I always wondered if the harassment of the Wackers home continued after Bill Wacker passed away in 1999. Does anybody on here know if there was any reports of harassment after Bill passed away? Some speculate Bill may have been responsible.

We have no idea if the harassment continued after the late 1993 Dorothy attack/the spring 1994 airing. Many here & elsewhere like myself personally believe that it was actually Dorothy & other family members doing it.

This was one of my pet cases for a time and I’ve done some research in to it. I can tell you this definitively: there is almost no information about the Wackers or the crimes outside of the segment.

The only additional information anyone has ever found is that Bill died in 1999 (I believe) and Dorothy passed away sometime within the last 10 years, I want to say in 2014, but I’m not sure. I know the obituary has been posted on this forum before, perhaps in the main Wacker thread.

Someone also found their address and you can view Google Streetview and satellite imagery of their house and land.

I always felt that the crimes themselves were probably too low priority to receive any press attention.

I can tell you this definitively: there is almost no information about the Wackers or the crimes outside of the segment.


That is what is so frustrating!

That is what is so frustrating!

Agreed. It’s one of those segments that is just begging for either

A. A legitimate family member or connection to the Wackers in real life to stumble on to the forums and post an update.
B. Someone with research skills and looser conceptions of social boundaries than myself to reach out the family and ask for additional information.

I think those are the best chances for any kind of an “update” after all these years.

we don't know and it looks like we never will

Agreed. It’s one of those segments that is just begging for either

A. A legitimate family member or connection to the Wackers in real life to stumble on to the forums and post an update.
B. Someone with research skills and looser conceptions of social boundaries than myself to reach out the family and ask for additional information.

I think those are the best chances for any kind of an “update” after all these years.

Likely the best bet is if anybody is still at the police force in that area from 25 years back, or find one who is retired as unless there was a rookie there chances are they are all long gone from the force. My bet is they likely came to the conclusion that members of the family were involved-most likely they only agreed to do the UM segment so that those doing it would have their attention fix sated & mean they had to stop coming out to investigating it. The other way would be through local paper searches from the 1990's.

I've always wondered how many copycats harrassed the Whackers after that segment was first aired. I wouldn't be shocked if people harrassed them by phone and/or mail back then. Just seems like it would have been more wise to let the authorities investigate the incidents rather than go on UM.

I've always wondered how many copycats harrassed the Whackers after that segment was first aired. I wouldn't be shocked if people harrassed them by phone and/or mail back then. Just seems like it would have been more wise to let the authorities investigate the incidents rather than go on UM.

Well it had been going on for nearly a decade-I think the police had come to the most logical conclusion that it was an inside job & that either the family members doing it would be happy with the publicity, or scared that the case had received mainstream attention & more resources/people would be watching the house as a result & that it would all stop-it seems this was the case.

Does anybody know what Bill and Dorothy were worth around the time of the attacks?

I think the person behind the harassment of the Wackers was definitely someone they knew; as to whether or not the Wackers themselves knew who was doing it, I lean towards them not knowing.

But then again, when you read this article about another harasser egging someone’s house 100 times in the span of a year, you can’t help but wonder if the Wackers’ harasser(s) really was a stranger “doing it for kicks.”

https://fox59.com/news/indycrime/police-man-egged-neighbors-home-more-than-100-times-in-a-year/

I think the person behind the harassment of the Wackers was definitely someone they knew; as to whether or not the Wackers themselves knew who was doing it, I lean towards them not knowing.

But then again, when you read this article about another harasser egging someone’s house 100 times in the span of a year, you can’t help but wonder if the Wackers’ harasser(s) really was a stranger “doing it for kicks.”

https://fox59.com/news/indycrime/police-man-egged-neighbors-home-more-than-100-times-in-a-year/

Big difference between egging someone's house and breaking in and beating them unconscious.

Moreso wondering if things continued after Bill died.. Did things contriue after the UM episode aired?

So.. Two things I found.

https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-akron-beacon-journal/132862821/

That look like Bill? Seems that to me.

Also.. from 1995..

https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-delaware-gazette/132862970/

But, that's from The Delaware Gazette.. While Masillion is in Stark County, Delaware is about 100 miles away, so, I don't think the second one is him, though the age seems close.

