DarkDante
05-16-2026, 11:46 AM
Per Unsolved Mysteries Wiki: Missing... Have You Seen This Person was a series of three different TV specials on NBC in 1985 and 1986 with David Birney and his then-wife Meredith Baxter as co-hosts featuring entire episodes to the disappearances of several people. Created by Cosgrove and Meurer, the same creators behind Unsolved Mysteries, it was nominated for a Primetime Emmy as an Out-standing Informational special.
Introduction
Recently I had the opportunity to view several pieces of "Unsolved Mysteries"-related lost media inclusive of five of the six episodes of the "Unsolved Mysteries" spin-off "Final Appeal" (with the exception of the profile of Episode 2: Paul Ferrell [09/25/1992]) and all three episodes of the "Unsolved Mysteries" Prequel "Missing... Have You Seen This Person?" While the episodes of the Robert Stack narrated "Final Appeal" episodes were unremarkable in that they are for all intents and purposes the same profiles that were included as part of the Dennis Farina/Spike TV "Unsolved Mysteries" reboot from 2008 with very little material edited out, the episodes of "Missing... Have You Seen This Person?" while not exactly a revelation is worth mentioning given the influence the series had on it's far more enduring successor. I will state that unequivocally that neither series in my opinion is of essential viewing for "Unsolved Mysteries" fans. They are curiosities with the best profiles being reserved for "Unsolved Mysteries" itself. Either way here are my recaps of "Missing... Have You Seen This Person?" I will mention each special and profile separately alongside my observations. I would encourage anyone who wants to learn more about the cases profiled to consult the "Unsolved Mysteries Wiki" at https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Missing..._Have_You_Seen_This_Person%3F
Missing... Have You Seen This Person?
Special #1
April 29, 1985
NBC
The series opens with the soon to be familiar "not a news broadcast" introduction although the verbiage is somewhat different as instead of stating "about Unsolved Mysteries", we are informed that the program is "about missing people."
David Birney and Meredith Baxter are hosting this special from National Center for Missing Children. Meredith explains that the recreations we are about to see are filmed with the cooperation of the families and the authorities that are working these cases and that in most instances people will portray themselves. A phone number will be provided at the conclusion of each profile for viewers to call in with tips. David and Meredith will "tag off" on each profile with David hosting our first profile.
Profile #1: Paul Cosner - San Francisco, CA - November 2, 1984 - 8:30 pm
Paul's girlfriend Marilyn leaves messages on Paul's answering machine asking her boyfriend to call her back. Repeated messages are left the following day at 9:15 am and 11:30 am with Paul's sister, Sharon leaving messages at 6:25 pm and 10:35 pm. Paul is thirty-nine years old and described as funny, caring, and gentle. He made his living selling used cars through the classified ads in newspapers. Paul had placed an ad for a Honda Prelude in the San Francisco Chronicle. A week prior to the disappearance, Paul took the car for a test drive with a potential buyer. He subsequently mentioned his misgivings about this potential buyer to Marilyn, telling her that he was "weird" and only test drove the car for a short distance without checking the acceleration or brakes. The man wanted to buy the Honda and the deal was to be closed on Friday November 2, 1984. A few days prior a witness (Verna) saw Paul talking with a strange man who could possibly be the buyer in front of Paul's apartment. The man was described as 6'2, burly, and wore workman's clothes and boots. The witness felt uncomfortable and said that the man seemed aggressive. A car backed out of the apartment garage, driven by Paul. The man approached the car and spoke to Paul and Verna wondered why they were associated. That night Paul disappeared. His landlady Natalie Bruelot glimpsed Paul's car pulling out of the garage from her window. She said it was 7pm and dark. She could not tell who was driving the car out of the garage.
Paul's answering machine became the focus of another baffling aspect of the case. A bizarre message was recorded on it the Sunday after Paul vanished. To decipher the message, Paul's family took the tape to an audio specialist Bernie Kraus. The tape had heavy breathing followed by the phrase "We're gonna make a lot of money, Martin." The tape was later determined to be the soundtrack of a pornographic film. The police still have no idea what happened to Paul. Lt. Alan Sonada says there are no leads for Paul or his car, a 1980 Honda Prelude, orange with luggage rack. A reward of $10,000 is being offered in this case.
