1. Why even cut and splice the tape, just record it to a new blank tape, even if you have to go out and buy a new recorder.

2. Milo should have known clearly that his allibi of driving to see Parker would never fly. So why even concoct it in the first place?

3. How did he know that Jessica would pick up the phone at his home? There is obviously a servant there.

4. Locking Stafford's locker - why?

I'm sure there are other things too that I'm overlooking.

Well, basically Milo did all those things so as to leave clues behind for Columbo to discover so that he could solve the mystery.

I mean, you can come up with these things for probably every episode. In "Murder By The Book", why did Ken Franklin open his mail? Why did he bring the dead body all the way back to his house when he could have dumped it anywhere between the cabin and the house? Why did Beth Chadwick, in "Lady In Waiting" go ahead with the murder when her brother didn't follow "exactly" the daydream she had about killing him?

I could go on and on, but I'm not going to.

Milo cut the section of tape he needed because he never thought anyone would ever notice it. Milo locks the locker because he is in a hurry. He has to get out of the gym and home to establish his alibi. He is thinking like a man in a hurry, not like a man alone in an empty building. He should have put himself in his victim's shoes.

Joe

Too funny, putting himself in Stafford's shoes. But we also know that stafford was in fact left handed, so the shoe tying evidence probably would not wash. "Cass" can confirm this one I'm sure.

...but then he might have left even MORE scuff marks.

oh yes...gene stafford was definitely left-handed fred..we see that in that early scene.
i have always wondered how they (writers, director..etc..)goofed like that. the whole theory about the tying of the shoes goes right out the window...because we know he is left-handed. and wouldn't milo have known that? and he could have defended himself. (ok..i'm being picky-picky)

and joe! great comment about being in the victim's shoes!