Have there been any stories on Unsolved Mysteries that just didn't ring true to you? I have to say of all the segments I've seen over the years only two come to mind. I thought the story about the soldier who met his exact double at a train station (only to lose the man's name and contact information) always seemed a little fishy to me. Also, something didn't seem quite right about the woman who was trying to find one of her former teachers. The teacher came from a fairly prominent family and I never understood why no one from the school or her old neighborhood had any idea what happened to her and her father.

Right after I saw the last repeat of the story about the nurse searching for her former teacher, I took the teacher's name and her father's name and did one of those public records searches, but turned up no matches for either of them. Their names have since slipped my mind, but if I see a repeat of that episode again it won't hurt to try and search for them again.

Stories that didn’t add up?.... The one about the crazy man that got into this other guy’s truck comes to mind. The man managed to get away, but the psycho found his house anyway and killed the mom.

How in the hell did he randomly find the guy's house? If it was just a coincidence, that would be the freakiest thing ever! Some suspected the son of killing the mother, and that he made up the story about the psycho --- but there were eyewitnesses who saw him.

But I think there's has to be more to this story --- it just doesn’t add up.

The one about the newly divorced dad living on a ranch with his son...they were having breakfast and some man pulled up and his dad went to talk to this man, got in the car, and haas never been seen since (maybe) There have been numerous sightings of him in bars that havent panned out. I personally think that someone called to report a sighting to keep the cops thinking the guy disappeared willingly but actually met foul play....

I'd say that Donny Hansen's story didn't add up. As you'll recall, he was accused of killing his sisters (who were twins). At one point during the 1986 house fire, he was seen hiding a shotgun before anyone had a chance to learn that a crime had even taken place. His claim was something to the effect that people would suspect him, thinking that he did it.

Also, he was caught at the Hansen property by a security guard, and claimed that he was there to feed his dog. Yet, by all accounts, he knew that his dog was elsewhere. It was believed that he was there to steal incriminating evidence (such as the shotgun).

In addition, it doesn't make sense that a couple of total strangers would randomly go to someone's house, shoot someone, and set the place on fire. The prosecutor who was interviewed for the UM segment, was not convinced by such a claim. It was too convenient for these people that the gasoline and shotgun just happened to be in the residence. Whoever killed the Hansen sisters had to have already known that there was a shotgun and container of gasoline available at the Hansen property.

I wanted to believe that Donny Hansen was innocent. But after seeing the segment multiple times, I became increasingly skeptical. It's possible that he didn't pull the trigger himself, but I strongly believe that he was involved, and that he didn't act alone. This might explain why he was overheard yelling at someone to "get out," and why some neighbors reported seeing two people running away from the area.

I posted this earlier, and it didn't get the response I wanted. Maybe someone else will read it and add a comment or two.

Something seems really fishy about this whole deal. First of all, how could he pick the wrong person out of a lineup if he spent hours and hours up close and personal with the kidnapper? The guy that he picked out of the lineup (whose name escapes me...was it Henderson?) is obviously not the kidnapper; there was no physical evidence linking him to the crime, the other eyewitness who saw Grundhofer with the kidnapper said he definitely was not the kidnapper, and you could tell just by watching his reaction to the whole situation that he was innocent. In addition, that eye witness said that when he saw the kidnapping, his initial reaction was that the whole thing was a joke. I don't know, this whole story has scandal written all over it. I wonder if there would be a motive for Grundhofer to have faked the whole thing. It just seems really odd that police wouldn't be able to find the kidnapper of a higher up like Grundhofer, especially one with as little experience as this kidnapper supposedly had. How could he slip through all of the searches if he was such an inexperienced criminal. I don't know, anyone else get that same feeling when watching this segment?

Okay, I've got to get in on this one.

Some time ago, I saw a story about a Japanese family that moved to New York to open a clothing store, and basically start a new life in America. Sorry, I can't remember names. I do remember that the husband knew very little English, and his UM interview was done with a voiceover. Anyhow, all was well until one day his wife goes missing. A day or two later her remains were found in a dumpster in an alleyway. She had been stabbed to death. There were few clues other than the testimony of a night watchman (who discovered the body) who claimed to have seen a skinny, geeky looking guy with blood on his shirt putting something in to the dumpster. He thought this was suspicious, so he jotted down the license plate number, and the make/model of the car. The case seemed close to resolution until the police found out who the car actually belonged to. The car belonged to a young college girl who knew absolutely nothing about the murder, and claimed she had not even driven the car on the night in question. A test of the engine confirmed she was telling the truth. The watchman was given a polygraph test and passed. So, I guess I just don't see how they could have gotten the wrong car, unless the watchman and/or the college girl were involved in the murder somehow, but I really don't think this is likely.

