Murder by Jury

Originally Aired: February 22, 1954 Suspense #540, "Murder by Jury," stars Herbert Marshall in a chilling courtroom drama where Edward Mason stands trial for murdering his wife, Frida. Mason claims he awoke from a recurring nightmare about strangling a snake, only to discover his hands were around his wife's throat and she was already dead. As the prosecutor cross-examines witnesses, damning evidence emerges: Mason had insured his wife's life for ten thousand pounds, and her brother Hector Easterday testifies that Mason had been involved with another woman. While the defense attorney, McCrae, works to discredit the witnesses and paint Mason's confession as the truthful account of a tragic accident, the prosecution argues it was a carefully premeditated murder disguised as a nightmare. The case grows more complex as the jury weighs the evidence. Was this truly a horrible accident caused by a vivid dream, or did Mason commit the perfect crime by staging his wife's death to look like an unfortunate sleepwalking incident? With Mason's life hanging in the balance, the truth remains elusive as both sides battle to convince the jury of their version of events.