Father, son reunited 36 years later

It happened nearly 36 years ago, but Glen Decker remembers it like it was yesterday.

It was a frigid November day in Waukea, Ill.

Mother Nature had just dumped 11 inches of snow in the region and Decker was helping his 7-year-old son, George, build a snow tunnel in the backyard.

Both of them were chilled to the bone, so Decker headed into the house to get a cup of hot chocolate for George and a cup of coffee for himself.

"I was gone maybe five minutes maximum, but when I came back out George was gone," he said.

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After months of posting fliers and talking to radio stations and year upon year of following leads that turned into dead ends, including a fruitless appearance on the television series Unsolved Mysteries, he followed a gut instinct one evening in early August and found George through an internet website.

Decker was reunited with his son just a few days later with the help of the Elgin, Ill. police department.


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Decker hit one dead end after another, until he feared his ex-wife had changed their identities or moved far away.

That’s when he turned to the television series "Unsolved Mysteries" for help.

His story appeared on national television at a personal cost of $10,000 and an emotional cost far greater.

"I had a lot of hope after they told my story, but they didn’t help me at all, he said.


http://www.auroranewsregister.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=845:father-son-reunited-36-years-later&catid=13:featured-articles

Wow... thanks for posting this, everybodylovesrs!

A couple of questions come to mind right away:

1.) I don't remember this case being on UM, but it obviously was. Anyone remember it?

2.) "At a personal cost of $10,000." WTF?!? Has anyone ever heard of UM charging to put on stories??? That may not be accurate but it is sure what they are implying. What is that all about?

3.) I wonder why he sounds bitter towards UM? I don't know what the hell else they can do besides broadcast the story. It is a TV show and not a detective service. I wish we could find out more about this.

Very, very interesting....

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=254927

Yes, I wonder what that 10,000 dollars was for too. Too bad a google search yielded no results.

I don't remember this case at all. Does anyone remember watching it? He does sound bitter and I don't understand that. UM doesn't guarantee results...how could they? I also don't understand how he claims to have spent $10,000 on the segment. Thats what television show budgets are for. Very strange.

you know Crystaldawn, I was going to say the same thing too... except I haven't really seen all the episodes (started watching UM when I was 6). But yes, why would there be 10000 bucks he need to spend?

Maybe there is something dark about how Unsolved Mysteries obtained its stories that us viewers were never privy to... Money to convince the crew to come to the town and do the shooting, a "consulting fee" thing?

An "unsolved mystery" about Unsolved Mysteries;) , perhaps?

you know Crystaldawn, I was going to say the same thing too... except I haven't really seen all the episodes (started watching UM when I was 6). But yes, why would there be 10000 bucks he need to spend?

Maybe there is something dark about how Unsolved Mysteries obtained its stories that us viewers were never privy to... Money to convince the crew to come to the town and do the shooting, a "consulting fee" thing?

An "unsolved mystery" about Unsolved Mysteries;) , perhaps?

I don't know I still find his story about the money a little suspect. I mean maybe he spent the money for some reason but I highly doubt he paid it directly to UM. We need Sheila Kimmell to weigh in on this. I've had many conversations with her, some by phone, and in all her talk about UM she has never said anything about having to pay UM. To my understanding she called and asked them to do the case and they agreed.

I find this guy's claims highly suspect. Since UM was basically a public service, I doubt they would collect a dime from a family member or crime victim as collateral for profiling their story.

I also think it's telling that NO ONE remembers seeing this story on the program. Seriously, does anyone remember seeing this case? Do we even have an inkling of what the airdate might have been or during which season it may have aired?

No, I watched it for years and never saw any such story. Also, I don't believe most of the people who appeared could afford to shell out any such amount. For instance, wouldn't the money be given to con artist victims, rather than paid to run a story about a con artist?

As most of you know, UM did a story on our daughters story. I am telling you for certain, proof positive that UM did NOT charge us a dime or even a single red cent to cover our story. It might be interesting to note that they paid us nothing either because many people seem to think we got paid for telling our story. On both counts - totally FALSE!!

As most of you know, UM did a story on our daughters story. I am telling you for certain, proof positive that UM did NOT charge us a dime or even a single red cent to cover our story. It might be interesting to note that they paid us nothing either because many people seem to think we got paid for telling our story. On both counts - totally FALSE!!

