The story you're about to hear is true.
Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent.
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Dragnet, the documented drama of an actual crime.
For the next 30 minutes in cooperation with the Los Angeles Police Department, you will
travel step by step on the side of the law through an actual case transcribed from official
police files.
From beginning to end, from crime to punishment, Dragnet is the story of your police force
in action.
Was Thursday, December 22nd.
It was cold in Los Angeles.
We were working the night watch out of homicide.
My partner's Ben Romero, the boss is Thad Brown, chief of detectives.
My name's Friday.
I was on the way into work and it was 3.55 p.m. when I got to room 42.
Homicide.
Hi, Joe.
Ben.
Well, here's the file on the Webster case.
Have all the follow-ups been made?
Yeah.
I'll get it.
Homicide, Friday.
This Levinson unit 113J.
Got something for you.
Yeah, Harry, what's doing?
Dordie and I are out here on Commerce Avenue, 4656, trying to track down a nine-year-old
boy.
Yeah, what's the story?
The kid's been shot.
Suspicion of foul play.
How long's he been gone?
About two hours.
Looks like a job for homicide.
How do you figure?
The kid was last seen playing in the backyard of his home.
Yeah?
We checked over the yard.
Did you find anything?
Blood stains, lots of them.
They look new.
Ben and I left a message for chief of detectives Thad Brown, then we went over to the crime
lab and picked up Lieutenant Lee Jones and drove out the Arroyo Seco freeway to Collis
Avenue, was an average neighborhood.
Number 4656 was a one-story green stucco residence situated on the corner of Collis Avenue and
Harrison Drive.
Beyond the backyard was attractive undeveloped land covered with scrub oak.
Harry Levinson from Highland Park Juvenile was waiting for us in front of the house.
It's back this way, fellas.
Coming, Lee.
Hey, I got my bag.
Who notified you that the boy was missing, Harry?
The mother.
Said she went out to do some Christmas shopping about 11 this morning, left the boy home.
She came back about 2 this afternoon, he was gone.
What's the name?
Johnstone.
The kid's name is Stanley, 9 years old.
Was this gate open like this when you got here?
Yeah, I haven't touched the thing yet.
I hear the stains over here, Lieutenant Jones, along the edge of the walk.
See?
Yeah.
Let me see.
Yeah, quite a few stains, huh?
Yeah.
Looks like it might be blood.
Try some benzidine on him.
There we are.
See what happened.
Where's the kid's mother now, Harry?
Yeah, in the house.
Dirty's talking to her.
Did you talk to any of the neighbors?
People next door are the ones on this side.
They couldn't tell us anything.
There it is, fellas.
Yeah, Lee.
These spots I covered with benzidine, they're turning blue.
Blood stains all right.
You can't say definitely whether it's human or animal blood.
Do you have to go back to the lab to run it through?
Yeah, a biological precipitant test.
Hand me one of those glass files for my bike, will you?
Yeah, sure.
Okay, here you go.
Thanks.
Scrape some flakes off for a test.
There we are.
How soon can you tap the blood for us, Lee?
Precipitant test won't run more than 20 minutes.
It'll take three or four hours to run a blood grouping, though.
That's it.
Anything else you want to check?
Nothing.
Anything else?
Yeah, right here in my handkerchief.
Empty shell.
That marker over there by the rose bush?
That's where I found it.
From a 22, huh?
Yeah, might tie in, might not.
Well, I'll get them dumped in this envelope, will you?
Mm-hmm.
There you go.
Did you get out a missing broadcast on the boy here?
Dordie did about a half an hour ago.
Here's a description here.
Thank you.
Did the mother know about the blood stains?
No, we didn't tell her.
She's worried enough already.
And she has no idea what might have happened to her boy, huh?
No more than we do.
She checked all her friends and relatives.
We're covering the neighborhood and no trace so far.
Not much to go on.
Blood stains, empty cartridge.
Yeah, it could mean a hundred things.
Any ideas, Friday?
Just one and I don't like it.
4.30 p.m. Thursday, December 22nd.
The neighborhood search for nine-year-old Stanley Johnstone continued.
Lee Jones went back to the crime lab to start the precipitant test in the blood grouping.
