I just rewatched the Russell and Jean Johnson segment today, the elderly Florida couple who helped a stranger down on his luck. The Johnsons didn't have much money but they gave him about $5 and some sandwiches.

Just before Christmas they received anonymous checks for $500 in the mail, 5 years in a row, the Johnsons believe they were sent by the stranger. Not usually my kind of segments but this was such a heartwarming story IMO :)

Any thoughts on this? Have there been any updates on this story?

Yes, this was one of the better lost loves stories, although I'm not totally sold that the stranger was the one who sent them the checks. In reality, this guy probably went to a ton of houses around that time, and most people have at least a little food to spare, so he probably got help from many people at that time. I highly doubt Russell and Jean were the only ones to help him. Also, as unfortunate as it is, reversals of fortune like the one the stranger is believed to have encountered are extremely rare. If he was a vagrant, than the odds of him remembering an address (I don't believe he had a pen and paper with him) are also low.

maybe they told one of their friends or relatives about the incident, and those people decided to do a little something for them in return. But just to "kick it up a notch" UM suggests the vagrant may be responsible.

I haven't seen this one in awhile, but how do you send an "anonymous" check?

I always thought the guy might have been one of those rich people who posed as a homeless guy.

I always thought the guy might have been one of those rich people who posed as a homeless guy.

Why would anyone wanna do that:confused:

I always thought the guy might have been one of those rich people who posed as a homeless guy.
...or even a rich guy who at that time was down on his luck. Maybe once his luck...or money improved, he decided to return the kindness to Russell and Jean.

Watched this one again on volume 10 (which I received yesterday). I had actually requested it be included, mostly because it is one of my sister's all-time favorite cases.

I wondered too about the "anonymous" check --- in the segment, it looks like the check is drawn on the Bank of Florida, but that could just be a generic bank name the producers of Unsolved Mysteries made up. So, this leads me to wonder --- what exactly is UM withholding here? You'd figure there would have to be an issuing bank name somewhere on the check that would provide a clue, and I can't think of any type of check that doesn't require at least a name. Cashier's checks often don't require the signature of the "remitter," using the signature of the bank president or some other official instead, but I've never seen one that didn't have the name of the payer somewhere on the check. However, the name could just be a company; if that's the case, this might have been what UM was withholding, to ensure that any call to the telecenter was legitimate.

I've read about cases where rich people start acting like homeless people. It's named after a real person but I can't remember whom.

Maybe it was an act by a rich person to see if anyone was worthy of charity.

That's a good point, mozart, however the name of the payer on the check could have been in the form of a signature, and a lot of signatures are illegible to everyone except the person signing it.

As for the rich person disguising himself to be homeless to see if anyone was worthy of his charity, that is certainly possible, however that's going to pretty far lengths to give a lot of money to complete strangers.

That was a strange segment- the wife was acting like Charles Manson was at their door then she calms down right away when her husband says about four words to the guy, I also thought it was strange that they had a cheque so there must have been some type of name on it and I love the way the guy in the bank was able to tell them a cheque was not going to bounce in 3 seconds just by looking at it.:lol:

This whole segment had me laughing. The way Russell Johnson was over acting and the random "slices of life" stillshots of the couple they used to show just how down-homey and average the couple are. That shot of Jean beaming broadly while holding a cake was the perfect touch.

That was a strange segment- the wife was acting like Charles Manson was at their door then she calms down right away when her husband says about four words to the guy...

Yes! She comes into the garage all hurriedly, telling her husband of a bummy man outside asking after work he can do. The husband sizes him up within 10 seconds like he's some sort of Emergencry Room doctor and then demands, "OOh..we gotta live one here! Jean, prep this man for sammiches...lots of sammiches!! And gimme 50ccs of Iced Tea STAT!!"


I wonder if Russell started knocking up Skid Row Halfway Doll Houses in honor of his newfround friend, the tramp.






I also thought it was strange that they had a cheque so there must have been some type of name on it and I love the way the guy in the bank was able to tell them a cheque was not going to bounce in 3 seconds just by looking at it.:lol:

Hahahaha!! Real good security measures they have at that bank.

I too wondered about the check endorsement but I figured it was probably a cashier's check or a money order from a bank. Those things you can pretty much endorse as:

A. Nonymous
123 Boulevard St. Apartment ABC
Town City, ST 90210

It would have to be a cashiers check because if that bank is not only cashing checks based on the "hold it up to the light" test, but cashing personal checks endorsed by "Your Christian Friend", "SANTA", or "Your Angel Bum" and written on checks issued by North Pole Savings & Loan, then they got serious problems with the banking system in Florida.

The checks are probably coming from someone who wants to torture the tellers at the Johnson's bank. You know those poor tellers have heard about this "angel" like 5 grillion times. Some time around the 4th year I bet they were like, "Aww...Criminey!! Here comes Russell and Jean again with yet another Immaculate Transaction. I cannot sit here and listen to that damn sammich and iced tea story again!! I'm going on break."




