This is a out of curiosity kind of question but seems like Florida had the most disappearances and murders of convenience store clerks during the 80s and 90s. Um seemed to profile quite a few. Did any other states have as many or maybe more from the show?

Florida in general attracts a lot of transients . I remember visiting my friend quite a few times in Orlando and other than a few gated communities and Disney World, its pretty crime ridden. There were pawn shops everywhere (literally like 10 on one street), homeless people passed out in subway in Kissimmee ect. Obviously even in the north where its cold theres crime but Florida does have alot of crime

Yes, Florida in general is a hellhole. I lived there for a couple years and hated it (and I lived in a nice area in central Florida in an upscale community). Too many transients and other ne'er-do-wells. It really is a state with two faces -- the super rich with beach houses and yachts, while just a block away you have the homeless and criminals. Lots of murders and high crime in general.

But, yes, there was a string of convenience store kidnappings/murders in the Southeast (including FL) during that time. I believe UM even did a segment on it.

Well we know the juries in the state suck for the most part.

Even in the wealthy communities like Boca Raton, Palm Beach and St. Augustine there is murder. There have been murders in Sebring, which has one of the oldest populations of any city in the United States. Miami is very bad, UM made mention of that in the segment about the rogue police officer (name escapes me at the moment) when they talked about all of the criminals who emigrated from Cuba.

They also have more than their fair share of corrupt and crazy politicians and election weirdness.

Yeah, FL is pretty bad.

Certain parts of Florida are very bad. I had a friend, who, while attending Florida State U, was assaulted by gay bashers while he was walking to his car during a late night grocery run. From what he told me, the people in the general area down there are very bigoted towards the LGBTQ community. (Mainly the older generations)

Certain parts of Florida are very bad. I had a friend, who, while attending Florida State U, was assaulted by gay bashers while he was walking to his car during a late night grocery run. From what he told me, the people in the general area down there are very bigoted towards the LGBTQ community. (Mainly the older generations)

There has been at least one or two serial killers of gays down there in FL.

There has been at least one or two serial killers of gays down there in FL.

Indeed. Thankfully he graduated and got the hell outta there. He recently got married to his boyfriend and they are in the process of adopting a baby. :)

A lot of gas stations just outside Miami had bulletproof glass so I see it being bad

I didn't know Florida was that bad... Is it "Chicago" bad??

I didn't know Florida was that bad... Is it "Chicago" bad??

Chicago isn't all that bad if you avoid the south section.

Having lived in Florida pretty much my whole life the best I can say is that crime can and does happen anywhere. Like any state in this country, there are some places that are better than others, but I wouldn't make blanket generalizations about the state because of a couple of UM cases or what you have seen on Forensic Files or some such.

Having lived in Florida pretty much my whole life the best I can say is that crime can and does happen anywhere. Like any state in this country, there are some places that are better than others, but I wouldn't make blanket generalizations about the state because of a couple of UM cases or what you have seen on Forensic Files or some such.

I see what you're saying, but Florida must have a much higher crime rate than, say, North Dakota.

I think it's the weather and the general atmosphere or Florida and California that attract crime. However, it can happen anywhere. Some places in every state are better/worse than others. I live in West Virginia and there are many places I wouldn't want to get stuck in.

I dont judge Florida by UM or any show for that matter but Florida is a lure for a lot of transients. For example, Jennifer Kesse was abducted from her condo complex which is across the street from the Mall of Millenia. Thats a very touristy and nice area of Orlando. I realized crime can happen anywhere but Florida just gave me the creeps and I visited for a few weeks a year for quite a few years in row when my friends went to college down there.

I think the more shocking thing was seeing homeless people passed out in a suburban subway and the cops had to come in Florida. Now, Yes in the inner city of Detriot I could expect to see that or in parts of NYC but this was in a suburban area outside of Disney world. That was the most shocking part. I have never seen so many Pawn Shops in my entire life. I swear there was like 10 on one street. Thats never a sign of a great area. Anyways, I'm not bashing Florida just stating what I saw and my feelings toward it

I didn't know Florida was that bad... Is it "Chicago" bad??

