****SPOILERS**** Assistant D.A Mel Grayson, Simon Oakland, strangles his wife Frida, played by what looked like a clothing store mannequin, and covers his tracks so perfectly that his Innocent nephew Paul Dekes, Dennis Cooney, ends up being arrested for the murder that he in fact committed. Dekes who was at a disco at the time of Frida's murder took some time off to go home and get a sandwich which was around the time that Frida was murdered. It was Robert T. Ironside, Raymond Burr, who was having a couple of drinks with Grayson at the exact time that his wife was supposedly murdered who rightly suspected that it was him in the phony act of both shock & surprise, when he heard the news of Frida's murder, that he put on not Paul Dekes who was the murderer! But with such an elaborate cover up on Grayson's part just how could Ironside prove it?
Were never given a reason why Grayson offed his wife it seemed that he was going through a mid-life crisis and with all the cute and very willing and free love hippie chicks around at the time, San Francisco circa 1967-69, he also wanted to get in on the action. with his wife Frida in the way and Grayson going through a major life change the only way for him to join this new generation of everything and anything goes American youths was by getting rid of her. Now free to do what he always wanted, let it all hang out, he's got his nephew Paul involved in a murder that he in fact committed.
****SPOILERS**** Ironside playing it both smart & cool allows Paul to get arrested for Frida's murder knowing that the evidence he has against him isn't worth a hill of beans in any courtroom in the USA. But in him knowing, which turned out to be right, that by Paul possibly facing the gas chamber if convicted Grayson he'll finally admit his guilt in order to spare Paul's life or life behind bars. Killing his wife was one thing but having someone else pay for his crime was quite another. And by Grayson allowing Paul to take the rap for what he did was a lot worse then him being able to get away with it.
Were never given a reason why Grayson offed his wife it seemed that he was going through a mid-life crisis and with all the cute and very willing and free love hippie chicks around at the time, San Francisco circa 1967-69, he also wanted to get in on the action. with his wife Frida in the way and Grayson going through a major life change the only way for him to join this new generation of everything and anything goes American youths was by getting rid of her. Now free to do what he always wanted, let it all hang out, he's got his nephew Paul involved in a murder that he in fact committed.
****SPOILERS**** Ironside playing it both smart & cool allows Paul to get arrested for Frida's murder knowing that the evidence he has against him isn't worth a hill of beans in any courtroom in the USA. But in him knowing, which turned out to be right, that by Paul possibly facing the gas chamber if convicted Grayson he'll finally admit his guilt in order to spare Paul's life or life behind bars. Killing his wife was one thing but having someone else pay for his crime was quite another. And by Grayson allowing Paul to take the rap for what he did was a lot worse then him being able to get away with it.