Levinson and his partner, Dordie, from Highland Juvenile stood by.
We called Chief of Detectives Thad Brown and he ordered up a special detail to aid in the
search for the missing boy.
Ben and I questioned the boy's mother, Mrs. Ruth Johnstone, a woman in her early 40s.
She seemed fairly calm under the circumstances.
Miss Johnson, is your boy Stanley in the habit of wandering off without telling you where
he's going?
He's not in the habit of wandering off, but he has done it before.
Well, when was the last time, Miss Johnson?
You don't have any children, do you, Sergeant Friday?
No, ma'am, I'm not married.
Well, there comes a time in every young boy's life when he feels it is time to leave home,
go out on his own.
It usually happens somewhere around eight to ten.
Think I know what you mean, I have a boy.
Well, then you know how it is.
My husband and I scolded Stanley one afternoon after school and he was quite put out about
it.
Thought George and I were unfair.
Packed a few of his things and left.
Well, how long was he gone?
Oh, no time at all, about two hours.
I was worried about him, but my husband said to leave him alone, said every boy had to
go through that stage.
Well, then you think that he's run away from home again this time?
Yes, I think so.
He's been gone about four hours now and I have a funny feeling about it.
Did you and his father have some misunderstanding with the boy recently?
Well, that's just it, we haven't.
I don't mind telling you that now that we're talking about it, I am getting worried.
Well, is there any place around that he might like to visit, a hobby shop, playground, some
place he might be?
Yes, there's Jensen's model shop, Little Shannon Burrows, but I've already called there and
he hasn't been seen all day.
I've called all his friends and they have no idea where he is either.
We'd like a list of all of his friends and the places that he was known to frequent.
Yes, all right, I'll give them to you.
Where do you suppose he is?
Where's your husband now, Miss Johnson?
At work.
George works for the city, he's a fireman.
What house is he stationed at?
Engine Company 12.
He's working the A-platoon.
He'll be home tomorrow morning.
I haven't told him he's down, he's gone.
Was there any chance the boy might be down at the firehouse with his father?
No, he seldom goes down there anymore.
No, I don't think he's there.
I'm awfully worried.
May I call my husband?
Certainly, go right ahead.
I know George will be worried.
Engine Company 12, please.
Stanley's been gone too long.
Hello?
May I please speak with George Johnstone?
This is Mrs. Johnstone.
Thank you.
Oh, I hate to call George at his work.
Yes, ma'am.
Does your husband own a gun?
Yes, he does.
What caliber, do you know?
It's a.45 automatic, he got a knife.
George?
This is Ruth.
George, is Stanley down there with you by any chance?
Oh, no, I can't find him anywhere.
He wasn't here when I came home from doing my shopping.
There are two policemen here.
No, I said there are two policemen here.
No, dear, I'll call you if we don't find him soon.
All right, dear.
Yes, you too.
Goodbye.
I didn't think he'd be with George.
That.45, is that the only gun in the household?
Yes.
Why are you asking about guns?
Has anything happened that you're not telling me about?
No, ma'am, just routine checking.
We'll have to take a look at that.45, if you don't mind.
Maybe I should tell you we do have another gun in the house, but it's all wrapped up.
George bought it for Stanley's Christmas present.
What if we could see it, please?
Yes, well, will you have to unwrap it?
Yes, ma'am, I'm afraid so.
It's in the closet.
We had to hide it.
Let me see.
Well, here's the paper it was wrapped in.
Stanley must have found it.
It's gone.
You see, here's the gift card and the box the gun came in, the rifle.
I wonder if I could look at that box, ma'am.
Thank you.
How about it, Jim?
22 caliber.
Thursday, December 22nd, 5.15 p.m.
Was getting dark.
The search for the missing boy continued.
We checked the list of Stanley Johnstone's friends.
None of them or their parents had any idea of his whereabouts.
We talked with Levinson again.
He'd been in touch with the detail combing the neighborhood.
They'd found nothing.
We went down to Collis Avenue and 10th Street, service station on the corner.
One nickel, you know?
No, I got one.
Will you watch for Thad?
Yeah.
OK.
