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Detectives on the Air

Detectives on the Air

Written by: OTR.FM Network
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 Detectives on the Air: Classic Radio Sleuths from the Golden Age

Step into the world of shadowy alleys, smoky offices, and cunning criminals with Detectives on the Air—your portal to the greatest detective dramas from the golden age of radio. Join iconic sleuths like Johnny Dollar, Richard Diamond, Philip Marlowe, Philo Vance, and more as they solve thrilling mysteries and navigate the noir landscapes of classic crime. Each episode brings you a timeless tale of intrigue, suspense, and old-time detective work, perfect for fans of vintage radio and true crime. Rediscover these radio legends, and let their gripping stories captivate your imagination once more!OTR.FM Network True Crime
Episodes
  • The Walter Patterson Matter: A Ghost in the Desert, A Lie in the Bay

    The Walter Patterson Matter: A Ghost in the Desert, A Lie in the Bay
    Feb 2 2026
    Originally Aired: December 26, 1952

    When Johnny Dollar is called to Wilmington, Delaware, he's assigned a bizarre case involving Walter Patterson—a man declared legally dead in a plane crash five years earlier. But now, a former judge and lifelong friend claims she saw Patterson alive and well in Tucson, Arizona. With a $40,000 life insurance claim already paid out to the widow, suspicions of fraud arise. Johnny travels west to confront the mysterious William Yoler, whose uncanny resemblance to Patterson—including a distinctive limp—raises more questions than answers. Although Yoler cooperates and even provides fingerprints that seem to clear him, things take a deadly turn when he's found murdered just hours later. As Dollar digs deeper, a tangled web of deceit unravels—revealing a secret pact between a disillusioned husband who faked his death and the lawyer who envied him. The truth crashes into view when vengeance, jealousy, and a botched second chance at love lead to fatal consequences. A haunting mystery of identity, betrayal, and regret unfolds in this chilling holiday installment of Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar.
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    27 mins
  • The Elliott Champion Matter: Fire, Fraud, and a Final Farewell

    The Elliott Champion Matter: Fire, Fraud, and a Final Farewell
    Jan 30 2026
    Originally Aired: December 12, 1952

    When insurance investigator Johnny Dollar is dispatched to Los Angeles, he dives into the suspicious fire that gutted a ten-story office building owned by the larger-than-life Elliott Champion. While the arson seems to be amateurish, Champion’s financial troubles and a possible motive raise red flags. With the help of arson expert Norman Ives and agent Don Vickers, Dollar uncovers the name of a disgraced ex-employee—Joseph Harrison—recently released from prison and rumored to hold a grudge against Champion. But as Johnny peels back the layers, he finds Champion’s niece Mildred, quietly holding a devastating secret: she married Harrison before his conviction. When Champion turns up murdered and Harrison is found already dead from tuberculosis, suspicion falls on Mildred. What unfolds is a tragic tale of loyalty, love, and long-harbored vengeance. A deeply emotional case, “The Elliott Champion Matter” blends mystery with heartbreak in a gripping installment of Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar.
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    29 mins
  • The James Clayton Matter: A Prescription for Murder

    The James Clayton Matter: A Prescription for Murder
    Jan 28 2026
    Originally Aired: December 5, 1952

    When insurance investigator Johnny Dollar agrees to fill in at a colleague’s office in New York, he expects a quiet stint—until a nurse bursts in with a plea for help. Her employer, Dr. James Clayton, claims his life has been threatened by a violent and unstable man named Benjamin Harmon. But what begins as a simple protection matter quickly turns into a tangled web of deceit and murder. As Dollar digs deeper, he uncovers a forbidden love affair, a faked patient history, and an elaborate plan for justifiable homicide. But the twist comes when the wrong man winds up dead, and the prime suspect may actually be the victim of a deeper betrayal. With layers of passion, manipulation, and heartbreak, this emotionally charged episode of Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar explores how far people will go for love—and how much further for revenge.
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    29 mins
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