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NO MOTIVE FOR MURDER

·36 min·3 clips

Anne Rogers reveals she knows John Masters murdered Bruce Westcott to steal his friend's wife.

This episode is a recreation of a 1944 radio drama about newspaper columnist Anne Rogers investigating a murder case. The hosts are voice actors performing the original script, led by Rhonda Sigler Ware as the intrepid reporter Anne. Anne Rogers believes Herbert Preston, convicted of murdering his employer Bruce Westcott, is innocent despite overwhelming legal consensus. Her secretary, Spritely Poole, and a skeptical photographer named Pete question her pursuit of the case. Anne visits Preston in jail, where he recounts finding Westcott's body and being discovered by a scrub woman, Gertie Kelly, with the murder weapon. Preston reveals a racketeer named Tony Malinetti had threatened Westcott for refusing to sell electrical supplies. Anne's investigation uncovers that a fuse blew, causing a blackout in the building around the time of the murder. The scrub woman, Gertie Kelly, has a prior arrest for assault with a knife and a grudge against Westcott. Anne writes a column claiming to know the real killer's identity, provoking visits from both the angry scrub woman and Preston's lawyer, John Masters. In a private confrontation, Anne reveals Masters as the true murderer, explaining he killed Westcott to frame Preston and win Preston's wife, Mary. Anne deduces Masters' guilt from his specific knowledge that Westcott died instantly without seeing his killer, a detail only the murderer could know. She lures him into a confession, which is recorded by police hiding in her office with her secretary Spritely. Masters is arrested after a struggle, and Preston's innocence is proven. The tone is a classic, fast-paced radio noir mystery with suspenseful dialogue and dramatic sound effects. The style is narrative-driven, featuring sharp, period-accurate banter and a plot centered on logical deduction. Fans of old-time radio mysteries, noir detective stories, and tightly plotted whodunits would love this episode. Listeners who prefer modern production styles or non-fiction podcasts might skip this dramatized recreation.

As heard by us

A conviction-driven mystery with period tension, a reporter on the case, and a wartime business dispute at its center.

No Motive for Murder starts with a conviction that sounds settled, then steadily pulls it back open through Herbert Preston's insistence that he is innocent.

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Why you'd press play

A long-lost Hot Copy mystery, with Anne Rogers standing by a convicted man who insists he is innocent.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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