November 5, 2025 • 26 mins
https://www.solgoodmedia.com - Listen to hundreds of audiobooks, thousands of short stories, and ambient sounds all ad free! Dive into the captivating world of classic crime-solving with "Dragnet Radio," where each episode brings to life the thrilling police investigations from the original 1950s radio series. Join Sergeant Joe Friday and his partners as they navigate the mean streets of Los Angeles, unraveling complex cases with meticulous detail and unflinching determination. This podcast not only revisits the groundbreaking drama that set the standard for all future police procedurals but also explores the cultural impact and historical significance of one of the most influential shows of its time.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
The story you are about to hear is true, only
the names have been changed to protect the innocent. You're
a detective sergeant. You're assigned to Homicide Detail. An elderly
(00:23):
man reports the sudden death of his wife. He claims
he awoke in the morning to find her dead on
the floor of their bedroom. The cause of death is
not a parent. Your job investigate.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Drag net, the documented drama of an actual crime. For
the next thirty minutes, in cooperation of the Los Angeles
Police Departments, you will travel step by step on the
side of the law through an actual case. Transcribed from
official police bounce from beginning to end, from crime to punishment.
Drag Nett is the story of your police force in action.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
It was Friday, November twelfth, was cold in Los Angeles.
We were working the day watch out of Homicide Detail.
My partner's Ben Romero. The boss's thatat Brown Chief Detectives.
My name is Friday.
Speaker 4 (01:20):
Was nine thirty eight am when I got back to.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
The first floor of the Blackwell Hotel, Room seven.
Speaker 5 (01:29):
Oh hi, Joe, come on.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
Yeah, how's the old fellow doing?
Speaker 5 (01:34):
You tell you anything?
Speaker 4 (01:36):
Hasn't talked at all. He's pretty broken up.
Speaker 5 (01:38):
The woman's dead. That's about it. Uh.
Speaker 4 (01:40):
How about the bruise on her fort?
Speaker 6 (01:42):
Do you think that could have been in No, it
was just a slight bruise.
Speaker 5 (01:44):
I don't think that could have killed her.
Speaker 6 (01:46):
And they moved the body out of the room there, Yeah,
they just did, taking it.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
Downtown for the autopsy. Well, I guess we can take
the old man back to his own room now. Huh, yeah,
I think so. He's back here in the kitchen now.
M fixed him a cup of coffee. Still feeling pretty.
Speaker 4 (01:59):
Bad, m mister Durner, Would you like to go back
to your room now?
Speaker 7 (02:06):
Everything's been fixed up? Mister Turner, what happened? You didn't
tell me what happened to Gertrude. I'm afraid we don't know,
mister Turner, not yet. I told you about it, didn't.
I woke up this morning about eight o'clock, put MYRM
over on the pillar and shot and there, and I
(02:27):
got out my Charlene on the floor. My wife, Gertrude
a sell her arm shoes cold, ice cold.
Speaker 4 (02:37):
Somebody already know what happened.
Speaker 5 (02:39):
Well, we'll let you know.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
Just say as we get the corner's reports there, would
you like to go back to your own room.
Speaker 4 (02:43):
Now, what's corner have to do with it?
Speaker 5 (02:46):
Well, he's gonna have to perform an autopsy. We'll have
the report for you tomorrow morning.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
I don't want him to do that to Gertrude.
Speaker 5 (02:52):
I don't want him to I'm sorry, sir. I'm afraid
it's necessary. Death of this kind.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
There was no doctor in attendance, nobody designed the death sertilicate.
Speaker 4 (03:01):
There's nothing I can do, nothing to help her.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
I'm sorry, mister Turner. Hm hm, Can we help you
back to your room?
Speaker 5 (03:08):
Sir?
Speaker 4 (03:09):
H it's he's still there. No, so they're taking nobody downtown.
Can I give you a hand?
Speaker 5 (03:14):
Nax?
Speaker 6 (03:15):
Thank you?
Speaker 7 (03:16):
M alright, I'll get the dark. Where'd mister Parkson go?
Was that say the hotel manager?
Speaker 4 (03:31):
Mr? Parker?
Speaker 5 (03:32):
Oh?
Speaker 7 (03:32):
Yeah, these are his rooms here. I wanted to tell him,
thank you for letting me stay down here.
Speaker 4 (03:38):
Why why?
Speaker 5 (03:39):
I think you'll be back in a few minutes. He
was busy outside.
Speaker 7 (03:42):
Nice of 'em. Let me use his place. I couldn't
stay in our room, not the way it was. GERTRUDEOI,
I'm there, I'm all right now, mister Turner. Can you
make the stairs all right, yes.
Speaker 4 (03:56):
And thank you.
Speaker 7 (03:58):
Just a little tired, that's Oh, I guess the whole
thing's betten too much for me. Maybe you'd like to
have us call your family doctor. M No, we don't
have a family doctor. I'll be alright after a spell.
Just hard to understand. That's all you have to think
about it, awhile should think about it.
Speaker 5 (04:20):
Yes, sir, here we are. I'll get the door, go ahead,
men mm.
Speaker 7 (04:24):
Yeah, right there on the floor. Oh sure, that's where
I found her when I woke up, right there by
the bed.
Speaker 4 (04:38):
Where have they taken her?
Speaker 5 (04:39):
Downtown? Mister turn into the county Morgue.
Speaker 7 (04:42):
Oh they'll let me see her, won't they, Yes, sir,
they will.
Speaker 5 (04:46):
Do you feel up answering a few questions for us?
Speaker 4 (04:48):
Now?
Speaker 7 (04:49):
Oh, I'll tell you everything I know about it. I
don't see how it's gonna help anything. I'm gonna try
to make it as brief as possible, sir. Now, your
wife's full name is Gertrude Agnes Turner.
Speaker 5 (05:00):
Is that right?
Speaker 4 (05:01):
Yes, that's right?
Speaker 1 (05:02):
All right?
Speaker 4 (05:03):
But see Gertrude sixty three, and that said I'm four
years older than her. That's how I always tell.
Speaker 5 (05:13):
Was your wife in good health, mister Turner, under a
doctor's care or anything like that.
Speaker 4 (05:17):
No, no, nothing wrong with her.
Speaker 5 (05:20):
I knew of heart trouble anything like that.
Speaker 7 (05:23):
No, sir, she used to have headaches every now and then.
Doctor friend of ours back home, you send pills for
her to take.
Speaker 4 (05:31):
That's about all. How was your wife in the last night?
Speaker 5 (05:34):
Was she all right?
Speaker 7 (05:34):
Then?
Speaker 4 (05:35):
Just fine? When I woke up, I put my arm
over on her pillow.
Speaker 8 (05:40):
She wasn't there.
Speaker 7 (05:42):
Then I got up and sorrow. Lying on the floor
right by the bed. Gertrude she was ice coold. There
was a little bruise up here on her forehead. I
I thought I was dreaming.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
She was dead. Who weren'tetting married a year?
Speaker 5 (06:04):
Do you wanna go on train? You think you feel
all right?
Speaker 7 (06:09):
Yeah, it's all right, off, sir. I got a little
bit of brandy and that covered over there. I think
I could do some of you too. Officers don't mind?
Speaker 5 (06:18):
Probably al right, certain, I'll get a miss Durning.
Speaker 7 (06:24):
We had it all figured out Tuesday, November sixteenth.
Speaker 4 (06:28):
That's her name's day.
Speaker 5 (06:30):
How's that?
Speaker 4 (06:31):
November sixteenth?
Speaker 7 (06:32):
It's my wife's name's day. You see, Gertrude's German girl
a lot of German people don't celebrate their birthday. They
celebrate their names day instead. Next Tuesday, Saint Gertrude's day. Yeah,
I see, yeah, you are, Miss Durning. Thank you either
one of your officer's care and Brandy.
Speaker 5 (06:52):
Certainly welcome to it. I thank you very much. Do
you your wife have many friends in town, mister Turner?
Speaker 7 (07:04):
H No, no, just a few around the hotel here.
Gertrude and I have only been in California a few months.
