I voted no.

Although Adam appeared to me to be possibly partially discontented with being rich and/or feeling sorry for those that couldn't make ends meet, and there might have been an unfavorable side to his relatives that we didn't see, I don't believe he would have voluntarily disappeared.

A person's instincts would have them meeting their basic survival needs as their first priority: enough food, money, and adequate shelter, clothing and health care. It would seem unlikely that a person would jeopardize all of these things if they could avoid it.

The only scenario that I can imagine where he did willingly disappear is that he wanted to prove to himself that he could actually survive under much harsher conditions, possibly as a challenge. Then possibly, somebody caught wind of his real financial worth and did him in.

But, I could be totally wrong. What do you think?

My opinion is he disappeared of his own will, meaning he wasn't abducted or murdered. He had become disillusioned with his own life and I think its possible that during the time he was drawn to Tony he had some mental issues. He may have even suffered some sort of mental break (like Kristi Krebs) and developed amnesia and began wandering the streets. I think if Adam were coherent he wouldn't want to see his family suffering and would have at least contacted them. I think its possible he could have met foul play since he is still missing and no doubt the streets can be a very dangerous place to live but I don't think he disappeared all those years ago because of foul play.

I wonder if 'Tony' knows more than he is telling. But, at the same time, another part of me says he just got disillusioned with his 'rich' life and wanted to throw all his cares away and join the street people. Particularily 'Tony'. Adam's sister DID say Adam had a sudden change in personality before he disappeared.

I'm 50/50 on this one. But, I'm also interested in that mysterious Tony character he took in. Didn't Adam's brother Harold see Tony again on the streets after Adam dissappeared? Then, Harold asked Tony about Adam and Tony enigmatically replied, 'If you stay with me on the streets for a while, you might find some clues'?

That enigmatic statement has got me wondering.....

For now, I'm going to take the fence-sitting position on this one. Even if he had disappeared under his own free will, I find it odd that he would live all these past seventeen years with no effort to contact any of his loved ones or friends. I would think that sooner or later, he would try to contact someone to let them know that he is alive and well. I just can't believe that someone would willingly disappear, remove all contact with his/her loved ones, and in turn put them through the agonizing stress of not knowing what became of him/her.

It's tough to say whether Tony is involved in Adam's disappearance or not, Tony didn't seem to have it all together either. I would lean slightly towards Tony not being repsonsible for Adam's disappearance, I just don't think Tony was intelligent enough to pull off an elaborate crime. What I am pretty sure of is that Adam's mom definitely did not appear to be too fond of Tony.

I dunno. Something about Adam's family rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe they really are nice people but they came off as kind of snooty, our-crap-don't-stink-kind of people. I think he voluntarily left. It's like that old sayng goes: money don't buy happiness.

I think he left of his own free will. His family did seem like the "their crap don't stink" people. I think meeting Tony opened his eyes to another world and he became disillusioned. However, I don't think he would go w/o contacting his family at all, so I have to wonder if something happened to him while pursuing his new life on the streets or wherever he decided to go.

I dunno. Something about Adam's family rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe they really are nice people but they came off as kind of snooty, our-crap-don't-stink-kind of people. I think he voluntarily left. It's like that old sayng goes: money don't buy happiness.


Yes they were pretty awful- his friend at the cafe talked like conversing with a homeless person was some kind of mortal sin and he should not be breathing the same air, his mum was not too bad on camera but the way she carried on via the actress in the reconstruction part did not paint her very well, having said that he came across as somebody who loved his family and would never just vanish, my guess is Tony liked the taste of the good life and saw him as an easy mark and probably enlisted the help of a couple of other homeless people who were probably sick of a rich kid trying to help them and killed him for money, Tony was certainly a strange guy and seemed to want to assume his identity.

i agree with Crystaldawn...i think, initially he left of his own free will, and met with foul play later. I think he was genuinely moved to try and help when he discovered the plight of the poor and homeless through Tony, but it makes no sense that he would have severed all links with his family voluntarily- i think Tony probably did know more than he let on at the time about Adams disappearance, but i doubt he was involved in any foul play.

Tony seemed totally off. I don't think Adam disappeared on his own. I think he wanted to take care of Tony, help him not let take over his identity.

I believe that Adam had lost touch of who he was. He had gotten in so deep with Tony, that for some reason, he found his lifestyle intriguing. I also believe that Tony knew more than he had told and I DO find him suspicious.

Another reason I don't think Tony was responsible for Adam's disappearance was that if he were to do something to Adam, it would have probably been for money. And, although Tony doesn't refuse Adam's offer of moving in with him into his plush apartmnet (who would under that circumstance), there's no indication that Tony tried to steal money, goods or anything of that nature. When Tony gets evicted from the apartment (after Adam's disappearance) he doesn't put up any resistance.

If Adam left everything behind, then he would have very little money, which means he would have still been in Beverly Hills, or at least that area. But as far as I know, there have been absolutely no sightings of him in the last 18 years. Which again leads me to believe he met with foul play.

I tend to agree with Crystaldawn and Studster. I do think that Adam Hecht was disillusioned with his rich Beverly Hills lifestyle and wanted to experience life as a less fortunate individual. I believe he initially left of his own accord. However, I believe it was his inexperience with this other side of life that is what led to his demise after he walked away from his life.

This is a tough one for me too. I think that Adam had become disillusioned with his life but I dont know if he had a complete mental break down and is wandering around with amnesia and cant remember who he is or what. I do think he disappeared willingly and I do think it is very likely he did meet with foul play after he disappeared. I do not think Tony was involved but I could be wrong. I do find it interesting what Tony told Adam's brother Harold Hecht Jr about a year after he disappeared. "If you stay on the streets with me for a while I will show you some clues" I believe was the quote. So sad because I think it started out as Adam having genuine concern for a poor, homeless individual and wanting to help and it simply going too far.

I was researching Adam's father Harold Hecht Sr and found he was born in 1907 and died of cancer at age 78 in 1985. Hecht Sr's most famous production work in my opinion was the Birdman of Alcatraz. Apperantly Hecht Sr discovered Burt Lancaster and was obviously the big reason Lancaster had a career and him and Lancaster worked close together and were friends apperantly.

From what I am understanding, Adam Hecht's dad died a little before Adam went missing. So I am wondering if he, Adam, had some sort of mental break following his dad's death. And that led him to wanting more than just "the good life." Also, upthread several posters mentioned the Hecht family's snobby attitude and I have to concur. The mom in particular seemed "uppity."

Anyway, I think Adam Hecht disappeared on his own, initially. Sadly, he may have succumbed to the harshness of street life at a later time.

A baffling and sad story all around....

I'd say getting sold on the black market

My two cents on this is that Adam Hecht went to live on the streets for an extended period of time and was killed the same way many homeless people are killed (exposure, serial killers, drugs, car accident, deranged individuals, drug dealers, hunger, disease, etc.)

If he was among the homeless his body his identity was probably overlooked and he was sent to an autopsy board with other John Does.

I can;t imagine that Tony would shut his whole family out completely without contacting them just once. Also, didn;t Tony have a girlfriend as well? Would he just abandon her as well. Woudln't Tony feel he could help the homeless better WITH his money and influence, rather than WITHOUT it? If he;s homeless himself, he can;t help those people any more than they could help themselves.

That being said, I wouldn;t put it past his friend Tony killing him out of pure insanity.

All the answers are locked in Tony's head, and he was in no condition to answer them.

I'd say getting sold on the black market

Adam Hecht was 23 years old when he went missing. It would be very difficult to sell a grown man into a human trafficking market, and I don't think there are really any buyers out there looking for adult males. The freaks who are looking for men are serial killers, imo, and not black market buyers.

I re-watched this segment today, after not having seen it in several years.

I think Adam was a young man with a good heart and the right intentions, but who was too naive to realize what he was getting involved in.


I work with the homeless, and while some of them are indeed kind and gentle souls, others have severe mental health issues and substance abuse problems. They can be nice one day and just snap the next. Given that it appeared that Adam led a very sheltered life, I can imagine him not really understanding this, and having a very idealistic view of the world and those he was trying to help.

As to whether or not he left willingly, I really haven't a clue. I do think Tony knows more than he let on, though.

I think initially his disappearance was voluntary and probably only temporary. I believe eventually he died on the streets, either by murder or by exposure or drugs. One of these days they'll match his MP file up with a John Doe and he'll be found. I certainly believe 100% he is dead and probably was dead within months of disappearing.

Adam's dad, Harold Hecht Sr died in 1985 at age 78, four years before Adam's disappeared. Adam was 19 or 20 when his dad died. I mean, while I imagine it was traumatic for him I do not think that played a part in his disappearance. I think Adam was a guy that had a good heart and good intentions but was naive and unprepared for what he was dealing with. I do not think Tony killed Adam or harmed him in anyway. I think that Adam at least at first disappeared on his own accord but at some point died either from natural causes or perhaps at the hands of another. I would be surprised if he was still alive now.

You know the more I look at this segment..I wonder if Adam was involved in some type of cult? Tony and adam seemed to go through a lot of strange rituals.

Makes me wonder if Tony is more than just some random homeless person. I wonder if he's homelessness was self imposed. Some form of rastafarian behavior.

You know the more I look at this segment..I wonder if Adam was involved in some type of cult? Tony and adam seemed to go through a lot of strange rituals.

Makes me wonder if Tony is more than just some random homeless person. I wonder if he's homelessness was self imposed. Some form of rastafarian behavior.

Unlike many of the posters, I believe that Adam's disappearance was involuntary; and that he was likely murdered and that Tony was involved in some capacity. People oftentimes have a benign view of the homeless, when in fact many of them suffer from severe forms of mental disorders and drug or alcohol dependency. The fact that Tony ended up occupying Adam's apt. suggests that he was manipulating Adam, and when Adam discovered he was being "played" Tony and perhpas others killed him. Remember that Tony attempted to assault Adam's mother when she came to the apt. looking for him. What I could never figure out is why Tony was not questioned by the police. At least then, they would have a physcial description, means of identifying him, etc.

To your quote, the UM segment made Tony appear to be barely functional. I wonder how accurate that was. Perhaps he was a member of a cult, or was able to prey on people by portraying himself as a down-on-his-luck good person.

As others have said, Adam probably decided to leave the wealthy life and live in the streets. Adam possibly could have been killed by some deranged individual (Tony?) while he was homeless. Some of the cult rituals that Tony showed to Adam seem shady. It's as if Tony was trying to gain control over Adam.

To your quote, the UM segment made Tony appear to be barely functional. I wonder how accurate that was. Perhaps he was a member of a cult, or was able to prey on people by portraying himself as a down-on-his-luck good person.

Excellent point. He may have been a whole lot more functional than the segment portrayed him.

Heck, I wonder if Tony was "acting stupid" to fool Adam.

This whole thing could have been some plan for Tony to "steal" Adam's life.

or at the very least live in his apartment?

Tony may be some sort of con-artist.

Just another POV to shift the discussion. Does anyone think that tony might not be involved at all? Could Adam have met foul play with something totally unrelated?

If I were investigating Adam, this is the first thing I would investigate...i would see what he was doing in his life before his disappearance...lets look at debt...lets look at his finances.

I am sure the police investigated tony and treated the apt as a crime scene. the family seemed high profile and the apartment had to have been scoured.

i just wanted to shift the focus off of tony. I believe a private investigator could explore things that LE cant and the PI might have way more information for the family that was not revealed on UM.

If I were investigating Adam, this is the first thing I would investigate...i would see what he was doing in his life before his disappearance...lets look at debt...lets look at his finances.

i think I see where you going with this....you think that Adam may have been involved in some shady activity or debt. Having to be forced to face this debt he decides to disappear and give his posessions and his house to a homeless derelict. He even leaves his car. Posessions that would potentially be repossesed by the government.

Interesting....I need a minute to think on this one..;)

Not necessarily heading that way. but we know two things from LE. There was no reason to suspect tony and there was no evidence of any sort of foul play in the apartment or in the car. without any information, they can't do anymore.

Now a private investigator...a good one that the family could hire, could do these tasks to investigate. In my own personal experience, the first thing a private investigator would do is find a solid trail that would give you some sort of lead. one of the things would be to figure out how this person has been spending hismoney...and where...etc etc.

Now a private investigator...a good one that the family could hire, could do these tasks to investigate. In my own personal experience, the first thing a private investigator would do is find a solid trail that would give you some sort of lead. one of the things would be to figure out how this person has been spending hismoney...and where...etc etc

Considering where they live, how much money they have and the nature of the crime, I have to imagine that the Hecht family has and is still hiring the best private investigator money can buy (one that was a former FBI or LAPD).

I have to imagine the angle on Tony's spending was thoroughly looked into. This has to especially be easy to do since his parents gave him most of the money and assets he had.

It's important to keep in mind we know of one activity that adam did that was potentially dangerous and illegal-his help of the homeless people and his forays into being homeless.

For now, I'm going to take the fence-sitting position on this one. Even if he had disappeared under his own free will, I find it odd that he would live all these past seventeen years with no effort to contact any of his loved ones or friends. I would think that sooner or later, he would try to contact someone to let them know that he is alive and well. I just can't believe that someone would willingly disappear, remove all contact with his/her loved ones, and in turn put them through the agonizing stress of not knowing what became of him/her.

Agreed, but not only that, someone is bound to have recognized him by now. This segment has been repeated numerous times over the years of different channels and I find it hard to believe that if he did willingly disappear, that none of his current friends/associates/co-workers have noticed him or recognized him from the show.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kane
For now, I'm going to take the fence-sitting position on this one. Even if he had disappeared under his own free will, I find it odd that he would live all these past seventeen years with no effort to contact any of his loved ones or friends. I would think that sooner or later, he would try to contact someone to let them know that he is alive and well. I just can't believe that someone would willingly disappear, remove all contact with his/her loved ones, and in turn put them through the agonizing stress of not knowing what became of him/her.

Agreed, but not only that, someone is bound to have recognized him by now. This segment has been repeated numerous times over the years of different channels and I find it hard to believe that if he did willingly disappear, that none of his current friends/associates/co-workers have noticed him or recognized him from the show.

True.

But if Adam became a homeless person:
1. Would anyone really pay attention to him or even recognize him after years on the street?
2. Adam may not be in a right mind to contact his parents. He may be mentally disturbed, on drugs, drunk....etc.

well, we do have two scenarios right now. First he met foul play and died. Second he disappeared willingly.

I would have to say he met with foul play or is deceased. I do find it odd there is no body. However, if he had disappeared willingly, he would have probably been found by his familly on street (you can't go far without money) or you would have seen some sort of money trail before the disappearance/after disappearance.

My gut instinct is the UM story is sort of BS. The only reason why this guy is hanging around homeless people is cause of drugs. UM mentioned he would disappear for days at a time. This is not normal behavior. I think the family did not want to reveal that part of the story. I believe he died in a probable drug overdose at some party and the members at that party decided to dispose of body. But definately something happened and hes no longer alive.

My gut instinct is the UM story is sort of BS. The only reason why this guy is hanging around homeless people is cause of drugs.

1. You don;t need to hang around homeless people to obtain drugs. As evidenced by Jesse James Hollywood, there are plenty of places to go in Adam's community to obtain drugs. Hell his brother is in Hollywood, those guys can get him primo junk that what's on the streets.

2. Usually you cop from drug dealers not homeless people. The people Adam hung around with classify more as homeless people.

3. Why does Adam need Tony as a running body? I'm sure there are some much more pleasant people to run with. I'm sure Adam could find a hooker or another rich kid to cop with. Why does Tony need to invite Adam into his home.

4. Why would drug dealers hide Adam's body? Usually they want to leave the body in the street as a warning to other people who don;t pay up.

5. Why did the cops not find drug paraphenilia on Tony or in Adam's house.

6. Why would the Parents make up the story? They stand a better chance of finding Adam by revealing he's using drugs. It's not like Adam would be unique amongst that set. Wouldn;t they want people to look out for Adam if he;s copping off the streets? Wouldn;t it be easier for the police to find out from dealers if Adam copped from them?


Sorry, I believe the family is telling the truth about Adam's homeless crusade.

well, we do have two scenarios right now. First he met foul play and died. Second he disappeared willingly.

3. He died of natural causes/accident while going on one of his homeless excursions and was placed in the morgue as a John Doe.

.

1. You don;t need to hang around homeless people to obtain drugs. As evidenced by Jesse James Hollywood, there are plenty of places to go in Adam's community to obtain drugs. Hell his brother is in Hollywood, those guys can get him primo junk that what's on the streets.

2. Usually you cop from drug dealers not homeless people. The people Adam hung around with

3. Why does Adam need Tony as a running body? I'm sure there are some much more pleasant people to run with. I'm sure Adam could find a hooker or another rich kid to cop with. Why does Tony need to invite Adam into his home.

4. Why would drug dealers hide Adam's body? Usually they want to leave the body in the street as a warning to other people who don;t pay up.

5. Why did the cops not find drug paraphenilia on Tony or in Adam's house.

6. Why would the Parents make up the story? They stand a better chance of finding Adam by revealing he's using drugs. It's not like Adam would be unique amongst that set. Wouldn;t they want people to look out for Adam if he;s copping off the streets? Wouldn;t it be easier for the police to find out from dealers if Adam copped from them?


Sorry, I believe the family is telling the truth about Adam's homeless crusade.

1) who's to say he wasn't already?

2) who's to say he wasn't dealing?

3) maybe tony was a gateway to a new market. maybe they worked together.

4) from what i take it, his rental car was found in a nice nieghborhood. Was he visiting a friend? He died at a upscale party? This still bugs me.

5) how do you know they didn't find drug paraphenilia?

6) I'm not saying they are making up anything. I'm saying they might have left parts out. Thats not uncommon with these UM stories...

I'm not saying my gut is a good guess but I sure don't buy the join the homeless theory. How the heck are you helping the homeless by joining the homeless. Thing is i'm not even saying family is lying but information has been withheld before. Question for you mastermind, why is this guy disappearing for 2-3 days at a time? You have any thoughts on this?


EDIT: Gonna answer the john doe thread. I took that one out because I do not think he cold have gone far and I'm pretty sure his family would have ID' a john doe by now.

EDIT: Gonna answer the john doe thread. I took that one out because I do not think he cold have gone far and I'm pretty sure his family would have ID' a john doe by now.

Your underestimating the mobility of the homeless, as well as the amount of John Does that appear in the morgue daily. Buses are cheap transportation.

Consider how difficult it's been to find Tony.

1) who's to say he wasn't already?

2) who's to say he wasn't dealing?

If he;'s dealing..your assuming that narcos, DEA and local police have absolutely no file on him. (Which is quite possible, but not necessarily true).

Considering your hypothesising that this narcotics life, I have to assume something bad happened to prompt his death or flight? You shoudl be able to locate customers, rivals, associates. Those type of people don;t just disappear or come out of nowhere. You;d see the signs of this lifestyle, long before Adam;s disappearance.

4) from what i take it, his rental car was found in a nice nieghborhood. Was he visiting a friend? He died at a upscale party? This still bugs me.

Apparently this wasn;t an odd occurence to his family and friends, who constantly said that he did this and left his car when he went on his homeless sojurns.

Maybe Tony killed him and dumped him somewhere when they going to eat or something. Tony not being in a condition to drive, simply went home.

6) I'm not saying they are making up anything. I'm saying they might have left parts out. Thats not uncommon with these UM stories...

It doens;t appear any new information has appeared anywhere else like the Doe network.

