I'm quoting part of a thread I found at Websleuths.

RE: Dick Hansen Murder- A Little Help
Body:
Yes you can post what I told you. I just ask that if you hear anything interesting if you can let me know. It is an extremely interesting case because the facts surrounding the incident are so vague and seem almost "random." I saw the idea that maybe he was a Raider fan was floated on the website, I do not put any faith in that conclusion. I think in reality either that was a sick and crazy man or the murder had something to do with Dick's drug problem. Dick's parents are wealthy but I have never heard any illegal business dealings that would lead to a revenge killing.

----------------- Original Message -----------------
From: ♥Lisa♥
Date: Nov 12, 2008 4:46 PM


hi. thank you for sharing this information with me! I am assuming you found my page through my post about this case on Websleuths. This case has always bothered me.... I understand your desire to stay anonymous. Would you mind if I copied your message to share with the Websleuths members to discuss. If you don't will understand. Let me know!

----------------- Original Message -----------------
From: Jon
Date: Nov 12, 2008 12:25 AM


Hello,
I realize this sounds random but I do have some knowledge about the Dick Hansen murder. He was one of my Dad's best friends at Santa Clara so I know bits and pieces of the real story. First of all, the episode did not point out that Dick had in fact had a recurring drug problem (I was surprised the Detective did not mention it) and although some posts on the thread said he was mild tempered he had been a "hothead" in the past. My Dad told me a story in college where he had made fun of Dick and Dick got so mad that he threw a shotput ball right by my Dad's head. Not meaning to hit him but to scare him (obviously getting hit in the head with a shotput could be deadly). So the idea that this man could have had something to do with Dick and his drug problem is pretty likely. In addition, it seems odd the way the girlfriend handled the situation. She was actually not that cooperative to the detectives right after the crime and changed her story a few times. It is obviously a tragic story and I am sorry I cannot be much help to what you already know.
I would ask one thing of you, if you post any of the information I have mention can you please not include my name. Obviously I share the same name as my father and I would rather not drag him into this.
Hopefully I have been a little help.


http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2933938

Whoa! I'm surprised UM never mentioned the drug theory in either the segment or an update. Given that, the Hansen case makes much, much more sense than that "49R HUGS" deal (I never really bought that myself, even though UM was dead-set on presenting it that way).

I can see Dick Hansen being a "hothead", as it were. I clearly remember that piece of the interview where his date was describing the confrontation between Dick and the mysterious driver: "Get the blankety-blank outta here!" If some guy were driving like an absolute maniac and following me on the road, there's no freaking way I would've pulled over and then walked up to his door :eek: to cuss him out.

Interesting info! I still wonder why UM never mentioned any of this, though. That's one of my favorite segments.

Interesting info! I still wonder why UM never mentioned any of this, though. That's one of my favorite segments.

Probably because 'crazy guy shoots dude over personalized license plate' is more dramatic than 'guy with drug and temper problem shot possibly by someone he knew'.

That is, assuming what showed up on websleuths is accurate.
-Necco

If Dick was killed because of some sort of drug related conflict it would explain why his friend is so hesitant to be involved. If it were just random the chances would be slim this man (that she could of course identify) would be able to find her but if it was someone Dick knew and he possibly knew who she was also he would have a better chance of finding her and silencing her.

Yeah, the way he was being chased tells me it was more than just some lunatic with anger over thinking he played for a football team he (the killer) did not like. Obviously Dick Hansen certainly didnt deserve to be murdered regardless of what he was into, but if drugs were in fact involved than this murder would make a lot more sense. Of course UM did do this on other occassions leaving out 'little' details like this to make the victim to seem more sympathetic.

Yeah, the way he was being chased tells me it was more than just some lunatic with anger over thinking he played for a football team he (the killer) did not like. Obviously Dick Hansen certainly didnt deserve to be murdered regardless of what he was into, but if drugs were in fact involved than this murder would make a lot more sense. Of course UM did do this on other occassions leaving out 'little' details like this to make the victim to seem more sympathetic.

I think the fact that Hansen's company that evening (I believe UM referred to her as "Joan") wasn't harmed is pretty significant. If the killer was a deranged football fan, why did he not kill her as well? It was her license plate, after all. And by murdering Dick and just staring at her before driving away, the killer may have been sending her a very pointed message to keep quiet, lest she suffer a similar fate. If that's the case, it apparently worked.

I too think that Dick being involved with drugs caused his murder. Bad drug deals get people killed all the time, it's not an uncommon thing. I'm kind of peeved that UM didn't bother to mention Dick's drug habit. It's really unfortunate that his two young daughter's had to loose their father. :(

This make SO much more sense that the stupid license plate theme that UM ran with.
The guy was a bit strange...like Meg has stated...who jumps out of their car to comfornt someone that was just chasing them on the highway? :confused:

Ummm....no thanks. The guy obviously has a couple of cups of crazy with extra powder.

And the girlfriend was a bit strange during the interview, I felt she held something back. She was obviously scared crapless...which it totally understandable.

While I don't find it highly unlikely that someone would confront someone who was following them when they're pulled over (especially if that someone just left a bar), I do find it unlikely that the guy killed her because of a license plate. Kind of think the woman was grasping at straws for a motive and when the guy motioned to her car that's the only plausible thing that popped in her mind. The guy very well could have said, "Get back in your car and go buy some more drugs" or something that hit a nerve with Dick...it makes much more sense that this guy was hired to kill Dick because of some sort of drug situation.

Kind of think the woman was grasping at straws for a motive and when the guy motioned to her car that's the only plausible thing that popped in her mind.

I tend to think she's holding something back. The "deranged fan" theory was concocted by the investigating authorities, if my memory serves me correctly. If Hansen were in fact involved in drugs, she would've either known before she became involved with him or quickly figured it out during their apparent courtship; users/dealers are typically pretty bad at hiding what they do. I believe she may have been threatened (or, more likely, had at least a vague idea of who Dick's killer was), and chose to "play dumb" to preserve her own safety.

But if it indeed were someone who was from Dick's dark past involving drugs, why on Earth would he have singled out Dick's lady friend? If he were deadset on killing Dick why did he not just do it when the two switched cars, and why didn't the guy follow Dick's pickup truck and not the lady? That's probably where the disgruntled sports fan theory came from...because it seems like Dick's friend "Jean" was the one whom the murderer had a problem with, not Dick.

But if it indeed were someone who was from Dick's dark past involving drugs, why on Earth would he have singled out Dick's lady friend?

Intimidation, an element central to most drug-related crimes. Scare her to hell, kill Dick, shut her up. If she wasn't able to see what the criminal party was capable of, she may have been more receptive to speaking to police. I'm of the opinion Dick's killer wanted "Jean" to know exactly who he was, or who he worked for.

But all of this involving Dick's past with drugs, and "Jean's" uncooperativnesss with authorities is pure speculation based off of an internet post of someone who claims his father went to school with Dick. Now I doubt the guy would have a reason to lie, but the part about "Jean" not cooperating with authorities and changing her story is most likely pure speculation around the community that Dick lived in. Also I just rewatched this segment and the police said that a murder is usually either over sex, drugs, or money, and they investigated every single lead and couldn't connect anything to the Dick Hansen murder. So perhaps Dick did have a past with drugs, but the police investigated that angle and ruled out that connection. It amazes me how so many people find law enforcement incompetent or insensitive to evidence in almost every single case that aired on UM that was a questionnable death...I know that didn't happen in this instance, but it still seems like a hell of a lot of police departments were involved in covering up murders of unsuspecting people who led unsuspecting lives.

Also I just rewatched this segment and the police said that a murder is usually either over sex, drugs, or money, and they investigated every single lead and couldn't connect anything to the Dick Hansen murder. So perhaps Dick did have a past with drugs, but the police investigated that angle and ruled out that connection. It amazes me how so many people find law enforcement incompetent or insensitive to evidence in almost every single case that aired on UM that was a questionnable death...I know that didn't happen in this instance, but it still seems like a hell of a lot of police departments were involved in covering up murders of unsuspecting people who led unsuspecting lives.

I simply don't buy the license plate theory and find the drugs explanation far more plausible. Certainly it's speculation, but that's about all I can do: speculate.

I greatly respect law enforcement and find that far more often than not, they do outstanding investigative work. But they do falter occasionally; they're human beings and fall prey to every vice "average" citizenry is susceptible to. For this reason, I do not take everything an agency representative may say as "law" merely because they are an agency representative. I can't accept the license plate theory. Didn't when I first saw the segment years ago, and still don't today.

It is highly unlikely that the guy was after her because of her license plate, I agree with you on that. I think the guy was after "Jean" originally though and Dick said something to set him off. The only other thing I can think of was the guy was either on drugs or drunk which is why after he shot Dick he kind of coldly lingered around on the scene. Or he was a cold hearted son of a bitch and was taunting "Jean". I would like to know what elements of her story were allegedly changed when she was talking to authorities. If "Jean" did know Dick's attacker and feared she would be harmed or killed why would she come forward with a composite drawing of the man? If the man was hired to kill Dick he found him easy enough what's not to say that he would find "Jean" and kill her as well for talking?

If "Jean" did know Dick's attacker and feared she would be harmed or killed why would she come forward with a composite drawing of the man?

To purposely stall the investigation. Or because the responsible party pressured her into giving a description of a "fall guy." Or because she's crazy. Any number of these things.

If the man was hired to kill Dick he found him easy enough what's not to say that he would find "Jean" and kill her as well for talking?

Because he would have much more to gain by allowing "Jean" to live. Again, the intimidation factor is crucial for organized drug crime. If "Jean" was killed, that's one more death to sniff out and possibly connect to the responsible party. It would cause an unnecessary mess, if you will.

Looking at this case,

1. I'll be honest, loking at the license plate, it would not register with me that quickly that she was a 49er fan. I mean if she had a 49er bumber sticker maybe.

2. I hate to racial profile here ( I am a minority, BTW) but the fact that the suspect seemed to be of hispanic or mediteranean origin leans some credence to the drug angle.

3. I don;t know about you guys but if i had some crazy guy following me, i would try to memorize or get the license plate number. I find it suspicious that the woman was not able to remember even a few letters of his license plate.

Looking at this case,

1. I'll be honest, loking at the license plate, it would not register with me that quickly that she was a 49er fan. I mean if she had a 49er bumber sticker maybe.

2. I hate to racial profile here ( I am a minority, BTW) but the fact that the suspect seemed to be of hispanic or mediteranean origin leans some credence to the drug angle.

3. I don;t know about you guys but if i had some crazy guy following me, i would try to memorize or get the license plate number. I find it suspicious that the woman was not able to remember even a few letters of his license plate.
There's nothing about this incident that seems to link it to drug involvement to me, and the possible race of the defendant doesn't add anything to that theory to me. As for her not being able to remember the license plate, I don't find that suspicious at all. She went through a traumatic event. Even if she tried to memorize the license plate numbers, she may not have been able to considering what happened later.

Also I just rewatched this segment and the police said that a murder is usually either over sex, drugs, or money, and they investigated every single lead and couldn't connect anything to the Dick Hansen murder. So perhaps Dick did have a past with drugs, but the police investigated that angle and ruled out that connection.

This was something that immediately came to mind when I read of Dick's alleged drug problems. The fact that the investigators were looking at drugs as a prime motive from the beginning (and found no connection) leads me to believe that they would have definitely mentioned it in the segment had there been some truth to it. Of course, there are many examples of UM cases where the police do a poor job of investigating very solvable crimes.

To me, the incident seems far too random to be connected to someone Dick knew. What if Dick and Jean decided to split up? The fact that the killer chose to follow Jean's car rather than Dick's suggests that he wasn't out to kill Dick that night. Another oddity occurred when they all exited the freeway and pulled over at a sidewalk. Rather than attempt a drive-by shooting or pulling over next to one of the cars, the guy just parked right behind them and stared. Had it been a hitman, I feel that he would have taken much different action than he did at that moment.

I think the guy either had a mental disorder or was on drugs/alcohol. I had an uncle who would sometimes follow motorists for miles because they had cut him off on the highway, and the guy had serious anger issues. I would not rule out a similar event in this case (remember the Tony Lombardi case?). There are a lot of crazy folks out there on our roads who would kill for almost no reason at all.

I'm still kinda thinking that Dick was dating Jean, who was either married, recently separated, or had a boyfriend.

She was out at the bar with Dick, her boyfriend was suspicious and went out looking for her car at the local bars. When he found it, he parked nearby and waited.

When she and Dick got into the car, the jealous boyfriend pulls in behind them.

Then we have the whole chase scene, where mostly Jean is the target.

Later, when all three pull over to the side of the road, Dick gets out to confrot the stalker. The stalker gestures toward Jean (or her license plate?). My theory is that the boyfriend was yelling at Dick saying something like "WTF are you doing going out with my woman?" and he gestures toward Jane, who is in close proximity to the license plate, since she's standing right next to the car (at least in the reenactment.)

Then he shoots Dick, because the guy is a jealous, stalking, possessive, jilted lover. Those types kill the person their victim is dating to "eliminate the competition" or whatever stupid thing is going through their mind.

He didn't want Jane dead because she's the object of his obsession. He wants her for himself.

The 49RHUGS license plate is irrelevent and has nothing to do with the case.

All JMO,, of course.

I'm still kinda thinking that Dick was dating Jean, who was either married, recently separated, or had a boyfriend.

She was out at the bar with Dick, her boyfriend was suspicious and went out looking for her car at the local bars. When he found it, he parked nearby and waited.

When she and Dick got into the car, the jealous boyfriend pulls in behind them.

Then we have the whole chase scene, where mostly Jean is the target.

Later, when all three pull over to the side of the road, Dick gets out to confrot the stalker. The stalker gestures toward Jean (or her license plate?). My theory is that the boyfriend was yelling at Dick saying something like "WTF are you doing going out with my woman?" and he gestures toward Jane, who is in close proximity to the license plate, since she's standing right next to the car (at least in the reenactment.)

Then he shoots Dick, because the guy is a jealous, stalking, possessive, jilted lover.

That scenario make a lot of sense. But, if this is what in fact happened, then why didn't Jean just turn her crazy boyfriend/husband into the police? He would've been charged with murder and this whole case would've been solved.

That scenario make a lot of sense. But, if this is what in fact happened, then why didn't Jean just turn her crazy boyfriend/husband into the police? He would've been charged with murder and this whole case would've been solved.

She didn't turn him in because she was still seeing him or was involved with him romantically. She got caught cheating on him, he killed her lover, but she doesn't want to turn him in because they're still dating. (off and on, love hate relationship, who knows)

So now we have this whole whodunnit because Jane was there when Dick was killed, she doesn't want to implicate her "friend", but as a witness, she has to give the cops some kind of story. This is what she came up with. Some deranged fan didn't like her vanity plate and killed Dick because he had the body type of a foot ball player.

Whoever posted earlier about murders usually being committed over sex, money, or drugs.... The 49ers ain't anywhere in that list. But sex is in the list of motives, and that's the one I'm going with here. Jane was sexing around and her man got insanely jealous.

There's nothing about this incident that seems to link it to drug involvement to me, and the possible race of the defendant doesn't add anything to that theory to me. As for her not being able to remember the license plate, I don't find that suspicious at all. She went through a traumatic event. Even if she tried to memorize the license plate numbers, she may not have been able to considering what happened later.

But she's coherent enough to remember the suspects facial features and the make of the car? :confused:

Your also not bringing in to consideration, that it was only a traumatic situation when Dick got shot, prior to that it was just some nut following them.

Another point to keep in mind is that our only source of information is the woman. She could very easily be elaborating and fabricating the story.

Her story makes no logical sense, for the mere fact they both decided to pull over in a desolate area and engage the driver that had been following them for miles. They could have easily split up or driven to police station, flagged a cop or drove to a rest area. Any number of things other than the most dangerous stop the car and argue with the guy in full range of a pistol.

No this whole thing sounds more like either a
1. drug transaction gone bad or a
2. case of road rage that was initiated by both parties.
3. love triangle potentially that went awry

To me the key piece of evidence is that both of them stopped to confront the guy. Both of them did. Not one, both.

I never bought the "I hate the Niners" angle either. I mean who shoots someone over an allegience to a team? I give Packer fans a gentle teasing but I would not think of shooting one over a license plate!

As for the left out drug angle, I can't believe they left out a possible drug involvement. But then again does anyone here remember the Jean Tovrea case? There was a HUGE angle where Mr. Tovrea basically spelled out a death sentence for poor Jean by teling his kids in his will that they were worthless and a disappointment and left all his money to Jean. Way to go there, bud.

I never bought the "I hate the Niners" angle either. I mean who shoots someone over an allegience to a team? I give Packer fans a gentle teasing but I would not think of shooting one over a license plate!

I'm a Giants fan and have been to several Eagles games in Philadelphia. I have to say as violatile as those fans are, I really can't imagin them doing something like that. :lol:

Pointing at the car, could mean a lot of things. He may have been gesturing to get back in his car pointing to the girl.

Another thing about Jean's account, as she tells it to UM. The guy had been following them all over the place, changing lanes whenever Jean changed lanes, turning whenever Dick and Jean turned, etc.

Then, he follows them for over 10 miles on the expressway. During that time, Jean decides to slam on her brakes (I guess to see if the guy will copy that move, too) and sure enough, there on the expressway, Jean and the stalker have both slammed on their brakes.

Jean then pulls up to Dick and he tells her to follow him off at the next exit. Of course, the stalker follows. After they get off the expressway, they pull into a somewhat private area. Dick pulls in and parks his car. Jean pulls in and parks.

And after all this has happened, being toyed with, chased, and aggressively followed for over 10 miles on the expressway, plus all the other following on the surface streets, as the guy is coming at them, Jean tells us this fool thang:

"And I don't know why in my mind I just knew that this guy would just go right on by and wave or something."

