For all the cases solved on UM, Ive always felt that there were some stories that werent as important as others. One case that I dont ever recall being on UM was that of the Dardeen family. This was a family of four in southern Illinois. Im not going to go into the details of the case. It makes me extremely angry every time I research this case. I do not believe the Tommy Lynn Sells confesion. Any other cases out there that definately should have ben on UM back in the late 80's and early 90's?

I think the Sodder children case would have been great for UM to profile. I'm also surprised they didn't profile the Springfield Three case.

amber haggerman of Arlington texas (who the amber alert is named for). her case is sadly still unsolved. with the only eye witness to her abduction being her young brother who is now a young adult. The crime took place in the mid 90s.

Kurt Sova

Kurt Sova

:lol: :lol: I see what you did there.

In all seriousness, I wish UM would have covered the disappearance of Brian Shaffer. (http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/s/shaffer_brian.html) It's a more recent case, but its baffling. Guy walks into a bar and disappears. No one sees him leave despite the presence of security cameras. He was a successful medical student at the time of disappearance and it has theorized by some that he fell victim to the Smiley Face serial killer.

There is an opposing school of thought that he vanished-- his mother had recently died and he was struggling with her death. On the other side of that, however, he had a very serious girlfriend who folks thought he was going to propose to.

Like I said, it's a newer case, but definitely one that I wish UM could have covered...

Kurt Sova

UM profiled that case in 1988.

http://unsolvedmysteries.wikia.com/wiki/Kurt_Sova

Anyway, I have mentioned this before, but the 1988 disappearance of Virginia Douglas would have been a good fit for UM. Her husband claimed that she disappeared while they were on a trip in Maine. I am familiar with this case, since Virginia lived in my home state of Massachusetts.

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/d/douglas_virginia.html

Anyway, I have mentioned this before, but the 1988 disappearance of Virginia Douglas would have been a good fit for UM. Her husband claimed that she disappeared while they were on a trip in Maine. I am familiar with this case, since Virginia lived in my home state of Massachusetts.

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/d/douglas_virginia.html

You've mentioned this one numerous times! And I agree. It's very strange, very freaky, and very much the type of case UM would have covered! All fingers kinda end up pointed at the husband, no?

How about Jacob Wetterling? I know that it was profiled on AMW within days of the actual abduction but UM and AMW shared many cases through the years.

The circumstances behind the abduction might have been too disturbing for a reenactment. But they could have made a segment that mirrored the Rachel Runyan one where they simply state the facts and do interviews with police.

On a side note, there's an extra sort of tragedy and sadness attached to the fact that we finally know what happened 25 years later. I don't know how anyone can read the details of what happened to Jacob the hours after his abduction and not tear up at least somewhat.

I know there's been a rejuvenated interest in Johnny Gosch these past few years and given how notable that case was, I'm quite surprised it was never featured on UM during its heyday.

The disappearance of Virginia Carpenter (http://bit.ly/2j6jUXC)

Happened a couple miles away from my house. Such a strange case, especially considering her connections to victims of the Texarkana Phantom Killer.

Considering this took place in the 40s, it would have been cool to see the reenactment filmed in that trademark UM style. I loved the attention to detail they gave to older cases with wardrobe and cars.

The Springfield 3 should have been a full segment.

How about Jacob Wetterling? I know that it was profiled on AMW within days of the actual abduction but UM and AMW shared many cases through the years.

The circumstances behind the abduction might have been too disturbing for a reenactment. But they could have made a segment that mirrored the Rachel Runyan one where they simply state the facts and do interviews with police.

On a side note, there's an extra sort of tragedy and sadness attached to the fact that we finally know what happened 25 years later. I don't know how anyone can read the details of what happened to Jacob the hours after his abduction and not tear up at least somewhat.

I actually shed tears over that one. Was sick to my stomach for hours. I cannot imagine the pure hell his family has endured over the years, only to find out that Jacob's last hours were truly terrifying.

