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00:00Ladies and gentlemen, the story you are about to see is true.
00:12The names have been changed to protect the innocent.
00:30It was Tuesday, December 21st.
00:32We were working the night watch out of traffic division hit and run felony detail.
00:35My partner's Frank Smith.
00:37The boss is Captain Kalfi, Commander AID.
00:40My name's Friday.
00:42An elderly woman and her nine-year-old grandson had been struck down by a speeding truck.
00:46The woman was killed instantly.
00:47The hit and run driver escaped.
00:49We had to find him.
00:50We'd like to talk to you for a minute, if we could.
01:01Well, fine.
01:02Would you like to step inside?
01:03Yes, ma'am.
01:05One of the officers in the traffic car, ma'am, told us you were one of the people who saw
01:17the accident.
01:18Yes, that's right.
01:19Terrible thing.
01:20It was an old lady and her grandson, you know.
01:22Yes, ma'am.
01:23There's a few questions we'd like to ask you.
01:24It won't take us very long here.
01:25Did anybody get the license number, do you know, officer?
01:27I mean on that truck that ran them down?
01:29No, not that we know of.
01:30We understand the officers in the traffic car talked to you.
01:33You didn't see the number either, huh?
01:34No, I'm sorry.
01:36I didn't.
01:37The whole thing happened so fast.
01:38It was all over before I knew what was going on.
01:40I saw the old lady and the little boy start to cross the street, then all of a sudden
01:44this truck seemed to come right out of nowhere, ran them down, kept right on going.
01:48Were the woman and the little boy crossing with the lights, did you notice?
01:51Yes, they did.
01:52They were crossing with the green light.
01:54I remember because they stood on the curb a minute and waited for the light to turn
01:58green.
01:59Terrible thing.
02:00That truck deliberately went through that red light.
02:02Didn't even slow down.
02:03Uh-huh.
02:04Did you happen to get a look at the driver, ma'am?
02:06Well, I could see it was a man driving the truck, but it went by so fast, I just got
02:10a flash.
02:11Couldn't tell you what the man looked like, haven't any idea.
02:14About this truck that ran them down, do you think you'd know it if you ever saw it again?
02:17I'm not sure.
02:18I think I might, yes.
02:20It was one of those delivery trucks, you know.
02:22I think you call it a panel truck.
02:24It was a light tan color all over and there was black lettering on the side.
02:29Could you make out any of the lettering at all?
02:31Well, I think there were three or four words painted on the side and I know one of them
02:34was bakery.
02:35I'm sure of that.
02:36Well, did you recognize what make a truck it was, ma'am?
02:39The year or the model?
02:40Well, it was a late model.
02:41I'm pretty sure of that.
02:42I think it was a Ford.
02:43One of those regular delivery trucks like some bakeries use.
02:46Anything else out of the ordinary you might have noticed about the truck, ma'am?
02:49Anything outstanding that might have caught your eye?
02:50I'm sorry, officer, that's about all I can tell you.
02:54How's the old lady?
02:55Do you know?
02:56And the little boy, could they tell anything?
02:57No, ma'am.
02:58The woman's dead.
02:59She was killed instantly.
03:01I sent a youngster to Georgia Street receiving hospital for it.
03:02He's in pretty bad shape, too.
03:03How could anybody do such a thing?
03:05There just isn't any excuse for it.
03:07No excuse in the world.
03:08It was downright murder.
03:10Well, maybe that explains it.
03:11What?
03:12That's why he kept going.
03:1311.35 p.m.
03:14Frank and I finished interviewing the cashier in the theater box office and then we called
03:23the office and had them get out a supplementary broadcast and an APB on the description of
03:27the hit and run vehicle.
03:28We went back across the street to the scene of the accident where the officers in the
03:34T-car, along with the crew from the crime lab, were finishing up their preliminary investigation.
03:39We interviewed two more witnesses to the hit and run accident, but they were unable to
03:42tell us anything that we didn't already know.
03:45When we got back to the office, we put in a call to Georgia Street receiving hospital
03:50where they told us that the nine-year-old boy struck down by the hit and run driver
03:53was still in critical condition.
