I hope my case isn't the worse things UM have shed on the lives of others, but...

I first started watching UM in elementary school, and I was hooked, though it made me extremely anxious and scared from a young age (I could never sleep at night, scared to go downstairs, check outside windows constantly, check rooms, etc.), and all that has followed if not worsened.

During middle school, I tried extremely hard not to watch it but would always flip to lifetime at 1 PM to see what the episode was about. Of course I couldn't stop watching. I remember after watching the Men in Black segment wanting to get out of the house and just sitting on my bed looking all around me.

Now, even as someone that's a Junior in highschool, it's even worse. My psychologist keeps telling me to stop watching them, but after stints of no UM, I always come back to it. My thoughts are always clustered with cases of UM I never got over with, mainly Cindy James (this one's ALWAYS on my mind), Kurt Sova, Keith Warren and Mark Finley (holy crap this one's disturbing), and then Circleville Letter Writer. I'm pretty much scared constantly and now, I'm always checking rooms, looking behind myself every few seconds or so, and can't be alone. At night, I can hardly go downstairs. I always have this anxiety that someone's there watching me and I'm afraid that if I get into cases like the Billy Ray Hargrove and Mike Carmichael case that the government...well, might kill me. Nowadays, I find it hard side sleeping because I'm scared of what's behind me and can't keep my eyes closed.

I'm be seeing a psychiatrist soon. If I could wash away all my memories of UM, UFOs, conspiracy theories, and the paranormal, I'd do it in a heartbeat. I just always think someone's there or behind me, wanting to kill me to be perfectly honest. UM has made me paranoid to an extent that I thought I'd never hoped in.

In the mean time, I hope the Russell Evans case will be the last one I watch.

I can sort of relate to this. I love watching the episodes late at night when i'm alone, even though I can't sleep for hours and have nightmares.

I can sort of relate to this. I love watching the episodes late at night when i'm alone, even though I can't sleep for hours and have nightmares.

One rule to go by when watching UM. Never ever watch the show at night. LOL Specially that one episode of the arson guy who went by the name of Omar. LMAO Watching that episode at night will for sure keep you up & freak you out. LOL

I know what you mean. I set my ringtone on my Cell to the Unsolved mysteries theme - one night i forgot to switch it off and about 3am, someone called me......i nearly had a heart attack right there and then!

I know what you mean. I set my ringtone on my Cell to the Unsolved mysteries theme - one night i forgot to switch it off and about 3am, someone called me......i nearly had a heart attack right there and then!

:lol:

I know what you mean. I set my ringtone on my Cell to the Unsolved mysteries theme - one night i forgot to switch it off and about 3am, someone called me......i nearly had a heart attack right there and then!

Haha, great idea eunos! Can't believe I never thought of that, anyway I just transfered the theme to my cellphone and now I'll get my heart in my throat every time my cell rings! :D

When I was younger, I had the same sort of attitude, but as I've gotten older I realize I know few people if any who have been the victims of violent crime.

I remember the Circleville Letter Writing case.... was it ever solved? However, I dont remember the other cases..... I looked up the Kurt Sova and Keith Warren cases, but could find nothing on Mark Finley.

I remember the Circleville Letter Writing case.... was it ever solved? However, I dont remember the other cases..... I looked up the Kurt Sova and Keith Warren cases, but could find nothing on Mark Finley.

The Circleville case will never be solved.

Keith Warren was the boy that was killed and the police intentionally ruled it a suicide; her mom got a note that Mark Finley was next and he was killed promptly after he told Keith's mom he'd get to the bottom of the case. The paramedics said it looked like he got hit with a baseball bat when the police said he fell off his bike.

Obviously the police had a sinister role in both cases. What's worse was that Keith's mom was sent photos of him, that could only be accessed by the police.

My parents used to work late at nights when i was kid and my siblings went a way to college around the early 90s. I used to watch this show when it came on at around 8pm on ch. 4 in NYC.

I don;t remember any horror movie ever scarring me more than Unsolved Mysteries would. That Arsonist story scarred the crap out of me. That and the Allagash UFO abductions.

And strange enough as i have grown older and watched the episodes i still can't watch them at night?

What's even more strange is that i find the Crime stories more scary than the UFO or Ghost stories they did.:eek:

I can definitely relate to this. I have a rule never to watch UM during the evening or at night. If i watch it, it has to be during the day. Although i feel i'm more immune to it now and could probably watch it at night but i don't just to be safe. Sometimes though i watch a few scary ones during the day and that night i leave the tele on before i go to sleep just to be safe.
I think i actually mainly get most scared by the ghosts and UFO segments though. I've watched a lot of crime shows so they don't affect me as much these days.