3) maybe tony was a gateway to a new market. maybe they worked together.

He thinks he can make more money from homeless broke derelicts than from his wealthy cocaine snorting country club friends?:confused: Your saying he couldn;t find any Hollywood starlets or aspiring actors from his brothers client list to sell to?:confused:

5) how do you know they didn't find drug paraphenilia?

if I;m correct Tony wasn;t arrested. Being in a house full of drugs and having drug paraphanelia would be the perfect excuse for the cops to arrest Tony and find more info.

Question for you mastermind, why is this guy disappearing for 2-3 days at a time? You have any thoughts on this?

1. For the reasons that were said in the segment, he was involved with helping and ultimately becoming one of the homeless. Why else would you hang around with a smelly homeless person for days on end unless you

2. Tony was brainwashing him into believing that homelessness was some enlightened state of being. Adam accepted this, hence his was missing for several days because he was out being homeless.

3. Disappearing 2-3 days at a time is actually not a lot of time. It;s actually the perfect schedule if you want to stay with the homeless a few days at a time without starving to death or catching exposure. It pretty much fits.
Around a job schedule it's a few sick days here or their and working around the weekends.

3) maybe tony was a gateway to a new market. maybe they worked together.

Why would you have your contact or supplier meet with your family for dinner? That goes against every rule of being a drug dealer.

All Adam needs to do is meet Tony on the corner, say a few words and that's that. The less there seen of each other, the better.

Yet, everyone and his mother seems to know that Adam is friends with Tony. Adam must be a very bad drug dealer, then.

Your underestimating the mobility of the homeless, as well as the amount of John Does that appear in the morgue daily. Buses are cheap transportation.

Consider how difficult it's been to find Tony.


I'll vouch for this. I work in a homeless help center, and we provide bus tokens and in some cases, monthly bus passes for our clients. and we are certainly not the only place that does so. I occasionally see some of our clients on the commuter train that I take to work, so they do find ways to get around.

I do wonder whatever became of Tony, and if he is still alive somewhere. I'm also curious as to how accurately the UM segment portrayed him. He didn't exactly come across as a normal functioning adult in the segment, but he was obviously capable of surviving on the streets, which is a tough existence.

It is certainly a puzzling case. I just watched it today.

1 year after adam's dissapearance, his brother saw Tony on the beverly hills streets, he asked Tony where adam was and Tony replied with.....

"If you just spend some time on the streets with me, I might be able to provide some clues"

Tony then walked away.

1 year after adam's dissapearance, his brother saw Tony on the beverly hills streets, he asked Tony where adam was and Tony replied with.....

"If you just spend some time on the streets with me, I might be able to provide some clues"

Tony then walked away.

I could be wrong, but I don; think that's exactly what Tony said. i don;t think Tony said "he" would be the one providing the clues.

I am sure the police investigated tony and treated the apt as a crime scene. the family seemed high profile and the apartment had to have been scoured.
-----------------------------------------

I wouldn't just assume so much!

I have to say I agree with everyone that the family came off as snobs-and-a-half: "Why would he talk to that type of person", "He was hanging around filthy people", "What was wrong with him associating with THOSE people". All that was a turn-off.

Also I've seen it mentioned here before, but does anyone think there could be a 'homosexual' angle to this case that hasn't yet been explored?

1) who's to say he wasn't already?

2) who's to say he wasn't dealing?

3) maybe tony was a gateway to a new market. maybe they worked together.

4) from what i take it, his rental car was found in a nice nieghborhood. Was he visiting a friend? He died at a upscale party? This still bugs me.

5) how do you know they didn't find drug paraphenilia?

6) I'm not saying they are making up anything. I'm saying they might have left parts out. Thats not uncommon with these UM stories...

I'm not saying my gut is a good guess but I sure don't buy the join the homeless theory. How the heck are you helping the homeless by joining the homeless. Thing is i'm not even saying family is lying but information has been withheld before. Question for you mastermind, why is this guy disappearing for 2-3 days at a time? You have any thoughts on this?


EDIT: Gonna answer the john doe thread. I took that one out because I do not think he cold have gone far and I'm pretty sure his family would have ID' a john doe by now.

Got to say this thought crossed my mind as well. Let's be honest, most of the idle rich class are users, especially back in the 80s, and most of their beliefs in "causes" are as shallow as they are.

Back in college, it was well-known that the allegedly homeless "Streetwise" vendors in Chicago (at least in my college neighborhood) sold drugs and not the casual stuff either, but heroin, crack, etc., and it wasn't unheard of to see them hanging out with students, at parties, etc. Lots of "homeless" scammers hung around campus and the naive would try to help, only to get caught up in their webs of lies. At best, you were scammed out of money, at worst, got addicted and expelled.

I don't think Tony was or is anything good, but Hecht brought it upon himself and was likely a willing participant, at least at first.

Wow, this poll sure is close, surprisingly close.

Anyone have a Skid Row like this one in their city? I wanna visit one a little like Adam did, problem is you'd stick out like a sore thumb.

...and what was with all the New Age weird enlightenment stuff that Tony was into in the UM segment? Maybe Tony was trying to brainwash Adam.


I think earlier in the segment Adam's mother mentioned that Adam had said to her that he'd known Tony for years/since they were young or something like that. Anyone believe that?

I don't remember her saying that, but if so that would sure make me feel (a little) different about Adam inviting this guy off the street to live with him.

I remember something about Tony "helping Adam to grow up" or something like that, but this may have been metaphorically speaking?

Wow, this poll sure is close, surprisingly close.

Anyone have a Skid Row like this one in their city? I wanna visit one a little like Adam did, problem is you'd stick out like a sore thumb.

...and what was with all the New Age weird enlightenment stuff that Tony was into in the UM segment? Maybe Tony was trying to brainwash Adam.


I think earlier in the segment Adam's mother mentioned that Adam had said to her that he'd known Tony for years/since they were young or something like that. Anyone believe that?

I just watched the segment again and don't remember her saying that. Tony said to his brother Harold that if he just spent some time in the streets with him then he may be able to shead some light on adams disappearence.

What did he mean by that?

I think that is a very plausible explanation. I think he disappeared to go on one of his "outings", meaning to evenutally come back. However, possibly due to fight w/someone else, hit by a car, or whatever, he went to the morgue as a "John Doe". It might not have been LA County. He could have went somewhere else where he would not have been as well known and not recognized.

He's dead IMO. You don't throw away a good job and a life like that in Beverly Hills for no reason. To prove you can be homeless? Why? I live in a middle class neighbourhood, I work at a factory 5 days a week and I'm happily married. I am proving that I DON'T have to be homeless just by working hard. Why would Adam want to do the opposite?

Something happened to him for sure. Homeless people are generally a group that you can safely divide with two groups.
- the mentally ill
- the lazy ones who are takers and users that have the ability to make a living but choose not to

If Adam is hanging around Tony there is no doubt he would run into both of these groups. The odds are extremely good that one of the shady homeless people did something to him seeing the opportunity

He's dead IMO. You don't throw away a good job and a life like that in Beverly Hills for no reason. To prove you can be homeless? Why? I live in a middle class neighbourhood, I work at a factory 5 days a week and I'm happily married. I am proving that I DON'T have to be homeless just by working hard. Why would Adam want to do the opposite?

1.People give up their things and drop out of life all the time. Back in the 70s it happened frequently. A lot of cults have advocated such a policy. Tony did seem to almost be "brainwashing" Adam into believing this.

2. Your assuming that Adam Hecht is as rational a human being as you and I are. Adam may have "flipped out", so to speak.

3. If your going to help the homeless you have to live with them. I have seen several shelters and advocates who spend their time in shelters and on the streets to get an idea on how dire the situation is. Not to mention that homeless people are easier to approach this way. It really isn't that odd that Adam would pretend to be homeless in order to help them.

4. "Too much candy makes anyone sick". This is hard to understand because most of us are wealthy..but wealth can actually be a burden. There becomes a point where your life can become without direction, boring or souless. At some point you can belief that people who are poor are more enlightened, happier and with purpose. It's the old "prince and the pauper" scenario. I feel Adam may have experienced that.

Are we all so negative that it's that impossible to believe that a rich guy would want to help the homeless? :(

Something happened to him for sure. Homeless people are generally a group that you can safely divide with two groups.
- the mentally ill
- the lazy ones who are takers and users that have the ability to make a living but choose not to

I could disagree more your demographics.

I really think you should spend some time helping the homeless and learn some more about what constitutes the homeless population.

If Adam is hanging around Tony there is no doubt he would run into both of these groups. The odds are extremely good that one of the shady homeless people did something to him seeing the opportunity

1. He could easily have been killed by a non-homeless person. There have been a lot of stories of people killing homeless people for kicks. Homeless make ideal victims for predators. He could easily have been killed by a drug dealer or a gang member. He could even be robbed..(yes homeless people are robbed..seen it happen a bunch of times) If Adam was murdered...it is not a given that his killer must be a homeless person.

2. Adam could have been run over by a car while sleeping on a freeway or any hundred of accidental deaths. He could have froze, died of exposure. Bitten by rats (god I hope that wasn't his ultimate demise). Died of food o water poisoning (something nobody ever thinks about with the homeless--think about where these people get their water.:( ).

3. The survival instincts of human beings could be amazing. Adam very well could be alive today and living on the streets somewhere. It's not that farfetched. Not many people recognize the homeless so it's not suprising that Adam hasn;t been recognized. In fact...Adam at this point might be unrecognizable. Disease, scars, messed up hair, broken nose, clothing all those things factor in.

I think that is a very plausible explanation. I think he disappeared to go on one of his "outings", meaning to evenutally come back. However, possibly due to fight w/someone else, hit by a car, or whatever, he went to the morgue as a "John Doe". It might not have been LA County. He could have went somewhere else where he would not have been as well known and not recognized.

Again, Adam may be unrecognizable...may not even have had a face to recognize either.

Just came upon a theory....

What if Tony was in trouble with someone on the streets?

Maybe drugs, maybe he was supposed to share money or let that person know what was a good point.

I could see a scenario where Tony and Adam ran into this person and this person tried to exact violent retribution on Tony. Adam may have come to Tony's defense in someway and was killed in the process.

Another version of this may involve Tony telling Adam of his trouble with this guy and Adam going over to speak to this individual on Tony's behalf. Adam may have asked Tony to stay at his home while he takes care of everything.

Adam while meeting with this individual may have been killed by this person.

it is a longshot that Adam's homeless crusade and Tony have nothing to do with Adam's death.

Sorry if this has been mentioned previously, but Adams forays into homelessness is widely known as plunging. A well known activity amongst advocates to helping the homeless. I believe it originated in Washington DC.


http://streetroots.wordpress.com/2010/03/11/the-unreality-of-urban-plunges/

Plunging is extremely popular amongst religious groups like Buddhists and new age religions.

This brings up an interesting theory as to whether Tony might not be a real homeless person but perhaps a plunger. Tony may have voluntarily became homeless and attempted to practice this belief to a disciple in Adam.

At the very least Tony might be in contact with plungers or part of those plungers religion.

You know..Tony was blessing his food...don't buddhists believe everything has a soul?

Alot of people I've talked to about this whole story with have left it at, that, the only real answer at this point in time as to what happened to adam is he died somehow while staying on the streets and was categorized as a John Doe. Wether it was connected to Tony or not I think Tony is the only guy who could answer these questions. Is tony still alive today? Has he changed his ways? Is he still a bum? Do you think if Tony was asked today once again what happened to Adam would he tell the truth now? As for if he is still alive today, I would think he would have reconnected with his family somehow right? There are listings on google through missing person sites with his picture, and it appears it's still unknown of what happened. And for the record, yes, this case got alot of airplay. It was replayed several times over the last decade when UM was still on lifetime.

Let's all hope that his mom, Tony, or adam's brother harold will search google and post here. I really hope they would to let us know some updates or maybe some other parts of the story that unsolved mysteries didn't tell us.

I can imagine if Tony is still alive today that he has cleaned his act up and is living good today. Where is Tony's family today? Or maybe he's dead too?

Thanks for that information Mastermind, very interesting. Still I reckon both sides have a case and really only God knows what happens to Adam.

ABSOLUTELY NOT.

If the real Tony was anything like the Tony UM had, I'd be running for my life.

I voted no, I think he had intent on leaving to check out what homeless life would be like with a plan on eventually returning home after his experiment of living on the streets and in the process was murdered.

Just came upon a theory....

What if Tony was in trouble with someone on the streets?

Maybe drugs, maybe he was supposed to share money or let that person know what was a good point.

I could see a scenario where Tony and Adam ran into this person and this person tried to exact violent retribution on Tony. Adam may have come to Tony's defense in someway and was killed in the process.

Another version of this may involve Tony telling Adam of his trouble with this guy and Adam going over to speak to this individual on Tony's behalf. Adam may have asked Tony to stay at his home while he takes care of everything.

Adam while meeting with this individual may have been killed by this person.

I think that stupid Tony had something to do with his disappearance! Tony acted very suspicious right after Adam went missing when he told Adam's mom that he was her son. WTF? Tony probably owed some guy on the street money for drugs or (something else) and to get out of it he lied to the drug dealer and said Adam had the money. Then the drug dealer asked Tony to find Adam for them and Tony led the man to Adam at some place on the streets. Adam was killed. After Tony ran into Adam's mom and acted guilty, but in an indirect way by saying he was her new son since he killed Adam.

or

If Adam did not tell Tony he was from a well off family I think Tony could have figured it out by hanging out with Adam at his apartment and by talking to him different times on the street. Tony may have murdered Adam because of jealousy or convenience and buried his body somewhere. Killers or scammers tend to take advantage of nice/gullible young people (i.e. Philip Fraser case). Maybe Tony had another homeless friend on the street and one of them got the idea to rob and murder Adam but failed to get any money. They could have kidnapped him and asked for his ATM card and later realized there is no ATM card and just killed him to end it all. Several financial kidnappers usually kill their victim despite getting very little or no money - cause they do not want any witnesses left.

Tony struck me as someone who was mentally ill, yet not to the extent that he didn't know what he was doing. He led "rituals" and concocted ceremonies, deliberately didn't let Adam's brother into the apartment after Adam went missing, and played dumb when Adam's mother came looking for him. I think Tony knows exactly what happened to Adam. If he didn't cause him harm, I think he knows who did.

Adam's actions come off as naive and well-intentioned...and I just can't see him wandering off into the streets and never contacting his family again. Why would a man so desperate to help the needy become one of them instead when that would completely undermine his attempts to help? Sure, you could say he felt guilty to have such wealth and decided to get rid of it, but I really doubt that scenario.

I believe Adam Hecht's disappearance was caused by foul play. I live in Los Angeles. Skid Row and certain areas of downtown are downright terrifying. Places you just don't want to be. There are loads of panhandlers down there and Adam may have offered his help and been taken advantage of. Or Tony did something to him in order to get money and the apartment to himself, who knows. I just don't believe this is a case of wandering away intentionally.

Tony struck me as someone who was mentally ill, yet not to the extent that he didn't know what he was doing. He led "rituals" and concocted ceremonies, deliberately didn't let Adam's brother into the apartment after Adam went missing, and played dumb when Adam's mother came looking for him. I think Tony knows exactly what happened to Adam. If he didn't cause him harm, I think he knows who did.

Adam's actions come off as naive and well-intentioned...and I just can't see him wandering off into the streets and never contacting his family again. Why would a man so desperate to help the needy become one of them instead when that would completely undermine his attempts to help? Sure, you could say he felt guilty to have such wealth and decided to get rid of it, but I really doubt that scenario.

I believe Adam Hecht's disappearance was caused by foul play. I live in Los Angeles. Skid Row and certain areas of downtown are downright terrifying. Places you just don't want to be. There are loads of panhandlers down there and Adam may have offered his help and been taken advantage of. Or Tony did something to him in order to get money and the apartment to himself, who knows. I just don't believe this is a case of wandering away intentionally.

A poster on another thread made a good point about people who think victims just took off on their own free will never to return to loved ones. He said if anyone from UM decided to run away and start a new life how come he/she never wrote a letter 5 years later to parents saying he/she was ok and live? Or how come none of these runaways never return home after feeling guilty for just leaving and causing much pain to parents, brothers, and friends? It is because in most of these cases I think the person got murdered.

He definitely got murdered imho. I think Tony murdered him, and mentally tried to assume his life.

On another site someone mentioned a professor named Adam A. Hecht and posted a link to the photo comparison. I've attached the link. What do you guys think? Could this be him?
http://s1317.photobucket.com/user/Mr...tml?sort=3&o=7

On another site someone mentioned a professor named Adam A. Hecht and posted a link to the photo comparison. I've attached the link. What do you guys think? Could this be him?
http://s1317.photobucket.com/user/Mr...tml?sort=3&o=7

There are a lot of similarities, but this Adam Hecht is too young by a few years. The UM Adam Hecht was born in 1965 but this guy was born a few years later.

I'm not sure. If you do an image search for "adam Hecht new mexico" there are other pictures. To me, the professor guy could easily be 52 years old.

There are a lot of similarities, but this Adam Hecht is too young by a few years. The UM Adam Hecht was born in 1965 but this guy was born a few years later.

What are you basing him being too young on? I'm not trying to be confrontational, just asking. Is it the year he completed his Bachelor's degree? Because that doesn't have to have happened by a particular age. Based on the images I've found of the Professor Adam Hecht, he could easily be 52 years old as flytrapp points out. I'm not saying I think that the two are one and the same, I'm just curious.

What are you basing him being too young on? I'm not trying to be confrontational, just asking. Is it the year he completed his Bachelor's degree? Because that doesn't have to have happened by a particular age. Based on the images I've found of the Professor Adam Hecht, he could easily be 52 years old as flytrapp points out. I'm not saying I think that the two are one and the same, I'm just curious.

If you do a public records search, the Adam A Hecht in New Mexico is 47 years old.

I think it started out willingly—that is to say, he wanted to explore the kind of grittier side of Los Angeles that was the complete opposite of everything he knew—but a Beverly Hills kid hanging out on Skid Row in the late '80s is an inevitable disaster. The Tony character he was involved with was very odd too. Something unseemly happened to him in my opinion. I don't think he left of his own volition, especially given that Tony was living in his apartment after he disappeared.

Just saw this today on season 3. I remember the 1st time I saw when it was originally broadcast as a teenager. Now the is probably gonna sound crazy but when Adam's mother came to his apartment looking for and Tony said "I am your son!" I instantly thought he cannibalized Adam. I don't know why maybe I was ready about them. But it popped in my head not only because of what Tony said but because they comment on the horrid smell. Could also explain why no trace of Adam has been found if Tony was cutting him up, devouring parts and getting rid of the rest. Depending on the exact time Adam may have died Tony at least had a month from the June 10th date when Harold went looking for Adam at his apartment and his July eviction from the apartment to destroy all evidence.
I do not think Adam disappeared wiling. I don't think he disappeared at all but Tony killed him. Why? Maybe Adam got tired of playing poor and Tony being around and wanted to go back to his old life. He tells Tony this and asks him to leave. Tony and him fight, Tony kills him in a fit of rage

I dont believe he voluntarily disappeared. Having worked with the homeless population I can say some can be unbelievably manipulative. Sad but true. I believe Adam was an easy mark. The test of "endurance" that resulted in Adam's burnt hand, Adam's mom saying that Tony stated "Im your son" etc leads me to believe there was definately some mental illness going on. Also, I watched this on Season 3 and remembered the case from years ago. In the segment, Adam's mom shows up to his apartment looking for him but finds only Tony there. It appears, based on the segment that Tony cornered, grabbed or even attempted to come onto Adam's mom. Did anyone else get that vibe based on the segment??

