Just curious, was the killer caught who mudered Don Smith captured? This was the case where a drunk man finds his daughter in a pub and she avoids him. Smith had a strange companion who people think is the main suspect.

As far as I know, the guy was never caught. I dont know what, if any updates there are to this case, but I do not believe the killer was caught.

Very strange case...especially because the companion, imo, waited so long to kill Don and that he was so "out in the open" with Don.

Good point forever pluto...maybe the companion just "snapped" & murdered Don Smith. Maybe, after they had left the pub, they had a disagreement about something.

I hate this case... mainly because it was the first UM segment I ever saw and it scared the living daylights out of me.

I think the reason the guy waited so long to kill Don was because if my memory is correct, Don was waiting to get some money wired to him from his sister. After he got the money, the companion killed him. As I recall, it wasn't even that much. Just a couple hundred dollars or so.

So sad. I really feel for the daughter in this case, as she just walked away from her father in disgust. I would have HATED it if my last exchange with my father went down like that...

Maybe Don got plastered again and told his companion he could "whip him" like he told everyone in the bar. Maybe his companion took him up on the challenge.

some good theories there. Another possibility why the hitchhiker waited so long was that it was believed Don picked him up just outside of Las Vegas, and the hitchhiker probably wanted to wait until they were in a much more rural area, plus have it be futher away so it would take at least a long time to find him/identify him, thus giving him more time to get away.

Don Smith was pretty decayed when they found him, and possibly the only reason they were able to identify him was because the hitchhiker got into the car accident, and fled the scene really quickly, leaving a lot of evidence behind that could be traced back to Don Smith.

Did anyone else find it strange that, towards the segment, Stack mentions that the Police want to talk to the hitchhiker, but he isn't a suspect, or something to that effect? It would seem that it's pretty cut and dried that the hitchhiker did it, last one to see him alive, bloody clothes, had his truck, etc. What do you think?

Well, he did say that police didnt view him as a suspect, but I think the full line was "police want to question him so if he is indeed innocent he can clear his name." This was probably a little reverse psychology trying to get the guy to come forward so that they could nail him, because obviously if he knows he is being hunted he will do anything and everything to avoid being apprehended. Of course this is just my opinion, it could be wrong.

I was kind of thinking the same thing, that police would nail him if he came in for an interview.

Another weird thing was that the hitchhiker allowed himself to be seen in so many instances, at the bar, at the hospital, at wherever to pick up the money transfer. It seems like they had been traveling awhile, so they probably stopped some places for food and stuff also. Plus, outside of the occasional wearing of sunglasses, he didn't cover up his face at all. I'm surprised there haven't been any eyewitness accounts of him, unless he traveled to some far off country, which is possible.

Maybe Don got plastered again and told his companion he could "whip him" like he told everyone in the bar. Maybe his companion took him up on the challenge.

I LOVE that part.

Right when he says it and whips around to take on all comers, you can see these two extras/locals with ZZ Top beards giggling wildly at the bar.

Very strange case...especially because the companion, imo, waited so long to kill Don and that he was so "out in the open" with Don.

Like UMfan77 says, he might have just snapped. Maybe from drug withdrawal.

Then again, if he was a drifter, he probably wasn't concerned about potential witnesses. If no one knew his real name, if he hid all possible identification marks (tattoos, etc.), and if he did not leave a paper trail (used his ID or a credit card, etc.), then finding him would be like finding a needle in a haystack. And he knew that. Hence, why 20 years has passed and the case remains unsolved.

Don had many problems and was very depressed and I was wondering if he asked the hitch hiker guy to kill him or to put him out of his misery. Don could no longer work and had cancer. He sobbed at the bar and told his daughter he should just kill himself. After he realized what a scene he had made in front of his daughter, I wonder if he asked the hitch hiker to just kill him and he could have his stuff.

has anyone ever been able to 'place' the actor that played the suspect in this segment? I swear he has been in other more notable roles in either TV/movies.