Does anyone else remember this story, and have any thoughts on the whole car issue?

JS

I do remember this story justin. Thanks for refreshing my memory with details. All I can remember about the case was the despair her husband felt...and how they eventually closed the business because he didn't want to live in a city where people killed randomly. Hard to believe no leads...unless they just haven't updated the piece.

Just like the doctor who was missing the night before September 11th...I can't even imagine a reason for the set-up of her disappearance. Who was the woman she was shopping with? Why would she be shopping with someone and her husband had no idea the identity of that person. Not that he would know every single person she knew but since this person never came forward it seems suspicious.

jeeps

Originally posted by CrushedVelvet
The one about the newly divorced dad living on a ranch with his son...they were having breakfast and some man pulled up and his dad went to talk to this man, got in the car, and haas never been seen since (maybe) There have been numerous sightings of him in bars that havent panned out. I personally think that someone called to report a sighting to keep the cops thinking the guy disappeared willingly but actually met foul play....
I belive they had an update on this one. His body was found and there was a suspect. I not sure when the update aired. I remember the update though. Dose anyone elese?

Originally posted by benoitbabe
I belive they had an update on this one. His body was found and there was a suspect. I not sure when the update aired. I remember the update though. Dose anyone elese?

It sounds like the case of Leonard Dirickson. But are you sure there was an update on the case. So far, I can't find anything on the web to suggest that he's been found (deceased or otherwise).

How about the one about this woman who'd been in a horrible car accident as a small child that had taken the lives of her mother and sisters who was desperately searching for her mother's family as an adult?
What's weird is that I think she got a few cards from an aunt when she was a teen- and, they DID reunite in an Update Segment due to the special and her whole mother's family claimed to be ecstatic to find her again. Yet, I found it odd that her father claimed to have had few occasions in which his late wife had talked about her family and that he didn't know where (or even WHO) they were or how to contact them. I couldn't quite shake the feeling that her father and the late mother's family had somehow had a major falling out after the accident and contact became limited- but none of the adults now wanted to own up to whatever roles they'd played in the distancing of that side of her family from the sole surviving daughter so they just let her (and the UM producers) believe the loss of contact had been entirely accidental and inadvertant!

One case I always found to be a little suspicious was the case of two young lady's who went horseback riding. The first lady's horse somehow was spooked, and when her friend caught up to her, she had been severely injured. I can't remember the details, but her family suspected murder because of the injuries and she had a large life insurance policy.

I remember when she died, her boyfriend was cleaning out her things the very next day. The only other details I can recall is her name might have been Shelly. Crystaldawn or Kane, can you help me out with details?

Hey! Yes, I think her name was Shelly Malone. It was indeed a very bizarre story that didn't make sense. Its been a while since I've seen it but I do remember soon after her death they found a bunch of empty Cartier boxes in the dump.

Hey Crystaldawn, yes, that was her name. Thanks. Very interesting case.

One more that comes to mind:

The case happened in the 70's maybe. This man was in the military living on the base with his family. They had been into an argument earlier and he was in the living room sleeping on the couch. He claimed a group of around 4 broke into his home including a women, who said something strange along the lines of "Pigs have to die". He says they beat his wife and kids and he was able to escape.

The investigators came up with a very solid scenario that he murdered his family. It was based on blood splatter patterns, the position of the bodies and his testimony. I remember a map of the house showing how and when he killed his family.

Forgive me if this case has been discussed before.

Originally posted by UMfan0682
Hey Crystaldawn, yes, that was her name. Thanks. Very interesting case.

One more that comes to mind:

The case happened in the 70's maybe. This man was in the military living on the base with his family. They had been into an argument earlier and he was in the living room sleeping on the couch. He claimed a group of around 4 broke into his home including a women, who said something strange along the lines of "Pigs have to die". He says they beat his wife and kids and he was able to escape.

"Acid is groovy. Kill the pigs."

The infamous Jeffrey Mcdonald case. He is still in jail to this day.

JS

Originally posted by justins5256
"Acid is groovy. Kill the pigs."

JS

The first time I saw that story and the guy siad the group said that, I almost died. I am sure someone hyped up on Acid would say something that cliche and predictable. It just screams made up.

Originally posted by Eaglflyrs
The first time I saw that story and the guy siad the group said that, I almost died. I am sure someone hyped up on Acid would say something that cliche and predictable. It just screams made up.

I've never done acid, but yeah, that sounded cliche. Wasn't that also the name of a book about the case?