Miami can be, yes. Especially in the 80's and 90's.

I think it's the weather and the general atmosphere or Florida and California that attract crime. However, it can happen anywhere. Some places in every state are better/worse than others. I live in West Virginia and there are many places I wouldn't want to get stuck in.


I was just thinking the same thing. Florida and California with the warmer weather tend to attract a lot of homeless and transients. Hence the crime! I live in California, and there is the very, very wealthy and also the very, very poor too living in kind of close proximity to each other! :confused:

There's crime everywhere but for some reason you so hear so much about Florida, especially on the Internet. Combine the weather, the beaches, Disney World, which attracts a large influx of people, bad things can happen. I think perhaps we hear more about Florida because of its reputation as an American paradise. On the surface, it looks like perfection.

I was just thinking the same thing. Florida and California with the warmer weather tend to attract a lot of homeless and transients. Hence the crime! I live in California, and there is the very, very wealthy and also the very, very poor too living in kind of close proximity to each other! :confused:
Fellow Californian here. It's totally true. As awesome as parts of San Francisco and L.A. are, the amount of homeless and panhandlers is staggering (and of course everywhere else in the state).

UM was right about Beverly Hills in particular. A great place to see those who live in luxury right next to the poorest.

There's crime everywhere but for some reason you so hear so much about Florida, especially on the Internet. Combine the weather, the beaches, Disney World, which attracts a large influx of people, bad things can happen. I think perhaps we hear more about Florida because of its reputation as an American paradise. On the surface, it looks like perfection.

My best friend got married in Miami last year. We had a GREAT TIME.

We drove around a pretty wide area the four days I was down there. Everywhere we seemed to drive, I got UM flashes. On the highways, I saw mileage signs for Belle Glade (Rebecca Young), Cocoa Beach (Tammy Leppert) Pomopono Beach (Beverly McGowan) although those places were about an hour's drive away.

For the rehearsal dinner, we had to drive through Coral Gables and I thought, "This is where Judith Hymes lived."

The bride and groom planned to drive up to Disney World for a few days for a mini-honeymoon. Orlando is where Debra Poe disappeared. They sent us selfie pictures from a gas station in Kissimmee, which is where Paula Pasiak was killed.

At that point, I started to wonder if there was a single city in Florida that WASN'T featured on UM. We took a tour of the Florida Everglades the day after the wedding and I kept thinking to myself that something UM related had to happen here too but I couldn't place it. :crazy:

My best friend got married in Miami last year. We had a GREAT TIME.

We drove around a pretty wide area the four days I was down there. Everywhere we seemed to drive, I got UM flashes. On the highways, I saw mileage signs for Belle Glade (Rebecca Young), Cocoa Beach (Tammy Leppert) Pomopono Beach (Beverly McGowan) although those places were about an hour's drive away.

For the rehearsal dinner, we had to drive through Coral Gables and I thought, "This is where Judith Hymes lived."

The bride and groom planned to drive up to Disney World for a few days for a mini-honeymoon. Orlando is where Debra Poe disappeared. They sent us selfie pictures from a gas station in Kissimmee, which is where Paula Pasiak was killed.

At that point, I started to wonder if there was a single city in Florida that WASN'T featured on UM. We took a tour of the Florida Everglades the day after the wedding and I kept thinking to myself that something UM related had to happen here too but I couldn't place it. :crazy:

This is so UM nerdy and AWESOME. I've done that a few times when driving through or seeing signs for certain places. I think you're my spirit animal. ;) :crazy:

Now I'm going to chime in a say for Florida Everglades the first thing that came to mind is Little Miss Panasoffkee. I believe she was found in the everglades.

You forgot the worst aspect by far -- Gator fans. They ruin the state.

I enjoy driving through the South because everybody seems to agree on the Gators. As an owner of a sports apparel store in Knoxville said to me, "Nobody likes those people, do they?"

All those screwy courtroom verdicts, that was Gator fans.

Orange, Blue and Mostly Yellow

At that point, I started to wonder if there was a single city in Florida that WASN'T featured on UM. We took a tour of the Florida Everglades the day after the wedding and I kept thinking to myself that something UM related had to happen here too but I couldn't place it. :crazy:

Everglades would have been the Skunk Ape.

