Perry Mason: The Case of the Avenging Ace

This is a production of the U.S.

Department of State.

That is the state's case therefore your honors I urge the court to deny this appeal Mr.

Egan isn't there anything you wish to add no you're on very well Well, we'll take this under advisement.

From.

The Air Force Academy, the youngest officer ever to assume command of a fighter squad.

Imagine, if you will, that cold night last February.

Home for the evening after a long day at work, Amy Beth Sawyer.

Young, bright, pretty.

Had just finished taking a shower.

Before getting ready for bed, she'd fixed herself a cup of coffee.

Suddenly, she thinks she hears someone at the door.

Who is it, she may have asked.

She moves toward the door and stops, alert.

Who's there?

She steps cautiously toward the entryway.

Suddenly, the door opens.

Before she can step back, before she can defend herself, she is stabbed.

Brutally, again and again, until finally, Amy Beth Sawyer slumps to the floor.

Dead.

Her killer.

Only a cruel, heartless person could take the life of a beautiful young girl.

Members of the jury, the evidence clearly shows that person to be the defendant,

Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Parks.

You have heard how sheriff's deputies apprehended Lieutenant Colonel Parks.

Still at the scene.

And how the fingerprints on the murder weapon were identified as those of Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Parks.

You have heard the testimony of Amy Beth's employer, Jason Sloan, who was a witness to their clandestine relationship.

You have heard the testimony of Mr. Sloan's wife, Althea Sloan, who told us of.

Parks' repeated calls to Amy Beth at her office.

You have heard the testimony of Amy Beth's former boyfriend, Daryl Hurley,

who went to Amy Beth's one night and discovered Lieutenant Colonel Parks there.

You have even heard the testimony of one of Lieutenant Colonel Parks' squadron

pilots, young Lieutenant Wilkins, who introduced Parks to Amy Beth.

These facts lead us to one inescapable conclusion.

Because Amy Beth Sawyer wanted to break off their illicit affair, because Amy Beth

Sawyer threatened to reveal that affair to Parks' wife, Lieutenant Colonel Kevin.

Parks did cruelly, and viciously stabbed Amy Beth Sawyer to death.

You.

Find the defendant, Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Parks, guilty of first-degree murder for the killing of Amy Beth Sawyer.

Appeal denied.

Hey, Parks.

Parks, here's what your wife sent for you to wear to the hearing tomorrow.

The Van leaves at six sharp.

Thanks, Billy Ray.

Good luck, colonel.

I hope finding that new witness gets you a retrial.

What brings you two here?

As I recall, when you sat on the appellate bench, you upheld my conviction and denied Parks' appeal.

You should also recall that I reserved comment on the merits of your case.

I still do.

Well, I hope you haven't come all this way to help a desperate attorney.

This case is going down for a third and final time.

With this new witness, Mr. Egan might prevail.

I wouldn't be too positive, Mr. Mason, with or without a new witness.

I am never too positive, Mr. Reston.

Here's the man of the hour now, Lester McCarron, Perry Mason, Della.

Street, and this is the colonel's wife, Shannon Parks.

Glad to meet you, Ms. Parks.

Thank you.

I don't understand, Mr. Mason.

You were one of the judges that turned down my husband's appeal.

The court ruled that the trial was fair, nothing more.

I voted with the court.

But I never said I concurred with the verdict of the jury.

Mr. Mason has been kind enough to come here and counsel us on the best way to handle the retrial.

That is, once Mr. McCarron has given his testimony.

Well, I think we ought to be getting in now.

Mr. Mason, can I talk to you for a minute?

Yes.

Mr. Mason, I could use some advice about my testimony.

My best advice is to tell the truth as you know it.

I wish it were that simple.

It is.

It is.

Mr. McCarran?

Yes, I'm McCarran.

This was left for you.

Thanks.

At the trial, the coroner testified that Ms. Sawyer died between 7 and 10 P.M.

And later it was established that the defendant left his office just after 8 p .m.

and was seen driving down the Old Woods Road on his way to the Sawyer condominium.