03:55The husband of the 64-year-old woman who'd been killed instantly was brought downtown
03:59to the morgue where he identified the body.
04:04The next morning, we got out a special bulletin to all garages, auto repair and paint shops
04:08throughout the city to be on the lookout for a late model tan panel truck, black lettering
04:12on the sides with damage to the front end.
04:158.30 a.m.
04:17Frank checked with communications.
04:18It was Doc Hall at Georgia Street asked him about the boy.
04:21The old lady's grandson?
04:22How's he doing?
04:23Pretty much the same.
04:24Condition critical.
04:26That's a lousy shame.
04:27Communications get any kickback on that all points yet?
04:29No, nothing.
04:30Did you get in touch with the crime lab?
04:31Yeah.
04:32They're not going to be able to help much, though.
04:33What'd they find out there?
04:34Anything at all?
04:35Oh, just what we saw.
04:36A few small pieces of glass, probably from one of the headlights of the truck.
04:39They don't think they're going to be able to do much with them, though.
04:41Not enough to go on.
04:42And that's the only physical evidence they got, huh?
04:44That's all.
04:45Might be able to tie it down a little tighter if we could find that panel.
04:47Did you start checking on that bakery truck angle yet?
04:50Yeah.
04:51McGowan and I called every bakery in town.
04:52Got it pretty well narrowed down.
04:53There are only two companies that use tan late model panels for delivery trucks.
04:57Yeah.
04:58Only one of them uses black lettering on the sides of the trucks.
05:00Other companies says they use red lettering.
05:02Which one has the black?
05:03Oh, I got it right here.
05:04The Nielsen Wholesale Bakery.
05:08They got a fleet of 173 trucks all the same.
05:10Tan color, black lettering on both sides, late model Ford delivery trucks.
05:14Mm-hmm.
05:15They tell you whether or not any of their drivers could have been making deliveries
05:17at that time of night?
05:1810, 30, 11 o'clock?
05:19Yeah.
05:20There are about a dozen of them out on deliveries.
05:21More of them to account for than that, though.
05:22How do you mean?
05:23Well, all their drivers are allowed to take the trucks home with them when they're off
05:26duty if they want to.
05:27I'm afraid it's going to mean checking out every one of them, Joe.
05:29Well, we might as well get moving on it.
05:31They're going to give us some kind of a list to work with?
05:33Yeah.
05:34Got it all set up with them.
05:35I'll get it.
05:36Accident Investigation Smith.
05:37Oh, yeah, Don.
05:38He did, huh?
05:39Mm-hmm.
05:40Okay.
05:41Thanks for calling.
05:42Yeah.
05:43It's a rotten deal.
05:44Why?
05:45What's the matter?
05:46Many times and on many different occasions, the police officer has it proved to him that
06:03there can be very little difference between a crime of neglect and a crime that's been
06:11willfully premeditated.
06:12If you look at it closely enough, you can judge it for yourself.
06:15How much difference, for example, as far as moral guilt is concerned, is there between the following.
06:21Number one, a man who plans a killing, takes up a gun, finds his victim and shoots him to death.
06:27Or number two, the man who thinks he has to look out for no one's welfare but his own,
06:31gets behind the wheel of a car, disregards the ordinary rules of safety,
06:35and proceeds to commit homicide with a motor vehicle.
06:39Oftentimes, the crime masquerades under the guise of an accident.
06:43Morally, no matter how you spell it, it adds up to murder,
06:46just as surely as if the person had taken a gun and shot his victim down.
06:49The way it looked to us, the hit-and-run killing of the elderly woman and her grandson was a prime example.
06:56Wednesday, December 22nd, Frank and I began checking out the delivery trucks owned by Nielsen's Wholesale Bakery.
07:01Late that afternoon, we located one of the trucks with recent damage to the front end.
07:06We checked and found the driver's name was Arthur V. Singer.
07:09We drove out to his home to interview him.
07:11No, I wasn't working last night, officer. I was off. What's it all about?
07:14Did you spend the night at home, Mr. Singer, or were you out?
07:16I was home part of the time. After dinner, I went downtown and did a little bowling.
07:19Our neighborhood team bowls every Tuesday night.
07:21Where's that, sir?