I feel he could have left voluntarily. Maybe he was so wrapped up in his new found spirituality and felt abandoned to an extent after his Mother seemed to reject this new found path in his life.

Murder, suicide, or overdose.

Since he was under the "spell" of Tony, I wonder if Tony had convinced Adam to kill himself?

It's possible he got addicted to drugs, and lived on the streets where he was killed, but since Tony was living in his apartment, then I'm positive he was killed/talked into suicide for his possessions. I also wonder if Tony had set Adam up, maybe he told some guys on the street that Adam had money/drugs, then told Adam to hang out with those guys to monitor how they live/maybe thought they were drug dealers, and didn't know they had the intent to kill/rob him. I just wonder where his body went.

Sad.

I do not think Adam disappeared wiling. I don't think he disappeared at all but Tony killed him. Why? Maybe Adam got tired of playing poor and Tony being around and wanted to go back to his old life. He tells Tony this and asks him to leave. Tony and him fight, Tony kills him in a fit of rage

I could also see this happening.

"He had previously dropped out of site for days without anyone knowing his whereabouts. But never gone this long"

That's a clip from an online article.

That tells me that the possibility of him leaving voluntarily wanting never to be found is not that ridiculous.

"He had previously dropped out of site for days without anyone knowing his whereabouts. But never gone this long"

That's a clip from an online article.

That tells me that the possibility of him leaving voluntarily wanting never to be found is not that ridiculous.

"Days" missing, not forever. I suspect he'd come back for food, money, etc. Given the fact he never came back, and Tony living in his apartment makes me suspect foul play.

Granted, I could see him leaving just to live on the streets as a drug addict. I think Tony was suppling him with drugs from the get go, hence the "burn" on his hand from his "endurance test".

But you have to think if he was a drug addict/homeless, and he knows that he has (drug) money, food, shelter he can return to at anytime then why wouldn't he? I don't think anyone lives on the streets for an extended period of time when they have an apartment, money, car, etc. they can return to.

I just don't see someone who has substantial wealth they can return to never coming back. Unless he had severe mental illness, or amnesia then I think he was murdered. He was wealthy, and lived alone. You don't think a homeless drug addict wouldn't prey on that?

Tony is guilty.

read an article about his brother being a producer of some sort. Directed a tennis movie, wasn't adam also a tennis instructor? They seemed to like tennis. The mom is also still alive you can see her pic via twitter by just typing her name in the search function of twitter.

Missing for several days could also indicate a drug bender. Remember he burnt his hand? Why? Drugs? The segment also alludes to the fact that there was a prior relation between adam and tony, the segment made it seem like they knew each other from before. I doubt a rich person from beverly hills would immediately take to a homeless black man.

his car was found in a nicer neighbourhood with the keys in the ignition and money still in it. Robbery does not seem to be the motive. Maybe he overdosed and they drove the car there to throw off the cops?

Remember UM never interviewed Tony. He is basically depicted from the description of this well to do white beverly hills family. How accurate were they? People from different social/economic classes would probably view Tony differently.

Missing for several days could also indicate a drug bender. Remember he burnt his hand? Why? Drugs? The segment also alludes to the fact that there was a prior relation between adam and tony, the segment made it seem like they knew each other from before. I doubt a rich person from beverly hills would immediately take to a homeless black man.

his car was found in a nicer neighbourhood with the keys in the ignition and money still in it. Robbery does not seem to be the motive. Maybe he overdosed and they drove the car there to throw off the cops?

I said above that Tony was probably his drug connection from the get-go.

That is strange about the car. He still could've been murdered, and they discarded the car as if he "drove off". They did leave the money, but possibly they were in a hurry, or didn't want it to seem obvious foul play was involved. You bring up a good point about how Tony was depicted. I wonder if Tony was capable of driving, or if he got someone else to drive? Weird.

As someone said above, I wonder if Adam told Tony to leave and a fight broke out? Maybe killed for his apartment? The overdosing scenario is possible too.

I wonder if Tony was really messed up, or put on a show to throw off Adam's parents? He seemed to really be above and beyond.

the 2 biggest mysteries of this case are adam and tony. From the way they portrayed tony he seemed like a zapped out dope head. I know people say homeless people can be manipulative but I do not get that vibe from UM. Which goes back to my point of how accurate was he portrayed?

With regards to adam, did he have a drug past? Suicidal? Probably beneath his family to admit that. How about his non homeless friends, could they have known something?

I do not feel Tony killed him based off what they depicted. Maybe he knew someone who did but why kill your cash cow? A person like adam can offer tony a lot.

Plus did the cops not interview Tony? I believe they did, would that not absolve Tony of any wrong doing? Remember if adam were suicidal he would not really care where his car was found or how much was in his wallet.

I do not feel Tony killed him based off what they depicted. Maybe he knew someone who did but why kill your cash cow? A person like adam can offer tony a lot.

Until that cash cow says enough is enough. Or perhaps Adam's family cut him off, and he couldn't give Tony what he wanted anymore. Maybe Adam ran out of funds, his family cut him off, and Tony got angry.

I can't go with the he disappeared on his own, or suicide theories because his car was abandoned. Someone hid his car for a reason.

Until that cash cow says enough is enough. Or perhaps Adam's family cut him off, and he couldn't give Tony what he wanted anymore. Maybe Adam ran out of funds, his family cut him off, and Tony got angry.

I can't go with the he disappeared on his own, or suicide theories because his car was abandoned. Someone hid his car for a reason.

Maybe he was depressed, his father was highly successful maybe adam felt he wasn't living up? What if he willingly left the car there? Based on how they portrayed Tony do you really believe he would be smart enough to hide the car in a nice neighbourhood? How would he travel back to skid row, remember transportation is a big issue for the homeless.

If adam ran out of money that could also ass to the depression and feeling of not living up to expectations.

Maybe he was depressed, his father was highly successful maybe adam felt he wasn't living up? What if he willingly left the car there? Based on how they portrayed Tony do you really believe he would be smart enough to hide the car in a nice neighbourhood? How would he travel back to skid row, remember transportation is a big issue for the homeless.

If adam ran out of money that could also ass to the depression and feeling of not living up to expectations.

If Adam drove to a nice neighborhood then where did he go? What was the point of leaving the keys in the ignition? Why has no one in this neighborhood seen Adam?

You have a nice theory, but it doesn't add up with what we know. If Adam was depressed then where did he go? Why was Tony in his apartment? If he wanted to disappear why stop in a nice neighborhood?

Remember UM never interviewed Tony. He is basically depicted from the description of this well to do white beverly hills family. How accurate were they? People from different social/economic classes would probably view Tony differently.

Based on how they portrayed Tony do you really believe he would be smart enough to hide the car in a nice neighbourhood?

You possibly seem to think he could've been smart enough to drive.

I wondered about the burn to whether it was drug related. Tony could have been his supplier. Adam could have overdosed but why wouldn't Tony just take what he could and leave Adam's body to be found after he left?. I guess he could have panicked but I still think Tony did something to Adam that facilitated getting rid of the body.

A few questions/points:

Another website states that the car that was found abandoned with Adam's belongings in it was a rental, his actual car was in the shop at the time of his disappearance.

What was "Tonys" real name?? Did he have a criminal record??

How long was Tony questioned by the police??

Did the family hire a PI after Adam disappeared?? If so what were the findings??

Did Adam have any past drug problems or Mental Illness?? I know that may be something the family would be hesitant to admit during that time.

Based on the segment is appears Adam was probably somewhat naieve and maybe had some guilt due to his wealth. I believe he had no idea what he was getting himself into when he became involved with Tony and "skid row." To me there is no doubt Tony was involved in Adams disappearance. I believe the outcome of this case is similar to that of the Tim Good case.

I wondered about the burn to whether it was drug related. Tony could have been his supplier. Adam could have overdosed but why wouldn't Tony just take what he could and leave Adam's body to be found after he left?. I guess he could have panicked but I still think Tony did something to Adam that facilitated getting rid of the body.

It has to be drug related, what else would their connection be? I don't even know how these two met up. They're literally on opposite sides of the spectrum.

I really think Tony killed him for his apartment. Adam's mother said Tony was in there when she went, and no money was missing from his car. It's like what you said, they got in a fight over Tony staying there, and it was a heat of the moment killing.

I'm not trying to make light of the situation, as a man might have been killed, but Adam reminds me of Rickety Cricket from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. A well-to-do man with a lot going for him ends up in the street doing drugs.

I wonder if Tony is still alive. I'm guessing even if he is, he'd be almost impossible to find.

why would tony kill adam for the apartment? Surely he would have no intention to pay rent.

But you are right, tony and adam came from opposite ends of society. If adam was straight laced no way he makes a friend like that. If he was an addict will it explains letting tony live with him and stuff. However drugs can bring people from all walks of life together and not in a good way.

The segment also says that when they had dinner with tony he was blessing the food. Weird but I guess theres nothing wrong with being spiritual.

i also wonder about adams educational background. At 24 it would be strange if he didn't do any college since he comes from a well off background. If he did how could he be so naive with tony? His brother in the segment said he ran a tennis school business on top of being an instructor.

why would tony kill adam for the apartment? Surely he would have no intention to pay rent.

Maybe he was running/selling drugs out of the apartment and Adam didn't approve. Perhaps he brought other people to stay there randomly against Adam's wishes.

Perhaps he started controlling every aspect of the apartment/Adam's life and there was a fight.

btw i have never heard of a homeless drug dealer so i doubt tony himself was the dealer. Maybe Tony introduced adam to some bad dudes?

Any chances of a gay affair gone wrong? Maybe thats why the money was not taken? I mean adam did bring him over for dinner which would be strange.

btw i have never heard of a homeless drug dealer so i doubt tony himself was the dealer. Maybe Tony introduced adam to some bad dudes?

Any chances of a gay affair gone wrong? Maybe thats why the money was not taken? I mean adam did bring him over for dinner which would be strange.

Tony could've been a drug runner, or a dealer. Or perhaps he had drug connections that he linked Adam up with. Regardless, there could've been a dispute between drugs, money, or him staying at Adam's house. Just because Tony was homeless doesn't mean he wasn't a drug runner, or had connections.

A gay affair? C'mon man. Adam had a burn mark on his hand that was indicative of drug use. He would disappear on the street for days at a time. It's pretty obvious that Tony was his drug connection.

If Tony was giving Adam insight on drugs/homeless life, then taking him in under his wing, and to dinner with his family isn't that weird. Maybe they had a deal that if Tony showed him the street life, then Adam would show him the high life i.e. dinner with his family in their mansion, staying in his apartment, etc.

This case is like Trading Places (1983) with Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy, except it has a real-life ending.

This case is like Trading Places (1983) with Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy, except it has a real-life ending.

Lmao, good catch :lol:

I'm wondering if it's possible that Adam Hecht could have initially disappeared for 'a few days' as he'd done before on a voluntary basis on the streets but then the last time something went terribly wrong. After which Tony showed up in the apartment having reason to believe that Adam was not going to ever return or attempt to claim his own belongings again even to try to take over Adam's role as the Hecht's son/brother? I do believe at the very least Tony was an accessory to Adam's disappearance(and should have been charged as such).

This case is like Trading Places (1983) with Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy, except it has a real-life ending.

I laughed out loud when I first read this. I never made that connection before, so well done!

And then it got me thinking... What if this is close to what happened? We know Adam met Tony and they discussed life. Maybe Tony said, "You live in this sheltered world and you have no idea of the homeless right here in Beverly Hills." Adam, feeling guilty and curious, said "Maybe you can teach me."

So what got me thinking is the scene where Adam's mom goes to find him and only Tony is at his apartment. That's when he said "I'm your son!" Perhaps they made a deal. Adam would go live on the streets for a while, and Tony would live in his apartment (ala Trading Places). However, I feel that Adam (being naive and not having Tony with him) may have been beaten and/or killed on the streets. Skid Row in LA is no place to mess around.

Adam could have been beaten to where he couldn't function. I bet they were like "What is this rich guy doing pretending to be homeless?" Keep in mind Adam would stick out like a sore thumb. He may have been beaten and suffered a traumatic brain injury and just become a "John Doe."

I think what Adam did started off as a noble attempt to better understand the homeless and to deal with the guilt of his wealth, but then he got in over his head. I think Tony may have an idea of what happened but I really don't think he was directly involved with Adam's ultimate fate.

I'm wondering if it's possible that Adam Hecht could have initially disappeared for 'a few days' as he'd done before on a voluntary basis on the streets but then the last time something went terribly wrong.

However, I feel that Adam (being naive and not having Tony with him) may have been beaten and/or killed on the streets. Skid Row in LA is no place to mess around.

Adam could have been beaten to where he couldn't function. I bet they were like "What is this rich guy doing pretending to be homeless?" Keep in mind Adam would stick out like a sore thumb. He may have been beaten and suffered a traumatic brain injury and just become a "John Doe."

You both have great theories, but you're missing one thing...the abandoned car. That's a huge part of this case that I can't make sense of.

ontarioboi brings up a great point, was Tony capable of driving, and hiding a car? And if he was how did he get back? If Adam abandoned his car there on purpose then why, and where did he go?

Unless Tony got someone else to do it, or he was capable. I don't think the car theft is an isolated incident because his body was never found, and it's too big of a coincidence.

EDIT: If Adam was a drug addict, then maybe he was robbed, and had his car stolen in a drug deal gone bad? It could've been an isolated incident that had nothing to do with Tony. Maybe some gang bangers in L.A. shot him in a bad drug deal, and stole his car and abandoned it when they were done. Unless, Tony set him up.

You both have great theories, but you're missing one thing...the abandoned car. That's a huge part of this case that I can't make sense of.

ontarioboi brings up a great point, was Tony capable of driving, and hiding a car? And if he was how did he get back? If Adam abandoned his car there on purpose then why, and where did he go?

Unless Tony got someone else to do it, or he was capable. I don't think the car theft is an isolated incident because his body was never found, and it's too big of a coincidence.

It could be either that Adam didn't plan on being gone that long or he told Tony to take care of it.

I agree that if Adam planned on being gone for a long time, he probably wouldn't have left it like that. But perhaps he asked Tony to watch it while he spent a night or two on the streets and then he got rolled. I doubt Adam would want to take his wallet with him in case he got mugged.

I think it would make more sense for him to leave it at his apartment, but then again none of what Adam did at the end made much sense.

It could be either that Adam didn't plan on being gone that long or he told Tony to take care of it.

I agree that if Adam planned on being gone for a long time, he probably wouldn't have left it like that. But perhaps he asked Tony to watch it while he spent a night or two on the streets and then he got rolled. I doubt Adam would want to take his wallet with him in case he got mugged.

I think it would make more sense for him to leave it at his apartment, but then again none of what Adam did at the end made much sense.

I don't understand what you mean. Tony to take care of what? Abandoning his car in a suburb?

Adam's car was found in a nice suburb, not the slums, so I really don't understand what you're saying.

It could be either that Adam didn't plan on being gone that long

Now this makes sense, depending on how you look at it. It could've been that Adam had a drug deal, or other business in the suburb in which his car was found, but he was killed either in a house in the suburb, or in a nearby area. If he had planned to run in, and run out but was killed in an altercation and had his body hidden, then this makes sense.

I don't understand what you mean. Tony to take care of what? Abandoning his car in a suburb?

Adam's car was found in a nice suburb, not the slums, so I really don't understand what you're saying.

I meant maybe Adam said to Tony, "I'm going to live on the streets for a couple of nights. You can stay in my apartment. When you get a chance, can you move my car off the street?"

Tony probably said something like, "Ok... cool" :D but may not have followed through. Maybe he forgot, or maybe he didn't know how to even drive a car or where to put it.

I do think your point is valid, though. I'm just playing devil's advocate on what would explain it. It is odd to not only leave the car but also his wallet and the keys right there. That certainly seems to indicate that he left suddenly and possibly not of his own will.

I meant maybe Adam said to Tony, "I'm going to live on the streets for a couple of nights. You can stay in my apartment. When you get a chance, can you move my car off the street?"

Tony probably said something like, "Ok... cool" :D but may not have followed through. Maybe he forgot, or maybe he didn't know how to even drive a car or where to put it.

I do think your point is valid, though. I'm just playing devil's advocate on what would explain it. It is odd to not only leave the car but also his wallet and the keys right there. That certainly seems to indicate that he left suddenly and possibly not of his own will.

Taking his car off the street and abandoning it in a suburb doesn't make any sense, how did he get back?

It's just really hard to say whether Tony had anything to do with it or not. Adam would leave on days for end, so we don't know if he hooked up with any other shady characters, or was killed, or robbed in an isolated incident. Robbery doesn't make sense as they left his wallet with a good chunk of money in it, unless he was killed for something else? I'm stomped.

Taking his car off the street and abandoning it in a suburb doesn't make any sense, how did he get back?

It's just really hard to say whether Tony had anything to do with it or not. Adam would leave on days for end, so we don't know if he hooked up with any other shady characters, or was killed, or robbed in an isolated incident. Robbery doesn't make sense as they left his wallet with a good chunk of money in it, unless he was killed for something else? I'm stomped.

The car wasn't abandoned in a suburb. It was abandoned on a "Beverly Hills side street" according to the segment. Since the segment said Adam lived in Beverly Hills and that that's where the homeless Adam was becoming involved with lived, I feel like the car wasn't found all that far away from where he lived and disappeared.

Which episode in season 3 is this segment in?

Which episode in season 3 is this segment in?

Season 3, episode 5 --> "Down & out"

The car wasn't abandoned in a suburb. It was abandoned on a "Beverly Hills side street" according to the segment. Since the segment said Adam lived in Beverly Hills and that that's where the homeless Adam was becoming involved with lived, I feel like the car wasn't found all that far away from where he lived and disappeared.

You're absolutely right. I haven't seen this segment in years, but I re-watched it last night, so I apologize for my error.

He had nine parking tickets so it was there for a while. I honestly don't know what to think about this case anymore. It's hard to say whether Tony had anything to do with it.

The keys left in his ignition, along with having $600 in his wallet is odd. Either he had planned on running in somewhere and coming back, or he committed suicide/O'd/was murdered. If he was into drugs, then it's possible he o'd somewhere, but it's weird for a drug addict to have that much cash on them. I wonder if he went to pass food out/hang out and was attacked? Keys left in the ignition could mean that he was coming right back, and not taking his wallet could mean that he knew being robbed was a high possibility.

I really don't know. However I wonder if Tony's statement to Adam's brother was true? When he asked Tony where his brother was, Tony replied "follow me and I'll show you". It'd be weird if Tony wasn't being rude, but was actually willing to show him where Adam was, dead or alive.

I just watched this episode and haven't done any additional reading yet. My initial impression when the brother saw Adam meet Tony for the first time was that it wasn't actually their first meeting. Why else would he 'randomly' get up and go to him from the restaurant unless he knew him? Maybe Adam had already been dabbling in street activities before then, perhaps to buy drugs? I think that a spiral into drugs would explain his change in personality and why he was becoming so 'mystical.' I don't think his family would consider that theory because 1.)they could be in complete denial or 2.) they are completely ignorant in regards to street activity and drugs, or both. It's better for them to believe that his street activities were completely philanthropic.

