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DRAGNEST, the documentary 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 to an actual case transcribed from official police files. From beginning to end, from crime to punishment, DRAGNEST is the story of your police force in action.
It's Saturday, August 7th. It's hot in Los Angeles. We were working the day we watched out a juvenile bureau. My partner is Ben Romero. The boss is Inspector Bowie. My name's Fred.
It's 7.35 p.m. and we got to where we parked our car. 80K.
Thanks, senior. Your house is back that way, huh? Yeah. You like to fill around here, huh? Yeah, I like to fill around here, huh?
I'm on that side. Okay. One of them here. No, you better wait a minute. Okay. It's all clear now.
I don't know about you. I think there's something sour about the whole thing. Well, what do we check at the house? The kids might have turned up while we were going. I hope so. Should have to go back there empty-handed. Not one lousy lead.
Hard to figure. The little girls just wandered off. Somebody could have spotted them by this time. I guess there was some kind of an accident. Yeah. What time you got?
Twenty minutes late. Five hours. A long time for a pair of four-year-olds to be out of sight in it. Parents are going to be worried sick from the tell them. Let's sit up the next block, will we? Oh, yeah. Might as well pull up right here. Yeah, that's good.
Let's go.
Lovely job. Oh, come in. Thank you. Have you heard anything? Not too much, Mr. Carson. We're just checking the neighborhood. Somebody around must have seen the kids. Did you talk to everybody? We checked out all the names you gave us.
Everyone who knows your little girl, the kids they play with, their friends, parents, storekeepers in the area. But somebody had to see her. They've got to be around someplace.
John, until we get lost in that park, I know there would have had it up to at home. Pardon? What is it? The band? No, we're still checking, Miss Carson. There's nothing much to tell you right now. They've got somebody, sir. Tell them they couldn't have wandered off that path. I don't think it's as bad as it might seem to you, ma'am. Children have been missing a lot longer than you two little girls and turned up all right. Just try to relax, Miss Carson. Why hasn't somebody seen the one you lost when you were in the park, but it's only three blocks from your house? Why hasn't somebody seen it?
Well, it's not something you can't imagine. Doctor, God knows what could have happened to me, ma'am. Take it easy, honey. Don't start imagining things.
Something you get the matter of time, ma'am. You've got three teams of men working on it with us. Got another broadcat and your little girl.
Did you talk to the farmers on the street in Pettiton? Yes, ma'am. We did. We checked out all the names you gave us. There is one thing we wanted to ask you about. What's that, Sergeant?
About the spot in the park where you had your picnic this afternoon where the little girls wandered off from?
Exactly where I pointed it out to the other office, where the eucalyptus girls. Right off seven
Just about two or three minutes after noon. We found a place, a concrete
taking a note, and there was the other. I saw the girls playing tag over by the tree. I looked up and it came out to me as a girl. Just like I pointed it out to the other office.
Then you're sure about that little case, isn't it? Of course I'm sure. What's my loyalty? How am I going to find the girls?
Thanks, my dear. Thanks. Come on, honey. Take it easy, huh?
It's just never happened to us before, Sergeant.
It's only until it's never gone off like this. It's not like them, that's all. Only babies, really.
Would you like me to get that boy with the ties in? Yes, sir. Would you please?
Oh, hi, Wilkie. Tell me, anything? No, I can't. You? Want to step outside?
Yeah.
Yeah. Ralph and I checked with a guy who runs an ice cream wagon. He works the area in the park where the kid had disappeared, what'd he tell you?
He saw a couple of little girls about a half a mile from that eucalyptus grove. About three o'clock this afternoon, I was with a man who said he saw the man put the kid in a truck and drove off with him.
Together with Tom, Wilkie, Ben, and I left the home of Mr. Lynn Frank Clarkson's parents who were missing girls without telling them about the latest reports.
Until it was positively confirmed, we felt that telling them would serve no purpose other than to worry them needlessly.
The ice cream van there are Mr. George Comanche's who had reported seeing the four-year-old girls instead of to drive out with us to the park area where he spotted the children in the company of an unidentified man.
I was right over there, officers. This big guy, a mustache, he had the little girls, one on each hand. He was walking around that clump of trees over there.
Think you can describe the man for us, Mr. Comanche? I didn't look that close. I thought he was the father. The kids were sniffling, you know. Maybe like they'd been crying.
