Dragnet: The Big Casing (Video Theater 301)

In this tense and tightly constructed episode of Dragnet, Sergeant Joe Friday (Jack Webb) and his partner, Ed Jacobs (Barney Phillips), are called to investigate a shocking death in a modest Los Angeles apartment.

A woman has been found dead from a gunshot wound, and her husband insists it was suicide. But as the detectives begin to piece together the evidence—an empty cartridge, a dusting of flour, and the peculiar position of a body—questions begin to multiply faster than answers. What begins as a routine inquiry quickly deepens into a web of contradictions.

The neighbors have stories to tell, the evidence tells another, and instinct leads Friday and Jacobs down a path that challenges their confidence in what seems obvious.

This episode captures Dragnet at its most methodical—slowly building tension through measured dialogue, careful observation, and an unflinching portrayal of police work as both science and human judgment. It's a story not only about crime but about certainty—and how easily even the most seasoned detectives can be deceived by what they think they know.

Originally aired on June 6, 1952, "The Big Casing" was adapted from an earlier radio broadcast. It stands as one of the series' most thought-provoking cases, showcasing the emergence of forensic reasoning as an essential part of modern investigation.