07:22A place downtown. It's on West 7th. We got a pretty good team.
07:25Did you drive down, Singer, or did you take the bus?
07:27No, I drove down. I had the company truck with me.
07:29They let us use them when we were off-duty. We pay for the gas.
07:32Did you drive down by yourself, or was there someone else with you?
07:34No, I was alone. The other boys had their cars.
07:36When did you leave the bowling alley, you remember?
07:38Oh, about 10, 10-15, I'd say.
07:40How'd you drive home, Singer? I mean, what route did you take?
07:42I drove straight out West 7th, got to Coronado, came over Coronado to the house here.
07:46What do you want to know?
07:47What time did you get home?
07:48About a quarter to 11.
07:49Say, this wouldn't be about that little scrape I had last night, would it?
07:52What was that?
07:53Down at 7th and Grandview, right by MacArthur Park there.
07:56An old guy in the car ahead, he stopped fast right in front of me. He didn't even signal.
07:59Is that right?
08:00Yeah, I almost plowed right into him.
08:01Lucky I was watching, slammed on the brakes, turned in toward the curb.
08:04You should have seen it. I clipped the headlight and the right fender off against a telephone pole.
08:08Had to take the truck in this morning, get it fixed up.
08:10Were there any witnesses to this accident you had, Singer?
08:12Yeah, a half dozen people saw it.
08:14Did you get any names and addresses?
08:15Well, no, I didn't. I was so teed off about the whole thing, I guess I didn't think about it.
08:19Is there anyone at all we can check with? Anybody to corroborate your story?
08:22Just the old guy in that car.
08:25Sure was a lousy driver. I really chewed him out.
08:28You get his name and address?
08:29Well, no, but I took down his license number. I wasn't going to pay for the damages. He admitted it was his fault.
08:33I see. Do you mind giving us that license number?
08:35Well, no, if I can find it. I wrote it down on the back of an old envelope and I thought I put it in my jacket.
08:40But when I looked this morning, it wasn't there.
08:42It's around someplace, though.
08:44I'll check around again before I leave for work. It's bound to turn up.
08:47I'd like to have you look for it right away, Singer. It's pretty important.
08:49I don't think I get it, Officer. What's this all about, anyway?
08:52Preliminary investigation. You want to see if you can find that number for us?
08:55Well, why? What's it have to do with an investigation? I didn't do anything.
08:58That old man, it was his fault.
08:59A bakery truck was involved in a serious accident last night, the same kind you were driving. I'm afraid you're going to need an alibi, Singer.
09:04An alibi? I don't know what you mean. Why do I have to have an alibi?
09:08Just take my word for it. You need one.
09:10Why do I need one?
09:11Two reasons, mister.
09:12Yeah?
09:13A nine-year-old boy and his grandmother.
09:19We continued questioning the suspect, Arthur Singer, but he denied any knowledge of the hit-and-run accident the night before at the intersection of Drexel and Pico Boulevard.
09:27We stayed with him while he searched his home for the license number of the car, which he said caused him to have his accident the night before.
09:33After half an hour of looking, he came up with a number scribbled on a scrap of paper, which he'd found under the scarf on the dresser.
09:39We put in a call to RDMV, and they came back with the information that the license number was registered to a Mr. Thomas Foley on Lancashire Boulevard.
09:47We drove to the address to check with Mr. Foley, but there was nobody home.
09:55We left our card along with a message to contact us as soon as possible.
09:58At 4.15 p.m., Frank and I got back to the office.
10:02At 4.35, Mr. Foley returned our call.
10:05Oh, yes, sir. That's right.
10:09Oh, I see.
10:11What time was that? Do you remember?
10:14Uh-huh.
10:15All right, Mr. Foley. Thanks very much.
10:17Yeah, we may be contacting you later.
10:19Right.
10:20Thanks a lot. Goodbye.
10:23Yeah?
10:24I thought this was starting out too easy.
10:25What'd he say?
10:26Apparently, this Arthur Singer's telling us the truth.
10:28Mr. Foley says he did have a little scrape with a bakery truck last night.
10:31He described Singer as the driver of the truck.
10:33How about the location? Foley pretty sure about that, is he?
