Category: The Big Story

Today’s Mystery:

When a series of brutal attacks leaves Los Angeles investigators searching for answers, crime reporter Sid Hughes finds himself drawn into a dangerous case. With a killer targeting tall, beautiful women and few clues to follow, Hughes proposes an unusual plan that could bring the investigation to a close—but puts his own life on the line.

Original Radio Broadcast Date: October 20, 1954

Originating from New York

Cast:

Leslie Nielsen as Sid Hughes
Sam Raskin
Phil Sterling
Billy Redfield
Michael O’Day
Peggy Allenby
Madeleine Sherwood

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NBC, OTR Detective, Podcast, The Big Story

The Big Story: The Ugly Story of a Man (EP5087)

by George • 0 Comments

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Today’s Mystery:

Reporter Chick Gleason heads into northern California to cover what appears to be a routine forest fire. But when two blazes erupt in the same area, suspicion grows that someone has deliberately set them. Then a sudden shift in the wind traps a group of missionaries in a deadly inferno, leaving 15 men dead. As investigators search for the arsonist, Gleason uncovers a suspect whose desperate circumstances may conceal a motive far more disturbing than anyone imagined.

Original Radio Broadcast: October 6, 1954

Originating in New York

Cast:

Joe Helgeson as Chick Gleason
Carl Swenson as Alan Rusk
Norman Rose as Narrator
Dean Almquist
Earl George
Michael O’Day
Ed Fuller
Chelsea Garrett

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Patreon Supporter of the Day: Cassandra, Patreon Supporter since September 2025.

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NBC, OTR Detective, Podcast, The Big Story

The Big Story: Witness to Drama of Violence and Death (EP5082)

by George • 0 Comments

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Today’s Mystery:

A redheaded woman is found shot dead in a black sedan on the outskirts of Las Vegas. Reporter Johnny Kalen soon finds himself investigating a second killing, a missing man named Scott Whitty, and a tangled web of relationships that may connect them all. As more troubling details emerge, Kalen and Police Chief Warren race to piece together the truth behind a string of violent deaths.

Original Radio Broadcast: March 24, 1954

Originating from New York

Cast:

Michael O’Day as Johnny Kalen
Ed Begley as Police Chief Warren
Brenna Rayburn
Danny Acko
Rita Lynn
Gilbert Mack
Billy Gray

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Patreon Supporter of the Day: Ken — Patreon supporter since January 2020

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NBC, OTR Detective, Podcast, The Big Story

The Big Story: A Search That Saved a Life (EP5077)

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Today’s Mystery:

A chance encounter in a Chicago courtroom leads reporters Virginia Marmaduke and Joe Kordek into a deeply personal story. A mother is seeking a divorce because she believes her husband is willing to risk their young daughter’s life. The reporters soon discover that the child suffers from a serious medical condition and that her parents are bitterly divided over a dangerous decision that could determine her future. When they learn that another child may hold the answer, Virginia and Joe set out to find her—but will they reach her in time?

Original Radio Broadcast: February 10, 1954

Originating from New York

Cast:

Virginia Marmaduke — M.C. Strickland
Joe Kordek — Sid Pohl
Mandel Kramer
Jan Miner
Guy Sorel
Madeline Pierce
Shirley Hayes
Joan Tompkins

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Patreon Supporter of the Day: Philip, Patreon supporter since December 2019

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NBC, OTR Detective, Podcast, The Big Story

The Big Story: Too Terrible to be Believed (EP5072)

by Yours Truly Johnny Blogger • 0 Comments

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Today’s Mystery:

Prince George’s County reporter Arthur Milky becomes suspicious when a young child dies at a nursery home and the medical examiner determines that the boy’s severe head injuries could not have been self-inflicted. When the woman running the home offers conflicting explanations for the injuries, Milky begins investigating both the child’s death and the operator’s troubling history, determined to uncover evidence strong enough to establish what really happened.