Speaker 4 (07:11):
Come out from Injianna, you know, Fort Wayne, Yes.
Speaker 5 (07:14):
Sir, no relatives here.
Speaker 7 (07:15):
No, sure, wife only had one relative living sister. She's
she's back in Indiana.
Speaker 4 (07:21):
H How did join your wife get along all right? Oh? Fine,
we never had any trouble. I loved her. Oh sure?
Speaker 5 (07:29):
Did your wife have any enemies that you know of, sir?
Speaker 3 (07:31):
People she didn't get along with? Somebody who might've wanted
to hurt her?
Speaker 6 (07:35):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (07:36):
I can't think of any wood.
Speaker 7 (07:38):
Well, how about some of the men your wife knew
before she married, mister Turner?
Speaker 6 (07:41):
Any bad feelings one of them might have had Georgia?
Speaker 5 (07:44):
Why?
Speaker 7 (07:45):
No, sure, nothing I know of so I had. All
her old friends are still back there. In jama You
say your marriage was working out pretty well. Your wife
didn't have any gentlemen friends that she might have been
interested in.
Speaker 4 (07:56):
Oh sure, I ain't know that. For the truth, Gertrude
spent her.
Speaker 5 (08:00):
I'm at home.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
She didn't run around. She was a good wife. Would
you know if your wife had any reason.
Speaker 5 (08:06):
At all to take her own life?
Speaker 7 (08:07):
Maybe, Well it's the last thing in the world, gertr
to do. No reason for it. We had too many
things to look forward to, lots of things. You don't
stop living just because you passed sixty five. Yes, tell
me the truth, officer. Don't you really know what happened
to her?
Speaker 5 (08:26):
No, sir, no more than you do. Fraid will have
to wait for that corner's report.
Speaker 4 (08:31):
I don't understand, the officer, But am I supposed to
understand it that I went to bed last night and.
Speaker 7 (08:38):
I had a wife? Yeah, today's one day off. We're
gonna take a car ride down the beach. That's the
dress she was gonna wear hanging up there. Gertrude made
it herself. She didn't know where it today.
Speaker 4 (08:57):
I'll try to take it easy, mister Turner.
Speaker 7 (08:59):
I beg your She's all I had why should she
have to die? She didn't have to die, did she?
Speaker 5 (09:07):
I don't know, sir, Maybe she didn't have a choice.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
The body of the dead woman, Missus Gertrude Agnes Turner,
who was removed to the county ward for autopsy.
Speaker 5 (09:19):
Ben and I filled out the three.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
To eleven form the dead body report and filed it.
Ending the outcome of the autopsy, A couple of mister
Turner's friends who lived upstairs from him at the Blackwell Hotel,
agreed to look after.
Speaker 5 (09:30):
The old man until he got over the.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
Shock of his wife's sudden death seven forty five.
Speaker 5 (09:35):
The next morning, I checked him for work as usual. Morning,
Joe's money? We do? You know?
Speaker 4 (09:40):
Not much? Pretty well?
Speaker 5 (09:43):
How about the Turner woman?
Speaker 4 (09:44):
The word in the autopsy?
Speaker 5 (09:45):
Huh no, corner hasn't called yet. Have you got any smokes?
Speaker 4 (09:48):
I left the house and hurry this morning.
Speaker 5 (09:50):
Forgot everything? Yeah right here?
Speaker 7 (09:52):
Oh thanks, yeah, thanks? Allows him warning another row with
a wife? Huh smiter, Oh.
Speaker 4 (10:02):
Now that one of those church bazaars.
Speaker 6 (10:03):
She got herself mixed up and she's calling on me
for help again.
Speaker 5 (10:07):
Oh yeah, what she wants to do? Now?
Speaker 7 (10:08):
Remember the last time, don't you that spring bizarre have
me working on decorations down to the church seven nights a week,
eighteen women running around telling you what to do.
Speaker 5 (10:16):
You know, it's like a mad house, Jill. This time
is even worse.
Speaker 7 (10:20):
What I mean this time the ladies figure they ought
to have a little more production.
Speaker 5 (10:24):
They want me to dress up in some kind of
a funny costume.
Speaker 7 (10:27):
Upt you off pies and kids, you know, stove five
half falls, mustache to work?
Speaker 5 (10:32):
Mm you turn them down there? You won't do it
with it?
Speaker 4 (10:34):
Well, not exactly.
Speaker 5 (10:36):
Wife kicked up such a roug. Guess I'll end up
doing it. Got any ideas though?
Speaker 4 (10:41):
Uh huh wouldn't.
Speaker 7 (10:42):
Be so bad if I had somebody to work with me.
You wouldn't like to help me out with you?
Speaker 4 (10:47):
Well, I'll tell you I'm gonna be a little busy, Ben, But.
Speaker 5 (10:48):
If I get a chance, i'll drop. I'll see you though,
Uh I got it? Yeah? Homicide Friday? Oh yeah about that?
All right? Yeah, okay, we'll be right over. Was Doc
Cephalou over to morg about miss Turner? Got the O
cops you report for? Yeah, they won't sign the death certificated.
(11:10):
What's the trouble? A couple of things looks too suspicious
for him, They said.
Speaker 7 (11:13):
How'd they list because of death? She suffocated eight fifteen am.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
We went across the street and talked with doctor Cephaloh.
Speaker 5 (11:24):
All he could tell us was that.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
Gertrude Turner had suffered severe convulsions and that she had
died of suffocation. There was a small bruise in her
forehead and numerous other small bruises around the base of
the throat, not enough to say that the woman had
been murdered, and yet too much to dismiss.
Speaker 5 (11:38):
The case as an accidental death.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
Together with Lorman and Barrett from Homicide, Ben and I
looked up some of the friends of mister and missus Turner.
Speaker 4 (11:46):
We found two.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
Points which didn't check out with the story that mister
Turner had told us.
Speaker 5 (11:50):
According to the friends, Turner had had some violent arguments
with his wife.
Speaker 4 (11:54):
On at least one occasion he.
Speaker 5 (11:55):
Had struck her. And Secondly, the dead.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
Woman did have a gentleman friend in the neighborhood, but
his conduct with her had been above question was strictly friendship.
Speaker 5 (12:03):
We decided to take it from there.
Speaker 3 (12:05):
We went back to the Blackwell Hotel and found mister
Turner in his room he was wrapping up some of
his wife's personal effects and packing them in corrygated boxes.
Speaker 5 (12:14):
We told him about the coroner's report.
Speaker 7 (12:21):
I don't think I believe that chargeant. People just don't suffocate.
There's gotta be a reason.
Speaker 6 (12:26):
For it, Yes, sir, that's what we're looking for.
Speaker 4 (12:29):
Well, don't they know? Can't they tell you how it happened?
Is the doctors?
Speaker 3 (12:32):
Well, she had severe convulsions, she suffocated. That's just all
they could tell us.
Speaker 7 (12:36):
A bruise on her head, Gertrudge for what did they
say about that? Well, that wasn't the cause of death,
mister Turner. She could have gotten a bump when she
fell out of bed.
Speaker 5 (12:44):
It might have been there, it might not.
Speaker 4 (12:47):
I just don't understand. You think there'd be some way
of telling him.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
Well, we were around talking to some of your friends
in the neighborhood this morning, friends of.
Speaker 4 (12:54):
You and your wife. Oh yeah, ohoh, they had been
real friends.
Speaker 5 (12:58):
Officers.
Speaker 4 (12:59):
Everyone been up to see me, brought me meals and things, say,
isn't it a pretty see? Just look at that?
Speaker 5 (13:08):
Yes, real boon china, a cup.
Speaker 4 (13:11):
In a social.
Speaker 7 (13:13):
Richard used to collect 'em, had all kinds.
Speaker 5 (13:17):
Pretty, Yes, sir.
Speaker 3 (13:19):
When we were talking to you yesterday, sir, you told
us that you and your wife got along pretty well,
no arguments.
Speaker 4 (13:25):
Yes, sure, that's right.
