The Big Chet

Originally Aired: April 5, 1953

Dragnet #198, "The Big Chet," finds Sergeant Joe Friday and Officer Frank Smith struggling with a frustrating three-month case involving a pair of holdup men who have hit eleven jewelry stores and supermarkets with flawless precision. Despite having detailed descriptions—one suspect is a tall, redheaded man with a stutter, the other a shorter, dark-haired accomplice—and knowing their method of operation down to the minute, Friday and Smith have hit dead ends at every turn. The thieves' pattern is consistent: they enter stores around 10 a.m., ask to use the phone, then pull weapons, tie up victims, and clean out safes before disappearing without a trace. Captain Bidian is feeling the heat from the insurance companies and the front office as the case drags on.

The investigation takes a promising turn when Rod Nealan, a former robbery suspect whom Friday once arrested, contacts the detectives with a potential lead. Nealan spotted two men in a bar who match the suspects' descriptions perfectly, including the telltale stutter. The men were flashing rolls of cash and drinking with a woman who ordered unusual cocktails. With only first names—Chet and Vince—and the location of the bar to go on, Friday and Smith finally have their first real break in the case.