S04 E06 Perry Mason The Case of the Wandering Widow 

What was Morgan's motive for murdering the two men...was it more than just blackmail?

The state reached an all-time low with their prosecution of Lorraine Kendall for the murder of Stokes. They admitted that the murder weapon belonged to the victim, that there was a struggle, and that Lorraine's brother apparently paid blackmail to Stokes on her behalf. At best this looked like self-defense, not murder. This show's court cases often rely on circumstantial evidence that points rather obviously to one person. Then Mason does some actual detective work and finds the real murderer. But in this case, I had a hard time seeing why Lorraine was even arrested. Who would have their brother pay blackmail money only to go and meet Stokes again without a weapon, pay him again, and then struggle and kill him? Clearly she didn't show up there to kill him so how can they justify charging her with murder? The only evidence they had that the brother paid blackmail money on Lorraine's behalf was his own testimony. Seems like as thorough as Tragg normally is, wouldn't he investigate this further? This entire case hinged on suspicion and not much else. However, Lorraine was very unlikable. What mother would think it wise to keep her son's father from him and then contribute to locking him up for murder when she suspected he wasn't guilty? Time and again she showed herself to be a bad mother. From taking Jimmy away in the dead of night, refusing to answer when he suspected something was wrong, lying about who his father was, putting his father in prison, and then trying to keep her murder trial from him until Mason forces the issue? Did she not realize this boy would get older and have questions about his family's past? Fast forward 20 years and he would probably want nothing to do with his mother who cloaks her own selfishness in supposed protection of her kid.