-Ben

For some reason when I was younger, I always thought suspects of the murders that were profiled on UM would be watching and find a way to get revenge on UM and kill Robert Stack. I was too young to understand the concept of a writing team, so I thought Robert Stack had all the knowledge and was pulling all the stories out of his ass. I always thought, "How did robert stack know all these murderers were armed and dangerous? They will kill him for this!"

When I was really scared, I would cover up under my blankets for extended periods of time thinking the killers would come in my room. This would suck ass because I would overheat under there and I would be too afraid to come up and gasp for cooler air. Yea, bad nights :(

One rule to go by when watching UM. Never ever watch the show at night. LOL Specially that one episode of the arson guy who went by the name of Omar. LMAO Watching that episode at night will for sure keep you up & freak you out. LOL

When I first began watching, I always taped the show at night and watched during the day! Later I came to enjoy watching at night.

Wonder how Kyte is doing now?

One rule to go by when watching UM. Never ever watch the show at night. LOL Specially that one episode of the arson guy who went by the name of Omar. LMAO Watching that episode at night will for sure keep you up & freak you out. LOL


Interesting rule , I actually am the opposite of you in that I have watched all episodes at night :eek: :)

When I was a kid I felt that way. It's one of those shows that no matter how old you are you can watch it because of the drama. But I stopped watching it cause it scared the poo out of me. Then as an adult I started up again and now I'm fine to watch it at night.

The Circleville case will never be solved.


Please refer to my posting in the Circleville Letter thread. After reading court docs and speaking with Martin Yant on several topics; I feel the case is solved. Not officially while there is a Radcliff as sheriff.

But the case can be split into two parts. Part one is the original letter writer and the death of Ron Gillispie. Part two is the second letter writer and the smear campaign against Paul Freshour.

We know Mary did not directly murder Ron because she was out of town at the time with several witnesses, who also confirm that Gordon Massie was present with Mary. :rolleyes:

Who killed Ron?

One rule to go by when watching UM. Never ever watch the show at night. LOL Specially that one episode of the arson guy who went by the name of Omar. LMAO Watching that episode at night will for sure keep you up & freak you out. LOL

I still get creeped out by the music alone. But I remember having to sleep with my parents anytime they were watching this. It scared the crap out of me, but I remember loving to watch it all the same. I so wish they would bring it back in some fashion, or at least that guy Cosgrove should release all of the episodes.

Seriously, I miss it.

I could watch it for hours on end doesn't bother me. Now Criminal Minds has had some serious wackjobs that I can't rewatch those a second time for nothing. Like this past week I just couldn't get into it plus that gal (the unsub they call it) was on Law & Order: SUV so I couldn't picture her as some mad crazy killer.

There is one moment in UM history that I don't think I will ever get over, even though honestly its pretty ridiculous.

Remember Kevin Ryder & Gene Baxter from the "Confess Your Crime" radio show? The two individually respond to being asked point blank if the call was a hoax created to boost their ratings, and then RS comes on to tell the audience that the two guys were lying.

RS looked and sounded SO MAD at that moment, I have never been able to get it out of my head. I can't think of another moment in the series where RS looked so pissed off.

I have a funny story..

I watched UM around middle school age..like 12/13. Before that, when I heard the music, I'd run and hide in another room. I'd always watch it during the day though. This was back in 2000/2001 (I'm now 27). So, back then it was on during the day or early evening I think. I always watched UM and the golden girls on Lifetime, they were two of my favorites.

I was pretty active with activities and socializing in high school so only got to watch it occasionally. For my 18th birthday they started coming out with the DVDs (2005). My boyfriend at the time got me the Ghost set. I remember opening it at dinner with our friends at Fridays and none of my friends knew what it was or thought he should've got me something else but I thought it was the best gift ever as it was quite thoughtful. Anyways, we had planned to get a hotel for the night at some fancy 5 star. However, little did we know when we went to check in, you have to be 21 to check in and we were 18 and 19. I was a few weeks shy of graduation and wanted to pretend I was a full fledged adult so I was insistent we find a hotel.

Well, we found this old one story motel in the absolute middle of nowhere that allowed check in to be at 18. I cant stress how desolate this motel was. It was the creepiest environment I can remember. It honestly felt like the bates motel. Well, that night I really wanted to watch the ghost DVD set since I hadn't seen UM in awhile and it was my favorite show. Well, lets just say, the combination of those ghost stories on that set and watching it in a bates motel environment was the DUMBEST thing I could imagine. We both were scared out of our minds and were up all night intensely creeped out. Not remotely sexy or romantic lol. I still have all the DVD sets but now I prefer to watch the originals

