The Big Story
Jig Saw
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In this episode of The Big Story, reporter Joseph Wirges of the Arkansas Gazette brings listeners the story of a killing that began with an unlikely journey. In the fall of 1931, olive oil salesman George Riola and Walter Beale, two men from Westchester County, were traveling together toward California. Their trip ended on an Arkansas farm, where Beale beat Riola to death and left his body in a ditch.
The account follows the investigation from the victim’s identification through Beale’s arrest in Florida and his confession at the crime scene. It also traces the later course of the case: Beale received a life sentence, escaped prison, was recaptured, and was eventually paroled. The episode’s reporting is grounded in the work of Wirges, a veteran Arkansas crime reporter known as “Joe Gazette,” whose long career brought him close to police investigations and criminal cases.
The Big Story presents crime reporting as radio drama, turning a documented case into a tense narrative of investigation and consequence. Wirges’s connection to the story gives this installment the perspective of a reporter deeply familiar with Arkansas law enforcement and the people behind the headlines.
This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.