10:35Grandview and West 7th.
10:36Says it happened about 10.35 last night.
10:39That puts Singer about three miles from the scene of the hit-and-run.
10:42It's impossible, Joe.
10:43If this Mr. Foley's right, Singer couldn't have done it.
10:45Wasn't anywhere near the accident.
10:47I thought sure he was it, didn't you?
10:49Well, we can drive out and double-check it with Foley.
10:51I can't think of any reason why I should lie about it, can you?
10:54I get it.
10:57Accident investigation, Friday.
10:59Oh, yeah, Ted. Where?
11:02Yeah.
11:04Nobody, huh?
11:05Yeah.
11:06You bet. Right away. Thank you.
11:08Well, it's moving fast. Good piece of luck.
11:10Who was it?
11:11Ted Zimmerman. He and McClendon are down at the south end of town.
11:13Yeah.
11:14The hit-and-run truck. They think they found it.
11:214.28 p.m.
11:22Frank and I left the office and drove to the south end of the city
11:25where we met with Sergeants Zimmerman and McClendon,
11:27a block from where the tan panel bakery truck had been located.
11:30As soon as the truck had been discovered,
11:32an immediate stakeout was placed on it.
11:34A code 5 was broadcast on the vehicle's location,
11:37warning all units to stay away
11:39so as not to discourage the suspect
11:41in case he decided it was safe to return and get the truck.
11:44Frank and I drove down the side street where the truck was parked
11:47and got a good look at the front end of it.
11:49The right headlight was damaged, and so was the right fender.
11:54While Zimmerman and McClendon remained on stakeout,
11:56Frank and I contacted the Nielsen Bakery people again,
11:59gave them the number of the truck,
12:00and they traced down the driver's name for us.
12:03He was listed as Daniel Miller.
12:04He'd been employed by the bakery for the past three years,
12:07and he had a good record.
12:105.30 p.m. We checked at his home address,
12:12but his wife told us he wasn't there.
12:14She said that besides driving a truck for the bakery,
12:16he also had a part-time job at night.
12:18He worked as a counterman
12:19at a small coffee shop on Wilshire Boulevard.
12:21We drove out to the coffee shop and interviewed him on the job.
12:24No, I'm sorry. I don't know where the truck is.
12:26I wish I did.
12:27What happened, Miller? Was it stolen?
12:28No. No, not exactly.
12:30A fellow comes in here quite a bit.
12:31His name's Paul. He's a good customer.
12:33He borrowed the truck from me last night.
12:34Said it'd only be gone an hour, and I haven't seen him since.
12:36Where does this man live, this friend of yours, Paul?
12:38Well, to tell the truth, I don't know. He's a good customer.
12:40He comes in quite a bit at night when I'm working.
12:42I've gotten to know him pretty well.
12:43He asked to borrow the truck for an hour.
12:45Didn't think much about it.
12:46I let him have it, and I haven't seen him since.
12:48Is anything wrong?
12:49What's this Paul's last name, do you know?
12:50No, I guess I don't.
12:52Never thought to ask, as a matter of fact.
12:53Guess I never had any reason to.
12:54Well, what time was it last night when he loaned him the truck?
12:57A little after 8 o'clock, I think it was.
12:59He said he wanted to take his television set to a guy he knew and get it fixed.
13:02He told me he'd be back at 10 o'clock at the latest.
13:04You don't know where this man lives?
13:05You have no idea how to get in touch with him?
13:06No, I guess I don't, Sergeant. Why?
13:08You in the habit of lending the truck to strangers?
13:10No, not usually.
13:11What's your beef, anyway? What's it all about?
13:13What are your hours here at the coffee shop, Miller?
13:15When do you check in for work, and when do you leave?
13:17I check in at 7 o'clock.
13:18I go a straight five hours to midnight.
13:20That's when we close up at midnight.
13:21You worked that shift last night, did you?
13:237 p.m. straight through to midnight?
13:24That's right.
13:25Monday through Saturday, six days a week.
13:27That's the schedule.
13:28Just a part-time job for me, you know.
13:30Extra dough.
13:33I see.
13:34Was anyone around last night
13:35when your friend Paul came in to borrow the truck?