City Hall?
2667, please.
2667?
Crime Lab, Jones.
Hi, Ali.
Joe Friday.
Yeah, Joe.
Any sign of the Johnson kid?
No, not yet.
How are you coming?
Finished the precipitant test.
Yeah?
Working on the blood group now.
Do you know what type the Johnson boy has?
Well, I didn't want to upset his mother.
Thought I'd wait till the last thing we're in the neighborhood.
Check with the family physician.
That way you won't disturb her.
Yeah, I figured on that.
Just a minute, Lee.
Yeah?
Yeah, man.
Most just pulled up.
OK.
Thad Brown's out here now.
I'll check you later, Lee.
Right, Joe.
Right.
Bye.
Right.
Oh, here's William.
Gentlemen, how's it going?
We just checked with Lee Jones.
Yeah, I know.
He's got human blood.
What do you think?
We talked with the boy's mother, Mrs. Johnstone, found a gun missing.
Yeah?
Calibers are the same as the empty casing Levinson found.
It's.22.
You said the gun was missing?
Yeah, the Johnstones were going to give it to the boys as a Christmas present.
They had it hidden, but it's gone.
Any idea who took it?
Well, they left the Christmas wrapping behind.
I think it was the kid.
.22 rifle, huh?
Nine-year-old boy.
What are they going to learn?
First, it's carbide cannons on the 4th of July.
The city issued ordinance after ordinance.
A few thousand kids around the country had to lose their eyes, fingers, hands before
their parents would give us their full cooperation to outlaw them.
I know what you mean.
Sure you do.
You and every other cop in the country became the heavies trying to clamp down on them.
It's always the same story.
This time it's guns for Christmas.
Oh, I know what you're thinking, but we're not sure yet.
Listen, Friday, there's a city ordinance against giving a gun to a kid.
You know that.
Yeah, I know that.
There's a missing boy and a missing gun.
There's blood on the ground and an empty shell.
That's enough for me.
Well, we're going to stay with it.
Something's got to break.
Yeah?
I hope it's not the hearts of that kid's parents.
Hi, Chief.
Been looking for you, Friday.
What do you got, Harry?
Found the gun.
New.22 rifle.
I'd say it's been fired recently.
Where'd you find it, Levinson?
Back up there in that scrub oak behind the Johnstone house.
Mrs. Johnstone identified it.
Buckley took it down to the crime lab.
Thanks, Harry.
Mrs. Johnstone okay?
Pretty sick now.
Daugherty came up with something else.
What's that?
There's another one missing.
An eight-year-old boy.
6.30 p.m.
We talked with Officer Daugherty about the other missing boy.
He told us that his name was Stephen Morheim, eight years old.
His family had just moved into the neighborhood.
It seemed that no one besides the Morheim family knew that the boys played together.
Mrs. Morheim told us that Stephen told her that he was going out to play and he'd be
home by six o'clock for dinner.
She told us that he was an unusually prompt boy and almost never overstayed his playtime.
We got a description of the Morheim boy and put out a missing broadcast.
We called the Johnstone's family doctor.
He told us that Stanley's blood was type O.
At 7 p.m. we talked again with Mrs. John Morheim.
Are you sure Mrs. Johnstone doesn't know where the boys are?
She has no idea Mrs. Morheim.
Oh this is terrible.
Just awful.
I feel there's more to this thing.
Something you're not telling me.
Well there's no use to upset you until we know a few things for sure.
Then you're holding back something.
Well now please try not to worry Mrs. Morheim.
There are certain things that we're going to have to ask you, routine questions and
any kind of investigation.
Is there anything else you want to know?
Yes ma'am.
What is the boy's blood type?
That's a funny question.
Do you think anything's happened to him?
Have you found him and you're not telling me?
No ma'am we haven't found him and we don't think anything's happened to him.
His blood type?
Yes ma'am.
Well I think I have it written down in Stevie's baby book.
Yes here it is.
It's type O.
Thank you.
I wonder if I might use your phone.
Yes of course it's in the hall.
Be right back ma'am.
Okay.
City Hall.
Uh 2667 please.
2667.
Grimland, thank you.
