- An apparent suicide turns out to be murder.
- Synopsis - The Big Winchester Aired 3-4-54 Friday, Smith are working the day-watch out of Homicide Division, the boss is Captain Lohrman, Joe is talking to the police physician, who is wrapping up his annual exam, questioning the bullet wound in his shoulder ever bothers him. Joe replies no, on occasion, in wet weather, it aches a little bit. Joe is 32 years old, asked by the doctor, and he is good for another year. Smith walks in, they take a call to see a fatal shooting victim, bullet to the chest of an elderly man. The radio car guys said it was suicide, now it looks like he had help. The officers are on their way.
The deceased was Martin Latimer, age 68, retired owner of two grocery stores. Latimer was found face down, bullet wound through his chest, exiting his back. A rifle was rigged to be fired by string from the victim's hand. It was attached with wire to a chair, appearing as though the man set the weapon to kill himself, apparent suicide. Officer Harkness, was on scene filling in Friday, Smith doesn't agree. The wall behind where the man stood doesn't have a mark on it, although the rifle was rigged to hit his chest. The bullet was a through-and-through, but no bullet found where the gun was pointed. The bullet hole was discovered lower in the wall, a few feet below where it was aimed from the chair. Smith sights the rifle while Friday stands in the line where the bullet would go. Smith and Friday conclude the bullet hole in the wall doesn't coincide with the dead man's fatal wound, without help from the actual shooter, not the victim.
Sergeant Jay Allen, from the crime lab arrived, a call was made for the coroner to remove the body. Friday, Smith go next-door to talk with the neighbor, who found the body, Mrs. Elsie Donworth, she dropped by to pick-up his laundry, saw Latimer on the floor with the bullet wound, saw the rifle attached to the chair, called police. Smith interrupts Friday and the neighbor, he says the crime lab is having a field day with the scene's evidence. There is no way Latimer killed himself with that rifle. They also found correspondence revealing the man was going to marry a younger woman, who said yes to his proposal. He had reason to live, more doubt he would take his own life.
Friday, Smith return to Elsie Donworth, who witnessed a will about a month ago in the presence of Latimer's attorney. Elsie says she saw the circulars left at his house, but he never mentioned anything about corresponding with lonely-hearts-club women. She says I don't know why he wrote to them, she would have married him, if he asked, and she lived next door.
The theory Latimer shot himself to death was possible but not plausible, the coroner deputies took the body, Friday, Smith talked with Sergeant Jay Allen, from the crime lab, he agreed the findings weren't there to think the man killed himself. Friday, Smith look through the letters from the women Martin wrote. The bride to be, sent her picture, no address, but the print-paper had markings on it from a photographer's supply shop. Friday, Smith talked to more of the neighbors before they left. None of the neighbors noticed anyone coming to the house, nothing out of the ordinary. The neighbors did not add to anything the police didn't already know about Latimer, according to Friday's narration.
Back at the office, a photo supply firm told the police the symbols found on the woman's photo was from a San Francisco supply company. The supply company said limited distribution of the paper used for the print included only seven states, with selected shops in the LA area. Friday, Smith decided it was along shot, but they decided to check out some of the local stores. An APB went out with the girl's picture. Smith covered shops in the area, he was fortunate to find her name, Doris Chambers, age 22, who turned out to be the daughter of a prominent banker, with no explanation of the picture signed Katherine. She also did not know anything about Martin Latimer. Doris had the pictures from her graduation, which she handed out to friends, women and men. The handwriting on the Latimer picture and the return envelope from a Warren White, nearly match. Friday says the crime lab will verify the handwriting of the two samples.
Friday, Smith take Warren's address from the envelope. Warren White had moved from the given address, no forwarding address given, according to his apartment manager. Warren had also moved the same day Latimer was found dead. Doris gave Friday a lead with Warren's married sister's address. Warren had contacted his sister requesting the emergency loan of $200, she didn't have the money, but she did have Warren's new address.
Friday, Smith stop at Warren's apartment, Warren was not in, the building was a building from the 1930's. They decided to wait for Warren in his apartment; they waited until eight the next morning. In walks Warren, Smith checks him for a weapon, he is clean, Friday notices he has been drinking. He says he killed him, doesn't know why, he used that picture of Doris to get money from him, he hardly knew the man he killed. He has his nonsensical speech before departing and is escorted from the room to HQ.
The suspect was tried, convicted of murder in the first-degree. Warren White is now serving a life term in the State Penitentiary, Folsom, CA.
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