The Ghosts Of El Segundo

Cold-Blooded Crime Haunts Investigators For Half A Century

(CBS)  Officers Lowe and Macelderry followed the trail of evidence to Shreveport, 1,600 miles and 46 years from El Segundo, Calif. They found out that the gun was sold there in 1957, and sold by Billy Gene Clark.

"I pointed out that this was the least expensive one, at $29.95, then that's when he decided that's what he wanted," recalls Clark, who was 18 at the time and working his first job behind the sporting goods counter at a local Sears.

Investigators found one name, G.D. Wilson, in a record of firearms sold at the store. Lowe says they started canvassing the area around the Sears and tracked George D. Wilson to a nearby YMCA.

The case finally went cold in 1960, after investigators checked out every George Wilson in the country and didn’t find a match to the 1957 fingerprint. Obviously, G.D. Wilson was an alias. But Officers Lowe and Macelderry knew that one piece of evidence found here would close this case.

"They were able to locate the register from the actual piece of paper where he signed in to the YMCA as George D. Wilson," says Lowe.

Paul Edholme once worked at the Beverly Hills Police Department, and was one of the country's leading forensic document examiners. He was enlisted to examine the evidence. "The handwriting jumped off the page at me, and it was something that I'm going, you know, 'I gotcha.'"

He matched the handwriting of the George D. Wilson who checked into the YMCA to a South Carolina eye examination report in the name of Gerald F. Mason.

"If you put one [handwriting] over the other, I mean, it's almost identical," says Edholme. "I indicated to the sheriff's department that I was 99.9 percent sure that this was done by the same person."

Now confident that their case against Gerald Mason was solid, California detectives moved to South Carolina to finally get their man. But it wasn't over yet.

When Gerald Mason answered a knock on his front door on the morning of Jan. 29, 2003, he never expected that his past would finally catch up with him.

"He was just shocked. Completely shocked," says Lowe. "And he just kept saying, 'I don’t understand. I don’t understand why you’re here.'"

El Segundo Police Lt. Craig Cleary, who took Mason into custody, said he never denied committing the crime. "He never denied it. He never reacted," says Cleary. "He just stared off and just shook his head."

Even though Mason was almost 70 years old, police still considered him potentially dangerous. A search of his house turned up a collection of loaded firearms. But this 46-year manhunt had turned up a fugitive very different than anyone had expected.

There's no record that Gerald Mason ever committed another crime after the 1957 police killings. Instead, he got married, raised a family and started his own business.

But the case against Mason was strong. Investigators had matching fingerprints and handwriting, but there was one piece of evidence investigators always wondered about, one that would eliminate any doubt forever.

When he was examined, it was discovered that Mason had a bullet-shaped scar on his back. "He was in fact hit by gunfire from [Officer] Phillips, shot," says Macelderry.

"The last thing that officer did before he died was mark the man that killed him for life," adds Levine.

After a judicial hearing in South Carolina, Mason agreed to return to Los Angeles, to answer for his crimes. "Officers that hadn't been around for 20 years came in, walking on canes," says Levine.

He was referring to officers like Howard Speaks, who lifted the fingerprint that solved the case. "I've been waiting for this date a long time, but the wait was well worth it," says Speaks.

[maaags]

I was also curious about this near the end of the broadcast......"I''m not his victim anymore. My son is not his victim anymore," says Curtis'' wife, Jean. "I''m so grateful, and I had to wait this long. It''s worth the wait."

There is no mention of the daughter. Was there possibly an earlier tragedy.

I also noticed there were no interviews with the other widow. Mrs. Richard Phillips.

[loribeth8]

It is all tragic because he seemingly went on to live what we know as a crime free life. But he RAPED a 15 year old girl and murdered 2 innocent men. There is not mention of the girl as a victim of this man who had to live with the torment of this attack for the rest of her life. I am wondering what happened to this young girl and if she is aware that her attacker was caught? Can you imagine...if she is alive, it was over 40 years before she knew her attacker was brought to justice. He may have lived a good life; good people can commit a bad crime. But they are still accountable for these choices.

[thisandthat1]

You know, even though the families are relieved and gave the Investigators watches, etc ... no offense intended, but these Investigators didn''t solve this crime! They had worked it for 45 years and came up with nothing. The person who actually solved the crime, or at least made it possible to solve it, was the woman who stepped up and called and said her Uncle had been bragging about killing two police officers. So, the killer was dropped in their lap .. then they did some leg work to prove it. It''s great that it was solved, but let''s be honest ... the police didn''t solve anything.

[xpassages]

I worked with Curtis some years back in Hawthorne and am sad to hear of his passing. He was a very nice guy.

[rbr1947]

That just goes to show you that you can''t escape the long arm of the law. Justice served.

[rbr1947]

That just goes to show you that you can''t escape the long arm of the law. Justice served.

[dm1946]

Yes I would also know what happened to Keith Curtis.

The families of this terrible crime needed to see this man pay for what he did. Just because he is 71 and it had been 46 years has no bearing on his having to pay for killing their fathers and husbands.I''m just sorry he didn''t have additional time for the rape. If you watch no other real live show other than 48 hours, you will still see that all cases cost many thousands of dollars and man hours to solve having nothing to do with the crime being against a police officer. Unfortunately everyone is greedy these days in the name of "justice". I have no special attachment to law enforcement but I do to doing the right thing. He will still pay the highest cost when he dies. After all he did have a good life and would still be living that nice life had someone not spent the time to catch him. How many killers are still out there running free?

[salimahrd]

Very sad story. Does anybody know what happened to Keith Curtis? I was shocked to see he just passed away. Life is so fragile...so much loss and pain in this world.

[promise100]

I don''t think it is a waste of money to jail this man at all. The two men he killed never had the chance to enjoy their lives with their families, have a nice life and a comfortable retirement. Why should he get away with murder (not to mention rape) for longer than he did because he is old and has gotten away with it this long. Where is spends eternity is between him and God but I''m glad he is going to pay some sort of price here.
I also saw that about Keith Curtis. I was wondering what happened to him also???

[demika1]

Thank God he was caught & prosecuted for his horrible crimes that he committed no matter his age. He should be forgiven, but not forgotten just like the innocent victims. He''s lived a good life & never paid for his crimes in the eyes of the law & victims family, but now he will.

Also, I''m interested to know what happened to Keith Curtis. I feel sorry for his mother.

[demika1]

Thank God he was caught & prosecuted for his horrible crimes that he committed no matter his age. He should be forgiven, but not forgotten just like the innocent victims. He''s lived a good life & never paid for his crimes in the eyes of the law & victims family, but now he will.

Also, I''m interested to know what happened to Keith Curtis. I feel sorry for his mother.

[bearnchris]

Yes, I know it brought closure to Keith and his family. Keith unfortunately lost his battle with Cancer in Dec. of 2007.

[kabutler2]

Question: How much time and money would have been spent on this case if Mr. Mason had not killed cops?
Answer: None

[bcsterps]

I noticed at the end of the show they show that Keith Curtis (son of one of the officers that was killed) had passed away. I wonder if anyone knows how he died.

[bearnchris]

Yes - Keith Curtis lost his battle with Pancreatic Cancer in Dec. of 2007. He was a great friend and neighbor.

[kentong33]

What a waste of our money to put a man that is 71 years old in prison. He has obviously know he did the wrong thing and had 46 years to think about it. what good is it going to do to put him in jail? The people that are part of this that say he shoudl burn and wont forgive him are the ones that are going to suffer in the end by not forgiving him. forgive and forget is what GOD says.