WTH?

After chasing and stalking and acting extremely aggressive for at least half an hour, she thinks that the guy is now just gonna have a chuckle and give them a friendly wave. No you idiot! He's going to pull in behind you like he did every other time!

Then she sounded surprised when she said, "He pulled right up behind us. And I'm not sure who was in more shock, Dick or I."

Well, I can tell her who wasn't shocked that he pulled in behind them, everyone on the UM message board. dur duh dur

The whole segment is told by Jean. It's all her side of the story and there's no other witnesses. When they finally interview a cop, he says that "As far as we know, Dick Hansen did not know his assailant."

Noticeably, even though Jean was the target for most of the aggressive part of the driving/stalking, the cop never said that Jean didn't know Dick's assailant. hmmmm....

Then the cop says that line: "What makes this particular case extremely difficult.... is that most homicides boil down to common denominators of sex, money or drugs." And they can't put this case into any of those categories. Gimme a break. You have a recently divorced man out on a date with woman whose marital/commitment status is unknown, and he is murdered while in her company, on that date. And the cop's only theory is the "deranged fan", in part because 20 years ago, Dick was a college football player?

They need to go back to what they said in the first place: Most homicides involve the motive of sex, money, or drugs. Fully eliminate those common causes before moving on to the unlikely, strange, and bizarre guesses.

Or we could have this scenario.

Dick and Jean leave the bar and decide to go partying at her house. But they're all out of coke.

So they meet a dealer. They often provide "drive up" style service. Dick leans in, asks how much for a rock or how much for a half gram, (or whatever, idk, it's not like I go out shopping for street drugs. lol) Anyway....

The dealer gestures to the 49ers license plate, comments on Dick's build, assumes he's a player and can pay a better price than the going rate. When Dick finds out that the guy is raising the price, he decides not to buy and tell him to "get the blankety blank outta here", as Jean said.

Then he gets shot to death because drug dealers aren't the most congenial people.

Jean doesn't want to tell the cops that they were out buying some coke to party on, because she doesn't want to face drug charges (or maybe add more drug charges to her rap sheet?) so she makes up the crazy road rager story.

So, I've proposed scenarios involving two of the three reasons that the interviewed cop said that people murder: sex, money, drugs. I wonder how thoroughly the cops really looked into those possibilities before they flew over the rainbow and landed in a big pile of crazed fan crap.

Or we could have this scenario.

Dick and Jean leave the bar and decide to go partying at her house. But they're all out of coke.

So they meet a dealer. They often provide "drive up" style service. Dick leans in, asks how much for a rock or how much for a half gram, (or whatever, idk, it's not like I go out shopping for street drugs. lol) Anyway....

The dealer gestures to the 49ers license plate, comments on Dick's build, assumes he's a player and can pay a better price than the going rate. When Dick finds out that the guy is raising the price, he decides not to buy and tell him to "get the blankety blank outta here", as Jean said.

Then he gets shot to death because drug dealers aren't the most congenial people.

Jean doesn't want to tell the cops that they were out buying some coke to party on, because she doesn't want to face drug charges (or maybe add more drug charges to her rap sheet?) so she makes up the crazy road rager story.

Excellent Theory!!!

Let me add to this and say that perhaps the shooter did speak to her and threatened her that she would be killed if she talked. Or she knew the type of person he was and that the shooter knew who she was.

Heck she may have made up the details of the car and the description of the shooter.

Heck she may have made up the details of the car and the description of the shooter.

Unless her statement to the police is vastly different from the story she told incogneto on UM, she could have made up EVERYTHING. For all we know, she could have shot Dick.

Was there ever a third car? Was there ever a car chase on the e-way?

Even at 1:30am, wouldn't someone on the e-way notice two cars stopped almost next to each other, each in a different lane? Yet we have no witness for the whole ten miles of expressway shennanigans to say that they saw the road rage style driving going on between 3 cars.

We just have no details, no witnesses, no other side of the story, nothing.

My thoughts exactly. I think she may have been jilted and killed him out of a jealous rage. Her story just doesn't make sense. Let's face it, how many of us are going to pull over in the middle of nowhere (in the middle of the night) because someone is following us?

I never even thought of the possibility that she could have made this story up. Thinking about it now I think it is weird that there was no other person on the highway that night when this incident occured. Yeah it was late at night but still there usually is a few cars or even semis going on those kind of roads. I always thought it was weird that the suppose killer killed Dick over her license plate. That is just crazy. I mean really when you think about it, what are the chances that this person just happens to pull up behind them that night & has a problem with her license plate. I know people have done crazy/odd things but I have never heard of anyone killing someone else over there license plate.

I think the drug angle could be a possibility. Her killing him is a possibility but I am not so sure on that one. I do think there is more to this story then what she told on UM. The way she described the events that took place that night is just too bizarre.

This was just on today, and I find it one of the creepiest cases ever. I do think it could be random (don't underestimate road rage, people). I also think that if Jean and Dick were out at a bar earlier, perhapse they made somebody there mad and that person followed them out. Again, rage is a powerful thing.

She went through a traumatic event. Even if she tried to memorize the license plate numbers, she may not have been able to considering what happened later.

But she's coherent enough to remember the suspects facial features and the make of the car?

She and the suspect stared at each other for 5-10 seconds, remember? Also, I'm assuming she would have been looking at this guy and his car in her rear-view mirror throughout the chase. What state was this in? A lot of states don't have front license plates. He was always behind her. The only time she would have seen the plate was when he finally drove off, and then she was probably ducking so she didn't get shot.

Your also not bringing in to consideration, that it was only a traumatic situation when Dick got shot, prior to that it was just some nut following them.


Again, prior to that, the car was behind her. And personally, I would find some nut following me pretty traumatic. :)

88keys, best I can remember, this happened in california. I don't know if they required front license plates then. But I do think that there should have been enough traffic on the expressway at 1:30 in the morning for someone to have noticed the three cars acting very strangely during those 10 miles of aggressive driving.

Being from the Bay Area myself, this case has always baffled me. I would like to point two things out, however, which might answer a few questions:

1) The Raiders were in Los Angeles at the time and hadn't been in the Bay Area since the early/mid 80's, so the chances are slim to none that it was a disgruntled Raider fan. I personally feel the license plate had nothing to do with the actual murder.

2) It is actually very plausible that no one would have witnessed the crazy driving on that lonely stretch of 280...when I was 16-18 (from 1992-1994, right after Hansen was killed) my friends and I would spend many a night swerving back and forth across all 4 lanes of 280 or stopping dead on the highway and jumping out to switch seats, all without ever encountering another car (yes, I was a weird teenager.)
280 and 101 pretty much traverse the same path, but since 280 is a winding scenic route big rigs and commuters usually use 101 instead. I could be wrong but if I recall correctly, the area Hansen was killed was especially deserted in 1991 because Highway 85 (the main connector between 280 and 101 in the area) hadn't been built yet.

Stormer, the personalized plate on Jean's car was for the 49ers, not the raiders, just to clarify.

Or we could have this scenario.

Dick and Jean leave the bar and decide to go partying at her house. But they're all out of coke.

So they meet a dealer. They often provide "drive up" style service. Dick leans in, asks how much for a rock or how much for a half gram, (or whatever, idk, it's not like I go out shopping for street drugs. lol) Anyway....

The dealer gestures to the 49ers license plate, comments on Dick's build, assumes he's a player and can pay a better price than the going rate. When Dick finds out that the guy is raising the price, he decides not to buy and tell him to "get the blankety blank outta here", as Jean said.

Then he gets shot to death because drug dealers aren't the most congenial people.

Jean doesn't want to tell the cops that they were out buying some coke to party on, because she doesn't want to face drug charges (or maybe add more drug charges to her rap sheet?) so she makes up the crazy road rager story.


That sounds like a plausible theory. I have even thought that Jean killed him alone and created the story. Did she ever take a lie detector test ?
I think it's possible to meet a derange person... but what I find hard to believe is that no witnesses saw the car chase....

Edit: (I didnt see this)

I never even thought of the possibility that she could have made this story up. Thinking about it now I think it is weird that there was no other person on the highway that night when this incident occured. Yeah it was late at night but still there usually is a few cars or even semis going on those kind of roads. I always thought it was weird that the suppose killer killed Dick over her license plate. That is just crazy. I mean really when you think about it, what are the chances that this person just happens to pull up behind them that night & has a problem with her license plate. I know people have done crazy/odd things but I have never heard of anyone killing someone else over there license plate.

I think the drug angle could be a possibility. Her killing him is a possibility but I am not so sure on that one. I do think there is more to this story then what she told on UM. The way she described the events that took place that night is just too bizarre.

One thing I like to add is that Jean seems to base her story around Zodiac killer facts. I guy that shoots people without any reason, drive the same type of car and looks pretty much the same as the mugshot sketch of the Zodiac killer.
This tells me that the story is a lie...a lie based on facts. Which also tells me it was probably planned.
When Jean tells the story about him hitting the brakes at the same time as her and the killer almost knew before her what she was going to do. This tells me on a psychological level that she is trying to make the killer super human and impossible (very difficult) to catch. The reason for this is that she knows the killer cant be caught cause he don't exist.

I looked this up on the UM site. They don't say what freeway Dick was driving on. He was from Sunnyvale, CA, which is between San Francisco and San Jose. It's just a bit NW from San Jose.

The expressways nearby are the 101, which is closest to Sunnyvale. The 880 which is between San Jose and Santa Clara, near Sunnyvale. Then there's the smaller 237, which is close to Sunnyvale, and the 280, 85, & 17.

I've only been to San Francisco back in 2003, and don't know a thing about the San Jose area. I don't know what roads were around back when Dick Hansen was murdered, how busy they were, or even what freeway he and Jean were being chased on. It's pretty interesting to look at a map and speculate, tho...

Hmm, well I would be curious what caliber the murder weapon was? Also, a polygraph test? I'm not a big fan of them. They do not detect lies but rather detect physical reactions to questions. Well the 49ers were the only NFL team at the bay area at that time. I think when that one poster mentioned the Raiders they were possibly alluding to how this guy that killed Dick Hansen had a misguided grudge against the 49ers blaming them for the Raiders move to Los Angeles when in fact it was that nut job Al Davis. However I feel the football motive while possible is far fetched. Just the way Dick Hansen was shot it seems like this person that killed him was known to him or that the murderer knew someone that knew Dick.

One thing I like to add is that Jean seems to base her story around Zodiac killer facts. I guy that shoots people without any reason, drive the same type of car and looks pretty much the same as the mugshot sketch of the Zodiac killer.
This tells me that the story is a lie...a lie based on facts. Which also tells me it was probably planned.
Interesting theory, but...eh...she doesn't quite strike me as that sophisticated and cunning. I think I know a little bit more about the Zodiac case than the average joe (certainly not as much as some people on this message board!), and it never even struck me that the suspect she described was in any way similar to the Zodiac.

Hmm, well I would be curious what caliber the murder weapon was? Also, a polygraph test? I'm not a big fan of them. They do not detect lies but rather detect physical reactions to questions. Well the 49ers were the only NFL team at the bay area at that time. I think when that one poster mentioned the Raiders they were possibly alluding to how this guy that killed Dick Hansen had a misguided grudge against the 49ers blaming them for the Raiders move to Los Angeles when in fact it was that nut job Al Davis. However I feel the football motive while possible is far fetched. Just the way Dick Hansen was shot it seems like this person that killed him was known to him or that the murderer knew someone that knew Dick.

Thanks for clearing up the Raiders/Niners confusion for me, kadrmas. I don't follow football. (Who can blame me, I'm stuck here with the Detroit Lions.) So I sure didn't know all that about the fans being upset over teams moving locations back at the time of Dick's murder.

I just watched this case again and all I have to say is that the guy playing the killer in this scene scares the **** out of me. That's all

I am watching it right now and yeah, he is f'in creepy!! I generally try not to watch these at night because I'm a big chicken in my house by myself, this might be a mistake. lol

I am watching it right now and yeah, he is f'in creepy!! I generally try not to watch these at night because I'm a big chicken in my house by myself, this might be a mistake. lol

:lol: I am the same way. You might wanna watch something else if you plan on going to bed tonight. :lol:

This tells me that the story is a lie...a lie based on facts. Which also tells me it was probably planned.
When Jean tells the story about him hitting the brakes at the same time as her and the killer almost knew before her what she was going to do. This tells me on a psychological level that she is trying to make the killer super human and impossible (very difficult) to catch. The reason for this is that she knows the killer cant be caught cause he don't exist.


All of this tells me that you haven't taken into account the police more than likely cleared her of any type of bloodspatter or gun powder residue evidence and dismissed her as a suspect immediately.

Wow.

All of this tells me that you haven't taken into account the police more than likely cleared her of any type of bloodspatter or gun powder residue evidence and dismissed her as a suspect immediately.

Wow.
If it was planned it is not hard to avoid blood spatter or gun powder residue.

:lol: I am the same way. You might wanna watch something else if you plan on going to bed tonight. :lol:

:lol: That was the last episode I watched. I always have to turn on TV land or something before I go to bed to counteract. I am such a baby. :rolleyes:

A few weeks ago I was watching a bunch of UM segments on that one site and reading about other cases (Tara Calico for one) and I had freaked myself out so bad I was up until 7am!! Luckily I was out of work after surgery at the time, but I was still exhausted!

Stormer, the personalized plate on Jean's car was for the 49ers, not the raiders, just to clarify.

Yes, I know. I was correcting other posters who were saying it may have been an upset Raiders fan who shot Hansen.

I looked this up on the UM site. They don't say what freeway Dick was driving on. He was from Sunnyvale, CA, which is between San Francisco and San Jose. It's just a bit NW from San Jose.

Its mentioned in the San Jose Mercury News article that they were on 280:

San Jose Mercury News (CA) - May 1, 1991
His father, Gerald B. Hansen, said he was told a motorist had upbraided his son and a friend for blocking a mailbox and then followed them onto Interstate 280.

When I saw this segment when I was a kid, I of course took it at face value; "wow that dude was one crazy football fan!". But now that I think about it, it's just too freaking random to make sense. It seems far more likely that there was a backstory to this incident, one that linked the killer to either Dick or Jean.

I know that there are crazy people in the world, and random acts of violence do happen, but this just doesn't add up.

I'm wondering more and more about this case too. This is San Jose, correct? I imagine that the cops there are not totally incompetent (i.e. rural Oklahoma or somewhere where homicide cases are non-existent); it is possible that Jean either did this herself, or knew the person who did this. However, given that she was the ONLY witness, I can't believe that the cops didn't thoroughly investigate her as a suspect. Usually on UM segments, they mention possible suspects, and she was not mentioned. I don't know, I could be wrong, but i would think that she would have been mentioned if her story didn't check out. I think this was a case of road rage. But I think the license plate idea is ludicrous... this is based on him pointing at the car. Here are some ideas of what this nut case said: "That bitch cut me off;" "I saw her at the bar and she's mine *******, get out of here." "I want her, and you can't have her."

I mean, the possibilities are endless.

Jean is not involved directly in the murder of Hansen, as in she did not shoot. It was so self-evident that I feel UM didn't have to mention it at all.

If Jean had done it, powder stains on her hands and sleeves would have instantly given her up as the gunner, and any good search in the vicinity would have yielded a gun. It's not like she had all the time in the world to hide the gun if she did it, chances were high someone would stumble on the scene. And since she was both the only witness to the crime and the closest person to him, she would have been checked first as a suspect.

Now if she knew his assailant is another thing altogher.

hmm

San Jose Mercury News (CA) - May 1, 1991
His father, Gerald B. Hansen, said he was told a motorist had upbraided his son and a friend for blocking a mailbox and then followed them onto Interstate 280.
Hmmm, just noticed this piece from an above post. While we are looking for a logical explanation, remember that illogical people don't always have rational reasons for doing things. Perhaps this guy (who pulled up to the curb after they were in the car), wanted to use the mailbox, and sat there and got more and more annoyed and in a rage (i know it sounds crazy, but if the person was crazy...). Then when Dick confronted him, he said something like, "why the hell did you block the mailbox," which would totally warrant a "get the blackity blank outta here." Just an idea.

Also, let me just add that the other night I thought about this case... I was getting on the highway and this car (i think I must have cut him off or something, although I don't think so) was riding my bumper for at least two miles, with his hand on the horn the whole time. I was terrified that he was going to follow me to my house, but luckily he ended up going to a different exit.. but it just shows you that this kind of stuff does happen.

Also, let me just add that the other night I thought about this case... I was getting on the highway and this car (i think I must have cut him off or something, although I don't think so) was riding my bumper for at least two miles, with his hand on the horn the whole time. I was terrified that he was going to follow me to my house, but luckily he ended up going to a different exit.. but it just shows you that this kind of stuff does happen.

I agree. Road rage does happen. But I'm pretty stopping in an empty lot and going directly to the driver's car, never entered your mind

To me the crux of this case are:

1. Jean Hansen is lying.

2. Don has a criminal history.

True story.
In my wilder youth. Me and a couple of my friends were in a car. We honked our horn at a guy. This guy turned to us and said a vulgarity. I was so angry at the time, I decided to follow this guy to his home. I said something like "some tough guy you are. I'll see you soon" The guy was frightend out of his mind. We left the other day and felt we taught the guy a lesson.


Looking back at this incident in comparison to Donnie Hensen:
1. It occured at broad daylight in a busy intersection
2. I was not drunk or high(which I never was..I'm not a fan of recreational drugs or tabacco :))
3. The other driver was the one that initiated the incident.
4. I was not armed or had any capability of killing the other driver.
5. I was with other people.
6. I merely carefully followed this guy, rather than intimidating him on the road. Nobody would have noticed.
7. I went directly to his house. We did not stop at a mutual area.
8. The other driver did not confront me.
9. I left this situation satisfied that I had retribution.

