The gift of intense questioning – particularly, in the pre-Miranda rights-era – takes center stage in "The Big Barrette", where Friday and Smith seek answers to the senseless beating death of a beautiful, petite 21-year-old girl during the robbery of her purse. Forensics determines she was struck several times with a lead pipe, and based on evidence at the scene, it is believed the suspect was close to 5'10" or 5'11" and was wearing a specific brand of tennis shoes which can't be found.
The detectives hit several dead ends as they interview potential suspects ... none of them have any reason to hurt her. The case goes unsolved for a week until the detectives, while out on patrol, get a radio call regarding a disturbance and possible attempted robbery. A young woman, about 20 years old, petite and very pretty, greets Friday and Smith, frantic that a man had broken into her house and was wanting to use the telephone. Despite him hitting her with a pipe, she managed to fight him off, and it is quick that Friday is able to find the man and take him into custody.
The suspect is Frank Larson, a clothing salesman at a local department store who in his heyday had been making excellent commission but then began drinking heavily and, after weeks of declining performance, was let go from his job.
It is there that the clues finally start falling into place, including one key piece of evidence: A loose rhinestone, found on the floor of Larson's hotel room. The detectives are intense in their questioning of Larson, who steadfastly denies his involvement in either the death of the first woman or the later attempted robbery, despite inconsistencies in his story. When the detectives serve dinner and offer Larson a sandwich and coffee, he refuses ... then eventually breaks down in a rage and confesses. He didn't mean to do it ... he was drunk and just wanted her purse, but she kept fighting back.
Larson is eventually tried on first-degree murder charges, convicted and sentenced to death in the gas chamber.
Just the Tropes, ma'am:
- The Alcoholic: What Larson had apparently become. He was, by all accounts, a top-performing salesman at a local department store but was able to keep his drinking under control. At one point, however, Larson began to drink more steadily until he began losing control and drank heavily. This eventually affected his performance and caused him to be fired.
- Motive Rant: After intense questioning, Larson finally cracks under pressure and confesses that he killed the young woman. In a great emotional breakdown, he says that he just wanted her purse but she wouldn't give it to him, so he had to beat her up to get her to stop screaming.
- Syndication Title: The surviving print of this episode – which, in its uploaded form to various video sharing services is apparently from an old 16-mm print, in likely relatively poor condition – is titled under Badge 714, which the show ran under during the latter half of the 1950s while the original series was still in its first-run network run.