13:37Another customer, waitress, somebody we could double-check with?
13:40Well, there was a couple of other customers in the place.
13:42I don't know who they were, though.
13:44Why do you have to double-check anywhere?
13:45I haven't done anything.
13:46I loaned Paul the truck, that's all.
13:48Have you got any way at all of proving you were here
13:49from 7 to 12 last night?
13:51There must have been some customers you waited on, you remember.
13:53Sure, at least half a dozen.
13:54They'll tell you I was here.
13:55We'd like to have their names and addresses,
13:56if you don't mind, Miller.
13:57Yeah.
13:58Excuse me a second. I've got to wait on a customer.
13:59Sure, go ahead.
14:01Hi, Danny. Missed you last night.
14:03Are you afraid? What did you have?
14:04Oh, some coffee and a raisin pie.
14:09How's it going?
14:10Pretty good, pretty good.
14:13Yeah, man, the missus dropped by after the show last night
14:15looking for you.
14:16Did she?
14:17Yeah.
14:18About 10.30.
14:19Where were you, Dan?
14:327.15 p.m., Wednesday, December 22nd.
14:35We continued questioning the hit-and-run suspect,
14:37Daniel Miller, for a full hour,
14:39but he seemed to be unable to account for his time
14:41the previous night.
14:42His first story was that he'd been on duty
14:44behind the counter in the coffee shop without a break
14:46between the hours of 7 p.m. and midnight.
14:49Then, after the customer entered and disclosed
14:51that he was in the coffee shop at 10.30 the night before
14:54and that Miller was nowhere to be found,
14:56he went back to the coffee shop.
14:59and that Miller was nowhere about,
15:01the suspect switched his story.
15:03He said he thought that he had left the coffee shop briefly
15:05for about 15 minutes between 10.30 and 10.45 p.m.
15:09to run down the street to a hotel to say goodbye
15:11to some friends of his who were leaving for New York.
15:14We checked the hotel, but they didn't know Miller
15:16and they hadn't seen him the night before.
15:17They were sure of it.
15:19The questioning of the suspect continued,
15:20but he made little or no sense at all.
15:22Apparently, he was piling up lie after lie
15:24in an effort to cover his tracks before and after
15:26the hit-and-run murder the night before.
15:317.48 p.m. Frank and I pulled Miller off the job
15:34at the coffee shop and took him downtown to the office.
15:36I'm telling you the truth.
15:38I wasn't in that truck last night.
15:39I wasn't in an accident.
15:41I don't know what you're talking about.
15:42Then give us something to go on, Miller.
15:44You've handed us three different stories so far,
15:46not one of them strong enough to hold water.
15:48I'm telling you the truth.
15:49What are you trying to hang this on me for?
15:51I didn't have a wreck and I didn't kill anybody.
15:53Why are you picking on me?
15:54Because you don't make sense, mister.
15:55You're trying to sell us a story
15:56and you haven't got an ounce of proof to back it up.
15:58That bakery truck you're responsible for
15:59is the same truck that killed that old woman
16:01and the little boy.
16:02Now, you either come up with a solid story
16:03we can check on or you're going to be
16:04resting your back in Maine jail.
16:08Listen, call Bill Jackson.
16:10He's a good customer.
16:11He was in last night, I think.
16:12He'll tell you.
16:13Go ahead and call him.
16:14He'll back up what I say.
16:15What's his number?
16:16Do you know?
16:17Yeah, I got it right here in my wallet.
16:18Bill will tell you.
16:20Here it is.
16:22Hollywood 08121.
16:24Okay, thanks.
16:39William Jackson there, please.
16:41Yes, ma'am, it's important.
16:43All right.
16:46Yes, well, all right then.
16:48Will you have him call Michigan 5211?
16:50Yes, ma'am, that's right.
16:51That's extension 2885.
16:54Right, thank you.
16:56He's busy.
16:57He'll call back in a minute.
16:58He'll tell you the truth.
16:59I was in the coffee shop all night.
17:01Just those couple of minutes,
17:02I ran down to the hotel
17:03to say goodbye to those friends of mine.
17:05That's the only time I left the place.
