# Story Of Woman Who Shadowed Top L.A. Detective Jigsaw John Optioned For TV By UK Indie

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/story-of-woman-who-shadowed-top-l-a-detective-jigsaw-john-optioned-for-tv-by-uk-indie/
- Published: 2026-11-06T11:23:40+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-06T12:54:49+00:00
- Original publisher: Deadline
- Original article: https://deadline.com/2026/11/jigsaw-john-jane-howatt-la-detective-project-in-works-1237215304/
- Topics: UK, World

## Key points

- Golden Possum optioned Jane Howatt’s book for a TV adaptation.
- Howatt spent 13 years documenting detective John St. John’s work.
- St. John served the LAPD for 50 years and held Badge No. 1.

## Summary

UK indie Golden Possum Productions has optioned Jane Howatt’s book about her 13 years alongside Los Angeles detective John St. John, known as Jigsaw John. The planned television adaptation will tell his story through Howatt’s experience, focusing on the people who document and live in the shadow of major investigations.

St. John served with the LAPD for 50 years, led cases including the Freeway Killer investigation and the Black Dahlia case, and held Detective Badge No. 1. Howatt, then a 35-year-old aspiring writer with no policing or journalism background, approached him in 1982 after reading about his Distinguished Service Medal. The project is in development, 50 years after NBC’s 1976 series “Jigsaw John”; further creative attachments are yet to be announced.

---
Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.