One of the few cases that always left me wondering a huge WTF.
Was never sure what to make of it as a whole.
Was she doing it...or was he doing it.
They seemed like a legit sweet normal couple. But the actions of what happened said that something wasn't right elsewhere.

Big difference between egging someone's house and breaking in and beating them unconscious.

Oh I agree! My point was that there are people sick and twisted enough to harass strangers for no reason for an extended period of time. And I don’t think it was a stranger behind all these attacks.

Big difference between egging someone's house and breaking in and beating them unconscious.

Moreso wondering if things continued after Bill died.. Did things contriue after the UM episode aired?

So.. Two things I found.

https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-akron-beacon-journal/132862821/

That look like Bill? Seems that to me.

Also.. from 1995..

https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-delaware-gazette/132862970/

But, that's from The Delaware Gazette.. While Masillion is in Stark County, Delaware is about 100 miles away, so, I don't think the second one is him, though the age seems close.
It actually appears that Bill is wearing an Unsolved Mysteries hat in the photo. The production team must've given him one

Indeed it does. Great observation, I missed that completely l

I think the person behind the harassment of the Wackers was definitely someone they knew; as to whether or not the Wackers themselves knew who was doing it, I lean towards them not knowing.

But then again, when you read this article about another harasser egging someone’s house 100 times in the span of a year, you can’t help but wonder if the Wackers’ harasser(s) really was a stranger “doing it for kicks.”

https://fox59.com/news/indycrime/police-man-egged-neighbors-home-more-than-100-times-in-a-year/

Big difference between a neighbour throwing eggs at a house & if we believe the Wackers(which I don't) breaking into their house to steal, tricking their way in, knocking Dorothy unconscious & then binding her & 8 years later smashing her in the head-along with multiple other incidents over a decade long period.

I lean heavily towards Dorothy & various relatives doing this to get to Bill. I suspect that Bill at first thought it was genuine, but when the stuff that was stolen got returned, along with the disguised writing he likely figured it had to be his wife & others involved & that UM was his way to get this stopped.

I mean the farcical stake-out where they were watching the house & nothing happened for hours & then suddenly a load of noise starts at the house & somebody leaves a message outside with nobody seeing anything-clearly Dorothy & Cathy making it from inside & then a note magically shows up on the porch-clearly dropped by somebody on the stakeout, what a joke the whole thing was.

It actually appears that Bill is wearing an Unsolved Mysteries hat in the photo. The production team must've given him one

Ha.. I didn't even notice that!

I think we can officially say that's the right Bill Wacker, then.

Why would Dorothy Wacker be in on it though? Was she trying to drive her husband mad or something? Just get a divorce if there's that much dislike.

Why would Dorothy Wacker be in on it though? Was she trying to drive her husband mad or something? Just get a divorce if there's that much dislike.

Might of been because of their era where divorce wasn't an option & something shameful-my nan & grandad didn't really get along, but never divorced & the attitude of their daughter & her daughter was pretty bad, even if he was annoying. Can remember once the granddaughter drawing stuff on his bald head with a felt pen while he was asleep.

Always figured it had to be someone involved in the stakeout who was behind this.

Always figured it had to be someone involved in the stakeout who was behind this.

Exactly.

Preserved for posterity, or in case anyone needs a new avatar.

:confused:Big difference between a neighbour throwing eggs at a house & if we believe the Wackers(which I don't) breaking into their house to steal, tricking their way in, knocking Dorothy unconscious & then binding her & 8 years later smashing her in the head-along with multiple other incidents over a decade long period.

The point i was trying to make is that it is not unheard for a stranger to harass someone for no reason for an extended period of time. Something I mentioned to someone else but they seemed to have ignored. :confused:

:confused:

The point i was trying to make is that it is not unheard for a stranger to harass someone for no reason for an extended period of time. Something I mentioned to someone else but they seemed to have ignored. :confused:

Yep, I can buy a year or so-but not a decade plus. The problem also is they disguised their writing, obtained the new phone number, returned the items 'stolen' & managed to drop a note-despite the porch being in view all the time on the stakeout, so clearly this one was an inside job.