I don;t know if the above is helpful,but it might put the road rage angle in perspective.

Good thing I was more level headed back then..I could have found myself on Unsolved Mysteries.

Well as long as they got a good actor to play me in the re-enactment , I'd be okay with it.! LOL!

That and cool segment music. I'm thinking the music they played during the Jim Burnside segment. Yeah, that would work.

I agree. Road rage does happen. But I'm pretty stopping in an empty lot and going directly to the driver's car, never entered your mind



That is very true, although I'm not built like a football player, hadn't been drinking/and or doing drugs, and I wasn't trying to impress a date with macho behavior. Taking all that into account, I think it's possible that he did stop and confront the guy. Although I agree with you that it is totally possible that Jean is lying; like I said in an earlier post though, I would have to think that Jean was a HUGE suspect initially, or at least questioned extensively, as she was the only one to see the crime. The fact that she was not listed as a suspect is significant imo.

San Jose Mercury News (CA) - May 1, 1991
His father, Gerald B. Hansen, said he was told a motorist had upbraided his son and a friend for blocking a mailbox and then followed them onto Interstate 280.
Hmmm, just noticed this piece from an above post. While we are looking for a logical explanation, remember that illogical people don't always have rational reasons for doing things. Perhaps this guy (who pulled up to the curb after they were in the car), wanted to use the mailbox, and sat there and got more and more annoyed and in a rage (i know it sounds crazy, but if the person was crazy...). Then when Dick confronted him, he said something like, "why the hell did you block the mailbox," which would totally warrant a "get the blackity blank outta here." Just an idea.

Also, let me just add that the other night I thought about this case... I was getting on the highway and this car (i think I must have cut him off or something, although I don't think so) was riding my bumper for at least two miles, with his hand on the horn the whole time. I was terrified that he was going to follow me to my house, but luckily he ended up going to a different exit.. but it just shows you that this kind of stuff does happen.

I agree. Crazy people don't need a reason to kill you, they just do it. Case in point, has anyone seen the movie Goodfellas? If so, the guy Joe Pesci portrays in the movie is Tommy "2 guns" DiSimone. I had to write a paper on him in an Organized Crime class I took in college. To impress his friend, on Christmas Eve he walked right up to a guy who was walking into his house with groceries and shot him in the head; dead. He did this for other reason that sh*ts and giggles. His friend responded, "Tommy that was cold blooded", to which Tommy replied "I'm a mean cat." Some people out there are just crazy. That could have been the reason in Dick Hansen's case. Just some psycho that could be pushed over the edge easily.

Yeah I never bought the licence plate thing. Granted the 49ers were Super Bowl contenders at that time and had come off a couple wins the last few years, but that's still irrelevant. Does anybody else out here realize a couple of things?

One: "Jean" never heard any proof that the guy mentioned her licence plate. All the "proof" she had was Dick looking at the back of her car. Like another post said that could be a million different scenarios. One is this: "Is that your girl with the 49ers plates? Are you nailing her?"

Secondly: Does anyone else find it strange she was trying to "revive" Dick for 15 minutes? The place they pulled off didn't look all that remote there had to be a house or a gas station nearby to call the cops/ambulance. Plus wouldn't it be smart to take the car and drive somewhere to call the cops? You just saw your friend shot and somehow you lived from it, I'd be scared to death to hang around there.

Thirdly: Is Jean telling the whole truth? Who is to say that it wasn't a jealous ex-boyfriend of hers? That can explain the motive for shooting him. It can also explain why she claims she doesn't know him, not wanting retribution on her.

I've never believed it was random. Someone is too fishy about this case and while I am not saying for sure that Jean is lying I think it is possible. They didn't say if they gave her a polygraph test or not but I guess we can assume that she was cleared somehow. Bottom line is there is never a time when a drug deal goes "well". If money is involved things happen. This could be a classic case of a hitman. I wouldn't be surprised if he truly doesn't even wear glasses

I completely agree with you Hambone.

Henry Lee Lucas killed countless people, randomly, and the only reason he did was for the heck of it.

Psychos are out there, not just bad drug dealers.

I completely agree with you Hambone.

Henry Lee Lucas killed countless people, randomly, and the only reason he did was for the heck of it.

Psychos are out there, not just bad drug dealers.

Psychopath and Drug Dealer are not necessarily mutually exclusive.

The Iceman has shown us that.

I just watched the new unsolved mysteries with dennis farina and lifetime channel at 3pm today. the first show was about Dick Hansen. I was surprised to see this segment again. I dont remember seeing it when I was a kid, but I did see all of them, just forgot since there were so many that stood out and many that didnt. next up on todays um show is dr fraud - another of my classics about an overweight man who conned lots of coin dealers. classic too!

This was the first time I saw dick hansen's (actor) killer on tv in a clear way, becaues youtube and dailymotion are kinda blurry, especially youtube. It was even scarier when i could clearly see the actor playing the killer, sitting in the car.

I am actually very glad the dennis farina UM is on again on lifetime. Sure its not the same, but its better than nothing for me! I like seeing the old episodes, some of which i dont remember - so those are like brand new episodes lol. One thing about dick hansen segment - ok the show cant use robert stacks voice (actually they should, just show the re-runs), but they took out all the original scary music bits during dick hansen segment - THAT WAS UM. it wasnt as scary. And during the actual scene where dick got shot, they removed that scary and suspenseful music/tones, ect. It didnt sound scary at all. Ok, i can do without robert stacks great voice, but i cannot do without the original scary music background. At least replace the original scary music with new scary music, not this garbage.

Psychopath and Drug Dealer are not necessarily mutually exclusive.

The Iceman has shown us that.

The newspaper article that says this guy was waiting to use a mailbox. This scenario actually makes the most sense IMO. We have to consider LE investigated the drug angle (especially if Dick did in fact have a past drug problem) and ruled that along with just about every other usual angle there is in a murder. This very well could have been some a-hole with a temper who was waiting to use the mailbox (may have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol) who got pissed off because Dick was leaning in Jean's car talking to her blocking the mail box. Like mattc said if Dick confronted this guy and asked why he was following them and then the guy motioned to Jean's car and said something like, "She was blocking the mail box!" that would certainly warrant a "Get the blankety blank outta here" comment. I'm glad that blurb from the article was posted on here, it makes a bit more sense now. Wish LE would have presented this more as a possible motive instead of the license plate theory.

that might be a scenario about the couple blocking the mailbox, but i still dont agree with it. when the killer pointed at the womans car, maybe he only made something up and told dick: "why are you sleeping with my girlfriend/lover". i tend to agree with the original UM theory that the killer was pointing at the car or the licence plate. Sure he might not have been pointing at the plate, maybe he pointed to something as an excuse. also, if someone has a drug problem, its sometimes likely that they would NOT have been killed by another druggie or drug dealer. i think that happens more often in the inner city, in bad places, but also in safe areas - but not as often. sometimes when a person is on drugs, the first thing people will say is "he is a druggie", or a "loser", or "trouble maker". But there are some people who use illegal drugs in a responsible way, as funny as it sounds.


The newspaper article that says this guy was waiting to use a mailbox. This scenario actually makes the most sense IMO. We have to consider LE investigated the drug angle (especially if Dick did in fact have a past drug problem) and ruled that along with just about every other usual angle there is in a murder. This very well could have been some a-hole with a temper who was waiting to use the mailbox (may have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol) who got pissed off because Dick was leaning in Jean's car talking to her blocking the mail box. Like mattc said if Dick confronted this guy and asked why he was following them and then the guy motioned to Jean's car and said something like, "She was blocking the mail box!" that would certainly warrant a "Get the blankety blank outta here" comment. I'm glad that blurb from the article was posted on here, it makes a bit more sense now. Wish LE would have presented this more as a possible motive instead of the license plate theory.

The newspaper article that says this guy was waiting to use a mailbox. This scenario actually makes the most sense IMO. We have to consider LE investigated the drug angle (especially if Dick did in fact have a past drug problem) and ruled that along with just about every other usual angle there is in a murder. This very well could have been some a-hole with a temper who was waiting to use the mailbox (may have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol) who got pissed off because Dick was leaning in Jean's car talking to her blocking the mail box. Like mattc said if Dick confronted this guy and asked why he was following them and then the guy motioned to Jean's car and said something like, "She was blocking the mail box!" that would certainly warrant a "Get the blankety blank outta here" comment. I'm glad that blurb from the article was posted on here, it makes a bit more sense now. Wish LE would have presented this more as a possible motive instead of the license plate theory.

I had NEVER thought of that before. It makes an immense amount of sense.

The newspaper article that says this guy was waiting to use a mailbox. This scenario actually makes the most sense IMO. We have to consider LE investigated the drug angle (especially if Dick did in fact have a past drug problem) and ruled that along with just about every other usual angle there is in a murder. This very well could have been some a-hole with a temper who was waiting to use the mailbox (may have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol) who got pissed off because Dick was leaning in Jean's car talking to her blocking the mail box. Like mattc said if Dick confronted this guy and asked why he was following them and then the guy motioned to Jean's car and said something like, "She was blocking the mail box!" that would certainly warrant a "Get the blankety blank outta here" comment. I'm glad that blurb from the article was posted on here, it makes a bit more sense now. Wish LE would have presented this more as a possible motive instead of the license plate theory.


This is a great theory. I never believed that the perp randomly came across Jean's vehicle with the 49'ers plate on it and it angered him to the point of killing. And if it was a drug hit on Dick then what guarantee did the guy have that Dick would be at that place at that time with no witnesses besides Jean? Just seems far fetched. But perhaps the perp was so angered by the fact that Dick and Jean were taking their time and wouldn't move away from the mailboxes that it fueled the fire and drugs and/or alcohol would certainly amplify that.

I have had a interest in this case from the first time I saw it on Unsolved Mysteries. I have read most of your posts and felt I should share with you what I know. First of all, I have a friend who has been stalked as I have, by a man who is very dangerous. He looks Hispanic and looks younger than his yrs . He is now between 65 yrs old and 73 is my guess. My friend has been a fan of the 49ers for ever, and had a license plate very much like Jane's. It is my feeling that the shooter thought it was my friends car. That he spotted it and followed it like he has many times before. He has shot at me and has followed me many times. I was very lucky that the shot missed me. I couldn't get any help from the police , because I didn't know the mans name or because I was not hurt , they couldn't do anything. I have taken his picture and would like to show it to Jane. I feel strongly that this person could have been the shooter. He didn't shoot Jane because he thought it was my friend, is my guess ? We have given his picture to the police. He knows this, so as long as we are alive, we look like we are just two crazy women. If one of us is murdered, the police would then know that what we have been telling them is true. I think that is why Jean was left alive, he thought she was someone else. I have seen the glare that he gave Jane , it makes you very fearful. My guess is the gun used was a 9 mil luger. ( He has used it before)

Wow Stalked, that is scary!

My guess is police did nothing back then (due to the fact that you weren't hurt by the guy, etc) because stalking laws either didn't exist or were very weak. Nowadays, you'd probably be able to get the guy arrested since stalking behaviors like that are finally considered to be criminal.

The way it used to be is that a stalker could torment someone all they wanted to and cops could do almost nothing to stop it until the stalker actually acted out his plan and harmed or killed the victim.

I've heard of so many cases where victims were being relentlessly stalked and the cops would always tell them, "Sorry, we can't arrest him until he actually does something." Then, of course, the victim ends up being attacked or murdered!

Is this guy still harassing you and your friend? If not, do you remember what year he stopped stalking you?

I have had a interest in this case from the first time I saw it on Unsolved Mysteries. I have read most of your posts and felt I should share with you what I know. First of all, I have a friend who has been stalked as I have, by a man who is very dangerous. He looks Hispanic and looks younger than his yrs . He is now between 65 yrs old and 73 is my guess. My friend has been a fan of the 49ers for ever, and had a license plate very much like Jane's. It is my feeling that the shooter thought it was my friends car. That he spotted it and followed it like he has many times before. He has shot at me and has followed me many times. I was very lucky that the shot missed me. I couldn't get any help from the police , because I didn't know the mans name or because I was not hurt , they couldn't do anything. I have taken his picture and would like to show it to Jane. I feel strongly that this person could have been the shooter. He didn't shoot Jane because he thought it was my friend, is my guess ? We have given his picture to the police. He knows this, so as long as we are alive, we look like we are just two crazy women. If one of us is murdered, the police would then know that what we have been telling them is true. I think that is why Jean was left alive, he thought she was someone else. I have seen the glare that he gave Jane , it makes you very fearful. My guess is the gun used was a 9 mil luger. ( He has used it before)

A few questions:

Does your friend know his identity? Does she have any reason as to why this guy would follow her around and randomly shoot at her for years on end? Why has this man followed and shot at you, if your friend is the original intended target? Did police at the very least take a report out on the alleged attempted murder on your or your friend?

Wow Stalked, that is scary!

My guess is police did nothing back then (due to the fact that you weren't hurt by the guy, etc) because stalking laws either didn't exist or were very weak. Nowadays, you'd probably be able to get the guy arrested since stalking behaviors like that are finally considered to be criminal.

The way it used to be is that a stalker could torment someone all they wanted to and cops could do almost nothing to stop it until the stalker actually acted out his plan and harmed or killed the victim.

I've heard of so many cases where victims were being relentlessly stalked and the cops would always tell them, "Sorry, we can't arrest him until he actually does something." Then, of course, the victim ends up being attacked or murdered!

Is this guy still harassing you and your friend? If not, do you remember what year he stopped stalking you?

Tracy Lynn, Things haven't really changed as you might think. The police still can't help because I don't know who this person is ? He wants me to think he is thee Zodiac ! He still calls me from time to time, he has never stopped. Except for about 7 yrs between 1975- 1982. I took his picture, and that just made him more angry . Then he threatened my children. The other girl had a sister who was killed by the Zodiac in July 1969. She told me that the man I took a picture of is the same man who bothered her and her sister. He is the same man who followed her sister before she was killed. The picture I took was in Aug. 1990, so Dicks friend should see the picture to see if that is him or not ? He looks Hispanic in the summer, but very light in the winter. I think he works in construction ?

A few questions:

Does your friend know his identity? Does she have any reason as to why this guy would follow her around and randomly shoot at her for years on end? Why has this man followed and shot at you, if your friend is the original intended target? Did police at the very least take a report out on the alleged attempted murder on your or your friend?


She was told that his name was Larry Kane, so that was who I thought he was. But Larry Kane died last yr., and the man we have been bothered by, is still alive and well. So now we don't know what his name is ?
I didn't say she was shot at many times , only once. Myself once, but he pointed a gun at me one other time. I slammed on my breaks and got behind him so he couldn't shoot. He has followed us many times.
I also didn't say she was the original target. He started with me in 1968 her sister wasn't killed until July 5th 69. She and I didn't meet until March of 1990. Then we compared license plates we had written down, when ever we saw him. There was a match to one green older looking car like a cad.or Lincoln. He has used many different cars and trucks over the yrs. Most of the plates were stolen plates, or didn't belong to the cars/trucks he was driving. She believes the man is the Zodiac, the same man who killed her sister. He could very well be, being it started with me in Vallejo 1968. Who knows ?

A few questions:

Does your friend know his identity? Does she have any reason as to why this guy would follow her around and randomly shoot at her for years on end? Why has this man followed and shot at you, if your friend is the original intended target? Did police at the very least take a report out on the alleged attempted murder on your or your friend?


Sorry I didn't answer all of your questions. There are many police reports about this man, by myself and her. But what can the police do if you don't know who he is or have other witness's ? It's also very hard to believe in the first place. When I was followed in Vallejo to Napa in 68 there was a report and they saw the man ! But for what ever reason they didn't do anything about it. Then shortly after, the first two were shot on Dec 20th 68. Never solved .Of course I have no way of knowing if he is the same man or not, that killed those two teens. All I know is he wants me to believe he is their killer. I can only guess why me, and why my friend ? Why did the Zodiac kill ? no one knows why, except him !

Tracy Lynn, Things haven't really changed as you might think. The police still can't help because I don't know who this person is ? He wants me to think he is thee Zodiac ! He still calls me from time to time, he has never stopped. Except for about 7 yrs between 1975- 1982. I took his picture, and that just made him more angry . Then he threatened my children. The other girl had a sister who was killed by the Zodiac in July 1969. She told me that the man I took a picture of is the same man who bothered her and her sister. He is the same man who followed her sister before she was killed. The picture I took was in Aug. 1990, so Dicks friend should see the picture to see if that is him or not ? He looks Hispanic in the summer, but very light in the winter. I think he works in construction ?

Would you mind posting it here? I am sure others would be interested in seeing what this man looks like.

Would you mind posting it here? I am sure others would be interested in seeing what this man looks like.

I am not that good with a computer, I would need help in doing that. If you or someone else will Google Zodiac Vortex ,that is a site that has his picture. His picture is there under the name of Larry Kane. I checked it the other day and it is still there. When I Googled it , it was the top one. Go to the suspects on the front page, then suspect Larry Kane. Scroll down to the picture in color, that is the picture I took of him in Aug. 1990.
If somehow you can copy and paste that picture , that would be great.The reason the name on that picture shows Kane, is that I was told by Vallejo PD and a Zodiac Victims family, that was his name. Kane died last yr, and I still see the man who stalks me, so for sure he is not Kane. I hope someone will know this man and tell me who he is ? He followed me to San Jose in the early 90's. Thanks

I tried to copy and past it , it didn't work. Sorry

I tried to copy and past it , it didn't work. Sorry

Here you go...

http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad64/andy80_bucket/LKane.jpg http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad64/andy80_bucket/DickHansen.jpg

Thank you very much ! That is the man , who is that composite of ? I haven't seen that one before.
Notice the gray powder on his hands. He also has it on the top of his shoe's and his knees. I am thinking he might work with concrete ? If any of you guys work with concrete or know someone who has , is this what the gray color could be ? Or could it be a car painter ? Primer ?
I am very sure my stalker has seen his picture on the site you got it from.
I have asked the host if he was ever asked to remove it ?( No one has.) I think it is because the name for that picture is Kane, and he is not Kane .
But now we will see if he sees it here and ,if he will ask for it to be removed ? It is doubtful, because he would not want anyone to know who he is if he can help it.
Again thank you for posting it here . If there is anyone who recognizes this face, even if you don't think he could be a stalker/ killer, please give me his name. Not sure if its a good idea to post it, until he is proven to be the bad guy. I wouldn't want a innocent persons name on the internet. He looks like a lot of people. Important to remember, he has a lazy eye, and those scars along his jaw line, and chin. If this is someone you know with a face like this man with those scars, you can bet it is the man. I am alleging he could be the man who shot Dick Hansen ?