JS

All these Stories sound strange, but one particular comes from a few years back.( I'll try to do my best, it's been a while) I was always puzzled by the story of a man who came to a small airport demanding that he get on a plane, no other explanation, just that he needed to fly. If I remember correctly the workers at the airport refused to allow him to board their planes.. Next thing you know the man is falling from the wing of one the planes ( saw by a witness) Apparently something was so important that he needed to get on the plane by any means necessary. I guess while the plane was taking off, he jumped on one of the wings and held on as long as he could until he fell to his death. It was a short segement but nonetheless very interseting for me. What could cause a person to go to such drastic measures just to get on that plane. If anyone else remembers this one please reply..... with more info...... thanks...

Kaipo81, I remember that story, but like you, I haven't seen it in a long time. All I remember is that it happened in Paduka, Kentucky and the man was eventually identified by family after the segment aired.

As for me, a segment that NEVER added up to me is one they showed just last week. The case in Oklahoma where a woman named Wendy, her young daughter and her sister-in-law drove 4 hours to visit with her young son who was in custody of her ex-husband. (There was bad blood between them and because of her recently suffering a stroke, he left her and got full custody of her son.) The 3 ladies never made it back home, apparently they were arguing in the car with Wendy's ex-mother-in-law and fed up, she dropped them off in the parking lot of a Wall Mart. They then vanished.

The ex-husband seemed like he was guilty as sin while being interviewed in the segment. His family probably helped him dispose of the 3 women. Why?

1. A couple friends reported to police that they heard the ex-husband mention that he had killed all 3 women. His response to that was that he must have said that while he was in one of his drunken states. Yeah.... nice try.

2. His mother most likely never dropped the 3 women off in the Wall Mart parking lot like she said. All they had to do was walk into the store and use the pay phone to call Wendy's husband. They never did. Also, it was broad daylight, mid-afternoon... the chances of the 3 of them getting kidnapped in the parking lot with all of those people around and not noticing are very slim.

3. The ex-husband's mother met with the ex-husband at a restaurant only a few hours after she said she dropped the 3 women off. She never would have been able to make it on time had she REALLY dropped the ladies off at the Wal Mart like she said.

4. How conveniant was it that after several months, the ex-husband's family suddenly had a change of heart and decided out of the blue that it was O.K. for Wendy to visit her son for a couple hours on that day. The timing was too much of a coincidence. That was obviously the day that the family decided to carry out their "plan."

It is really sad to see cases of child custody between family members get ugly but this case was more than ugly.

You are right on dynoguy with everything you said about the Wendy Camp disappearance!! There's not a doubt in my mind that the ex and his family are responsible. The thing I don't understand is that at the end of the segment RS said that someone that knows the family claimed to have seen the little girl a few months after they all disappeared....police think this is a credible sighting. I have a hard time believing that Cynthia is out there walking around somewhere while her aunt and mother are probably no longer with us.

There really isn't anything new on this case that I could find. I did find an interesting post about Wendy Camp on another website. This person (frogpjs) was involved with Wendy Camp in a professional capacity and has a little more info on the case. Here is the link:

http://websleuths.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-7946

Re: Wendy Camp disappearance

I've mentioned this before in letters with Crystaldawn but I think the ex-husband's guilt is summed up in a statement made by his grandmother Ida: "We did not have nothing to do with it." Case closed:p !

:lol: Good point, mortytbusybody.

Thanks for the link, crystaldawn. I'm glad that custody of Wendy's son was taken away from those weirdoes. It's somewhat of a victory for Wendy's family but the 3 bodies need to be found.

The police should have given the ex-husband's mother a lie dector test. There's no way she dropped them off at that Walmart and then make it back in time to have dinner with her son. I'm not surprised she didn't participate in the UM segment. But her son....augh!!! Seeing his interview was the only time I can truly remember staring at the TV and yelling, "GUILTY!!"

The thought of evil people like this getting away with murder is very depressing. They need to be brought to justice.

Tim McClure

Larry Race, Larry Gibson, and the Aileen Conway case.

The prosecution's case against Tommy Ziegler.

The "official" explanation of what happened to Keith Warren, Norman Ladner, and the boys on the tracks.

The prosecution's case against Tommy Ziegler.

Good one! I too don't buy any of the prosecution's case against him. It makes no sense.

Did anyone else recognize the prosecutor in the Tommy Ziegler case was Jeffrey Ashton from the Casey Anthony trial? I really liked Ashton from the Casey Anthony trial but I definitely believe Ziegler is innocent

Tim McClure

Lol. I second this. If anyone's story could raise so many questions, it would be that guy's.

Mark Nichols. Even though Christy left while he was asleep, according to him, he was still able to describe everything she took with her. But she didn't take one of the cars? Yeah, he really screwed up there.