Profile #2: Kathy/Debbie Caruso - Carol Stream, IL - November 8, 1977
Katherine and Debbie Caruso were ages five and seven respectively when they disappeared alongside their father Phillip. They are now aged fifteen and thirteen respectively. Their mother Janet Hicks recently underwent surgery for breast cancer. After five procedures, the disease was eradicated. But Janet worries about the risk of cancer with her daughters. On November 8, 1977, Janet went to pick up her daughters from her estranged husband's home and found they had vanished, along with all of their belongings. The house was dark and locked and Janet required the assistance of police to enter the home. Upon entering her daughters' room was empty and bare and upon turning on a light the only thing left behind was a lonesome Donald Duck stuffed toy which officially brings us to our first Cosgrove/Meurer scare as only they can make a stuffed toy in a dimly lit room look creepy as hell!
The photos that Janet has of her daughters are outdates so she has enlisted the help of Scott Barrows, a medical illustrator. Scott is an expert in drawing portraits that project what individuals will look like in the future. Barrows will age the portraits of both girls by seven years. He later displays the portraits to Janet who becomes understandably emotional.
Recovered: Ellen Misner (Indiana) and Bobby Smith (Long Beach, CA)
These brief segments are precursors to "Update" and serve the same function with footage being shown of the reunions of parents and children.
Missing: Howard Tokarsky (45) - Mojave Desert, CA - December 14, 1984/Carole Pappas (44) - Wheaton, IL - September 11, 1984
These are not full profiles but a precursor of the "Special Alert" segments with a brief synopsis of the case displayed alongside a photograph of the missing person. Carole Pappas is the wife of MLB player Milt Pappas.
Profile #3: Kim Leggett - Mercedes, TX - October 9, 1984
Kim is a twenty-two year old wife and mother, 5'6 and 110 pounds. She worked as a bookkeeper at a cotton gin which was the last place she was seen. On October 9, 1984, her stepfather Lefty Gardner received a strange telephone call. The caller asked for Lefty and then when he picked up the phone, the line went dead. The telephone rang again and when Lefty picked up he was told, "They have your daughter and they want money" before the line went dead once again. Kim's husband Mark went up to the office at the cotton gin and Kim wasn't there. He found her school books laid out over the office table and her keys were left in the ignition of her vehicle. Lt. Reynaldo Campos says there were no signs of force at the office or at the vehicle. He believes it was a kidnapping based upon the ransom call.
Lefty assisted in the search for his stepdaughter using his plane but found nothing. At 4:15 on the afternoon of the disappearance, four eyewitnesses saw Kim outside the cotton gin talking with two men near a white sports car. There are no good leads in this case and Mark says "his family was stolen." A $30,000 dollar reward is being offered in this case.
Profile #4: Jonelle Matthews - Greeley, CO - December 20, 1984
This is such a well-known and discussed case that I'm opting not to recap it here. For more information please visit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Jonelle_Matthews
In lieu of a recap I wanted to mention how beautifully this profile was shot. Interviewees include Jonelle's parents and her choir teacher Georgiana Close. David Birney narrates an emotional profile detailing the search for Jonelle across the snow covered Colorado terrain. The segment concludes with a celebration of Jonelle's thirteenth birthday as family and friends send scores of balloons to the air with information on Jonelle's disappearance attached to them. Her classmates then sing their interpretation of Robert Louis Stevenson's "Where Go The Boats?" for Jonelle as the profile draws to a close.
Profile #5: Pablo Torres Jr. - New York, NY - August 14, 1984
Pablo Torres Jr. from Jersey City, NJ is fifteen years old with developmental issues. On August 14, 1984, he went to New York City with two friends who didn't really want him along but Pablo went anyway. Upon reaching Grand Central Station, one of Pablo's friends gave him money and told him to go home. Pablo never made it home. His father, Pablo Torres Sr. does not speak English which makes looking for his son all the more difficult. Pablo's teacher Marjorie Pandytopoulos states that Pablo wouldn't know the address of his home or school.
Update: While not yet officially designated as such, an update on this profile airs immediately upon it's conclusion. Pablo was found in a hospital in the Bronx. Staff was unable to identify him but subsequently saw a news broadcast that led to reunion. Pablo Torres Jr. is shown reunited with his father.