Thank you very much ! That is the man , who is that composite of ? I haven't seen that one before.
Notice the gray powder on his hands. He also has it on the top of his shoe's and his knees. I am thinking he might work with concrete ? If any of you guys work with concrete or know someone who has , is this what the gray color could be ? Or could it be a car painter ? Primer ?
I am very sure my stalker has seen his picture on the site you got it from.
I have asked the host if he was ever asked to remove it ?( No one has.) I think it is because the name for that picture is Kane, and he is not Kane .
But now we will see if he sees it here and ,if he will ask for it to be removed ? It is doubtful, because he would not want anyone to know who he is if he can help it.
Again thank you for posting it here . If there is anyone who recognizes this face, even if you don't think he could be a stalker/ killer, please give me his name. Not sure if its a good idea to post it, until he is proven to be the bad guy. I wouldn't want a innocent persons name on the internet. He looks like a lot of people. Important to remember, he has a lazy eye, and those scars along his jaw line, and chin. If this is someone you know with a face like this man with those scars, you can bet it is the man. I am alleging he could be the man who shot Dick Hansen ?

The composite is the description Jean gave of the guy who was following her & Dick.

I always thought the composite sketch looked like an Asian or a Hispanic man.

Not to make light of a serious situation, but that composite reminds me of Steve Urkel.

http://meighanvalero.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/urkel.jpg?w=535&h=570http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad64/andy80_bucket/DickHansen.jpg

:lol:

Yes he does resemble Urkel.

That is not a very good composite. I heard her description was that the man had salt and pepper hair. The picture that I took of this very dangerous man, was taken in Aug, 1990. I thought he looked close to 50 yrs old then, Dicks friend felt the man looked to be in his 40's. She saw him late at night, so he could look younger I guess ?
He enjoys instilling fear in people, that could be why he didn't shoot her ? This man has a way of looking very different when ever it suits him.

If he had on a wig, then he wasn't worried about being seen by Dick's friend. I have seen him with his head shaved, and also with different color wigs. Do any of you know what sort of gun was used ? How many shots were fired ?
I am also very curious why she felt that the shooter could have been the Zodiac ?
Was she ever bothered after the shooting, by someone claiming to be the Zodiac? I ask this because the man in the picture, wants me to think that is who he is. None of the witness's who saw the Zodiac ever said that he looked Hispanic, one SFPD officer did say he looked Welsh ?
He works in construction, so in the summer he has a dark tan , winter he is very light complected. He has a lazy eye, and acne scars along his left jaw line. He talks in a slow deliberate way, sort of like a robot. ( Like Hal in 2001 Space odyssey ) . All of this sounds very crazy, but it is true.

Wow. At all this.

So hes a 49ers hater?

Interestingly enough, the guy in my avatar on the right is 49ers star Vernon Davis

Not to make light of a serious situation, but that composite reminds me of Steve Urkel.

http://meighanvalero.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/urkel.jpg?w=535&h=570http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad64/andy80_bucket/DickHansen.jpg


LOL, that is so ridiculous, but I thought the same thing!

I think it is perfectly reasonable to think that someone just decided to attack two people at random - may not happen often, but an unbalanced person who sees a man and a woman in a car alone - he may have been some kind of sex prude who decided to punish them, or gets a kinky thrill out of following them because he thinks the man has probably said to the woman, "Let's go back to my place" and he wants to intimidate them because they are isolated. Regardless of the reason, what makes me sad about this case is that Dick Hansen got out of the car at all.

I know that as a big guy he probably figured it was his job to protect his girlfriend and that he could overpower the guy - but given the man's erratic behavior, I not even sure an armed police officer would have approached the man like that. I think it might be embarrassing for a man in a situation like this to ask for help, but as the man wasn't ramming into their cars, didn't run them off the road, I wonder what would have happened if they driven to an all night restaurant or something and called the cops from inside.

I know it's easy to say what you would have done when you're not in the situation. But I feel like unless the man was brave enough to leave his car and come up to them, anyone crazy enough to follow you like that, should definitely not be approached. Thank God for cell phones.

I have always thought that the license plate theory was wrong. To make Dick so angry and tell him off in such a way in the response to the guy gesturing and saying something makes me think the guy was gesturing at JEAN, not the license plate.

Possible theory: Maybe he was a sexual predator, pervert, etc. Maybe he said he found her hot and wanted her number, etc., since she seems to have been the target of being followed, not Dick. Maybe he was considering doing something to Jean after he'd shot Dick. I guess the big question is, if Jean was the target (as per my theory) why did he do nothing to her once her only protection was incapacitated? Perhaps he decided an abduction was too risky. I have no doubt that he would have been just as if not even more violent if Jean and Dick had reached their original destination.

Economist man, that's another interesting theory, the opposite of mine. Some kind of pre-marital sex-hating prude. It sounds crazy, but there are weird people in the world!

I think this guy was set on harassment and putting fear in other people, most likely Jean. Maybe he likes to scare people, women in particular (I base this on him trailing Jean's tracks instead of Dick's). Perhaps he saw Jean and was attracted, and further wanted to see more of her/ target her after she kissed Dick right in front of him to get in her car. In any case, the guy had the gun, so he was in no way worried about Dick or Jean confronting him because he knew the entire time that he had the upper hand. It's a very chilling case. And it seems totally random. Imagine if you happened to park with a friend on a certain corner and that made you a selected target...

I think this whole case surrounds "Jean" the friend. If the UM Segment is correct, the car was following jean not dick. He could have sped past her to get behind dick, but no he stayed with her. This is something really fishy about this case and i think that Jean is not telling the whole story..Don't get me wrong, its sure is possible that this is about his drug problem, but then it begs the question, "Why didn't the gunman shot Dick while he was out of the car and heading for his truck? Also the gentleman in the car seemed to be waiting for someone to approach and thus get him more riled up. He was going to shoot someone, he was waiting to see who was going to come to the car first!

I think this whole case surrounds "Jean" the friend. If the UM Segment is correct, the car was following jean not dick. He could have sped past her to get behind dick, but no he stayed with her. This is something really fishy about this case and i think that Jean is not telling the whole story..Don't get me wrong, its sure is possible that this is about his drug problem, but then it begs the question, "Why didn't the gunman shot Dick while he was out of the car and heading for his truck? Also the gentleman in the car seemed to be waiting for someone to approach and thus get him more riled up. He was going to shoot someone, he was waiting to see who was going to come to the car first!

For all we know, he could've shot "Jean" because of her license plate, but Dick being her boyfriend, went up to question the guy to protect her from a confrontation. I never heard anything about Dick having a drug problem?

The biggest issue is that 100% of the testimony is from "Jean" so we can only go on what she tells us she thinks the motive was. I find it more likely the driver was pointing at her and not the license plate.

I don't take youtube comments seriously, but someone did leave a comment saying he knew who the killer was and it was over drugs/possible steroid debt or something to that effect. that would make a lot more sense than a random killing. I just don't get why he tailed Dick's date and not Dick if it was a drug issue.

There was a newspaper article on the internet about this case that said after Jean and Dick left the bar, Jean was sitting outside in her parked car while Dick was leaning inside talking to her. The killer pulled up behind them at this point, but they continued to talk. Jean (probably unknown to her) was blocking a bunch of mailboxes. This seems like the most likely motive to me: this was a road rage incident. The killer was probably waiting to use the mailboxes that Jean was blocking which set him off and began to follow her. When Dick approached the killer, he probably told him why he was following them which is why Dick flipped out and also probably why the killer shot Dick instead of Jean.

There was a newspaper article on the internet about this case that said after Jean and Dick left the bar, Jean was sitting outside in her parked car while Dick was leaning inside talking to her. The killer pulled up behind them at this point, but they continued to talk. Jean (probably unknown to her) was blocking a bunch of mailboxes. This seems like the most likely motive to me: this was a road rage incident. The killer was probably waiting to use the mailboxes that Jean was blocking which set him off and began to follow her. When Dick approached the killer, he probably told him why he was following them which is why Dick flipped out and also probably why the killer shot Dick instead of Jean.

That makes the most sense.

There was a newspaper article on the internet about this case that said after Jean and Dick left the bar, Jean was sitting outside in her parked car while Dick was leaning inside talking to her. The killer pulled up behind them at this point, but they continued to talk. Jean (probably unknown to her) was blocking a bunch of mailboxes. This seems like the most likely motive to me: this was a road rage incident. The killer was probably waiting to use the mailboxes that Jean was blocking which set him off and began to follow her. When Dick approached the killer, he probably told him why he was following them which is why Dick flipped out and also probably why the killer shot Dick instead of Jean.

That is still a petty reason to follow and kill someone. If he needed to drop something off at the mailbox, he could've asked her to move. I think he was looking for someone to harm/kill that night and they ended up being the targets of his campaign. Why bring a gun with you if you're just there to drop off something? Only the killer would know the real reason why this all went down like it did.

Why bring a gun with you if you're just there to drop off something?

There are many people who carry handguns with them almost everywhere. There are also people who leave their handguns inside their vehicles, often in their consoles or map compartment. That's not particularly unusual.

There are many people who carry handguns with them almost everywhere. There are also people who leave their handguns inside their vehicles, often in their consoles or map compartment. That's not particularly unusual.

I kind of figured so, but still...

That is still a petty reason to follow and kill someone. If he needed to drop something off at the mailbox, he could've asked her to move. I think he was looking for someone to harm/kill that night and they ended up being the targets of his campaign. Why bring a gun with you if you're just there to drop off something? Only the killer would know the real reason why this all went down like it did.

The guy was crazy enough to follow them all over God's creation, I don't think it's that much of a stretch to say he was crazy enough to shoot someone over blocked mailboxes. This would anger someone (who's mentally unstable) enough to shoot someone rather than some silly license plate theory, IMO.

No doubt if the killer is still living he's watching the game tomorrow.

I agree...

http://troll.me/images/xzibit-yo-dawg/yo-dawg-i-heard-you-tried-to-troll-y-u-fail-tho.jpg ('http://troll.me?p=3232')

http://troll.me/images/xzibit-yo-dawg/yo-dawg-i-heard-you-tried-to-troll-y-u-fail-tho.jpg ('http://troll.me?p=3232')

:lol:

This case scares the mess outta me! I always wondered, if the man wanted the mailbox, why didn't he blow the horn? Like, "Move, idiots!" Not just stare them down....If he knew them, he had to be close to them to know about where they would be and a approximate time they would leave...right?? Only a hand full of people know where you will be on a Friday night...

There's something to me that i find odd about the lady who was there with Dick. She doesn't seem too upset the way she was describing it, maybe she was just nervous. I think there is more to this story. Maybe it was 'Jean' ex bf or husband.

Does anyone know the street/freeway that this happened on? I want to look on Google Maps

There's something to me that i find odd about the lady who was there with Dick. She doesn't seem too upset the way she was describing it, maybe she was just nervous. I think there is more to this story. Maybe it was 'Jean' ex bf or husband.


Agreed. I have the strong feeling she knew the killer

This case breaks my heart because not only was this man, Dick Hanson, a seemingly upstanding citizen and a father, but he also seemed to be in a good place after his divorce, I believe as 'Jean' put it: 'having a new lease on life' or something to that effect. Heartbreaking.

That said, I agree with many here- it was a random act of violence. There are many mentally ill people out here with various 'triggers'.

There was a newspaper article on the internet about this case that said after Jean and Dick left the bar, Jean was sitting outside in her parked car while Dick was leaning inside talking to her. The killer pulled up behind them at this point, but they continued to talk. Jean (probably unknown to her) was blocking a bunch of mailboxes. This seems like the most likely motive to me: this was a road rage incident. The killer was probably waiting to use the mailboxes that Jean was blocking which set him off and began to follow her. When Dick approached the killer, he probably told him why he was following them which is why Dick flipped out and also probably why the killer shot Dick instead of Jean.

Were public mailboxes or were these community mailboxes for a house or apartment complex? I only ask because, if it were the latter, I would hope that law enforcement checked out the residents and matched them up against the composite of the killer and the make/model of his vehicle.

Were public mailboxes or were these community mailboxes for a house or apartment complex? I only ask because, if it were the latter, I would hope that law enforcement checked out the residents and matched them up against the composite of the killer and the make/model of his vehicle.

I think the old article that mentioned the mailboxes said they were public mailboxes right outside of where Dick and Jean were hanging out that night. When they left, Dick stood there and talked to Jean for a bit, blocking the mailboxes.

I think the old article that mentioned the mailboxes said they were public mailboxes right outside of where Dick and Jean were hanging out that night. When they left, Dick stood there and talked to Jean for a bit, blocking the mailboxes.
Do you know what street this was?

It's yet another episode that I remembered well from when I was a kid.

The revelation that he was a druggie also puts that part in the cars when they were driving alongside each other and trying to determine what to do in a humorous light.

Jean "LET'S GO TO THE POLICE!"
Dick: "WHAT?! I CAN'T HEAR YOU."

l-motha-effin'-o-l

I am a bit confused about the vehicle they were in when the guy pulled up behind them-some reports say they were in her car & most say they were in his-well I am assuming they mean his van, if so then the plates thing would have zero bearing. I am highly dubious if this actually happened that this was anything to do with her at all & all to do with Dick-looking around he seemed to have some drug issues & a short fuse, you wonder whether he ripped somebody off which was a rumour that he had paid somebody for drugs with funny money. That with the male dead she wasn't attacked or kidnapped suggests that he had zero interest in her or her number plate.

Also I find this story highly unlikely-how would a ten mile high speed chase like this with her swerving all over different lanes & the guy doing the same, her slamming on the brakes & then roaring off with him again copying her seemingly not have one witness that either phoned it in to the cops or came forward later? I think we have to look at the possibility that she invented this person & was the one who had shot Dick in a fit of rage or pre-planned-maybe an act of revenge for something in the past as they were it seems together previously?

You pointed out a lot of relevant things-- especially the "if it was a high speed chase for ten minutes why haven't other witnesses come forward?" I wonder if Unsolved just got lazy about interviewing those people.

As I get older my "gut" instinct just seems to get more accurate-- especially as it pertains to baseball deals, strangely. ANYWAY, as I indicated with my amusement about the "WHAT? I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" quotation, I believe that he knew the guy, and yes, it related to his drug life. He didn't want to tell her that he knew the guy, and he sure as hell didn't want to involve the police in it. When he exited the car he believed that he could handle it himself. Wrong.

You pointed out a lot of relevant things-- especially the "if it was a high speed chase for ten minutes why haven't other witnesses come forward?" I wonder if Unsolved just got lazy about interviewing those people.

As I get older my "gut" instinct just seems to get more accurate-- especially as it pertains to baseball deals, strangely. ANYWAY, as I indicated with my amusement about the "WHAT? I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" quotation, I believe that he knew the guy, and yes, it related to his drug life. He didn't want to tell her that he knew the guy, and he sure as hell didn't want to involve the police in it. When he exited the car he believed that he could handle it himself. Wrong.

It is quite possible he didn't know the guy as he might have been sent to collect or put the frighteners on him by a higher-up who Hansen owed money to. When he went to speak to the guy perhaps the guy said we will take her &/or her car as payment, he told him to get lost, started making threats to the guy & then the individual shot him thinking he was going to get attacked. Perhaps Hansen grabbed him through the window? He had a reputation as a hothead so maybe he just lost it with this guy who panicked & shot him in defence thinking he couldn't match up physically to Hansen in a fist-fight.

That the segment showed him swerving round him rather than just running over him & that he didn't harm the woman shows if it went down as she says then the guy likely never went there to kill Hansen or her-he could have got out of his car by the post boxes & walked up & shot him/them at point blank rage if that was the intention, but it just got out of hand. That there were it seems no other reports before or since of anything similar happening in that area it doesn't sound like anything other than something targeted to him.

Yeah, I posted that comment during the graveyard hours, so I forgot to add "or he *suspected* that he knew the guy's purpose"-- one or the other, really.

I ponied up the $3 and bought the most extensive article about Hansen's case:

Richard G. Hansen was a big man who was not the sort to be intimidated by a car following him up the freeway and onto the streets of Sunnyvale in the middle of the night. For one thing, he was a former Santa Clara University football player who stayed in shape and weighed 255 pounds. For another, friends say, he had a knack for reasoning with unreasonable people. But neither quality saved Hansen, 36, early Tuesday morning when he was gunned down after he stopped to confront the driver who had followed him and his girlfriend from downtown San Jose.

The killing has left family members and friends with agonizing questions that Sunnyvale Public Safety Department officers say they cannot answer yet. ''We're starting to think it was a complete outsider, a stranger to both," said Gerald B. Hansen, Richard's father and a well-known San Jose attorney. "It could be anybody."

What police know is this:
Hansen and his 47-year-old girlfriend of two years met at Original Joe's about 10 p.m. for dinner and then went in her car to Boswell's, a Campbell nightspot. About 1:45 a.m., they returned to First Street and sat talking behind Hansen's pickup truck. A car parked behind them. When the couple left in separate cars to go to her Belmont home, it followed. When they slowed, it slowed. When they sped, it sped.

