. We drove
for about a mile and a half. There was no
sign of any type of building.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
Right up ahead, around the next corner.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
Shure, you're on the right road.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
Yeah, I remember walking down this one.
Speaker 1 (20:25):
That's right as far as we can go.
Speaker 4 (20:29):
That it.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
Maybe I did make a mistake, Maybe I did.
Speaker 7 (20:33):
I was sure.
Speaker 3 (20:34):
It was a long year, but maybe I was wrong.
It might have been the next road up, you know,
the one pass where we turned off, Uh.
Speaker 1 (20:40):
The one turn around Frank, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
Oh sure, I'm sorry about it.
Speaker 1 (20:46):
That's all right, miss guess it seems like.
Speaker 3 (20:48):
A wild goose chase. Hum.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
No, sure, hope not.
Speaker 3 (20:51):
I know where it is.
Speaker 7 (20:52):
I just got mixed up.
Speaker 6 (20:54):
All right, we'll.
Speaker 3 (20:55):
Find it, I'm sure we will. Can't just disappear, Cannon, No,
not like it. Here's someplace you'll see.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
Yeah, we'll see. We went back to Laurel Canyon Boulevard
and drove up all of the dirt roads in the vicinity,
we didn't find the shack. Each time Bunny Moran would
offer some excuse. Finally, we asked her to describe the
truck that had picked her up. She gave us a
description that would fit two or three hundred vehicles in
the city. She was unable to tell us the name
(21:22):
of the driver who'd stop. We took her back to
the office and asked her to go over the story again.
When she finished, Frank left to get Captain Powers that
you want to tell us now?
Speaker 7 (21:31):
What you mean?
Speaker 1 (21:32):
The real story, the way it really happened, might be
easier if you told us first. Don't you think I.
Speaker 3 (21:36):
Told you There isn't any more to tell. I told
you all how it happened.
Speaker 1 (21:39):
Why you're lying, I'm not why it happens now. Look,
there are half a dozen places where the story you
just told us doesn't fit with what you said last night.
Speaker 3 (21:51):
I was tired last night. Maybe I didn't remember.
Speaker 1 (21:53):
It's kind of hard to buy too many things that
don't check out. Miss the story about your dog, the
fact that you can't find the shack, you don't know
who the driver of the truck was. There are a
lot of things I.
Speaker 3 (22:02):
Forgot, that's all I made mistake? Didn't you ever make
a mistake?
Speaker 1 (22:06):
A lot of them? But last night you said that
only one of the men went upstairs with you, And
isn't it right? You seem pretty sure about.
Speaker 3 (22:13):
It then, And I guess that's what I said.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
Only one of the men went with you?
Speaker 3 (22:17):
Huh, that's what I said?
Speaker 2 (22:19):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (22:20):
Well, and why when you told the story just now,
did you say that both of them went with.
Speaker 7 (22:25):
I don't know, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
You're getting me only stuff?
Speaker 1 (22:31):
Did you kill your dog? Did you? Yes? Why I had.
Speaker 3 (22:40):
To make the story sound really? I didn't one, but
I had to.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
Well, why'd you do it at all? Miss?
Speaker 3 (22:50):
So they wouldn't mind? That's the reason.
Speaker 1 (22:53):
What do you mean, so who wouldn't mind?
Speaker 3 (22:57):
You'll think it's still you won't think it's a good reason.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
Why don't you tell me? Anyway?
Speaker 3 (23:04):
Because I was failing, I flunked at school. I flunk,
and I didn't want my folks to know. They'd be
real mad, real mad.
Speaker 1 (23:13):
So you figure this kidnappling out and played it that way.
Speaker 3 (23:17):
Yes, I thought that if something bad happened to me,
they'd be so glad to have me back. It wouldn't
matter about my flunking.
Speaker 1 (23:27):
The whole thing was alive from the beginning to hand.
H Yet all of it all right. Next time we
better get going where let me take your home.
Speaker 3 (23:38):
You can tell my folks about it.
Speaker 1 (23:40):
We haven't got much choice, haven't we.
Speaker 3 (23:42):
They'll be mad, Madden, they've ever been well.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
I guess they will.
Speaker 3 (23:46):
Well, I tell them, what'll I say?
Speaker 1 (23:48):
I'll tell you. Why don't you try something different? Tell
them the.
Speaker 8 (23:51):
Truth present At the meeting where mister and missus Gilbert
Moran and their daughter Lucilla, it was decided that no
criminal complaint be issued and the girl was released to
the custody of her parents, with the understanding that she
(24:11):
be given psychiatric help. Further investigations showed Mark Harkwell Lansdale
was wanted by authorities in Sacramento to answer.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
A burglary charge.
Speaker 2 (24:21):
He was released to them.
Speaker 5 (24:22):
Dragnet The Story of Your Police Force in Action as
a presentation of the United States Armed Forces Radio Service.
Speaker 9 (25:03):
That's Supper stop by steps
Speaker 1 (25:40):
And seven
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