This is so UM nerdy and AWESOME. I've done that a few times when driving through or seeing signs for certain places. I think you're my spirit animal. ;) :crazy:

Now I'm going to chime in a say for Florida Everglades the first thing that came to mind is Little Miss Panasoffkee. I believe she was found in the everglades.

There you go. I knew there had to be something. UM is largely responsible for most of my knowledge of Florida geography. As evidenced by the Location thread where I looked up most of these places.

I can be open about by UM nerdness here but I don't exactly broadcast it to my loved ones. Any city in the country that was featured on the show, I automatically link to that particular case. For instance, back in February, my cousin went to Breckenridge, CO to go snowboarding. As soon as he told me he was going there, the first thing that pops in my head is Bobbi Oberholtzer and Annette Schnee.

So my reaction is :eek: which is quickly followed by :D "Have a great time!"

You can't get more nerdy than that.

There you go. I knew there had to be something. UM is largely responsible for most of my knowledge of Florida geography. As evidenced by the Location thread where I looked up most of these places.

I can be open about by UM nerdness here but I don't exactly broadcast it to my loved ones. Any city in the country that was featured on the show, I automatically link to that particular case. For instance, back in February, my cousin went to Breckenridge, CO to go snowboarding. As soon as he told me he was going there, the first thing that pops in my head is Bobbi Oberholtzer and Annette Schnee.

So my reaction is :eek: which is quickly followed by :D "Have a great time!"

You can't get more nerdy than that.

I love it.

As an owner of a sports apparel store in Knoxville said to me, "Nobody likes those people, do they?"

Nope! ;)

This is so UM nerdy and AWESOME. I've done that a few times when driving through or seeing signs for certain places. I think you're my spirit animal. ;) :crazy:

Now I'm going to chime in a say for Florida Everglades the first thing that came to mind is Little Miss Panasoffkee. I believe she was found in the everglades.

Several Christmases ago, we went down to visit part of my then-boyfriend's (now husband) family in Tampa. On the drive there and back, we drove right over the I-75 bridge over Lake Panasoffkee. I was pretty chilled both times, but as my boyfriend and I had only started dating that fall, I said nothing about it. Nowadays, he'd probably say something like, "Hey, wasn't there a UM or something about this?" :)

I can be open about by UM nerdness here but I don't exactly broadcast it to my loved ones. Any city in the country that was featured on the show, I automatically link to that particular case. For instance, back in February, my cousin went to Breckenridge, CO to go snowboarding. As soon as he told me he was going there, the first thing that pops in my head is Bobbi Oberholtzer and Annette Schnee.

So my reaction is which is quickly followed by "Have a great time!"

You can't get more nerdy than that.

:) :) :)

Anytime I think of a convenience store disappearance/murder/kidnapping, I think of the Unsolved Mysteries segment about Debra Poe. I often think of that case during the rare occasions when I actually go into a convenience store.

Anytime I think of a convenience store disappearance/murder/kidnapping, I think of the Unsolved Mysteries segment about Debra Poe. I often think of that case during the rare occasions when I actually go into a convenience store.

I worked in a convenience store for years. The Poe case was never far from my mind.

Begs the question-- does excessive UM watching give the viewer potential PTSD? I notice that a lot of us talk about behaviors we have that could be described as hypervigilant, which is a symptom of PTSD...:eek: :eek:

I worked in a convenience store for years. The Poe case was never far from my mind.

Begs the question-- does excessive UM watching give the viewer potential PTSD? I notice that a lot of us talk about behaviors we have that could be described as hypervigilant, which is a symptom of PTSD...:eek: :eek:

You did?? How realistic is the movie "Clerks"? :D

That movie is totally realistic. Didn't that one involve deleted messages and all fun and games. Then someone lost an eye. I think that was it. Maybe it was not the whole eye. Maybe it was half. Someone proved it. Some lawyer said I can help you sue for damage. Maybe I got it mixed up. I think someone threatened the clerk with "serious trouble" and it all went from there. The clerk didn't know what to think. Was that the one? Maybe the threat did the clerk in.