He'd had enough

Somewhere on the drive north, after turning from Interstate 280 onto Highway 85, Richard Hansen apparently had enough. He pulled off Highway 85 on Fremont Avenue, cautioned his friend to stay in her car and approached the driver in the car behind.
She heard Hansen yell at the man. She heard two shots. Then she got on her car floor and honked the horn. The man who shot Hansen sped away.

Police say they are baffled. ''I'm not sure there is a best guess," said Detective Don Bacon. "You have to have some kind of a motive." Bacon said the woman, whom he declined to identify for her protection, told police that neither she nor Hansen were involved in any arguments at Original Joe's or Boswell's.

Victim hadn't been drinking

Police also said Hansen didn't drink that night and hadn't had a drink since recently undergoing alcohol rehabilitation. ''I might understand it if you had a run-in verbally or physically," Bacon said. "But it doesn't seem to be that kind of situation." At this point, they are not saying much more. Police say they have no suspects or motive in the shooting, which took place shortly after 2 a.m. The only thing known for certain is that Hansen will be dearly missed by his family and the scores of friends he made while at Bellarmine College Preparatory school, SCU and since.

Importance of family

Talk among friends Wednesday was not about the mysteries of the crime, but about the loves of Hansen's life: cycling, sailing, football, SCU and, above all, family. Hansen's two daughters, from a marriage that ended in divorce, came before all else, said Bradley Mazzuca, a close friend who met Hansen in high school. Mazzuca said he visited the girls, Julie, 13, and Cathy, 11, the night after their father was killed. ''I just sat with them and thought: This is a horrible way to become a grown-up real quick," Mazzuca said. "There aren't any answers." Friends and family remembered a fun-loving man who enjoyed spending time with people.

Undergoing changes

They talked about how Hansen, who had recently left a job as an electronics manager, had come up with several potential new jobs. And they talked about some changes for the better Hansen, who lived in San Jose, had made. They declined to go into detail.
''There were a lot of people who were happy that Dick had been working at some things pretty hard," said SCU football Coach Terry Malley, who played college ball with Hansen in the mid-1970s. "They liked the direction he was headed." Malley said there was never any question that once you were a friend of Hansen's you were a friend for life. He was "the type of guy who would go to the end of the earth for his friends," said Seamus McCracken, a buddy since high school. On Wednesday, some of those friends came to Gerald and Barbara Hansen's Rose Garden home, lending the place the unmistakable feel of a house recently visited by death.

Father prominent in county

The Hansens are considered prominent in some circles. Gerald Hansen was a U.S. court commissioner and he managed John Fitzgerald Kennedy's presidential campaign in Santa Clara County. But Barbara and Gerald Hansen, parents of five, are a down- to-earth couple that has lost a cherished son. Between greeting visitors, Hansen's parents sat under a portrait of Richard at age 3. Gerald touched the cover of an old SCU football program that featured their son, No. 69, and broke down. ''He was just a football player," he said. He won a game ball when he made 15 unassisted tackles against the University of California, Davis. He won an award for the most inspirational athlete. He formed a fraternity at SCU. The Hansens remembered their son's innocent, but devilish, side in college. Fraternity pranks and capers. The sorts of things that bring down parental wrath at the time but that brought only smiles and tears Wednesday. ''I'd always thought about one of my children dying maybe of an illness," Barbara said. "But not murder."

10 p.m. Hansen meets friend at Original Joe's at San Carlos and First streets.

11:30 p.m. They leave for Boswell's in the Pruneyard at Campbell Avenue and South Bascom Avenue.

1:45 a.m. They drive back to the vicinity of Original Joe's in her car to pick up his truck parked nearby on South First Street. Minutes later, as they sit talking in her car behind his truck, a car pulls up in back of them. When they leave in separate vehicles for her Belmont home, the car follows.

2 a.m. Hansen and the woman drive north on Interstate 280 and then onto Highway 85, headed toward Mountain View. They get off at Fremont Avenue in Sunnyvale and stop about 50 yards away near Bernardo Avenue. Hansen approaches the car following them and is shot. He dies at 3:10 a.m. at Stanford Hospital.

This (https://www.google.com/maps/@37.3306297,-121.8864481,3a,37.5y,351.19h,83.12t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1stUOinQ8l7u0J-mXcDzPm2g!2e0!7i13312!8i6656) is the approximate spot where Dick and Jean were sitting when the man pulled up behind them. This (https://www.google.com/maps/dir/S+Bernardo+Ave,+Sunnyvale,+CA/347+S+1st+St,+San+Jose,+CA+95113/@37.3272265,-122.046444,12z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x808fb6941d59cd29:0xb25155025119d0e3!2m2!1d-122.059016!2d37.3639782!1m5!1m1!1s0x808fccb09d5710f3:0xaf2ebe313778f683!2m2!1d-121.8868076!2d37.3305225!3e0) is the route they would have taken from where they left the mailbox to where they ultimately stopped and Dick got out to confront the guy. This (https://www.google.com/maps/@37.3520345,-122.0599701,3a,75y,92.49h,77.68t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s_w89X8o6JT3KHyW4GlMwgg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192) is the approximate spot where Dick would have gotten out and confronted the guy before being shot. I don't think some guy known to Dick, who wanted him dead for whatever reason, would kill him and leave the only witness alive, nor would they get involved in a high speed chase creating more potential witnesses. IMO, the dude was some psycho who wanted to use the mailbox and got pissed because they wouldn't move their car up, and he followed them home because of that. It's the only scenario that fits the known evidence.

I ponied up the $3 and bought the most extensive article about Hansen's case:



This (https://www.google.com/maps/@37.3306297,-121.8864481,3a,37.5y,351.19h,83.12t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1stUOinQ8l7u0J-mXcDzPm2g!2e0!7i13312!8i6656) is the approximate spot where Dick and Jean were sitting when the man pulled up behind them. This (https://www.google.com/maps/dir/S+Bernardo+Ave,+Sunnyvale,+CA/347+S+1st+St,+San+Jose,+CA+95113/@37.3272265,-122.046444,12z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x808fb6941d59cd29:0xb25155025119d0e3!2m2!1d-122.059016!2d37.3639782!1m5!1m1!1s0x808fccb09d5710f3:0xaf2ebe313778f683!2m2!1d-121.8868076!2d37.3305225!3e0) is the route they would have taken from where they left the mailbox to where they ultimately stopped and Dick got out to confront the guy. This (https://www.google.com/maps/@37.3520345,-122.0599701,3a,75y,92.49h,77.68t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s_w89X8o6JT3KHyW4GlMwgg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192) is the approximate spot where Dick would have gotten out and confronted the guy before being shot. I don't think some guy known to Dick, who wanted him dead for whatever reason, would kill him and leave the only witness alive, nor would they get involved in a high speed chase creating more potential witnesses. IMO, the dude was some psycho who wanted to use the mailbox and got pissed because they wouldn't move their car up, and he followed them home because of that. It's the only scenario that fits the known evidence.

Indeed. Occam's Razor (fits pretty well with incidents of road rage which are slowly becoming all too common now).

Also I find this story highly unlikely-how would a ten mile high speed chase like this with her swerving all over different lanes & the guy doing the same, her slamming on the brakes & then roaring off with him again copying her seemingly not have one witness that either phoned it in to the cops or came forward later?

Yeah, that didn't raise a red flag when I first watched the case since I was only a teenager at the time, but when I re-watched it (circa 2003) that struck me as unusual and somewhat unlikely. It's absolute lunacy to slam on your brakes in the middle of an interstate highway!

Also, Jean was 47 at the time of the murder, 11 years older than Dick? Cougar alert! :lol:

If this all comes down to the mailboxes, I don't really know what to say about that. Too many people blow the simplest things out of proportion.

Yeah, that didn't raise a red flag when I first watched the case since I was only a teenager at the time, but when I re-watched it (circa 2003) that struck me as unusual and somewhat unlikely. It's absolute lunacy to slam on your brakes in the middle of an interstate highway!

Also, Jean was 47 at the time of the murder, 11 years older than Dick? Cougar alert! :lol:

If this all comes down to the mailboxes, I don't really know what to say about that. Too many people blow the simplest things out of proportion.

Well apparently the highway was totally deserted apart from them. I seem to remember that Jean has changed gender to male. I guess it is possible-but it didn't look like the guy would have any trouble getting to the mailboxes on the reconstruction.

I ponied up the $3 and bought the most extensive article about Hansen's case:



This (https://www.google.com/maps/@37.3306297,-121.8864481,3a,37.5y,351.19h,83.12t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1stUOinQ8l7u0J-mXcDzPm2g!2e0!7i13312!8i6656) is the approximate spot where Dick and Jean were sitting when the man pulled up behind them. This (https://www.google.com/maps/dir/S+Bernardo+Ave,+Sunnyvale,+CA/347+S+1st+St,+San+Jose,+CA+95113/@37.3272265,-122.046444,12z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x808fb6941d59cd29:0xb25155025119d0e3!2m2!1d-122.059016!2d37.3639782!1m5!1m1!1s0x808fccb09d5710f3:0xaf2ebe313778f683!2m2!1d-121.8868076!2d37.3305225!3e0) is the route they would have taken from where they left the mailbox to where they ultimately stopped and Dick got out to confront the guy. This (https://www.google.com/maps/@37.3520345,-122.0599701,3a,75y,92.49h,77.68t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s_w89X8o6JT3KHyW4GlMwgg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192) is the approximate spot where Dick would have gotten out and confronted the guy before being shot. I don't think some guy known to Dick, who wanted him dead for whatever reason, would kill him and leave the only witness alive, nor would they get involved in a high speed chase creating more potential witnesses. IMO, the dude was some psycho who wanted to use the mailbox and got pissed because they wouldn't move their car up, and he followed them home because of that. It's the only scenario that fits the known evidence.

Thanks for taking the time (and money) to do this, Cars. It's always great to be able to put a little more perspective on a case like this.

I concur with your theory. I don't think either was targeted prior to the guy pulling up and having to wait.

Has it ever been conclusively established that Dick was ever a drug user at any point? The references to 'positive changes' and people applauding 'the direction he was headed' just prior to his murder brought up some old memories of some ancient Web Sleuths :rolleyes: conversations about him using or selling cocaine. If so, I could see how that could easily be grounds for a red herring.

If this all comes down to the mailboxes, I don't really know what to say about that. Too many people blow the simplest things out of proportion.

It's a scary (and incredibly pointless) thing to set the whole thing up, getting THAT angry instead of just walking the 20 feet to the mailbox, and yet I can believe it too.

Psycho, unstable people have been set off by things as minimal as that.

You know, the more I think about it, the more the license plate theory could also be probable. Bear with me here, but Dick was murdered in the spring of 1991. The San Francisco 49ers lost to the New York Giants in early 91 in the NFC Championship game. They were winning 13-12 with less than 3 minutes left when their running back fumbled the ball, and the Giants went on to win the game. A lot of people blamed their offensive line for the fumble. Harris Barton was a tackle on the offensive line. He's a dead ringer (http://redf.org/app/uploads/2013/10/Harris-Headshot-01-579x386.jpg) for Dick Hansen. I think it's possible that some crazed fan saw Dick, mistook him for Barton, saw the license plate and put 2+2 together, and that's why he chased them all over the state before murdering Dick. They mention this in the "Dates From Hell" episode they did, although they never actually come right out and name Barton, but they do mention how often Dick was mistaken for a lineman for the 49ers. In this context, I could see a crazed fan shooting him.

Totally plausible theory. Even though I've seen this case several times and vividly remember watching that NFC Championship game, I didn't put the two together. They took place just 3 1/2 months apart and if I'm not mistaken the 49ers were favored in that game (it was at home and they'd beaten the NYG only a month earlier).

You know, the more I think about it, the more the license plate theory could also be probable. Bear with me here, but Dick was murdered in the spring of 1991. The San Francisco 49ers lost to the New York Giants in early 91 in the NFC Championship game. They were winning 13-12 with less than 3 minutes left when their running back fumbled the ball, and the Giants went on to win the game. A lot of people blamed their offensive line for the fumble. Harris Barton was a tackle on the offensive line. He's a dead ringer (http://redf.org/app/uploads/2013/10/Harris-Headshot-01-579x386.jpg) for Dick Hansen. I think it's possible that some crazed fan saw Dick, mistook him for Barton, saw the license plate and put 2+2 together, and that's why he chased them all over the state before murdering Dick. They mention this in the "Dates From Hell" episode they did, although they never actually come right out and name Barton, but they do mention how often Dick was mistaken for a lineman for the 49ers. In this context, I could see a crazed fan shooting him.

That's an interesting theory. Only problem with it was the man saw Jean, not Dick, get in the car with the 49ER HUGS plate. Once both cars pulled away from the curb, the man would have had no idea if they would be going separate ways home or not. And it was Jean he was trailing for most of the ride which included the impromptu stop and eye contact with each other when Jean slammed on her breaks.

That theory might work, however, if the man thought that Jean was his wife and they would be going to the same home. Dick walking up to him would be essentially handing him a gift on a platter.

That's an interesting theory. Only problem with it was the man saw Jean, not Dick, get in the car with the 49ER HUGS plate. Once both cars pulled away from the curb, the man would have had no idea if they would be going separate ways home or not. And it was Jean he was trailing for most of the ride which included the impromptu stop and eye contact with each other when Jean slammed on her breaks.

That theory might work, however, if the man thought that Jean was his wife and they would be going to the same home. Dick walking up to him would be essentially handing him a gift on a platter.

Regarding the Harris-Barton-lookalike-slash-license-plate theory, maybe it's possible this man actually spotted Dick and Jean at Boswell's and then followed them to the street in front of Original Joe's where they had left their vehicles. It might have been difficult to recall somebody being present in a nightclub, what with all the people who are usually in such places at such a time of the night and into the early morning.

ETA: I mean this all to say that it might not have mattered so much who was going where, just that the two were spotted together and it might not have mattered, necessarily, who was the ultimate target.

Someone invoked Occam's Razor. There is no Occam's Razor in this case. There is no simplicity to anything here. 9/11 conspiracy theorists especially love to invoke that phrase then go on to describe what would be the most complex conspiracy in world history.

"WHY would a drug dealer or professional hitman leave a witness?"


We could just as easily ask why a "common person" who just had a simple case of "road rage" would just linger and stare at someone for a long interval after he had murdered a man instead of panicking and leaving and/or killing her as well immediately. We're not discussing an ordinary person-- drug dealer with a grudge or not. I could also make the case that Hansen was targeted and after the guy made the hit he lingered due to hubris.

Also, if Hansen believed that he *wasn't* targeting him due to his past behavior then why wouldn't he have confronted the man much sooner? Even the original report that someone posted indicated that it was odd that someone who was so well built and had a history of getting in guys' faces fled for so long.

Again, there is nothing that is simple here. It's just my instinct that it was drug related.

I've repeated this before but Joe Pesci's character in Goodfellas is based on real-life mobster and killer Tommy DeSimone. He was known to attack and kill people simply for fun. There are people out there who simply likedoing doing this and this might have been a clear case of that.

what if the highway chase was made up? What if Dick's gf was a user to? Was there any other witnesses to the highway chase?

Someone invoked Occam's Razor. There is no Occam's Razor in this case. There is no simplicity to anything here. 9/11 conspiracy theorists especially love to invoke that phrase then go on to describe what would be the most complex conspiracy in world history.

"WHY would a drug dealer or professional hitman leave a witness?"


We could just as easily ask why a "common person" who just had a simple case of "road rage" would just linger and stare at someone for a long interval after he had murdered a man instead of panicking and leaving and/or killing her as well immediately. We're not discussing an ordinary person-- drug dealer with a grudge or not. I could also make the case that Hansen was targeted and after the guy made the hit he lingered due to hubris.

Also, if Hansen believed that he *wasn't* targeting him due to his past behavior then why wouldn't he have confronted the man much sooner? Even the original report that someone posted indicated that it was odd that someone who was so well built and had a history of getting in guys' faces fled for so long.

Again, there is nothing that is simple here. It's just my instinct that it was drug related.

I've gone back and forth over this case over the near-fifteen years I've been familiar with it. There are problems with this case, as with the majority of the cases featured on UM, in the way of information. It's limited. Therefore, one can only make determinations primarily on what information is available, and what information is most credible.

It's for this reason that I have had to discard the so-called drug theory. There simply isn't a lot of information validating the claim that Dick had a problem with drugs. There certainly is such information available establishing that Dick had a problem with alcohol use, but none comparable for drug use (be it cocaine, opioids, or whatever). The drug theory has its origins in a single post on a board much like this one by a party unwilling to identify him or herself except as the child of one of Dick's best friends at Santa Clara. For whatever reason--probably because it tends to mentally satisfy 'loose ends' in this case--the theory's legitimacy has exponentially outgrown its own supporting evidence, which isn't much to begin with.

Should that change, I'll have to change my mind. But until then, I submit a man raging about a blocked mailbox or the 1991 49er's O-line is better supported than a drug beef.

Dick lived alone. If he was killed for reasons related to his personal life, why not do it when he's alone? And why trail Jean's car instead of Dick's?

Dick lived alone. If he was killed for reasons related to his personal life, why not do it when he's alone? And why trail Jean's car instead of Dick's?

Was it just that she was in-between them? Did any of this actually happen?

Was it just that she was in-between them? Did any of this actually happen?

Not sure why her car was trailed instead of Dick's, but when Dick confronted the guy, he motioned to her car before shooting Dick. I don't think any angle of a drug debt fits with the known theory. And the "Dates From Hell" episode says a motorist arrived seconds after the killer pulled off, and the police were called and arrived within minutes. Her story checks out, IMO.

