A man came home one day and started arguing with his wife and their children. He grabbed her (his wife) and led her out of the house and into his van. They drove away and that was the last time the children saw her alive. Later, an elderly couple was driving on a narrow road and they were wondering why the driver in front of them was moving so slow. It was actually the same man and the same van. He kept weaving and making all kinds of twists and turns which led the couple to suspicion, so they decided to follow him. He tried to lose them but they continued to follow him. After awhile, they finally lost him only to drive past him while he was parked and trying to get rid of a white sheet. At the same time, they saw that the back door of the van was open and there was blood on its interior. The elderly man said to his wife, "He's done something." After that, they drove a little further and decided to wait a little while until they were sure that he was gone. So they went back to the area in which they saw him laying the white sheet down and got out of the car together. They held hands as they went to go look at the sheet and saw that it was stained with blood. They were frightened and ran off together while holding hands.

The story was updated and it turned out that the man in the van had killed his wife and had dumped her body somewhere. One night, the police caught up with him and surrounded his van. They had some kind of showdown and he wound up shooting himself in the head before the police could arrest him.

Do any of you remember this story?

The woman killed was Marilynn DePue. She was killed by her husband on Easter sunday in Coldwater, Michigan 1990 - I think. She worked as a high school guidance conselor.

According to reports, her husband became pretty unhinged when she divorced him. Even though she changed the locks on their house, she would often find him in the house when she arrived home from work.

I believe the name of the ex-husband and murderer was Daniel DePue. He was living a new life with a new girlfriend somewhere when he saw his story on Unsolved Mysteries. He fled, and when police caught up with him, that is when he shot and killed himself.

Originally posted by Allierain
I believe the name of the ex-husband and murderer was Daniel DePue.

Please pardon me for correcting you, but his name was actually Dennis DePue.

Oooh, that's right. My bad. Thanks Kane. :)

If you think about it, UM also helped this case come to a close. It showed on the reenactment that UM was on in the living room. He probably say himself on it right before his girlfriend got home and then decided he had to leave, thus leading to the chase and him ending his own life.

I can't imagine what it must have been like for Julie DePue to lose both of her parents, and have Unsolved Mysteries shove their cameras in their face. Well, I don't expect her to post here, but I did a look up on Intelius and she's still there in Coldwater. And I looked up Jennifer and it looks like she's 42, quite a bit older sister I guess, 2 hours away. I know, none of our business, this was in 1990 or whatever, they should be allowed to have some closure and build a new life. I would have moved far far away to get away from reminders of that whole tragedy. Hopefully she's been able to 'move on' as hard as that is, and same for the rest of her family.

Why do I like UM? I always get goosebumps/scared watching it. And I have to watch on YouTube cause Lifetime doesnt play it anymore. Robert Stack cannot be topped either I don't think. It's like redoing Match Game.

I'm sorry, I know this is an old thread, but I just saw this tragic story on Spiketv and I got to wondering about the kids that were left behind.
I can't imagine going through what these kids went through, and I was just hoping that they were okay. I couldn't stop thinking about it, so, I guess my curiosity got the better of me, because I went online to do a search, hoping to find something.
Well, lucky me, the first thing I found was this great message board. :D

Then I found this great post by unsolvedmysteriesfan, but I noticed Intelius was used for the search. Now, I like Intelius a lot, but I've had some really tricky and frustrating times with it too. It took me some time to figure out how to use it right. So, I did my own search, just in case.
but I did a look up on Intelius and she's still there in Coldwater. And I looked up Jennifer and it looks like she's 42, quite a bit older sister I guess, 2 hours away....
I would have moved far far away to get away from reminders of that whole tragedy.
Well, it looks like they did move pretty far away. It seems Julie, Jennifer, and Scott moved down to Sarasota, Florida, to live with Marilynn's mom and dad.
I don't know if her parents were already in Florida, or if they all decided to move down there, after the tragedy.
I think Jennifer was born in Feb 1972, making her only 36, and one year older than Julie.

It looks like Dennis Depue's father, Claude, died in 2005.
A few lines from the obit:
DePUE, Claude Dale, died Nov. 7, 2005
Jennifer and Scott DePUE of Sarasota, Fla., Julie DePUE of Orlando, Fla.
Preceding him in death were his wife, Elma in 1997; his son, Dennis DePUE in 1991.

