`UNSOLVED MYSTERIES' STILL TRACKING DOWN ANSWERS
The Palm Beach Post
November 11, 1994
Author: PAUL LOMARTIRE
Palm Beach Post Television Writer
Estimated printed pages: 3

As NBC's Unsolved Mysteries celebrates its 200th solved case, there remains a mystery unsolved for many TV viewers: How has this show become a durable, seven-season ratings winner?

``We weren't sure if the audience would respond to a program that told stories that didn't have endings,'' says Unsolved Mysteries executive producer John Cosgrove, who created the show with Terry Meurer in 1988. Any mystery is grist for the show, from murders to lost loves to paranormal phenomena.
Tonight, Unsolved Mysteries offers a special two-hour episode. Segments include the reuniting of two Vietnam veterans and a $500 million treasure of gold coins and bars reportedly buried off an island in Lake Michigan.

The show is hosted by Robert Stack. Raymond Burr was the first Unsolved Mysteries host, in 1987, when the show was tested by NBC as a special. Karl Malden followed for two more specials.

When the show went to a weekly series, Burr and Malden wanted what Cosgrove called ``astronomical'' salaries. Stack was hired for his voice and the fact that audiences would associate him with law enforcement after his run playing Eliot Ness on The Untouchables TV series from 1959-63.

Cosgrove and Meurer choose which stories are profiled on the show. A vast majority of mysteries come from viewers.

``We get 1,500 to 2,000 calls (to the show's 800 number) in the first 24 hours after each broadcast,'' said Cosgrove. ``A great many of those are suggestions for stories. We also get an equal amount of mail.''

Each letter received at the show's Los Angeles offices receives an answer, but, he continued, ``it's sad in a way, because there are so many cases that do go unsolved, so many homicides unsolved, so many people who have lost track of an important relative that need help. We wish we could do all of them.''

The process of selecting mysteries involves a dozen researchers assigned to different parts of the country. They stay in constant touch with law enforcement officers and reporters.

Unlike Fox's America's Most Wanted, hosted by John Walsh, Unsolved Mysteries is wary of child disappearance cases. AMW had planned a Christina Holt disappearance story that was circumvented only by the arrest of the girl's stepfather, John Zile, on charges he murdered Christina.

As for crime stories, Cosgrove says, ``there has to be a warrant out for somebody before we'll do the story. In a domestic case, we need to be absolutely certain that the parent who fled is endangering the child, that's it's not just a case of an angry parent.''

The show's success rate is 28 percent. When a fugitive's mug is shown, the success rate moves to 40 percent, and is up to 63 percent for lost-love cases.

Amnesia cases are frequently winners. One case involved a man found wandering in the desert near Las Vegas. After his story aired, his family called and it was discovered there was a warrant for the man's arrest.

And then there are the weird success stories involving criminals on the run. In one case, a Texas man killed his wife, but ended up in prison in another state for armed robbery under an alias. Someone at the prison was watching Unsolved Mysteries the night the murder of the man's wife was profiled. He recognized the prisoner, who was scheduled to be paroled in one day for the armed robbery. Eventually, the man was extradited.

But with all this success, Cosgrove can't gloat. The fact that a television show has become an important arm of law enforcement hasn't escaped him.

``It's sad to say,'' Cosgrove said, ``but if someone commits a crime, it's not difficult to change your identity. And when you've changed your identity and you've crossed state lines, it's tough for law enforcement to find you.

``We help the odds there because the picture goes up in millions upon millions of households, and you can't run away from that.''

UNSOLVED MYSTERIES' SCORECARD SINCE 1988

(OF 701 SOLVABLE CASES)

FEATURED SOLVED PERCENTAGE

Wanted (fugitives with known ID) 241 95 40

Wanted (unknown) 113 15 13

Lost loves 109 69 63

Heirs 16 3 19

Final appeal 16 3 19

Kidnappings 11 1 9

Unexplained death 87 2 2

Missing persons 88 5 2

Robbery 6 0 0

Unidentified persons 14 7 50

TOTAL 701 200 28
Caption:
John Cosgrove (mug).
Caption:
PHOTO (B&W)
Memo: Info box at end of text.
Edition: FINAL
Section: ACCENT
Page: 5D
Index Terms: TV
Copyright 1994 Palm Beach Newspapers, Inc.
Record Number: PBP11110804

And then there are the weird success stories involving criminals on the run. In one case, a Texas man killed his wife, but ended up in prison in another state for armed robbery under an alias. Someone at the prison was watching Unsolved Mysteries the night the murder of the man's wife was profiled. He recognized the prisoner, who was scheduled to be paroled in one day for the armed robbery. Eventually, the man was extradited.




Is that the James Donald King case they're referring to?

Is that the James Donald King case they're referring to?

Nope. James Donald King was a North Carolina case. King was caught in 1997, six or seven years after he was first profiled on UM. As for the Texas man, his name could have been Charles, but I'm not entirely certain.

Nope. James Donald King was a North Carolina case. King was caught in 1997, six or seven years after he was first profiled on UM. As for the Texas man, his name could have been Charles, but I'm not entirely certain.

Probably Charles Chester. He was profiled as a bank robber but was also suspected in the murder of his wife.

Credit to Stack for not being a money-grubbing opportunistic like Malden and Burr.

You know, I was just thinking about why I like this show so much. Of course the ambiance is wonderful, but I think it was also because of the case situations. I immensely enjoy (in a somber manner) watching this stuff from the early '90s talking about cases from the '80s. The later stuff is good as well, but I just don't enjoy it as much. I realized that for all of the cases from the original, there was another decade to cover, and another decade of cases that were investigated and put on the show.

