Originally posted by kadajawi 'm curious how it was a clue for the story? Maybe you can give a quick summary etc.?
Possible spoiler alert! If you have not seen the Season 10 "Columbo" episode "Death Wins the Jackpot" do not read on!
With the Columbo series - most of the time we witness the murder - so we usually know who the murderer is - we don't always know exactly who was killed or how it was done. The joy of this series is watch Peter Falk as Columbo - discover and follow clues that tell him that a murder was committed, who and how it was done. It is also entertaining to watch the perpetrators match wits with Columbo and try to throw him off the trail.
The victim is the only winner in the Calfornia Lottery jackpot of $30.5 million by correctly picking all 5 numbers. A problem is that he and his wife are getting divorced which is not yet final. He doesn't want to split the money with his wife. He goes to his favorite rich upscale jewellery store owning uncle who proposes to pretend he (the uncle) is the winning ticket holder and after the divorce was final give the winnings to his "favorite" nephew for a percentage. We learned earlier however the "rich" uncle is facing bankruptcy. When the uncle learns the whereabouts of the letter of agreement over the deal, the uncle drowns his nephew in a bathtub staging it to look like a slip and fall accident. The uncle had arranged a costume party as his alibi, setting his nephew's watch ahead so it would appear that the uncle was at the party at the time of death. Columbo has to establish the death was not accidental and then who had motive, means and opportunity for the murder.
The winning lotto numbers are 4-5-8-11-16.