Hello! As you may or may not know, I have written 2 different in-depth articles about Dale Kerstetter as well as 2 podcast episodes. I was contacted by an author in Fall of last year concerning a feature article she was asked to write about Dale. She interviewed me as well as his family and the article is finally out in the May/June edition of Popular Mechanics.

It was nice to have my name and blog mentioned but I'm really excited that Dale's disappearance will be getting such a wider audience now.

Here's a preview of the article. The issue is for sale everywhere now I believe.

https://www.zinio.com/article/popular-mechanics/mayjune-2025-i671966/a-small-small-town-a-missing-security-guard-a-brazen-heist-a35013

Hello! As you may or may not know, I have written 2 different in-depth articles about Dale Kerstetter as well as 2 podcast episodes. I was contacted by an author in Fall of last year concerning a feature article she was asked to write about Dale. She interviewed me as well as his family and the article is finally out in the May/June edition of Popular Mechanics.

It was nice to have my name and blog mentioned but I'm really excited that Dale's disappearance will be getting such a wider audience now.

Here's a preview of the article. The issue is for sale everywhere now I believe.

https://www.zinio.com/article/popular-mechanics/mayjune-2025-i671966/a-small-small-town-a-missing-security-guard-a-brazen-heist-a35013



It would be really interesting to know what his kids think now.

It would be really interesting to know what his kids think now.

I have talked to a few of them as well as his ex-wife and they all think he was abducted and murdered that night. One of his children contacted me a few months ago after reading my 2 articles. She wanted to thank me so much, because over the years she just figured he was unhappy with his life but after reading my articles, she is convinced he didn't leave willingly.

The Popular Mechanics article talks a lot about his daughter Penny and her thoughts on the case.

I have talked to a few of them as well as his ex-wife and they all think he was abducted and murdered that night. One of his children contacted me a few months ago after reading my 2 articles. She wanted to thank me so much, because over the years she just figured he was unhappy with his life but after reading my articles, she is convinced he didn't leave willingly.

The Popular Mechanics article talks a lot about his daughter Penny and her thoughts on the case.



I think it's impossible that he left willingly, I mean we're told that the platinum was worth 250k, but that doesn't mean you can sell it on the black market for 250k, Dale would have had to have at least one accomplice, the guy in the video and maybe others...

This means that Dale could have walked away with as little as 50k. he had a family who clearly loves him, a new van, a home....

To go on the run forever, leaving your family behind, a new van... to maybe only have 50k to begin a whole new life while you face is plastered all over the news and things like unsolved mysteries... it would be insane.

The plant had got into a situation where they had to let people go.. in one sentence they described him as a hero and then a "marginal" employee who was more than likely guilty...

I think they bosses/owners planned it all and knew Dale would be easy to blame.

The only question is, what happened to his body?

I think it's impossible that he left willingly, I mean we're told that the platinum was worth 250k, but that doesn't mean you can sell it on the black market for 250k, Dale would have had to have at least one accomplice, the guy in the video and maybe others...

This means that Dale could have walked away with as little as 50k. he had a family who clearly loves him, a new van, a home....

To go on the run forever, leaving your family behind, a new van... to maybe only have 50k to begin a whole new life while you face is plastered all over the news and things like unsolved mysteries... it would be insane.

The plant had got into a situation where they had to let people go.. in one sentence they described him as a hero and then a "marginal" employee who was more than likely guilty...

I think they bosses/owners planned it all and knew Dale would be easy to blame.

The only question is, what happened to his body?

That is the question, and I hope we find out someday. For some desperate people who say damn the consequences, 50K might be enough to disappear, but Dale Kerstetter doesn't seem to be one of them...

Thanks for keeping the flame alive, Crystaldawn.

Penny use to post in here , in fact the younger sister did too of if I recall right

I have talked to a few of them as well as his ex-wife and they all think he was abducted and murdered that night. One of his children contacted me a few months ago after reading my 2 articles. She wanted to thank me so much, because over the years she just figured he was unhappy with his life but after reading my articles, she is convinced he didn't leave willingly.

The Popular Mechanics article talks a lot about his daughter Penny and her thoughts on the case.

Did you talk to Dale's son? His comment at the end of the segment saying he’s probably in Canada or Australia until the statute of limitations is over always felt out of left field. But he was young and it was probably wishful thinking.

I always liked Penny from her interview. She left bias out of her thinking and just wanted to know what happened to Dale, whether he was involved or not.

I remember watching the segment with a text update, back in like 2011 when there was a handful of channels on YouTube with numerous VHS -rip segments, before the great takedown of 2013. The text update had no new information, can't remember exactly but just said his family had not heard from him since with some creepy theme music playing, anyone have it or get to download it?

Thanks for your continued hard work on this, Heather. I'm sure the family appreciates it, as we all do.

This evening, I discovered that the article was posted in podcast form if you have access to Apple Podcasts. It says 'subscriber edition' so I think it may be included in my families' Apple One subscription (iCloud, News, Music, etc.) It may (or may not) be only accessible if you have such a subscription.

Just wanted to pass it along:

https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1708072320?i=1000704938131

Glad to see that his case still lives on and could still be solvable, but maybe that's wishful thinking. I've always said that the company clearly did their best to smear Dale's character in the UM segment. perhaps as to absolve themselves from any liability for his murder. I wish that they would have been punished for their malpractices which most likely led to Dale's murder.