Thanks, shek!

I wonder if it would be worth it for one of us to try and email the reporter of the above story and throw the B.S. flag. Perhaps it was a program other than the real UM.

None of what is reported in that article about UM can be even close to the truth, but maybe the reporter has or can get more details.

If this story really occurred, why did the police not go to the father's house to check for footprints? This is one reason (besides that it's bloody cold out) that abductions don't often occur with snow on the ground--footprints! And another reason it wouldn't appear on UM. Not too many stories with snow in them--the orange sock murder would be one--but difficult and expensive to film.

That is one big reason why the Sonny Bono murder theories (yes, they exist) are bogus. So two guys managed to kill Sonny at a ski resort, make it look like an accident, and flee leaving no tracks? :rolleyes:

And his name is Decker! Maybe if he is related to Don, he can make it snow? ohno:

I can't help but ponder this thing about UM charging folks for doing their story - which is totally untrue. But that made me think about what it might have cost UM to produce our segment. A little background - they flew 4 people from Califorina to begin in Billings, MT and end in Denver, CO for a 5 day shoot. A Director, the Asst. Producer, a sound man and a carmera man. Having traveled a lot for my company, I am quite familiar with what it would cost even back then. So I totaled up the overhead expenses only (pay not included) such as the airfare, rental van, hotel and meals. Without going into a detailed breakdown, I came up with a modest figure of $6,000. Now, if you add in pay (I would highly doubt they only made minimum wage) then add the time it took to edit and produce our segment, it would not surprise me if they didn't spend at least $10,000 or more to help us. Even though UM didn't end up solving our case either the only words that are appropriate for UM taking on and doing our story is a generous "Thank You".

I don't remember this case at all. Does anyone remember watching it?

I wonder if it was only part of a "special bulletin" segment, instead of being in an actual "lost loves" segment. Such cases do occasionally appear in the show's special bulletin.

He does sound bitter and I don't understand that. UM doesn't guarantee results...how could they?

Sad but true. UM doesn't even promise favorable outcomes. In fact, no one can. If anything, they do their best to bring national attention to unsolved cases. No matter how many people tune in to UM, all it takes is for the right person to be watching, the one person who has the information that could finally put a case to rest.

I also don't remember this case being on UM. I agree UM didn't promise favorable outcomes. The only goal of the show to broadcast cases on a national level to give more awareness and possible give people land law enforcement agencies additonal resources and information on cases or stories. I do feel for those have appeared on UM and nothing resulted from it. I don't think any of those people are bitter with UM. In life only so many unsolved cases, missing people or other incidents can be solved with people willing to come forward and only a certain amount of people watching a TV show.

They must be related to Richard and Mayumi Heene :lol:

As an area native I was intrigued by this post...but I feel compelled to point out that there is no Waukea, IL. There is an Elgin and I suppose its possible the reporter meant Waukegan, IL. Waukegan is about 50 miles NE and on the Lake Michigan shoreline (and much better known than Elgin). I also thought the mention of the timing and snowstorm was weird...I mean he mentions 11 inches of snow which is pretty significant for a November in Chicago but I don't believe 1973 was considered a historic year in terms of area blizzards (not like '67 & '79). I did thumb through the online weather almanac and didn't see anything to support that amount of snowfall during November of '73. Perhaps he has the year off? I just found it odd that no one remembers this segment from UM (again, being a forever viewer and an area native I would've been all over this story if I'd ever seen it featured on UM).

Well maybe the guy got conned and he just thinks it was the real unsolved mysteries.

Could the article have been mistaken and meant AMW? I doubt this was ever on UM. If it was, I would have been pissed as the father if they only showed it once and didn't syndicate it. I believe shek 100% and don't think he had to pay to get on UM. Something is wrong with this story.

If UM honestly charged people $10,000 to put their stories on the air, don't you think the show wouldn't have lasted as long as it did? Who's going to pay that kind of money, especially if you don't have it?!

I would agree with what y'all have been saying. If UM had charged people to put their stories on the air, they wouldn't have lasted as long as they did. I call shenanigans.