EDITED TO ADD:

When I watched this again the other day I was almost positive I had seen the actor who portrayed the Blessed Bum somewhere before. I kept seeing his face in my mind doing this one particular look, fixing his nose and mouth a specific way.

I am almost 100% sure that he was in an episode of The Sopranos. I think it was the first episode of Season 5, as Detective Lieutenant Barry Haydu (retired). He was the crooked cop who was being observed at his retirement party by Tony and Christopher. Tony then told Chrissey that the cop was the one who killed Chrissey's dad.

Well your post had ME laughing, Corky Kneivel! :lol:

The UM segment also acted like the guy just vanished off the steet when the Johnsons went to wave bye to him.

Maybe it was a rich guy trying to find "the true spirit of Christmas." He found it with this couple and rewarded them for it.

Or Leave It to Beaver, episode 214: "Beaver's Good Deed."

Have to admit Corky....pretty funny

I found this to be a very moving and heartwarming case.

I agree, I love this segment. I kinda want a sandwich and a glass of tea. Actually, make that two glasses of tea...cold.

I've been binge watching UM on Amazon Prime and I recently saw this one for the first time. It was wonderful having one that made you feel joy instead of sadness! What a sweet story. I instantly thought of this scripture verse:
Hebrews 13:2 - Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.

It is a great segment. It was heartwarming and it gave us some of the best lines..."good as gold!"

However, it seems more than a little bogus. If they did receive "anonymous checks" they were likely from family or friends who wanted to help out these doddering oldsters

It is a great segment. It was heartwarming and it gave us some of the best lines..."good as gold!"

However, it seems more than a little bogus. If they did receive "anonymous checks" they were likely from family or friends who wanted to help out these doddering oldsters


I agree — it’s a great story and they seemed like terrific people. I highly doubt anything supernatural occurred. I bet someone heard this story and a family member/church/company decided to help them out. In any event, I admire them for giving what little they had to help out a stranger.

This was one of my favorite segments, apologies if it was already mentioned.

https://legcy.co/2Tkoepe

Jean H. Johnson, 91, of Punta Gorda, FL passed away October 20, 2018. She was born February 27, 1927 in Harbor Beach, MI to Meldrin and Julia Ramage. She moved to this area in 1975 from Wayne, MI. Jean was a homemaker who enjoyed doing crafts, crocheting and gardening. She showed such loving kindness to her family, that they shared, "Our mother Jean was an angel God put on this earth, if there ever was one." In fact, Jean was featured on an episode of the TV show, Unsolved Mysteries with her story of a Christmas Angel.

She will be dearly missed by her daughters, Linda Johnson, Jeanette (Kevin) Swanguarin, Janice Sanlor and Cheryle (Carl) Hopper; adopted daughters, Cheryl Scarborough and Lyvonne Ryckman; 13 grandchildren, 22 great grandchildren and 7 great great grandchildren. She was predeceased by her beloved husband Russell in 2002; son-in-laws, Buck Johnson and Dale Sanlor; grandchildren, Stephanie and Austin; nephews, Elden and Milton and her twin sister, June Hall.

The family will receive friends from 12:00 noon till 6:00pm Wednesday, October 24, 2018 at the Kays-Ponger & Uselton Funeral Home, 635 E Marion Ave, Punta Gorda, FL 33950. The family will receive friends on Thursday October 26, 2018 at the funeral home from 10:00am till 12 noon, with the Funeral Service beginning at 12 noon, officiated by Pastor Gumm.

Please visit kays-ponger.com to leave the family your thoughts, memories and condolences on the online guestbook.

It’s sad she passed, but it sounds like she lived a long, happy life. Although I don’t think her story was truly supernatural, she and Russ seemed like a sweet old couple. RIP, Jean.

I watch this segment every Christmas and I've always wondered why this guy from Houston was hitchhiking in Florida. I found the address of the Johnson home and it was the same one used in the re-enactment in the segment. You can take a 3D tour (https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/5840-Acla-Vista-Dr-Punta-Gorda-FL-33950/43564371_zpid/?) of the Johnson home, as it is for sale right now.

Not to overthink a simple lost loves segment, but it really is weird to me trying to come up with any reasonable explanation for who this guy was, and if it was him or someone completely unrelated sending the checks. Stack says in the narration that the checks all originated from the "Orlando area". You can tell by the signatures that there was more than one person signing the cards. Their house was off of a highway that goes from Miami to Tampa. So it is conceivable that the guy was legitimately hitchhiking. But I can't wrap my head around the "rich guy cosplaying as a hobo" theory. Nor does the guy being a down on his luck drifter who somehow strikes it rich within a few weeks of meeting the Johnson's. I also wonder if the checks ever stopped coming.