This morning, Lifetime reran a 1989 segment about Dale Kerstetter, who disappeared from his workplace in 1987. He worked as a security guard at a factory in Pennsylvania.

One night in September of 1987, while working the graveyard shift at the factory, he disappeared along with some platinum that was stored there. A masked intruder was involved inthe theft, but whether or not Kerstetter was directly involved remains a mystery.

One of the surveillance camera tapes showed Kerstetter with this masked intruder (though as you'll recall, the segment showed reenactments of the surveillance footage). Kerstetter appeared as though he was being coerced by the intruder, though there is speculation that it may have actually been a ruse. What I find to be puzzling is the fact that Kerstetter looked right at the camera. It's also eerie because one must wonder whether it was a secret call for help, or just a flaunt. But to me, one thing is certain: that gesture was obviously Dale's nonverbal way of saying something.

As of this morning's telecast (April 29), there is still no update on the disappearance. And unfortnately, as time goes on, the chances of Dale Kestetter still being alive become increasingly remote.

Personally, however, I think Dale Kerstetter played a role in the platinum theft. It might have been a small or indirect role, but I believe he was involved to some degree. Plus, according to one of the segment's participants, whoever took the platinum was "extremely familiar" with the plant, and that it occured at a time when there were only a few lights on. This leads me to believe that theft was an inside job.

I would welcome any opinions about this case.

I wish I could give an opinion on this case, but it's one of the few UM cases that I don't remember or might have seen only once.

Hopefully I'll see that one again, soon.

Yeah, I remember this case. It was always weird to me that he looked straight into the camera when he was walking with the masked man. I agree that Dale was probably involved because, if you remember correctly, during the segment the supervisor at the plant said that Kerstetter was a marginal employee at best and that he had been in trouble before with the company.

Originally posted by mrtuesdaynight
Yeah, I remember this case. It was always weird to me that he looked straight into the camera when he was walking with the masked man. I agree that Dale was probably involved because, if you remember correctly, during the segment the supervisor at the plant said that Kerstetter was a marginal employee at best and that he had been in trouble before with the company.

In addition, as mentioned in my previous message on the subject, he was in a monetary crisis. However, one of his grown daughters was said to be in a financial position to care for him, and that he had money invested. So, according to the daughter in question, he had too many legal avenues to obtain money.

Nonetheless, as I mentioned earlier, I'm convinced that he played a role in the theft, and that it was probably an inside job. Plus, this might be the real reason why the intruder concealed his identity.

I've watched this segment probably a dozen times over the years and thought about it a lot.

My guess is that Kerstetter told someone about the platinum and it was either this person that did the theft or they gave the information to another person who did the theft.

It doesn't make sense that Kerstetter committed the robbery then disappeared. He had lived his whole life in the community, his entire family was there, all of his social supports. He's going to leave all that and disappear for the rest of his life for the platinum? Yes, he may have been a marginal employee and yes he had financial problems, but how many people fit that profile?

I believe someone he may have known committed the robbery and then killed him because Kerstetter knew their identity.

I did some searching and finally found a Dale Kerstetter thread! This is my choice for most naggingly intriguing unsolved cases and an ongoing joke with my husband. All I have to do is say the name and he rolls his eyes. He's made a bet with me that if they do solve the case, I'll quit watching Unsolved Mysteries.

I'm not sure what happened to ol' Dale. There's part of me that thinks he was involved, because of his inside knowledge of where the platinum was stored. Then again, he could have been strong-armed into the theft by another employee. His family comes off as pretty naive, but that one son seems kinda shady, like he knows something. The story has a distinct pull, because it has a hint of the little guy sticking it to the large corporations; it's hard to get mad at Dale, like it's hard to get mad at that sweet ol' grandmother who scammed her workplace (can't think of the episode).

The problem is, you can't find a darn thing on the web about Dale! This is the case of the century, darn it!

I remember this story as well. It was one of the first stories I believe. What the program failed to mention is 2 things that always interested me. 1) how much pipe was actually taken ( they mentioned a "section" ) but that could mean anything. 2) was the plant paid anything by the insurance company for the platnium pipe. ( I know this is a long shot, but when people are questioned about business partners or spouses deaths, insurance plays a big role )
Also,

anyhow, Platnium is not the least conspicious product to try and carry around and fence. IMHOA

I did not believe Dale was involved because the way his lunch pail was set up with the paper and keys, like he was about to eat. Also, the fact that he left his cigarettes in his truck. Sounds stupid, but i use to be a smoker and if you are going to go anywhere that you know and in a high stress situation you take you cigarettes.

That plant looked like it was quite large so they had to have a number of people working there who would know where the platinum was. No doubt it was an inside job, but i don't think it was Dale who did it. Why put himself there?? Let them do it when another guard was on and reap in teh profits while being able to stay with your family.

I believed he was killed shortly after they left the plant. And i know if i was in that situation and i knew where the cameras were i would look up at one to say "help me". I probably wouldn't if i was involved.

I did not believe Dale was involved because the way his lunch pail was set up with the paper and keys, like he was about to eat. Also, the fact that he left his cigarettes in his truck. Sounds stupid, but i use to be a smoker and if you are going to go anywhere that you know and in a high stress situation you take you cigarettes.

I believed he was killed shortly after they left the plant. And i know if i was in that situation and i knew where the cameras were i would look up at one to say "help me". I probably wouldn't if i was involved.

That's an interesting theory. I had the same inital reaction: If I knew the cameras were in place and was being taken somewhere against my will, I would probably look at the camera, too. That being said... I do see how someone could interpret the staring into the camera as a brazen act.

Nice counterpoint argument, though, DDelta! :)

This is one of my favorite segments of all time. I really don't know which theory I would go with. Both sides have good arguments. Although, I might have to lean more towards the Dale was in on the deal. I've always thought about that camera if you were involved why in the world would you walk in front of the camera unless you were trying to make it look like you had been kidnapped. But the way he looks at the camera makes me think that he was involved in some sort of way.

Maybe someone can help me with this. Wasn't this the case where they recorded a drop in temperature in the molten platinum tank? Didn't someone claim to see a body in it?

Or am I thinking of a case totally different?

Maybe someone can help me with this. Wasn't this the case where they recorded a drop in temperature in the molten platinum tank? Didn't someone claim to see a body in it?

Or am I thinking of a case totally different?

You're thinking of the Dave Box (Spelling I am not certain of) case.

As for the Kerstetter case, this is one of those cases I really don't know about. I'm 50/50 on this. I would have thought he would have re-surfaced by now IF he was involved but to my knowledge he hasn't been seen since? That was in 1987..so I would think he wasn't involved and been killed but then I look at the sercurity footage and I think he was.. ARGH I don't know!

I am not sure about this one.. I am almost certain that Dale Kerstetter was not directly involved willingly but more so a victum that by now has been murdered.. because he knew to much.. or perhaps it could simply be a case of wrong place wrong time

I am not sure about this one.. I am almost certain that Dale Kerstetter was not directly involved willingly but more so a victum that by now has been murdered.. because he knew to much.. or perhaps it could simply be a case of wrong place wrong time

"Not directly involved" is how I speculate it as well. But it's possible that he was indirectly involved. He may not have orchestrated the platinum theft, but I haven't ruled out the possibility that he was something of an unwilling participant.