Speaker 5 (13:26):
Well, now, some of your friends tell us that you
used to argue with.
Speaker 4 (13:29):
Your wife quite a bit. Who told you.
Speaker 5 (13:31):
That some of your friends here in the neighborhood? Is
that true?
Speaker 4 (13:34):
Mm?
Speaker 7 (13:36):
When we first got married, Gertrude and I, I guess
we had a few spats, no different than other people
getting used to each other, things like that.
Speaker 5 (13:44):
You know, huh, what did you ever strike your wife?
Miss Tana White? Yes, that routine question.
Speaker 4 (13:52):
Did you ever strike your wife?
Speaker 5 (13:55):
That's the Tina.
Speaker 4 (13:57):
Yes, one of the first arts which we had.
Speaker 7 (14:01):
I don't even remember what it was about, that's how
important it was. I well, I lost my temper. I
guess I kind of slapped her. I felt like a
no good bum. Never once happened again, slapping Gertrude charge
to remember right now?
Speaker 3 (14:21):
Well, we asked you the same question yesterday, sir.
Speaker 5 (14:23):
Couldn't you told us that then? Oh?
Speaker 7 (14:25):
I'm sorry, I I I guess I missed it. I well,
I wasn't feeling too good.
Speaker 4 (14:31):
I think you know what I mean.
Speaker 5 (14:32):
But you remember us asking if your wife had any
gentleman friends.
Speaker 4 (14:36):
Yes, I remember that.
Speaker 5 (14:39):
No, is it true?
Speaker 7 (14:40):
Well, there's one fellow names Clyde Warren, runs a drug
store down the street. I guess Gurchrard knew him bearing anybody,
but he was my friend too.
Speaker 5 (14:51):
Well.
Speaker 6 (14:51):
Did you ever complain of this Clyde Warren, that he
was spending too.
Speaker 4 (14:54):
Much time around your wife, that he ought to see
less of it?
Speaker 7 (14:57):
I think I did, maybe once, you twice. It was
kind of in a fooling way.
Speaker 6 (15:03):
Certainly didn't mean it.
Speaker 7 (15:05):
Clyde Warren was one of my best friends.
Speaker 4 (15:07):
Did you ever complain to your wife that she was
thinking too much?
Speaker 5 (15:10):
Warren?
Speaker 6 (15:10):
No?
Speaker 4 (15:11):
Sure, never even mentioned it. Why he asked me all
these things?
Speaker 6 (15:15):
Well, your wife's dead, mister Turner, and we still.
Speaker 5 (15:17):
Haven't found out why.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
But you asked me questions like I had something to
do with it.
Speaker 5 (15:21):
You were the last one to see her life, sir.
Speaker 6 (15:23):
You were alone with her in this room the night
she died.
Speaker 7 (15:27):
You think I killed Gertrude said, Is you think I
killed my own?
Speaker 8 (15:31):
Way?
Speaker 5 (15:32):
I'm sure we didn't say anyone killed her.
Speaker 4 (15:34):
Do you think I killed my own wife?
Speaker 6 (15:35):
You think I killed her?
Speaker 5 (15:37):
Did you kill her? Mister Turner.
Speaker 4 (15:40):
You know I didn't kill Gertrude. You know I didn't
do this.
Speaker 5 (15:44):
MM. I'm sorry, sir. There's not much else we can do. Now,
what do you mean?
Speaker 7 (15:48):
Corner found a series of bruises on the body. I
right around here, based on the neck. We know she
died a suffocation.
Speaker 5 (15:55):
The two things seemed to fit pretty well.
Speaker 6 (15:58):
I don't know what you mean.
Speaker 7 (16:00):
I am seeny brewisers not on her nick.
Speaker 4 (16:04):
I don't know what you mean.
Speaker 5 (16:05):
We'll have to take you downtown, Siry. You call your
lawyer now if you like.
Speaker 4 (16:09):
They don't have a lawyer. Why are you taking me down.
Speaker 5 (16:12):
To no alternative? We're going to have to book you.
Speaker 4 (16:15):
How's that?
Speaker 5 (16:16):
Suspicion of murder? Ten twenty five am.
Speaker 3 (16:22):
Before we booked him at the main jail, mister Turner
asked us if we'd get off a telegram to his
sister in law, missus Helen Raymond and Fort Wayne, Indiana,
informing her of what had happened.
Speaker 5 (16:31):
We told him we would, and we did.
Speaker 3 (16:33):
We booked him in on suspicion of one eighty seven
PC and then we checked back into the office. We
put him a call to the insurance company that held
a policy on missus Turner.
Speaker 5 (16:42):
Yes, sir, Gertrude Agnes Turner, what was that? All right? Right,
thank you sir, goodbye. What they have said?
Speaker 7 (16:49):
Missus Turner had three different policies on her life total
of five thousand dollars. Mister Turner's a beneficiary on all three.
It'll do for a motive and something else. Yere us
policies for one thousand dollars.
Speaker 5 (17:00):
When was it taken out?
Speaker 8 (17:01):
Three weeks ago?
Speaker 5 (17:19):
Monday, November fifteenth, ten am. The investigation went on.
Speaker 3 (17:23):
We failed to uncover any additional evidence against the suspect,
mister Turner. We had three main points against the man,
the recently issued insurance policy on his wife for one
thousand dollars, the fact that he had fought with his
wife and struck her on several occasions, and the series
of bruises which had been discovered at the base of
the dead woman's neck.
Speaker 5 (17:42):
As it stood, we weren't too sure that the case
had hold up in court.
Speaker 3 (17:45):
Ben was less sure that the old man was actually
responsible for the death of his wife. We figured if
Turner was gilly, we might try to impress him with
the evidence against him and attempt to get a confession. Monday,
one pm, we went over to the main jail to
interrogate the suspect.
Speaker 5 (18:07):
If you wanna step aside.
Speaker 4 (18:08):
There, they wanna lock that door. Oh yes, sir, this way,
missus Turner, I'll.
Speaker 5 (18:20):
Get the last way. Write me here, mister Turner.
Speaker 4 (18:28):
Mister Turner, like you said down alright? I thank you?
H why'd you come to see me?
Speaker 7 (18:35):
Have you found out something?
Speaker 3 (18:36):
We've been checking a little bit further into the case,
mister Turner. We got a few more questions.
Speaker 5 (18:39):
For you, if you don't mind.
Speaker 7 (18:40):
Did you send the message to my sister in her room,
mister Raymond, the one I asked you to send?
Speaker 5 (18:44):
Yes? Or we took care of it.
Speaker 4 (18:46):
You got the address, right, didn't you?
Speaker 7 (18:48):
Fort Wayne, Indiana?
Speaker 4 (18:49):
That's right, just sent a telegram, told her all about it.
That was two days ago.
Speaker 7 (18:54):
She should have gotten But now I haven't heard a
word from her. Are you sure she got the telegram?
Speaker 6 (19:00):
A right?
Speaker 5 (19:00):
Pretty sure. We'll check on it. We get back to
the office. A few things we got here that you
might like to know about, sir. Maybe you can help
care him up for us.
Speaker 4 (19:06):
What's that officer? We understand that your.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
Wife Gertrud had some insurance on herself five thousand dollars worth.
Speaker 4 (19:12):
Yes, that's right. Something you want to know about it?
Speaker 5 (19:15):
Well, she any of you as the beneficiary in each
of her policies, A correct, yes, sir.
Speaker 7 (19:20):
Gertrud was a great believer in insurance, goinging hold with her
too much myself. She used to tell me all the
time here, sir, in case she died. First, she wanted
me to have a little something for old age, something
to retire and get a.
Speaker 4 (19:36):
Little ranch out in the valley.
Speaker 6 (19:37):
And I understand she took out a policy just lately,
a thousand dollars about.
Speaker 5 (19:41):
Three weeks ago.
Speaker 4 (19:42):
I know about it.
Speaker 7 (19:44):
I didn't want her to do it clean, waste of money.
I told her payments were pretty steep.
Speaker 3 (19:49):
Well, sir, is there anybody who can back that up
that you told your wife you didn't want her to
take out that policy.
