The Case of the Red Riding Boots

Airdate: Saturday, December 10, 1960
Episode 106

TV Episode


Spoiler Alert

This page contains plot information, including the resolution to the murder.
Enter at your own risk.

Plot

Jill Farwell's ex-husband Bert owns a ranch, and her daughter Ann loved to go out there and ride the horses. When Bert wants to remarry, Ann and his new wife-to-be, Rita Conover, do not get along. Ann's school begins to suffer. Jill wants Perry to talk to Bert to see if there was anything he can do to delay the marriage until Ann can deal with things. As it turns out, not many people want Rita to marry Bert. She talks Bert into going to Las Vegas to get the wedding over with, so they make the plans. When driving the ranch car up to the cabin where Bert and Rita are to go after the wedding, Joe Dixon gets a flat tire. He goes to get the jack out of the trunk, he discovers Rita's body in the truck. When Tragg is questioning everyone, he finds out that Rennie Foster was supposed to drive the car up to the lake. Tragg then accuses Joe of the murder. Jill arrives at the ranch, and wants Perry to defend Joe against the charges. Perry questions him and wonders why Joe seems to be covering for Rennie. Perry has Paul try to find Rennie while he talks to Ann. Perry meets Ann's roommate Kathy, and finds that she was in trouble for sneaking out on the night of the murder. He recognizes the boots she is wearing as ones that Jill had given to Ann. He correctly deduces that Kathy is covering for Ann, who was the one that really snuck out that evening. Paul finds Rennie, and finds that he spent the evening of the murder in the movie theater. As the trial starts, Perry questions the autopsy surgeon and finds that the body was placed in the car about 5 hours after the murder. As the witnesses continue, the prosecutor lays the foundation for a case against Joe. When Perry questions Rennie, he finds that he is wanted for manslaughter in Tennessee. Perry is upset at the prosecutor for not divulging this information when he asked for all records. As further testimony comes out, it turns out that Joe was married to Rita back in Tennessee, when she went under a different name. Perry was not expecting this. Ann is called to the stand, and is questioned about Joe. She has to say that she heard Joe threaten to take care of her problem, which would be Rita. Perry questions her and tries to get her to admit that she snuck out of her room the night of the murder. When she finally admits it, and tells her story, she stops short of telling what really happened when she got to the ranch. During a recess, Ann breaks down and claims that she killed Rita, and is going to jump out of the window. Perry, who by this time knows she did not do it, talks her out of it. When Rennie tries to sneak away, the cat is out of the bag, and everyone knows who really did it.

Resolution

AccusedJoe Dixon
DeceasedRita Conover
Guilty PartyRennie Foster