The episode was worked on by a team of several writers and they must have worked pretty well together as it holds up pretty well as it ages. There was a tragic accident in town in which the sheriffs daughter dies. It is said to be a DWI caused accident and the man at the wheel winds up going to jail for a few years.
Then he comes back to a town where everybody hates him. He wants to take his lady love and leave town, but she refuses to go. By coincidence the sheriff is a friend of Perry Mason's and Perry just happens to come to town the same day. The sheriff has another daughter and the first night he is back, the second daughter is murdered.
Even though the first is considered an accident and the second is a murder, the evidence is strong enough for the distraught sheriff to ask for a murder charge to be brought on the same man who just came back to town. The girlfriend begs Perry Mason to defend him and Perry goes to court against a stacked deck.
Luckily the court has a fair judge but Perry trying to find the truth in a small town without willing witnesses and without Paul Drake or Della is quite a challenge. A solid episode to be sure as a payroll and buried money are involved too.
Then he comes back to a town where everybody hates him. He wants to take his lady love and leave town, but she refuses to go. By coincidence the sheriff is a friend of Perry Mason's and Perry just happens to come to town the same day. The sheriff has another daughter and the first night he is back, the second daughter is murdered.
Even though the first is considered an accident and the second is a murder, the evidence is strong enough for the distraught sheriff to ask for a murder charge to be brought on the same man who just came back to town. The girlfriend begs Perry Mason to defend him and Perry goes to court against a stacked deck.
Luckily the court has a fair judge but Perry trying to find the truth in a small town without willing witnesses and without Paul Drake or Della is quite a challenge. A solid episode to be sure as a payroll and buried money are involved too.