Just my opinion.

Dale's son from the segment seemed very suspect to me. I wouldn't be surprised if the son was the masked man in the video!!!

I haven't seen the case, which makes me kind of not good at really speculating specifics, but what if Dale got drunk one night and told up some fanciful tale of great riches via robbing some ill-prepared location and grabbing platinum? I can see it now, he talks to anyone, a bad guy overhears, and then starts buying him some drinks to keep on talking. Then, Dale is forced by the guy to carry out the plan and keep it mum (maybe threatening the family to keep it quiet).

As Kane said, I believe Dale to be an unwilling participant who was eventually taken care of and whose body is probably sitting in either the middle of a forest in a hole, or in the middle of a desert in a hole. Either way, I'm sure the body, if ever found, would be in worse shape than Beverly McGowan's (which was crudely decapitated with the wrists removed, part of the jaw removed, and with several missing pieces of skin in the abdomen, probably to remove locations of tattoos).

Sad case, really, though it is truly a great case for UM: Any theory works well if you give it enough reason and juice.

The son in this case does not seem to be totally on the up-and-up, but I think the fact that Kerstetter 1) did not take his cigarettes and left his truck behind and 2) was stealing an item that it would be hard to imagine he would have had the connections and the knowledge to unload on the blackmarket make it unlikely that he was involved. However, I do think he knew the person doing it --- which is probably why he was killed (I believe he was murdered and dumped the night this happened many years ago). I think it is quite probable that Dale himself, drunk at a bar or something one night, bragged about how much valuable stuff was at the plant where he worked, if only someone had the cajones to steal it. Someone he knew or was at least acquainted with took him up on the challenge, and offed Dale in the process.

I wonder if Dale has had any secret visits with his family, assuming he's still alive and was in on it. The statue of limitations on this one passed up a long time ago, but maybe he's staying away to help protect the family's name.

The son's boasting that his father can't be arrested if he returns because the statute of limitations expired was a bit odd, but someone on the boards mentioned awhile back that he might have said it because it would be tough to deal with the death of his father, which I agree with. It would be a traumatic experience, and in some cases the mind will take any means necessary to help the coping process.

Please check out new posts from me, one of Dale's daughters, at the thread "Poll:Dale Kerstetter". Would love to hear your feedback.

I was watching this case again recently, and I think that Dale could've been one of the great literary characters. A man with a basically un extraordinary life, who is tempted to do something seemingly out of character, but probably has his own moral justification for it. He played by the rules, but the system didn't do him any favors. What makes a man like that tick? What's eating at him? I would totally read a book with a character like that. In fact I already have read several. It's very reminiscent of the works of John Steinbeck.

My take on this one is that he was involved in the robbery. The masked accomplice was to set up the scene where he was forced to hand over the platinum to the intruder who was then going to kidnap him. This is why he looked directly into the camera, to establish he was with the intruder.
He then went with his accomplice somewhere. Unfortunately for him he was no longer useful and was eliminated.

I think Dale was eliminated after the fact because he probably would have been a liability. As in trying to call home etc when complete ambiguity would be the only means of non detection. I doubt he lived much more than a day after the heist

for me I don't think he was involved. I think this one is straightforward. someone robbed the plant and the company tried to implicate Dale as to avoid any liability for poor security practices.

I don't think he was involved - I personally think it was an inside job (my post on this is #692 - about halfway down the page in this other thread)

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=181799&highlight=dale+kerstetter&page=47

I hate that this poor dead man's legacy will forever be tainted with these rumors. The plant was a bleepshow that anyone, including his daughter, could walk into at any time of night.

They pinned this on him to make it go away for the sale, and likely to try and recoup their losses via their insurance (negligence = no payout). He was in that bag.

I hate that this poor dead man's legacy will forever be tainted with these rumors. The plant was a bleepshow that anyone, including his daughter, could walk into at any time of night.

They pinned this on him to make it go away for the sale, and likely to try and recoup their losses via their insurance (negligence = no payout). He was in that bag.

Well, if he didn't lock the doors & he was in charge of security for the building while on duty then he is to blame for that aspect-although the company didn't have great outside security either.

We will likely never know if he had set this up or not-personally I think he likely was involved & he got double-crossed.

Well, if he didn't lock the doors & he was in charge of security for the building while on duty then he is to blame for that aspect-although the company didn't have great outside security either.

We will likely never know if he had set this up or not-personally I think he likely was involved & he got double-crossed.
The rep for the company that was interviewed on UM did not cite any evidence that he violated security procedures? or am I wrong? it would seem obvious to me that if he did something that grossly violated company procedures that would have been mentioned? The guy seemed to speculate, but did not mention detailed violations that were committed. I wonder if this was not gross negligance by the company to prevent platinum from being stolen and they are dragging the victim through the mud instead of admitting their own faults. I would consider hiring a lawyer.

The rep for the company that was interviewed on UM did not cite any evidence that he violated security procedures? or am I wrong? it would seem obvious to me that if he did something that grossly violated company procedures that would have been mentioned? The guy seemed to speculate, but did not mention detailed violations that were committed. I wonder if this was not gross negligance by the company to prevent platinum from being stolen and they are dragging the victim through the mud instead of admitting their own faults. I would consider hiring a lawyer.

CrystalDawn did an interview with his family a while back & they said they would often drop by unannounced & let themselves in as he left the entrance door unlocked. I doubt the company were aware of this.

Dale's son from the segment seemed very suspect to me. I wouldn't be surprised if the son was the masked man in the video!!!

Lol apart from the disappearance of Dale this theory could actually hold water.

CrystalDawn did an interview with his family a while back & they said they would often drop by unannounced & let themselves in as he left the entrance door unlocked. I doubt the company were aware of this.

that's a good bit of information. for me then it is very possible that poor security practices are to blame, not necessarily Dale being involved with a robbery. Surely Dale can share in some blame for not securing the building, but the company needs to share in the blame for not enforcing stricter policy. they obviously did so after the fact. perhaps they are creating a diversion by accusing Dale of a crime. I guess I've just come to the conclusion that Dale was murdered and feel badly that his family had to go through that.

I think we can all agree that Dale died that night & likely inside the building even if we cannot be sure if he was or wasn't in on it.

I think we can all agree that Dale died that night & likely inside the building even if we cannot be sure if he was or wasn't in on it.

I'm with you, although I think there is a certain number of people who believe Dale walked away from everything after the plutonium heist.

I have a hard time believing that he just walked from his family for so many years without so much as a word. I'll always believe he was innocent and literally on shift at the wrong time, but I think others have made good arguments for how/why Dale may have been involved.

Just saw the UM segment on DK & the missing platinum, back in September 1987. Wow - fascinating case, especially given that DK has never been found & it's still unclear what happened.

My gut feeling is that DK was not involved in the heist & did not disappear because of any type of involvement. Not because I don't think he wouldn't have been capable of such a thing, since if enough money is involved & if someone is desperate enough - almost anyone is capable. But, I agree he probably wasn't involved because of the family members he left behind. In the segment we saw, his at-the-time living relatives included: An elderly mother, 6?! children (one of which was a teenage boy still living with him), and two grandchildren were also mentioned. There was no indication he didn't get along with his family (though I know the family probably wouldn't have discussed this on TV if that was the case). I.e., it's evident that he did have family who cared for him & also probably some of them depended on him. So, for him to just commit this crime & split without explanation just doesn't make sense to me.