Hey everybody, crystaldawn is back! pickle:

Glad to see that his case still lives on and could still be solvable, but maybe that's wishful thinking. I've always said that the company clearly did their best to smear Dale's character in the UM segment. perhaps as to absolve themselves from any liability for his murder. I wish that they would have been punished for their malpractices which most likely led to Dale's murder.

That company representative was one of the most unlikable interviewees of the entire series. I hope he was proud of himself for smearing someone who likely was dead.

I think I already congratulated you on FB, Heather, but if not, congrats on the article! That's pretty impressive work!

EDIT: Okay, so I went and bought the digital copy of the magazine article. Again, great work, Heather. :D

I posted this as an update last month, no clue it was the handiwork of the one and only Crystaldawn.

It was only teased at that point, and I kind of forgot.

Thank you so much Cricci, Tighthead and Street Novelist! :D

Dynoguy, I never spoke to Al. Penny says he really doesn't want to talk about it. I believe he's more of the mindset to just leave it be. However, I did recently hear from Al's twin sister. She was great and had just recently read my articles and was so grateful. She lived out of state when he went missing and was very young so I'm sure she wasn't told everything out of protecting her. She wasn't sure what to think all these years about why he disappeared but she said after reading my articles she is convinced that he didn't leave willingly.

Amazing-- congratulations! I'll have to see if I can still pick up a print copy.

This has always been one of the most intriguing cases for me. I've always leaned on the side Dale had little to do with the robbery. I suppose it's possible he might have known the masked man and was somewhat in on it (i.e. "I'll let you do it and I get a cut") but I think that's more unlikely. And if that was the case, he was sadly killed within a day or two.

She wasn't sure what to think all these years about why he disappeared but she said after reading my articles she is convinced that he didn't leave willingly.

Crystaldawn, you're the best. Thank you for keeping this case and so many others alive through your hard work and care. The identification of the Sumter county does in 2022 just goes to show that any of these mysteries can still be solved today.

I don't think Dale disappeared willingly either. I agree with Schmave that the company rep was pretty unlikeable. I thought for the longest time that this was an inside job and that's why Corning was deflecting. I think someone came forward a few years ago and showed it probably wasn't an inside theft but I will always be suspicious. If the thief knew directly where to go in the factory, I'd love to know just how he knew that specific information. It was a massive factory.

The actual security camera footage was crummy even for a VHS. I don't know how the company and authorities were able to tell 100% what happened or if Dale even glanced directly at the camera.

Crystaldawn, you're the best. Thank you for keeping this case and so many others alive through your hard work and care. The identification of the Sumter county does in 2022 just goes to show that any of these mysteries can still be solved today.

I don't think Dale disappeared willingly either. I agree with Schmave that the company rep was pretty unlikeable. I thought for the longest time that this was an inside job and that's why Corning was deflecting. I think someone came forward a few years ago and showed it probably wasn't an inside theft but I will always be suspicious. If the thief knew directly where to go in the factory, I'd love to know just how he knew that specific information. It was a massive factory.

The actual security camera footage was crummy even for a VHS. I don't know how the company and authorities were able to tell 100% what happened or if Dale even glanced directly at the camera.


My theory was always that the factory was struggling and it had it's days numbered, thats why they let workers go and dale was essentially demoted to security guard...

could he have been given this position, knowing that one day he'd be set up as the patsy? i dunno. but i think things were going bad and thats when the people who ran it decided to stage a robbery with the platinum, setting dale up, they get the insurance money and somewhere along the line the platinum is sold.

like i've said many times, dale would have had to been really stupid to do this... i mean they tell us that the platinum was worth 250k, but 1. now it's "hot" and you can only sell it on the black market, meaning you'd never get even close to 250k for it, and 2. dale had at least one partner (if we go down the he's guilty route) the guy in the video, i mean lets say he had 2 others helping him, thats splitting maybe 100k 3 ways....

even if he gets 40k, he's leaving a home behind, a new truck, a family who clearly loves him, he's now a wanted criminal... all for 40k? what can you do with 40k?! a life on the run for 40k would be lunacy.

the bosses bizarre switch from in one sentence calling him a hero, a hero they kept on and didn't give him redundancy to "he was a marginal employee and we think he robbed us" doesnt make sense.

i think if you would have looked into the finances of those who ran the plant, bank accounts, certain activites, you'd have came across something, some evidence...

i remember reading a quote from a smoker who said "i can believe that dale would have left his truck, even his lunch, but not his cigarettes..

yep

My theory was always that the factory was struggling and it had it's days numbered, thats why they let workers go and dale was essentially demoted to security guard...

Me too. This probably explains why Dale was cut out of the shop in the first place.

he bosses bizarre switch from in one sentence calling him a hero, a hero they kept on and didn't give him redundancy to "he was a marginal employee and we think he robbed us" doesnt make sense.

Exactly. It's finger-pointing away from "we failed to ensure the safety of one of our employees as well as the security of our facility and now we're saddled with the consequences" akin to Lisa Penz's lame "if I didn't get anybody who was on drugs, that was a good day" excuse about hiring Bonnie Wilder in that segment.

i remember reading a quote from a smoker who said "i can believe that dale would have left his truck, even his lunch, but not his cigarettes..

Yeah, I agree here too, especially if he was planning to run immediately and wouldn't be sure when and where he could pick up his next pack or carton.