Original Radio Broadcast: January 27, 1954

Originating from New York

Cast:

Lyle Sudrow as Arthur Milky
Court Benson
Maurice Wells
Louis Van Rooten
Barbara Weeks
Joan Lorring
Ted Osborne

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Patreon Supporter of the Day: Stuart, Patreon supporter since November 2022.

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NBC, OTR Detective, Podcast, The Big Story

The Big Story: Back from the Dead (EP5067)

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Today’s Mystery:

Pittsburgh newspaper reporter Joseph P. Brown receives a call about a woman who has been shot at an address in nearby Jeanette, Pennsylvania. Arriving at the scene, Brown finds a strangely uncooperative group of witnesses who refuse to give him the woman’s name or explain what happened. As he begins investigating the shooting, Brown must uncover what happened to the woman and why the people at the scene are so reluctant to talk.

Original Radio Broadcast: September 30, 1953.

Originating from New York

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Patreon Supporter of the Day: Tammy, Patreon supporter since February

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NBC, OTR Detective, Podcast, The Big Story

The Big Story: The Miracle Phone Call (EP5062)

by Yours Truly Johnny Blogger • 1 Comment

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Today’s Mystery:

Newspaper reporter Dorothy Patterson is contacted by the desperate mother of five-year-old Johnny McDermott, who is gravely ill and needs an expensive experimental treatment his family cannot afford. Despite warnings that readers won’t contribute thousands of dollars to help a child they don’t know, Dorothy puts her faith in the generosity of her community and uses her newspaper column to make an appeal on Johnny’s behalf.

Original Radio Broadcast: April 1, 1953

Originating from New York

Cast:

Jan Miner as Dorothy Patterson
Francis DeSales
Ted Osborne
Joey Fallon
Bobby Rick (probable identification)
Rae Terry
Brenna Rayburn
Bob Sloane, announcer

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Patreon Supporter of the Day: Christine, Patreon supporter since November 2023.

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NBC, OTR Detective, Podcast, The Big Story

The Big Story: The Biggest Catch (EP5057)

by Yours Truly Johnny Blogger • 0 Comments

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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 three supposed fishermen crash their car into a telephone pole, and Don’s suspicions about the strangely anxious travelers lead him to test whether their fishing story holds water.

Original Radio Broadcast: February 4, 1953

Originating from New York

Cast:

Michael O’Day as Don Morrissey
Cameron Prudhomme
Mandel Kramer
Maurice Gosfield
Harold Huber
Tom Collins
John McGovern

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NBC, OTR Detective, Podcast, The Big Story

The Big Story: Hot Lead Catches a Cold-Blooded Killer (EP5052)

by Yours Truly Johnny Blogger • 0 Comments

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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 newspaper and a loaded die, Adams begins tracing the dead man’s movements, searching for the clue that can lead authorities to his killer.

Original Radio Broadcast: October 8, 1952

Originating in New York

Cast:

Jim Stevens as William Adams
Cameron Prudhomme
Bill Zuckert
Jean Gillespie
Ruth York
E. Sam Raskin
Michael O’Day
Cameron Andrews

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Patreon Supporter of the Day: Deanna, Patreon supporter since December 2024.

Thank you to our latest Platinum Patreon supporter: Margie, who has been supporting the show since September 2016

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NBC, OTR Detective, Podcast, The Big Story

The Big Story: Reporter Risks Life to Avenge a Friend’s Murder (EP5047)

by Yours Truly Johnny Blogger • 0 Comments

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Today’s Mystery:

When a Butte service-station attendant disappears under mysterious circumstances, his lifelong friend, Helena Independent Record reporter Alan Copperthwaite, refuses to let the story fade away. Following a slender trail of clues across Montana, Copperthwaite risks his own safety in a deeply personal search for the truth.

Original Radio Broadcast: March 19, 1952.