Did anyone else recognize the prosecutor in the Tommy Ziegler case was Jeffrey Ashton from the Casey Anthony trial? I really liked Ashton from the Casey Anthony trial but I definitely believe Ziegler is innocent

Really? Wow, I did not know this, I will have to go back and watch. I followed the Anthony case extensively and read books written by both the prosecution and defense.

At one point I was chastised for bumping very old threads...

This one was happily dormant for just shy of a decade.

At one point I was chastised for bumping very old threads...

This one was happily dormant for just shy of a decade.

I noticed this as well. It must be a record.

Did anyone else recognize the prosecutor in the Tommy Ziegler case was Jeffrey Ashton from the Casey Anthony trial? I really liked Ashton from the Casey Anthony trial but I definitely believe Ziegler is innocent

Yeah I noticed this as well. I wonder if one of the reasons Anthony got off was because Ashton comes across as smug and arrogant.

Stories that did not add up for me:

-The official account of the Wanda Jean Mays case. So, they find her body relatively close to where she was last seen, but WAY after she initially went missing. She had a nervous breakdown and ran off a cliff? Case closed? :confused: Just seems a little too "ok let's wrap this up" to me.

-The Jeffrey McDonald case. The "hippie home invasion" scenario is in the hall of fame for stories that don't add up.

-Tim McClure's story didn't really add up, but nothing else in that segment did, either. Unlike the McDonald case, in my opinion, there's no obvious explanation of what actually happened to Tim's mother.

-The official account of the Wanda Jean Mays case. So, they find her body relatively close to where she was last seen, but WAY after she initially went missing. She had a nervous breakdown and ran off a cliff? Case closed? :confused: Just seems a little too "ok let's wrap this up" to me.


I agree. They searched that area diligently in the weeks surrounding her disappearance. A breakdown is a plausible theory, but it seems bizarre that if she was having an attack that she was able to get in the boat and not fall in the water, yet not stop herself from going over a cliff.

Steve Page's story about what happened to his wife makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

Steve Page's story about what happened to his wife makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

Ugh, I know! He kept referring to himself in the third person, and he has connections with law enforcement, so there is no doubt in my mind he knows something.

Ugh, I know! He kept referring to himself in the third person, and he has connections with law enforcement, so there is no doubt in my mind he knows something.

Yes that was irritating the way he kept referring to himself in the third person. Kathy's relatives have started to put billboards up around the town with Steve's picture saying "HE GOT AWAY WITH MURDER" to try and get the case reopened and investigated properly.

-The Jeffrey McDonald case. The "hippie home invasion" scenario is in the hall of fame for stories that don't add up.

Easily #1 for sure.

I submit the story about the alleged videotape of the Ellender murders. No way do I believe that thing actually existed.

I just mentioned this one another thread.

The Marlene Santana story doesn’t add up to me. I feel for her mother who lost her daughter. BUT.. it just seems awkward to me how a woman came up to her and just snatched her child. Hospitals usually have a good deal of “people traffic”. If I remember correctly, she walked for 6 blocks. I find it strange no one saw anything. I also found it strange that she was released so late.

Of course, this is just my opinion

More stories that (to me) don't add up:

-Anything said by that incompetent ME in the "Boys on the Tracks" case

-The theory that Katherine Korzilius died as a result of jumping on a moving SUV, on a hot day, with her hand in a brace, and no one in the car saw or felt anything

Okay, I'll concede that this was a worthwhile bump, based on the activity level and contributions. More active recently than total posts a decade ago.

It just amazed me that 2004 turned into 2014 with seemingly nobody noticing...

I hope California Chrome isn't the 2014 version of Smarty Jones in 2004.

I just mentioned this one another thread.

The Marlene Santana story doesn’t add up to me. I feel for her mother who lost her daughter. BUT.. it just seems awkward to me how a woman came up to her and just snatched her child. Hospitals usually have a good deal of “people traffic”. If I remember correctly, she walked for 6 blocks. I find it strange no one saw anything. I also found it strange that she was released so late.

Of course, this is just my opinion

It seemed like the abductor had specifically staked out Marlene. It appeared she wanted that particular baby and waited until they left the hosptial (Francesca said the abductor stated that Marlene was the prettiest baby and the quietest one, so perhaps that's why she chose Marlene). It wasn't a spontaneous event, it was planned.

Admittedly, being released so late does seem a little odd, but I don't think it amounts to anything.

do you think Francesca is fabricating?

Okay, I'll concede that this was a worthwhile bump, based on the activity level and contributions. More active recently than total posts a decade ago.

It just amazed me that 2004 turned into 2014 with seemingly nobody noticing...