Also strange is the fact that he brought his lunch/dinner to work, and didn't eat any of it - it was untouched (his lunch box was found in the cafeteria). Why bother bringing this - and also leaving it behind - if he was involved in the crime?!

I do suspect that he was eliminated by the criminals, and then disposed of at another location.

Hopefully this case will eventually get solved & DK's family will get closure. But, at this point I suspect that will never happen.

It doesn't make sense that Kerstetter committed the robbery then disappeared. He had lived his whole life in the community, his entire family was there, all of his social supports. He's going to leave all that and disappear for the rest of his life for the platinum? Yes, he may have been a marginal employee and yes he had financial problems, but how many people fit that profile?

I believe someone he may have known committed the robbery and then killed him because Kerstetter knew their identity.

Yes, it's possible he knew the criminals who committed the robbery - but I don't think he was in on it.

One item I always thought was interesting concerns the fact that a new security person was on the job the day Dale disappeared. Of course, this could be coincidental and a random occurrence but considering what happened that day I have to wonder if this new hire (who likely may have not known what to do) may have been somehow involved in the events (either knowingly or not).

Could be conjecture for sure, but I always thought that was interesting.

I believe it was an inside job. People working at the plant knew of the looming shutdown and sale of the plant. It was widely known that the piping was not being used for production.And I think Dale knew the people pulling off the heist due to his smile on the camera. I think Dale was killed and disposed of in a desolate area.

Wouldn't Dale cover the cameras, turn them off or sabotage them to do this heist?

Also, he could have robbed Corning blind by nipping a small amount here and there. The plant left its doors and gates wide open day and night.

I live near a plant which manufactures concrete pipes. They never bother closing the gates save for Xmas day. The entrance for trucks leads to a covered area where valuable tools and machinery are kept. It's too much of a burden to close their gate. Someday (or night) a pickup is going to drive in and help themselves. They just assume that NOBODY is going to enter their plant to steal.

To add to my above post, I find it extremely unlikely that DK (@ 50 years old) would leave the area he had pretty much lived in his whole life & "start over" somewhere else - with the limited amount of $ he would presumably make from the platinum. This wouldn't have been nearly enough $ for him to move somewhere else & "start over", even if he didn't have to split this with 1 (or more) others.

I.e., even if you believe that DK would have left his entire family behind & never speak to them again (which I don't believe), it just wasn't feasible that he would be making much money from this heist. It wasn't like he was making off with millions of dollars here; quite the opposite.

You have to break it down, Lets say that he did infact play a part in all this, then he already had at least one partner, the guy who you see on the CCTV video, maybe there was somebody else too, UM estimates that the platinum was worth 250,000, so you split it 2 or 3 ways? is that enough to go on the run for the rest of your life? is it worth never seeing your kids again for? based on what we see in the segment they loved him very much. another thing people point at are his "debts", but the thing is they weren't exactly debts, he was just paying off his home and his truck.

Another thing, if Dale wanted to play some part in this, why not have the guy in the video tie him up?, have him take the platinum, sell it, and later give him his share? i'm using my logic, but why risk getting caught, prison, not seeing your kids ever again for a relatively small amount of money that wouldn't set you up for life?

I find it strange that company just happened to be going thru a very bad period when all this happened, they had let people go, dale himself had been forced to take a lower paying job as a security guard. they seem to happy to pin it all on him, calling him a "marginal employee" yet he worked there for over 30 years and saved lives by acting quickly during an accident at the plant. and later the plant went out of business.

For me what he would lose far outweighs what he would gain.

You have to break it down, Lets say that he did infact play a part in all this, then he already had at least one partner, the guy who you see on the CCTV video, maybe there was somebody else too, UM estimates that the platinum was worth 250,000, so you split it 2 or 3 ways? is that enough to go on the run for the rest of your life? is it worth never seeing your kids again for? based on what we see in the segment they loved him very much. another thing people point at are his "debts", but the thing is they weren't exactly debts, he was just paying off his home and his truck.

Another thing, if Dale wanted to play some part in this, why not have the guy in the video tie him up?, have him take the platinum, sell it, and later give him his share? i'm using my logic, but why risk getting caught, prison, not seeing your kids ever again for a relatively small amount of money that wouldn't set you up for life?

I find it strange that company just happened to be going thru a very bad period when all this happened, they had let people go, dale himself had been forced to take a lower paying job as a security guard. they seem to happy to pin it all on him, calling him a "marginal employee" yet he worked there for over 30 years and saved lives by acting quickly during an accident at the plant. and later the plant went out of business.

For me what he would lose far outweighs what he would gain.

Yep, we have to remember that 250 grand in 1987 is a lot more in today's money. People have killed others for 100 dollars or less. Just because his kids loved him very much doesn't mean he felt the same way about them-we have no idea what he was planning or what his state of mind was-he was a 50 year old man forced to take a lower paid job, knew he would be losing even that soon & had debts of 30-40k.

Yep, we have to remember that 250 grand in 1987 is a lot more in today's money. People have killed others for 100 dollars or less. Just because his kids loved him very much doesn't mean he felt the same way about them-we have no idea what he was planning or what his state of mind was-he was a 50 year old man forced to take a lower paid job, knew he would be losing even that soon & had debts of 30-40k.


He didn't have debts, theres a big difference between a mortgage to pay for your home and having debts. having debts is when you run up debt on a credit card, paying installments monthly on your truck and on your home isn't debt.

As for being forced to take a lower paying job, well yeah, but he was 6 months off retirement and a good pension based on over 30 years work for this company, his family was financially stable and even say on unsolved mysteries that they would have taken care of him. 6 months off a decent pension and a financially secure family who loves him hardly screams desperation.

theres too much "maybe this, maybe that" and really little realism, i think he could have been tired of his life, planned something like this and vanished. it's not a crazy theory, but taking platinum, which you have to sell to someone, split the money with at least one other person, leaving your entire family, going on the run, having to change your identity, 6 months off getting a pension naaaa, it's not likely.


You say that people have killed someone for a 100 bucks, of course, but thats never planned, thats someone drug addict needing a fix and getting desperate., thats not planned, and dale would have had to plan this, and like i say, i think he would have lost more than he would have gained doing this.

The son in this case does not seem to be totally on the up-and-up, but I think the fact that Kerstetter 1) did not take his cigarettes and left his truck behind and 2) was stealing an item that it would be hard to imagine he would have had the connections and the knowledge to unload on the blackmarket make it unlikely that he was involved. However, I do think he knew the person doing it --- which is probably why he was killed (I believe he was murdered and dumped the night this happened many years ago). I think it is quite probable that Dale himself, drunk at a bar or something one night, bragged about how much valuable stuff was at the plant where he worked, if only someone had the cajones to steal it. Someone he knew or was at least acquainted with took him up on the challenge, and offed Dale in the process.