17:07How come you didn't tell us that
17:08to begin with, Miller?
17:09You say you got nothing to hide.
17:10Why do you have to hand us
17:11three different stories?
17:12Which one are we supposed to believe?
17:14I got nervous, that's all.
17:15When you first came in
17:16and started to ask questions,
17:17I didn't know what it was all about.
17:19I didn't know there was any trouble.
17:20I just loaned the truck
17:21to this guy Paul as a favor.
17:23How'd I know what he was gonna do,
17:24getting himself in a jam like that?
17:26Try and look at it from where we stand, Miller.
17:28You loan out your truck to a man,
17:29you don't know his last name,
17:30you don't know where he lives,
17:31you say he must have been driving that truck
17:32when the old lady and the boy were killed.
17:33Sure, he must have been driving it.
17:35I wasn't.
17:36I was back at the coffee shop.
17:37I was there till midnight.
17:38All right, then, you prove it to us.
17:39If you know the man well enough
17:40to loan him the truck,
17:41you ought to be able to find him.
17:43There you are.
17:44Must be Bill Jackson.
17:45He'll tell you.
17:46Go ahead.
17:47See what he says.
17:49Accident Investigation, Friday.
17:51Oh, yeah.
17:52Yeah, Mr. Jackson,
17:53this is Sergeant Friday, yes, sir.
17:55Uh-huh.
17:56I wonder if you'd tell me
17:57if you know a Daniel Miller.
17:59Miller, yeah.
18:01When's the last time you saw him?
18:02Would you remember?
18:05I see.
18:06The place where he works,
18:07the coffee shop?
18:09Yeah, well, were you there last night
18:10by any chance?
18:12Did you see Miller in there?
18:15You're sure?
18:18Uh-huh.
18:19Yes, sir, I see.
18:20No, no, thanks, no.
18:21That's all for now.
18:22We'll contact you later on.
18:23Yes, sir.
18:25Bye.
18:27He told you, didn't he?
18:28Is that enough for you?
18:29He says he hasn't been
18:30in the coffee shop for three days.
18:419.45 p.m.
18:42Our interrogation of the hit-and-run suspect
18:44Daniel Miller went on.
18:46At his suggestion,
18:47there were half a dozen people
18:48who he figured might substantiate his alibi,
18:50but none of them were able to.
18:52Miller continued to deny
18:53any knowledge of the hit-and-run killing,
18:55but he still couldn't account
18:56for his whereabouts
18:57at the exact hour
18:58that the nine-year-old boy
18:59and his grandmother were run down.
19:01The time element especially
19:02didn't work in his favor.
19:04Nothing worked in his favor.
19:0511.30 p.m.,
19:06Frank and I took Daniel Miller
19:07over to the main jail
19:08where he was booked in
19:09on suspicion of 480 V.C.
19:14The following afternoon,
19:15his lawyer obtained a writ
19:16and released him from custody.
19:17The writ was returnable in five days.
19:19He came immediately to the office
19:20to plead with Frank and me
19:21to help him find Paul,
19:23the man who'd borrowed his truck,
19:24and thus clear himself.
19:26We took him up on it.
19:27Either way, we figured
19:28we'd get to the bottom of it.
19:29If Miller dreamed up
19:30the character Paul
19:31to escape blame
19:32for the hit-and-run killing,
19:33we were bound to find out
19:34sooner or later.
19:35If Miller was telling the truth
19:36and we had little reason
19:37to believe he was,
19:38and a man named Paul
19:39had borrowed the truck
19:40the night of the hit-and-run killing,
19:41we were bound to find that out, too.
19:43In any event,
19:44we had to investigate.
19:45It's the job of the police officer
19:46to prove guilt or innocence,
19:48not guilt alone.
19:52Two days passed,
19:53and then another two.
19:54The Monday following
19:55the Christmas weekend,
19:56we were ready to call a halt.
19:57Well, I don't know
19:58what else we can do.
19:59I think we've given him
20:00enough time, don't you?
20:01Well, the deeper we get into it,
20:02the more it looks like Miller's our man.
20:03I still can't make up my mind.
20:04Why do you have to be
20:05stubborn about it, Joe?