Not sure why her car was trailed instead of Dick's, but when Dick confronted the guy, he motioned to her car before shooting Dick. I don't think any angle of a drug debt fits with the known theory. And the "Dates From Hell" episode says a motorist arrived seconds after the killer pulled off, and the police were called and arrived within minutes. Her story checks out, IMO.

Jean is the new Rob Shafer.

Jean is the new Rob Shafer.

HAHAHAHA! :lol:

Another golden post from Meg. Well done! 👍🏼

I agree w/ the other posters who think the license plate has nothing to do with the murder. I believe it’s a random act of violence

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Jean is the new Rob Shafer.

I understand why people would be skeptical of her story, simply because of how outrageous it sounds. But when you actually break everything down, it makes sense. They were driving in separate cars, how and why would Jean get Dick to pull over just to randomly murder him nowhere near her home? And what motive is there? And how did she get rid of the murder weapon so quickly?

Another reason I think people are skeptical is because, like Rob Shafer, these events happened late at night/early in the morning with minimal witnesses.

I understand why people would be skeptical of her story, simply because of how outrageous it sounds. But when you actually break everything down, it makes sense. They were driving in separate cars, how and why would Jean get Dick to pull over just to randomly murder him nowhere near her home? And what motive is there? And how did she get rid of the murder weapon so quickly?

Another reason I think people are skeptical is because, like Rob Shafer, these events happened late at night/early in the morning with minimal witnesses.

Maybe it was a pre-arranged meeting with somebody else who wasn't there, or who was hiding then did the deed. If she had pulled the trigger it is unlikely she would have been searched as a suspect at that point, hell some cops have managed to not even search actual suspects who they then find weapons on back at the station or hidden in the police car, or later at the station toilets.

Yep, the biggest issue is a ten mile chase at high speeds, then swerving around, breaking & taking off again etc without any witnesses that we know of. This wasn't even 3 or 4 in the morning, there should have been a decent number of other motorists out there.

Maybe it was a pre-arranged meeting with somebody else who wasn't there, or who was hiding then did the deed. If she had pulled the trigger it is unlikely she would have been searched as a suspect at that point, hell some cops have managed to not even search actual suspects who they then find weapons on back at the station or hidden in the police car, or later at the station toilets.

If we assume that Jean was involved somehow, what's the motive for her cooperating with someone who wanted Dick dead, or what would be her motive to want him dead? They weren't romantically involved. They were friends. There is no insurance payout here. And if this person was waiting in the wings to murder Dick, how did he leave the scene? Did this entire murder plot hinge on the fact that Jean could get Dick to pull off an exit ramp on a highway nowhere near where they intended to go?

Yep, the biggest issue is a ten mile chase at high speeds, then swerving around, breaking & taking off again etc without any witnesses that we know of. This wasn't even 3 or 4 in the morning, there should have been a decent number of other motorists out there.

It was between 2 and 3 in the morning when all of this went down.

I understand why people would be skeptical of her story, simply because of how outrageous it sounds. But when you actually break everything down, it makes sense. They were driving in separate cars, how and why would Jean get Dick to pull over just to randomly murder him nowhere near her home? And what motive is there? And how did she get rid of the murder weapon so quickly?

Another reason I think people are skeptical is because, like Rob Shafer, these events happened late at night/early in the morning with minimal witnesses.

I agree and this is why I deleted my last comments. I was skeptical of Jean, but I thought more about where they ended up where Dick was shot. They had no reason to be there as they were in separate vehicles and nothing was there.

Also, I agree about motive Dick had invited Jean out so what would her motive be to have him killed at a weird location? I understand people are skeptical about her not being shot as well as he left a witness, and that a portion of her story makes no sense such as the sports thing, but I really can't see a motive here.

Now maybe she's omitting a few things out of fear, but I believe the baseline of what she said. Now I don't believe they were killed because of the mailbox because he never got out of his vehicle and asked them to move. He never said anything, so I won't assume it's because they were blocking the mailbox.

Maybe Dick was being loud and obnoxious that night, or offended him somehow. Or maybe he had a crush on Jean and was eyeing her the whole night. Him and Jean could've known each other and she lied about certain parts to protect his identity. It seems like he was stalking them and then pulled behind them

It said that Dick was going through a nasty divorce. Maybe the ex-wife should be looked at more suspiciously

Now I don't believe they were killed because of the mailbox because he never got out of his vehicle and asked them to move. He never said anything, so I won't assume it's because they were blocking the mailbox.

That's a pretty fair and salient point. To make the inference that the reason the assailant was irate because of a blocked mailbox is to utilize little to no evidence other than Jean's car was parked on a street very near to a mailbox. That really is the extent of it. The theory, then, seems rather poorly supported.

That's a pretty fair and salient point. To make the inference that the reason the assailant was irate because of a blocked mailbox is to utilize little to no evidence other than Jean's car was parked on a street very near to a mailbox. That really is the extent of it. The theory, then, seems rather poorly supported.

Yeah, nothing was said at the mailbox so it's hard to say what he honked for. If someone really wanted to use the mailbox then I would assume that if after the honk Dick didn't move, then he would've got out and said something.

I know people go crazy over small stuff but this doesn't make much sense. If he had gotten out and shot Dick after asking him to move then sure. But it's difficult to say he was killed for blocking a mailbox after never saying anything.

I really wonder what he wanted from that honk though. This case does seem bizarre because why didn't he attack there if the street was empty? He could've easily gotten Dick when Jean got out to getting her car

Also something that makes me question the mailbox motive was that Dick seemed more upset than the shooter. If someone was blocking the mailbox and I was angry enough to follow, then I guarantee that I would've the first one out the car screaming. He seemed oddly cool for someone with rage about a blocked mailbox. He also would've gotten out at the mailbox and accosted Jane when she went to get into her car.

I honestly don't know if I believe her story, but if I assume everything she said was true, then I'd assume that the guy had a crush on her and was stalking them. Jane said she pointed at her car and Dick told him to go away. He could've said something along the lines of "I want her" or something. It also backs the theory that he didn't kill her but stared at her. Yeah it's weird that he didn't assault her then, but who knows.

Meg, your Jane and Rob connection is hilarious. Lmao

That's a pretty fair and salient point. To make the inference that the reason the assailant was irate because of a blocked mailbox is to utilize little to no evidence other than Jean's car was parked on a street very near to a mailbox. That really is the extent of it. The theory, then, seems rather poorly supported.

I can't find the article for the life of me, but I do remember reading one and I'm 99% sure that this was the motive being pushed by either law enforcement or Dick's family. If the disgruntled fan theory is the correct one, I wonder if the guy committed suicide shortly after murdering Dick, and the connection was never made which is why he's never been identified.

I can't find the article for the life of me, but I do remember reading one and I'm 99% sure that this was the motive being pushed by either law enforcement or Dick's family. If the disgruntled fan theory is the correct one, I wonder if the guy committed suicide shortly after murdering Dick, and the connection was never made which is why he's never been identified.

The problem with the mailbox and crazed fan theory is that there's no evidence to support neither, they're just loose speculations given by L. E. based on Jeans testimony because they have nothing else to go on.

There's no motive here, so I guess their only guesses (which are poor) are that he was blocking the mailbox, or the guy was a big football fan. I wouldn't us credibility to either theory as they're weak.

Alot of people said that they're skeptical of Jane, and I've read that some people think Jane possibly done it, but what if Dick was the bad guy here?

What if they got into an argument at the end of the night and Jane left due to the fighting. She then noticed Dick was following here so she pulled off the highway to get him to stop. He gets out of the car angry and approaches her vehicle cussing and going crazy and she shot him in self defense?

Alot of people said that they're skeptical of Jane, and I've read that some people think Jane possibly done it, but what if Dick was the bad guy here?

What if they got into an argument at the end of the night and Jane left due to the fighting. She then noticed Dick was following here so she pulled off the highway to get him to stop. He gets out of the car angry and approaches her vehicle cussing and going crazy and she shot him in self defense?

Wouldn't 2 cars be at the scene? But it would be pretty hard to follow someone on a highway for an extended amount of time. Maybe he was a dealer and was killed by another dealer?

Wouldn't 2 cars be at the scene? But it would be pretty hard to follow someone on a highway for an extended amount of time. Maybe he was a dealer and was killed by another dealer?

Yes. Her car and Dick's car. If she shot him, then it would only be their cars.

What I'm saying is that her and Dick got into an argument and Dick followed her until she pulled over. He approached her car and she shot him while sitting in the vehicle.

The problem I have with someone else doing this (unless it was someone in the bar) is why follow Dick and bother being seen by Jane? Why not get Dick alone if it was a drug deal? How did they know he was going to be where he was that night? Why follow him and wait until he leaves a bar late?

The drug theory doesn't make much sense either, because then we'd have to assume that this guy followed Dick to the bar, waited all night, and followed him and Jane only to be seen by Jane.

Also, if we were to believe Jane's story, then the guy pointed at Jane's car. Why would a disgruntled drug dealer point at Jane's car if he was mad at Dick?

What if they got into an argument at the end of the night and Jane left due to the fighting. She then noticed Dick was following here so she pulled off the highway to get him to stop. He gets out of the car angry and approaches her vehicle cussing and going crazy and she shot him in self defense?

How'd she get rid of the gun that quickly? A motorist pulled up within seconds of Dick being shot, and the police were there within minutes. And why invent the story about this Steve Urkel lookalike? Look at the murder of Matthew Chase, the 4 teenagers who were run off the road, Gretchen Burford, Charles Holden's mother, etc. Random crimes do happen. Why aren't people more suspicious of the Greensboro hit and run, Richard Aderson, or Jay Durham for that matter? 3 cases of random road rage with no motive whatsoever. No one (rightfully) suspects their stories. Why is this story the only one that makes people suspicious?

How'd she get rid of the gun that quickly? A motorist pulled up within seconds of Dick being shot, and the police were there within minutes. And why invent the story about this Steve Urkel lookalike? Look at the murder of Matthew Chase, the 4 teenagers who were run off the road, Gretchen Burford, Charles Holden's mother, etc. Random crimes do happen. Why aren't people more suspicious of the Greensboro hit and run, Richard Aderson, or Jay Durham for that matter? 3 cases of random road rage with no motive whatsoever. No one (rightfully) suspects their stories. Why is this story the only one that makes people suspicious?

You know Cars......I'm going to go ahead and completely agree with you. You made me think of the Brayman Road Attacker. There are a bunch of random attacks, there's a good portion on UM alone. I think alot of people question her because of the football, and mailbox theories but those were thought up by the police, not her. I also just re-watched the segment and didn't get that she was lying.

With that said, my main theory on this case is the Urkel looking individual was someone who saw them earlier that night, and stalked them. Jane said she pointed at her, so I think that he probably saw her in the bar and was infatuated with her to a degree, could be the reason why he didn't shoot her also.

Another thing I want to touch on is that alot of people question her because "the guy pointed at her license plate, so it must be football related". I want to say that is probably false. The way she made it sound was that he pointed at HER, not necessarily her license plate. If someone is infront of and you point at them in terms of referencing them, then of course you're going to point AT THEIR BACK, because you have nowhere else to point. I think the guy was pointing at her, not her license plate. He was obviously referencing her, as he had nowhere else to point.

Yes. Her car and Dick's car. If she shot him, then it would only be their cars.

What I'm saying is that her and Dick got into an argument and Dick followed her until she pulled over. He approached her car and she shot him while sitting in the vehicle.

The problem I have with someone else doing this (unless it was someone in the bar) is why follow Dick and bother being seen by Jane? Why not get Dick alone if it was a drug deal? How did they know he was going to be where he was that night? Why follow him and wait until he leaves a bar late?

The drug theory doesn't make much sense either, because then we'd have to assume that this guy followed Dick to the bar, waited all night, and followed him and Jane only to be seen by Jane.


Also, if we were to believe Jane's story, then the guy pointed at Jane's car. Why would a disgruntled drug dealer point at Jane's car if he was mad at Dick?

If she did indeed kill him why do it in public? There would be easier ways to do so since they were lovers. Another point, how come theres no mention of alcohol? They left a bar late at night, was Dick driving drunk? Was that why he might have been angry?

Maybe it was a professional hit and was done to send a message to his gf who might have had other ties.Maybe it was a bar he frequented or a bar where a lot of drug deals go down.

If she did indeed kill him why do it in public? There would be easier ways to do so since they were lovers. Another point, how come theres no mention of alcohol? They left a bar late at night, was Dick driving drunk? Was that why he might have been angry?

Maybe it was a professional hit and was done to send a message to his gf who might have had other ties.Maybe it was a bar he frequented or a bar where a lot of drug deals go down.

I don't think she killed him, but my theory was that if she did kill him, it was because they got into a heated argument inside of the car after the bar, and Dick chased her and when she finally pulled over she shot him in self defense.

There's no need to mention alcohol. Dick was angry because they were being followed by an unknown 3rd party so said something stupid/offensive.

I just watched the Dates from Hell episode after a while and her story is completely different from the UM segment. In the DFH episode she said that she saw the guy in the bar, on UM she said she and Dick never saw him before and he just pulled up behind them at the mailbox. Maybe L.E. made UM omit that part out because they were staking out the bar at the time? The DFH segment made him look like a monster, while the UM segment made him look like a nice guy. On websleuths his daughter and someone else who's father knew him said he was a drug addict with a bad temper, guess DFH is more accurate.

If we were to believe the events from DFH then I think the guy who shot Dick was mad at the way Dick was talking to Jane which explains a few things:

1.) Following them to make sure Jane was okay.

2.) Pointing at Jane and saying something that made Dick angry. Perhaps he said "I didn't like the way you talked to her tonight" and that mad Dick mad.

3.) Not killing Jane despite having the time to.

I'm not sure which version is more correct, but I think the guy was playing a superhero role. He saw a damsel in distress and took down the "bad guy".

Interesting theory, but it doesn't explain him chasing her for ten miles, tailgating her etc to where she could have easily crashed & died. If he was an armed good Samaritan with a gun then why didn't he do something before the chase?

Interesting theory, but it doesn't explain him chasing her for ten miles, tailgating her etc to where she could have easily crashed & died. If he was an armed good Samaritan with a gun then why didn't he do something before the chase?

Good points. However, he could have followed her so closely to have kept her away from Dick. Following her closely is super dangerous, but in his twisted mind he could've been trying to "shield her".

As to why he didn't do something before the chase, that could be applied to any theory about this case. He had ample time after the bar to have done something, whether it was him being an avid sports fan, hitman, or mailbox user. Perhaps he was intimated by Dick's big stature in the bar, and worked up the courage to follow? Not sure. Maybe his liquid courage kicked in while he was waiting in the car

Granted, this guy was a nutcase and followed and shot someone, so I won't apply full reasonable logic to this individual.

Also, Jane said that when she noticed that he was parked behind them that he was staring intently into the car. I wonder if he watching to make sure that Dick didn't yell at her again or hit her? Maybe he was keeping an eye on both of them to make sure nothing happened, and followed anyway.

Also, Jane said that when she noticed that he was parked behind them that he was staring intently into the car. I wonder if he watching to make sure that Dick didn't yell at her again or hit her? Maybe he was keeping an eye on both of them to make sure nothing happened, and followed anyway.

lol the concerned citizen who decides to wack the guy anyways. Maybe he knew Dick from before. Dick was only 36 but seemed like the frat boy partying type of guy. It makes sense if he followed him for that long cause perhaps he knew where dick lived.

Think about it, if dick was into drugs, had a bad temper its easy to see he could have enemies.

lol the concerned citizen who decides to wack the guy anyways. Maybe he knew Dick from before. Dick was only 36 but seemed like the frat boy partying type of guy. It makes sense if he followed him for that long cause perhaps he knew where dick lived.

Think about it, if dick was into drugs, had a bad temper its easy to see he could have enemies.

Yes, he's concerned for Jane, not Dick. If he thought Dick was abusive/annoying , then it makes sense that he shot Dick because he was already agitated/drunk when Dick screamed at him.

If he knew Dick then why did he follow Jane so closely and not Dick? And why did he point at Jane? That doesn't make sense.

The shooter could've had something against abuse/bullying. Maybe he didn't trust Dick not to do anything. The guy wasn't wrapped too tight, so who knows.

lol the concerned citizen who decides to wack the guy anyways

Sorry for the multiple post but this got me thinking. What if he decided that he was going to kill Dick before they even drove off? What if the reason he pulled behind them was to just kill Dick?

It is odd that he followed them, but perhaps he lived in the area and didn't want to risk being seen so he drove out from the area so he wouldn't be seen?

I just watched it. So after reading this thread over looks like we can add this one to the "there is no mystery" pile right? Turns out it had nothing to do with football, but rather a revenge hit for an unpaid drug debt this guy probably had.

The more I think about this case the more I feel it was just a random act of violence. Sometimes psychos don't need a reason to kill.

I just watched it. So after reading this thread over looks like we can add this one to the "there is no mystery" pile right? Turns out it had nothing to do with football, but rather a revenge hit for an unpaid drug debt this guy probably had.

There has never been any evidence that Dick had a drug issue. He did have an alcohol issue and was sober on the night he was murdered. He was either murdered by a psycho who mistook him for an offensive lineman for the 49ers, or by a psycho who was livid about Jean not moving forward while he was trying to use the mailbox. The reason I lean more towards the 49ers theory is that the guy never beeped his horn, never shouted at them to move, etc. when he pulled up behind them.

The more I think about this case the more I feel it was just a random act of violence. Sometimes psychos don't need a reason to kill.

While that could be true, this random act of violence (if that's what happened) took commitment to follow through. What with him waiting behind them at the mailbox for as long as he did, following them for multiple miles on to a freeway and having no guarantee of knowing where they would actually pull over. If they drove straight to the police, all that work would have been for nothing and he would have had no choice but to speed away without harming anyone.