When I first saw this as a kid, I believed him totally innocent or guilty with a plan to return when the statute of limitations ran out.

But he hasn't returned. Watching this segment more than once as an adult, I think it's obvious he's no longer with us. For a while, I figured that he participated to the point he would act like he was attacked and be the inside man. Then he was killed to keep his share of the profits.

The last few years or so, thanks to CD's blog, it's more clear that he's innocent. My theory is similar to what was posted above. Bradford is a small town. Dale was annoyed that his job and pay were cut. I wouldn't be surprised if it was a night at a local bar and a drunken Dale complained about the plant, mentioning all the platinum in the plant. Someone, or some people, overheard and plotted to take it themselves or recruited others to do the robbery.

My guess is Dale was oblivious to what he said or that because Bradford was such a small town that no one he knew would try something like burglarize the plant. Of course, someone did and through something they did or said, made Dale recognize at least one of the robbers. With that, he was killed to keep him quiet and his body was the lump that was wheeled out of the factory and taken to a place where no one would find him.

I wish for his kids' sake that he did commit the crime and just hid out until the SOL ran out (7 years I believe) but I'm about 99% sure he's no longer with us.

Although anything is possible, I'd almost go as far as to say its silly to think Dale is anything but dead. He was likely murdered the night of the theft. Absolutely no reason for him not to have returned to his family once the statute of limitations was gone, or at least contact them.

I have to figure also the masked man was either a current or former employee who had some kind of connection to the plant as well. Random thieves don't just go into plants like that to steal platinum, your average thieves wouldn't know what to do with it. He had to have some idea what he was doing and where it was. That narrows down the list of suspects so I'm somewhat surprised this was never solved. The fact that he bothered to wear the mask suggests either that he knew their were security cameras in the plant, or he feared identification by whoever was on guard, suggesting that he may have even knew Dale.

I'm curious though whether or not he planned to murder Dale. My guess is he didn't, thieves will put getting richer before murder, and typically don't want to stir up any more of a police investigation than they have to. I could see two scenarios: Dale may have at some point tried to get the upper hand on the assailant and was killed as a result, or perhaps the suspect may have feared Dale recognized his voice or suspected who he was given that he almost had to be a former or current employee of the plant and killed him to be on the safe side. He could have even known it was Dale on duty that night, no way of knowing.

On page 2, a poster mentioned that CrystalDawn had interviewed Dale's family. Could someone please point me in the right direction to find that interview? Thanks! ��

He didn't have debts, theres a big difference between a mortgage to pay for your home and having debts. having debts is when you run up debt on a credit card, paying installments monthly on your truck and on your home isn't debt.

As for being forced to take a lower paying job, well yeah, but he was 6 months off retirement and a good pension based on over 30 years work for this company, his family was financially stable and even say on unsolved mysteries that they would have taken care of him. 6 months off a decent pension and a financially secure family who loves him hardly screams desperation.

You say that people have killed someone for a 100 bucks, of course, but thats never planned, thats someone drug addict needing a fix and getting desperate., thats not planned, and dale would have had to plan this, and like i say, i think he would have lost more than he would have gained doing this.

Well put, well said. DK was not a career criminal with nothing to lose; quite the opposite. I don't see DK as having been involved in the crime in any way:

1) He had committed his entire adult life to that one job (30 years), and was on the verge of retiring & getting a pension from said job.

2) He was a family man, and had family members who depended on him emotionally & certainly financially in some cases (his son & possibly his mother), etc.

Why would he leave all of this behind for what would have amounted to a small amount of $? And, yes - I consider the amount small - considering he would have probably had to live on this for the rest of his life. There is no way he could have skipped town & still gotten a legitimate job somewhere else - if he had been connected to the crime. He would have been looking over his shoulder for the rest of his life. Who would want to put themselves in that position, especially @ age 50?

I agree that the reason he hasn't surfaced after all this time is because he was probably killed the night of the crime. Hopefully they will find the remains at some point & give the family closure. However, as with a lot of these older cases - as more time goes on the less likely this possibility becomes.

He didn't have debts, theres a big difference between a mortgage to pay for your home and having debts. having debts is when you run up debt on a credit card, paying installments monthly on your truck and on your home isn't debt.

As for being forced to take a lower paying job, well yeah, but he was 6 months off retirement and a good pension based on over 30 years work for this company, his family was financially stable and even say on unsolved mysteries that they would have taken care of him. 6 months off a decent pension and a financially secure family who loves him hardly screams desperation.

theres too much "maybe this, maybe that" and really little realism, i think he could have been tired of his life, planned something like this and vanished. it's not a crazy theory, but taking platinum, which you have to sell to someone, split the money with at least one other person, leaving your entire family, going on the run, having to change your identity, 6 months off getting a pension naaaa, it's not likely.


You say that people have killed someone for a 100 bucks, of course, but thats never planned, thats someone drug addict needing a fix and getting desperate., thats not planned, and dale would have had to plan this, and like i say, i think he would have lost more than he would have gained doing this.

"Through our investigation we determined Dale Kerstetter was approximately $30,000 to $40,000 in arrears on various payments--trailer payments, vehicle payments and, different bills which he had owed throughout the area."

6 months off retirement-at the age of 50, not 65 & with these debts, no good job prospects, no idea whether his pension from that company would be honoured or only partly, six kids, probably going through a serious mid-later life crisis.

Yes, they are usually planned-just as incompetently as somebody doing it for 10,000 dollars-the point is desperate people will do stupid stuff for relatively small sums of money, let alone an expensive precious substance.

The whole case is about maybe this or maybe that happened-nobody knows & likely never will. I was not saying this is what happened, but that it is a possibility due to his money issues, lack of job security etc. Most likely I think he wanted it to look like he had been bushwhacked & tied up, or abducted & murdered & vanish somewhere with the proceeds of the robbery, but he got used & double-crossed by his partner.

crystaldawn did a great update about this in her blog about a year ago (can read about it in the other, much longer DK thread here (https://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=181799&highlight=dale+kerstetter&page=53))

I'll still hold with my opinion that the revelation that Platinum Theft had been an ongoing problem, even going back a number of years, brings up an even simpler scenario to mind--the Bradford theft was perpetrated by an organized band of thieves (or even a single thief) that was also responsible for one or more of the previous thefts that crystaldawn mentioned.

The easiest/simplest way I see it going down is this--the thief (or thieves) picked the Bradford plant as their next score. At least one person gets inside and at some point runs across Dale (probably by accident, on account of whoever it was, not knowing the plant's layout).

After accosting him, the intruder uses him to locate the platinum and perhaps load it up. Then, he's marched out of the building where I'm guessing one or more accomplices were waiting in a getaway vehicle.

I don't think Dale was killed inside the plant or on the grounds--you would think if he was, some type/trace of physical evidence pointing to that would have been discovered. I think he was loaded up with the platinum, and then as Chichester Crowe suggested, taken into the woods, shot and probably buried in a shallow grave.

I think you have to look at what happened, if dale was a part of this, why not do it alone? why not take the platinum, sell it and go off into the sun? we suppose that dale is the "man on the inside" he knows the plant and he's tipped off the people who are helping him, the man on the CCTV. he knows his way around, where everything is.