Profile #6: Laura Bradbury - Joshua Tree (CA) - October 18, 1984
Laura Bradbury was three years old when she went on a trip with her family to the Joshua Tree National Monument. Laura wandered away from her family ostensibly following her brother Travis to the restroom. While inside the restroom, Travis saw a shadow, heard a noise and suddenly there was no more sound from his sister. It was subsequently discovered that the women's restroom door was opened six inches and banged three times. Earlier that afternoon, a suspicious fifty year old man was seen atop a rock looking down upon the campsite which brings us to our next Cosgrove/Meurer scare as the man is shown only in shadow staring down deep into the the camera with only a yellow baseball cap and sunglasses visable.
The man's vehicle is described as a blue van with beige curtains in the windows. Both the man and vehicle disappeared at the same time as Laura. We then transition to an elementary school classroom where Laura Bradbury's cousin, Ricky Schroder is seen speaking to children about "stranger danger."
Profile #7: Michelle Lawrence - Seattle, WA - January 1, 1985
This profile is of a non custodial parental abduction. Patricia Lawrence is separated from Michelle's father Willie. Per custody arrangements, two policemen needed to be present during Willie's visits with his daughter. On January 1, 1985, Willie called Pat claiming that he was outside her apartment with two policemen for a visitation. Pat allowed him into the building but Willie did not have any policemen with him and immediately grabbed Michelle and ran down the hallway before leaving in his car. Willie's credit cards have traced him to Georgia.
Pat has joined the United Parents of Stolen Children run by Mary Jane Gasser. Mary Jane's son Jesse was taken in 1979. In 1984, Jesse was found in Akron, Ohio.
Update: As before, immediately upon this profile's conclusion, an update is shown of Michelle being located in Madison, Georgia in March of 1985.
General Thoughts: Although nowhere near as sophisticated and polished as it's successor, "Missing... Have You Seen This Person?" displays several aspects of "Unsolved Mysteries" in place including the recreations, Update and Special Alert bumpers (although they are not designated as such yet). The overall feel of the special is understandably more in line with the Pre-Stack Specials that would be hosted respectively by Raymond Burr and Karl Malden in 1987 and 1988 than they are "Unsolved Mysteries" proper as Robert Stack obviously elevated the series to a higher level. David Birney does an admirable job with his narrations with a delivery that is similar to Malden. He won't make you forget Stack anytime soon, but his soft-spoken delivery does convey a serious of grave seriousness to the audience. Meredith Baxter is terrible as she sound far too giddy and lighthearted in her delivery to convey a sense of urgency in the profiles which she narrates. Again "Missing... Have You Seen This Person?" is nothing to write home about although much as in a director's cut does for a film, it offers viewers a glimpse into a work-in-progress.
More to come...
Introduction
Recently I had the opportunity to view several pieces of "Unsolved Mysteries"-related lost media inclusive of five of the six episodes of the "Unsolved Mysteries" spin-off "Final Appeal" (with the exception of the profile of Episode 2: Paul Ferrell [09/25/1992]) and all three episodes of the "Unsolved Mysteries" Prequel "Missing... Have You Seen This Person?" While the episodes of the Robert Stack narrated "Final Appeal" episodes were unremarkable in that they are for all intents and purposes the same profiles that were included as part of the Dennis Farina/Spike TV "Unsolved Mysteries" reboot from 2008 with very little material edited out, the episodes of "Missing... Have You Seen This Person?" while not exactly a revelation is worth mentioning given the influence the series had on it's far more enduring successor. I will state that unequivocally that neither series in my opinion is of essential viewing for "Unsolved Mysteries" fans. They are curiosities with the best profiles being reserved for "Unsolved Mysteries" itself. Either way here are my recaps of "Missing... Have You Seen This Person?" I will mention each special and profile separately alongside my observations. I would encourage anyone who wants to learn more about the cases profiled to consult the "Unsolved Mysteries Wiki" at https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Missing..._Have_You_Seen_This_Person%3F
Missing... Have You Seen This Person?
Special #1
April 29, 1985
NBC
The series opens with the soon to be familiar "not a news broadcast" introduction although the verbiage is somewhat different as instead of stating "about Unsolved Mysteries", we are informed that the program is "about missing people."
David Birney and Meredith Baxter are hosting this special from National Center for Missing Children. Meredith explains that the recreations we are about to see are filmed with the cooperation of the families and the authorities that are working these cases and that in most instances people will portray themselves. A phone number will be provided at the conclusion of each profile for viewers to call in with tips. David and Meredith will "tag off" on each profile with David hosting our first profile.