Speaker 4 (19:55):
Mm no, I don't think so. We didn't talk about
our business with other people. Yeah, why they don't know?
Speaker 5 (20:03):
Yeah, what any phone calls do? It's important.
Speaker 4 (20:06):
You don't wanna do you wanna get it?
Speaker 6 (20:07):
Ben pill? Okay, you can lay it out of the
desk here, al I think.
Speaker 7 (20:14):
I think I know what you mean, the insurance. You
think that's why I killed Gertrude? Isn't it right?
Speaker 8 (20:21):
Else?
Speaker 5 (20:21):
He put yourself in our place, mister Turner, what would
you think?
Speaker 4 (20:24):
You know in your heart? I didn't kill my wife?
You know that in your heart?
Speaker 5 (20:28):
Well, they don't pay us for what we believe, Turner.
Speaker 3 (20:31):
They passed to get the facts to run down evidence
doesn't make any difference what I believe.
Speaker 4 (20:35):
Would you know I didn't kill her? You know that,
don't you?
Speaker 5 (20:39):
Well, sir, I know.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
We ask you if you ever argued with your wife,
and you told us no. We thought out you beat
her up a couple of times. We ask you if
she was friendly with any of the men in the neighborhoods.
You told us no, We found one. We ask you
about the bruises the coroner found on her neck.
Speaker 5 (20:53):
You don't know.
Speaker 4 (20:54):
You can't explain 'em.
Speaker 5 (20:55):
We ask you if your wife.
Speaker 3 (20:57):
Had been ill, if she had any sickness, to explain
her dying way she did, and you said no. We
ask you about the insurance. You can't explain that either.
Three weeks before she dies, she takes out a thousand
dollars on her life. She dies in the same room
with you and you don't know howur of why? Now
you tell me, mister, what are we supposed to believe.
Speaker 4 (21:15):
Hi didn't kill her?
Speaker 7 (21:17):
Somebody has to believe that somebody Hi didn't kill her. Joe,
see you, Matt, Yeah yeah, and Pune Carl it was
long distance. Turner's sister in love is Raymond and what
she wanted calling from Fort Wayne.
Speaker 5 (21:35):
She's flying out here tonight. Seemed pretty rode up about
her sister.
Speaker 4 (21:38):
Huh.
Speaker 5 (21:38):
Mostly about mister Turner. She claims he's innocent.
Speaker 4 (21:41):
Seems pretty sure of it.
Speaker 5 (21:42):
She can prove that Turner didn't kill his wife, That's
what she said.
Speaker 4 (21:45):
She's bringing the proof with her.
Speaker 3 (21:51):
Tuesday, November sixteenth, Turner's sister in law, Missus Raymond, was
scheduled to arrive at six pm by plane from Indiana.
Speaker 5 (21:59):
Two.
Speaker 3 (22:00):
One of the main points in the case against the
suspect was proven false. A woman friend of Missus Turner,
after reading of the husband's arrest in the paper, informed
us that while Missus Turner was visiting her home a
few days before she died, she complained of a severe headache.
Speaker 5 (22:15):
The woman's son, who.
Speaker 3 (22:16):
Was studying to be a chiropractor attempted to treat missus
Turner's headache by manipulating the muscles.
Speaker 5 (22:21):
In her neck and shoulders.
Speaker 3 (22:23):
The woman said that Missus Turner called the next day
and complained about receiving bruises on her neck as a
result of her son's experimental treatment. The son came down
to the office and signed a full statement to this effect.
At seven pm, mister Turner's sister in law arrived.
Speaker 5 (22:37):
With her was a doctor, John Grant, a Fort Wayne physician.
Speaker 3 (22:40):
The two of them told us their story and gave
us all the information they had concerning the case. Ben
and I went immediately to the main jail, picked up
mister Turner and brought him back to the office. His
sister in law and doctor Grant waited in the adjoining room.
Speaker 6 (22:53):
Why did you bring me here?
Speaker 4 (22:55):
You're going to ask me more questions? I told you everything.
Speaker 5 (22:58):
No, sir, no more question.
Speaker 7 (23:00):
You can't take me off the prisoner I have near a.
Speaker 5 (23:02):
Trial you is no, sir, You're not gonna have a trial.
Mister Turner.
Speaker 3 (23:05):
We're releasing you. How's that Your sister in law is Raymond.
She's in the next room with her doctor. They're gonna
take you home, Sir.
Speaker 4 (23:12):
I don't think I understand, Officer.
Speaker 3 (23:15):
How do you mean Your sister and law just got
in from Fort Wayne to night and she has her
family doctor with her.
Speaker 6 (23:20):
They told us about your wife, Gertrude. Everything we had
to know is.
Speaker 4 (23:24):
About Gertrude, my wife. Well, what do you mean, officer.
Speaker 3 (23:28):
Well, maybe you can understand, sir. Your wife was afraid
to let you know. She told her sister she was
afraid it might break up her marriage.
Speaker 7 (23:35):
Afraid to tell me what.
Speaker 3 (23:37):
Well, your wife suffered from epilepsy. She had it most
of her life.
Speaker 4 (23:41):
She had epilepsy, Yes, sir, she did.
Speaker 3 (23:43):
Miss Doctor Grant showed us that he's been sending your
wife medicine ever since you moved out here to California.
He treated her many times for the same thing before
you met her. She figured it might ruin her chances
of marrying you, so she kept it a secret.
Speaker 4 (23:57):
The menisin, I remember this used to come through the
mill and that's it.
Speaker 7 (24:02):
Uh counts for the headache she had the night before
she died. She probably had an attack during the night, suffocated.
Speaker 5 (24:08):
That's how you found her in the morning.
Speaker 4 (24:10):
Well, why didn't they know the corner they examiner.
Speaker 5 (24:13):
Well, sir, that's just the point.
Speaker 3 (24:15):
If you die of epilepsy, there's just no way of telling,
not even my autopsy. Convulsions and suffocation, that's the only
way they can list it.
Speaker 4 (24:22):
And she was ashamed, Richard, she was afraid to tell me.
Speaker 5 (24:27):
Yes, sir, that's what she wrote to your sister in law.
We saw the.
Speaker 4 (24:30):
Letters and I can leave now if I want to it?
Is it alright?
Speaker 7 (24:35):
You'll get your things from the property clerk first and
then you can go.
Speaker 4 (24:38):
Can I see Helen now, my sister in law. I'd
like to say it alone.
Speaker 5 (24:41):
Yes, so you can. It's right through that door.
Speaker 7 (24:43):
Well, thank you kindly, it's all right. Oh sure, yes,
Just one thing i'd.
Speaker 4 (24:52):
Like to ask.
Speaker 7 (24:53):
Yes, you knew all the time, didn't you. I mean,
in your own heart? How's that I couldn't be Gertrude
in your own heart?
Speaker 4 (25:01):
You knew that, didn't you.
Speaker 5 (25:05):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (25:06):
Sure, yes, sir, I know it. I thought you did.
I'll be right back, Joe.
Speaker 5 (25:20):
I wouldn't worry about it, sir.
Speaker 7 (25:23):
We'll call it a quiet lie.
Speaker 1 (25:32):
The story you have just heard was true, only the
names were changed to protect the innocent.
Speaker 2 (25:37):
On November sixteenth, the meeting was held in the office
of Blaine Steed, Captain of Homicide. In a moment the
results of that meeting, the death of Gertrude Agnes Turner
was proved beyond the doubt to be due to natural causes.
(25:58):
A nine point ten report was made which completely exonerated
the husband of the dead woman.
Speaker 5 (26:11):
You have just heard.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
Dragnet, 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.
The story you are about to hear is true, only
the names have been changed to protect the innocent. You're
a detective sergeant. You're assigned to Homicide Detail. An elderly
(00:23):
man reports the sudden death of his wife. He claims
he awoke in the morning to find her dead on
the floor of their bedroom. The cause of death is
not a parent. Your job investigate.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Drag net, the documented drama of an actual crime. For
the next thirty minutes, in cooperation of the Los Angeles
Police Departments, you will travel step by step on the
side of the law through an actual case. Transcribed from
official police bounce from beginning to end, from crime to punishment.
