Sept. 20, 2026
THE BIG LAUGH and THE BIG IMPOSTER DRAGNET
In the radio episode "The Big Laugh " (Episode #194, originally broadcast March 8, 1953), Sergeant Joe Friday and Officer Frank Smith pursue a confidence trickster who scams lonely women out of thousands of dollars . [ Case Overview ...
In the Dragnet radio episode "The Big Laugh " (Episode #194, originally broadcast March 8, 1953), Sergeant Joe Friday and Officer Frank Smith pursue a confidence trickster who scams lonely women out of thousands of dollars . [
Case Overview
The Crime: A smooth-talking con man named Jonathan Benton (alias Jack Bentley / Thomas Conan) preys on lonely, middle-aged women by answering personal ads in local newspapers. [1]
The Method: He sweeps the victims off their feet with a whirlwind romance, dinners, and promises of marriage. He then leaves town on a fake business trip, calls back claiming he lost his wallet and identification, and asks for a small loan of $100—an amount low enough to prevent the victims from panicking or going to the police. [1]
The Investigation: Multiplying his scams across Los Angeles, Benton steals roughly $37,000 before Friday and Smith gather enough descriptions and new ad leads to track him down, arrest him, and secure a grand theft conviction. [1]
THE BIG IMPOSSIBLE
Detective Sergeant Joe Friday and his partner, Frank Smith, investigate a string of supermarket holdups and ID a prime suspect who appears physically confined to a bed in a sanitarium at the time of the crimes .
Case Overview
The Crime: A fast, experienced holdup man targets large supermarkets in Los Angeles, holding managers at gunpoint and escaping cleanly.
The Investigation: Witnesses and victims positively identify a suspect named Hansen from police mugshots.
The Twist: Official records, medical charts, and rest home staff confirm that Hansen suffers from a severe lung ailment and has been confined to his bed 24 hours a day for months, making his involvement seemingly impossible.
The Resolution: Even as further robberies occur while the suspect remains bedridden, Friday and Smith must untangle how the identical modus operandi (M.O.) is being executed without their prime suspect ever leaving the facility.
