Longshot: Return Man

Part 5: The Police Station

According to officials, Jim Duncan walked into the Lancaster Police Station on Oct. 20, 1972, and crossed the lobby in just a few steps. Without saying a word, authorities allege, he ripped the revolver from the holster on an unsuspecting officer's hip, stepped back, and shot himself in the head. But what sort of investigation was done after the fact? What sort of investigation could have been done — and should have been done? New episodes coming each Tuesday, through March 16. To continue supporting work like this, visit heraldonline.com/podcasts and consider a digital subscription.  See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Bonus 1: Seth Stoughton

Seth Stoughton, whom listeners heard in the podcast, was a police officer before becoming a lawyer. Today, he teaches at the University of South Carolina School of Law, and is an expert in the evolution of policing tactics throughout American history. In this extended interview, Stoughton talks about lessons today's officers can learn from a case like Jim Duncan's, and the vital role of trust in the police-community relationship. To continue supporting work like this, visit heraldonline.com/podcasts and consider a digital subscription.  See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Part 4: October 20, 1972

After a series of injuries and bizarre behavior, Jim Duncan's last chance to catch on with a new NFL team fell short. By the fall of 1972, he was back in Lancaster; his career was over, his marriage wasn't much better off, and he was running out of money. On the morning of Oct. 20, 1972, Duncan left his family's house and drove downtown. It was the last time his loved ones saw him alive. New episodes coming each Tuesday, through March 16. To continue supporting work like this, visit heraldonline.com/podcasts and consider a digital subscription.  See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Part 8: Speaking from the Grave

For some, including some of Jim Duncan's friends, the past is better left in the past. But for others, there could never be closure with so many open questions; and the chance to find answers is worth the pain of asking one last time. Late in our reporting, we learned that a legal team in New York could begin an independent investigation of this case, in the search for even more answers. To continue supporting work like this, visit heraldonline.com/podcasts and consider a digital subscription.  See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Part 1: The Milltown

Jim Duncan was one of eight children, growing up in a shotgun house on the poorest side of a small South Carolina milltown. There in Lancaster, the public facilities were segregated—but one of the few spots Blacks and whites both called home was the lone football field in town, shared by the Black and white high schools. There, Duncan began carving a path out of poverty for himself, and his family.  See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.