Drag Nett is the story of your police force in action.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
It was Friday, November twelfth, was cold in Los Angeles.
We were working the day watch out of Homicide Detail.
My partner's Ben Romero. The boss's thatat Brown Chief Detectives.
My name is Friday.
Speaker 4 (01:20):
Was nine thirty eight am when I got back to.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
The first floor of the Blackwell Hotel, Room seven.
Speaker 5 (01:29):
Oh hi, Joe, come on.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
Yeah, how's the old fellow doing?
Speaker 5 (01:34):
You tell you anything?
Speaker 4 (01:36):
Hasn't talked at all. He's pretty broken up.
Speaker 5 (01:38):
The woman's dead. That's about it. Uh.
Speaker 4 (01:40):
How about the bruise on her fort?
Speaker 6 (01:42):
Do you think that could have been in No, it
was just a slight bruise.
Speaker 5 (01:44):
I don't think that could have killed her.
Speaker 6 (01:46):
And they moved the body out of the room there, Yeah,
they just did, taking it.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
Downtown for the autopsy. Well, I guess we can take
the old man back to his own room now. Huh, yeah,
I think so. He's back here in the kitchen now.
M fixed him a cup of coffee. Still feeling pretty.
Speaker 4 (01:59):
Bad, m mister Durner, Would you like to go back
to your room now?
Speaker 7 (02:06):
Everything's been fixed up? Mister Turner, what happened? You didn't
tell me what happened to Gertrude. I'm afraid we don't know,
mister Turner, not yet. I told you about it, didn't.
I woke up this morning about eight o'clock, put MYRM
over on the pillar and shot and there, and I
(02:27):
got out my Charlene on the floor. My wife, Gertrude
a sell her arm shoes cold, ice cold.
Speaker 4 (02:37):
Somebody already know what happened.
Speaker 5 (02:39):
Well, we'll let you know.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
Just say as we get the corner's reports there, would
you like to go back to your own room.
Speaker 4 (02:43):
Now, what's corner have to do with it?
Speaker 5 (02:46):
Well, he's gonna have to perform an autopsy. We'll have
the report for you tomorrow morning.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
I don't want him to do that to Gertrude.
Speaker 5 (02:52):
I don't want him to I'm sorry, sir. I'm afraid
it's necessary. Death of this kind.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
There was no doctor in attendance, nobody designed the death sertilicate.
Speaker 4 (03:01):
There's nothing I can do, nothing to help her.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
I'm sorry, mister Turner. Hm hm, Can we help you
back to your room?
Speaker 5 (03:08):
Sir?
Speaker 4 (03:09):
H it's he's still there. No, so they're taking nobody downtown.
Can I give you a hand?
Speaker 5 (03:14):
Nax?
Speaker 6 (03:15):
Thank you?
Speaker 7 (03:16):
M alright, I'll get the dark. Where'd mister Parkson go?
Was that say the hotel manager?
Speaker 4 (03:31):
Mr? Parker?
Speaker 5 (03:32):
Oh?
Speaker 7 (03:32):
Yeah, these are his rooms here. I wanted to tell him,
thank you for letting me stay down here.
Speaker 4 (03:38):
Why why?
Speaker 5 (03:39):
I think you'll be back in a few minutes. He
was busy outside.
Speaker 7 (03:42):
Nice of 'em. Let me use his place. I couldn't
stay in our room, not the way it was. GERTRUDEOI,
I'm there, I'm all right now, mister Turner. Can you
make the stairs all right, yes.
Speaker 4 (03:56):
And thank you.
Speaker 7 (03:58):
Just a little tired, that's Oh, I guess the whole
thing's betten too much for me. Maybe you'd like to
have us call your family doctor. M No, we don't
have a family doctor. I'll be alright after a spell.
Just hard to understand. That's all you have to think
about it, awhile should think about it.
Speaker 5 (04:20):
Yes, sir, here we are. I'll get the door, go ahead,
men mm.
Speaker 7 (04:24):
Yeah, right there on the floor. Oh sure, that's where
I found her when I woke up, right there by
the bed.
Speaker 4 (04:38):
Where have they taken her?
Speaker 5 (04:39):
Downtown? Mister turn into the county Morgue.
Speaker 7 (04:42):
Oh they'll let me see her, won't they, Yes, sir,
they will.
Speaker 5 (04:46):
Do you feel up answering a few questions for us?
Speaker 4 (04:48):
Now?
Speaker 7 (04:49):
Oh, I'll tell you everything I know about it. I
don't see how it's gonna help anything. I'm gonna try
to make it as brief as possible, sir. Now, your
wife's full name is Gertrude Agnes Turner.
Speaker 5 (05:00):
Is that right?
Speaker 4 (05:01):
Yes, that's right?
Speaker 1 (05:02):
All right?
Speaker 4 (05:03):
But see Gertrude sixty three, and that said I'm four
years older than her. That's how I always tell.
Speaker 5 (05:13):
Was your wife in good health, mister Turner, under a
doctor's care or anything like that.
Speaker 4 (05:17):
No, no, nothing wrong with her.
Speaker 5 (05:20):
I knew of heart trouble anything like that.
Speaker 7 (05:23):
No, sir, she used to have headaches every now and then.
Doctor friend of ours back home, you send pills for
her to take.
Speaker 4 (05:31):
That's about all. How was your wife in the last night?
Speaker 5 (05:34):
Was she all right?
Speaker 7 (05:34):
Then?
Speaker 4 (05:35):
Just fine? When I woke up, I put my arm
over on her pillow.
Speaker 8 (05:40):
She wasn't there.
Speaker 7 (05:42):
Then I got up and sorrow. Lying on the floor
right by the bed. Gertrude she was ice coold. There
was a little bruise up here on her forehead. I
I thought I was dreaming.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
She was dead. Who weren'tetting married a year?
Speaker 5 (06:04):
Do you wanna go on train? You think you feel
all right?
Speaker 7 (06:09):
Yeah, it's all right, off, sir. I got a little
bit of brandy and that covered over there. I think
I could do some of you too. Officers don't mind?
Speaker 5 (06:18):
Probably al right, certain, I'll get a miss Durning.
Speaker 7 (06:24):
We had it all figured out Tuesday, November sixteenth.
Speaker 4 (06:28):
That's her name's day.
Speaker 5 (06:30):
How's that?
Speaker 4 (06:31):
November sixteenth?
Speaker 7 (06:32):
It's my wife's name's day. You see, Gertrude's German girl
a lot of German people don't celebrate their birthday. They
celebrate their names day instead. Next Tuesday, Saint Gertrude's day. Yeah,
I see, yeah, you are, Miss Durning. Thank you either
one of your officer's care and Brandy.
Speaker 5 (06:52):
Certainly welcome to it. I thank you very much. Do
you your wife have many friends in town, mister Turner?
Speaker 7 (07:04):
H No, no, just a few around the hotel here.
Gertrude and I have only been in California a few months.
Speaker 4 (07:11):
Come out from Injianna, you know, Fort Wayne, Yes.
Speaker 5 (07:14):
Sir, no relatives here.
Speaker 7 (07:15):
No, sure, wife only had one relative living sister. She's
she's back in Indiana.
Speaker 4 (07:21):
H How did join your wife get along all right? Oh? Fine,
we never had any trouble. I loved her. Oh sure?
Speaker 5 (07:29):
Did your wife have any enemies that you know of, sir?
Speaker 3 (07:31):
People she didn't get along with? Somebody who might've wanted
to hurt her?
Speaker 6 (07:35):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (07:36):
I can't think of any wood.
Speaker 7 (07:38):
Well, how about some of the men your wife knew
before she married, mister Turner?
Speaker 6 (07:41):
Any bad feelings one of them might have had Georgia?
Speaker 5 (07:44):
Why?
Speaker 7 (07:45):
No, sure, nothing I know of so I had. All
her old friends are still back there. In jama You
say your marriage was working out pretty well. Your wife
didn't have any gentlemen friends that she might have been
interested in.
