The Jeanne Maxwell Matter

Originally Aired: March 6, 1953
Johnny Dollar #152, "The Jeanne Maxwell Matter," Johnny Dollar heads to Boston to investigate the death of twenty-one-year-old Jeanne Maxwell, found dead in shallow water beneath a bridge. While the case appears to be suicide, Lieutenant DeRosa shares his suspicions with Johnny that something doesn't add up. The bridge is too low for a typical suicide jump, and Jeanne's body contradicts the usual pattern—she was still wearing her coat, belt, and shoes. The location itself raises questions: why would she travel four miles out of town when Boston offers more accessible bridges?
As Johnny digs deeper, he interviews Jeanne's roommate Mary O'Neill, who reveals that Jeanne lived life at a frantic pace after her invalid mother entered a rest home. Mary mentions Jeanne's boyfriend Harold Corey, a truck driver currently on a run to Philadelphia, but also hints at Jeanne's involvement with multiple other men. Searching Jeanne's belongings, Johnny discovers expensive perfumes, lingerie, and a distinctive heart-shaped key—luxuries far beyond what a truck driver's girlfriend should possess. The investigation takes a darker turn as Johnny prepares to question Jeanne's employer, Edward Hollis, convinced that this young woman's death was no suicide.