I hope California Chrome isn't the 2014 version of Smarty Jones in 2004.

Old threads get bumped up pretty frequently here. It's no big deal. Sometimes it gets noticed, other times not. A lot of other forums don't allow it, thankfully this one does.

I don't recall anyone getting chastised for bumping old threads. Playful ribbing yes, chastised no.

Anita Green case:
I believe Michele Samit, but if she really saw a man leaving the prison after visiting Mel Green that resembled the shooter, couldn't LE have checked the visitor log to see who the individual was? If I'm not mistaken, records are kept. I was surprised an attempt wasn't even mentioned.

Anita Green case:
I believe Michele Samit, but if she really saw a man leaving the prison after visiting Mel Green that resembled the shooter, couldn't LE have checked the visitor log to see who the individual was? If I'm not mistaken, records are kept. I was surprised an attempt wasn't even mentioned.

That is a very good point and one I didn't even notice before. I do believe that every visitor has to sign in and check in somewhere, so there definitely should have been a record of who this guy was. Perhaps there was, LE investigated the guy and ruled him out but UM left that out to make the segment more mysterious.

I agree with the Katherine Korzilius comment. That case has always bugged me. Now, with Baby Ricci, it is even more troublesome. I just don't see how it could have happened that way with no one seeing her on the back of the car.

Thanks to the other posters who mentioned Katherine Korzillius. It seems strange to me a child would hang on to the back of the car as it is and not being noticed just makes the story even more strange. I don’t remember but was there any trauma to her body or head?

Stories that didn’t add up?.... The one about the crazy man that got into this other guy’s truck comes to mind. The man managed to get away, but the psycho found his house anyway and killed the mom.

How in the hell did he randomly find the guy's house? If it was just a coincidence, that would be the freakiest thing ever! Some suspected the son of killing the mother, and that he made up the story about the psycho --- but there were eyewitnesses who saw him.

But I think there's has to be more to this story --- it just doesn’t add up.
I would have had this near the top of the list too. And if you watch the forensic files episode stranger in the night the detectives didn't believe the story either but amazingly it was true.

I'd say that Donny Hansen's story didn't add up. As you'll recall, he was accused of killing his sisters (who were twins). At one point during the 1986 house fire, he was seen hiding a shotgun before anyone had a chance to learn that a crime had even taken place. His claim was something to the effect that people would suspect him, thinking that he did it.

Also, he was caught at the Hansen property by a security guard, and claimed that he was there to feed his dog. Yet, by all accounts, he knew that his dog was elsewhere. It was believed that he was there to steal incriminating evidence (such as the shotgun).

In addition, it doesn't make sense that a couple of total strangers would randomly go to someone's house, shoot someone, and set the place on fire. The prosecutor who was interviewed for the UM segment, was not convinced by such a claim. It was too convenient for these people that the gasoline and shotgun just happened to be in the residence. Whoever killed the Hansen sisters had to have already known that there was a shotgun and container of gasoline available at the Hansen property.

I wanted to believe that Donny Hansen was innocent. But after seeing the segment multiple times, I became increasingly skeptical. It's possible that he didn't pull the trigger himself, but I strongly believe that he was involved, and that he didn't act alone. This might explain why he was overheard yelling at someone to "get out," and why some neighbors reported seeing two people running away from the area.
There are many cases from UM that frustrate me and this is one of them. I get frustrated watching the segment because it is clear that Donny got away with murder or covering something. When your own parents turn on you that says something.

The case of the woman who disappeared at a casino. Her first name was Jean and I want to say her fiance was named Al. He claimed that she was playing her favorite slot and then went missing after that and he searched for her, waiting at her machine but she never showed up. Security cameras apparently didn't back up his story. Jean's kids think he killed her and said they never liked him.

While it could be that the kids are just looking to blame him because of their dislike for him, who else could have had motive? Crimes at casinos that don't involve money are very low and I don't believe someone just decided to randomly kidnap an older woman there. Maybe she decided she didn't want to marry him and he lost his temper and killed her during an argument. Her kids said he was verbally abusive, it wouldn't be that much of stretch for him to turn physically violent.

I agree with the Katherine Korzilius comment. That case has always bugged me. Now, with Baby Ricci, it is even more troublesome. I just don't see how it could have happened that way with no one seeing her on the back of the car.
I agree. This seems to be the most popular theory, but it's one I just don't agree with. I don't see why she would jump on the back of the car with her fingers in splints. Yes, kids so silly things, but with broken fingers would she really have leaped onto the back of the car? Also, a lot of people believe that because of wind the car wouldn't have been that hot, but I think it still would have been quite hot to the touch (and painful!) considering this is Texas in August. Also, I think she would have been seen, like you said, by either her brother or mother (checking the rear view mirror, hearing the sound of her jumping).