Speaker 4 (07:56):
Oh sure, I ain't know that. For the truth, Gertrude
spent her.
Speaker 5 (08:00):
I'm at home.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
She didn't run around. She was a good wife. Would
you know if your wife had any reason.
Speaker 5 (08:06):
At all to take her own life?
Speaker 7 (08:07):
Maybe, Well it's the last thing in the world, gertr
to do. No reason for it. We had too many
things to look forward to, lots of things. You don't
stop living just because you passed sixty five. Yes, tell
me the truth, officer. Don't you really know what happened
to her?
Speaker 5 (08:26):
No, sir, no more than you do. Fraid will have
to wait for that corner's report.
Speaker 4 (08:31):
I don't understand, the officer, But am I supposed to
understand it that I went to bed last night and.
Speaker 7 (08:38):
I had a wife? Yeah, today's one day off. We're
gonna take a car ride down the beach. That's the
dress she was gonna wear hanging up there. Gertrude made
it herself. She didn't know where it today.
Speaker 4 (08:57):
I'll try to take it easy, mister Turner.
Speaker 7 (08:59):
I beg your She's all I had why should she
have to die? She didn't have to die, did she?
Speaker 5 (09:07):
I don't know, sir, Maybe she didn't have a choice.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
The body of the dead woman, Missus Gertrude Agnes Turner,
who was removed to the county ward for autopsy.
Speaker 5 (09:19):
Ben and I filled out the three.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
To eleven form the dead body report and filed it.
Ending the outcome of the autopsy, A couple of mister
Turner's friends who lived upstairs from him at the Blackwell Hotel,
agreed to look after.
Speaker 5 (09:30):
The old man until he got over the.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
Shock of his wife's sudden death seven forty five.
Speaker 5 (09:35):
The next morning, I checked him for work as usual. Morning,
Joe's money? We do? You know?
Speaker 4 (09:40):
Not much? Pretty well?
Speaker 5 (09:43):
How about the Turner woman?
Speaker 4 (09:44):
The word in the autopsy?
Speaker 5 (09:45):
Huh no, corner hasn't called yet. Have you got any smokes?
Speaker 4 (09:48):
I left the house and hurry this morning.
Speaker 5 (09:50):
Forgot everything? Yeah right here?
Speaker 7 (09:52):
Oh thanks, yeah, thanks? Allows him warning another row with
a wife? Huh smiter, Oh.
Speaker 4 (10:02):
Now that one of those church bazaars.
Speaker 6 (10:03):
She got herself mixed up and she's calling on me
for help again.
Speaker 5 (10:07):
Oh yeah, what she wants to do? Now?
Speaker 7 (10:08):
Remember the last time, don't you that spring bizarre have
me working on decorations down to the church seven nights a week,
eighteen women running around telling you what to do.
Speaker 5 (10:16):
You know, it's like a mad house, Jill. This time
is even worse.
Speaker 7 (10:20):
What I mean this time the ladies figure they ought
to have a little more production.
Speaker 5 (10:24):
They want me to dress up in some kind of
a funny costume.
Speaker 7 (10:27):
Upt you off pies and kids, you know, stove five
half falls, mustache to work?
Speaker 5 (10:32):
Mm you turn them down there? You won't do it
with it?
Speaker 4 (10:34):
Well, not exactly.
Speaker 5 (10:36):
Wife kicked up such a roug. Guess I'll end up
doing it. Got any ideas though?
Speaker 4 (10:41):
Uh huh wouldn't.
Speaker 7 (10:42):
Be so bad if I had somebody to work with me.
You wouldn't like to help me out with you?
Speaker 4 (10:47):
Well, I'll tell you I'm gonna be a little busy, Ben, But.
Speaker 5 (10:48):
If I get a chance, i'll drop. I'll see you though,
Uh I got it? Yeah? Homicide Friday? Oh yeah about that?
All right? Yeah, okay, we'll be right over. Was Doc
Cephalou over to morg about miss Turner? Got the O
cops you report for? Yeah, they won't sign the death certificated.
(11:10):
What's the trouble? A couple of things looks too suspicious
for him, They said.
Speaker 7 (11:13):
How'd they list because of death? She suffocated eight fifteen am.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
We went across the street and talked with doctor Cephaloh.
Speaker 5 (11:24):
All he could tell us was that.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
Gertrude Turner had suffered severe convulsions and that she had
died of suffocation. There was a small bruise in her
forehead and numerous other small bruises around the base of
the throat, not enough to say that the woman had
been murdered, and yet too much to dismiss.
Speaker 5 (11:38):
The case as an accidental death.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
Together with Lorman and Barrett from Homicide, Ben and I
looked up some of the friends of mister and missus Turner.
Speaker 4 (11:46):
We found two.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
Points which didn't check out with the story that mister
Turner had told us.
Speaker 5 (11:50):
According to the friends, Turner had had some violent arguments
with his wife.
Speaker 4 (11:54):
On at least one occasion he.
Speaker 5 (11:55):
Had struck her. And Secondly, the dead.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
Woman did have a gentleman friend in the neighborhood, but
his conduct with her had been above question was strictly friendship.
Speaker 5 (12:03):
We decided to take it from there.
Speaker 3 (12:05):
We went back to the Blackwell Hotel and found mister
Turner in his room he was wrapping up some of
his wife's personal effects and packing them in corrygated boxes.
Speaker 5 (12:14):
We told him about the coroner's report.
Speaker 7 (12:21):
I don't think I believe that chargeant. People just don't suffocate.
There's gotta be a reason.
Speaker 6 (12:26):
For it, Yes, sir, that's what we're looking for.
Speaker 4 (12:29):
Well, don't they know? Can't they tell you how it happened?
Is the doctors?
Speaker 3 (12:32):
Well, she had severe convulsions, she suffocated. That's just all
they could tell us.
Speaker 7 (12:36):
A bruise on her head, Gertrudge for what did they
say about that? Well, that wasn't the cause of death,
mister Turner. She could have gotten a bump when she
fell out of bed.
Speaker 5 (12:44):
It might have been there, it might not.
Speaker 4 (12:47):
I just don't understand. You think there'd be some way
of telling him.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
Well, we were around talking to some of your friends
in the neighborhood this morning, friends of.
Speaker 4 (12:54):
You and your wife. Oh yeah, ohoh, they had been
real friends.
Speaker 5 (12:58):
Officers.
Speaker 4 (12:59):
Everyone been up to see me, brought me meals and things, say,
isn't it a pretty see? Just look at that?
Speaker 5 (13:08):
Yes, real boon china, a cup.
Speaker 4 (13:11):
In a social.
Speaker 7 (13:13):
Richard used to collect 'em, had all kinds.
Speaker 5 (13:17):
Pretty, Yes, sir.
Speaker 3 (13:19):
When we were talking to you yesterday, sir, you told
us that you and your wife got along pretty well,
no arguments.
Speaker 4 (13:25):
Yes, sure, that's right.
Speaker 5 (13:26):
Well, now, some of your friends tell us that you
used to argue with.
Speaker 4 (13:29):
Your wife quite a bit. Who told you.
Speaker 5 (13:31):
That some of your friends here in the neighborhood? Is
that true?
Speaker 4 (13:34):
Mm?
Speaker 7 (13:36):
When we first got married, Gertrude and I, I guess
we had a few spats, no different than other people
getting used to each other, things like that.
Speaker 5 (13:44):
You know, huh, what did you ever strike your wife?
Miss Tana White? Yes, that routine question.
Speaker 4 (13:52):
Did you ever strike your wife?
Speaker 5 (13:55):
That's the Tina.
Speaker 4 (13:57):
Yes, one of the first arts which we had.
Speaker 7 (14:01):
I don't even remember what it was about, that's how
important it was. I well, I lost my temper. I
guess I kind of slapped her. I felt like a
no good bum. Never once happened again, slapping Gertrude charge
to remember right now?
Speaker 3 (14:21):
Well, we asked you the same question yesterday, sir.