The Tamam Shud case (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamam_Shud_case) would have been a good one too.

Kurt Sova


You're obviously posting that because of what I said in another thread. It is my opinion that the Kurt Sova case should have been profiled on a regional platform. IE a crime stoppers type program. Back in 1988, the UM show on NBC was a huge, national platform. Its my opinion as a professional private investigator that there were other, more signifigant cases that could have used the publicity. IE the Dardeen case. A case that involved the death of 2 adults, a 3 year old and a new born. That case was more deserving of a national platform than that of a 17 year old white male that more than likely died of alcohol poisoning and or drugs.

http://i3.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/010/100/dis_gon_be_good.gif

I'm a big fan of the Montana cases, so here's another one that UM I bet UM could have gotten decent coverage on: The disappearance of John Reamer (http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/r/reamer_john.html)

Interesting story: Girlfriend drops boyfriend off at his residence. While there, she sees a guy she had never met before. Boyfriend then goes off the radar for a few days. When friends/family get a chance to investigate, they see that his apartment essentially looks like he was just going to step out for a few minutes. His cowboy hat is gone, but nothing else.

No one has ever seen him again. He was on probation at the time of his disappearance and there is question if he was running from something at the time he disappeared. He had a child with his girlfriend and it seemed highly unlikely he would have abandoned the child.

The Tamam Shud case (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamam_Shud_case) would have been a good one too.

Your avatar is epic cool.

Your avatar is epic cool.


Yeah, it is! Welcome! :wave:

"Kurt Sova"

TheCars1986, I agree that UM should cover his case. It should be covered on other true crime shows as well (Crime Watch Daily is one example).

"Kurt Sova"

TheCars1986, I agree that UM should cover his case. It should be covered on other true crime shows as well (Crime Watch Daily is one example).

A&E is bringing back Cold Case Files. We will see if they think the Kurt Sova case is worth having a look at.

The Bear Brook murders in New Hampshire is another mind numbing case that has left all in involved spinning in every direction.

I'm surprised the Travis Walton UFO abduction story was never on UM. I just watched "Fire in the Sky" on Netflix last night and it's a pretty interesting story. A hoax? Likely, yes, but pretty interesting nonetheless.

I'm surprised the Travis Walton UFO abduction story was never on UM. I just watched "Fire in the Sky" on Netflix last night and it's a pretty interesting story. A hoax? Likely, yes, but pretty interesting nonetheless.

Travis wasn't covered? Coulda swore he was. Yes, probably a hoax. Does not deter me from wanting to buy that man a drink.... :)

I think a thread on this already exists, but in the previous one, I had mentioned Etan Patz and Girly Chew Hossencofft.

Travis wasn't covered? Coulda swore he was. Yes, probably a hoax. Does not deter me from wanting to buy that man a drink.... :)

I thought he was too. But I think I'm confusing it with a different show that profiled his case. Even though I believe it is most likely a hoax, I'd love to know how he managed to freak out his coworkers so much.

I'm surprised that some sort of version of Unsolved Mysteries has not been rebooted to air new, fresh cases. Maybe not the exact same format and title, but something similar would be a huge help to law enforcement out there. Look at how many cases were solved before the digital age really hit. Now that we have so many forms of social media, I'd be shocked if a new show did not produce similar, or better results than Unsolved Mysteries did back in the day.

I'm surprised that some sort of version of Unsolved Mysteries has not been rebooted to air new, fresh cases. Maybe not the exact same format and title, but something similar would be a huge help to law enforcement out there. Look at how many cases were solved before the digital age really hit. Now that we have so many forms of social media, I'd be shocked if a new show did not produce similar, or better results than Unsolved Mysteries did back in the day.

We sort of had that with the show 'Disappeared,' which were basically hour long UM segments involving missing people. But I don't think any new episodes have aired in over a year.

We sort of had that with the show 'Disappeared,' which were basically hour long UM segments involving missing people. But I don't think any new episodes have aired in over a year.