Hello Ray this is Joe Fridays.
Lee there.
Just a minute Joe.
Take two Lee.
John speaking.
Checking back Lee.
Did you get the blood types on the two missing bones?
No ma'am.
I'm sorry.
Did you get the blood types on the two missing boys?
Yeah both type O.
So are the stains Joe.
Type O.
You are listening to Dragnet.
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8 p.m. Thursday, December 22nd.
Still no sign of either of the missing boys.
Chief of Detective Stat Brown went back to headquarters to direct the search from there.
He dispatched another detail of 50 men to aid in the hunt for the missing youngsters.
8.30 p.m.
It was getting colder.
The citrus growers were warned to expect a freeze.
We went up the block to see Mrs. Johnstone.
Her husband quit work early and returned home.
We talked with him.
He could tell us nothing more than we already knew.
We still had not informed either of the families about the blood stains in the empty cartridge casing,
which had been discovered in the backyard of the Johnstone home.
It was more than possible that they had a right to know about our findings,
but Ben and I felt there was no cause to add to the distress of the two families at this time.
If the two missing boys were found alive and well,
then the blood stains in the cartridge would be of no concern to the relieved parents.
At 8.40 p.m., Ben and I left the Johnstone house and went to the home of Mr. and Mrs. John Morhaime.
Miss Morhaime, you said your husband worked at a market.
Yes, he telephoned about 15 minutes ago.
Said he was closing up right away.
He'll be here any minute.
I do wish Stevie would call or come home. It's so cold out tonight.
All he had on was a thin cotton jacket.
Well, try not to worry. We're doing everything we can. He'll be all right.
Stevie's father is such a sensitive man. He and the boy are so close.
I know he's terribly upset.
Now, are you sure there's no place that you might have forgotten, some place where the boy might be?
No, no place. No.
If anything's happened to the boy, it'll just kill John.
You sit still. I'll get it, Miss Morhaime.
Joe?
Yeah, Harry?
Johnstone kid. He's been found.
He's home, Sergeant. He's come home. Thank God he's all right.
Where's he been? Did he tell you?
No. No, he didn't. His clothes are all dirty and he's acting strange.
I've never seen him like this.
How do you mean, Miss Johnstone?
Well, he just came to the front door and said, hello, Mom.
He sat down in a chair and stared at the floor.
He won't talk to his father or me.
Would you mind if I talked to him?
No, go ahead. I asked him about the little Morhaime boy, but he wouldn't tell me a thing.
Where is he now?
Right over there in the living room.
Looks all right.
Yes. Son, this is a police officer. He wants to talk to you.
Don't be afraid, dear. He only wants to ask you some questions.
Son.
Can I see you, Sergeant?
Stanley, look at me, son.
Come on, youngster. Get your head up there. That's better.
Your mother was pretty worried, you know that.
You want to tell us where you've been?
We should try to get him to eat a little something.
You hear that, son? You want something to eat?
Stanley, there's another little boy up the studio who hasn't come home.
You know where he is? His father and mother are worried about him, too.
Just like your folks were.
We're going to ask you to help us find him.
I killed him. I killed Steve with the.22.
We were only playing, but I killed him.
How do you know you killed him? Maybe he's only hurt now, isn't that it?
No, he's dead. I know he's dead.
The gun went off. I forgot we put bullets in there.
Where is he, Stanley?
I hit him. I was scared. I didn't want anybody to find him.
Where did you hide him, son?
In a cave up on the hill. I didn't mean it. He was my pal.
Do you want to show us where Stanley is?
Yes, I'll show you. Please don't send me to jail.
9.15 p.m. Thursday, December 22nd.
Nine-year-old Stanley Johnstone led the way up the hill behind the backyard of his home.
He showed us the wagon he moved the body in. His father came along with us.
About 50 feet from the crest of the hill, the boy pointed to a thicket of scrub oak.
There we found a small cave holding the body of Stephen Morrheim.
There was a single bullet wound in his chest just below his heart.
He was dead. He recovered the body.
Stanley, how did it happen?
I knew my folks were going to give me the gun for Christmas.
I knew where it was, and I got it. There was a box of bullets with it.
