Lieutenant Craig Cleary

This is the man who bought the gun. You know he stayed here. Yes. Investigators had checked out nearly every George Wilson in the country. This is the room that Gerald Mason stayed in. And none matched the 1957 fingerprint. This window, you can see the back of the Sears. Obviously, the G.D. Wilson who stayed here had used an alias, but it was an alias written in the killer's own hand.

This is the man who bought the gun. You know he stayed here. Yes. Investigators had checked out nearly every George Wilson in the country. This is the room that Gerald Mason stayed in. And none matched the 1957 fingerprint. This window, you can see the back of the Sears. Obviously, the G.D. Wilson who stayed here had used an alias, but it was an alias written in the killer's own hand.

This is the man who bought the gun. You know he stayed here. Yes. Investigators had checked out nearly every George Wilson in the country. This is the room that Gerald Mason stayed in. And none matched the 1957 fingerprint. This window, you can see the back of the Sears. Obviously, the G.D. Wilson who stayed here had used an alias, but it was an alias written in the killer's own hand.

Paul Edholm, formerly of the Beverly Hills Police Department and one of the country's leading forensic experts on handwriting, was enlisted to examine the evidence.

Paul Edholm, formerly of the Beverly Hills Police Department and one of the country's leading forensic experts on handwriting, was enlisted to examine the evidence.

Paul Edholm, formerly of the Beverly Hills Police Department and one of the country's leading forensic experts on handwriting, was enlisted to examine the evidence.

When you told them that you were 99.9% sure, what was their reaction? They were ready to go out and get a warrant for his arrest at that point. And so, confident their case against Mason was solid, detectives made the trip to South Carolina to finally get their man. But it wasn't over yet. Gerald Mason's comfortable retirement was about to come to an end, and no one knew how he'd react.

When you told them that you were 99.9% sure, what was their reaction? They were ready to go out and get a warrant for his arrest at that point. And so, confident their case against Mason was solid, detectives made the trip to South Carolina to finally get their man. But it wasn't over yet. Gerald Mason's comfortable retirement was about to come to an end, and no one knew how he'd react.

When you told them that you were 99.9% sure, what was their reaction? They were ready to go out and get a warrant for his arrest at that point. And so, confident their case against Mason was solid, detectives made the trip to South Carolina to finally get their man. But it wasn't over yet. Gerald Mason's comfortable retirement was about to come to an end, and no one knew how he'd react.

Detectives Kevin Lowe and Dan McElderry weren't sure who was more surprised when they finally met Mason face-to-face.

Detectives Kevin Lowe and Dan McElderry weren't sure who was more surprised when they finally met Mason face-to-face.

Detectives Kevin Lowe and Dan McElderry weren't sure who was more surprised when they finally met Mason face-to-face.

El Segundo Police Lieutenant Craig Cleary had the privilege of taking Mason into custody.

El Segundo Police Lieutenant Craig Cleary had the privilege of taking Mason into custody.

El Segundo Police Lieutenant Craig Cleary had the privilege of taking Mason into custody.

You think that he thought after all these years he'd gotten away with it? Absolutely. Even though Mason was almost 70 years old, police still considered him potentially dangerous. In fact, a search of his house turned up a collection of loaded firearms. But in the end, Mason gave up not with a bang, but with a whimper.

You think that he thought after all these years he'd gotten away with it? Absolutely. Even though Mason was almost 70 years old, police still considered him potentially dangerous. In fact, a search of his house turned up a collection of loaded firearms. But in the end, Mason gave up not with a bang, but with a whimper.

You think that he thought after all these years he'd gotten away with it? Absolutely. Even though Mason was almost 70 years old, police still considered him potentially dangerous. In fact, a search of his house turned up a collection of loaded firearms. But in the end, Mason gave up not with a bang, but with a whimper.

Forty-six years of searching had turned up a fugitive very different than anyone had expected. For example, there's no record that Gerald Mason ever committed another crime after the 1957 police killings. He got married, raised a family, and started his own business. To everyone who knew him, he was nothing more than an ordinary, law-abiding citizen.

Forty-six years of searching had turned up a fugitive very different than anyone had expected. For example, there's no record that Gerald Mason ever committed another crime after the 1957 police killings. He got married, raised a family, and started his own business. To everyone who knew him, he was nothing more than an ordinary, law-abiding citizen.