Dale could have his cake and eat it, why not plan to have the guy in the mask tie him up? the guy in the mask flees with the platinum and then sells it, giving dale his share, he gets his job, his pension and his family. wouldn't that be a smarter move than what many people suppose he did?

another thing that i've not seen asked is why UM didn't have the original CCTV video? why did UM have to make their own? the way the management of the plant behaved is really strange, the plant let a lot of people go, they could have let dale go, many others were, instead he was given a less paying job as security. people take that as it could have played a factor, that dale was angry, but you could take it other way, that he was valued and respected so much that he was kept on in any capacity, just to give him a job. he saved peoples lives. 30 years work, this was an asset to the company.

so why throw him under the bus when theres no real evidence to say he's guilty? i think it's strange that you'd keep someone around for 30 years who can easily dismiss later as a thief, even when theres zero evidence to back it up. maybe i'd have to ask why theres no original CCTV video, only an UM reenactment.

Somethings wrong there.

crystaldawn did a great update about this in her blog about a year ago (can read about it in the other, much longer DK thread here (https://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=181799&highlight=dale+kerstetter&page=53))

I'll still hold with my opinion that the revelation that Platinum Theft had been an ongoing problem, even going back a number of years, brings up an even simpler scenario to mind--the Bradford theft was perpetrated by an organized band of thieves (or even a single thief) that was also responsible for one or more of the previous thefts that crystaldawn mentioned.

The easiest/simplest way I see it going down is this--the thief (or thieves) picked the Bradford plant as their next score. At least one person gets inside and at some point runs across Dale (probably by accident, on account of whoever it was, not knowing the plant's layout).

After accosting him, the intruder uses him to locate the platinum and perhaps load it up. Then, he's marched out of the building where I'm guessing one or more accomplices were waiting in a getaway vehicle.

I don't think Dale was killed inside the plant or on the grounds--you would think if he was, some type/trace of physical evidence pointing to that would have been discovered. I think he was loaded up with the platinum, and then as Chichester Crowe suggested, taken into the woods, shot and probably buried in a shallow grave.

Rather depends how he was murdered-a knifing or shooting would leave obvious traces, but if he was tied up then he could have easily been throttled with a ligature or the guy broken his neck with a choke hold, he could have been suffocated with a bag etc-from memory Dale was a smallish looking guy & the robber on the camera was powerfully built-so he would have been unlikely to have been able to do much physically even if untied.

I think you have to look at what happened, if dale was a part of this, why not do it alone? why not take the platinum, sell it and go off into the sun? we suppose that dale is the "man on the inside" he knows the plant and he's tipped off the people who are helping him, the man on the CCTV. he knows his way around, where everything is.

Dale could have his cake and eat it, why not plan to have the guy in the mask tie him up? the guy in the mask flees with the platinum and then sells it, giving dale his share, he gets his job, his pension and his family. wouldn't that be a smarter move than what many people suppose he did?

another thing that i've not seen asked is why UM didn't have the original CCTV video? why did UM have to make their own? the way the management of the plant behaved is really strange, the plant let a lot of people go, they could have let dale go, many others were, instead he was given a less paying job as security. people take that as it could have played a factor, that dale was angry, but you could take it other way, that he was valued and respected so much that he was kept on in any capacity, just to give him a job. he saved peoples lives. 30 years work, this was an asset to the company.

so why throw him under the bus when theres no real evidence to say he's guilty? i think it's strange that you'd keep someone around for 30 years who can easily dismiss later as a thief, even when theres zero evidence to back it up. maybe i'd have to ask why theres no original CCTV video, only an UM reenactment.

Somethings wrong there.

Because he would then be known as the perpetrator rather than the victim. It is highly unlikely he had the contacts to shift the platinum-inside men are usually just regular bods who provide inside information about how many staff will be on duty at certain times, security procedures, who has keys/codes to bank vaults, leave the doors unlocked etc. The guys running things are the ones handling the taking of the money, gold etc & then the fencing & laundering aspects.

My belief is Dale was going to be tied up & would bide his time before getting his hands on the proceeds, however having let himself be secured he was then murdered by the guy on the CCTV in a double-cross, smuggled out under the cover & then disposed of somewhere remote. After all what use was he now to the other guy? All he could do was blab who this guy & any associates were & cut into their profit margin-inside men usually crack under pressure from the police pretty fast.

I suspect it was nothing to do with the company & was the decision of the police-they were likely holding something back for a future prosecution that was captured on the footage. I don't really see his actions as especially different from what any other employee would have done-he saw a dangerous situation & stopped it from going any further, it doesn't make him a good employee overall in terms of attitude or productivity-we have no access to his employee records. Likely he was not let go due to the severance package they would probably have had to pay him-having been there for decades, as opposed to guys who had been there for months or a few years.

From the snapshots of the CCTV it is also of a very low quality, it is possible it was realistically unbroadcastable to where it would be of any use & so that very realistic construction was done. This was 1987 when CCTV & non-commercial video technology was of a very poor standard, it would be interesting to know if the police have in more recent times ever tried to have it worked on to enhance it-he was declared deceased in 2014 & while I would imagine the theft charges could no longer be bought, there is no limitation on murder.

UM have shown low quality CCTV videos before, i remember one segment where someone robbed a bank, the quality is like 2 or 3 pixels moving infact whydidn't dale unplug all the cctv cameras?

i think you're going against what the very obvious is, because you're too stuck on a theory, it's really easy to dismiss everything that makes sense with a "but maybe not..." the real world has a certain way of playing out, things go a certain way, people 99% of the time act a certain way, when we have to believe that a 1% is applicable not just once, but a dozen times, then it becomes unrealistic.

No, we don't have access to his work records, but when a company keeps someone around for 30 years, has the chance to let them go, but finds them another job, i mean why not get a 6ft 5, 300lb 25 year old to be security guard? you could surely pay some college kid less, no? why give it to dale? he was a 50 year 140 lb 5'3 man, hardly scary eh? so this this job must have been given to him based on being liked, more than abilty right? you have to see that, and we have an example of where he saved lives and saved a serious amount of money in an "heroic action"

so when you say "we don't know if he was a good employee" you're ignoring the very obvious, i mean surely he did have faults, but based on the narrative of what unsolved mysteries tells us, based on how ihis 30 years there played out, we'd have to look at it and say he was a good employee. like i say i think you're so set on a theory that you're missing really obvious signs because it's doesn't fit what you want it to fit.

UM have shown low quality CCTV videos before, i remember one segment where someone robbed a bank, the quality is like 2 or 3 pixels moving infact whydidn't dale unplug all the cctv cameras?

i think you're going against what the very obvious is, because you're too stuck on a theory, it's really easy to dismiss everything that makes sense with a "but maybe not..." the real world has a certain way of playing out, things go a certain way, people 99% of the time act a certain way, when we have to believe that a 1% is applicable not just once, but a dozen times, then it becomes unrealistic.