Now, about a mile out of town, he stopped to help a stranded motorist with engine problems.

That motorist was Lester McCarron.

And Mr. McCarron will establish that the defendant was with him, with him making repairs until well after 10 P.M.

If that is his testimony, it would appear to be highly exculpatory.

Let's put him on the stand, Mr. Regan.

Mr. McCarron?

Raise your right hand.

Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?

Sure.

I mean, I do.

Thank you.

Mr. McCarron.

Would you please tell the court where you were the night Amy Beth Sawyer was murdered?

Well, that's hard to say exactly.

Hard to say?

Were you or were you not stranded on the Old Woods Road on the evening of this murder?

I might have been, but I'm not sure now.

Not sure?

It was over two years ago.

How can I be sure it was the same night?

I didn't even know she'd been killed.

Uh, Mark.

I mean, I thought we had a conversation on this.

Mr. Parks, you're out of order.

Mr. McCarron, may I remind you that you are under oath?

Now, I ask you again.

Were you not with Colonel Parks on the Old Woods Road until after 10 P.M.

on the night of February 17th?

I told you, I don't remember.

I'm sorry, but I just don't remember.

For God's sakes.

Mr. Parks, sit down.

You know we were together.

Now, come on, you know I was there.

Mr. Parks, you will be seated now.

We will have a review for this court.

Kevin, please.

Don't you want to tell him I didn't kill the lady?

I didn't kill her.

That's it.

Bailiff, please remove the defendant.

Mr. McCarron, you can step down.

Court is in recess for one hour, and I will seek counsel in my chambers.

Mr. McCarron, wait.

Look, I'm sorry.

I've got to get to a phone.

I don't understand.

He was ready.

He was eager to testify.

He looked absolutely frightened.

Something must have changed his mind.

More likely someone.

Before he came in, he got a note in what appeared to be a gold locket.

Mark, we can't just let him run out like this.

He's Kevin's only hope.

She's right.

He is Kevin's only hope.

He's escaped.

Parks has escaped.

Down the stairwell.

I'll check the back door.

Hi, Mar.

Hi.

Any luck?

Well, McCarron's agreed to have dinner tonight, but he's leaving first thing in the morning.

Why do you want to talk to him?

I suspect the locket and the note he received on his way into the hearing had

something to do with his sudden change of mind.

I want to talk to him about that.

Yeah.

Now the sheriff's suggesting McCarron and the hearing were just a setup so Kevin could try and make a break.

Mr. McCarron, please.

You came all this way just to testify.

Look, I told you before.

There were some threatening phone calls after I decided to come back and testify.

Why wasn't I told about this?

We figured they were just crank calls.

Well, maybe they weren't.

And I have nothing against helping Colonel Parks, but I'm not going to put my wife's safety on the line to do it.

What makes you think she's in danger?

Does that note and locket you received have something to do with it?

I told you about that.

I never said anything about that.

It was your wife's locket, wasn't it?

All right.

What did the note say, Mr. McCarran?

It said enough for me to know to keep my mouth shut and stay out of this.

Besides, Parks escaped, right?

That proves he's guilty, doesn't it?

Have you been able to reach your wife?

No, she hasn't been home.

We can arrange to protect you and your wife.

I don't want your help.

Excuse me, Mr. McCarron.

Yes?

The hotel desk just called with a message for you to call your wife.

They did?

Oh, thank God.

Is there a phone here I can use?

To the back.

Mr. McCarron?

What?

Came from the back.

Uh,

yeah, operator, uh, connect me to the sheriff's department, please, and hurry.

Yeah, uh, you know that fella that escaped from the courthouse yesterday,

the one who was all over the TV last night?

I believe I just passed him.

I just passed him about 10 miles outside of town on old Route 99.

Yes, sir.

What happened?

What happened?

You broke jail and killed that witness.

That's what happened.

I know how it must look to you.

Kevin is innocent.

It hasn't been easy to believe in him, yet I do.

I wish you would, too.