The "Carol" shooting, which Robin brought up in the same podcast as Dick easily fits to most obvious random act of violence ever. I will always struggle with what the end game was for that guy - to shoot a person in the face who was driving BEHIND him and not bothering him in any way. Although since he was apparently on that same road an hour before the shooting acting like a d*ck and taunting other motorists, he must have done it to get some sort of high. But it's probably not wise to draw such attention to yourself for so long before you shoot a random stranger. That tells me this guy was probably a fearless psycho.

I never found the 49R theory to be likely here. I am wondering if the man was making sexual comments about Jean and pointing in her direction (rather than at the back of her car). If he made lewd comments about Jean (or expressed a sexual motive for following her), I could definitely see this as a reason for Dick to have reacted as angrily as he did. Robin made a great point in his podcast that the stranger was following Jean, not Dick. This makes me wonder if she was the target instead of him, but that also begs the question of why he didn't get out of his car and go after Jean after shooting Dick.

Robin, I just want to make a comment that I commend your decision to refer to "Carol" by the name UM used.Thank you for not using her real name.

I've never been able to pinpoint the drug debt theory in this case, but I think it came from either Websleuths or a huge collective extrapolation from the interviewed investigator's "sex, money, or drugs" comment in the segment. Either way, I never understood why it enjoyed so much discussion, because there's virtually no evidence to support it. Furthermore, what actually happened doesn't even really make a lot of sense in the context of someone with an unpaid drug debt.

If anything, it's actually an instance of a time UM presented a theory that seems pretty lame on the surface that ends up making a lot of sense with just a little more information.

I finally got around to listening to Robin's TTWC podcast on this. Another great episode...

The more I think about this case, the less I think the "49er HUGS" license plate had anything to do with it. It just doesn't seem to me like anything that someone would murder over, even though Robin laid out an interesting theory with Harris Barton.

I have to wonder if this wasn't a road rage incident or something that started way before Dick and Jean parked on the side of the road. I wonder if she didn't cut somebody off or do something to offend the driver, but they didn't realize he was there until they were parked by the mailbox. I can see her being distracted talking to Dick and not even realizing the guy was behind her.

It seems the driver was upset with Jean specifically, hence the pointing at her car. I feel like something she did angered this man to the point he wanted to follow and intimidate Jean.

That also makes sense to me as to what was said between the driver and Dick. I can see Dick saying "What's going on?" and the driver/killer saying "That b**** cut me off/took my parking spot/whatever" and then Dick, realizing this was a stupid thing to be mad about, said "Get the f*** out of here..." The killer then probably, already in a rage, felt slighted and then shot him out of spite. I think he then realized this put him in a heap of trouble and he took off.

Dick was never the target of this -- Jean was all along. Dick just happened to be the one who confronted the killer. I think this was either the peak of anger for the driver or he was one of the "stand your ground" types and felt threatened by Dick and shot him out of fear.

In the end, I think this was random, stupid encounter that lead to a senseless death because someone's feelings were hurt.

This story is way too convoluted to make a decent theory out of. Jane describes Dick as caring and protective in the UM segment, but makes him out to be an angry monster in the Dates from Hell segment. In the UM segment she said the killer was already parked behind them and never made a mention of seeing him before, but in the Dates from Hell segment she said that she saw him sitting alone at the bar.

I'm starting to suspect that she may be the culprit after all.

I'm starting to suspect that she may be the culprit after all.

Come to think of it, Rob doesn't have a solid alibi for the time of Dick's murder...

Come to think of it, Rob doesn't have a solid alibi for the time of Dick's murder...


EDIT: Oh, I just caught your sarcasm. For whatever reason I thought you were mentioning Robin from his podcast. Hilarious.

EDIT: Oh, I just caught your sarcasm. For whatever reason I thought you were mentioning Robin from his podcast. Hilarious.

I was hoping you’d appreciate that! :lol:

I was hoping you’d appreciate that! :lol:

:lol::lol:

It was a slow moment for sure

Come to think of it, Rob doesn't have a solid alibi for the time of Dick's murder...

I wonder what LooksLikeCRicci will think of that angle

I wonder what LooksLikeCRicci will think of that angle

I really feel compelled to have a "Rob did it" shirt at this point.

I really feel compelled to have a "Rob did it" shirt at this point.

:lol::lol::lol:

Same

I listened to Robin's podcast on this one yesterday morning getting ready for work. I guess I never really thought about the differences between the UM and Dates From Hell episodes. The potential of the latter taking liberal artistic license is certainly annoying--and if that little altercation about "not visiting me in rehab" is an exaggeration or outright fabrication, that's insulting to Dick. In any event, I do appreciate the episode for the additional context it provides the 49ers theory through the revelation that Dick was often mistaken for Harris Barton and the backstory regarding that previous Super Bowl. I'm not sure many of us would've been able to come to any of those conclusions on our own.

If there's any validity to the disgruntled fan theory, the perpetrator would've almost certainly had to have seen Dick earlier in the night, followed the pair throughout whatever remainder of the evening existed, and pursued the pair back to Dick's truck. People are generally pretty unaware of their surroundings--especially when they're with other people--so I'm not sure I would expect either Dick or Jean to have noticed they were being watched and/or followed prior to the man pulling up behind them. But I do think it's somewhat remarkable.

I also find it interesting that, if the man had a suspicion that Dick was Harris Barton, that he chose not to contact Dick and Jean on the street at the mailbox. He trailed them for over ten miles first, and even after being contacted by Dick when they all pulled over in Sunnyvale, he never once exited his vehicle. The way he behaved was actually characteristically rather passive. Perhaps that had something to do with Dick's physical stature, but obviously the perpetrator was armed. So that's something I have questions about: why stalk a couple of people, but wait for them to realize it and then force them into a position that they come TO you?

As Robin said on TTWC episode, it's probably ultimately a little difficult to apply logic to such a case. But this guy's behavior was remarkably bizarre.

I listened to Robin's podcast on this one yesterday morning getting ready for work. I guess I never really thought about the differences between the UM and Dates From Hell episodes. The potential of the latter taking liberal artistic license is certainly annoying--and if that little altercation about "not visiting me in rehab" is an exaggeration or outright fabrication, that's insulting to Dick. In any event, I do appreciate the episode for the additional context it provides the 49ers theory through the revelation that Dick was often mistaken for Harris Barton and the backstory regarding that previous Super Bowl. I'm not sure many of us would've been able to come to any of those conclusions on our own.

If there's any validity to the disgruntled fan theory, the perpetrator would've almost certainly had to have seen Dick earlier in the night, followed the pair throughout whatever remainder of the evening existed, and pursued the pair back to Dick's truck. People are generally pretty unaware of their surroundings--especially when they're with other people--so I'm not sure I would expect either Dick or Jean to have noticed they were being watched and/or followed prior to the man pulling up behind them. But I do think it's somewhat remarkable.

I also find it interesting that, if the man had a suspicion that Dick was Harris Barton, that he chose not to contact Dick and Jean on the street at the mailbox. He trailed them for over ten miles first, and even after being contacted by Dick when they all pulled over in Sunnyvale, he never once exited his vehicle. The way he behaved was actually characteristically rather passive. Perhaps that had something to do with Dick's physical stature, but obviously the perpetrator was armed. So that's something I have questions about: why stalk a couple of people, but wait for them to realize it and then force them into a position that they come TO you?

As Robin said on TTWC episode, it's probably ultimately a little difficult to apply logic to such a case. But this guy's behavior was remarkably bizarre.

Something to keep in mind though, is that in the DFH episode she said that Dick asked her why she didn't visit him in rehab, then he started drinking and became loud and abusive. He was even being rude to the server. His loud behavior would certainly draw attention to someone, so I'm wondering if the perp was someone in the restaurant who had a hero complex and thought he'd follow them to make sure that Jane wasn't hurt. The 49er theory isn't bad, but if Dick was being loud and abusive then we could've had a vigilante on our hands. Perhaps he followed them and allowed himself to remain hidden was to see if Dick would put his hands on or yell at Jane again.

Something else I'd like to point out is WHY WOULD JANE CONTINUE TO GO WITH DICK?! After she said that he was being loud and abusive, why in the world would she agree to still go with him? Weird.

If there's any validity to the disgruntled fan theory, the perpetrator would've almost certainly had to have seen Dick earlier in the night, followed the pair throughout whatever remainder of the evening existed, and pursued the pair back to Dick's truck. People are generally pretty unaware of their surroundings--especially when they're with other people--so I'm not sure I would expect either Dick or Jean to have noticed they were being watched and/or followed prior to the man pulling up behind them. But I do think it's somewhat remarkable.

I'm not sure what to make of the "Dates from Hell" segment. I hate those kind of shows with the cheesy reenactments and the overly dramatic acting. Since Jean was on the show, I have to believe most of what they said is correct or you'd think she would have told them to fix it. They certainly tried to play up the extra relationship drama. I don't doubt that UM left a few things out, but I'm curious why Jean would bring that up later. It honestly doesn't seem relevant to the killing unless in hindsight she thinks something at the restaurant started this.

What's interesting is when the Jean actress said "That's the guy from the restaurant." So they are heavily implying that this started earlier and that Jean and Dick were followed. I tend to agree with that.

The more I think about it, the more I discount the mistaken 49er theory. It would be a lot to kill someone just over that, and I still think Jean was more the source of his rage. If he was pointing at her car, then he was mad at her or something she had done (in the car or before).

I think this was just a random killing over some dumb act. The killer either got worked up into a rage and went too far, or when confronted by Dick, he got scared and shot him out of self-defense (in his own mind).

I think we can all agree that the wig Jean wore in DFH was the worst disguise ever... :lol:

I still think Jean was more the source of his rage. If he was pointing at her car, then he was mad at her or something she had done (in the car or before).

Why would he be mad at Jean? And if he was really mad at Jean he had an opportunity to kill her after he killed Dick and apparently stared at her before pulling off.

Why would he be mad at Jean? And if he was really mad at Jean he had an opportunity to kill her after he killed Dick and apparently stared at her before pulling off.

My guess is that he was more annoyed or irritated than deathly mad. I see this as a road rage type of thing. It may have been true road rage from something Jean did on the road or in the parking lot, or he may have been pissed from something they did in the restaurant.

My best guess is that he was mad and just messing with them. I've had people follow me before on the road a couple times. Once for no reason that I knew of, and once because I accidentally cut a guy off and he was a psycho. I never knew what their end game was. The first one that followed me eventually gave up and the second guy was all over my rear end until I pulled into the police station parking lot and then he took off. I think this guy was the type who wanted to follow her and try and scare her for "offending" him. I don't think he ever meant to harm them (at least not murder them).

I think when Dick went back to talk to him, he said "That b**** cut me off" or whatever, and Dick said "Get the f*** out of here!" The guy probably panicked and shot Dick because he thought he was about to get his ass kicked by a giant, muscular dude.

I may be off base, but I think this was a dumb situation that escalated and I think he wanted to scare Jean but probably never meant to kill anyone. That's why he didn't kill her when he had the chance. He left a witness but he was probably more scared and realized it wasn't worth it. The killer knew he shot Dick but he wouldn't have known he was dead right away, so in his mind he left two living witnesses.

My guess is that he was more annoyed or irritated than deathly mad. I see this as a road rage type of thing. It may have been true road rage from something Jean did on the road or in the parking lot, or he may have been pissed from something they did in the restaurant.

My best guess is that he was mad and just messing with them. I've had people follow me before on the road a couple times. Once for no reason that I knew of, and once because I accidentally cut a guy off and he was a psycho. I never knew what their end game was. The first one that followed me eventually gave up and the second guy was all over my rear end until I pulled into the police station parking lot and then he took off. I think this guy was the type who wanted to follow her and try and scare her for "offending" him. I don't think he ever meant to harm them (at least not murder them).

I think when Dick went back to talk to him, he said "That b**** cut me off" or whatever, and Dick said "Get the f*** out of here!" The guy probably panicked and shot Dick because he thought he was about to get his ass kicked by a giant, muscular dude.

I may be off base, but I think this was a dumb situation that escalated and I think he wanted to scare Jean but probably never meant to kill anyone. That's why he didn't kill her when he had the chance. He left a witness but he was probably more scared and realized it wasn't worth it. The killer knew he shot Dick but he wouldn't have known he was dead right away, so in his mind he left two living witnesses.

The road rage theory is very plausible, very hard to argue against it. However, the "killer" seemed awfully chill for someone with road rage. He sat parked behind them two while they were talking and didn't do or say anything. Even after they all pulled over Dick came to him while he just sat there. Perhaps you're right and he just wanted to mess with them, but Dick backed away from his car and told him to get out of there so he didn't have to shoot Dick, unless it was out of anger.

Also if Jean was the one who cut him off and pissed him off why didn't he attack or shoot her after he shot dick? Jean said he sat there and stared at her for like 5 seconds before pulling off. Not only did he leave a witness, but he purposefully exposed his face to her and didn't do anything.

Granted, I have my doubts on Jean story and this "killer" as a whole, but eh...

The potential of the latter taking liberal artistic license is certainly annoying--and if that little altercation about "not visiting me in rehab" is an exaggeration or outright fabrication, that's insulting to Dick. In any event, I do appreciate the episode for the additional context it provides the 49ers theory through the revelation that Dick was often mistaken for Harris Barton and the backstory regarding that previous Super Bowl. I'm not sure many of us would've been able to come to any of those conclusions on our own.

The rehab thing was legitimate. I remember reading that in an older article (which I can't find now) where Dick's father was the one who proposed the blocked mailbox theory. Jean herself is quoted in the episode as saying that they did in fact argue about her not visiting him in rehab and falling off the wagon. Even though these shows are definitely hokey with a lot of their re-enactments, I think they used this information to trick viewers into assuming that Dick was going to be the one who was the "date from Hell", when in fact, he turned out to be the victim. UM solely focused on the night of Dick's murder and not his personal background.

Dick had several friends interviewed in the episode too which said he was well known in the area, was very social, and would often be mistaken for Harris Barton. My own personal theory is as to why this wasn't mentioned in the UM segment was because they didn't want to "inspire" copy cat like killings or maybe they didn't want to identify Barton by name since he was still playing in the NFL when the segment aired.

The other reason that I don't think this was premeditated murder is there was no face-to-face confrontation until Dick went to confront his eventual killer. If this started before the mailbox location, why didn't the killer get out and walk up to Jean and Dick when they were parked in the car? You can say because it was a more populated area, but the killer had no idea where Jean and/or Dick were headed when they drove away. They could have kept driving for a long time, split up, or driven to a police station or somewhere similar. He might never have had the chance to kill them if that's what his original intention was.

Even AFTER they pulled off the freeway and onto the road, he didn't get out of his car -- it was Dick that got out and walked over to him. That is why I really think he was just trying to scare them or intimidate them, or possibly work up the courage to be more violent. But if he really wanted one or both of them dead, why was he so passive about it? This is why I think this was more a chance encounter that pissed this guy off and set off his short fuse temper. When Dick went to talk to him, he either popped with rage or panicked that he was going to be hurt and shot Dick before driving away.

Strange & sad case. Why did this mysterious guy park his car behind Dick & Jane's car on the deserted, late-night street? And, why did he start following them after they pulled out?

As has been suggested, it's possible something happened earlier - either at the bar or in traffic, and the guy was angry at either Jane or Dick (or both of them) for some possibly "imagined" slight, or a traffic incident - and he wanted to get back at them for this.

Or, another possibility is that the guy was deranged & just saw both of them talking on a deserted street, and just wanted to mess with them; so, he pulled up behind them & parked - for the purpose of unnerving/scaring them. Maybe he was jealous that they were together & he was alone?! Who knows why motivates crazy/jealous people.

And - as has been suggested, maybe he was unjustifiably upset that they were blocking the mailbox on the street?!

I do understand why Dick & Jane pulled off the highway & stopped their cars (after the highway chase), leading to the guy pulling behind them & parking his car. I.e., they didn't want to drive home (or, to one of their homes) and have the guy follow them - because if they did, he could see where one of them lived.

So I thought about the 49ers angle and I have never bought it. This is the spring of 1991, the 49ers were insanely successful at this time, and it is before the Cowboys really hit their string of championships in the 1990s. A disgruntled Cowboys fan? Nah. Broncos fan? Nah, even though they got hammered by the 49ers in the Super Bowl the previous year. Bengals fan? Well, no, there aren't any, haha. But they did lose to the Montana-led 49ers in two Super Bowls in the 1980s. I honestly think it had nothing to do with her plate. None at all.

I personally never felt that Jean told the full story. She knew something, or maybe even knew the guy who did it. We are basing this entire segment on her testimony. Things could have gone down a lot differently, and for different reasons.

Could it be a random act of road rage or something? Maybe. I have always felt like it has the earmarks of a classic paid hit job. However, you usually don't show your face to a witness. Or draw that much attention on the road.

Which makes me wonder if Jean was telling the truth. We only have her to believe that there was this car chase going on. No one else can corroborate it. I just think she knows a lot more about what happened and why it happened. Everything from it being a former lover to doing it. That makes sense to be honest. She could be afraid to come forward for all we know. Which explains her making up the chase story. These stories where the girl is the last to see the guy can often be a case of a jealous former lover (I think this is what did Eric Tamaiysou in as well)

So I thought about the 49ers angle and I have never bought it. This is the spring of 1991, the 49ers were insanely successful at this time, and it is before the Cowboys really hit their string of championships in the 1990s. A disgruntled Cowboys fan? Nah. Broncos fan? Nah, even though they got hammered by the 49ers in the Super Bowl the previous year. Bengals fan? Well, no, there aren't any, haha. But they did lose to the Montana-led 49ers in two Super Bowls in the 1980s. I honestly think it had nothing to do with her plate. None at all.

