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Detectives on the Air

The Cronin Matter Ep 5

Posted August 15, 2026 · 15 min

About this episode

Originally Aired: December 9, 1955 Johnny Dollar #280, "The Cronin Matter Ep 5," As dawn breaks after a violent storm, Johnny Dollar faces a grim reality: both Jason Prell and the beloved Dolly Cronin are dead. When Dr. Bigby arrives at the estate, Johnny reveals his shocking discovery that Mrs. Cronin was murdered by Prell himself, who substituted deadly pills for her prescription before being killed during the storm. Johnny also exposes the web of deception surrounding the Cronin estate, including the revelation that Dolly's famous Circle of Fire necklace, which she willed to young Sylvia Atherton, is merely a copy worth a few hundred dollars. The real necklace was broken up years ago by her own husband Barnaby, who worked with Prell to systematically steal from Dolly's million-dollar estate while she remained blissfully unaware in her dream world. However, the case takes another dark turn when Dr. Bigby makes a haunting confession about the night Barnaby Cronin died. The remorseful doctor admits he was drunk when he signed the death certificate years ago, leaving Johnny to wonder what other secrets lie buried in the Cronin family's troubled past. Become a supporter of this podcast

From Detectives on the Air by OTR.FM Network. Visit the show’s website.

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