I better check the ground over there by the trees. I won't be long. Yeah, sure. Ben, I want to give a look over here.
Didn't you notice anything at all about this man, Mr. Comanche? I mean, other than his mustache?
Well, big man, big shoulders, regular truck driver, you know, work shoes, blue shirt, blue pants, these I guess. How about the color of his hair? Some kind of distinguishing marks, maybe?
No, I don't know. I thought he was the father. The kids were sniffling there. The little girls. Was anything wrong? Didn't look like it.
How about this man's truck? Did you notice that? No, I didn't. I was busy with the freezer motor then. Gives me lots of trouble all the time.
What about the last one, Mr. Melvin? Did you have a look at that? Maybe I should have looked. I didn't.
A bag of peanuts, all this is. Warm, nice and fresh. Yeah, thanks. There you are. Why don't you eat them while they're warm? Good.
No, I saved them for my boys. Crazy for peanuts.
Melvin, can I have a beer with you? Sure, sure. Go ahead. Melvin, Sam found these over in the bushes by the seabed. What did he see? Little girls with petticoats, little girls dressed. Ripped to pieces.
8.24 p.m. The area where the torn clothing was found was roped off and thanks to footprints and other physical evidence, none was found. Commicide detail was notified and joined in the investigation.
The torn petticoat and dress were taken down to Lee Jones at the crime lab for examination, and they were shown to the father of the missing children's white carsten. He definitely identified them.
The search for the four-year-old twins, Joe and Tilly, was intensified. An emergency spot check was made of all known and registered sexual psychopaths.
From the hundreds of names, the staff's office came up with one that might possibly tie in. It was listed as DHL Grahamberg. His address was at the end of Seventh Avenue, close to the park area where the Carson twins had disappeared.
On his marmot seat, Grahamberg was described as tall, well-built, dark hair with a mustache. We found him at his work, a small bar out in the Wilshire district. He was the organist there.
Yeah, that's right. I live on Seventh Avenue, right across from the park.
What about at this time?
Nothing to do with them.
Can you account for your time between noon and six o'clock tonight, Grahamberg?
I don't know if I can or not. I don't keep a daily log, you know. They didn't tell me how to do that.
Well, tell us where you were between noon and six o'clock tonight. That's all we want to know.
That's quite a bit, doesn't it, eh?
Well, as I told you, I was playing canasta with a mate and that. Was that shocking?
Look, we're letting the moods for smart asses. You just give us an alibi, we can check. That's all.
I don't know why you always have to bother me when something happens.
You laid your own reputation and you didn't.
Now what about it? I left my apartment about 11.30 this morning, I went down to Union Hall and paid my dues, had lunch with some friends, a little pigeon on a moocock.
Then we went on a tour of one of the studios, all right?
So your friends can partake for you?
No, no, they won't. They left town tonight. The 815 train for San Francisco.
Oh, yes, Mr. Selden?
A special friend of mine from up North, Graham, wants to hear Indian love call, okay?
Certainly, Mr. Selden. Right away.
What about it, Grahamberg? Who's docking for your alibi?
I already told you, my friends left town. You can check with a guard at the movie studio if you want.
We had a pass, time punched in, time punched out, it should be all there.
You want to call and check that studio?
Yeah.
I don't mean to be rude, Sergeant. I always did feel that registration business was unfair.
Oh, is that so?
Of course. Grossly unfair.
How do you suggest we keep track of you?
Why do I have to be kept track of anyway?
You know as well as I do, you're right.
It's all a lie, I hardly even touched the kid. I paid my time anyway. Why can't you give me a break?
Every time something happens to a kid, I have a cop on my name.
Were you in the Seventh Avenue Park at any time today, Grahamberg?
What?
Were you in the Seventh Avenue Park today?
As a matter of fact, I was, yeah. I took a walk there.
What time was that?
I don't know. I left my friends after lunch.
Came home to freshen up about 1.30, I guess.
I was in the park about 1.45, 2 o'clock. Only stayed a few minutes.
Where did you leave?
About 2.15.
You went from the park to meet your friends at the studio?
Exactly right, yes.
Did you see two dark-haired little girls while you were in the park?
No, I didn't see anybody. I was by myself.
Are you sure of that?
Well, of course I'm sure. If I did see them, it wouldn't mean anything.
I don't molest kids. I don't get along with them, that's all.