No, we don't have access to his work records, but when a company keeps someone around for 30 years, has the chance to let them go, but finds them another job, i mean why not get a 6ft 5, 300lb 25 year old to be security guard? you could surely pay some college kid less, no? why give it to dale? he was a 50 year 140 lb 5'3 man, hardly scary eh? so this this job must have been given to him based on being liked, more than abilty right? you have to see that, and we have an example of where he saved lives and saved a serious amount of money in an "heroic action"

so when you say "we don't know if he was a good employee" you're ignoring the very obvious, i mean surely he did have faults, but based on the narrative of what unsolved mysteries tells us, based on how ihis 30 years there played out, we'd have to look at it and say he was a good employee. like i say i think you're so set on a theory that you're missing really obvious signs because it's doesn't fit what you want it to fit.

I lean toward an inside job, but don't totally rule out poor security practices & him being a victim that had nothing to do with it. Why would you unplug the cameras? It would make you look guilty-what logical reason would he have to do it?

He might well have been a model employee for 20-25 odd years & then lost interest meaning he phoned it in to pick up a paycheque & perhaps clashed with management on issues-again we are unlikely to ever know, it seems strange that the guy from the company who was interviewed was so negative toward him-unless he 100% thought he had made off with the money when it was filmed then it does point toward being issues with him. Again, I don't see how jumping in a vehicle & driving it away from the molten glass is especially out of the ordinary & was likely about self-preservation/instict & something pretty much any employee would do, it isn't like he ran into a burning building & started carrying people out. This was an industrial incident/near miss-they happen in plants, warehouses, factories etc on a fairly regular basis due to the vehicles, substances etc being used. One would suspect he had seen/heard about many of them during his decades there to where they weren't out of the ordinary.

I would suggest him being given the security job was likely so they didn't have to pay him a huge redundancy package due to his tenure, his knowledge of the premises/procedures from his 27 years there, that it was effectively a non-job that had had to be done(basically patrolling an empty building) & would keep him away from other employees where it seems his own productivity had dropped & perhaps he was causing others to drop off as well. As for hiring an unknown outsider as a security guard it is a risky business-you have no idea if they are the sort of person that is going to leave doors open, invite people in for a party, get their buddies to rob the place etc. Who better to use as a security guy than a 'safe pair of hands' like the 50 year old guy that has been there for 27 years, likely never shown any interest in leaving to work elsewhere, knows the place inside out etc?

I would suggest him being given the security job was likely so they didn't have to pay him a huge redundancy package due to his tenure, his knowledge of the premises/procedures from his 27 years there, that it was effectively a non-job that had had to be done(basically patrolling an empty building) & would keep him away from other employees where it seems his own productivity had dropped & perhaps he was causing others to drop off as well. As for hiring an unknown outsider as a security guard it is a risky business-you have no idea if they are the sort of person that is going to leave doors open, invite people in for a party, get their buddies to rob the place etc. Who better to use as a security guy than a 'safe pair of hands' like the 50 year old guy that has been there for 27 years, likely never shown any interest in leaving to work elsewhere, knows the place inside out etc?



Theres a hell of a lot of contradictions in what you're saying! i agree a 100% with your last sentence, you use the words "SAFE pair of hands" to describe dale,or the logic of hiring someone like him based on the context, i agree, 30 years of experience, he knew the plant, you're arriving to the conclusion as anyone else would looking at the whole narrative. dale seemed a safe, reliable person to keep around. not untrustworthy, and he seemed the right person to have around, it didn't seem worth it getting someone else in, although companies hire new security guards everyday.

I worked in a place which had security guards, and they came and went every few months, and in charge of looking after a lot of expensive things. you've made my case for me, dale was seen by his employers as a reliable person, he was kept around for 30 years, given a job which would have been more suitable for someone else, but they kept this SAFE pair of hands around.

Based on what unsolved mysteries said and the police about the scene, "the truck and the plant gave a number of clues that suggested that dale had not left voluntarily"

so a safe pair of hands goes missing whos been there for 30 years and it seemingly looks like he was forcebly taken, and yeah i agree, it would cross my mind that maybe he was guilty, maybe he played a role in it. but for the plant to be so so so so sure that dale was guilty? thats throwing him under the bus, when we've already figured out he was in fact reliable.

dale was paying off payments on his truck and on his home, yeah i know, but the plant was also in financial problems, it was letting people go, it later went out of business.

when it comes down to it, dale had more to lose than he had to gain, 6 kids, 2 grandkids who clearly loved him, who would have helped him financially, 6 months off a pension, all that for a cut of 250.000, and thats providing you can sell a very very hot load of platinum, just to live your life alone and on the run, at 50 years old?

although anything is possible, i agree, the world doesn't play out like that. it's not logical

I just watched this segment and it sent shivers up my spine. I never knew Mr. Kerstetter so I can't speak to his character and whether or not he would do something like this bur there are several reasons I don't believe Mr. Kerstetter was not a willing participant in this particular incident. First, he worked for this company for 27 years and was very familiar with the plant. He could have gotten the platinum himself if he wanted to. Why would he need an accomplice? Second, if he was involved, why did he make no effort to conceal himself from the camera? I think it's absurd to suggest he looked right at the camera to flaunt his crime. Surely, he knew he would potentially get a lengthy prison sentence for the theft. Why would he want to leave evidence? He seemed like he had a lot to live for with children and grandchildren. Third, if you notice on the camera, the masked intruder was walking very close to him. Although you can't see it, it is very possible he had a gun on Kerstetter and I suspect he did. If they were committing this crime together, he would not be that close to him. What is most disturbing is that the company he worked for more than half his life only cared about the missing platinum. On the segment, the gentleman that was interviewed stated "not only did we have a missing employee but we may have had missing platinum" Shouldn't that have been the other way around? Furthermore, I believe he was killed right there at the plant and there was evidence of it but the company covered it up because it didn't suit their narrative. Of course they wouldn't want people knowing an employee of theirs was murdered on the premises. They don't care if it happened. They just don't want the public knowing about it. Ultimately, I don't believe there will ever be a resolution to this case unless the person who did it confesses but for all we know, they could be dead. I believe they disposed of his body off site in such a way that it will never be found.

On the segment, the gentleman that was interviewed stated "not only did we have a missing employee but we may have had missing platinum" Shouldn't that have been the other way around?

Welcome to the board, and excellent point. This line has always rubbed me the wrong way and is one of the reasons why I still believe that an inside job/insurance scam is a possibility in this case.

I just watched this segment and it sent shivers up my spine. I never knew Mr. Kerstetter so I can't speak to his character and whether or not he would do something like this bur there are several reasons I don't believe Mr. Kerstetter was not a willing participant in this particular incident. First, he worked for this company for 27 years and was very familiar with the plant. He could have gotten the platinum himself if he wanted to. Why would he need an accomplice? Second, if he was involved, why did he make no effort to conceal himself from the camera? I think it's absurd to suggest he looked right at the camera to flaunt his crime. Surely, he knew he would potentially get a lengthy prison sentence for the theft. Why would he want to leave evidence? He seemed like he had a lot to live for with children and grandchildren. Third, if you notice on the camera, the masked intruder was walking very close to him. Although you can't see it, it is very possible he had a gun on Kerstetter and I suspect he did. If they were committing this crime together, he would not be that close to him. What is most disturbing is that the company he worked for more than half his life only cared about the missing platinum. On the segment, the gentleman that was interviewed stated "not only did we have a missing employee but we may have had missing platinum" Shouldn't that have been the other way around? Furthermore, I believe he was killed right there at the plant and there was evidence of it but the company covered it up because it didn't suit their narrative. Of course they wouldn't want people knowing an employee of theirs was murdered on the premises. They don't care if it happened. They just don't want the public knowing about it. Ultimately, I don't believe there will ever be a resolution to this case unless the person who did it confesses but for all we know, they could be dead. I believe they disposed of his body off site in such a way that it will never be found.