I also wonder too that when the mother saw his severe hand burn and he told her it had to do with proving strength......was it really some ritual like the show said or did he burn it while cooking a certain something or while smoking a certain something out of a certain something......? Sorry to sound so cynical but I have known my share of drug users and the changes in his personality, in his social circle, in his interests and activities and his newfound 'mysticism' sound familiar.

If he was using, I wonder did him buying drugs lead him into the street world or did his involvement in the street world lead him into drugs. It's a shame because it definitely seems like he came from a very sheltered existence and was probably romanticizing street life and his involvement in it. I definitely got that vibe when his mom was talking about how at first she thought it was noble of Adam to take Tony in----until she met him. Everything was hunky dory and Adam was doing saintly work until she got an actual taste of the streets and then she suddenly became concerned. I feel like if most parents learned that their child had taken in and become besties with someone from the streets they'd freak out immediately with or without having ever met the person, no matter how philanthropic their child's intentions were.

In reality there ain't nothing noble about street life, it's extremely dangerous and god know's what fate could have befallen him. Kind of reminds me of the Christopher McCandless story where the guy went to Alaska to escape society and live off the land and he ended up dying because he had no idea what the hell he was doing.

I have a feeling he found out the hard way that it's not all fun and games on the fringes of society, I think he got involved with the wrong crowd and disaster struck one way or another. I don't think he went off to live a new life.

I just watched this episode and haven't done any additional reading yet. My initial impression when the brother saw Adam meet Tony for the first time was that it wasn't actually their first meeting. Why else would he 'randomly' get up and go to him from the restaurant unless he knew him? Maybe Adam had already been dabbling in street activities before then, perhaps to buy drugs? I think that a spiral into drugs would explain his change in personality and why he was becoming so 'mystical.' I don't think his family would consider that theory because 1.)they could be in complete denial or 2.) they are completely ignorant in regards to street activity and drugs, or both. It's better for them to believe that his street activities were completely philanthropic.

I thought that too, that they knew each other prior, but it's hard to say. Given the fact that Adam was such a straight-laced person, and Tony didn't speak to him, it seems like Adam was probably asking Tony about drugs/street life. Perhaps he was looking for a drug dealer, and thought that Tony could help (listen to how ignorant his family sounded in the segment, it wouldn't surprise me if he thought a random homeless black person automatically knew where drugs were).

I do believe he was on drugs, or was getting into them. It's clear a high-class family isn't going to admit that their son left his nice life to go smoke crack on the streets, so I wonder how much was distorted and left out?

The odd thing that gets me is that Adam still had $600 in his wallet. Unusual for an addict, but who knows. Obviously why would he disappear for days at a time on the streets? After living one day out there would be enough for most people.

I wonder if the family thought he was on drugs

double-post. please delete.

There is definitely a gay sex angle here no one is focusing on. A lot of possibilities if you go down that sordid path

There is definitely a gay sex angle here no one is focusing on. A lot of possibilities if you go down that sordid path

"Hey guy. As I was walking into the restaurant I noticed your one good eye, and mismatched shoes. I heard chocolate melts in your mouth and not in your hand, care to come back to my apartment?"

In a more serious reply, Adam went missing around 1989, and his father passed away in 1985. I wonder if he suffered from depression from the lost of his father, and that's why he took to Tony/Drugs/Street Life?

That seems like such a out of nowhere twist. I wonder if he became suicidal. I could see Tony talking him into suicide, or giving him the idea, especially if he was already lost or suffering from depression.

his mum was not too bad on camera but the way she carried on via the actress in the reconstruction part did not paint her very well

That rubbed me the wrong way as well.

...

As far as the car and who might have put it where it was, since he was in LA it sounds like he didn't have his own parking space and had to use street parking. Sometimes you end up having to park blocksssss away from where you actually live if you get there at a bad time, and a lot of times people end up having to park their car in random places to avoid the street cleanings. I don't think it's unusual for his car to not have been right outside where he lived, since it's LA I would have been shocked if it was lol.

So yeah it seems totally plausible to me that he put his car there, which would also better explain why his wallet and cash were still in there, because no one was in there but him.

It's so difficult because we know so few details, only what the family says and god know's how completely off family can be.

I don't think it's unusual for his car to not have been right outside where he lived, since it's LA I would have been shocked if it was lol.

So yeah it seems totally plausible to me that he put his car there, which would also better explain why his wallet and cash were still in there, because no one was in there but him.

It's odd because his keys were in the ignition. And it's fishy to leave a wallet with your I.D. and $600 in it, with the keys left in the ignition. That isn't normal.

^^It's definitely not normal, but neither is deciding to co-habitate with someone you barely know that you've pulled off the streets. Because I personally think he was hardcore into drugs I can't even try to rationalize anything that he may have done because he would have been doing it from a completely irrational place. People that are strung out do a lot of bizarre things that don't make sense, they're not operating normally.

On another note, a lot of times when people do drug deals they hop into the dealer's car to do the transaction. I kind of wonder if he had a dealer meet him at his car, he got into the dealer's car and then **** went sour. Yes his money was in the wallet left in the car, but maybe he had a different wad of money on him for purchasing the drugs? That would explain why the cash was left in their car; in taking the wad he had on him they would have figured they got it all. Who knows.

On another note, a lot of times when people do drug deals they hop into the dealer's car to do the transaction. I kind of wonder if he had a dealer meet him at his car, he got into the dealer's car and then **** went sour. Yes his money was in the wallet left in the car, but maybe he had a different wad of money on him for purchasing the drugs? That would explain why the cash was left in their car; in taking the wad he had on him they would have figured they got it all. Who knows.

That's a good theory. Had a dealer meet him in the car, and was told to follow him elsewhere where he was popped. Could be.

It'd be interesting if he was still alive.

^^I definitely don't think he is but...............................you never know. Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.

^^I definitely don't think he is but...............................you never know. Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.

Me neither, just think the possibility is interesting.

If you look closely at the car scene though, it could symbolize him "leaving everything behind". He left his keys in the ignition, and has wallet with all of his money. Maybe that was him "leaving it all behind".

^^To me it says that he left in a rush or unexpectedly, but I personally don't believe the theory that he wanted to completely leave his old life behind so he could assume a new identity as a street urchin.

^^To me it says that he left in a rush or unexpectedly, but I personally don't believe the theory that he wanted to completely leave his old life behind so he could assume a new identity as a street urchin.

You have to take in to account that if he was abusing hard drugs, then he could've sustained massive brain trauma. Depending what he was doing, and how much he could've became mentally unhinged.

Though leaving the keys in the ignition could also mean he was going to go somewhere quick, and run right back, like if you left your jacket in your house, and you ran in to get it real quick.

You have to take in to account that if he was abusing hard drugs, then he could've sustained massive brain trauma. Depending what he was doing, and how much he could've became mentally unhinged.

Though leaving the keys in the ignition could also mean he was going to go somewhere quick, and run right back, like if you left your jacket in your house, and you ran in to get it real quick.

OMFG is that Wendy or whatever her name is from the Dungeon and Dragon roleplay thing? The case about Kurt McFall?

OMFG is that Wendy or whatever her name is from the Dungeon and Dragon roleplay thing? The case about Kurt McFall?

Lmao yeah. Hilary SCA goddess.

It's odd because his keys were in the ignition. And it's fishy to leave a wallet with your I.D. and $600 in it, with the keys left in the ignition. That isn't normal.

One of the interesting things to note here is, why did he have $600 in cash on him? That's a lot of cash to have on hand. If it was for a major transaction (drugs or otherwise) or he needed it to disappear, why leave it in the car? If he left his car willingly and didn't need the money, why have that much on him in the first place? If he didn't leave his car willingly, why would the perp have left it behind?

Lmao yeah. Hilary SCA goddess.

I had to do a double take when I saw that avatar back up. I forgot that it had been you that had it and had to check who had been away and come back.

There is definitely a gay sex angle here no one is focusing on. A lot of possibilities if you go down that sordid path

Cocytus...is that you?

One of the interesting things to note here is, why did he have $600 in cash on him? That's a lot of cash to have on hand. If it was for a major transaction (drugs or otherwise) or he needed it to disappear, why leave it in the car? If he left his car willingly and didn't need the money, why have that much on him in the first place? If he didn't leave his car willingly, why would the perp have left it behind?

This is my biggest hurdle. If Adam was indeed involved in drugs, then having that much money is odd, considering most users blow through every penny quickly. But like you said, the cash could've been for a drug deal.

I wonder if he had more cash on him, and that could explain a lot. If Adam was going to run in somewhere to buy drugs/or something else, and wanted to get back out quickly (keys in the ignition, didn't think he'd be gone long), then he could've taken a smaller amount to the drug deal, maybe some loose bills because he knew there was a good chance he'd get robbed, but something went wrong and he didn't make it out of the deal alive.

I wonder if Adam was studying Buddhism, or was introduced to it. His story really reminds me of Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha). Both we're both into extreme wealth, and became dismayed, and unsatisfied with their upscale lifestyle. Buddha abandoned his family, and wealth, to live amongst the poor people to try to find the cause of suffering. Adam had also abandoned his job, and family to go live amongst the poor to try and help.

In the segment, we don't know how true this is, but Tony is doing a ritual with Adam telling him to "let go of all your material things", which is a precept from Buddhism. It's to let go of all of your attachments, and desires to achieve happiness so one can attain enlightenment.

I know a lot of people on here gave his mom a lot of **** for the way she acted, and I don't blame them. However, I could definitely see in her eyes that she's genuinely hurt and maybe just isn't used to dealing with those kinds of emotions. Also, the car being found looked so staged. when I was younger I didn't notice it much but it stands out so much to me now. The keys being left in the ignition... and just being left? Come on.

I want to talk about one thing I don't understand. Tony probably does know more than he's saying, and he could easily deceive the family being that he is more street smart... I just don't understand why Tony would jeapordize a chance at actually living life by being back on the street, if he had someone like Adam who could help him. Adam is a bit naive in some ways, or maybe he did know Tony before hand. I mean, there's a lot of homeless people on the streets and His family didn't mention that they had noticed him talking to homeless people before. Why Tony? What would be the point of hurting Adam instead of maybe helping yourself get out of poverty? It doesn't make sense. What would killing him do? Or What would getting Adam killed do for Tony. i keep thinking about where Tony is now, if he's dead or wondering in California or another state by now.

There is definitely a love triangle factor involved. Adam, Tony and a 3rd party. We find that 3rd party and Bingo!

This is my biggest hurdle. If Adam was indeed involved in drugs, then having that much money is odd, considering most users blow through every penny quickly. But like you said, the cash could've been for a drug deal.

The show said he had "$600 in cash and checks" in the wallet, who knows how much cash he actually had. But even if it had been hundreds, I don't think it's that odd. People who are regularly buying drugs tend to keep a lot of cash on them, dealers don't take credit cards. Especially a user who has a successful business and is living in Beverly Hills.

I rewatched the video and I'm even more convinced that it's a case of a guy getting involved in drugs and the wrong crowd. It definitely seems like the whole Mother Theresa angle about him and the streets is an invention of UO, if you listen to the family they just say that he was a preppy, successful guy who seemingly out of nowhere started to become disillusioned with his life, started hanging out with an unsavory character, started going to skid row and started going missing in the streets for days at a time and one time he didn't come back. The UO reenactments show him offering to help Tony when he allegedly meets him for the first time, but the brother said he had no idea what they were talking about and that Adam wouldn't tell him(gee I wonder why....). Also a UO reenactment shows him in Skid Row for the purpose of distributing food, an effort that isn't actually mentioned by anyone.

I think it makes sense why Adam would tell his family that he was associating with Tony for altruistic reasons, it sounds a lot better than "We're using together."

Also I think it's interesting how the family seems to pin it all on Tony, like their son had no problems whatsoever until Tony showed up. I don't think Tony is innocent, but I don't think Adam is either and I think his family is using Tony as the sole scapegoat for the issues Adam was having.

Tony probably does know more than he's saying, and he could easily deceive the family being that he is more street smart... I just don't understand why Tony would jeapordize a chance at actually living life by being back on the street, if he had someone like Adam who could help him. Adam is a bit naive in some ways, or maybe he did know Tony before hand. I mean, there's a lot of homeless people on the streets and His family didn't mention that they had noticed him talking to homeless people before. Why Tony? What would be the point of hurting Adam instead of maybe helping yourself get out of poverty? It doesn't make sense. What would killing him do? Or What would getting Adam killed do for Tony. i keep thinking about where Tony is now, if he's dead or wondering in California or another state by now.

I don't think Tony ended up on the streets because he was very intelligent, he likely had major mental health and addiction issues and I doubt he was able to think and plan that rationally.

There is definitely a gay sex angle here no one is focusing on. A lot of possibilities if you go down that sordid path

http://i.imgur.com/inZ6g.gif

What you mean?

The show said he had "$600 in cash and checks" in the wallet, who knows how much cash he actually had. But even if it had been hundreds, I don't think it's that odd. People who are regularly buying drugs tend to keep a lot of cash on them, dealers don't take credit cards. Especially a user who has a successful business and is living in Beverly Hills.

I rewatched the video and I'm even more convinced that it's a case of a guy getting involved in drugs and the wrong crowd. It definitely seems like the whole Mother Theresa angle about him and the streets is an invention of UO, if you listen to the family they just say that he was a preppy, successful guy who seemingly out of nowhere started to become disillusioned with his life, started hanging out with an unsavory character, started going to skid row and started going missing in the streets for days at a time and one time he didn't come back. The UO reenactments show him offering to help Tony when he allegedly meets him for the first time, but the brother said he had no idea what they were talking about and that Adam wouldn't tell him(gee I wonder why....). Also a UO reenactment shows him in Skid Row for the purpose of distributing food, an effort that isn't actually mentioned by anyone.

I think it makes sense why Adam would tell his family that he was associating with Tony for altruistic reasons, it sounds a lot better than "We're using together."

Also I think it's interesting how the family seems to pin it all on Tony, like their son had no problems whatsoever until Tony showed up. I don't think Tony is innocent, but I don't think Adam is either and I think his family is using Tony as the sole scapegoat for the issues Adam was having.

I agree with you mostly, in that I think Adam was definitely into drugs, however, you downplay some things that doesn't make sense. Let's be real if Adam was a crackhead, which I think he was, then he didn't just leave whatever amount of cash in his wallet casually. They smoke whatever cent they have.

Like I said I agree with you mostly, but some things don't add up. Leaving the keys in the ignition of a car isn't normal. You're trying to file someone who is into hardcore drugs as just doing "something backwards" like leaving his keys in the ignition, and that's not how crackheads act. If Adam was disappearing days at a time, then he wasn't driving. Most crackheads usually just slum somewhere for a while, which makes sense since he said nine parking tickets, and his car was there for a while.

And of course the family is going to blame Tony. I'm not certain if they saw the signs that he was an addict, but ignored it, but if your son randomly took in a homeless person, went missing, never came back, but that homeless person was still in his apartment, then of course you're going to blame Tony. If they didn't know that Adam was an addict then that takes even more sense. The sister said that Adam was acting weird before, so he was definitely using something.

Let's be real if Adam was a crackhead, which I think he was, then he didn't just leave whatever amount of cash in his wallet casually. They smoke whatever cent they have.

I disagree because Adam was not the stereotypical crack addict begging for change on the street corner so he could get his next fix, he had a successful business and was living in Beverly Hills, I'm sure he had plenty of disposable cash. Plus if he was spending every cent he had I don't think he would have been able to pay rent on a place in Beverly Hills and would have still had a car. I think that whatever he was addicted to, he was a high-functioning addict. Plus I assume that if it was hundreds of dollars in cash in his wallet, it was probably drug money that he hadn't had a chance to spend yet. And maybe the cash in the wallet is what was left from say a $2000 withdrawal. Or maybe he was selling, a lot of people who do drugs do buying and selling, and if he was selling, it could be another murder motive. Maybe someone killed him for whatever stash he was selling, or maybe a rival seller killed him. Dealers don't like new sellers moving in on their territory.

Leaving the keys in the ignition of a car isn't normal. You're trying to file someone who is into hardcore drugs as just doing "something backwards" like leaving his keys in the ignition, and that's not how crackheads act. If Adam was disappearing days at a time, then he wasn't driving. Most crackheads usually just slum somewhere for a while, which makes sense since he said nine parking tickets, and his car was there for a while.

Are you basically saying that crackheads don't do things that wouldn't make sense to a sober person? Because I would have to agree. I don't have a lot of experience with people who are addicted to crack, but I have lots with people who are addicted to meth and they do a LOT of things that don't make sense, like a LOT. Their brain is fried. Leaving his keys and wallet in his car definitely sounds like something someone who was strung out could do. I mean, sober people have accidentally done absentminded stuff like that. Also how do you know he wasn't driving during his disappearances? We have no idea where he would go, how he would go, with whom he would go....etc. I have known people who did not get high and just slum it at home for days at a time, lots of them actually kept going to work.

That being said though, because we know so little about his day-to-day life I really can't theorize about the car business. I *assume* that he was last in his car since his wallet and keys were in there, but there's no telling. Someone could have put it all in there after he was killed to make it incorrectly seem like it was the last place he had been. I wonder too if Tony had his own key to the apartment since the keys had been left in the car all that time. If Adam *was* in his car last that would mean that whatever crime happened to him would have began in Beverly Hills, which is kind of odd. It's not exactly a scary neighborhood. But again, if he was strung out for all we know in his mind he could have felt like his car was the proper place to keep his things from a place of paranoid delusion. :confused:

I disagree because Adam was not the stereotypical crack addict begging for change on the street corner so he could get his next fix, he had a successful business and was living in Beverly Hills, I'm sure he had plenty of disposable cash. Plus if he was spending every cent he had I don't think he would have been able to pay rent on a place in Beverly Hills and would have still had a car. I think that whatever he was addicted to, he was a high-functioning addict. Plus I assume that if it was hundreds of dollars in cash in his wallet, it was probably drug money that he hadn't had a chance to spend yet. And maybe the cash in the wallet is what was left from say a $2000 withdrawal. Or maybe he was selling, a lot of people who do drugs do buying and selling, and if he was selling, it could be another murder motive. Maybe someone killed him for whatever stash he was selling, or maybe a rival seller killed him. Dealers don't like new sellers moving in on their territory

I'm telling you from someone who was raised about the crack epidemic in D.C., and had family members who are/were crackheads, Adam was a crackhead. You contradicted yourself, if Adam had a lively business, and was well to do, then why would he need to sell crack? That doesn't make sense. Most crackheads don't sell crack, they smoke it. A dealer wouldn't trust a crackhead to run anything, because they'd smoke it.

Did Adam pay his own rent? For a person who was gone days at a time, and had multiple parking tickets, I doubt it. He only taught Tennis lessons, I'm not sure if that's enough for rent in Beverly Hills. Adam became the stereotypical crackhead from what was said. Hanging on the streets for days at a time, and seldomly returned are the signs of a crackhead. There is no functioning crackhead, that's why he spent his times on the streets, and his brother said he had abandoned his business and family for "hanging out with the poor".


Are you basically saying that crackheads don't do things that wouldn't make sense to a sober person? Because I would have to agree. I don't have a lot of experience with people who are addicted to crack, but I have lots with people who are addicted to meth and they do a LOT of things that don't make sense, like a LOT. Their brain is fried. Leaving his keys and wallet in his car definitely sounds like something someone who was strung out could do. I mean, sober people have accidentally done absentminded stuff like that. Also how do you know he wasn't driving during his disappearances? We have no idea where he would go, how he would go, with whom he would go....etc. I have known people who did not get high and just slum it at home for days at a time, lots of them actually kept going to work.