Another one, Graham. I wonder if you'd mind playing Diane.
I had a birthday party at home.
All right.
Thanks, man.
What I was saying, Sergeant, it's the truth.
I couldn't hurt a little kid. I never touched.
Lowest bid you have.
I know, but I just want to know how I feel.
Maybe I don't get along with kids, but I couldn't hurt them.
Little girls especially. I like kids, really.
I just don't understand how I like them.
It's a real strange thing, isn't it?
Yeah.
Well, can I see?
Did you talk to the studio?
Yeah, I checked with the girl and what'd she say?
Graham Berg was there from 2.30 to 4.30.
She double-checked the time?
Yeah, she's alibi and good.
10.55 p.m. The four-year-old Carston girls were still missing.
A special detail of men from homicide were assigned to a general canvas of stores and homes in the park area.
All the residents were questioned. No one had seen the children.
11.20 p.m. We headed back to the Carston home.
I'm all out of smokes, Joe. You got some?
No, I'm out too.
There's a drug store up ahead. I guess we'll get some there, huh?
Yeah.
That car in front of it, that's Wilkie and Bates' car, isn't it?
Let's see.
Yeah. Oh, here's Wilkie coming out of the drug store.
Hey, Wilk, Amell, Joe, just talked to the office.
Hey, you.
They got a call from the Valley Station a few minutes ago.
Yeah.
The little girls, they've been found.
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where the girls were identified.
They sent out a partial cancellation on the APB.
The twin girls were taken to the Georgia City
City Hospital where they were treated for cuts and bruises
when they were returned to their home.
The doctor reported that both girls
had been criminal molested.
The search for the abductor went on.
Late the next day, Ben and I drove out to the Carson home
to talk to the twins, Joan and Tilly.
They had no luck at all.
They were still shaken up from the excitement and shock
of their experience.
They went back to the living room
with their mother, Helen Carson.
It was the same thing this morning
when I tried to question them.
They just don't want to talk about it.
Must have been horrible for us.
Did they tell you anything at all, Mrs. Carson?
Well, Joan just was here to talk about it.
She says the man is big.
That's all I can get out of him.
Tilly seems a little more willing to talk,
so she's always been a little more forward than Joan
ever since they were babies.
Well, I see.
What could she have in common with all
of what your other little girl told you about the man?
She told his father the man had a mistake.
Probably impressed her because my husband wears one too.
Pretty certain she's right about that.
I can usually tell when she's making up things.
Well, how about the way the man was dressed, his clothes?
No, they didn't mention anything particular.
Tilly told me the man was dirty.
She said it two or three times.
Dirty, dirty clothes.
She might admit the man had work clothes on.
She had so many expressions, I don't know.
Well, how did the man get your little girl into the truck?
Did he offer them candy or something like that?
Well, Tilly said something about a kitten.
The man had a little kitten and he was going to give it to them.
I told him about that once.
I told him a thousand times, stay away from strangers.
Don't go with them.
Yes, ma'am.
Did they tell you anything else at all about the man's
description?
Tilly said the man was big.
I don't know if you could count on that.
Everybody looks big to her.
I talked to her an hour, but she just
kept repeating the same story.
The man made them cry toward their dresses, hurt them.
Just horrible for them.
Yes, ma'am.
Did they tell you anything at all about the truck
the man was driving?
Maybe the color or something like that?
Well, Tilly called it a big car, a funny big car.
She said it was red with red pictures all over it.
You can't put much faith in that, though.
Or nothing.
Everything's red to Tilly now.
Everything has red pictures on it.
Just the face she's going through.
A few weeks ago, it was blue.
Everything was blue to her.
Now it's red.
Everything's red.
I see.
Well, you think they might be able to tell you
a little more in a day or so after they've quieted down?
Well, I don't know.
I certainly hope so.
Thank God it's all over.
Their home is safe.
That's all that counts.
Oh, ma'am, I'm afraid there's more to it than that.
What?
The man was dead.
It's still free.
Monday, August 9.
A search for the suspect went on.
All of us, the men from juvenile homicide detail,
were pretty much feeling our way in the dark.
Repeated questioning of residents living in the area
where the abduction took place meted us nothing.
Our two-star witnesses, the four-year-old twins,
were able to contribute little.
We stayed on it.
Another three days of pounding the pavement, knocking on doors
and asking stock questions led nowhere.