I'd also like to welcome you to the board DC, and thank you for your well stated post! I agree with just about every point you've made. The Kerstetter case is one of UMs segments that I've fixated on the most over the years, and I've NEVER believed he had any culpability in the theft. It's never sat right with me that on the one hand, Kerstetter may have gone through a charade of pretending to be forced by a masked intruder, presumably to disguise his involvement, yet at the same time he allegedly looked into the security camera to "flaunt" his crime to the company. I've also never been able to reconcile the company's portrayal of Kerstetter as a "marginal" employee with the same man who risked his own safety by jumping on an out of control forklift and saving his employer not only from potential property damage, but also a potential danger to his fellow employees.

I've also always been bothered by the fact that although Kerstetter is captured on the security footage a number of times during the commission of the theft, he's never seen leaving the building. This seems especially odd to me if he did indeed "flaunt" his crime by looking directly into the camera (which I've never believed). What would be the point of trying to hide his exit from the building after he'd already "flaunted" his alleged crime? I also always wonder about the masked intruders use of a pallet jack when he/she left the plant. Does anyone know how heavy a half million dollars of platinum pipe would be? While I'm uncertain about whether or not the platinum would have required the use of a pallet jack, I'm positive that moving a corpse would. Ultimately however, one of the most compelling elements of the case IMO, is the amount of time that has passed without any trace of Kerstetter. I'd like to believe that if he had participated in the theft and then disappeared of his own accord, he would have eventually resurfaced at some point, especially after the statute of limitations has passed. That he remains missing without a trace, even to this day, is sadly very telling IMO.

I can also attest, along with our fellow posters, that CrystalDawn has done some excellent and thorough coverage of the Kerstetter case, in addition to several others. For those that haven't yet checked out her blog, I would highly recommend doing so. As you all can tell, I'm a fan, lol.

Welcome to the board, and excellent point. This line has always rubbed me the wrong way and is one of the reasons why I still believe that an inside job/insurance scam is a possibility in this case.

Thank you TC, and I agree 100%!! This point has always irritated me to no end. Just like a possible case of suicide is investigated as a homicide until proven otherwise, Kerstetter's case should have been investigated as that of an innocent party gone missing unless and until it was proven otherwise IMO. That his employer immediately accused Kerstetter of wrong doing and LE seemingly went with that narrative, is not only majorly insulting IMO, but hugely suspicious as well. Again JMO.

Thank you TC, and I agree 100%!! This point has always irritated me to no end. Just like a possible case of suicide is investigated as a homicide until proven otherwise, Kerstetter's case should have been investigated as that of an innocent party gone missing unless and until it was proven otherwise IMO. That his employer immediately accused Kerstetter of wrong doing and LE seemingly went with that narrative, is not only majorly insulting IMO, but hugely suspicious as well. Again JMO.

Had Dale been seen on the surveillance footage more than once with the intruder, I would have no issue if they investigated it from the angle that he was involved initially. There is one shot of Dale and the masked man, and they are not walking together as depicted in the UM segment. Dale is more out in front of the intruder, making me think he was leading him at gunpoint. How Patrick Foley could have viewed that and thought Dale was involved is beyond me.

Had Dale been seen on the surveillance footage more than once with the intruder, I would have no issue if they investigated it from the angle that he was involved initially. There is one shot of Dale and the masked man, and they are not walking together as depicted in the UM segment. Dale is more out in front of the intruder, making me think he was leading him at gunpoint. How Patrick Foley could have viewed that and thought Dale was involved is beyond me.

Yep TC, I could probably have accepted LE's investigative strategy under those circumstances as well, but alas, it was not to be. I will say however, that I was positively delighted when LE chose to release the real surveillance footage not too long ago! It was like a UM dream come true IMO, lol. If there was a mystical UM version of the holy grail, then getting a look at the authentic Kerstetter footage would most likely have been it...at least in THIS fan's opinion. Yes, the footage was badly degraded over time, possibly due to the equipment of the era and less than ideal storage conditions, but what the hell...UM beggars can't always be choosers.

Had Dale been seen on the surveillance footage more than once with the intruder, I would have no issue if they investigated it from the angle that he was involved initially. There is one shot of Dale and the masked man, and they are not walking together as depicted in the UM segment. Dale is more out in front of the intruder, making me think he was leading him at gunpoint. How Patrick Foley could have viewed that and thought Dale was involved is beyond me.

Agreed on this one. Dale was likely kidnapped and murdered by the masked man. I believe it was someone associated with the plant, possibly a former employee. I think its even possible he didn't intend to murder Dale initially, but possibly Dale either recognized his voice since it was a former co worker or tried to get the upper hand on him and was killed as a result. All the facts point that way.

Dale's son from the segment seemed very suspect to me. I wouldn't be surprised if the son was the masked man in the video!!!

Yea that guy was just plain creepy. He said he thought his father went to Canada or Australia and would come back in seven years when the statute of limitations was up. Why would he even say such a thing? He was also smiling while being interviewed. If I was on national television, talking about my missing father, I certainly would not be smiling. I don't believe he could have been the masked man though. Whoever it was knew the plant very well. It had to have been someone who was employed there at some point.

And that was my other thing: the platinum weighed at most 40-50 lbs. The masked man looked well built and perfectly capable of carrying it without a dolly but like you said, he would most likely struggle trying to carry out an adult human body. Another point someone was that Dale Kerstetter was only seen once on the camera but the masked man was seen several times. I still maintain my opinion that he was murdered that night and it happened somewhere on the property. I would say they may have dumped him into the furnace, like what happened with Dave Bocks, but the furnace was not being used at the time from what I understand. There is no evidence he left the plant alive.

For me this whole segment was an unfortunate train wreck. The family is on national tv trying to make sense of their father/ex husband’s disappearance. Probably wanting to hang onto hope that he is still alive, but that would mean that he was guilty of a terrible crime and chose to abandon them. Then the company out right smeared dale when they should have been held accountable to some degree. I struggle to watch this segment now without getting angry. To me it’s obvious he was a victim.

For me this whole segment was an unfortunate train wreck. The family is on national tv trying to make sense of their father/ex husband’s disappearance. Probably wanting to hang onto hope that he is still alive, but that would mean that he was guilty of a terrible crime and chose to abandon them. Then the company out right smeared dale when they should have been held accountable to some degree. I struggle to watch this segment now without getting angry. To me it’s obvious he was a victim.


It's interesting how the company happened to go out of business not long after, they had even given Dale this job because they couldn't afford to pay him and several other workers. Dale was the perfect patsy, and now they didn't have to pay him this pension.

Is it out of this world to think Dale played a part? not really, but it makes little sense, UM say that the platinum was worth 250K, but what it's worth and what you could sell it for on the black market especially when it's so hot, are very different things, he would have then had to split this money between himself and at least one other person, the man in the video, maybe there were more people involved.