I worked in a convenience store for years. The Poe case was never far from my mind.

Begs the question-- does excessive UM watching give the viewer potential PTSD? I notice that a lot of us talk about behaviors we have that could be described as hypervigilant, which is a symptom of PTSD...:eek: :eek:

In my case, it would be a combination of PTSD and OCD. Like the way I (still) obsessively check my back seat before entering my car....all because of the Gretchen Burford segment. I can't imagine NOT doing that now.

Back on topic for a sec, I know I probably complained about this before but how could that convenience store not have any security cameras? This is Orlando in 1990. It blows my mind that there would be no cameras by then. If this had taken place out in the middle of Hee-Hawville Nebraska with a convenience store surrounded by nothing but ten miles of corn stalks, that would be a different story. But this is crazy. Orlando is a major Florida city. That store is right across the street from a slew of neighborhood homes. It's not in the middle of nowhere.

As a little kid during that time period, I remember the gas stations in my city having cameras. Ditto for the convenience store I used to stop in to buy candy while walking home in Elementary school. The cameras were not only present but glaringly obvious. We used to make funny faces into them.

It's a shame it takes a tragedy like this to finally put cameras in place.

There used to be a good trade in dummy security cameras back in the eighties and nineties. A friend of mine worked at a station back in the late eighties and his employer was too cheap to install any real ones. Those things might deter someone from shoplifting but of course did little to protect the safety of the clerks. A working camera probably would have made a difference in the prosecution of Eileen Mangold's killer.

Worked in a Cumberland Farms for about 9 months. Opened the store at 6am, alone. Yes, the Deborah Poe case goes through your mind. Then one morning, the police came in the store and said they saw 2 guys in a car behind the store and sent them along. Were they just looking for a quiet place or waiting for me to arrive at 5:30am to open the store? Who knows, but I put my notice in the next day. Too dangerous.

I worked at a convenience store a few months. After multiple nights of working 3rd shift all by myself I knew I wouldn't stay there too long. Nowadays I always see at least two employees at all times.

You see some crazy stuff at a convenience store at night. Tons of drunks came in. One guy walked in grabbed some beer and just walked out like I wasn't there and the beer was free.

I remember a lady cane in and said her boyfriend was after her and going to kill her. I called the police and they found him and he was definitely armed so who knows how bad that could have gotten. After that I was pretty much done. The local cops were cool and hinted they would look the other way if I felt I needed to be armed as long as I wasn't reckless. The store policy would have fired me though.
As for cameras im amazed at how crappy quality the footage is. Seems like safety would justify better equipment.

As for Florida I've met some really great people there. Some of the stores right off the interstate were still fairly isolated so may have been easy targets back in the 90s.

Yep, 3rd shift alone in a convenience store had to be scary. UM had several episodes with murder/abduction with one female working a store alone (Tracey Kirkpatrick, Lisa Ziegert, et al. No job is worth your life.

Seems like policy at most stores now is at least 2 employees. At least the 7 11 near me is that way which is good. Still potentially dangerous at night though. Back in 2000 or so a 7 11 about ten minutes from me was robbed at 4am and both women were shot even though they didn't resist. One survived and one didn't but was senseless since they easily gave the robbers what they wanted.

https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1298&dat=20000725&id=mjIzAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QwgGAAAAIBAJ&pg=3723,6384928&hl=en

Yep, 3rd shift alone in a convenience store had to be scary. UM had several episodes with murder/abduction with one female working a store alone (Tracey Kirkpatrick, Lisa Ziegert, et al. No job is worth your life.

Yeah those cases were scary and seem hard to solve.

My friend, the guy I mentioned in the first page, was robbed at gunpoint working in a convience store and it may have progressed to physical violation if the police didn't get there when they did. It turned out the robber was high and looking to score. Problem is, the police refused to charge the man with indecent assault. I personally hold the idea that it was because my friend was gay and therefore (as women unfortunately face) was "asking for it" in their eyes.

I'm never visiting that part of Florida again. And neither is my friend. I can't abide by bigotry.