If Adam was addicted to crack, I guarantee you he wasn't driving that much. It's true that he could've left the keys in the ignition, especially if he was planning on going somewhere, and coming right back, but no drug user is leaving cash in his car, especially a suspected crackhead who's slumming it on the streets.

That being said though, because we know so little about his day-to-day life I really can't theorize about the car business. I *assume* that he was last in his car since his wallet and keys were in there, but there's no telling. Someone could have put it all in there after he was killed to make it incorrectly seem like it was the last place he had been. I wonder too if Tony had his own key to the apartment since the keys had been left in the car all that time. If Adam *was* in his car last that would mean that whatever crime happened to him would have began in Beverly Hills, which is kind of odd. It's not exactly a scary neighborhood. But again, if he was strung out for all we know in his mind he could have felt like his car was the proper place to keep his things from a place of paranoid delusion. :confused:

Yeah, I can't make sense of the car business. To me it seems like like a phony scene, but who knows. I want to go with the he was buying in his car theory, and was forced out to get robbed else where, but why would they leave his wallet full of money on the front seat? They would've known he had money if he was buying, so that doesn't make sense. Unless, Adam was killed elsewhere, and someone (maybe Tony) took his car and parked it there, and ran out without taking the keys.

Mmmmm.

Actually, I just had a thought. If the car scene was phony then who was the one person who could set this up that we know of? Tony.

Adam's car was parked on a side street in Beverly Hills. I'm not sure how far away from his apartment this was, but I wonder if Adam had O'D, or just never returned, and Tony stuck the keys in the ignition, and put his wallet in the front seat so it wouldn't be found in Adam's home?

Adam's family members kept dropping by, so is it possible that Adam died, and Tony didn't want to be blamed so he just put Adam's keys and wallet in the car to deflect blame off of himself? If Adam's wallet was found in the apartment, but Adam wasn't then that wouldn't be a good look for Tony.

Maybe he didn't kill Adam, but was around when he died, so he put his stuff in the car to seem like Adam was driving, or out elsewhere, and not around Tony. Or perhaps Tony just drove his car to that location after Adam died, or vanished to make it seem like Adam wasn't around, and the blame couldn't have put on Tony.

Think about it. Tony wouldn't let Adam's brother in. Then he (maybe on purpose) freaked out Adam's mother to get her out of the apartment. Tony was hiding something. In the segment, it shows Adam's mother going to the back bedroom, but as soon as she does Tony starts with the "kiss your son" thing, trying to keep her away from something. I wonder what he was hiding in that apartment.

I'm telling you from someone who was raised about the crack epidemic in D.C., and had family members who are/were crackheads, Adam was a crackhead. You contradicted yourself, if Adam had a lively business, and was well to do, then why would he need to sell crack? That doesn't make sense. Most crackheads don't sell crack, they smoke it. A dealer wouldn't trust a crackhead to run anything, because they'd smoke it.

I don't think you have enough evidence to definitively say what he was addicted to. I have no clue but I assume something very hard, but I will say that meth tends to be a west coast thing and crack seems to be an east coast thing, I was raised on the east coast and crackheads was all you heard about and here on the west coast methheads is all you hear about(and all I've ran into except for 1 time). I'm in SoCal btw. I also did not say he must have been selling, I just said it was a theory. And from my own personal experience, small time 'dealers' tend to use and sell all kinds of things. Like you may find someone who is addicted to adderall selling aderall and oxycotin and ecstasy..... Someone who's addicted to meth selling pills.....drugs doesn't tend to be a very black and white situation, there's a lot of gray area. I would actually say it's one big gray area. I also proposed the idea that HE was dealing, not working for another dealer.

Did Adam pay his own rent? For a person who was gone days at a time, and had multiple parking tickets, I doubt it. He only taught Tennis lessons, I'm not sure if that's enough for rent in Beverly Hills. Adam became the stereotypical crackhead from what was said. Hanging on the streets for days at a time, and seldomly returned are the signs of a crackhead. There is no functioning crackhead, that's why he spent his times on the streets, and his brother said he had abandoned his business and family for "hanging out with the poor".

If you're debating to prove that he was not high-functioning and was completely within the thralls of addiction that actually goes more in-line with my own theories. I'm kind of confused because on one hand it seems like you're arguing as to why he would not have been doing anything irrational like leaving his wallet in his car but then on the other hand you're saying that he must have been hopelessly addicted and out-of-touch with reality(abandoning his business and car and spending every dime he has on crack).

If Adam was addicted to crack, I guarantee you he wasn't driving that much. It's true that he could've left the keys in the ignition, especially if he was planning on going somewhere, and coming right back, but no drug user is leaving cash in his car, especially a suspected crackhead who's slumming it on the streets.

How can you guarantee this exactly though? Not to brag(sarcasm) but I've done my share of methamphetamine in the past and my favorite thing to do on it was get in the car and just drive. ALSO, I have read that the car he abandoned was a rental car that he rented because his car was in the shop. So he must have been driving around enough if he saw need to have his own car repaired, and he must have been driving enough to need to rent some wheels while it was in the shop. As far as all the tickets meaning he wasn't driving, I am assuming that the tickets were being stacked in the weeks he was missing, which BTW how many tickets does a city have to pile on someone's car before they go 'hmmmm' and think something might be wrong? You would think past a certain point that law enforcement would get involved.

Yeah, I can't make sense of the car business. To me it seems like like a phony scene, but who knows. I want to go with the he was buying in his car theory, and was forced out to get robbed else where, but why would they leave his wallet full of money on the front seat? They would've known he had money if he was buying, so that doesn't make sense. Unless, Adam was killed elsewhere, and someone (maybe Tony) took his car and parked it there, and ran out without taking the keys.

I wonder too, since he was driving a rental, would anyone aside from him(and Tony....) know where exactly in the neighborhood it was and what kind of car it was?

Btw I know I probably sound argumentative but I'm not, I just really enjoy dissecting it all like this. It's just tough because I really feel like we have very few actual details.

Actually, I just had a thought. If the car scene was phony then who was the one person who could set this up that we know of? Tony.

Adam's car was parked on a side street in Beverly Hills. I'm not sure how far away from his apartment this was, but I wonder if Adam had O'D, or just never returned, and Tony stuck the keys in the ignition, and put his wallet in the front seat so it wouldn't be found in Adam's home?

Adam's family members kept dropping by, so is it possible that Adam died, and Tony didn't want to be blamed so he just put Adam's keys and wallet in the car to deflect blame off of himself? If Adam's wallet was found in the apartment, but Adam wasn't then that wouldn't be a good look for Tony.

Maybe he didn't kill Adam, but was around when he died, so he put his stuff in the car to seem like Adam was driving, or out elsewhere, and not around Tony. Or perhaps Tony just drove his car to that location after Adam died, or vanished to make it seem like Adam wasn't around, and the blame couldn't have put on Tony.

Think about it. Tony wouldn't let Adam's brother in. Then he (maybe on purpose) freaked out Adam's mother to get her out of the apartment. Tony was hiding something. In the segment, it shows Adam's mother going to the back bedroom, but as soon as she does Tony starts with the "kiss your son" thing, trying to keep her away from something. I wonder what he was hiding in that apartment.

This sounds very probable to me to be honest. I definitely think Tony knows what happened, I mean Tony must not have been too concerned with Adam missing because if he was wouldn't he have called the police to report him missing himself? Just because the cops couldn't link him to Adam's disappearance doesn't mean he was innocent.

..................OR DID THE MOM DO IT (j/k)

I don't think you have enough evidence to definitively say what he was addicted to. I have no clue but I assume something very hard, but I will say that meth tends to be a west coast thing and crack seems to be an east coast thing, I was raised on the east coast and crackheads was all you heard about and here on the west coast methheads is all you hear about(and all I've ran into except for 1 time). I'm in SoCal btw. I also did not say he must have been selling, I just said it was a theory. And from my own personal experience, small time 'dealers' tend to use and sell all kinds of things. Like you may find someone who is addicted to adderall selling aderall and oxycotin and ecstasy..... Someone who's addicted to meth selling pills.....drugs doesn't tend to be a very black and white situation, there's a lot of gray area. I would actually say it's one big gray area. I also proposed the idea that HE was dealing, not working for another dealer.


If you're debating to prove that he was not high-functioning and was completely within the thralls of addiction that actually goes more in-line with my own theories. I'm kind of confused because on one hand it seems like you're arguing as to why he would not have been doing anything irrational like leaving his wallet in his car but then on the other hand you're saying that he must have been hopelessly addicted and out-of-touch with reality(abandoning his business and car and spending every dime he has on crack).



How can you guarantee this exactly though? Not to brag(sarcasm) but I've done my share of methamphetamine in the past and my favorite thing to do on it was get in the car and just drive. ALSO, I have read that the car he abandoned was a rental car that he rented because his car was in the shop. So he must have been driving around enough if he saw need to have his own car repaired, and he must have been driving enough to need to rent some wheels while it was in the shop. As far as all the tickets meaning he wasn't driving, I am assuming that the tickets were being stacked in the weeks he was missing, which BTW how many tickets does a city have to pile on someone's car before they go 'hmmmm' and think something might be wrong? You would think past a certain point that law enforcement would get involved.



I wonder too, since he was driving a rental, would anyone aside from him(and Tony....) know where exactly in the neighborhood and what kind of car it was?

Btw I know I probably sound argumentative but I'm not, I just really enjoy dissecting it all like this. It's just tough because I really feel like we have very few actual details.

A person on meth is more high strung than a person on crack. My mother was a crackhead. Staying out for days at a time, never home, and she would sleep outside or at a certain gas station despite having a home to go to. I've seen her high when I was a kid and while at times she was hyper, most times she just nodded out. I'm not being racist, as I'm black myself, but if Tony was hanging around poor blacks then I'm sure he was doing crack. A lot of blacks don't touch meth, and crack is easier and cheaper to produce, which is why it's so popular with a lot of homeless people.

Adam dealing/selling/running doesn't make sense. He had money. He had a car he could've sold. People who abuse and sell pills shouldn't be compared to someone who's probably doing crack/meth. I understand that he could've sold another form of drugs, but he had too many assets to turn to for money.

If you're debating to prove that he was not high-functioning and was completely within the thralls of addiction that actually goes more in-line with my own theories. I'm kind of confused because on one hand it seems like you're arguing as to why he would not have been doing anything irrational like leaving his wallet in his car but then on the other hand you're saying that he must have been hopelessly addicted and out-of-touch with reality(abandoning his business and car and spending every dime he has on crack)."

I apologize for the confusion, but my argument was the keys left in the ignition, and the wallet left in the car. I'm saying that the car scene looked set-up, and phony. Or was possibly him leaving everything behind. You mentioned that he could've just left them in there from being forgetful, or just lackadaisical from drug use, but the keys in the ignition plus the wallet left over doesn't make sense. Anyone can leave their keys in the ignition, but he also left a wallet full of money, which doesn't make any sense, especially for an addict. That was my point.

Great point about the rental car, and tickets, I didn't think about how they accumulated from when he went missing.

..................OR DID THE MOM DO IT (j/k)

Smoke crack? Is that why her eyebrows were missing? I kid I kid.

The actor who played Tony looks like Forest Whitaker.

Wait were Adam and Tony lovers?

Wait were Adam and Tony lovers?

Lmao.

I doubt it. But I don't know. I mean did Tony's one good eye, and all natural smell catch Adam's heart?

Given the burn on Adam's hand I feel like they did drugs together.

I think LakeForestPI is yanking your chain.

A person on meth is more high strung than a person on crack. My mother was a crackhead. Staying out for days at a time, never home, and she would sleep outside or at a certain gas station despite having a home to go to. I've seen her high when I was a kid and while at times she was hyper, most times she just nodded out. I'm not being racist, as I'm black myself, but if Tony was hanging around poor blacks then I'm sure he was doing crack. A lot of blacks don't touch meth, and crack is easier and cheaper to produce, which is why it's so popular with a lot of homeless people

He could have been doing a lot of things. Although if you think he was a addicted solely to crack and therefor not driving, how do you explain him maintaining his car and renting one? Because I think your crack theory came from you assuming he wasn't driving.

Adam dealing/selling/running doesn't make sense. He had money. He had a car he could've sold. People who abuse and sell pills shouldn't be compared to someone who's probably doing crack/meth. I understand that he could've sold another form of drugs, but he had too many assets to turn to for money.

People who do drugs will oftentimes do a plethora, I think that literally every drug user I have known(including yours truly) did a combination of pharmaceuticals and street drugs. And, what if he wasn't doing it because he was hard-up for cash but because he needed extra cash? For instance say his family was paying his rent like you suggested(which I can easily believe); so he had some sort of allowance from them, then he had what he was making from his business, what if it wasn't enough to cover his and Tony's drug addictions? None of the dealers I've ever known were exclusively drug dealers, it was always a side gig. If he was selling drugs I don't think it was because he was on his last dime but because he wanted extra income for drug money. Again, I'm not sitting here feeling positive that he was selling, it is just a possible theory but I definitely don't think that him (possibly)being addicted to crack and the fact that he wasn't desperate for money doesn't mean he couldn't have been involved in any selling.

But I'm a little confused by what you are saying, it seems like first you were saying that he was so addicted to crack that there's no way he would have an extra $600 on him, and now it seems that you're saying he had money and assets and was living too comfortably-enough to have to have started making desperate financial choices(like selling). I kind of feel like it has to be one or the other and that it doesn't make a lot of sense to go from 'He couldn't have been doing XYZ because he had money' to 'He wouldn't have an extra $600 around because of his extreme addiction.' Like is he broke or isn't he?


I apologize for the confusion, but my argument was the keys left in the ignition, and the wallet left in the car. I'm saying that the car scene looked set-up, and phony. Or was possibly him leaving everything behind. You mentioned that he could've just left them in there from being forgetful, or just lackadaisical from drug use, but the keys in the ignition plus the wallet left over doesn't make sense. Anyone can leave their keys in the ignition, but he also left a wallet full of money, which doesn't make any sense, especially for an addict. That was my point.

Tbh, if someone who was addicted to drugs and doing stuff like leaving their wallet and keys in their car, I don't think it would be because they were being forgetful but because they were operating from some kind of paranoid mindset and thought that it was a good idea. Like for all we know he could have been paranoid that there were evil elves living in the walls of his apartment trying to steal his wallet and rental car so he was leaving them in there for safekeeping. I know that sounds very bizarre but that's the kind of thinking I have witnessed. My bff's ex husband got really bad into meth and he would lock himself inside the bathroom for days at a time thinking that there were people outside of it trying to kill him. When you're strung out you can do a lot of weird stuff, that's why I was saying that I can't even try to theorize why he might have left his stuff in the car. Who knows what his thought process may have been like. Btw this thread has turned into a very good drug awareness one LOL.

However.........while I do think that Tony knows what happened I kind of don't think he put the wallet and keys in the car on purpose because he doesn't seem very sharp. The fact that he was squatting in Adam's house after he vanished and how he reacted to his family members' appearances doesn't make him seem very cunning to me, and the fact that we do know Tony had nothing I definitely think he would NOT have knowingly left cash in that car.

It's very curious because I'm sure Adam had a whole social circle that we do not know about.

Smoke crack? Is that why her eyebrows were missing? I kid I kid.

You never know................like I said, truth may be stranger than fiction................. :crazy:

Makes me wonder too, since Tony was living in Adam's apartment after he went missing and ended up needing to be evicted out, how was he living? How was he getting his food and his drugs(I'm assuming he was still using based on the history and based on his behavior with the family)? Especially since he did not seem to be driving, and since he was in Beverly Hills which is not somewhere where you can just walk outside and score. There was probably a little network they had going on, and I wonder if Tony didn't let the brother in because he wasn't in the apartment alone that day?

But I'm a little confused by what you are saying, it seems like first you were saying that he was so addicted to crack that there's no way he would have an extra $600 on him, and now it seems that you're saying he had money and assets and was living too comfortably-enough to have to have started making desperate financial choices(like selling). I kind of feel like it has to be one or the other and that it doesn't make a lot of sense to go from 'He couldn't have been doing XYZ because he had money' to 'He wouldn't have an extra $600 around because of his extreme addiction.' Like is he broke or isn't he?

I feel like you're just reading, and not comprehending just to provoke an argument. I'm saying it's weird for a drug addict to have an excess amount of money on them. Especially one that slums out in the streets. If Adam turned to hard drug use, then yes, it's weird for a drug addict to have money on them, especially that much, not always, but they usually smoke every cent they have.

You know my comment about him not needing to sell drugs was a reply to your "maybe he was selling drugs too" theory. What I'm saying is that Adam had a wealthy family. He could've easily gotten money if needed, however, it is weird if we assume that he was on drugs to not only have a nice chunk of cash in his wallet, but laying openly in his car. A man with Adam's family wealth didn't need to sell drugs was my point. He wasn't a pill popper who was selling his excess, he was likely a crackhead.

Stop acting like I wasn't responding to what you said. I said it was weird for an addict to have access money ON them (i.e. his wallet), you said he could've sold drugs also. MY REPLY to you was I doubt it as he has a wealthy family, and a car to sell.

Try harder to trip me up.


However.........while I do think that Tony knows what happened I kind of don't think he put the wallet and keys in the car on purpose because he doesn't seem very sharp. The fact that he was squatting in Adam's house after he vanished and how he reacted to his family members' appearances doesn't make him seem very cunning to me, and the fact that we do know Tony had nothing I definitely think he would NOT have knowingly left cash in that car.

You don't know that. Fact is, we know very little about the actual Tony other than he had one eye, lived with Adam, and was homeless. That's it. We're all speculating about Tony, but truth is he could've been sharp. As we see with the family, they're extremely biased and obviously painting him in a bad light, but Tony could still have his wits with him. Just because you're homeless doesn't mean you're dense. Tony could've been playing dumb. Who knows.

I will say after looking at the car scene again, it looks like someone set the car up to be stolen. Keys in the ignition, doors unlocked, and a wallet open on the passengers seat. I wonder if someone's intention was to have someone steal the car?

I feel like you're just reading, and not comprehending just to provoke an argument. I'm saying it's weird for a drug addict to have an excess amount of money on them. Especially one that slums out in the streets. If Adam turned to hard drug use, then yes, it's weird for a drug addict to have money on them, especially that much, not always, but they usually smoke every cent they have.

You know my comment about him not needing to sell drugs was a reply to your "maybe he was selling drugs too" theory. What I'm saying is that Adam had a wealthy family. He could've easily gotten money if needed, however, it is weird if we assume that he was on drugs to not only have a nice chunk of cash in his wallet, but laying openly in his car. A man with Adam's family wealth didn't need to sell drugs was my point. He wasn't a pill popper who was selling his excess, he was likely a crackhead.

Stop acting like I wasn't responding to what you said. I said it was weird for an addict to have access money ON them (i.e. his wallet), you said he could've sold drugs also. MY REPLY to you was I doubt it as he has a wealthy family, and a car to sell.

Try harder to trip me up.

Ummmmm no clue why you're so hostile all of the sudden and seem to think I'm personally attacking you? Pretty sure we were speculating about a mystery? At least that's what I was doing.

I still don't agree with what you're saying so I'm not sure why you keep trying to convince me of your point of view; I still don't think it's unusual for someone who is addicted to drugs to have excess amount of money on them(you also don't know that he was carrying excess cash in the slums because the wad was found in his car in Beverly Hills), I also don't think $600 is a lot of money(and remember that the show said it was $600 in cash and checks, which means it was less than $600 in cash), and I still don't see why him selling drugs would be completely out of the question. I don't know why you're so annoyed that I don't agree with you? Because again---these are all theories, I'm not sure what there is to be so defensive about.

