The Big Story: More Tragic than Murder (EP5027)

The Big Story: More Tragic than Murder (EP5027)

Author: Adam Graham July 28, 2026 Duration: 33:30
Today’s Mystery: When rumors spread through rural Kansas that a woman has concealed her mother’s death for years, Hiawatha Daily World reporter Virgil Hill uncovers a heartbreaking truth that proves far more tragic than murder. Original Radio Broadcast: April 25, 1951 Originating from New York Starring Bill Lipton as Virgil Hill Also featuring Agnes Young,…

Step into a world where every shadow holds a secret and every crackle of the radio dial promises a new mystery. Host Adam Graham curates NBC-The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio, a journey back to the golden age of audio drama where iconic sleuths from the airwaves take center stage once more. This isn't just a collection of old recordings; it's an immersive experience into the crafted soundscapes of classic crime fiction. Each episode presents a complete, vintage detective story as originally broadcast, featuring legendary characters whose clever deductions and sharp wit defined a genre. You'll hear the tense footsteps, the slamming of desk drawers, and the hard-boiled dialogue that made these programs so compelling. The podcast serves as both entertainment and a living archive, celebrating the artistry of radio performance and storytelling from a bygone era. For fans of drama, fiction, and the performing arts, tuning in offers a chance to appreciate the narrative foundations that influence so much of today's media. So, settle in and let the static transport you to a time where the solution was always just a clue away, and the great ones are indeed back in action.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

NBC – The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio
Podcast Episodes
Dragnet: The Big Donation (EP5064) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:42
Todays Mystery:Sergeant Joe Friday and his partner Bill Lockwood investigate a group of confidence men posing as authorized solicitors for legitimate charities and pocketing the donations they collect. An early arrest ap…
The Saint: No Hiding Place (EP5061) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:28
Today’s Mystery: Simon Templar tries to help Tommy Patrick, a prisoner who claims someone has repeatedly tried to kill him and then escapes before Simon can speak with him. Searching for the reason Tommy has been marked…
Dragnet: The Big Whiff (EP5059) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:25
Today’s Mystery: Sergeant Joe Friday and Frank Smith investigate the death of an unidentified woman found in a vacant lot, apparently the victim of chloroform poisoning. With no identification and little evidence beyond…
The Big Story: The Biggest Catch (EP5057) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:13
Today’s Mystery: Young journalism student Don Morrissey is determined to prove he has what it takes to become a full-time reporter for his hometown newspaper in quiet Elkhorn, Wisconsin. His opportunity arrives when thre…
The Saint: Miss Godby’s School for Girls (EP5056) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:36
Today’s Mystery: The Saint becomes involved when a blackmailer calls him to give a father a demand for ransom. Original Radio Broadcast Date: November 5, 1950. Originating from Hollywood Vincent Price as Simon Templar /…
Dragnet: The Big Fourth (EP5054) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:39
Today’s Mystery: Sergeant Joe Friday and Frank Smith investigate a disturbing series of infant abductions in which babies disappear from the same general neighborhood, only to be found unharmed within a day. With no clea…
The Big Story: Hot Lead Catches a Cold-Blooded Killer (EP5052) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:34
Today’s Mystery: Miami Herald reporter William Adams joins the investigation after a well-dressed stranger is found shot to death beneath a bridge in the Everglades. With little to identify the victim beyond an old newsp…
The Saint: The Return of Harry Morgan (EP5051) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:02
Today’s Mystery: Simon Templar agrees to help Wendy Brown, who fears the return of Harry Morgan, a notorious criminal she double-crossed before he fled the country. When a former prizefighter with advance knowledge of Mo…
Dragnet: The Big Badge (Peggy Webber Special) (EP5050s) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:38
Today’s Mystery: Sergeant Joe Friday and his partner Ben Romero hunt for the “Badge Bandit,” a violent criminal who poses as a police officer to rob and assault his victims. After weeks of investigation, the search becom…
Counterspy: The Postal Pirates, Part Two (A0118) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:47
Today’s Adventure: David Harding and Harry Peters move to break up a widespread parcel-post theft ring, but their raid on the gang’s New York warehouse uncovers two deaths made to look like a murder-suicide. Harding susp…