Here's a little bit of Dennis Depue's obit:
Burr Oak; Dennis Henry DePUE, 47, died March 21, 1991, in Vicksburg, Miss
He was born June 13, 1943, in Sturgis, a son of Claude and Elma (GROVE) DePUE.
He was a Coldwater resident the past 20 years and during his early life he lived in Burr Oak. He graduated from Burr Oak High School and received a bachelors degree in business education from Michigan State University. He was employed more than 20 years for the State of Michigan in the Department of Treasury as a property tax specialist. He also had taught business education in Portland and Los Angles, Calif. He attended Burr Oak United Methodist Church and was a member of the MSU Alumni Association. He enjoyed MSU sports.
Surviving are two daughters, Jennifer DePUE, Sarasota, Fla.; and Julie DePUE, Coldwater; one son, Scott DePUE, Sarasota; parents, Claude and Elma DePUE, Burr Oak; four sisters, Mrs. James (Doris) EDIE, Findlay, Ohio, Mrs. Ronald (Velma) THEISEN, Dearborn, Mrs. Mike (Gloria) KEESLAR and Mrs. Kenneth (Claudia) WALL, both of Burr Oak; one brother, Leland DePUE, Buffalo GROVE, Ill.; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his grandparents.

Here's Marilynn's obit:
DePUE, Marilynn Lee, died April 15, 1990
Quincy; Marilynn Lee DePUE, 49, Dons Drive, died April 15, 1990.
She was born Jan. 24, 1941, in Detroit, a daughter of Dallas and Betty (MARTZ) McCLENAHEN.
Surviving are three children, Jennifer Dawn, Julie Marie and Scott Dennis; her mother and father; and one sister, Beverly BANK, Dearborn.
Relatives and friends may call from 1-5 and 7-9 p.m. today at the Howe-Peterson Funeral Home, 22546 Michigan Ave., Dearborn, where services are at 10 a.m. Friday. The Rev. James Troust will officiate. Burial will be in Oakland Hills, Novi.
Memorial services are at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the First Presbyterian Church, Marshall Street, Coldwater.
Memorials may be directed to the Marilynn DePUE Memorial College Fund at Coldwater High School.

Of course, after all of that research, all we know is that they did move far away from where that tragedy took place. All we can do is hope that they are okay.

I'm sorry, I know this is an old thread.

You don't need to apologize for bumping an old thread, it's perfectly fine. No one is going to get on your case for it.

You don't need to apologize for bumping an old thread, it's perfectly fine. No one is going to get on your case for it, this isn't golden-road.net where they go psycho on you for posting to a thread that hasn't been posted to in a month. I found that out yesterday.


http://www.golden-road.net/index.php/topic,8255.15.html

The link is a bit off topic but what they said to you is ridiculous! I never get why people care if an old thread is bumped up. Some people are thinking about an old case and want to talk about it again. Thats great! Yes, no one is ever going to get any heat about bumping up old threads as long as I'm moderator.

LOL! I'm loving it. I think we've had threads on here that are two or three years old that get bumped for whatever reason...

They just aired the DePue story yesterday. That cases has always creeped me out....

You don't need to apologize for bumping an old thread, it's perfectly fine. No one is going to get on your case for it, this isn't golden-road.net where they go psycho on you for posting to a thread that hasn't been posted to in a month. I found that out yesterday.


http://www.golden-road.net/index.php/topic,8255.15.html

I agree with CD. That was absurd what they said to you on that board. If they didn't want old threads to be bumped, then they should automatically be deleted after a certain amount of inactivity as on another message board I frequent.

Yeah that episode was scary! One of my worst fears is stumbling upon a dead body, I'd seriously be peeing in my pants if I came upon a van with the inner doors covered in blood.

Just saw this replay on Spike this weekend. Our first thought too was - whatever happened to the children? I'm glad they got out of the area and I sincerely hope they are doing well. I can't even imagine living through something like that.

Dennis Farnia didn't deliver the "Eye for an eye, a life for a life" line anywhere near as great as Stack nailed it.

This line from Dennis's obit got me:
He was a Coldwater resident the past 20 years . . .
Well, except for the time when he went on the run after brutally murdering his wife. I also wonder if his children would have really wanted to be included in the obit. Oh well. I know I shouldn't expect them to put anything bad in his obit, but still, it was sort of striking.

On today's airing, didn't they edit out the license plate game that the two witnesses were playing that helped them remember that there was a G and Z on Dennis' van's plate?

All I recall her saying was geez, he must be in a hurry.

Rather than the whole discussion where the husband explains to the UM crew how they often played that game and when the van went passed them, the wife noticed the G and Z, made up a word with the letters, then wrote it down on a pad of paper that was kept in the car.

Was it edited out or did I just miss it?

edited

This case was (inadvertently?) fictionalized in the first 10 or so minutes of the movie Jeepers Creepers.

Oooh, now I gotta watch Jeepers Creepers again. :eek: I haven't seen it in a few years and never noticed the similarities between DePue and the movie's beginning scenes.

Oooh, now I gotta watch Jeepers Creepers again. :eek: I haven't seen it in a few years and never noticed the similarities between DePue and the movie's beginning scenes.


It's almost identical. Man & woman drive down desolate road one morning. Van comes roaring up behind them and almost drives them off the road. They were playing license plate games and remember his license. The van goes off into the distance. They pass the van on down the road, which is pulled over at a decrepit building, and they see man pulling bloody sheet out of van.

