# The Big Story: New Facts About a 26-Year Frame-Up (EP4967)

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-great-detectives-of-old-time-radio-daily-mystery-dramas-162279/the-big-story-new-facts-about-a-26-year-frame-up-ep4967
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-great-detectives-of-old-time-radio-daily-mystery-dramas-162279/the-big-story-new-facts-about-a-26-year-frame-up-ep4967.md
Podcast: [The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio| Daily Mystery Dramas](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-great-detectives-of-old-time-radio-daily-mystery-dramas-162279)
Published: 2026-05-05T07:00:03+00:00
Episode link: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-big-story-new-facts-about-a-26-year-frame-up-ep4967--71871023
Audio file: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pdcn.co/e/pdrl.fm/997ffb/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/71871023/gd4967.mp3
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Duration seconds: 1942

## Resource

Reporter Ralph Goll investigates a decades-old murder case to uncover a calculated conspiracy. He discovers that a man was imprisoned for twenty-six years due to a corrupt police investigation.

## Highlights
- Main idea: A journalist reopens a cold case involving a 'picnic murder' to prove an innocent man was framed
- Failure mode: Corruption within the local police force and the suicide of a sheriff allowed a wrongful conviction to stand for decades
- Practical takeaway: Investigative journalism can serve as a check on institutional corruption when evidence is unearthed
- Tension: The difficulty of finding corroborating witnesses and physical evidence for a crime that occurred over a quarter-century ago
- Historical context: The episode highlights the era of 'The Big Story' and the real-life journalistic pursuits of Ralph Goll

## Topics

Investigative Journalism, True Crime, Old Time Radio, Police Corruption, Cold Cases, Detroit History, Radio Drama, Legal Injustice

## Chapters
- 1:00 — The 26-Year Frame-Up: Introduction to the case of Tony Stanley and the discovery of a long-buried murder story.
- 3:20 — The Picnic Murder: A look back at the original crime involving a fatal July 4th celebration.
- 7:50 — Searching for Truth: Reporter Ralph Goll investigates why an open-and-shut murder case was misfiled as an unsolved crime.
- 15:00 — Reopening the Case: Goll begins the grueling process of digging through old police records and mugshots to find inconsistencies.
- 19:40 — The Smoking Gun: New testimony from the sheriff's daughter provides the momentum needed for a legal reversal.
- 24:20 — Justice Served: The governor issues a commutation of sentence as the truth about the corrupt officials emerges.
- 27:40 — The Legacy of the Investigation: Reflections on the challenges of investigating historical crimes and the role of the press.

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## Transcript

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