There haven't been any new episodes in quite a spell. Man, I miss that show, too.

I've mentioned this one before, but I really can't believe that the 1980 disappearance of Laureen Rahn was never profiled on UM.

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/r/rahn_laureen.html

All the details of the case sound right up the show's alley. The early 1980s time frame, a teen girl who may have runaway, a suspicious-sounding story from her friend, possible links to prostitution and child pornography, you get the picture.

I've mentioned this one before, but I really can't believe that the 1980 disappearance of Laureen Rahn was never profiled on UM.

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/r/rahn_laureen.html

All the details of the case sound right up the show's alley. The early 1980s time frame, a teen girl who may have runaway, a suspicious-sounding story from her friend, possible links to prostitution and child pornography, you get the picture.

...but our modern-day Robert Stack covered that one in his podcast (http://trailwentcold.com/2016/04/27/the-trail-went-cold-episode-6-laureen-rahn/)! :)

...but our modern-day Robert Stack covered that one in his podcast (http://trailwentcold.com/2016/04/27/the-trail-went-cold-episode-6-laureen-rahn/)! :)

LOL I was the one he gave a shout-out to on that episode for suggesting the case.

LOL I was the one he gave a shout-out to on that episode for suggesting the case.

Oh, that's right! It's been awhile since I listened to that one. Good podcast, though! And a solid suggestion from you. Her disappearance really *is* strange...

Yeah, it is! Welcome! :wave:

Thanks!

I set the file up in photoshop to enter custom text. (took me awhile, and a lot of screengrabs to get the look and feel as authentic as possible.)

I'll share with anyone who's interested, just send a pm. Or I could just make you a jpg with whatever you want it to say. :)

Oh! and just so I'm not getting off topic, I wish Robert Stack would have been with us long enough to do a segment on the disappearance of Shelly Miscavige (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michele_Miscavige). She was the wife of David Miscavige, the head of the Church of Scientology who just up and vanished around 2007. The church won't say anything about it, and...well the whole thing is just as weird as you'd expect.

Oh! and just so I'm not getting off topic, I wish Robert Stack would have been with us long enough to do a segment on the disappearance of Shelly Miscavige (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michele_Miscavige). She was the wife of David Miscavige, the head of the Church of Scientology who just up and vanished around 2007. The church won't say anything about it, and...well the whole thing is just as weird as you'd expect.

Excellent submission!

I am personally super skeptical of the official "story" on this one. I echo Leah Rimini: WHERE'S SHELLY??

An outsider trying to start digging into the Church of Scientology, especially something as close to the vest as Shelly Miscavige is probably 10 times more dangerous than when Danny Casolaro started digging into the Octopus

Excellent submission!

I am personally super skeptical of the official "story" on this one. I echo Leah Rimini: WHERE'S SHELLY??

That whole ordeal is creepy and I'm frankly surprised that Leah has been the only one that has publicly asked where that woman is.

But as usual, the church of Scientolgy sends about 50 lawyers to attack the problem and then the subject is closed even though no questions have technically been answered.

LOL I was the one he gave a shout-out to on that episode for suggesting the case.

After listening to the podcast and all of the odd details surrounding her disappearance, I believe it's most likely that the guy who committed suicide five years later (1985) was probably responsible for her abduction (and likely) murder.

Either that, or Adam Sandler did it. Sandler lived in Manchester, New Hampshire at the time (he grew up there) and was 13 years old at the time of Laureen Rahn's disappearance.

in case anyone wants to read the previous threads on this, there are lots of excellent ideas:

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=309314&highlight=patz

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=291950&highlight=patz

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=282417&highlight=patz

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=333150&highlight=patz

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=187184&page=2&highlight=wetterling

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=25880&highlight=wetterling

I know there's been a rejuvenated interest in Johnny Gosch these past few years and given how notable that case was, I'm quite surprised it was never featured on UM during its heyday.

