The Bertillion Method

Originally Aired: April 26, 1954

Suspense #549, "The Bertillion Method," Charles Boyer stars as Alphonse Bertillon, the legendary French detective whose innovations revolutionized criminal investigation. When a murdered man is discovered in the Bois de Boulogne, wrapped in tar paper and bound with rope, Bertillon employs his groundbreaking scientific methods to unlock the mystery. Through microscopic analysis and careful observation, he determines the victim was killed in a wine cellar and moved through multiple rooms before being dumped in the park. The body is eventually identified as Charles Tellier, a recently released ex-convict who worked as an accountant.

As Bertillon investigates, he encounters Tellier's cold and detached wife Lucille, who shows little emotion at news of her husband's death. The detective's meticulous examination of Tellier's workplace reveals curious discrepancies, including evidence that the accountant's modest salary couldn't possibly support expensive purchases being made nearby. With mounting clues pointing toward financial irregularities and hidden secrets, Bertillon must use both his revolutionary identification system and keen powers of deduction to uncover who killed Charles Tellier and why.