WHAT WENT WRONG

Out of Frame: The Cotton Club Murder

February 6, 2026

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  • The episode serves as a primer detailing the murder of Roy Radin, a small-time producer whose involvement in financing *The Cotton Club* led to his death, connecting him to cocaine dealer Lainey Jacobs and producer Robert Evans. 
  • Roy Raden, despite being a successful promoter of vaudeville-style tours, became obsessed with breaking into Hollywood, leading him to associate with increasingly dangerous figures like Lainey Jacobs. 
  • The central conflict revolved around the financing of *The Cotton Club*, where Raden and Jacobs were attempting to secure funding for Robert Evans, but Raden ultimately tried to cut Jacobs out of the deal, leading to the murder plot orchestrated by Jacobs and her associates. 

Segments

Discovery of Roy Raden’s Body
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(00:00:51)
  • Key Takeaway: Roy Raden’s decomposed remains were discovered by a beekeeper in a remote canyon near Gorman, California, on June 10th, 1983.
  • Summary: A beekeeper searching for a spot for his hives found the body of Roy Raden in Caswell Canyon Road near Gorman, California. The location is described as desolate, with many remote inlets and canyons suitable for concealing a body. This discovery serves as the introduction to the murder connected to the financing of The Cotton Club.
Introduction to Robert Evans’ Career
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(00:03:51)
  • Key Takeaway: Robert Evans, seeking a comeback film after past successes and a cocaine bust, needed independent financing for The Cotton Club because he was persona non grata.
  • Summary: Robert Evans was plucked from obscurity by Norma Shearer and transitioned from a brief acting career to becoming the head of production at Paramount, greenlighting films like Rosemary’s Baby and The Godfather. After going solo and producing Chinatown and Marathon Man, Evans faced career setbacks, including a cocaine bust, making him desperate for independent financing for The Cotton Club.
Lainey Jacobs Introduced to Evans
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(00:06:03)
  • Key Takeaway: Evans’ limo driver, Gary Keys, introduced him to Lainey Jacobs, a woman claiming to be a wealthy widow with movie ambitions, as a potential source of funding.
  • Summary: Evans was frantically seeking a new backer after his initial investors pulled out, and his limo driver introduced him to Lainey Jacobs. Evans allegedly pitched a $35 million production company to Jacobs, which she could not fund alone, prompting her to seek other investors. Evans reportedly tried to dissuade her from the movie business by offering her a stake in his limo company, which she declined.
Roy Raden’s Background and Ambition
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(00:08:08)
  • Key Takeaway: Roy Raden, son of Broadway promoter Al Raden, built a fortune promoting small, cheap, vaudeville-style tours but became obsessed with breaking into the legitimate, upscale worlds of Broadway and Hollywood.
  • Summary: Raden, despite making his first million by age 20 through small tours, sought legitimacy like his father, leading him to spend lavishly, such as buying an expensive castle. His press agent noted his desire to be a show business legend, even though his associates felt he lacked taste and should stick to his profitable, albeit ‘wonky,’ touring business. Raden’s life took a dark turn after an assault incident at his castle in 1980.
Lainey Jacobs’ True Identity Revealed
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(00:16:40)
  • Key Takeaway: Lainey Jacobs, introduced to Raden as a wealthy widow, was actually Karen Delane Jacobs, a major cocaine dealer in Miami known as ‘La Rubia’ who partnered with Cuban drug lord Milan Belachassis.
  • Summary: Jacobs started dealing drugs after a friend used her phone number as a contact for a pilot bringing in drugs, earning $50,000 from one suitcase pickup. She moved to LA to pursue Hollywood mogul ambitions, partnering with Belachassis to split drug distribution territories, with her managing the West Coast. She was known to collect husbands, having six by the early 1980s.
The Puerto Rico Financing Deal
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(00:19:16)
  • Key Takeaway: Raden and Evans signed an agreement to form a production company based in Puerto Rico, utilizing $35 million in government bonds arranged by banker Jose Alegria, while Raden actively worked to cut Lainey Jacobs out of the deal.
  • Summary: The meeting between Evans, Jacobs, and Raden was intense and likely drug-fueled, resulting in a signed agreement where Evans and Raden took 45% each, with 10% going to Alegria. Raden became controlling, insisting Evans only speak to him, which frustrated the established producer. Jacobs was furious after learning Raden intended to give her only a $50,000 finder’s fee instead of a substantial stake.
The Robbery and Escalating Conflict
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(00:22:38)
  • Key Takeaway: Lainey Jacobs’ safe, containing 11 kilos of cocaine and $270,000 cash, was robbed by her courier Tally Rogers, leading Jacobs to suspect Raden might also be involved due to his recent hostility and attempts to exclude her from the film deal.
  • Summary: The theft occurred just before the financing deal was finalized, and Jacobs suspected Rogers, who felt shortchanged on previous runs. Jacobs learned from Evans that Raden planned to con her out of the deal entirely, confirming her belief that Raden was greedy and malicious toward her. Evans and Jacobs then attempted to bypass both Raden and Alegria to secure funding directly from the Puerto Rican government.
Raden’s Disappearance and Murder
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(00:28:15)
  • Key Takeaway: Roy Raden was last seen entering a limousine arranged by Lainey Jacobs on May 13th, 1983, before being driven to a remote canyon where he was shot 13 times and killed by an ignited stick of dynamite placed in his mouth.
  • Summary: Despite warnings from his mistress that Jacobs was dangerous, Raden met her in LA, where she arranged his transportation to a dinner meeting. His bodyguard, Demond Wilson (son of Sanford and Son), followed the limo but lost sight of it after it ran a red light; Raden never arrived at the restaurant. His body was found on June 10th, 1983, confirming the murder.
Investigation Focuses on Jacobs and Evans
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(00:41:22)
  • Key Takeaway: Lainey Jacobs’ initial alibi was broken when phone logs showed she called Robert Evans in New York City shortly after Raden disappeared, and detectives later linked a rented limousine used that night to Jacobs’ investigator, Bill Menser.
  • Summary: Jacobs initially told police Raden got out of the limo, contradicting her earlier statement to Raden’s secretary that she exited. Evans later told police Jacobs claimed Raden threw her out. The discovery of the wiped-clean limousine rental, traced to Menser (who was working for Jacobs), provided a crucial link to the crime scene.
Murderers Identified and Convicted
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(00:46:23)
  • Key Takeaway: Bill Ryder, a security associate of Menser, confirmed that Menser, Alex Marty, and Robert Lowe carried out a contract hit on Raden, paid for by Lainey Jacobs because Raden tried to cheat her out of the film deal.
  • Summary: Ryder identified the canyon location as a target shooting spot for his security team, confirming Menser and Marty’s bragging about the hit. Robert Lowe, who also worked as Jacobs’ bodyguard, was paid $17,000 and a Cadillac Seville for his involvement in the contract killing. Jacobs, Lowe, Menser, and Marty were convicted for the murder and kidnapping in 1991, concluding a lengthy and expensive trial.
Evans’ Paranoia and Aftermath
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(00:36:42)
  • Key Takeaway: Following Raden’s murder, Robert Evans became extremely paranoid, telling his Vegas investors that Jacobs had Raden killed and that he was next, leading him to plead the Fifth Amendment during preliminary hearings.
  • Summary: Evans allegedly told the Dumanis, his original investors, that he feared for his life after Raden’s death, though he later denied this statement. His paranoia manifested in bizarre behavior during a date where he insisted on opening all the windows for a quick escape. Evans pleaded the fifth to nearly every question during the preliminary hearing, despite his attorneys claiming he would testify with immunity.