Well, in most cases like this one,
the criminal enjoyed the distinct advantage
of having victims who were unable, because of their age,
to clearly identify him.
2 of the August 10.
In the late afternoon, we got a call from a Bernice Hopper,
a River State agent in the West Hollywood area.
4.15 PM.
Ben and I drove out to interview her.
Excuse me, officer.
Let me try to find that lifting device first.
Right ahead, Miss Hopper.
I just know it's got to be here someplace.
Oh, yesterday morning, I remember just think.
Oh, here it is.
There.
Now you start to do business again.
Well, I don't know if this is going to help you any.
In your case, officers,
but I certainly think something should be done about it.
Flagrant.
The only word I can think of, just flagrant.
Well, you like to tell us about it, ma'am?
Well, I saw him yesterday, for one thing.
So I was coming back from lunch about 2 30 in the afternoon.
Monday's all, we had a late lunch.
That's important.
I was tapping in 친구
to a toolbox at grammar school right up above on Prospect Avenue.
And I saw this truck parked
and this truck driver
I couldn't understand a grown man talking little talk like that.
Every time he spoke, every obscene word you'd think of.
Slagging, just slagging.
Was there any point in the way they were talking to the children, Miss Hopper?
I mean, was he mad at them?
Did they think they were going to be fine?
He was filthy, that's all I know.
He was dirty and filthy.
Some of the children didn't like it, and he told them.
Tell me what you want to know more.
I really think you ought to check up on him.
Yes, ma'am.
Can you tell us anything else about him?
Oh, excuse me.
Get that bird.
How do you do?
My name is Cindy Hopper. May I help you?
How do you do? I'm Arthur Tomlinson.
You showed me the white place last weekend.
Oh, yes, of course, Mr. Tomlinson.
A cottage on Norwich, wasn't it?
Yeah, that's right.
The wife and I certainly didn't like it.
She wants me to put a deposit on it.
It's tough to say, I guess.
Well, no, as a matter of fact, I sold it on Monday.
It's just like I told you, things go fast.
Of course, you had a substantial down payment to make at the time.
Oh, yeah, it did take me a few days to get some money together.
That's too bad.
The ladies certainly loved the place.
That's too bad, I guess.
Oh, I'm very sorry, Mr. Tomlinson.
There wasn't anything I could do.
Oh, yeah, I know that.
Well, thanks anyway, ma'am.
I guess we'll keep looking. Something may turn up.
I'm sure it will.
Thanks for stopping by again, Mr. Tomlinson.
Yeah, bye.
Oh, my.
Everybody wants something to nothing.
They want houses, but they don't show the money.
You know what was it?
The truck driver that you saw there?
Oh, yeah.
Well, after hearing that talk of his, I just copied down the license number of the truck I got right here in my desk.
Well, how about the truck driver, ma'am?
Did you feel good letting him?
I think we did.
The way he acted with those children.
What was unusual about his appearance?
No, nothing besides his soft mouth.
He was tall, dark, had a mustache.
I see.
One more thing.
Trust you, darling.
Yes, ma'am.
There were pictures hanging around the side. Circus animals, I think.
Did you notice the color?
Oh, yes. It was red.
I mean, the pictures are red.
4.45 p.m.
We took the license number of the truck which Bernice Hopper had given us
and drove back to the office and checked it through DMV.
We found the truck was registered to a commercial baking firm in the south end of town.
Through their personnel department and their dispatcher's office,
we got the name and address of the employee who was driving the truck the same day
Bernice Hopper had spotted the driver talking to the school children.
His name was Lester Wiley.
We checked a little further,
found that he was driving the same truck the day the Carston twins were abducted.
We called into our NRI.
Wiley had no criminal record.
6.30 p.m.
We located the suspect at his home,
an old-style Gouman's White bungalow on the edge of the Highland Park district.
We sat in the dining room and drank some kind of sweet wine from a large water glass while we questioned him.
That's just stupid of me, huh?
I didn't even ask if you wanted some of this.
Oh, thank you, Wiley.
I'd like to hear you explain a bunch of language in front of those school kids.
Nothing to explain.
Bunch of those kids are hanging around the truck.
Well, maybe they wanted to get in and grab some of the cakes and stuff.
I read them off itself.
Well, that still doesn't explain the filthy language, Wiley.
Hmm? I don't know. Maybe I wasn't feeling good that day.