Originating from New York

Cast:

Bill Lipton as Alan Copperthwaite
Jane Robbin
Joe DeSantis
Phil Sterling
Owen Jordan
Joe Helgesen
Jim Stevens
Bob Sloane as Narrator

Adapted by Abraham S. Ginnes

Original music composed and conducted by Vladimir Selinsky

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Patreon Supporter of the Day: Michael, Patreon supporter since May 2026.

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NBC, OTR Detective, Podcast, The Big Story

The Big Story: The Cord Around Her Neck (EP5042)

by Yours Truly Johnny Blogger • 0 Comments

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Today’s Mystery:

West Seattle Herald reporter Stuart Whitehouse gets an unexpected opportunity to scoop the city’s larger newspapers when a woman is found murdered in her home. With his weekly paper’s deadline rapidly approaching, Whitehouse follows a series of clues in hopes of identifying the killer—and getting the story into print first.

Original Radio Broadcast: January 9, 1952

Originating from New York

Cast:

Nat Polen as Stuart Whitehouse
Margaret Burlen
Helen Barron
Larry Haines
Bill Griffiths
Bert Callen
John Becker
Steve Edders
Michael O’Day

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Patreon Supporter of the Day: Brian, Patreon supporter since September 2022.

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NBC, OTR Detective, Podcast, The Big Story

The Big Story: The Man Who Wanted What He Couldn’t Have (EP5037)

by Yours Truly Johnny Blogger • 0 Comments

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Today’s Mystery:

Salt Lake City Tribune reporter Cluster M. Nielsen investigates the murder of a young traveler whose final journey ends on a lonely Utah highway. As the evidence begins to conflict, Nielsen races to uncover the truth before an innocent man pays the price.

Original Radio Broadcast: November 14, 1951

Originating from New York

Cast:

Francis DeSales as Cluster M. Nielsen
Charita Bauer
Mickey O’Day
Bruce Gordon
Owen Gordon
Alan Stevenson

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NBC, OTR Detective, Podcast, The Big Story

The Big Story: Forty Minutes to Meet a Deadline (EP5032)

by Yours Truly Johnny Blogger • 0 Comments

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Today’s Story:

Cleveland Press reporter Bus Bergen believes he has an open-and-shut murder case wrapped up in just forty minutes. But as the trial unfolds, a nagging doubt – and an unlikely four-legged witness – forces him to reconsider everything he thought he knew.

Original Radio Broadcast: July 25, 1951

Originating from New York

Starring Nat Polen as Bus Bergen

Also featuring Kathleen Nadeau, Brad Barker, Mel Ruick, Phil Sterling, Larry Robinson, Court Benson, and Les Darcy (unconfirmed)

Based on the true experiences of Cleveland Press reporter Bus Bergen.

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Boise, ID 83715

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NBC, OTR Detective, Podcast, The Big Story

The Big Story: More Tragic than Murder (EP5027)

by Yours Truly Johnny Blogger • 0 Comments

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The Big Story

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, Ethel Owen, James Stevens, Bill Smith, Charles Eggleston, Bill Griffiths, and Jason Johnson

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Adam Graham
PO Box 15913
Boise, ID 83715

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NBC, OTR Detective, Podcast, The Big Story

The Big Story: Poker Game Ends in Death

by Yours Truly Johnny Blogger • 0 Comments

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Today’s Mystery:

When a suburban poker game ends in a deadly holdup, veteran Chicago reporter Bill Doherty becomes intrigued by the teenage brother of one of the dead gunmen. As evidence mounts against the youth, Doherty sets out to determine whether the frightened suspect is a killer—or another victim of the crime.

Original Radio Broadcast: March 21, 1951

Originating in New York

Starring John Larkin as Bill Doherty.

Also featuring Joseph Julian, Jack Grimes, Larry Haines, Bryna Raeburn, and Parker Fennelly. Based on the reporting of William Doherty of the Chicago Sun-Times.

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NBC, OTR Detective, Podcast, The Big Story

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