***SPOILERS*** After a blotched attempt on Let. Frank Ballinger's, Lee Marvin, life the most logical suspect is just released from the big house convicted armed robber Ted "Teddy" Stevens, Paul Burke. It was Stevens who Ballingers testimony sent away and whom he swore he'd get even with once he's released from prison. Checking out Steven it's discovered that he's a both happily married man and model citizen since he was released on bail some 14 months ago. While Stevens is interviewed by Let. Ballinger he droops a name Red McShane, Len Lesser, as the person responsible for the attempted murder by claiming he said he'll do everything to frame the boyish looking Stevens in revenge for him not going along with his demands of him, you can only guess, while the two were behind bars!
While all this was going on another witness at Stevens' trail a garage worker was also shot down and later died making it a murder not assault case. All the while Steven has a air tight alibi to where he was during the shootings but Let. Ballinger feels that there's something missing in all this. The fact that Steven's alibi is too good to be real and as thing later turn out he's right on target! That by smoking Stevens out in the open in getting him to take another crack, or shot, at him.
****SPOLIERS*** It only took one slight slip up for Let. Ballinger to trap Stevens and beat him at his own game. In him trying to make himself the victim in all this Stevens in fact proved his guilt. And that was in him not knowing that the man he claimed was the attempted killer of Let. Ballinger as well as the murderer of the garage attendant Red MnShane was already behind bars when the crimes , or the murder of the garage attendant, accrued which Let. Ballinger secretly kept from him.