20:06We checked every possible angle
20:07on his story.
20:08We still haven't got
20:09an ounce of proof
20:10this guy Paul he talks about
20:11even exists.
20:12We can't string along
20:13with Miller forever.
20:14Yeah, I suppose you're right.
20:15We've given him
20:16a square enough break
20:17on it, haven't we?
20:18I still got that queer hunch, though.
20:19It's possible he might
20:20be telling us the truth.
20:21Look, we've gone
20:22four straight days on it.
20:23We haven't come across
20:24one lead to back up his story.
20:25Too much for me.
20:26I can't buy it.
20:27Jordan.
20:28Oh, hi, Miller.
20:29How are you?
20:30Okay.
20:31Glad to see you.
20:32Well, we've been looking
20:33for your friend, Miller,
20:34and we still haven't
20:35found a trace of him.
20:36That's why I came down to see you.
20:37A friend of mine
20:38called me this morning.
20:39He knows this guy Paul
20:40I told you about.
20:41He said he saw him last night
20:42going to a hotel
20:43in South Flower.
20:44Well, we haven't heard
20:45from this friend of yours before.
20:46We checked through twice
20:47on the list of everybody you know.
20:48This fellow's been out of town.
20:49Just got back yesterday.
20:50When he heard about the jam
20:51I was in, he called me
20:52about seeing Paul.
20:53Mm-hmm.
20:54This hotel Paul was supposed
20:55to have been seen going into,
20:56you got the address, have you?
20:57Yeah.
20:58It's over on South Flower,
20:59right near 12th.
21:00You want to go over there
21:01with me right now?
21:02This friend of mine
21:03wouldn't kid me.
21:04Paul must be there.
21:05You're sure about that, are you?
21:06He must be.
21:07I'll bet a bunch of pay on it.
21:08You might be low, mister.
21:09What?
21:10Stands to cost you
21:11We went up to the third floor
21:12to room 318,
21:13but the man registered
21:14as Paul Barton wasn't in.
21:15He'd left no word at the desk
21:16as to when he'd return.
21:17We sent Miller home
21:18and told him to wait
21:19for our call.
21:20Frank and I went on stakeout
21:21at the hotel.
21:22At 725 that night,
21:23Paul Barton returned to his room
21:24and we began questioning him.
21:25He showed no signs
21:26of being upset.
21:27His answers were quick,
21:28straightforward,
21:29and the answer was simple.
21:30He said,
21:31I don't know what you're talking about.
21:32He said,
21:33I don't know what you're talking about.
21:34He said,
21:35I don't know what you're talking about.
21:36He said,
21:37I don't know what you're talking about.
21:38He said,
21:39I don't know what you're talking about.
21:40His answers were quick,
21:41straightforward,
21:42and they seemed to make sense.
21:43The interview went on,
21:44a half hour,
21:45an hour,
21:46and Barton began to grow nervous.
21:47He contradicted himself.
21:48Big holes began to show up
21:49in his story
21:50as to how and where
21:51he'd spent his time
21:52the night of the hit-and-run killing.
22:03845 p.m.
22:04Frank and I took Barton
22:05back to the office.
22:06We'd called Miller at his home.
22:08He was asked to come downtown
22:09as soon as possible.
22:10Meantime,
22:11we checked Paul Barton
22:12through R&I,
22:13and the questioning went on.
22:14You're a little mixed up
22:15about that, aren't you,
22:16Mr. Barton?
22:17I thought you said
22:18you went to that bar downtown
22:19about 10 p.m.,
22:20and then you went to visit
22:21at your sister's house.
22:22Now you tell us
22:23you went to your sister's house first,
22:24then you went to the bar downtown.
22:25Now, which is it?
22:26That's getting a little
22:27high-handed, isn't it?
22:28Why do I have to account
22:29for my time to you?
22:30If it wasn't important,
22:31we wouldn't be asking you.
22:32I think you know that.
22:33I don't know anything of the kind.
22:34You're trying to take advantage of me.
22:36I think I've answered
22:37enough of your questions.
22:38I'm going back to the hotel.
22:39Just a minute, Barton.
22:40One more thing.
22:41Yeah?