I'm surprised too because his mother Noreen was extremely vocal about his case in the years after it happened. This is the third thread I've typed this in today, but I lived not too far from where Johnny disappeared. There was another Des Moines paperboy named Eugene Martin who disappeared under virtually identical circumstances two years (almost exactly two years) later. I lived only about 10 blocks from the site of Eugene's disappearance.

Another case I'll add to the load is the disappearance of Melanie Jo Melanson. This one is one that has kept me up at night for a long time. Melanie was a 14 year old who attended a party with other teens in Woburn, MA. She was last seen in the company of two boys she knew who gave conflicting accounts of what happened that night. The thing that breaks my heart most about this case is that her grandmother and her parents have since passed away. There's nobody left to look for her.

:lol: :lol: I see what you did there.

In all seriousness, I wish UM would have covered the disappearance of Brian Shaffer. (http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/s/shaffer_brian.html) It's a more recent case, but its baffling. Guy walks into a bar and disappears. No one sees him leave despite the presence of security cameras. He was a successful medical student at the time of disappearance and it has theorized by some that he fell victim to the Smiley Face serial killer.

There is an opposing school of thought that he vanished-- his mother had recently died and he was struggling with her death. On the other side of that, however, he had a very serious girlfriend who folks thought he was going to propose to.

Like I said, it's a newer case, but definitely one that I wish UM could have covered...

Brian Shaffer is such a bizarre case because, as you said, he wasn't seen leaving the bar even though there were cameras. Such a confusing disappearance.

I'm surprised too because his mother Noreen was extremely vocal about his case in the years after it happened. This is the third thread I've typed this in today, but I lived not too far from where Johnny disappeared. There was another Des Moines paperboy named Eugene Martin who disappeared under virtually identical circumstances two years (almost exactly two years) later. I lived only about 10 blocks from the site of Eugene's disappearance.

Another case I'll add to the load is the disappearance of Melanie Jo Melanson. This one is one that has kept me up at night for a long time. Melanie was a 14 year old who attended a party with other teens in Woburn, MA. She was last seen in the company of two boys she knew who gave conflicting accounts of what happened that night. The thing that breaks my heart most about this case is that her grandmother and her parents have since passed away. There's nobody left to look for her.

Oh, how interesting. Marc Allen also disappeared two years after Eugene. There's also Matthew Ferris, though I'm not sure that one's connected. I have an episode of Maximum Drama about the Gosch case. Melanie Melanson is on an episode of 20/20 I have.

Oh, how interesting. Marc Allen also disappeared two years after Eugene. There's also Matthew Ferris, though I'm not sure that one's connected. I have an episode of Maximum Drama about the Gosch case. Melanie Melanson is on an episode of 20/20 I have.

Matthew Ferris was significantly older than the other boys at 20 when he disappeared. If it was a predator type situation, he doesn't fit the profile. There was also significant evidence that he disappeared on his own due to mental health issues.

I've been on the fence for a long time about whether Marc Allen was connected. He fits age-wise and the circumstances of his disappearance are similar, but not the same. I've seen theories posited that because Eugene and Johnny disappeared in mid-to-late August that perhaps the perpetrator was someone in town for the Iowa State Fair. I don't necessarily subscribe to this theory, but Marc doesn't fit in that respect as he disappeared in March. Marc also wasn't a paperboy. He went missing in the evening on his way to visit friends. Eugene and Johnny both went missing early in the morning while doing their paper routes. If we're talking about a theory where a single person was targeting adolescent boys, then he was out looking for victims in the morning when the paperboys were making their rounds. Kidnapping a young boy off the street around dinnertime on a Saturday in late March would be very risky. I don't particularly believe that Marc ran away, but his home life was not a supremely happy one. So someone could make the case that he ran away from it. His mother and father bounced him back and forth between them because he was a troublemaker. Also, his two siblings were very close and he was kind of the odd man out in that respect too.

:lol: :lol: I see what you did there.