I may not be making much sense here, but it just seems like the '80s were a more basic form of investigation. That's not to say it didn't have some stuff, because obviously technology was advanced and blood typing and faster methods of communicating nation and even worldwide, but seeing some cases and how easily some of them could be solved today. I feel horrible for the families of cases unsolved, or for cases that even occurred at all, but sometimes I just enjoy seeing the older, slower methods of investigation.

This may sound like it's from someone corrupted by the CSI-Style whatever where I expect ridiculously quick results. I know that today is a lot like it was before, with legwork and good ol' fashioned detective work. Then again, I'm fairly ignorant as to the workings of law enforcement, so this may all be wrong.

The reason I prefer this show to AMW and would prefer to watch this in almost any situation is just because of the feel. This is as if you are a detective being debriefed; AMW feels almost childish sometimes with those sayings. I applaud any effort to increase awareness, I just see UM as the superior product because of its effective means of display. Heck, AMW would rarely scare me, but UM can do it in one fell swoop. The music, the pictures, the Stack, they all set me up for a good old serving of interpreting washing machines as footsteps. Oh yeah.

I just wish I could have watched it when it was first on...man, I love this show, and yet I got into it only a few years ago. If I could have watched this stuff...then again, that's just me digging the past and wanting to live forever or whatever.

I like their calculations, and it holds true. 28% sounds about right, and lost loves are easy because no one's trying to hide. Amnesia is easy for that same reason: it all relies on people watching the show. That's the ultimate pull!

"Tune in and *you* may help solve a mystery."

Isn't that what Mr. Stack says at the end, give or take?

The fact that they solved any cases makes the show so worth it.

It's interesting to me that they only solved 2% of the Unexplained Deaths that were featured on the show. That seems awfully low, at least in my opinion.

Any else agree?

It's interesting to me that they only solved 2% of the Unexplained Deaths that were featured on the show. That seems awfully low, at least in my opinion.

Any else agree?

Well, I think that since the majority of the Unexplained Deaths cases involve the traditional "debate" of suicide(authorities) vs homicide(family), one part of the equation(LE) is adamant that the deaths aren't unexplainable at all, i.e. the deaths were suicides. And without the help of the authorities, it's very difficult for the relatives to get a coroner's verdict change from suicide to unexplained death, and begin an official investigation. And I am not considering the cases of possible police corruption and where a cover up is most likely taking place(Tommy Burket and Keith Warren to name 2 of the most shocking cases), where the probabilities of opening a case are pretty slim or non existent, so the cases remain unsolved, at least for the family, and a good portion of the public.

It's a good article. It's interesting when producer John Cosgrove acknowledges the sad fact that there are so many unsolved cases. It was a sad reminder that the UM crew had no realistic way of covering every unsolved case, even if they wanted to. :(

Also, judging from what I read in the article, it is obvious that Robert Stack was affordable. I say that because Cogrove noted that Raymond Burr and Karl Malden asked for "astronomical" salaries. A salary request is obviously a common factor in the hiring process; asking for too much money is a sure way to minimize your chances of being hired.

A salary request is obviously a common factor in the hiring process; asking for too much money is a sure way to minimize your chances of being hired.

You got that one right! I've been at my current employer for almost three years now, and I see some applicants asking for more money than I currently make now. I feel like telling them "Well, good luck with that." :lol:

You know, I was just thinking about why I like this show so much. Of course the ambiance is wonderful, but I think it was also because of the case situations. I immensely enjoy (in a somber manner) watching this stuff from the early '90s talking about cases from the '80s. The later stuff is good as well, but I just don't enjoy it as much. I realized that for all of the cases from the original, there was another decade to cover, and another decade of cases that were investigated and put on the show.

I may not be making much sense here, but it just seems like the '80s were a more basic form of investigation. That's not to say it didn't have some stuff, because obviously technology was advanced and blood typing and faster methods of communicating nation and even worldwide, but seeing some cases and how easily some of them could be solved today. I feel horrible for the families of cases unsolved, or for cases that even occurred at all, but sometimes I just enjoy seeing the older, slower methods of investigation.

This may sound like it's from someone corrupted by the CSI-Style whatever where I expect ridiculously quick results. I know that today is a lot like it was before, with legwork and good ol' fashioned detective work. Then again, I'm fairly ignorant as to the workings of law enforcement, so this may all be wrong.

The reason I prefer this show to AMW and would prefer to watch this in almost any situation is just because of the feel. This is as if you are a detective being debriefed; AMW feels almost childish sometimes with those sayings. I applaud any effort to increase awareness, I just see UM as the superior product because of its effective means of display. Heck, AMW would rarely scare me, but UM can do it in one fell swoop. The music, the pictures, the Stack, they all set me up for a good old serving of interpreting washing machines as footsteps. Oh yeah.

I just wish I could have watched it when it was first on...man, I love this show, and yet I got into it only a few years ago. If I could have watched this stuff...then again, that's just me digging the past and wanting to live forever or whatever.

I like their calculations, and it holds true. 28% sounds about right, and lost loves are easy because no one's trying to hide. Amnesia is easy for that same reason: it all relies on people watching the show. That's the ultimate pull!

"Tune in and *you* may help solve a mystery."

Isn't that what Mr. Stack says at the end, give or take?

The fact that they solved any cases makes the show so worth it.

Wow, I love Robert. He was my first crush. 10 years old, most girls wanted someone from New Kids on the Block but I wanted.....Robert.....Ahhhh.

I agree with ya, Goofyman, I was young, it wasn't my fault, but I only wish I could have gotten into the show sooner. Just like me, I fall for a show only to have it cancelled. It happens everytime!!!!