The experiences that I've had with drugs and drug users and dealers and hustling really don't seem to match up with yours, which makes sense since we're different people, but obviously I'm going to theorize from my experiences.

You don't know that. Fact is, we know very little about the actual Tony other than he had one eye, lived with Adam, and was homeless. That's it. We're all speculating about Tony, but truth is he could've been sharp. As we see with the family, they're extremely biased and obviously painting him in a bad light, but Tony could still have his wits with him. Just because you're homeless doesn't mean you're dense. Tony could've been playing dumb. Who knows.

I never said I knew that.........? I'm pretty sure I made it clear that I was speculating and I've stated multiple times about how few facts we have to work with. That's my feeling based on what I've heard. You do know that I'm allowed to come to a different conclusion than you right?

Ummmmm no clue why you're so hostile all of the sudden and seem to think I'm personally attacking you? Pretty sure we were speculating about a mystery? At least that's what I was doing.

I still don't agree with what you're saying so I'm not sure why you keep trying to convince me of your point of view; I still don't think it's unusual for someone who is addicted to drugs to have excess amount of money on them(you also don't know that he was carrying excess cash in the slums because the wad was found in his car in Beverly Hills), I also don't think $600 is a lot of money(and remember that the show said it was $600 in cash and checks, which means it was less than $600 in cash), and I still don't see why him selling drugs would be completely out of the question. I don't know why you're so annoyed that I don't agree with you? Because again---these are all theories, I'm not sure what there is to be so defensive about.

The experiences that I've had with drugs and drug users and dealers and hustling really don't seem to match up with yours, which makes sense since we're different people, but obviously I'm going to theorize from my experiences.



I never said I knew that.........? I'm pretty sure I made it clear that I was speculating and I've stated multiple times about how few facts we have to work with. That's my feeling based on what I've heard. You do know that I'm allowed to come to a different conclusion than you right?

I'm just going to say that I didn't mean to come off as hostile, but you just keep asking the same redundant questions, when you know what I mean. You know you brought up Adam being a dealer, and I said it didn't make sense given how he had family he could go to for money, and a car to sell. It's not contradicting the fact that it's weird for a drug addict to have possibly hundreds on them. Granted, you too seem to come off as hostile that I don't agree with you. We're making the exact same arguments over and over at each other's viewpoint, so I'm not alone in being stubborn.

I never said I knew that.........? I'm pretty sure I made it clear that I was speculating and I've stated multiple times about how few facts we have to work with. That's my feeling based on what I've heard. You do know that I'm allowed to come to a different conclusion than you right

Oh, you made it clear that you were speculating? Let's see:

However.........while I do think that Tony knows what happened I kind of don't think he put the wallet and keys in the car on purpose because he doesn't seem very sharp. The fact that he was squatting in Adam's house after he vanished and how he reacted to his family members' appearances doesn't make him seem very cunning to me, and the fact that we do know Tony had nothing I definitely think he would NOT have knowingly left cash in that car.

It doesn't seem clear like you're speculating to me. Check out the bold. You seem very confident, and assured in your answer, you even went out of your way to capitalize "not", that's how sure you are that Tony had nothing to do with the car scene.

Nice try.

I found Tony.

He was on SUITS this year. Maybe Harvey and Mike can get him on the stand and grill him about Adams whereabouts.

I found Tony.

He was on SUITS this year. Maybe Harvey and Mike can get him on the stand and grill him about Adams whereabouts.

I looked him up last night. It looks like a fusion of Obama, and Forest Whitaker. I seriously thought it was a young Forest Whitaker when I seen the UM segment. Maybe it's the eye.

Jesus. My post count to how long I've been here is ridiculous. I have to stop fighting with everyone on everything.

I have to take a break. My count is bigger than people who has been here for years.

So long. :wave: :wave:

I looked him up last night. It looks like a fusion of Obama, and Forest Whitaker. I seriously thought it was a young Forest Whitaker when I seen the UM segment. Maybe it's the eye.

His name is Scott Lawrence. He's done a ton of guest star work on a huge variety of TV shows.

The most memorable things I remember him from though are a small part in the Van Damme movie Timecop and his appearance in an episode of Quantum Leap.

His name is Scott Lawrence. He's done a ton of guest star work on a huge variety of TV shows.

The most memorable things I remember him from though are a small part in the Van Damme movie Timecop and his appearance in an episode of Quantum Leap.

honestly, when i saw him on SUITS my first thought was, "thats the guy who killed Adam Hecht". lol. terrible i know.

Way too much over thinking going on with this case. Adam was the new, rich kid on the homeless scene. You don't think this rubbed the bums the wrong way? Tony all of a sudden becomes the flavor of the month for Richy Rich and his fellow hobos aren't going to be upset? No way. There was someone involved with Tony, probably a male engaged in a same sex relationship that did not like being kicked to the curb by Mr. Hot to Trot. Tony goes from the street to a love nest in no time and his brown bag sharing buddy is left all alone. Adam was set up to partake in some sort of deal involving drugs and or gay sex and was made to disappear. This is all down to a love triangle. The person that was Tony's whoopie time partner is the person responsible for the disappearance and murder of Adam. I feel very sorry for his mother and siblings in that they have not gotten any closure. Has to be a horrible feeling

Way too much over thinking going on with this case. Adam was the new, rich kid on the homeless scene. You don't think this rubbed the bums the wrong way? Tony all of a sudden becomes the flavor of the month for Richy Rich and his fellow hobos aren't going to be upset? No way. There was someone involved with Tony, probably a male engaged in a same sex relationship that did not like being kicked to the curb by Mr. Hot to Trot. Tony goes from the street to a love nest in no time and his brown bag sharing buddy is left all alone. Adam was set up to partake in some sort of deal involving drugs and or gay sex and was made to disappear. This is all down to a love triangle. The person that was Tony's whoopie time partner is the person responsible for the disappearance and murder of Adam. I feel very sorry for his mother and siblings in that they have not gotten any closure. Has to be a horrible feeling

Love the sincere thoughts at the end attached to the gay homeless love triangle theory :lol:

Love the sincere thoughts at the end attached to the gay homeless love triangle theory :lol:

This is Beverly Hills we are talking about. Hollywood types who are very "open minded" and free wheeling about different lifestyles. Adams lifestyle was not out of the ordinary and I'm not passing judgement on it. It just so happens he ended up in a gay love triangle and I feel it cost him his life. As I said, I feel very sorry for his mother and siblings.

I have to wonder if Adam was brainwashed by Tony. The segment showed that Tony was involving Adam in rituals. The Tim Good/David Freeman case keeps coming to mind. It's really hard to assess the real Tony's character as he was never interviewed.

I'm just going to say that I didn't mean to come off as hostile, but you just keep asking the same redundant questions, when you know what I mean. You know you brought up Adam being a dealer, and I said it didn't make sense given how he had family he could go to for money, and a car to sell. It's not contradicting the fact that it's weird for a drug addict to have possibly hundreds on them. Granted, you too seem to come off as hostile that I don't agree with you. We're making the exact same arguments over and over at each other's viewpoint, so I'm not alone in being stubborn.

Okay but if I state a theory, and someone says 'Well I don't think that could be possible because XYZ,' and I disagree, I'm going to discuss it. And do you know why........? ......Because this is a discussion board. Isn't the whole point of a message board for people to talk back and forth with each other? If discussing a murder mystery with other people is touchy for you, a murder mystery thread on a discussion board might not be the best place for you, just saying.

Oh, you made it clear that you were speculating? Let's see:

It doesn't seem clear like you're speculating to me. Check out the bold. You seem very confident, and assured in your answer, you even went out of your way to capitalize "not", that's how sure you are that Tony had nothing to do with the car scene.

Nice try.

Yes, notice how I said "think." The whole point of this thread is for us to discuss what we think. I do not state my opinions as facts. Again throwing in the "Nice try" tells me that you assume I'm coming from a place of manipulation which is to me is bizarre and I'd really appreciate if you stopped communicating with me because you're honestly starting to creep me out.

Isn't the whole point of a message board for people to talk back and forth with each other? If discussing a murder mystery with other people is touchy for you, a murder mystery thread on a discussion board might not be the best place for you, just saying.

Touchy for me? No. I stated my opinion, just as you did yours. You seem more upset that I'm not lapping up your theories. You keep accusing me of being upset, and being aggressive when I'm neither. You kept trying to twist what I was saying around to prove your point, and I called you out.

You don't seem suited for this forum. You reply back with these super long, and angry replies then accuse me of being angry when I simply disagree. Take your own advice, champ.


Okay but if I state a theory, and someone says 'Well I don't think that could be possible because XYZ,' and I disagree, I'm going to discuss it. And do you know why........? ......Because this is a discussion board. Isn't the whole point of a message board for people to talk back and forth with each other? If discussing a murder mystery with other people is touchy for you, a murder mystery thread on a discussion board might not be the best place for you, just saying.



Yes, notice how I said "think." The whole point of this thread is for us to discuss what we think. I do not state my opinions as facts. Again throwing in the "Nice try" tells me that you assume I'm coming from a place of manipulation which is to me is bizarre and I'd really appreciate if you stopped communicating with me because you're honestly starting to creep me out.

Wow. You guys had such a great thing going and now its over as quick as it started. Thats the way it goes sometimes. I, for one, will miss the endless speculation over a rich kid wanting to live like a bum and getting addicted to drugs and ended up in a 3 way homosexual love triange. Live fast, die young as Jack Lalanne use to say

Wow. You guys had such a great thing going and now its over as quick as it started. Thats the way it goes sometimes. I, for one, will miss the endless speculation over a rich kid wanting to live like a bum and getting addicted to drugs and ended up in a 3 way homosexual love triange. Live fast, die young and Jack Lalanne use to say

Wham, bam, thank you ma'am.

Wham, bam, thank you ma'am.

You got that right, Hombre. Time to pick yourself up and dust yourself off. On to the next one!

I, for one, will miss the endless speculation over a rich kid wanting to live like a bum and getting addicted to drugs and ended up in a 3 way homosexual love triange. Live fast, die young and Jack Lalanne use to say

Like I told the other dude, if speculating about a murder mystery turns you off so much why are you participating in a murder mystery thread on a discussion board? Also what's with all of the derogatory attitudes towards people with drug problems and gay people?

I'm about to do some massive cleanup over these last few posts-- let's just all stay on topic, okay? I sound like a dang record-- everyone is entitled to their opinions. Let's just stay civil and feel free to use that "Ignore" function if someone is getting to be too argumentative or aggressive....

Thanks!

I have to wonder if Adam was brainwashed by Tony. The segment showed that Tony was involving Adam in rituals. The Tim Good/David Freeman case keeps coming to mind. It's really hard to assess the real Tony's character as he was never interviewed.

Getting back on track....

I appreciate this observation. It makes me feel a bit less wacky about the case. I see the similarities to the Tim Good case that you've mentioned. I'm not sure what was going on in the situation. I'd be interested to hear from law enforcement as to why Tony was no longer considered a suspect.

Getting back on track....

I appreciate this observation. It makes me feel a bit less wacky about the case. I see the similarities to the Tim Good case that you've mentioned. I'm not sure what was going on in the situation. I'd be interested to hear from law enforcement as to why Tony was no longer considered a suspect.

Yeah, I also wondered why he wasn't considered a suspect. Maybe they thought he was too crazy/nonsensical that they just stopped trying. Also they really had no evidence.

Yeah, I also wondered why he wasn't considered a suspect. Maybe they thought he was too crazy/nonsensical that they just stopped trying. Also they really had no evidence.

That's basically kind of what I've always assumed.

A thought that crossed my mind about this case recently is the possibility that Adam actually knew Tony before the diner encounter in some capacity. Perhaps Adam, being with his brother Harold at the time, chose not to initially acknowledge Tony for reasons unknown. Not sure how likely I think that is, but I did consider it.

That's basically kind of what I've always assumed.

A thought that crossed my mind about this case recently is the possibility that Adam actually knew Tony before the diner encounter in some capacity. Perhaps Adam, being with his brother Harold at the time, chose not to initially acknowledge Tony for reasons unknown. Not sure how likely I think that is, but I did consider it.

That's actually a great theory. I didn't understand why Adam was so drawn to Tony. No offense, but he looked like a regular homeless dude. I'm sure Adam have seen homeless people before.

Maybe he saw him around before, or knew him from some capacity.

Getting back on track....

I appreciate this observation. It makes me feel a bit less wacky about the case. I see the similarities to the Tim Good case that you've mentioned. I'm not sure what was going on in the situation. I'd be interested to hear from law enforcement as to why Tony was no longer considered a suspect.

The main thing that strikes me as different between Adam Heck and Tim Good is fear. Dave Freeman basically enslaved Tim Good. Based on people's (mostly Adam's family) accounts, Adam was never at Tony's mercy. Up until he disappeared, Adam never seemed to be out of control in his relationship with Tony. I never got the feeling he was being threatened or forced into anything.

The main thing that strikes me as different between Adam Heck and Tim Good is fear. Dave Freeman basically enslaved Tim Good. Based on people's (mostly Adam's family) accounts, Adam was never at Tony's mercy. Up until he disappeared, Adam never seemed to be out of control in his relationship with Tony. I never got the feeling he was being threatened or forced into anything.

By all accounts, though, wasn't David Freeman not initially in fear of Tim? That somehow, through his "teachings," Tim was able to gain control over David? I wonder if the same dynamic was in play in this case.

By all accounts, though, wasn't David Freeman not initially in fear of Tim? That somehow, through his "teachings," Tim was able to gain control over David? I wonder if the same dynamic was in play in this case.

I see your point...but I think you have their names backwards. Wasn't Tim the one who ended up under David's control?

I see your point...but I think you have their names backwards. Wasn't Tim the one who ended up under David's control?

Probably. It's been a while. My underlying point was that the perp in that matter started out as a hired help, with zero control over the landowner. Over time, he got his hands on everything...

No, Tim Good was the farmer who hired David Freeman (who was using the name Ben Freeman) as a farm hand. David (Ben) recommended that Tim attend his Bible study. He kept using religion and the Bible to control Tim Good. He made it seem like everything Tim did was wrong. I still can't believe he was able to get in Tim's head like that.

No, Tim Good was the farmer who hired David Freeman (who was using the name Ben Freeman) as a farm hand. David (Ben) recommended that Tim attend his Bible study. He kept using religion and the Bible to control Tim Good. He made it seem like everything Tim did was wrong. I still can't believe he was able to get in Tim's head like that.

Ben probably used white guilt.

Ben probably used white guilt.

I was thinking that too. He may have seen it as his way of getting revenge.

is it me or did his family not seem that concerned about finding him? They seemed kind of aloof in the segment. Also rich people like that should be able to hire the best private investigators in the country to work on their case and I would think they would keep trying to keep it in public eye and it would appear on other shows, but I can't find much information at all

Practically impossible case to get a feel for, simply because our only impression of the key to the case (Tony), and therefore the case itself, is based on a TV reenactment that may be close, or may be a million miles off base.
That said, there's zero chance Adam is alive, imo. Having read the whole thread, I feel like not enough has been made of the fact no trace of Adam was ever found. To me, that is the most interesting thing about the situation. I don't know, I guess Tony (again, based strictly off reenactment) doesn't strike me as having the skill or intelligence (for lack of better words) to murder someone and dispose of the body without leaving a shred of evidence. Especially as the only apparent suspect. And as a homeless black man (whom, let's be real, L.A. law enforcement of the late 80s wouldn't hesitate to pin a such a crime on, if there were any possible way to do so).

I feel the same way about Adam meeting an untimely end on the streets. It just seems highly unlikely to me that his body would not have eventually been found and identified. Remember, this is a rich, Beverly Hills kid from a rich family in a case high-profile enough to be shown on national television. People were looking. If he were killed on the streets in a robbery, or drug deal gone wrong or whatever, why (and how?) would the body have disappeared without a trace? People die out there all the time, and I'm sure Adam Hecht was near the top of any John Doe lookout lists. It's very bizarre.

The family playing up the "benevolent guilt" factor for the sake of hiding the drug angle seems very likely. The family was borderline jawdroppingly Beverly Hills snooty. When watching the interviews, you think, "Oh geez, dial down the over-the-top stereotypical act--this is not even believable." But then you remember it's an actual interview, and not a reenactment! "I was like, 'Ew Adam, what are you talking to that guy for?'" "My God...THE SMELL!" :lol:

Anyway, I have no idea what happened. It's a weird one. Obviously I think Tony knows more than he let on, and I think Adam was probably dead shortly after he vanished. But beyond that, no clue. The car with keys in the ignition and an untouched wallet with $600 in it make it even stranger. Again for me it all comes down to no trace ever being found. Maybe Adam ran into an extremely skilled skid row drug mafia with the means to make him sleep with the fishes for all eternity, but that doesn't seem too likely. Fascinating case.

Cheers,
Matt

Practically impossible case to get a feel for, simply because our only impression of the key to the case (Tony), and therefore the case itself, is based on a TV reenactment that may be close, or may be a million miles off base.
That said, there's zero chance Adam is alive, imo. Having read the whole thread, I feel like not enough has been made of the fact no trace of Adam was ever found. To me, that is the most interesting thing about the situation. I don't know, I guess Tony (again, based strictly off reenactment) doesn't strike me as having the skill or intelligence (for lack of better words) to murder someone and dispose of the body without leaving a shred of evidence. Especially as the only apparent suspect. And as a homeless black man (whom, let's be real, L.A. law enforcement of the late 80s wouldn't hesitate to pin a such a crime on, if there were any possible way to do so).

I feel the same way about Adam meeting an untimely end on the streets. It just seems highly unlikely to me that his body would not have eventually been found and identified. Remember, this is a rich, Beverly Hills kid from a rich family in a case high-profile enough to be shown on national television. People were looking. If he were killed on the streets in a robbery, or drug deal gone wrong or whatever, why (and how?) would the body have disappeared without a trace? People die out there all the time, and I'm sure Adam Hecht was near the top of any John Doe lookout lists. It's very bizarre.

The family playing up the "benevolent guilt" factor for the sake of hiding the drug angle seems very likely. The family was borderline jawdroppingly Beverly Hills snooty. When watching the interviews, you think, "Oh geez, dial down the over-the-top stereotypical act--this is not even believable." But then you remember it's an actual interview, and not a reenactment! "I was like, 'Ew Adam, what are you talking to that guy for?'" "My God...THE SMELL!" :lol:

Anyway, I have no idea what happened. It's a weird one. Obviously I think Tony knows more than he let on, and I think Adam was probably dead shortly after he vanished. But beyond that, no clue. The car with keys in the ignition and an untouched wallet with $600 in it make it even stranger. Again for me it all comes down to no trace ever being found. Maybe Adam ran into an extremely skilled skid row drug mafia with the means to make him sleep with the fishes for all eternity, but that doesn't seem too likely. Fascinating case.