I personally never felt that Jean told the full story. She knew something, or maybe even knew the guy who did it. We are basing this entire segment on her testimony. Things could have gone down a lot differently, and for different reasons.

Could it be a random act of road rage or something? Maybe. I have always felt like it has the earmarks of a classic paid hit job. However, you usually don't show your face to a witness. Or draw that much attention on the road.

Which makes me wonder if Jean was telling the truth. We only have her to believe that there was this car chase going on. No one else can corroborate it. I just think she knows a lot more about what happened and why it happened. Everything from it being a former lover to doing it. That makes sense to be honest. She could be afraid to come forward for all we know. Which explains her making up the chase story. These stories where the girl is the last to see the guy can often be a case of a jealous former lover (I think this is what did Eric Tamaiysou in as well)

I think Jean was telling the truth. She went on a show in 2015 called ‘Dates from Hell” and her story was essentially the same but also included a few extra details surrounding them leaving the restaurant.

If Jean played a role in Dick’s death, I don’t think she would risk drawing attention to herself by going on national television again.

I also find it interesting that, if the man had a suspicion that Dick was Harris Barton, that he chose not to contact Dick and Jean on the street at the mailbox. He trailed them for over ten miles first, and even after being contacted by Dick when they all pulled over in Sunnyvale, he never once exited his vehicle. The way he behaved was actually characteristically rather passive. Perhaps that had something to do with Dick's physical stature, but obviously the perpetrator was armed. So that's something I have questions about: why stalk a couple of people, but wait for them to realize it and then force them into a position that they come TO you?

I was re-reading the last few pages of this thread and this comment stuck out to me. I also read a comment over on Unsolved.com on the writeup about Dick's case:

I’ve lived in Santa Clara County for over 40 years. I was talking to some old friends. We all knew Dick and “Jean”. We discussed this case and we’re all surprised nothing ever came of it. I knew Dick casually through friends associated with Santa Clara University. I worked with “Jean” for about 10 years at a Semiconductor company in Santa Clara.

At the time this happened, we were all shocked and mystified. It was odd and it seemed like there were so many things that didn’t make sense. It’s hard to believe this case has not been solved after all these years- not even a solid lead. There’s been a lot of speculation on various message boards about Dick and “Jean” that I can tell you aren’t true.

I don’t believe the license plate had anything to do with this other than to maybe help the killer track the car as it was dark. The license plate would stand out. I also don’t believe this had anything to do with pro football team allegiances. There was something else going on. Dick and “Jean” had dinner at a restaurant in Downtown San Jose that evening. I always wondered if something there precipitated this incident.

Dick was a funny guy. He was big guy and pretty strong. He would get angry and his thing was to put you in a headlock. He was kidding, but he always worried me. It hurt!

People are trying to figure out the freeway and the street. It was Northbound Highway 85- they exited onto W. Fremont Ave.

I firmly believe “Jean” had nothing to do with this as some speculate. I do believe that she panicked (who wouldn’t) and became flustered and didn’t get her facts clear or straight. I always thought this may have hindered the investigation. To this day, I don’t believe the information she gave was accurate enough to build a case.

Dick was a real good and fun guy. I’ve always wondered if he pissed someone off and it led to this.

Dick's killer was following Jean's car the entire night. He never got out of the car, never shouted anything to anyone, and just sat there in silence until approached by Dick. Here's a totally off the wall out there theory: what if the killer saw Dick and Jean arguing at the restaurant (as indicated in "Dates From Hell") and was following Jean as a weird 'nice guy' stalker in his mind protector of her? Dick gets out to confront the guy and he motions that he wants to make sure Jean is safe and Dick tells him off and the guy shoots Dick. Crazed psycho now thinks Jean is "safe" from Dick so he drives off. Or was it just some lunatic intent on a thrill kill and kept escalating things until confronted by his would be victim?

I was re-reading the last few pages of this thread and this comment stuck out to me. I also read a comment over on Unsolved.com on the writeup about Dick's case:



Dick's killer was following Jean's car the entire night. He never got out of the car, never shouted anything to anyone, and just sat there in silence until approached by Dick. Here's a totally off the wall out there theory: what if the killer saw Dick and Jean arguing at the restaurant (as indicated in "Dates From Hell") and was following Jean as a weird 'nice guy' stalker in his mind protector of her? Dick gets out to confront the guy and he motions that he wants to make sure Jean is safe and Dick tells him off and the guy shoots Dick. Crazed psycho now thinks Jean is "safe" from Dick so he drives off.

Fully agreed. Here's my post from 2018:

I just watched the Dates from Hell episode after a while and her story is completely different from the UM segment. In the DFH episode she said that she saw the guy in the bar, on UM she said she and Dick never saw him before and he just pulled up behind them at the mailbox. Maybe L.E. made UM omit that part out because they were staking out the bar at the time? The DFH segment made him look like a monster, while the UM segment made him look like a nice guy. On websleuths his daughter and someone else who's father knew him said he was a drug addict with a bad temper, guess DFH is more accurate.

If we were to believe the events from DFH then I think the guy who shot Dick was mad at the way Dick was talking to Jane which explains a few things:

1.) Following them to make sure Jane was okay.

2.) Pointing at Jane and saying something that made Dick angry. Perhaps he said "I didn't like the way you talked to her tonight" and that mad Dick mad.

3.) Not killing Jane despite having the time to.

I'm not sure which version is more correct, but I think the guy was playing a superhero role. He saw a damsel in distress and took down the "bad guy".

Jean pretty much implied that Dick was erratic, aggressive, and loud the entire time they were at the restaurant. So his behavior would obviously grab someone's attention. I wouldn't be surprised if the shooter wasn't watching them the whole night to make sure Jean was okay.

Like you said, the shooter probably had a weird nice guy "hero" complex and followed Jean to make sure Dick wasn't abusing her. I do think there's a chance he was intimated by Dick given his size and aggression. But what really drives my theory is that he had a chance to kill Jean but didn't. She said after Dick was shot that the killer rode to her car, looked at her and drove off, so I think there's a good chance that he was "protecting" Jean from the big bad bully.

double post

I find it a bit bizarre how he could’ve just gone up to her when she got in her car and Dick was in his truck and ask if she was okay, but chose instead to follow them on the highway.

This is one of UM’s highly underrated cases imo.

I find it a bit bizarre how he could’ve just gone up to her when she got in her car and Dick was in his truck and ask if she was okay, but chose instead to follow them on the highway.

This is one of UM’s highly underrated cases imo.

So I thought about the 49ers angle and I have never bought it. This is the spring of 1991, the 49ers were insanely successful at this time, and it is before the Cowboys really hit their string of championships in the 1990s. A disgruntled Cowboys fan? Nah. Broncos fan? Nah, even though they got hammered by the 49ers in the Super Bowl the previous year. Bengals fan? Well, no, there aren't any, haha. But they did lose to the Montana-led 49ers in two Super Bowls in the 1980s. I honestly think it had nothing to do with her plate. None at all.

I personally never felt that Jean told the full story. She knew something, or maybe even knew the guy who did it. We are basing this entire segment on her testimony. Things could have gone down a lot differently, and for different reasons.

Could it be a random act of road rage or something? Maybe. I have always felt like it has the earmarks of a classic paid hit job. However, you usually don't show your face to a witness. Or draw that much attention on the road.

Which makes me wonder if Jean was telling the truth. We only have her to believe that there was this car chase going on. No one else can corroborate it. I just think she knows a lot more about what happened and why it happened. Everything from it being a former lover to doing it. That makes sense to be honest. She could be afraid to come forward for all we know. Which explains her making up the chase story. These stories where the girl is the last to see the guy can often be a case of a jealous former lover (I think this is what did Eric Tamaiysou in as well)

Cannot see a hit at all-hitmen would strike at the earliest opportunity, they don't follow people obviously making a nuisance of themselves & engaging in high speed chases where everybody else can get car details & he didn't shoot Hansen when Hansen approached the vehicle & started talking to him.

When Jean did the 2010's show it was clear she was not at that point a woman in the conventional sense of the word. Which made me wonder then if this had happened post Hansen or before-it could possibly be a motive if the guy thought Hansen was with a cross dresser/trans & decided to mock & harass him.

When Jean did the 2010's show it was clear she was not at that point a woman in the conventional sense of the word. Which made me wonder then if this had happened post Hansen or before-it could possibly be a motive if the guy thought Hansen was with a cross dresser/trans & decided to mock & harass him.

Jean was definitely a female. She was probably wearing a bad wig, but female none the less.

Also the killer mocking Dick for being with a trans doesn't make any sense. For one, the killer followed and mirrored Jean's movements on the road, not Dick's. If the killer was such a homophobe to follow and kill Dick for being with a trans, then why didn't he kill Jean in the end when he was just staring at her after killing Dick?

:

If Jean played a role in Dick’s death, I don’t think she would risk drawing attention to herself by going on national television again.

I hear what you are saying,. That said, I saw OJ Simpson at a sports memorabilia show nearly a decade after the trial for the deaths of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman. And I think he was interviewed by one of the big three networks around that time too.

Is it possible that "Jean" was complicit in Dick's murder? She probably didn't fire the gun herself, but she, in tandem with the actual shooter, might have set up Dick to be killed (over drugs, maybe, or over something else).

Is it possible that "Jean" was complicit in Dick's murder? She probably didn't fire the gun herself, but she, in tandem with the actual shooter, might have set up Dick to be killed (over drugs, maybe, or over something else).

Unlikely, why would she then go on television 20 plus years later talking about a case that to the general public was forgotten?

This is one of UM’s highly underrated cases imo.

definitely is one that I remember watching as a kid and being spooked. then the next time I saw it several years later as an adult it still spooked me just the same. This was a mysterious segment.

A similar case happened a few years later but that one was solved because the deceased copied down the license info of the shooter. People do lose it over nothing, I think the random crazed mailbox waiter theory could be the answer. https://history.santacruzpl.org/omeka/files/original/bd0e1e41f2342a854dfc2cabeaf5296c.PDF

I have read many theories and they're all intriguing because this case doesn't make a lot of sense. I lean towards the theory pitched by Todd M. I think Dick was killed in self-defense, not justifiable by any means. I agree that the stalker thought he was going to get his butt kicked so he killed Dick who approached the car. I thought that it was stated that Dick stuck his head inside the stalker's car window. If the part that Dick would put people in headlocks while in public, then the stalker had good reason to fear an extremely annoyed and angry Dick. I have no idea what the motive was, but like others I don't think the license plate was a factor. There's plenty of nuts in the world and I have seen people tailgate others during road rage incidents.

I had no idea that the shooting occurred so close to where my grandma used to reside; she lived only a few blocks north of Fremont on San Bernardo right next to 85. I actually got a taste of city driving back in 1989. My dad thought it would be good driving practice for this rural kid to drive the last 10 miles to grandma's house. I drove at night (terrified and lacking experience) from Warm Springs/Milpitas to 85 and Fremont St. At midnight, there was very little traffic while waiting at the o[pposite off-ramp that the 3 cars took. So even though Sunnyvale is a big urban area, parts of it are indeed empty late at night.

I believe this mainly a road rage case—whether it be over a blocked mail box or a license plate, I don’t know—but if it does turn out it was related to Dick’s drug issues I wouldn’t be surprised.

Some people truly underestimate just how unhinged some already troubled people can get over little things that wouldn’t normally be an issue.

I think that "Jean" had a stalker she was not aware of until he emerged from the shadows that night. I sincerely hope the police investigated that theory. It makes sense in the context of the information she gave...down to the last details of her saying he acted as if he could "read her mind" (aka possibly had trailed her without her knowing, by car many times before) and the 10 second stare he gave her after murdering Dick (sign of defiance, delusion or a mix of both). It's as if he wanted her to know that it was HIM who did this...wanted her to see the face of the man who struck down her boyfriend. That sounds mighty personally-driven to me. Most violent criminals don't want eye-witnesses.

My theory is that "Jean" had an unhinged, obsessed and dangerous stalker who was watching her for a while without her knowledge and lashed out violently when he saw her with this man.

Completely different subject, but add the composite of the suspect to the "creepiest composites on UM" list of contenders. It's just disturbing in a way I can't explain.

Completely different subject, but add the composite of the suspect to the "creepiest composites on UM" list of contenders. It's just disturbing in a way I can't explain.

I agree. The Dick Hansen suspect composite is creepy because of the larger glasses. Similar to the case of Dorothy Donavan who's killer/suspect/sketch had very large glasses and he was caught later on! And for the Dick Hansen segment the actor who played the killer looked creepy too! They say that many killers come back to the crime scene when detectives and police are there or even to their victim's funeral. Well let me top that! Has any killer played themselves on UM or Americas Most Wanted before?

I just watched the Unsolved Mysteries segment and then that Dates From Hell segment. Man that Dates from Hell Segment was one of the worst pieces of garbage I've ever seen and this broad is a 100% liar. Anyone believing anything she says needs to get their head examined. Holy crap. Why do people continue to believe women simply because they are women? If a dude said the same thing happened to him, he would be investigated thoroughly.

Always remember, when someone changes the details to an event that happened, they are lying. You would think she would have watched the first segment she did to be consistent with her lying for the second.

It feels like the Dates From Hell segment bought the 49ers connection and ran with it. Anyone thinking it's not possible (in this case I don't think it is) look up Andres Escober and the Colombian soccer team from the 1994 World Cup. If it was random, then if she is telling the truth that he was pointing to the car, that could have been he was saying that car was in an accident and the license plate number might have been close, so he was mistaken, but I think she was lying.

It seems like this Jean broad made this Dates From Hell for attention.

She was 47 and he was 36. Women who date significantly younger men are either very immature or want control and with that control they manipulate the man. Men who date significantly older women have a mother fetish or want to be mothered. He sounds like a narcissist if you are to believe the second segment. I think he was either set up and killed by her ex-husband or current boyfriend. We are only hearing the story she made up for two segments that do not match up perfectly. If you experienced someone you dated get murdered, you would remember the details the same way. She might have told him to go talk to that guy. Maybe she got sick of him and wanted him gone. He supposedly was dating her for 2 years, but he just got out of a divorce. Which is it? This woman has zero credibility. In one segment she tried CPR on him for 15 minutes. In the other segment, everyone showed up quickly. Someone is lying. Either she, Unsolved Mysteries or Dates From Hell is lying. It's possible she did not set him up but knew the killer being her ex. I think she knew the killer.




Ask yourself a question. On Unsolved Mysteries, she hides her face, but on Dates From Hell, she shows herself? If the killer saw her and she saw him, why is she showing herself now if she was afraid of him getting her then? It sounds to me like she knew the killer and he is now dead.

Women who date significantly younger men are either very immature or want control and with that control they manipulate the man. Men who date significantly older women have a mother fetish or want to be mothered.

This is...something.

I just watched the Unsolved Mysteries segment and then that Dates From Hell segment. Man that Dates from Hell Segment was one of the worst pieces of garbage I've ever seen and this broad is a 100% liar. Anyone believing anything she says needs to get their head examined. Holy crap. Why do people continue to believe women simply because they are women? If a dude said the same thing happened to him, he would be investigated thoroughly.

Always remember, when someone changes the details to an event that happened, they are lying. You would think she would have watched the first segment she did to be consistent with her lying for the second.

It feels like the Dates From Hell segment bought the 49ers connection and ran with it. Anyone thinking it's not possible (in this case I don't think it is) look up Andres Escober and the Colombian soccer team from the 1994 World Cup. If it was random, then if she is telling the truth that he was pointing to the car, that could have been he was saying that car was in an accident and the license plate number might have been close, so he was mistaken, but I think she was lying.

It seems like this Jean broad made this Dates From Hell for attention.

She was 47 and he was 36. Women who date significantly younger men are either very immature or want control and with that control they manipulate the man. Men who date significantly older women have a mother fetish or want to be mothered. He sounds like a narcissist if you are to believe the second segment. I think he was either set up and killed by her ex-husband or current boyfriend. We are only hearing the story she made up for two segments that do not match up perfectly. If you experienced someone you dated get murdered, you would remember the details the same way. She might have told him to go talk to that guy. Maybe she got sick of him and wanted him gone. He supposedly was dating her for 2 years, but he just got out of a divorce. Which is it? This woman has zero credibility. In one segment she tried CPR on him for 15 minutes. In the other segment, everyone showed up quickly. Someone is lying. Either she, Unsolved Mysteries or Dates From Hell is lying. It's possible she did not set him up but knew the killer being her ex. I think she knew the killer.




Ask yourself a question. On Unsolved Mysteries, she hides her face, but on Dates From Hell, she shows herself? If the killer saw her and she saw him, why is she showing herself now if she was afraid of him getting her then? It sounds to me like she knew the killer and he is now dead.

This is the most sensible theory I've seen for this case and the one that's closest to what I think.

"Jean" is clearly no good regardless of what happened. Of all the UM segments I've seen she's one of the least trustworthy and creepiest appearances. Her story is also absurd. She claims to have been terrified by this "stalker" and then gets out to see how Dick is after he's shot right in front of her? Fair enough...but then sticks around for 15 minutes to do CPR? And only gets help when people come by at random? No way I believe that. Never heard of CPR to fix a gun shot wound. People do weird s*** in the moment but this is a very bold claim.

But apparently none of that is true anyway now according to all of this new information. Dick goes from a lovable guy who's getting his life together to a total a******. The "stalker" goes from a random guy on an empty street to someone who saw her at the bar. These aren't minor differences. They totally change the case.

I highly speculate that "Jean" knew the killer. Being an ex of hers makes the most sense. Let's not forget she said Dick was a budding love interest in the UM segment. Weird thing to mention for no reason. But maybe there's some validity to the drug angle too and one or both of them were caught up in something. Road rage and random acts of violence are very real, but her story suspends believability too many times, especially since it keeps changing so radically.