Might have let a few cuss words slip.
I didn't mean anything bad. I like kids.
Do you usually make deliveries up around that school area, Wiley?
Well, so how? Yeah, I get around quite a bit.
That's not what they tell us down in the woods, huh?
You've had no business in the neighborhood of that school.
You deliver ruts on the other end of town.
So I can't drive from one, huh?
I get the deliveries made, what are they squawking about?
I'd like to know what you were doing up in that neighborhood.
I was on my lunch hour.
I drove up to see a friend.
I got a friend living near the school.
What's the matter, anyway?
Don't you think you've had enough of that?
Look, you're not telling me what I have to do in my house.
It's my house.
I want a glass of wine, I have it. You're not telling me what to do.
All right, Wiley, just take it easy.
Take it easy nothing. I talked to you too long enough.
Where's the door? You're not coming in here telling me what to do.
You better get your coat, we'll talk downtown.
We're not talking any place.
Now get out. Get out of this house right now.
I heard your alibi's not going to hold up, Wiley.
Say it.
I don't know what you're talking about.
You're trying to frame me, don't you think I know that?
That doesn't make much sense. Why should we want to frame you?
I don't know what you're getting at.
No, just what you're getting at.
Those two little girls last week, you're going to say I took them.
You're going to say I did things to them.
Well, I didn't.
I didn't have anything to do with it.
Didn't you?
Oh, no. No, I didn't.
Oh, look, I'm sorry. Why don't you sit down?
You didn't mean what I said. I just got nervous.
Sure, Wiley, we understand.
Why don't you let me get a couple glasses, huh?
Have some of this wine.
Warm job. Good.
No, thank you.
Just like to have you straighten this out on a couple of things and we'll let you know.
Yeah?
Like to know if you're going to come for your time between 12 noon and 11 p.m. on a Saturday.
That's the day somebody picked up those two little girls, isn't it?
Yeah, that's right.
Wiley?
I don't know. I was making deliveries like I always do.
Up to 11 o'clock at night?
I was a little late, yeah.
Nothing unusual, though.
Is that so?
No. Another working day, so.
That's a good wine.
I might have been near the park where those kids were.
It doesn't mean anything, though. I get around quite a bit.
A lot of deliveries to make.
All right, come on. How about it, Wiley?
Did you grab those two little girls?
I want to go.
All right, Mr. SNF. Get out of my house. Get out of my house.
Get out of my house. Get out of my house.
All right, Ben, get them on him.
All right.
You have a pool, but you know that.
What about it, Wiley?
It's a use. No good at all.
You want to tell us about it?
I didn't mean it, that's all.
I didn't mean it.
Just once in a while, something goes wrong with me.
I like kids. I don't do much, I guess.
I don't mean to hurt them.
You ready to go now?
Anything you say.
I thought I had it with me when I grabbed the kids.
What?
I thought it was in my coat pocket.
Glad I lost it.
Glad you lost what?
The pocket knife. I was going to kill them.
The story you have just heard was true.
Only the man was changed to protect the innocent.
On December 10th, trial was held in Superior Court,
Department 87, City and County of Los Angeles, State of California.
In a moment, the results of that trial.
Now here is our star, Jack Webb.
Thank you.
Friends, as you might have heard me say before,
on Dragnet we try to present the kind of entertainment that you want.
You're the boss.
We feel the same way about petunias.
If you like them, you'll smoke them.
It's just that simple.
For me, I like them.
But what's more important, I'm convinced that you will too.
Petunias have a much different, much better flavor and aroma than any other long cigarette.
So I suggest that you buy a pack of petunias and see for yourself.
When you do, I'm sure you'll agree with me and thousands of other regular petunia smokers.
In petunia, the difference is quality.
["The Star-Spangled Banner"]
Lester Wiley waived his rights to a preliminary hearing,
and at his arraignment in Superior Court,
he entered a plea of guilty to one count of kidnapping and one count of child molesting.
He received the sentence as prescribed by law and is now serving his term in the state penitentiary.
["The Star-Spangled Banner"]
You have just heard Dragnet, a series of authentic cases from official fires.
Technical advice for Dragnet comes from the Office of Chief of Police, W.H. Parker, Los Angeles Police Department.
["The Star-Spangled Banner"]
Fatima cigarettes.
Best of all, lawn cigarettes has brought you Dragnet, portions transcribed from Los Angeles.
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