Originally Aired: October 4, 1949
Philo Vance #65, "Black Gold Murder Case,"
Philo Vance and his secretary Ellen Deering fly to a southwestern dude ranch after receiving an urgent telegram from ranch owner Billings about a murder on the property. Bob Anderson, a young guest, has been found shot to death in the hills while out riding. However, upon landing, Vance receives a second telegram from Billings asking him to turn back without visiting the ranch, fearing the investigation will bring unwanted publicity and drive away guests. Undeterred, Vance proceeds to the Billings Dude Ranch, where tensions run high among the remaining guests.
As Vance begins his investigation, he discovers that two young women at the ranch, both with distinctive southern accents and competing romantic interests, had set their sights on the victim. The circumstances are puzzling: Anderson rode out early one morning before breakfast, only to be discovered dead hours later with no apparent motive, no clues, and his horse still standing nearby. With the guests growing increasingly nervous about a potential killer in their midst, Vance must unravel the mystery behind this seemingly motiveless murder.