In all seriousness, I wish UM would have covered the disappearance of Brian Shaffer. (http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/s/shaffer_brian.html) It's a more recent case, but its baffling. Guy walks into a bar and disappears. No one sees him leave despite the presence of security cameras. He was a successful medical student at the time of disappearance and it has theorized by some that he fell victim to the Smiley Face serial killer.

There is an opposing school of thought that he vanished-- his mother had recently died and he was struggling with her death. On the other side of that, however, he had a very serious girlfriend who folks thought he was going to propose to.

Like I said, it's a newer case, but definitely one that I wish UM could have covered...


What is even sadder about this case is that his father died maybe 2 years after Brian's disappearance. So the brother is the sole survivor of that immediate family. So sad....

he fell victim to the Smiley Face serial killer.



The what what serial killer?

I'm going to have to consult google on this one but I'm almost too scared to do so. :eek:

UM never covered this creepy case did they?

I literally just came across this about 10 minutes ago on one of those "7 scariest unsolved mysteries" videos on the forbidden site.

http://michaeljesse.net/projects/crime/burger_chef/intro.jpg

The 1978 Burger Chef Murders. 4 Young employees disappear one Friday night from a Fast Food outlet in Speedway, Indiana. 2 men seen loitering in Carpark. Next morning money is discovered missing then the bodies of all 4 kids are found in the woods! :confused:

A particularly brutal crime with a scary composite of one of the two suspects.

Unsolved to this day. Although one of the original investigators believes he knows the identity of the killer.

http://www.wthr.com/sites/wthr.com/files/archive/2003/11/12/1522446_BG1.jpg

UM never covered this creepy case did they?

I literally just came across this about 10 minutes ago on one of those "7 scariest unsolved mysteries" videos on the forbidden site.

http://michaeljesse.net/projects/crime/burger_chef/intro.jpg

The 1978 Burger Chef Murders. 4 Young employees disappear one Friday night from a Fast Food outlet in Speedway, Indiana. 2 men seen loitering in Carpark. Next morning money is discovered missing then the bodies of all 4 kids are found in the woods! :confused:

A particularly brutal crime with a scary composite of one of the two suspects.

Unsolved to this day. Although one of the original investigators believes he knows the identity of the killer.

http://www.wthr.com/sites/wthr.com/files/archive/2003/11/12/1522446_BG1.jpg

Wow. I just looked this one up. The four employees go missing and immediately the Burger Chef is cleaned up, probably destroying important evidence. And the four kids are, at first, thought to have taken the $500 and gone out partying with it...despite the two girl's purses being left behind.

Were the police in his city really that stupid 40 years ago?

We sort of had that with the show 'Disappeared,' which were basically hour long UM segments involving missing people. But I don't think any new episodes have aired in over a year.


FYI - Disappeared recently started its current season. New episodes are currently being broadcast on Sunday nights.

FYI - Disappeared recently started its current season. New episodes are currently being broadcast on Sunday nights.

I noticed that over the weekend. Looks like they got the old narrator back too.

Wow. I just looked this one up. The four employees go missing and immediately the Burger Chef is cleaned up, probably destroying important evidence. And the four kids are, at first, thought to have taken the $500 and gone out partying with it...despite the two girl's purses being left behind.

Were the police in his city really that stupid 40 years ago?

I wonder if this received national news coverage at the time? It's actually a pretty horrific case.

I wonder if this received national news coverage at the time? It's actually a pretty horrific case.

Very horrific. I tried doing more research on this case when I got home from work yesterday but there's not that much info other than they went missing late Friday night and their bodies were found Sunday afternoon 40 miles away.

The theory is that one of the kids recognized one of the robbers so he and the accomplice had to kill them all. But the manner of which they killed them...two shot execution style, one stabbed and the other beaten and strangled with a chain...is so horrible that it gives you the sense that that these two LIKED to kill.

They took $500 from the safe but didn't bother taking the $400 from the cash registers. Very horrific deaths for such little money.