The Big Blast

Originally Aired: May 17, 1951 Dragnet #101, "The Big Blast," Sergeant Joe Friday and Officer Ben Romero investigate a brutal shotgun murder on a sweltering July night in Los Angeles. The victim is Josephine Stevens, a young mother who was blasted through a screen door while lying in bed. The only witness is her terrified seven-year-old son, Charlie, who tells Friday about hearing someone cutting the screen before the fatal shots rang out. The boy's grandmother provides comfort as detectives work to piece together who would want to kill Josephine and why. Friday and Romero's investigation leads them to the victim's estranged husband, Keith Stevens, who has a troubled past and a contentious custody battle over young Charlie. As they interview suspects and check alibis, the detectives discover that Stevens has been keeping company with questionable associates, including a man named Carl Walters. The case grows more complex as Friday uncovers a web of lies, jealousy, and desperation surrounding the custody dispute. With methodical police work, Friday pursues the truth behind this vicious crime while young Charlie struggles to understand why someone would hurt his mother.