Profile #1: Paul Cosner - San Francisco, CA - November 2, 1984 - 8:30 pm
Paul's girlfriend Marilyn leaves messages on Paul's answering machine asking her boyfriend to call her back. Repeated messages are left the following day at 9:15 am and 11:30 am with Paul's sister, Sharon leaving messages at 6:25 pm and 10:35 pm. Paul is thirty-nine years old and described as funny, caring, and gentle. He made his living selling used cars through the classified ads in newspapers. Paul had placed an ad for a Honda Prelude in the San Francisco Chronicle. A week prior to the disappearance, Paul took the car for a test drive with a potential buyer. He subsequently mentioned his misgivings about this potential buyer to Marilyn, telling her that he was "weird" and only test drove the car for a short distance without checking the acceleration or brakes. The man wanted to buy the Honda and the deal was to be closed on Friday November 2, 1984. A few days prior a witness (Verna) saw Paul talking with a strange man who could possibly be the buyer in front of Paul's apartment. The man was described as 6'2, burly, and wore workman's clothes and boots. The witness felt uncomfortable and said that the man seemed aggressive. A car backed out of the apartment garage, driven by Paul. The man approached the car and spoke to Paul and Verna wondered why they were associated. That night Paul disappeared. His landlady Natalie Bruelot glimpsed Paul's car pulling out of the garage from her window. She said it was 7pm and dark. She could not tell who was driving the car out of the garage.
Paul's answering machine became the focus of another baffling aspect of the case. A bizarre message was recorded on it the Sunday after Paul vanished. To decipher the message, Paul's family took the tape to an audio specialist Bernie Kraus. The tape had heavy breathing followed by the phrase "We're gonna make a lot of money, Martin." The tape was later determined to be the soundtrack of a pornographic film. The police still have no idea what happened to Paul. Lt. Alan Sonada says there are no leads for Paul or his car, a 1980 Honda Prelude, orange with luggage rack. A reward of $10,000 is being offered in this case.
Profile #2: Kathy/Debbie Caruso - Carol Stream, IL - November 8, 1977
Katherine and Debbie Caruso were ages five and seven respectively when they disappeared alongside their father Phillip. They are now aged fifteen and thirteen respectively. Their mother Janet Hicks recently underwent surgery for breast cancer. After five procedures, the disease was eradicated. But Janet worries about the risk of cancer with her daughters. On November 8, 1977, Janet went to pick up her daughters from her estranged husband's home and found they had vanished, along with all of their belongings. The house was dark and locked and Janet required the assistance of police to enter the home. Upon entering her daughters' room was empty and bare and upon turning on a light the only thing left behind was a lonesome Donald Duck stuffed toy which officially brings us to our first Cosgrove/Meurer scare as only they can make a stuffed toy in a dimly lit room look creepy as hell!
The photos that Janet has of her daughters are outdates so she has enlisted the help of Scott Barrows, a medical illustrator. Scott is an expert in drawing portraits that project what individuals will look like in the future. Barrows will age the portraits of both girls by seven years. He later displays the portraits to Janet who becomes understandably emotional.
Recovered: Ellen Misner (Indiana) and Bobby Smith (Long Beach, CA)
These brief segments are precursors to "Update" and serve the same function with footage being shown of the reunions of parents and children.
Missing: Howard Tokarsky (45) - Mojave Desert, CA - December 14, 1984/Carole Pappas (44) - Wheaton, IL - September 11, 1984
These are not full profiles but a precursor of the "Special Alert" segments with a brief synopsis of the case displayed alongside a photograph of the missing person. Carole Pappas is the wife of MLB player Milt Pappas.
Profile #3: Kim Leggett - Mercedes, TX - October 9, 1984
Kim is a twenty-two year old wife and mother, 5'6 and 110 pounds. She worked as a bookkeeper at a cotton gin which was the last place she was seen. On October 9, 1984, her stepfather Lefty Gardner received a strange telephone call. The caller asked for Lefty and then when he picked up the phone, the line went dead. The telephone rang again and when Lefty picked up he was told, "They have your daughter and they want money" before the line went dead once again. Kim's husband Mark went up to the office at the cotton gin and Kim wasn't there. He found her school books laid out over the office table and her keys were left in the ignition of her vehicle. Lt. Reynaldo Campos says there were no signs of force at the office or at the vehicle. He believes it was a kidnapping based upon the ransom call.
Lefty assisted in the search for his stepdaughter using his plane but found nothing. At 4:15 on the afternoon of the disappearance, four eyewitnesses saw Kim outside the cotton gin talking with two men near a white sports car. There are no good leads in this case and Mark says "his family was stolen." A $30,000 dollar reward is being offered in this case.