22:42The last time you were arrested
22:43for a traffic violation,
22:44you want to tell us
22:45what the charge was?
22:46What?
22:47I think you heard me.
22:48Well, that was a year ago.
22:49I was driving a little too fast
22:50going on Beverly Boulevard.
22:51What's that got to do with it?
22:52Our record bureau says
22:53the charge was drunk driving.
22:54Your license was revoked.
22:55Well, so what?
22:56I haven't been driving.
22:57I haven't been near a car.
22:58What about last Tuesday night?
22:59Huh?
23:00Last Tuesday night.
23:01Did you do any driving then?
23:02No, of course not.
23:03Sure about that, are you?
23:04I'm getting out of here.
23:05Just stay put, mister.
23:06You're not going anyplace.
23:07All right, Frank,
23:08you want to check outside
23:09and see if they brought Miller in yet?
23:10Yeah, sure.
23:11You can't keep me here.
23:12It's illegal.
23:13You've got nothing to hold me on.
23:14Well, then you've got
23:15nothing to worry about, have you?
23:16We've got a guy
23:17by the name of Miller coming in.
23:18He says he thinks he knows you.
23:19Miller?
23:20I don't know any Miller.
23:26Nice going, Paul.
23:27Where you been?
23:29I said, where you been?
23:30What'd you do to the truck?
23:31Why, you two...
23:32Sit down.
23:33I didn't do it.
23:34I didn't do a thing.
23:35You can't prove it.
23:36You can't prove I did.
23:37They're going to prove it, Paul.
23:38I'm going to help them prove it.
23:39You sure have been a real good friend.
23:41Oh, give me a break, Danny.
23:42I didn't mean it.
23:43Honest, I didn't mean it.
23:44I loan you the truck,
23:45you get boozed up,
23:46you run down the little kid
23:47and the grandmother.
23:48Then you take off,
23:49leaving me holding the sack
23:50like I did it.
23:51I didn't mean it, Dan.
23:52It was an accident.
23:53I wasn't boozed up.
23:54Yeah, you're a real good friend.
23:55I hope you get it in the neck.
23:56I hope you get it with both barrels.
23:58It's not true, Sergeant.
23:59I wasn't boozed up.
24:00I only had two drinks.
24:01Believe me, that's all I had.
24:02Yeah.
24:03Well, I couldn't have been drunk.
24:04It doesn't affect me that way.
24:05Two drinks never hurt me.
24:06They never hurt me.
24:07I can prove it.
24:08Don't prove it to me.
24:09What?
24:10That little boy and his grandmother,
24:11they buried him this morning.
24:12You go ahead and prove it to them, mister.
24:13On February 28,
24:15trial was held in Department 87,
24:17Superior Court of the State of California,
24:19in and for the county of Los Angeles.
24:21In a moment, the results will be released.
24:23I don't know how long this trial will last.
24:25I don't know.
24:26But I do know
24:27because I saw it in the stand.
24:28And I don't know
24:29what I'm going to do to them.
24:30I don't know.
24:31I don't know.
24:32I don't know.
24:33I don't know.
24:34I don't know what I'm going to do
24:35to these kids.
24:36I don't know.
24:37I don't know.
24:38I don't know.
24:39I don't know.
24:40I don't know.
24:41I don't know.
24:42In a moment, the results of that trial.
24:51The suspect was tried and convicted of violation of the State Vehicle Code Section 480, a hit-and-run felony,
24:56which is punishable by imprisonment in the state penitentiary for not less than one, nor more than five years.
25:42This video was made possible in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.
25:46This video was made possible in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.
25:48This video was made possible in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.
25:50This video was made possible in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.
25:52This video was made possible in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.
25:54This video was made possible in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.
25:56This video was made possible in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.
25:58This video was made possible in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.
26:00This video was made possible in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.
26:02This video was made possible in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.
26:04This video was made possible in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.
26:06This video was made possible in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.
26:08This video was made possible in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.
26:10This video was made possible in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.
26:12This video was made possible in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.
26:14This video was made possible in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.
26:16This video was made possible in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.
26:18This video was made possible in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.
26:20This video was made possible in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.
26:22This video was made possible in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.
26:24This video was made possible in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.