Columbo's Gun Case Theory | Columbo

Added: 2026-05-09

[00:00:01]victim was killed with his own gun.

[00:00:04]>> Better and better. How'd you know that?

[00:00:07]>> We found the gun right here, sir. The boys have it down at the lab. Then the killer came into the room, took a gun from this case. Your Mr. Poory hears the breathless beat of Angel's wings, as a drunken Irishman once wrote, and the assassin replaces the gun in the case.

[00:00:22]Hooray.

[00:00:24]No connection to the murder weapon.

[00:00:26]Well, it could have happened that way, said very easily, but not necessarily.

[00:00:32]The killer might have already had Mr. Paul's gun in his pocket when he came here last night. I mean, we have to allow for that logical possibility, sir, because they did know each other.

[00:00:44]>> Lieutenant, you're a fountain of delightful surprises.

[00:00:47]How can you be sure the victim knew the murderer?

[00:00:50]>> Well, it's that bottle again, sir.

[00:00:57]Fool's Irish do. You see now according to the hotel when Mr. Paulie couldn't get that particular brand from room service he sent out for it and since he didn't drink himself he must have ordered the bottle for somebody sir for the killer.

[00:01:16]>> Was this the room of an aesthetic? Or was it the house of the devil? A man who didn't drink. You say >> he was a diabetic. Sir, >> we found this medical alert bracelet on his wrist.

[00:01:31]>> I'll be your son of a gun.

[00:01:38]Here's what I've been looking for all the time. Here's where I'm really going to need your logic, sir.

[00:01:47]Lap 213.

[00:01:50]What does that mean to you, sir?

[00:01:54]That's Mr. Paul's handwriting.

[00:01:57]>> Lap 213.

[00:02:01]>> Well, I said that, but I suppose LAP could stand for something, too.

[00:02:06]>> Could you give me a wee bit of background, Lieutenant?

[00:02:09]>> Oh, right, sir. Sorry. If you'll just step into the bedroom for a minute.

[00:02:18]>> [whistles] [whistles] >> I found it tucked right under this lamp, sir.

[00:02:31]Just stuck there.

[00:02:33]>> L213.

[00:02:35]You think it has some special significance? Lieutenant.

[00:02:37]>> Well, it occurred to me that maybe this is what the killer was looking for.

[00:02:41]>> An interesting point.

[00:02:44]Let's see what we can fetch up from the dim gray bog.

[00:02:51]>> L A P L A213.

[00:02:57]That's the telephone area code for Los Angeles.

[00:02:59]>> But then you have your P, sir.

[00:03:02]>> Yes, of course. Why would anyone in Los Angeles write down the telephone area code >> when it's written right here on the phone, sir?

[00:03:09]>> L A P. Somebody's initials. Lieutenant, >> but then you have your 213, sir.

[00:03:16]>> A safety deposit box number.

[00:03:20]>> I'm going to write that down.

[00:03:24]>> P for police. A police badge number.

[00:03:28]>> Another good one.

[00:03:29]>> A personal license plate.

[00:03:30]>> Terrific.

[00:03:31]>> The code number for a club membership.

[00:03:33]>> You're fantastic, sir.

[00:03:35]>> A postal code outside the United States.

[00:03:40]Well, I don't know about that one, sir.

[00:03:42]>> The mine flags. Temporary exhaustion.

[00:03:46]Deprivation of nourishment.

[00:03:50]>> Will you be my guest at lunch?

[00:03:52]Lieutenant, >> I was just about to ask you, sir.

[00:04:08]>> [music]