The case of the woman who disappeared at a casino. Her first name was Jean and I want to say her fiance was named Al. He claimed that she was playing her favorite slot and then went missing after that and he searched for her, waiting at her machine but she never showed up. Security cameras apparently didn't back up his story. Jean's kids think he killed her and said they never liked him.

While it could be that the kids are just looking to blame him because of their dislike for him, who else could have had motive? Crimes at casinos that don't involve money are very low and I don't believe someone just decided to randomly kidnap an older woman there. Maybe she decided she didn't want to marry him and he lost his temper and killed her during an argument. Her kids said he was verbally abusive, it wouldn't be that much of stretch for him to turn physically violent.

Bingo. I found Al Henderson's version of events to be completely unbelievable, not to mention convoluted. I don't think there was one aspect of his story I bought.

The Andre Jones segment has a lot of bits and pieces that don't add up. He either did have a gun in his car or he didn't, or an open container. Plus two pathologists both testified to opposing sides with regards to his manner of death.

Thanks to the other posters who mentioned Katherine Korzillius. It seems strange to me a child would hang on to the back of the car as it is and not being noticed just makes the story even more strange. I don’t remember but was there any trauma to her body or head?

I don't remember the details on Katherine's injuries. In her main thread here (linked below) one of the posters on the first page says that Katherine suffered a fractured skull, among other injuries. The UM wikia just says she died from brain damage after a blow to the head:

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=116970&highlight=katherine

Bingo. I found Al Henderson's version of events to be completely unbelievable, not to mention convoluted. I don't think there was one aspect of his story I bought.

Co-sign. Everything he said struck me as either a stretch or the truth or an outright lie.

I agree. This seems to be the most popular theory, but it's one I just don't agree with. I don't see why she would jump on the back of the car with her fingers in splints. Yes, kids so silly things, but with broken fingers would she really have leaped onto the back of the car? Also, a lot of people believe that because of wind the car wouldn't have been that hot, but I think it still would have been quite hot to the touch (and painful!) considering this is Texas in August. Also, I think she would have been seen, like you said, by either her brother or mother (checking the rear view mirror, hearing the sound of her jumping).

Katherine's case is one I've always really been wishy washy on, never firmly having one opinion and sticking with it. I guess because both possibilities (while obviously one has to be true) seem kinda far fetched. Even if she did manage to chase after the SUV and either sit on the back bumper or hold on, it definitely seems unlikely her mom and brother wouldn't have noticed.

If we take the segment info at face value, the only other possibilities are a random creep attempted to kidnap her, joyriding on some neighbor's car (i.e. local teens), or (most likely imo), being accidentally hit by a neighbor, whom took her to the spot she was found in, but was too scared to come forward.

I agree. They searched that area diligently in the weeks surrounding her disappearance. A breakdown is a plausible theory, but it seems bizarre that if she was having an attack that she was able to get in the boat and not fall in the water, yet not stop herself from going over a cliff.

Maybe Wanda did wander off for a while and hitch-hiked out of the area, which could explain both the eyewitness accounts and why her body was not discovered during the initial search. After a certain amount of time she then tried to head back to a place she was familiar with (she had been staying at her uncle's house the night she disappeared, IIRC), it was dark, she was confused and perhaps that's when she fell over the cliff. Maybe.

Katherine's case is one I've always really been wishy washy on, never firmly having one opinion and sticking with it. I guess because both possibilities (while obviously one has to be true) seem kinda far fetched. Even if she did manage to chase after the SUV and either sit on the back bumper or hold on, it definitely seems unlikely her mom and brother wouldn't have noticed.

If we take the segment info at face value, the only other possibilities are a random creep attempted to kidnap her, joyriding on some neighbor's car (i.e. local teens), or (most likely imo), being accidentally hit by a neighbor, whom took her to the spot she was found in, but was too scared to come forward.
The thing is, even though I don't buy the jumping on the back of the car story, I don't know about the abduction theory, either. I think it's possible she was struck by a car (perhaps on accident) and the person panicked and that's why she was laid out on the pavement like she was. Guilt and fear, perhaps, led to her being laid out that way. I don't believe that an abductor would have thrown her from the car (or that she fell out in an attempted abduction) and take the time to smooth her hair and lie her down that way, nor do I believe she would have fallen naturally like that. A hit-and-run, with a check on Katherine and subsequent guilt, could have led to her being found in the position she was found in. It does seem odd that no one saw anything though, in broad daylight. Katherine was last seen walking down the street, in the middle of the street IIRC-- that and the bright sunlight could have inhibited the driver's view and could have perhaps led to a tragic accident.