Speaker 5 (14:23):
Couldn't you told us that then? Oh?
Speaker 7 (14:25):
I'm sorry, I I I guess I missed it. I well,
I wasn't feeling too good.
Speaker 4 (14:31):
I think you know what I mean.
Speaker 5 (14:32):
But you remember us asking if your wife had any
gentleman friends.
Speaker 4 (14:36):
Yes, I remember that.
Speaker 5 (14:39):
No, is it true?
Speaker 7 (14:40):
Well, there's one fellow names Clyde Warren, runs a drug
store down the street. I guess Gurchrard knew him bearing anybody,
but he was my friend too.
Speaker 5 (14:51):
Well.
Speaker 6 (14:51):
Did you ever complain of this Clyde Warren, that he
was spending too.
Speaker 4 (14:54):
Much time around your wife, that he ought to see
less of it?
Speaker 7 (14:57):
I think I did, maybe once, you twice. It was
kind of in a fooling way.
Speaker 6 (15:03):
Certainly didn't mean it.
Speaker 7 (15:05):
Clyde Warren was one of my best friends.
Speaker 4 (15:07):
Did you ever complain to your wife that she was
thinking too much?
Speaker 5 (15:10):
Warren?
Speaker 6 (15:10):
No?
Speaker 4 (15:11):
Sure, never even mentioned it. Why he asked me all
these things?
Speaker 6 (15:15):
Well, your wife's dead, mister Turner, and we still.
Speaker 5 (15:17):
Haven't found out why.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
But you asked me questions like I had something to
do with it.
Speaker 5 (15:21):
You were the last one to see her life, sir.
Speaker 6 (15:23):
You were alone with her in this room the night
she died.
Speaker 7 (15:27):
You think I killed Gertrude said, Is you think I
killed my own?
Speaker 8 (15:31):
Way?
Speaker 5 (15:32):
I'm sure we didn't say anyone killed her.
Speaker 4 (15:34):
Do you think I killed my own wife?
Speaker 6 (15:35):
You think I killed her?
Speaker 5 (15:37):
Did you kill her? Mister Turner.
Speaker 4 (15:40):
You know I didn't kill Gertrude. You know I didn't
do this.
Speaker 5 (15:44):
MM. I'm sorry, sir. There's not much else we can do. Now,
what do you mean?
Speaker 7 (15:48):
Corner found a series of bruises on the body. I
right around here, based on the neck. We know she
died a suffocation.
Speaker 5 (15:55):
The two things seemed to fit pretty well.
Speaker 6 (15:58):
I don't know what you mean.
Speaker 7 (16:00):
I am seeny brewisers not on her nick.
Speaker 4 (16:04):
I don't know what you mean.
Speaker 5 (16:05):
We'll have to take you downtown, Siry. You call your
lawyer now if you like.
Speaker 4 (16:09):
They don't have a lawyer. Why are you taking me down.
Speaker 5 (16:12):
To no alternative? We're going to have to book you.
Speaker 4 (16:15):
How's that?
Speaker 5 (16:16):
Suspicion of murder? Ten twenty five am.
Speaker 3 (16:22):
Before we booked him at the main jail, mister Turner
asked us if we'd get off a telegram to his
sister in law, missus Helen Raymond and Fort Wayne, Indiana,
informing her of what had happened.
Speaker 5 (16:31):
We told him we would, and we did.
Speaker 3 (16:33):
We booked him in on suspicion of one eighty seven
PC and then we checked back into the office. We
put him a call to the insurance company that held
a policy on missus Turner.
Speaker 5 (16:42):
Yes, sir, Gertrude Agnes Turner, what was that? All right? Right,
thank you sir, goodbye. What they have said?
Speaker 7 (16:49):
Missus Turner had three different policies on her life total
of five thousand dollars. Mister Turner's a beneficiary on all three.
It'll do for a motive and something else. Yere us
policies for one thousand dollars.
Speaker 5 (17:00):
When was it taken out?
Speaker 8 (17:01):
Three weeks ago?
Speaker 5 (17:19):
Monday, November fifteenth, ten am. The investigation went on.
Speaker 3 (17:23):
We failed to uncover any additional evidence against the suspect,
mister Turner. We had three main points against the man,
the recently issued insurance policy on his wife for one
thousand dollars, the fact that he had fought with his
wife and struck her on several occasions, and the series
of bruises which had been discovered at the base of
the dead woman's neck.
Speaker 5 (17:42):
As it stood, we weren't too sure that the case
had hold up in court.
Speaker 3 (17:45):
Ben was less sure that the old man was actually
responsible for the death of his wife. We figured if
Turner was gilly, we might try to impress him with
the evidence against him and attempt to get a confession. Monday,
one pm, we went over to the main jail to
interrogate the suspect.
Speaker 5 (18:07):
If you wanna step aside.
Speaker 4 (18:08):
There, they wanna lock that door. Oh yes, sir, this way,
missus Turner, I'll.
Speaker 5 (18:20):
Get the last way. Write me here, mister Turner.
Speaker 4 (18:28):
Mister Turner, like you said down alright? I thank you?
H why'd you come to see me?
Speaker 7 (18:35):
Have you found out something?
Speaker 3 (18:36):
We've been checking a little bit further into the case,
mister Turner. We got a few more questions.
Speaker 5 (18:39):
For you, if you don't mind.
Speaker 7 (18:40):
Did you send the message to my sister in her room,
mister Raymond, the one I asked you to send?
Speaker 5 (18:44):
Yes? Or we took care of it.
Speaker 4 (18:46):
You got the address, right, didn't you?
Speaker 7 (18:48):
Fort Wayne, Indiana?
Speaker 4 (18:49):
That's right, just sent a telegram, told her all about it.
That was two days ago.
Speaker 7 (18:54):
She should have gotten But now I haven't heard a
word from her. Are you sure she got the telegram?
Speaker 6 (19:00):
A right?
Speaker 5 (19:00):
Pretty sure. We'll check on it. We get back to
the office. A few things we got here that you
might like to know about, sir. Maybe you can help
care him up for us.
Speaker 4 (19:06):
What's that officer? We understand that your.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
Wife Gertrud had some insurance on herself five thousand dollars worth.
Speaker 4 (19:12):
Yes, that's right. Something you want to know about it?
Speaker 5 (19:15):
Well, she any of you as the beneficiary in each
of her policies, A correct, yes, sir.
Speaker 7 (19:20):
Gertrud was a great believer in insurance, goinging hold with her
too much myself. She used to tell me all the
time here, sir, in case she died. First, she wanted
me to have a little something for old age, something
to retire and get a.
Speaker 4 (19:36):
Little ranch out in the valley.
Speaker 6 (19:37):
And I understand she took out a policy just lately,
a thousand dollars about.
Speaker 5 (19:41):
Three weeks ago.
Speaker 4 (19:42):
I know about it.
Speaker 7 (19:44):
I didn't want her to do it clean, waste of money.
I told her payments were pretty steep.
Speaker 3 (19:49):
Well, sir, is there anybody who can back that up
that you told your wife you didn't want her to
take out that policy.
Speaker 4 (19:55):
Mm no, I don't think so. We didn't talk about
our business with other people. Yeah, why they don't know?
Speaker 5 (20:03):
Yeah, what any phone calls do? It's important.
Speaker 4 (20:06):
You don't wanna do you wanna get it?
Speaker 6 (20:07):
Ben pill? Okay, you can lay it out of the
desk here, al I think.
Speaker 7 (20:14):
I think I know what you mean, the insurance. You
think that's why I killed Gertrude? Isn't it right?
Speaker 8 (20:21):
Else?
Speaker 5 (20:21):
He put yourself in our place, mister Turner, what would
you think?
Speaker 4 (20:24):
You know in your heart? I didn't kill my wife?
You know that in your heart?
Speaker 5 (20:28):
Well, they don't pay us for what we believe, Turner.
Speaker 3 (20:31):
They passed to get the facts to run down evidence
doesn't make any difference what I believe.
Speaker 4 (20:35):
Would you know I didn't kill her? You know that,
don't you?