Were you pointing the gun at Stephen, son?
No, sir. No, sir, I wasn't. It was Steve's turn to play with it.
I was chasing him. He chipped over that stump there and he fell.
The gun hit him in the stomach and it went off.
Well, why do you think you killed him if you're telling us the truth?
I'm telling the truth. Honest, that's the truth.
Well, I believe you, son, but why do you think you killed him?
It was my gun. Steve would still be alive if I didn't go and get it.
I should have waited till Christmas. It's all my fault.
Where have you been all this time?
In the cave with Steve.
What were you doing in there, son?
I was praying. I was praying for God to make him alive again.
After a thorough investigation, Ben and I were convinced that the shooting of Stephen
Morhaime was accidental. Lieutenant Lee Jones' findings substantiated the John Stone
Boy's story even to the smallest detail.
We put in a call to the coroner's office and acquainted him with the facts.
He designated a local mortuary to handle the body pending autopsy and granted us
permission to remove the body to the Morhaime home.
Mrs. Morhaime collapsed. The family doctor was called.
Ben and I sat in the living room to wait for John Morhaime, the dead boy's father.
Edith? Edith?
Mr. Morhaime?
Yeah, Hugh the police?
Yes.
Where's Edith? Where's my wife?
Has my boy come home?
Have you found him?
Yes, sir.
Where is he?
Steve?
Stevie?
Where's Steve?
He's hurt, isn't he?
Yes, sir, he is.
Where is he? I want to see him.
He's hurt bad, Mr. Morhaime.
Where is he? I want to see him.
How bad?
Pretty bad.
He's dead.
All right if I go in?
Yes, sir, if you want to.
Will you go with me?
Sure. Don't make it any harder on yourself, Mr. Morhaime.
I want to see my boy.
Mr. Morhaime.
Stevie?
Listen to me, son.
We got you a lot of nice things for Christmas.
Everything you wanted.
I got you the three new cars for the train.
The one with the searchlight on it really works, son.
I got you that new switch you wanted.
A lot more track.
Oh, now you can have a big layout.
And you know that new baseball mitt we saw?
I got it for you.
The cowboy outfit you bought.
I got it.
Mr. Morhaime.
Come on, you.
What happened?
It was an accident.
He was playing with a Johnstone boy up the street.
Playing with a gun.
It went off.
What was the other boy's name?
Stanley Johnstone.
It was an accident.
Mr. Morhaime, where are you going?
I want to see that boy.
We had no idea what the dead boy's father had in mind.
We didn't feel that we should try to restrain him.
We went along with him up the street to the Johnstone home.
I'm Stevie's father.
Where's your boy?
I'm sorry.
We bought the rifle.
We were going to tell him not to use it unless his father was with him
until he learned how to treat firearms.
Where's your boy?
Right here.
Would you come in?
It's all right, Miss Johnstone.
You're the boy that was with Stevie?
Yes, sir.
What's your name?
Stanley.
I know it wasn't your fault, Stanley.
I wonder if you'd do something for me.
Yes, sir.
I've got a lot of nice presents for Stevie.
I know he'd want you to have them.
I want to give them to you Christmas Eve.
Mom?
I think that'd be a fine idea, son.
Come on, baby.
Well, what's it all proved, you?
You don't give a kid a gun for Christmas.
The story you've just heard was true.
Only the names were changed to protect the innocent.
On December 24, 1940,
the
Inquest was held in the county morgue, city and county of Los Angeles, state of California.
The
Inquest was held in the county morgue, city and county of Los Angeles, state of California.
In a moment, the results of that Inquest.
Now, here is our star, Jack Webb.
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And to everyone, a Merry Christmas.
At the coroner's Inquest, it was officially recorded that Stephen Morheim's death was the result of an accident.
Stanley Johnstone was absolved of any legal responsibility for his friend's death.
You have just heard Dragnet, a series of authentic cases from official files.
Technical advice for Dragnet comes from the Office of Chief of Police, W.H. Parker, Los Angeles Police Department.
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Fatima cigarettes, best of all long cigarettes, has brought you Dragnet, portions transcribed from Los Angeles.
The People is next with more good times on NBC.