Maybe Wanda did wander off for a while and hitch-hiked out of the area, which could explain both the eyewitness accounts and why her body was not discovered during the initial search. After a certain amount of time she then tried to head back to a place she was familiar with (she had been staying at her uncle's house the night she disappeared, IIRC), it was dark, she was confused and perhaps that's when she fell over the cliff. Maybe.
Yeah, this is a very weird case. We really don't have a lot of evidence and your theory is totally possible. She could have been far away from the scene of the search in a state of confusion and fear, then made an attempt to head back. I don't buy the eyewitness sightings, at least not the one of her in the car with the strange men, but I think she did probably wander far away in her flight to get away. In the dark, it would be pretty easy to fall over a cliff by accident.

The thing is, even though I don't buy the jumping on the back of the car story, I don't know about the abduction theory, either. I think it's possible she was struck by a car (perhaps on accident) and the person panicked and that's why she was laid out on the pavement like she was. Guilt and fear, perhaps, led to her being laid out that way. I don't believe that an abductor would have thrown her from the car (or that she fell out in an attempted abduction) and take the time to smooth her hair and lie her down that way, nor do I believe she would have fallen naturally like that. A hit-and-run, with a check on Katherine and subsequent guilt, could have led to her being found in the position she was found in. It does seem odd that no one saw anything though, in broad daylight. Katherine was last seen walking down the street, in the middle of the street IIRC-- that and the bright sunlight could have inhibited the driver's view and could have perhaps led to a tragic accident.

I agree on all this. I never thought of the sunlight obscuring a drivers' view, but that's a good point too. Considering that she was found on the opposite side of the circular street that she would've walked to get home, and was carefully placed there, a hit and run seems the most likely.

You'd think they'd have come forward after 18 years now (even anonymously), especially if it was an unintentional horrible accident, but guilt can probably do alot to people. Nothing else makes sense, unless you consider something far out, like maybe her mom hit her on accident and was attempting to cover it up??

If I could pinpoint one specific moment in an UM segment where a story completely falls apart, it would probably be when Georgia Rudolph looks at the headstone of her previous self's dead grandmother and it shows the date of death as 1939.

Wait... so you believe you're the reincarnation of a girl who died in 1914 and have this recurring dream where you're visiting your grandmother's grave, yet your grandmother died 25 years after you did?! I'm actually surprised UM left in that shot of the headstone since it instantly kills the story's credibility.

Elizabeth Ortiz's. (http://unsolvedmysteries.wikia.com/wiki/Elizabeth_Ortiz) Crazy woman begins poisoning her husband with laced "protein shakes" and comes up with a crazy story about a little boy in the hospital parking lot and a masked man threatening her son "Jonathan! They're going to hurt Jonathan!" struck me as particularly palpably bogus.

For some reason I find poisoning to be particularly heinous.

Any case that tried playing up the whole "satanic" angle. Michael Johnston and Rochelle Robinson come to mind. Especially since the police believe Rochelle was the target of the murder, but the psychic believed that Michael was the primary target.

Elizabeth Ortiz's. (http://unsolvedmysteries.wikia.com/wiki/Elizabeth_Ortiz) Crazy woman begins poisoning her husband with laced "protein shakes" and comes up with a crazy story about a little boy in the hospital parking lot and a masked man threatening her son "Jonathan! They're going to hurt Jonathan!" struck me as particularly palpably bogus.

That's because she was a moron, simply put. And a popular pick for the dumbest UM criminals thread. You have to be epic stupid to think you can poison someone and it wouldn't be traced back to you. (Had Gilbert died, police still would have eventually traced that milkshake back to her.)

But despite her limited at best intelligence, she was able to avoid authorities for 8 years. And that still astounds me.

That's because she was a moron, simply put. And a popular pick for the dumbest UM criminals thread. You have to be epic stupid to think you can poison someone and it wouldn't be traced back to you. (Had Gilbert died, police still would have eventually traced that milkshake back to her.)

But despite her limited at best intelligence, she was able to avoid authorities for 8 years. And that still astounds me.

It's quite funny, everyone seems to think that the woman who portrayed Elizabeth Ortiz was the worst actress in UM history, yet she seems to perfectly capture the real person's immense stupidity. I have no doubt that Elizabeth's acting performance after Jonathan's "kidnapping" was probably just as unconvincing in real life.

Was the UM actress terrible or just subtly brilliant? :lol:

It's quite funny, everyone seems to think that the woman who portrayed Elizabeth Ortiz was the worst actress in UM history, yet she seems to perfectly capture the real person's immense stupidity. I have no doubt that Elizabeth's acting performance after Jonathan's "kidnapping" was probably just as unconvincing in real life.

