Episode Details

This haunting episode of Gunsmoke reveals the chilling aftermath of a murder born of betrayal and revenge. When a stagecoach is held up and a female passenger is coldly executed, Marshal Matt Dillon discovers that the crime is rooted in the bitter feud between Jesse Daggett and the cold-blooded Nat Pilcher.

Daggett confesses to a dark past: he once shot his unfaithful wife when he caught her running away with Pilcher, a man who has sought revenge ever since. Pilcher’s calculated violence—including the murder of an innocent woman—pushes Daggett to the breaking point, forcing a deadly confrontation between the two men.

The episode climaxes in a tense showdown at the stage station, where Matt faces Pilcher in a final standoff. Justice is served, but not without heavy costs for all involved, as Daggett succumbs to his injuries, haunted by the ghosts of his choices.

Keywords: "Gunsmoke How to Kill a Woman episode," "November 1954 Gunsmoke radio," "Matt Dillon Jesse Daggett story," "Nat Pilcher revenge drama," "Western justice and betrayal," "classic Western radio series," "John Meston Gunsmoke scripts."

Cast: William Conrad, Parley Baer, Howard McNear, Georgia Ellis, Joseph Kearns, Harry Bartell, Vic Perrin.