He would have walked away from this with much less than 100k, maybe only 50k, he was only 50 years old, thats young, he could have easily lived until he was in his 90s, 40 years more, on the run forever, not able to get work because he was wanted, no ID, no car, no family, no life all that for maybe 50-80K? no way!

Inside job

Insurance Fraud sounds likely on the surface, but I think after screwing over so many of their employees, the powers that be at Corning were content to take their golden parachutes, pin the whole thing on Dale and then walk away and call it good (despite what statements by a sniveling weasel like Patrick Foley might suggest). Think about it - the only people with the brains to pull off a fraud job like this from the inside were probably the same mid-high level managers that got those golden parachutes. To them, ripping off the platinum and then trying to hock it on the way out the door like that would be not only superfluous, but an unneeded and inconvenient hassle


On the other hand, I view it being an inside job as equally probable as I do it being done by a professional crew. With either of these, you have one or more people with nothing to lose and Dale being the one loose thread that needs to be taken care of (by virtue of his being in the wrong place at the wrong time)

I was always shocked at how management portrayed Dale in the segment. He was described as “marginal”, “slow” and problematic.

I believe during the segment management played the CYA (cover your a::) card. Its obvious that security was not takin serious by management or others in charge. 3 security cameras to monitor a 112,000 square foot facility?? That doesnt even include doorways, loading docks, parking lots etc. Also, why would management place a “marginal” employee who may be disgruntled in a security position where he has access to the entire facility on an overnight shift??

I dont believe Dale was involved other than being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I do believe he was disgruntled but he had every right to be. He worked for that company for 27 years and look how they treated and described him. Sad.

I was always shocked at how management portrayed Dale in the segment. He was described as “marginal”, “slow” and problematic.

I believe during the segment management played the CYA (cover your a::) card. Its obvious that security was not takin serious by management or others in charge. 3 security cameras to monitor a 112,000 square foot facility?? That doesnt even include doorways, loading docks, parking lots etc. Also, why would management place a “marginal” employee who may be disgruntled in a security position where he has access to the entire facility on an overnight shift??

I dont believe Dale was involved other than being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I do believe he was disgruntled but he had every right to be. He worked for that company for 27 years and look how they treated and described him. Sad.


With doors into the place that anyone, including Dale's daughter, could walk in to whenever they felt like visiting at all hours of the night.

3 days to even check the tapes to see what they caught.

I will argue it till I'm blue in the face. This was a hatchet job to try to negate the company's negligence so their insurance provider would still pay out for the theft.

Yea that guy was just plain creepy. He said he thought his father went to Canada or Australia and would come back in seven years when the statute of limitations was up. Why would he even say such a thing? He was also smiling while being interviewed. If I was on national television, talking about my missing father, I certainly would not be smiling. I don't believe he could have been the masked man though. Whoever it was knew the plant very well. It had to have been someone who was employed there at some point.

My guess...still a bit angry because was still a kid when his dad disappeared. Perhaps it's easier to think he took off for 7 years with a plan to return than to think he was murdered?

I'm leaning towards Dale being involved, although I'm not sure if he chose to disappear or was double-crossed by his partner and killed. I think the latter is probably more likely.

Nowadays I’m kind of on the fence about whether he was involved or a victim. To me being a part of that for only worth 250k which would most likely be split with at least one other person doesn’t seem worth it at all to me, so if I absolutely had to choose one way or another, I’d probably say dale was a victim and not involved at all.

Dale was alone in the plant and went about his job with minimal supervision. If he was involved, he could have nipped "here and there" above suspicion. He didn't need a partner to steal because the area of the plant had been shuttered in preparation of closure.

So where did the stolen platinum go?

I don't think there are any reports of it surfacing in all the years.

Just another wild speculation, but what if the real intention was to eliminate Dale and the theft was to cover it up?

Dale was alone in the plant and went about his job with minimal supervision. If he was involved, he could have nipped "here and there" above suspicion. He didn't need a partner to steal because the area of the plant had been shuttered in preparation of closure.

So where did the stolen platinum go?

I don't think there are any reports of it surfacing in all the years.

Just another wild speculation, but what if the real intention was to eliminate Dale and the theft was to cover it up?

Never thought of this, but the way Dale's employers talked about him it does make you wonder. They didn't seem very happy with him at the time, and apparently by all accounts the feeling was mutual so that does lend this theory some credence.

I do think the perp was someone who was connected with the plant, the average random thief off the street does not go into a plant for platinum and they likely wouldn't know where to look for it or what to do with it even if they did find it.

Obviously there is no way to know four sure, I'd still lean towards the theft being the likely motive but your idea is definitely not outlandish.

He didn't need a partner to steal because the area of the plant had been shuttered in preparation of closure.

The point you made up above would prove why he WOULD need a partner.

We know that the plant had numerous cameras that both Dale and the masked intruder were caught on. Now what if Dale decided to just steal the platinum himself?

You answered correctly, the cameras would just show Dale around the furnace and there would be no doubt that Dale was behind it.

This is why Dale doing this himself wouldn't be wise.

The point you made up above would prove why he WOULD need a partner.

We know that the plant had numerous cameras that both Dale and the masked intruder were caught on. Now what if Dale decided to just steal the platinum himself?

You answered correctly, the cameras would just show Dale around the furnace and there would be no doubt that Dale was behind it.

This is why Dale doing this himself wouldn't be wise.

My understanding was there were no cameras showing the platinum containing areas (which is bizarre to me), as they didn't seem to have any footage of anyone actually taking the platinum (beyond rolling something on a pallet jack).

Though I readily admit I could be wrong about that.

So where did the stolen platinum go?

I don't think there are any reports of it surfacing in all the years.


This, right here. This is the biggest WTF of the whole thing for me. It makes no sense to steal something if you still haven't sold it thirty years later.

Unless this is The Rip Van Winkle Caper, from the Twilight Zone :lol:

Maybe that's what happened....:eek:

My understanding was there were no cameras showing the platinum containing areas (which is bizarre to me), as they didn't seem to have any footage of anyone actually taking the platinum (beyond rolling something on a pallet jack).

Though I readily admit I could be wrong about that.

No, there was footage of the masked man around the furnace where the platinum was contained.

One of the managers in the segment said that he saw the masked intruder "go up to the tank area." he then says "whoever removed the platinum from the tank, was extremely familiar with the plant. everything in the plant they knew exactly where to go"

so the masked man was definitely caught on camera around the platinum. this is why it wouldn't have made sense for Dale to do this alone.

This, right here. This is the biggest WTF of the whole thing for me. It makes no sense to steal something if you still haven't sold it thirty years later.

Unless this is The Rip Van Winkle Caper, from the Twilight Zone :lol:

Maybe that's what happened....:eek:

How traceable is platinum? It could have been sold on the black market or even out of the country. Or the thief or thieves could have even used it for something.

How traceable is platinum? It could have been sold on the black market or even out of the country. Or the thief or thieves could have even used it for something.

That's what I was thinking, that it was probably sold under the table. And I doubt the police can trace it anyway. The only way I can see that is if whoever bought it called the police themselves.