Profile #4: Jonelle Matthews - Greeley, CO - December 20, 1984
This is such a well-known and discussed case that I'm opting not to recap it here. For more information please visit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Jonelle_Matthews
In lieu of a recap I wanted to mention how beautifully this profile was shot. Interviewees include Jonelle's parents and her choir teacher Georgiana Close. David Birney narrates an emotional profile detailing the search for Jonelle across the snow covered Colorado terrain. The segment concludes with a celebration of Jonelle's thirteenth birthday as family and friends send scores of balloons to the air with information on Jonelle's disappearance attached to them. Her classmates then sing their interpretation of Robert Louis Stevenson's "Where Go The Boats?" for Jonelle as the profile draws to a close.
Profile #5: Pablo Torres Jr. - New York, NY - August 14, 1984
Pablo Torres Jr. from Jersey City, NJ is fifteen years old with developmental issues. On August 14, 1984, he went to New York City with two friends who didn't really want him along but Pablo went anyway. Upon reaching Grand Central Station, one of Pablo's friends gave him money and told him to go home. Pablo never made it home. His father, Pablo Torres Sr. does not speak English which makes looking for his son all the more difficult. Pablo's teacher Marjorie Pandytopoulos states that Pablo wouldn't know the address of his home or school.
Update: While not yet officially designated as such, an update on this profile airs immediately upon it's conclusion. Pablo was found in a hospital in the Bronx. Staff was unable to identify him but subsequently saw a news broadcast that led to reunion. Pablo Torres Jr. is shown reunited with his father.
Profile #6: Laura Bradbury - Joshua Tree (CA) - October 18, 1984
Laura Bradbury was three years old when she went on a trip with her family to the Joshua Tree National Monument. Laura wandered away from her family ostensibly following her brother Travis to the restroom. While inside the restroom, Travis saw a shadow, heard a noise and suddenly there was no more sound from his sister. It was subsequently discovered that the women's restroom door was opened six inches and banged three times. Earlier that afternoon, a suspicious fifty year old man was seen atop a rock looking down upon the campsite which brings us to our next Cosgrove/Meurer scare as the man is shown only in shadow staring down deep into the the camera with only a yellow baseball cap and sunglasses visable.
The man's vehicle is described as a blue van with beige curtains in the windows. Both the man and vehicle disappeared at the same time as Laura. We then transition to an elementary school classroom where Laura Bradbury's cousin, Ricky Schroder is seen speaking to children about "stranger danger."
Profile #7: Michelle Lawrence - Seattle, WA - January 1, 1985
This profile is of a non custodial parental abduction. Patricia Lawrence is separated from Michelle's father Willie. Per custody arrangements, two policemen needed to be present during Willie's visits with his daughter. On January 1, 1985, Willie called Pat claiming that he was outside her apartment with two policemen for a visitation. Pat allowed him into the building but Willie did not have any policemen with him and immediately grabbed Michelle and ran down the hallway before leaving in his car. Willie's credit cards have traced him to Georgia.
Pat has joined the United Parents of Stolen Children run by Mary Jane Gasser. Mary Jane's son Jesse was taken in 1979. In 1984, Jesse was found in Akron, Ohio.
Update: As before, immediately upon this profile's conclusion, an update is shown of Michelle being located in Madison, Georgia in March of 1985.
General Thoughts: Although nowhere near as sophisticated and polished as it's successor, "Missing... Have You Seen This Person?" displays several aspects of "Unsolved Mysteries" in place including the recreations, Update and Special Alert bumpers (although they are not designated as such yet). The overall feel of the special is understandably more in line with the Pre-Stack Specials that would be hosted respectively by Raymond Burr and Karl Malden in 1987 and 1988 than they are "Unsolved Mysteries" proper as Robert Stack obviously elevated the series to a higher level. David Birney does an admirable job with his narrations with a delivery that is similar to Malden. He won't make you forget Stack anytime soon, but his soft-spoken delivery does convey a serious of grave seriousness to the audience. Meredith Baxter is terrible as she sound far too giddy and lighthearted in her delivery to convey a sense of urgency in the profiles which she narrates. Again "Missing... Have You Seen This Person?" is nothing to write home about although much as in a director's cut does for a film, it offers viewers a glimpse into a work-in-progress.
More to come...