Cheers,
Matt

Great post! Welcome! :wave:

Thank you! Lovely to be here. :)

Matt

Practically impossible case to get a feel for, simply because our only impression of the key to the case (Tony), and therefore the case itself, is based on a TV reenactment that may be close, or may be a million miles off base.
That said, there's zero chance Adam is alive, imo. Having read the whole thread, I feel like not enough has been made of the fact no trace of Adam was ever found. To me, that is the most interesting thing about the situation. I don't know, I guess Tony (again, based strictly off reenactment) doesn't strike me as having the skill or intelligence (for lack of better words) to murder someone and dispose of the body without leaving a shred of evidence. Especially as the only apparent suspect. And as a homeless black man (whom, let's be real, L.A. law enforcement of the late 80s wouldn't hesitate to pin a such a crime on, if there were any possible way to do so).

I feel the same way about Adam meeting an untimely end on the streets. It just seems highly unlikely to me that his body would not have eventually been found and identified. Remember, this is a rich, Beverly Hills kid from a rich family in a case high-profile enough to be shown on national television. People were looking. If he were killed on the streets in a robbery, or drug deal gone wrong or whatever, why (and how?) would the body have disappeared without a trace? People die out there all the time, and I'm sure Adam Hecht was near the top of any John Doe lookout lists. It's very bizarre.

The family playing up the "benevolent guilt" factor for the sake of hiding the drug angle seems very likely. The family was borderline jawdroppingly Beverly Hills snooty. When watching the interviews, you think, "Oh geez, dial down the over-the-top stereotypical act--this is not even believable." But then you remember it's an actual interview, and not a reenactment! "I was like, 'Ew Adam, what are you talking to that guy for?'" "My God...THE SMELL!" :lol:

Anyway, I have no idea what happened. It's a weird one. Obviously I think Tony knows more than he let on, and I think Adam was probably dead shortly after he vanished. But beyond that, no clue. The car with keys in the ignition and an untouched wallet with $600 in it make it even stranger. Again for me it all comes down to no trace ever being found. Maybe Adam ran into an extremely skilled skid row drug mafia with the means to make him sleep with the fishes for all eternity, but that doesn't seem too likely. Fascinating case.

Cheers,
Matt

Great post. Sums up some thoughts I've wanted to put in writing in this thread for awhile. I know there are a lot of people who are suspicious of Tony, but I just don't think he was together enough mentally to pull this off so cleanly (aka no body being found). I also agree your comments that if the police could have pinned it on the eccentric homeless guy, they would have jumped at the opportunity.

Regarding his family's snobbishness, his sister put me off the most with this quote.

At the beginning, Adam was an elite, preppy businessman. He drove a great car and taught tennis. And then he met Tony, and it just all changed. And he became a mystical person, and I just didn’t know him anymore.

One theory I've toyed with a time or two but never put out on here before. Is it possible that Adam left behind his life of substance to live amongst the homeless of LA and eventually perished as a homeless John Doe years later when people weren't looking as hard for him anymore? It's something I've thought about. It's far less likely than other theories, but many of the cases that aired on Unsolved Mysteries got there by being the exception rather than the rule. When I think about how unlikely a theory is to one of these cases, I always like to remember the Lisa Marie Kimmell case and how some of the sightings of her after her disappearance were caused by a Casper, WY woman who resembled her owning the exact same model and color of car. That's the kind of thing many of us would dismiss as being too much of a coincidence to be true if anyone brought it up as a theory, but it actually happened in that case.

As far as the car and who might have put it where it was, since he was in LA it sounds like he didn't have his own parking space and had to use street parking. Sometimes you end up having to park blocksssss away from where you actually live if you get there at a bad time, and a lot of times people end up having to park their car in random places to avoid the street cleanings. I don't think it's unusual for his car to not have been right outside where he lived, since it's LA I would have been shocked if it was lol.

They show a closeup of one of Adam's ID cards in the segment and it lists his address as being on S. Bedford Drive. According to Google maps, that street is just a block and a half from the famous Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. So I would imagine he rarely if ever got to park anywhere near his apartment.

Regarding his family's snobbishness, his sister put me off the most with this quote.
"At the beginning, Adam was an elite, preppy businessman. He drove a great car and taught tennis. And then he met Tony, and it just all changed. And he became a mystical person, and I just didn’t know him anymore."


I know, that slayed me as well. :lol:

Regarding the drug angle, I wonder if there's any chance he ended up in Mexico (willingly or unwillingly). That's one of the few scenarios that would make sense with him never being found.

Cheers,
Matt

During this time period young people that ended up on skid row would all of a sudden vanish. He very well could have been abducted and enslaved in a sadistic underground sex ring. Hollywood types were all over this scene during this time period and Adam had the young good looks they were in the market for. Lord only knows how many young men fell prey to rich pedophiles of Hollywood.

They show a closeup of one of Adam's ID cards in the segment and it lists his address as being on S. Bedford Drive. According to Google maps, that street is just a block and a half from the famous Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. So I would imagine he rarely if ever got to park anywhere near his apartment.

Thanks for pointing that out...I just paused it and it was "143 S. Bedford." If you streetview it, it's actually the apartment they used for filming, you can tell by the building across the street as well. If you zoom in, you can actually see the staircase they walk up to to go to his apartment. I am assuming this was his actual apartment complex.

I know, that slayed me as well. :lol:

I should preface this by saying I don't care if you're swimming in money or have very little of it. Having a missing relative has got to be extremely painful and I wouldn't wish that on anyone. So the Hecht family has my sympathies and I sincerely mean that.

With THAT out of the way, I will say in regards to the family's interviews, what annoyed me the most was the way the brother talked. Very soft throughout...completely dumbfounded that Adam approached Tony at all. This is another segment I hadn't watched in a long time and I watched it today. Every time the brother spoke, I kept thinking..."would you please talk normal?" :crazy:

But maybe that is normal when you grow up in luxury. At least give the guy a megaphone when he's talking to any common people.

I honestly never had given this case too much thought, until I started reading through this thread. Honestly, we have no clue what his personal life was like or of any resentment he had toward his family, etc... His father had passed a few years before and, i noticed in the reenactment, his mother had a "male friend" with her. So, maybe he didn't take that well, who knows. I agree with being disillusioned and he could have easily stayed on the street or went to some other location to start a new life and no one would know any better. Obviously, the odds are slim, but there have been cases where people had presumed to have been dead, but this did actually start a new life. Honestly, whenever I hear those theories, I think they are never accurate, but it would be great if it were for a change.

The more I think about this case, the more simple I think it is. I'm beginning to think that Adam overdosed/had a bad reaction and was probably hidden. Tony really didn't want to let Adam's brother in, and then freaked out his mother. Then Adam's keys were in the ignition of his car, and his wallet intact. I feel like Tony put Adam's stuff in his car so it wouldn't be found in the apartment, that way they couldn't really ask questions.

It's obvious Adam was on drugs. Who else would leave the keys in the ignition, as well as a full intact wallet other than Adam, or Tony? I wonder if he was dead in the apartment when his brother came to visit, and that's why Tony didn't let him in. Maybe he was trying to figure out what to do with the body.

I think Adam is probably deceased, but I don't see any clear reason why Tony or any of his supposed homeless buddies would have killed him if all of his belongings were found intact.

I understand why Tony--having lived on the street for some time--would have remained in the apartment, however. I'm actually surprised there weren't others in there as well.

are we being as naive as Adams family if we are quick to assume he was a drug addict and died on the street? Any chance he might have fled even the country to start a new life? Some say he would have came back by now but not everyone likes their family.

Living in a huge house in Beverly Hills might seem like a dream but guess what that dream costs money to maintain. Maybe he wanted a less materialistic life some place else?

are we being as naive as Adams family if we are quick to assume he was a drug addict and died on the street? Any chance he might have fled even the country to start a new life? Some say he would have came back by now but not everyone likes their family.

Living in a huge house in Beverly Hills might seem like a dream but guess what that dream costs money to maintain. Maybe he wanted a less materialistic life some place else?

He was no longer living in his parents huge house. He lived in an apartment that we just tracked down (see the location thread) on the second floor, and it doesn't appear very large from the outside. Still, he was completely set in regards to money so there was no stress from being able to maintain his residence.

Wanting a less materialistic life is understandable and taking off isn't completely out of the question. But there was never any indication that Adam didn't get along with his family. You have to figure that would have been brought up when they were interviewed.

are we being as naive as Adams family if we are quick to assume he was a drug addict and died on the street? Any chance he might have fled even the country to start a new life? Some say he would have came back by now but not everyone likes their family.

Living in a huge house in Beverly Hills might seem like a dream but guess what that dream costs money to maintain. Maybe he wanted a less materialistic life some place else?

You can't get far without your personal identification champ, which all was located inside of his car along with his car keys. So no, we're not being naive.

Adam had also burnt his hand in a "ritual" aka doing drugs. Even his family said he had been acting differently than usual around the time he disappeared, and spent days at a time on the streets.

Coming from a background of drug addicts, this is exactly what they do.

Honestly, I'd be more apt to think Adam fell into a life of drug addiction and homelessness than that he just up and went Gautama one day and simply left behind all he ever knew.

I'm not entirely sold on the drugs theory, but I've never thought his disappearing to abandon his Beverly Hills existence seemed likely at all, given that there's basically no evidence to suggest he ever became disillusioned with it in the first place.

Based on the segment there was no indication that Adam was using drugs or had a history of drug use. If Adam was using drugs I think its doubtful he would need to use Tony or "homeless" people as hookups. Adam's mother was in his apartment during the Time Tony was staying there as well as Law Enforcement and nothing was mentioned about drugs, paraphenalia or anything else in the apartment. Was the family hiding the fact that Adam had a history of drug use etc?? Unfortunately most if not all of the info on this case comes from the segment, I havent seen or heard of any new information.

Based on the segment there was no indication that Adam was using drugs or had a history of drug use. If Adam was using drugs I think its doubtful he would need to use Tony or "homeless" people as hookups. Adam's mother was in his apartment during the Time Tony was staying there as well as Law Enforcement and nothing was mentioned about drugs, paraphenalia or anything else in the apartment. Was the family hiding the fact that Adam had a history of drug use etc?? Unfortunately most if not all of the info on this case comes from the segment, I havent seen or heard of any new information.

I really think that Adam was doing drugs. No one hangs out on skid row for kicks n giggles. The burn marks on his hands, disappearing for days at a time, the sudden and odd change in behavior is all synonymous with drug use.

Sure, he could've been disillusioned with his life, but so much that he chooses to be homeless and live on skid row, instead of in his apartment? I don't think so, Tim.

But what you said about his family hiding the fact that he was on drugs is interesting. That's highly possible, given the fact that if he was doing drugs, and it leaked out, then maybe people wouldn't take them seriously, and their glorious name would be shamed.

Another possibility that I don't think I've heard mentioned here is mental illness. Adam could have been bipolar, schizophrenic, or something which led him to think that he needed to "escape" his life of luxury and that he wanted to do this by experiencing the homeless life. Once that happened, he easily could have become a real homeless person and just blended in. Hell, he could still be alive on skid row today.

That would explain Tony's enigmatic comment of "if you want to find Adam, just hang out with me on the streets." If Adam did have serious mental illness, I can absolutely see this happening. Many of the homeless have mental illness. Although it would be an odd way to enter the world of the homeless, I can see it happening. What started as a noble gesture may have become his reality.

I honestly think that makes more sense than drugs. If he were a drug addict, why would he leave so much cash in his wallet and leave that behind?

Another possibility that I don't think I've heard mentioned here is mental illness. Adam could have been bipolar, schizophrenic, or something which led him to think that he needed to "escape" his life of luxury and that he wanted to do this by experiencing the homeless life. Once that happened, he easily could have become a real homeless person and just blended in. Hell, he could still be alive on skid row today.

That would explain Tony's enigmatic comment of "if you want to find Adam, just hang out with me on the streets." If Adam did have serious mental illness, I can absolutely see this happening. Many of the homeless have mental illness. Although it would be an odd way to enter the world of the homeless, I can see it happening. What started as a noble gesture may have become his reality.

I honestly think that makes more sense than drugs. If he were a drug addict, why would he leave so much cash in his wallet and leave that behind?

Fantastic post.

The mental illness possibility crossed my mind, and it's certainly possible. We don't know his medical history, so maybe he did have something, but what caused me not to mention it was the fact that his change was night and day. From what we heard, he had a successful life, and one day he just changed.

However, you can link mental illness to drugs. Alot of mentally ill people you see on the streets got that way from drug use, so who knows. It happened to my mother (I'm not throwing this out for sympathy, but my experience with this background). Another possibility is some sort of trauma whether it being emotional, or physical. His father died a couple of years earlier, so maybe he never copped with the lost of his father and suffered from depression.

Some people might think we're overthinking this case, or putting too much effort into it, but it's so bizarre. His car with everything in it including the keys in the ignition, and the fact that he was never seen makes me think foul play, or death. He apparently kept up with his family, even when he was running the streets, so I don't think he would run away and never talk to them. I think he died.

However, you can link mental illness to drugs. Alot of mentally ill people you see on the streets got that way from drug use, so who knows.

That's a great point... With the homeless, chemical dependancy and mental illness often go hand-in-hand (and it's sort of like a chicken or the egg thing).

My best guess is that something drove Adam to live on the streets and he just got lost. Either he died as a John Doe, he's still alive, or he moved elsewhere as a homeless person. I don't think he willingly left without some other influence. I also suspect he is most likely no longer living.

Way too much over thinking going on with this case. Adam was the new, rich kid on the homeless scene. You don't think this rubbed the bums the wrong way? Tony all of a sudden becomes the flavor of the month for Richy Rich and his fellow hobos aren't going to be upset? No way. There was someone involved with Tony, probably a male engaged in a same sex relationship that did not like being kicked to the curb by Mr. Hot to Trot. Tony goes from the street to a love nest in no time and his brown bag sharing buddy is left all alone. Adam was set up to partake in some sort of deal involving drugs and or gay sex and was made to disappear. This is all down to a love triangle. The person that was Tony's whoopie time partner is the person responsible for the disappearance and murder of Adam. I feel very sorry for his mother and siblings in that they have not gotten any closure. Has to be a horrible feeling

I have only seen this segment sparingly, and honestly it was never one my favorites, but I just saw this one again on Amazon and while the love triangle angle didn't cross my mind, the thought of Adam showing up at Skid Row with Tony rubbing someone the wrong way did. The fact that his money and valuables (like his car) were not stolen does lend credence to the love triangle aspect. And it could've been a perceived slight and not one based in reality.

ETA: It also could be a suicide, which would be why the body was never found and no clear evidence of homicide was ever found.

I have only seen this segment sparingly, and honestly it was never one my favorites, but I just saw this one again on Amazon and while the love triangle angle didn't cross my mind, the thought of Adam showing up at Skid Row with Tony rubbing someone the wrong way did. The fact that his money and valuables (like his car) were not stolen does lend credence to the love triangle aspect. And it could've been a perceived slight and not one based in reality.

ETA: It also could be a suicide, which would be why the body was never found and no clear evidence of homicide was ever found.

I'm sorry, but I'll never, ever understand the gay love triangle theory. Did Adam see Tony walking into the diner, and couldn't resist himself? Did Tony's one eye, and one shoe make Adam's nipples drip with lust? I don't understand how a gay love triangle would cause Adam to go missing? I feel like homeless people on skid row care more about food, drugs, alcohol, etc, and not a blooming relationship, but that's just me. I get what you're saying, but I feel like the jealousy would be rooted in Adam's wealth, and showing off, not his bod.

If a homeless man was jealous of their relationship then why not harm Tony as well? Why kill Adam, not rob him, and leave Tony unharmed? And what about the car scene? Did the jealous lover put Adam's keys back in his ignition? Cmon.

Did Tony's one eye, and one shoe make Adam's nipples drip with lust?

You are wordsmith of the highest caliber, my friend!

You are wordsmith of the highest caliber, my friend!

:lol: :lol:

Thank you, thank you!

I'm sorry, but I'll never, ever understand the gay love triangle theory. Did Adam see Tony walking into the diner, and couldn't resist himself? Did Tony's one eye, and one shoe make Adam's nipples drip with lust? I don't understand how a gay love triangle would cause Adam to go missing? I feel like homeless people on skid row care more about food, drugs, alcohol, etc, and not a blooming relationship, but that's just me. I get what you're saying, but I feel like the jealousy would be rooted in Adam's wealth, and showing off, not his bod.

If a homeless man was jealous of their relationship then why not harm Tony as well? Why kill Adam, not rob him, and leave Tony unharmed? And what about the car scene? Did the jealous lover put Adam's keys back in his ignition? Cmon.

Homeless guy gets pissed at Adam for being overly attentive to Tony and even letting him move in and suspicions could grow from there. Or it could just be he was jealous of the lifestyle Adam had. Or could've simply thought the two were lovers but was totally wrong. But that wouldn't explain why his money and valuables weren't taken. The segment has a remark from a detective that's almost made in passing about how Adam would disappear for days but would always return. What was that about? We're not getting everything in the segment (obviously). I wonder if he was depressed around the time of his disappearance.

The segment has a remark from a detective that's almost made in passing about how Adam would disappear for days but would always return. What was that about? We're not getting everything in the segment (obviously). I wonder if he was depressed around the time of his disappearance.

My mother would do that when she was into drugs despite having a home to come to. I seriously never understood it. She'd just be gone for days/weeks at a time and we'd find her at a gas station/on the streets with a bunch of other crackheads, or she'd be holed up in a crack house somewhere. So it's possible he was hanging in a crack house, or drug den. Maybe he o'd/was killed in one of these places and was hidden? I'm not sure.

I always suspected he was depressed in some form or another.

If he OD'd or was killed on the streets i feel his body would have turned up.

I'm wondering if he joined a cult.

If he OD'd or was killed in a drug deal gone wrong (or being in a bad part of town) i feel his body would have turned up.

I'm wondering if he joined a cult.

Not if his body was hidden, or destroyed.

I'm sure if he joined a cult, there would have been some sighting of him. Interesting theory though, but he always remained in contact with his family. So, even if he joined a cult I feel like he would've contacted them eventually.

Hi everyone, this is my first post! I've enjoyed reading everyone's threads here. I'm a huge UM fan and this is my paradise. 😊 Regarding Adam Hecht, I voted no. I would have thought it was a willing disappearance in the beginning, but now it's been too long. I believe he was murdered by Tony or other nefarious people he had befriended, or he unfortunately began using drugs and overdosed somewhere. I thought perhaps he could be buried in an indigent grave by mistake? Thanks for having me here!

Hi everyone, this is my first post! I've enjoyed reading everyone's threads here. I'm a huge UM fan and this is my paradise. 😊 Regarding Adam Hecht, I voted no. I would have thought it was a willing disappearance in the beginning, but now it's been too long. I believe he was murdered by Tony or other nefarious people he had befriended, or he unfortunately began using drugs and overdosed somewhere. I thought perhaps he could be buried in an indigent grave by mistake? Thanks for having me here!

Welcome! We're happy to have you! :wave:

Agree, I think the most likely scenario is Tony killing him.

55% Tony Killed him
25% Someone else did
15% He voluntarily disappeared but then died somehow
5% He's still alive today and maybe even reading this board having a chuckle

Hi everyone, this is my first post! I've enjoyed reading everyone's threads here. I'm a huge UM fan and this is my paradise. 😊 Regarding Adam Hecht, I voted no. I would have thought it was a willing disappearance in the beginning, but now it's been too long. I believe he was murdered by Tony or other nefarious people he had befriended, or he unfortunately began using drugs and overdosed somewhere. I thought perhaps he could be buried in an indigent grave by mistake? Thanks for having me here!

I have to think if Adam's body was found he wouldn't be mistaken for a bum. he was young, clean and nicely dressed. he would have stuck out.