Was the UM actress terrible or just subtly brilliant? :lol:

Exactly. I brought that up a couple years ago in the worst actor/actress thread. When you're portraying a person who is stupid on epic proportions, bad acting actually works out pretty well. Maybe the actress was actually good at portraying a dumb person. But most likely it was bad actress for dumb person. Either way, you're showing a realistic picture of the real Elizabeth Ortiz.

It's quite funny, everyone seems to think that the woman who portrayed Elizabeth Ortiz was the worst actress in UM history, yet she seems to perfectly capture the real person's immense stupidity. I have no doubt that Elizabeth's acting performance after Jonathan's "kidnapping" was probably just as unconvincing in real life.

Was the UM actress terrible or just subtly brilliant? :lol:

My thoughts exactly. It must be difficult to mime poor acting but I think that the actresses in segment hit it out of the park and nailed it. Her acting throughout was excellent. She looked so nervous telling Gilbert "Yeah, it might taste a little nasty but... It's supposed to.".

I often miss subtlety. The actress was overtly brilliant.

But as far as implausible stories go, the masked man is a biggie.

That's because she was a moron, simply put. And a popular pick for the dumbest UM criminals thread. You have to be epic stupid to think you can poison someone and it wouldn't be traced back to you. (Had Gilbert died, police still would have eventually traced that milkshake back to her.)

But despite her limited at best intelligence, she was able to avoid authorities for 8 years. And that still astounds me.

I would imagine they blended in Mexico pretty well. Especially if she was laying low.

What I want to know is how Elizabeth thought she was going to live an extravagant lifestyle based on Gilbert's Toys R Us income. Dumb woman.

No offense to Gilbert. The man's suffered enough.

I just saw a semi-recent photo of Jonathan. Creeeeepy. Sadly, he definitely takes more after his mom.

I just saw a semi-recent photo of Jonathan. Creeeeepy. Sadly, he definitely takes more after his mom.

You sparked my curiosity so I googled him and saw the picture. You weren't kidding.

He went from multiple attacks (including a stabbing) against his father to being a gang member and a attempted murder against a Redwood City man. And he STILL blames his father for his mother attempting to poison his father.

Elizabeth really screwed him up.

Shelly Malone. I saw this one again today and there's just something totally wrong with the entire situation. I'd really like to read the entire witness statement of the woman who was supposedly riding with Shelly.

When I saw the title of this thread, the first thing that came to mind was Al Henderson's story.

When I saw the title of this thread, the first thing that came to mind was Al Henderson's story.
YES. Security cameras do not lie.


Also:

Steve Page. We're supposed to believe that his estranged wife had sex with him before going on a date with another man...yet the autopsy only found his sperm when she'd been known to have slept with the man she was seeing.

Don't even get me started on the staged accident, his incredibly incriminating interview, and everything else in the segment. Wow.

This guy almost makes Sam Patel, Mark Nichols, and Stephen Marfeo look innocent.

Sam Patel.
God I wish there was some recent info on him. He was such a creep.
"Oh, hay, I'm just showing up at your door at 10PM..."

Paul Pollis's entire dialogue. "I clean. I like to live in a clean house." Because that makes perfect sense to scrub your house top to bottom in the days after your wife mysteriously disappears.

Sam Patel.
God I wish there was some recent info on him. He was such a creep.
"Oh, hay, I'm just showing up at your door at 10PM..."
I like to call him "Mr. I'm not guilty even though my vomit was at the crime scene"

When I saw the title of this thread, the first thing that came to mind was Al Henderson's story.

I've often wondered if Henderson was innocent in Jean's disappearance, but was still lying about certain details. The security footage on UM seems to show Henderson walking around looking for something (possibly Jean) before leaving.

I've often wondered if Henderson was innocent in Jean's disappearance, but was still lying about certain details. The security footage on UM seems to show Henderson walking around looking for something (possibly Jean) before leaving.

Could be. I've wondered if he was innocent, if he may have had the pre stages of dementia or Alzheimer's because nothing that he says makes any sense nor is any of what he said verified by the security footage. I mean, if you're going to lie, at least make it believable.

The first time I saw that story and the guy siad the group said that, I almost died. I am sure someone hyped up on Acid would say something that cliche and predictable. It just screams made up.

I was stationed at Fort Bragg in 1977 and the residence in the housing area still had police tape aroiund it and plywood in the windows as it was still considered unsolved at that time.

Kurt the Vietnam veteran always seemed like BS to me. It's sad, though, because I know his family is grieving over his loss, but they need to face reality. He wasn't on a secret mission and he didn't come home and begin stalking his sister.