Do you ever hear something on UM and just don't get it or believe it? Like, today with Curtis Pishon and same with Dale Kersttrer, they both smoke. I believe there was foul play in both cases, but when the family says, "He smoked. Smokers never leave their cigarettes " I always think, "No, I have and would buy another pack at the 100 of gas stations that I will pass" not that this is major, more like a pet peeve...lol I'm sure they are saying it because they know/think their loved one was kidnapped, etc.

Or when some families say, "She never ever drank" If something happened to me tomorrow involving wine:lol: my mom would not know that I drink 2 glasses every night and my death was accidental and I wasn't forced to drink it :lol: again, just my thing maybe lol

Like, you just never know every detail of people. I think that is my point.:lol:

Maybe a different category but I definitely disagreed with:
The guy in the Allegash segment saying televisions didn't exist "50 years ago" meaning in the late 30s, early 40s. He was incorrect, they were already in existence at that time.

yeah just about any family or close friend recollection is going to be flawed or at a minimum idealistic. I often wonder what people would say about me if interviewed; 99% chance it would be wrong or an erroneous conclusion based on a single conversation in which I was either not paying attention or just going through the motions in responding.

"Kurt (Sova) wasn't a drinker"
So and so just wouldn't have left her children
There's no way he woulda left the door unlocked!
He never would have agreed to go along with such a thing!
The person I know wouldn't get in that car!!!!
I think my (son, brother, dad) may have been on a top-secret mission

this is what bugs me about Dateline and 20/20. Every episode and the "evidence" is based off these anecdotes from people who "knew" the dead, missing, or accused.

Can't forget Judy Hyams's friend. "With her medical knowledge she could have gotten help somewhere." Sorry, but if the abortion was botched or she was allergic to the anesthetic, no amount of medical knowledge could have helped her. I'm not knocking the friend, I think she was just engaging in wishful thinking rather than logic.

How about Diane Brodbeck's mother: "I know my daughter would not deliberately help a convicted murderer escape from prison."

Anytime a family member swears up and down that their relative wouldn't do something negative. Be it suicide, drink, smoke, do drugs or kill someone. No one knows he inner workings of each others minds.

Anytime a family member swears up and down that their relative wouldn't do something negative. Be it suicide, drink, smoke, do drugs or kill someone. No one knows he inner workings of each others minds.

My very first thought when I saw this thread is "He/she would never commit suicide." I think I can understand why many people say this, but it's just as you said: no one knows what's going on unless you're being alert, assessing statements and behaviors, and asking important questions when they need to be asked. Anyone can be at risk for suicide.

Anytime a family member swears up and down that their relative wouldn't do something negative. Be it suicide, drink, smoke, do drugs or kill someone. No one knows he inner workings of each others minds.

Like Cheryl Holland's sister or the friend of Don Davis Jr who said she didn't believe he raped the girls on the campus of Texas A&M, that it was all a case of mistaken identity.

I didn't believe it when Franklin Floyd said he "saved" Sharon when he was asked how he obtained her as a child. But he's a psycho and known killer who said a ton of stupid things...it's not a great example.

My very first thought when I saw this thread is "He/she would never commit suicide." I think I can understand why many people say this, but it's just as you said: no one knows what's going on unless you're being alert, assessing statements and behaviors, and asking important questions when they need to be asked. Anyone can be at risk for suicide.

+1

My very first thought is a poor example of this but I'll share it anyway. Dave Bocks daughter repeating over and over (at least 3 times on camera) "there was no reason for him to commit suicide" as if suicide was a logical outcome to a person's situation.

The reason I say it's a poor example is that I also do not believe he committed suicide by jumping into that furnace, but I don't agree with her thought process.

I hope that she and the rest of the family will be able to get some closure and peace of mind someday.

Robert Curt Borton; I felt bad for his family but most of their statements seemed dubious.

Russell Healey's wife believing that her husband wouldn't lie on his deathbed, although Rick McCue didn't turn out to be a saint either.

Stuart Heaton and his "A carpenter who doesn't have cuts on his hands isn't a carpenter," comment. The cuts on his hands were described as paring type wounds, which were unusual to have.

Yes to these responses!!! Exactly. I feel badly for the parents who say, "He wouldn't kill himself. I know my son" I'm sorry, knowing your child's favorite food, quirks and color is one thing. Inside the head is another.. :( As much as you know your child...when he/she goes home...the phrase "behind close doors" applies to parents as well. We just don't know.

I agree with what most of you have said about the suicide cases. When I was a young and stupid kid, I naturally believed the grieving parents because I thought they wouldn't have let them on UM if they didn't have some compelling evidence, but now...most of the time, I go with Occam's Razor in that suicide is the simplest answer, which probably means it's the best one. You understand why they want to believe otherwise, why they focus on minutiae, but most of the time, I side with the cops.

Also, the John Cheek case...in light of what I've heard, I think he jumped off the bridge and the idea that he's wandering around in some kind of amnesiac fugue state is ridiculous.