The Big In-Laws

Originally Aired: August 23, 1951 Dragnet #115, "The Big In-Laws," Sergeant Joe Friday and his partner Ben Romero investigate a sophisticated gang of hijackers operating in Los Angeles. Truckloads of merchandise worth thousands of dollars are vanishing without a trace, and the criminals appear to have a foolproof system. When truck driver Frank Burroughs finally shows up at headquarters to look through mug books, he seems more concerned about his evening plans than helping solve the case. Burroughs recounts his hijacking in detail: while hauling Scotch whiskey to Phoenix, a gunman forced him to wear taped-over welder's goggles and drove him to a remote transfer point where accomplices took over. His story matches the pattern of other hijackings perfectly, perhaps too perfectly. As Friday and Romero press Burroughs for more details, inconsistencies begin to emerge. When asked about previous arrests, Burroughs reluctantly admits to a hijacking conviction from ten years ago in West Virginia. While Ben deals with his own domestic troubles involving overcrowded in-laws and an unhousebroken terrier, the detectives must determine whether Burroughs is simply an unlucky victim or an inside man working with the hijacking ring.