On a more serious note....I love UM and I've always been fascinated by things like that. However I wouldn't let it run your life. Just like any clutch, if it's used as an escape from your life and your focusing on it to much, you could be missing out on life around you. I think its a good to be aware of your surroundings and I think UM has helped me be a little smarter in which situations I put myself it but it is not good to live in a constant fear. Fear and stress just wrecks havoc on your body and overtime can cause serious problems. As someone who's an anxious person by nature, I recommend you find healthy ways to ease your fear and anxieties. The odds of you ever becoming a victim of something you see on UM is extremely low. If live life constantly in fear, you'll miss out on life. Try to watch more happier UM episodes or maybe think of a career in helping victims and their families such as in law enforcement ect. anyways, I love UM too, just never let it stop you or your fears from living a healthy life. :)

There's some "rough" stories on UM. As a parent it would not be my first choice for a child or even young teen to watch unsupervised.

There's some "rough" stories on UM. As a parent it would not be my first choice for a child or even young teen to watch unsupervised.
Definitely not for kids. I can't believe my parents let me watch it. My kids hate it after seeing one segment by mistake so I make sure I don't put it on around them.

There's some "rough" stories on UM. As a parent it would not be my first choice for a child or even young teen to watch unsupervised.

Interesting you say that. I don't think my parents let me watch initially. In fact, I think that was part of the allure. UM was something forbidden.

On a more serious note....I love UM and I've always been fascinated by things like that. However I wouldn't let it run your life. Just like any clutch, if it's used as an escape from your life and your focusing on it to much, you could be missing out on life around you. I think its a good to be aware of your surroundings and I think UM has helped me be a little smarter in which situations I put myself it but it is not good to live in a constant fear. Fear and stress just wrecks havoc on your body and overtime can cause serious problems. As someone who's an anxious person by nature, I recommend you find healthy ways to ease your fear and anxieties. The odds of you ever becoming a victim of something you see on UM is extremely low. If live life constantly in fear, you'll miss out on life. Try to watch more happier UM episodes or maybe think of a career in helping victims and their families such as in law enforcement ect. anyways, I love UM too, just never let it stop you or your fears from living a healthy life. :)

Hear, Hear. I couldn't have said it better myself.

BTW great story LilMissKryssy. I feel kinda bad for your ex. :lol:

Interesting you say that. I don't think my parents let me watch initially. In fact, I think that was part of the allure. UM was something forbidden.

I don't remember my parents ever telling me I couldn't watch it, but looking back I think its pretty likely that they didn't know what it was all about, plus they didn't really monitor my TV watching closely. I was born in '80 so I was about 8 when I began watching. I do remember talking to my grandmother about a RS nightmare I had and her telling me I shouldn't watch the show if it spooked me.

I'm not a parent, but I don't know if I agree with the blanket assertion that the show isn't for kids. I think every kid is different, so was definitely not for all kids, but I'll use many of the members here on this forum as an example. Many watched the show at a young age and have grown up to join the justice system, or just want to help people as a result of that influence. Speaking for myself personally, I think True Crime shows that I watched in my youth helped cement the ideas of right and wrong.

Interesting you say that. I don't think my parents let me watch initially. In fact, I think that was part of the allure. UM was something forbidden.

YES. Me, too. I remember BEGGING my mother to let me watch it originally. (Like I said, UM had a crazy air time when I first remembered watching it-- something like 10pm on Wednesdays before it got kinda popular in the mainstream and switched to 7 or 8.) But as I said before, the first segment I saw was the Don Smith segment, which scared the crap out of me.

I remember sleeping with my mom that night. She was annoyed.

YES. Me, too. I remember BEGGING my mother to let me watch it originally. (Like I said, UM had a crazy air time when I first remembered watching it-- something like 10pm on Wednesdays before it got kinda popular in the mainstream and switched to 7 or 8.) But as I said before, the first segment I saw was the Don Smith segment, which scared the crap out of me.

I remember sleeping with my mom that night. She was annoyed.

Yep. I remember seeing the commercials and thinking it looked awesome. My parents let me watch an episode (probably because they didn't know what the show was about). I want to say it was the one on missing time (from season one). It scared me quite badly (I was probably 7 or 8) and I had to sleep with them that night. They were annoyed. I think that was the reason I wasn't allowed to watch it again after that.

A few years later, I got my own TV and VCR in my bedroom. They didn't care then.

I'm not a parent, but I don't know if I agree with the blanket assertion that the show isn't for kids. I think every kid is different, so was definitely not for all kids, but I'll use many of the members here on this forum as an example. Many watched the show at a young age and have grown up to join the justice system, or just want to help people as a result of that influence. Speaking for myself personally, I think True Crime shows that I watched in my youth helped cement the ideas of right and wrong.

This is a good point. I had never considered the appropriateness of the show for children, but I don't have any kids nor any younger siblings or anything, so it wasn't something I thought too deeply about.

