The Sleepwalker

Originally Aired: May 14, 1957 In A Case For Doctor Morelle #4, "The Sleepwalker," the brilliant but acerbic Dr. Morelle investigates a disturbing case involving Richard Wilson, a young man plagued by terrifying nightmares in which he attempts to murder his mother with a stiletto. When Richard's mother is found dead in circumstances suggesting a burglary gone wrong, the troubled sleepwalker becomes the prime suspect. Complicating matters is Richard's secret romance with Helen Keene, his mother's secretary companion, a relationship his domineering mother would never have approved. Inspector Hood believes a burglar killed Mrs. Wilson when she interrupted a robbery, pointing to evidence of forced entry and a torn necktie clutched in the victim's hand. However, Dr. Morelle's keen psychiatric insights and careful examination of the crime scene reveal inconsistencies that don't align with the inspector's theory. As he questions Richard, Miss Keene, and examines the physical evidence, Morelle uncovers a far more sinister plot involving insurance policies, suicide clauses, and the psychological principle that criminals are driven by an inner compulsion toward self-destruction. The doctor's investigation leads to a shocking revelation about who orchestrated this elaborate scheme and why.