Dragnet - The Jewel Thief episode artwork

EPISODE · Dec 16, 2025 · 30 MIN

Dragnet - The Jewel Thief

from Radio Archeaology · host dragnet

This gripping 1949 Dragnet episode tells the relentless story of a master jewel thief who terrorized Los Angeles for sixteen consecutive nights, stealing thousands of dollars in diamonds, watches, and precious gems from the city's finest homes. Featuring Sergeants Joe Friday and Ben Romero as they investigate a case that begins with mounting pressure from society women and Chief of Detectives Ed Backstrand demanding results. The detectives discover their suspect Walter Tracy through pawn shop records, but catching him is only the beginning. The case culminates when a landlady finally recognizes "Mr. Baker" and the detectives discover an apartment filled with stolen property hidden in the most ingenious places—rings in milk bottles, diamonds in mayonnaise jars, watches taped under kitchen sinks—transforming a routine burglary investigation into a testament to the unglamorous persistence of real police work.Episode Quotes:"16 burglaries in 16 days. That's gotta stop. It's gotta stop soon. You understand?" - Chief Ed Backstrand"By the sixth day, all three of us had special pads in our shoes. Our feet ached worse than ever. Tracy let us know about his every three minutes." - Sgt. Joe FridaySpecial Thanks to Our Sponsor Tablet Pharmacy for supporting ThePulseCommunity.ca.More Podcasts!You'll find all episodes of The PULSE Podcast on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, iHeart, TikTok and YouTube podcasts, as well as ThePulseCommunity.ca.Check out Skookum Kid's Stories on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, iHeart, and YouTube Podcasts, as well at SkookumKids.com.Sign up for our weekly newsletter of new podcast releases and contests!#Dragnet, #ClassicRadio, #JewelThieves, #VintageRadio, #RadioDrama, #RadioArchaeology, #ThePulsePodcast, #ThePulseCommunity, #ParksvilleQualicumBeach, #VancouverIsland

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Dec 16, 2025

Embed this episode

This gripping 1949 Dragnet episode tells the relentless story of a master jewel thief who terrorized Los Angeles for sixteen consecutive nights, stealing thousands of dollars in diamonds, watches, and precious gems from the city's finest homes. Featuring Sergeants Joe Friday and Ben Romero as they investigate a case that begins with mounting pressure from society women and Chief of Detectives Ed Backstrand demanding results. The detectives discover their suspect Walter Tracy through pawn shop...

Distinct summary based on available episode metadata or transcript content.

Ready to play

Dragnet - The Jewel Thief

0:00 30:30

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Radio Archeaology?

This episode is 30 minutes long.

When was this Radio Archeaology episode published?

This episode was published on December 16, 2025.

Can I download this Radio Archeaology episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!