I would have to agree with your assessments though. I think the show can be appropriate for some kids. I do believe that the show promoted my interest in many things at that time including the paranormal and cryptozoology. Although those avenues didn't lead anywhere career-wise, I did start reading more because I wanted to know more about those topics. Same deal with some of the assassinations and coverups that sparked interest in reading about history and politics. Encouraging kids to read is never a bad thing.

Moreover, I've always had an interest in law enforcement and crime. I just completed my master's degree in criminal justice and am hoping to go on to PhD studies. I think my early fascination with UM probably helped lead me down this path, albeit in a small way.

Again, I'm not a parent, but I would advise watching with your children first, and see how they respond to it.

On a different note, I wonder if it's really something kids would even want to watch. Is it even on anymore? I just wonder if the show is too "old school" for today's kids. The SPIKE versions with Farina might be a little more up to speed, but I can't see many kids watching and appreciating the old Stack versions. JMO.

It's been awhile since Kyte posted, but I would say that if it's getting to the point where watching UM is causing that much anxiety that one needs to consult professional mental health, it is probably time to take a step back.

I do believe that the show promoted my interest in many things at that time including the paranormal and cryptozoology.

If you're still interested in cryptozoology, I could probably put you in touch with David Shealy (of Florida Skunkape fame). :crazy: I've spoken to him many times, and my Brother in law has known him since childhood.

I hope my case isn't the worse things UM have shed on the lives of others, but...

I first started watching UM in elementary school, and I was hooked, though it made me extremely anxious and scared from a young age (I could never sleep at night, scared to go downstairs, check outside windows constantly, check rooms, etc.), and all that has followed if not worsened.

During middle school, I tried extremely hard not to watch it but would always flip to lifetime at 1 PM to see what the episode was about. Of course I couldn't stop watching. I remember after watching the Men in Black segment wanting to get out of the house and just sitting on my bed looking all around me.

Now, even as someone that's a Junior in highschool, it's even worse. My psychologist keeps telling me to stop watching them, but after stints of no UM, I always come back to it. My thoughts are always clustered with cases of UM I never got over with, mainly Cindy James (this one's ALWAYS on my mind), Kurt Sova, Keith Warren and Mark Finley (holy crap this one's disturbing), and then Circleville Letter Writer. I'm pretty much scared constantly and now, I'm always checking rooms, looking behind myself every few seconds or so, and can't be alone. At night, I can hardly go downstairs. I always have this anxiety that someone's there watching me and I'm afraid that if I get into cases like the Billy Ray Hargrove and Mike Carmichael case that the government...well, might kill me. Nowadays, I find it hard side sleeping because I'm scared of what's behind me and can't keep my eyes closed.

I'm be seeing a psychiatrist soon. If I could wash away all my memories of UM, UFOs, conspiracy theories, and the paranormal, I'd do it in a heartbeat. I just always think someone's there or behind me, wanting to kill me to be perfectly honest. UM has made me paranoid to an extent that I thought I'd never hoped in.

In the mean time, I hope the Russell Evans case will be the last one I watch.
I can definitely relate to you. My husband and keeps telling me to stop watching the show and stop engaging myself in true crime shows. He thinks I can be sort of dark and negative sometimes. I admit , I am. He tells me about how he wants to go cross country and it sounds good until I bring up the blind river rest stop murders and he frowns at me. I can't help it. Sometimes I ask him to come to work with me when I have to commute late nights because I'm afraid something bad will happen. Sometimes when I'm walking late to the train or bus from work or my parents house My mind automatically thinks of some tall Guy with a mask trying to get me. Its like I hear Robert stacks voice narrating the moments before my untimely demise. boy do I feel your pain. I know the fact that Im into a lot of conspiracy theories and all, make it ten times worse. Especially since these are real cases with real people. The Cindy James case has burned into my memory for good, no matter how scared I am of the case I still can't stop watching it when it comes on. It's like I have a weird obsession with these cases and the people in them. A part of me feels bad and wants to help and the other half is drawn to all the suspicion and strange circumstances. What makes it even worse is that Im training myself Physically right now to get into the military. It might be the Army or Navy. There are times when I feel like I'll end up like a lot of those men and woman who die under mysterious circumstances. This sounds crazy but I feel like this has impacted me a lot like it has for you. Being home alone is just about the worst for me.

This is a good point. I had never considered the appropriateness of the show for children, but I don't have any kids nor any younger siblings or anything, so it wasn't something I thought too deeply about.

My household were all adults when the program first aired and it scared me enough then until I became used to it. I can really feel for kids watching this stuff! It gave me the concept of a much more dangerous world than I had as a child or teenager and possibly even more than at college which was a lot!

Watched when I was a kid born in the eighties turned out fine want to buy all the old stack episodes.