Speaker 5 (20:39):
Well, sir, I know.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
We ask you if you ever argued with your wife,
and you told us no. We thought out you beat
her up a couple of times. We ask you if
she was friendly with any of the men in the neighborhoods.
You told us no, We found one. We ask you
about the bruises the coroner found on her neck.
Speaker 5 (20:53):
You don't know.
Speaker 4 (20:54):
You can't explain 'em.
Speaker 5 (20:55):
We ask you if your wife.
Speaker 3 (20:57):
Had been ill, if she had any sickness, to explain
her dying way she did, and you said no. We
ask you about the insurance. You can't explain that either.
Three weeks before she dies, she takes out a thousand
dollars on her life. She dies in the same room
with you and you don't know howur of why? Now
you tell me, mister, what are we supposed to believe.
Speaker 4 (21:15):
Hi didn't kill her?
Speaker 7 (21:17):
Somebody has to believe that somebody Hi didn't kill her. Joe,
see you, Matt, Yeah yeah, and Pune Carl it was
long distance. Turner's sister in love is Raymond and what
she wanted calling from Fort Wayne.
Speaker 5 (21:35):
She's flying out here tonight. Seemed pretty rode up about
her sister.
Speaker 4 (21:38):
Huh.
Speaker 5 (21:38):
Mostly about mister Turner. She claims he's innocent.
Speaker 4 (21:41):
Seems pretty sure of it.
Speaker 5 (21:42):
She can prove that Turner didn't kill his wife, That's
what she said.
Speaker 4 (21:45):
She's bringing the proof with her.
Speaker 3 (21:51):
Tuesday, November sixteenth, Turner's sister in law, Missus Raymond, was
scheduled to arrive at six pm by plane from Indiana.
Speaker 5 (21:59):
Two.
Speaker 3 (22:00):
One of the main points in the case against the
suspect was proven false. A woman friend of Missus Turner,
after reading of the husband's arrest in the paper, informed
us that while Missus Turner was visiting her home a
few days before she died, she complained of a severe headache.
Speaker 5 (22:15):
The woman's son, who.
Speaker 3 (22:16):
Was studying to be a chiropractor attempted to treat missus
Turner's headache by manipulating the muscles.
Speaker 5 (22:21):
In her neck and shoulders.
Speaker 3 (22:23):
The woman said that Missus Turner called the next day
and complained about receiving bruises on her neck as a
result of her son's experimental treatment. The son came down
to the office and signed a full statement to this effect.
At seven pm, mister Turner's sister in law arrived.
Speaker 5 (22:37):
With her was a doctor, John Grant, a Fort Wayne physician.
Speaker 3 (22:40):
The two of them told us their story and gave
us all the information they had concerning the case. Ben
and I went immediately to the main jail, picked up
mister Turner and brought him back to the office. His
sister in law and doctor Grant waited in the adjoining room.
Speaker 6 (22:53):
Why did you bring me here?
Speaker 4 (22:55):
You're going to ask me more questions? I told you everything.
Speaker 5 (22:58):
No, sir, no more question.
Speaker 7 (23:00):
You can't take me off the prisoner I have near a.
Speaker 5 (23:02):
Trial you is no, sir, You're not gonna have a trial.
Mister Turner.
Speaker 3 (23:05):
We're releasing you. How's that Your sister in law is Raymond.
She's in the next room with her doctor. They're gonna
take you home, Sir.
Speaker 4 (23:12):
I don't think I understand, Officer.
Speaker 3 (23:15):
How do you mean Your sister and law just got
in from Fort Wayne to night and she has her
family doctor with her.
Speaker 6 (23:20):
They told us about your wife, Gertrude. Everything we had
to know is.
Speaker 4 (23:24):
About Gertrude, my wife. Well, what do you mean, officer.
Speaker 3 (23:28):
Well, maybe you can understand, sir. Your wife was afraid
to let you know. She told her sister she was
afraid it might break up her marriage.
Speaker 7 (23:35):
Afraid to tell me what.
Speaker 3 (23:37):
Well, your wife suffered from epilepsy. She had it most
of her life.
Speaker 4 (23:41):
She had epilepsy, Yes, sir, she did.
Speaker 3 (23:43):
Miss Doctor Grant showed us that he's been sending your
wife medicine ever since you moved out here to California.
He treated her many times for the same thing before
you met her. She figured it might ruin her chances
of marrying you, so she kept it a secret.
Speaker 4 (23:57):
The menisin, I remember this used to come through the
mill and that's it.
Speaker 7 (24:02):
Uh counts for the headache she had the night before
she died. She probably had an attack during the night, suffocated.
Speaker 5 (24:08):
That's how you found her in the morning.
Speaker 4 (24:10):
Well, why didn't they know the corner they examiner.
Speaker 5 (24:13):
Well, sir, that's just the point.
Speaker 3 (24:15):
If you die of epilepsy, there's just no way of telling,
not even my autopsy. Convulsions and suffocation, that's the only
way they can list it.
Speaker 4 (24:22):
And she was ashamed, Richard, she was afraid to tell me.
Speaker 5 (24:27):
Yes, sir, that's what she wrote to your sister in law.
We saw the.
Speaker 4 (24:30):
Letters and I can leave now if I want to it?
Is it alright?
Speaker 7 (24:35):
You'll get your things from the property clerk first and
then you can go.
Speaker 4 (24:38):
Can I see Helen now, my sister in law. I'd
like to say it alone.
Speaker 5 (24:41):
Yes, so you can. It's right through that door.
Speaker 7 (24:43):
Well, thank you kindly, it's all right. Oh sure, yes,
Just one thing i'd.
Speaker 4 (24:52):
Like to ask.
Speaker 7 (24:53):
Yes, you knew all the time, didn't you. I mean,
in your own heart? How's that I couldn't be Gertrude
in your own heart?
Speaker 4 (25:01):
You knew that, didn't you.
Speaker 5 (25:05):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (25:06):
Sure, yes, sir, I know it. I thought you did.
I'll be right back, Joe.
Speaker 5 (25:20):
I wouldn't worry about it, sir.
Speaker 7 (25:23):
We'll call it a quiet lie.
Speaker 1 (25:32):
The story you have just heard was true, only the
names were changed to protect the innocent.
Speaker 2 (25:37):
On November sixteenth, the meeting was held in the office
of Blaine Steed, Captain of Homicide. In a moment the
results of that meeting, the death of Gertrude Agnes Turner
was proved beyond the doubt to be due to natural causes.
(25:58):
A nine point ten report was made which completely exonerated
the husband of the dead woman.
Speaker 5 (26:11):
You have just heard.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
Dragnet, 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.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Ruthie's Table 4
For more than 30 years The River Cafe in London, has been the home-from-home of artists, architects, designers, actors, collectors, writers, activists, and politicians. Michael Caine, Glenn Close, JJ Abrams, Steve McQueen, Victoria and David Beckham, and Lily Allen, are just some of the people who love to call The River Cafe home. On River Cafe Table 4, Rogers sits down with her customers—who have become friends—to talk about food memories. Table 4 explores how food impacts every aspect of our lives. “Foods is politics, food is cultural, food is how you express love, food is about your heritage, it defines who you and who you want to be,” says Rogers. Each week, Rogers invites her guest to reminisce about family suppers and first dates, what they cook, how they eat when performing, the restaurants they choose, and what food they seek when they need comfort. And to punctuate each episode of Table 4, guests such as Ralph Fiennes, Emily Blunt, and Alfonso Cuarón, read their favourite recipe from one of the best-selling River Cafe cookbooks. Table 4 itself, is situated near The River Cafe’s open kitchen, close to the bright pink wood-fired oven and next to the glossy yellow pass, where Ruthie oversees the restaurant. You are invited to take a seat at this intimate table and join the conversation. For more information, recipes, and ingredients, go to https://shoptherivercafe.co.uk/ Web: https://rivercafe.co.uk/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/therivercafelondon/ Facebook: https://en-gb.facebook.com/therivercafelondon/ For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iheartradio app, apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com