I just saw this episode yesterday on HLM. Tony's comments to Harold about finding out what happened to Adam were edited out most likely to fit more commercial time.

One huge mistake IMO is the police let Tony off way too easily. A thorough interrogation should of been done. Tony must have easily convinced the police that he was too stupid to know anything. A sadly missed opportunity.

I just saw this episode yesterday on HLM. Tony's comments to Harold about finding out what happened to Adam were edited out most likely to fit more commercial time.

One huge mistake IMO is the police let Tony off way too easily. A thorough interrogation should of been done. Tony must have easily convinced the police that he was too stupid to know anything. A sadly missed opportunity.



What's HLm?

I seriously doubt this guy's still alive.

I seriously doubt this guy's still alive.Me too.

But there was that time window when Tony was living in Adam's apartment that Adam still could have been alive.

Personally, I think things got out of hand quickly and Adam was met with foul play. But the police nonetheless had an opportunity to find out what happened, one way or the other. Tony should have been hauled off to the police station and interrogated.

Tony should have been hauled off to the police station and interrogated.

Definitely some very shoddy detective work here. As with many other older cases on UM.

I seriously doubt this guy's still alive.

Hecht, he's gone. (I'm so sorry)

Tony's probably long gone by now as well.

Tony's probably long gone by now as well.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/94/9c/38/949c38558eb7dda57eaa77e6fc61baff.jpg

Tony's probably long gone by now as well.

Well yes, considering this all went down over 28 years ago and he wouldn't have been living the healthiest of lifestyles.

anyone surprised there is hardly any information about this case outside of UM?


has it even been featured in any other crime shows? Are they any sort of updates or interviews with his family today?


is his family still looking for him? Do they care to find him?

anyone surprised there is hardly any information about this case outside of UM?

has it even been featured in any other crime shows? Are they any sort of updates or interviews with his family today?

is his family still looking for him? Do they care to find him?

Keep in mind this case is almost 30 years old, and it occurred before the age of the internet. There are pages about Adam's disappearance (like The Charley Project and others) with details on his case. But the biggest factor is that there is no direct proof that foul play was involved. There is as much or more evidence to suggest Adam just walked away from his life. As odd as that is, it is not a crime to do that as an adult.

With that said, I don't think this case got a lot of play in the media because it isn't sensational. It is certainly odd ("Rich guy disappears from Beverly Hills") however with no proof of foul play, there isn't much to report.

I'm sure his family would love to know where he is or what happened to him. However, I think they realize Adam may have chose to disappear. I think they tried hard to find him for a long time but after this many years it is highly unlikely this case will ever be solved.

its weird we only hear from his family, no friends or ex girlfriends.

I wonder if it were him or someone else who left his car there with they key in the ignition and all that cash there. I think most likely someone took advantage of him, but since he was rich and his killer most likely poor- why kill your cash cow?

I think it is likely a combination of drugs and a homosexual relationship.

I don't know which came first, but let me explain why I think both are a likely possibility. My reasons stem from my belief that both would be unacceptable to his family, so he needed a reason to keep them hidden. Tony provided the perfect cover.

Let's start with the homosexual relationship. His family seemed like they would certainly condemn this type of relationship and want to keep it hidden. By entering into a relationship with Tony, under the guise of "helping the homeless", Adam is able to operate in the relationship out in the open. He gets to be with his lover at all important functions, like family dinner, and no one suspects anything. He can be with Tony anywhere and it just seems like they are friends, or that Adam is in the middle of his honor crusade for the homeless. Which of his rich friends would really believe that anyone with money is sleeping with a homeless member of the same sex repeatedly? Maybe they could fathom that someone would pay for a one-time encounter, but they'd never believe he was willingly in a relationship with this person.

This works well for Adam. If he's questioning his sexuality, and doesn't want to let his family know that he has homosexual tendencies, then Tony and the helping the homeless cover shield him from those questions. If it doesn't work, or he decides later that he's not homosexual, he can always deny that anything gay occurred between him and Tony. It's unlikely anyone would ever make that allegation, but if they did, Adam can easily deny it without much resistance.

Adam was likely a drug user, but I don't know if he was a user before or after he met Tony. If he began using before he met Tony then Tony serves the function of someone who can go get Adam's drugs. Adam probably didn't know any drug dealers, or at least not any that would be completely hidden from his family (hollywood connections), and Tony probably did. Adam can also send Tony to buy and transport the drugs, thus shielding him from possibly getting arrested and acquiring a criminal record. This happens all the time. I'm sure you can all think about everyone you know or have met and find a couple that lives this lifestyle. Personally, I know a female lawyer who is smoking hot and dates an unemployed slacker who sits around her house all day. He's the drug runner, and all she has to do is maintain the dwelling and occasionally summon the beast with 2 backs with him. I know that sounds outlandish, but it happens far more than anyone realizes.

In some ways, I think his family probably suspects that Adam used drugs and at least had some questions about his sexuality. They kept a lot of potentially useful information out of the segment to protect their family's reputation.

Is it me, or is it odd that no one - neither the police nor Adam's family - has a picture of Tony?

Its unlikely such a picture would be useful now, but back when the episode first aired it could have helped.

Was this Tony character known to police? have a record?

I think in the renactment as they are bringing Tony in the cop says something along the lines of how Tony should be familiar with the routine.

Admittedly, due to a thing called creativity, that may not have been exactly as it occurred.

I think in the renactment as they are bringing Tony in the cop says something along the lines of how Tony should be familiar with the routine.

Admittedly, due to a thing called creativity, that may not have been exactly as it occurred.

I know the line you are talking about from the reenactment.

I always took that to be the cop just making a generalization that because Tony was a street person and therefore street savvy he "knew the routine" in terms of how to conduct oneself in dealing with the police in potentially hostile encounters.

I never thought the officer said this because he knew Tony, specifically, had a criminal past due to some prior information.

what if Tony himself was not homeless and lived in a near by apartment who just dressed urban? I doubt adam had many black friends and certainly nobody who dressed urban.

An upper class family is giving us their depiction of Tony. Maybe he just dressed "homeless"

Going through the 'golden era' of UM as I like to think of it (seasons 1-8), I'm at the early half of season 3 and saw this segment, right after I saw the one on the "Freedon". Both are two of the most perplexing I've seen.

Here, yeah, Adam's definitely dead. I'm on the fence though as to whether drugs caused him to fall off the radar or whether he started exploring Skid Row out of curiosity and then due to his gross naiveté, got sucked down that rabbit hole.

As for Tony? He was definitely into some weird stuff and I think he had some involvement in Adam's death, though he wasn't the direct cause (your guess is as good as mine where that's concerned..........).

I may have brushed over this - but whether homeless involvement or drug dealer involvement, why leave the $600? If it was a homeless person on Skid Row, you would think that'd be one of the big things they'd take without batting an eye, same with a drug dealer. The only thing I can think of was whoever moved his car was seriously spooked and the money there was the last thing on their minds.

Is it me, or is it odd that no one - neither the police nor Adam's family - has a picture of Tony?

Its unlikely such a picture would be useful now, but back when the episode first aired it could have helped.

back then people weren't walking around with camera phones everywhere so its really not that odd. the family didn't seem to like him that much so i can see why they wouldn't be snapping pics of him.

i def feel like its a greater possibility Tony was involved in Adams demise than not involved.

Was Adam's apartment ever searched? Fingerprinted? Sprayed with Luminol to get out any possible bloodstains? (I know this was in the seventies, but they say blood stains remain for years, even decades afterward.)

Were Adam's neighbors in the apartment complex ever interviewed about what they might have heard going on his apartment?

I'm not saying that Tony was definitely involved, but if he was, I find it so hard to believe that not a scrap of evidence was ever found.

I found it odd that Tony lived with Adam, but apparently "stunk" when meeting with his mother. Wouldn't Adam have cleaned him up and bought some clothes before dragging him to meet his mother?

It's odd that Adam left his money behind in the car. If he wanted to help the homeless, why not bring the cash to buy them food and.or hand it off.

There seems to be something off that makes me lean towards the "mental break" angle.

Edit: I just read elsewhere speculation that the hand burn on Adam was from smoking crack, which kind of makes sense if we accept the drug use route.

Edit: I just read elsewhere speculation that the hand burn on Adam was from smoking crack, which kind of makes sense if we accept the drug use route.

I didn't know that smoking crack qualified as a "test of endurance." :crazy:

But now this whole thing begins to make sense. Adam just got involved with drugs, and either overdosed or ran into the wrong people.

I didn't know that smoking crack qualified as a "test of endurance." :crazy:

But now this whole thing begins to make sense. Adam just got involved with drugs, and either overdosed or ran into the wrong people.

Yeah, I think he just overdosed or was killed on the street. No way a living addict is leaving that much money in the car.

It is possible that he overdosed while with Tony and Tony hid his body which is why he was comfortable staying in his apartment with him being gone. He knew he wasn't coming back.

His mother was definitely uppity snob. Victoria Tennant can play her in the film.

Marlene still around?

I really don't know what happened to him. He's either a nomadic or dead

His mother was definitely uppity snob. Victoria Tennant can play her in the film.

Good God, the smell. My God he was actually talking to this person.

https://twitter.com/kkingstylist/status/780240721311895553

https://twitter.com/kkingstylist/status/780240721311895553

Imagine if they hired a stripper & it turned out to be Tony.

lol wow. Having been to beverly hills its easy how a homeless person and a rich person can interact but hard to understand why. For all of its riches you also have poors on the skirts living basically in their shopping carts.

Anyone also think adam might have paid for sex with men and came too friendly with them?

paid for sex with men and came too

:rolleyes:

I think he was just sick of his families snobbery & opulent lifestyles while others struggled to eat nearby, like many in life he was disillusioned by everything & searching for something new-most turn to religion/spiritual stuff & it seems he was into the latter. Most likely at some point he turned Tony or another homeless person down when they asked for too much & was murdered.

I think he was just sick of his families snobbery & opulent lifestyles while others struggled to eat nearby, like many in life he was disillusioned by everything & searching for something new-most turn to religion/spiritual stuff & it seems he was into the latter. Most likely at some point he turned Tony or another homeless person down when they asked for too much & was murdered.

I would get sick of his mother's faux British accent very quickly. It's even worse than Shelley Long's faux British accent on Cheers

I think he was just sick of his families snobbery & opulent lifestyles while others struggled to eat nearby, like many in life he was disillusioned by everything & searching for something new-most turn to religion/spiritual stuff & it seems he was into the latter. Most likely at some point he turned Tony or another homeless person down when they asked for too much & was murdered.

He probably asked Tony where he could score some dope, and Tony told him and then they started using together. Tony was probably his "hook up" which is why he moved him in.

The burn mark he was described as having is indicative of drug use. I'm assuming crack. He probably O'd in the streets and was a John Doe, or Tony hid him

He probably asked Tony where he could score some dope, and Tony told him and then they started using together. Tony was probably his "hook up" which is why he moved him in.

The burn mark he was described as having is indicative of drug use. I'm assuming crack. He probably O'd in the streets and was a John Doe, or Tony hid him

The more I think about your theory, freakbook, the more it makes sense. It explains several things that I personally always struggled to reconcile with the "Adam just went all spiritual" or "Adam was sick of his privileged lifestyle" scenarios. I never could completely buy either of those explanations as reasons for the sudden, abrupt shift with Adam's demeanor, but a drug addiction could certainly bring about those kinds of behaviors. And that's sort of a kicker for me: the change was sudden and highly unusual according to his family. There seemed to be no foreshadowing or proclivities present that would lend to hanging out in the streets, allowing Tony to move in, etc., prior to this time. By all accounts, he wasn't an activist or volunteer. According to at least his sister, he wasn't particularly spiritual. I realize that doesn't in and of itself exclude the possibility that Adam underwent some radical inner transformation, but I feel a drug angle is probably more likely comparatively.

Also, for the good of the group, Martine Hecht is actually an Englishwoman. Perhaps that doesn't make her less irritating to some, but her accent isn't put-on.

Something I recently discovered that I missed all these years: Harold Hecht, Adam's father, died four years prior to his son's disappearance. He and Martine were divorced in 1974.

The more I think about your theory, freakbook, the more it makes sense. It explains several things that I personally always struggled to reconcile with the "Adam just went all spiritual" or "Adam was sick of his privileged lifestyle" scenarios. I never could completely buy either of those explanations as reasons for the sudden, abrupt shift with Adam's demeanor, but a drug addiction could certainly bring about those kinds of behaviors. And that's sort of a kicker for me: the change was sudden and highly unusual according to his family. There seemed to be no foreshadowing or proclivities present that would lend to hanging out in the streets, allowing Tony to move in, etc., prior to this time. By all accounts, he wasn't an activist or volunteer. According to at least his sister, he wasn't particularly spiritual. I realize that doesn't in and of itself exclude the possibility that Adam underwent some radical inner transformation, but I feel a drug angle is probably more likely comparatively.

Also, for the good of the group, Martine Hecht is actually an Englishwoman. Perhaps that doesn't make her less irritating to some, but her accent isn't put-on.

Something I recently discovered that I missed all these years: Harold Hecht, Adam's father, died four years prior to his son's disappearance. He and Martine were divorced in 1974.

Interesting. I assumed incorrectly that her accent was fake because it just hit the ear wrong. My bad

The more I think about your theory, freakbook, the more it makes sense. It explains several things that I personally always struggled to reconcile with the "Adam just went all spiritual" or "Adam was sick of his privileged lifestyle" scenarios. I never could completely buy either of those explanations as reasons for the sudden, abrupt shift with Adam's demeanor, but a drug addiction could certainly bring about those kinds of behaviors. And that's sort of a kicker for me: the change was sudden and highly unusual according to his family. There seemed to be no foreshadowing or proclivities present that would lend to hanging out in the streets, allowing Tony to move in, etc., prior to this time. By all accounts, he wasn't an activist or volunteer. According to at least his sister, he wasn't particularly spiritual. I realize that doesn't in and of itself exclude the possibility that Adam underwent some radical inner transformation, but I feel a drug angle is probably more likely comparatively.

Also, for the good of the group, Martine Hecht is actually an Englishwoman. Perhaps that doesn't make her less irritating to some, but her accent isn't put-on.

Something I recently discovered that I missed all these years: Harold Hecht, Adam's father, died four years prior to his son's disappearance. He and Martine were divorced in 1974.

Yeah, I'm also sure Adam was used to seeing homeless people constantly, so I'm sure he didn't see Tony and have an epiphany all of a sudden. I feel like Adam was porbably abusing drugs already but to a smaller degree (pills, weed, etc) and was looking for something stronger. I'm sure no one in his squeaky, white clean circle had any crack/cocaine, so he probably saw Tony and asked where the dope man was.

I mean to me this whole story just reeks of a priveleged, spoiled, rich kid who was naive and asked the homeless man where the drugs were at and got in way over his head.

You mentioned his father passing, and it's possible that he was depressed and started abusing drugs out of that depression. Maybe he felt pathless, and lonely as well and Tony was a drug hook-up, and someone to keep him company. Maybe Tony was that "mentor" he was missing from his father.

The burn mark, being gone for days at a time, sudden attitude change, and hanging on the streets are strong signs of a drug addict. Adam probably got too addicted too fast, and overdosed.

Yeah, I'm also sure Adam was used to seeing homeless people constantly, so I'm sure he didn't see Tony and have an epiphany all of a sudden. I feel like Adam was porbably abusing drugs already but to a smaller degree (pills, weed, etc) and was looking for something stronger. I'm sure no one in his squeaky, white clean circle had any crack/cocaine, so he probably saw Tony and asked where the dope man was.

I mean to me this whole story just reeks of a priveleged, spoiled, rich kid who was naive and asked the homeless man where the drugs were at and got in way over his head.

You mentioned his father passing, and it's possible that he was depressed and started abusing drugs out of that depression. Maybe he felt pathless, and lonely as well and Tony was a drug hook-up, and someone to keep him company. Maybe Tony was that "mentor" he was missing from his father.

The burn mark, being gone for days at a time, sudden attitude change, and hanging on the streets are strong signs of a drug addict. Adam probably got too addicted too fast, and overdosed.

This sounds like the most plausible theory, to me, regarding this case. Succinctly put!

This was the 80's in Beverly Hills :lol: Cocaine was likely readily available to him.

Drug addiction and overdose/drug deal gone bad is plausible though.

This was the 80's in Beverly Hills :lol: Cocaine was likely readily available to him.

Drug addiction and overdose/drug deal gone bad is plausible though.

Not necessarily. He could've had a more sheltered/clean surrounding. I can't imagine why else he would talk to a homeless black dude on the street.

I tend to agree with you, Freakbook. He could've been doing something more serious than cocaine. I feel like you came up with the most plausible theory.

Not necessarily. He could've had a more sheltered/clean surrounding. I can't imagine why else he would talk to a homeless black dude on the street.

Probably wanted a conversation that didn't revolve around playing Tennis, Badminton, the stock-market etc.

I've had UM on in the background this week and Adam's segment has stuck out to me -

I think his family completely messed up the investigation by focusing on Tony. The way his mom and his brother talk about Tony, it's just kind of racist and classist.

At Adam's age at the time, a lot of college kids interact with the homeless around campus or otherwise. Its a time of questioning the knowledge and values you were raised with and also a time of risk=taking. (Look at the Wadada segment) Having lived in a city where there is a significant homeless population that you'd see around bars - it was a frequent custom to give your leftovers from dining out to a homeless person when asked for them. Their relationship doesn't seem weird to me -Adam was probably naively trying to help Tony. It happens.

I think Adam brought Tony to dinner for shock value - knowing Tony wouldn't care and would get a free meal, but it'd be "acting out" for him and his mom would find it weird/offensive. They all talk about how BIZARRE it was that Adam would even TALK to a homeless man or CARE about why the man was homeless in the first place. Truth serum?? The editing does a good job of breaking up continuity with their remarks, but collectively...they're bad and their focus on Tony seems due to the fact that he's culturally a little odd and homeless. They seem to be pretty uninvolved in Adam's actual life - they didn't know Tony had moved in with him. The detective says Adam has disappeared before...there's NO mention or appearances of friends or other acquaintances.

Meanwhile, Adam's car is found with all his money etc. still inside! What homeless person with access to Adam's stuff (and likely spare keys!) is going to leave money around? Not USE his car? It just doesn't make sense.

More and more I think Adam was a victim of random violence and his family's insistence on Tony allowed the police to not investigate this as seriously as they might otherwise have.

Here is the link to my writeup on Adam's case.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/631752367223887/permalink/840193476379774/

https://www.independent.com/obits/2019/09/11/alma-hecht/

Interesting that Adam is described as surviving his step-sister who passed away in 2019.

Personally, I think Adam was killed by some wealthy associate of his, perhaps in connection with drugs or some other shady business. I don’t think the homeless Tony, with probable mental illness, would have the wherewithal to so successfully hide a body.

Personally, I think Adam was killed by some wealthy associate of his, perhaps in connection with drugs or some other shady business. I don’t think the homeless Tony, with probable mental illness, would have the wherewithal to so successfully hide a body.

Wealthy? Probably homeless. It seemed like Adam was hanging on the streets and had a bad drug addiction at the time. Adam was either robbed/killed in an alley somewhere, or had an overdose.

Wealthy? Probably homeless. It seemed like Adam was hanging on the streets and had a bad drug addiction at the time. Adam was either robbed/killed in an alley somewhere, or had an overdose.

I think if either of those were true he would have been found and identified long ago.