Oooh, now I gotta watch Jeepers Creepers again. :eek: I haven't seen it in a few years and never noticed the similarities between DePue and the movie's beginning scenes.

yes, like leafygreens said, it is just about the same exact thing. I remember feeling deja vu as well when I first saw Jeepers Creepers, then when I saw this segment on UM again it all came back to me.

The link is a bit off topic but what they said to you is ridiculous! I never get why people care if an old thread is bumped up. Some people are thinking about an old case and want to talk about it again. Thats great! Yes, no one is ever going to get any heat about bumping up old threads as long as I'm moderator.
OK, then I don't feel so bad asking for confirmation on this. During the update, when Dennis D is getting ready to leave "Mary's" house, and you can see the tv is tuned to Unsolved Mysteries: you're "hearing" Robert Stack's voice do the correct tease for the upcoming story on the search for Dennis Depue. But the picture you're "seeing", IIRC, is of the woman who disappeared after having an abortion in Florida (you know, the one where someone called the cops and said the missing woman lives in Omaha).

Or am I remembering wrong?

He was calling himself Hank Queen and they gave him the worst disguise with the fake mustache. Marilynn's parents have since passed.

When I first watched this 20 years ago, I just remember how in awe I was at the audacity of that old couple. They see Depue with a bloody sheet, and then drive back to the schoolyard to investigate. They were incredibly bold to do that. I don't think I would do more than just write down the license plate and report it.

Also, why would he torment his friends and family with these absurd letters. Makes me wonder if he was insane or narcassistic. What did he think, that they would sympathize with what he had done?

Someone made a comment about how well Stack delivered the line in the update. Stack's delivery was the best! I watched this the other day and I think the line was "...a life for a life. At the time, Dennis Depue didn't know how prophetic those words would be."

I'm sorry, I know this is an old thread, but I just saw this tragic story on Spiketv and I got to wondering about the kids that were left behind.
I can't imagine going through what these kids went through, and I was just hoping that they were okay. I couldn't stop thinking about it, so, I guess my curiosity got the better of me, because I went online to do a search, hoping to find something.
Well, lucky me, the first thing I found was this great message board. :D

Then I found this great post by unsolvedmysteriesfan, but I noticed Intelius was used for the search. Now, I like Intelius a lot, but I've had some really tricky and frustrating times with it too. It took me some time to figure out how to use it right. So, I did my own search, just in case.

Well, it looks like they did move pretty far away. It seems Julie, Jennifer, and Scott moved down to Sarasota, Florida, to live with Marilynn's mom and dad.
I don't know if her parents were already in Florida, or if they all decided to move down there, after the tragedy.
I think Jennifer was born in Feb 1972, making her only 36, and one year older than Julie.

It looks like Dennis Depue's father, Claude, died in 2005.
A few lines from the obit:
DePUE, Claude Dale, died Nov. 7, 2005
Jennifer and Scott DePUE of Sarasota, Fla., Julie DePUE of Orlando, Fla.
Preceding him in death were his wife, Elma in 1997; his son, Dennis DePUE in 1991.

Here's a little bit of Dennis Depue's obit:
Burr Oak; Dennis Henry DePUE, 47, died March 21, 1991, in Vicksburg, Miss
He was born June 13, 1943, in Sturgis, a son of Claude and Elma (GROVE) DePUE.
He was a Coldwater resident the past 20 years and during his early life he lived in Burr Oak. He graduated from Burr Oak High School and received a bachelors degree in business education from Michigan State University. He was employed more than 20 years for the State of Michigan in the Department of Treasury as a property tax specialist. He also had taught business education in Portland and Los Angles, Calif. He attended Burr Oak United Methodist Church and was a member of the MSU Alumni Association. He enjoyed MSU sports.
Surviving are two daughters, Jennifer DePUE, Sarasota, Fla.; and Julie DePUE, Coldwater; one son, Scott DePUE, Sarasota; parents, Claude and Elma DePUE, Burr Oak; four sisters, Mrs. James (Doris) EDIE, Findlay, Ohio, Mrs. Ronald (Velma) THEISEN, Dearborn, Mrs. Mike (Gloria) KEESLAR and Mrs. Kenneth (Claudia) WALL, both of Burr Oak; one brother, Leland DePUE, Buffalo GROVE, Ill.; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his grandparents.

Here's Marilynn's obit:
DePUE, Marilynn Lee, died April 15, 1990
Quincy; Marilynn Lee DePUE, 49, Dons Drive, died April 15, 1990.
She was born Jan. 24, 1941, in Detroit, a daughter of Dallas and Betty (MARTZ) McCLENAHEN.
Surviving are three children, Jennifer Dawn, Julie Marie and Scott Dennis; her mother and father; and one sister, Beverly BANK, Dearborn.
Relatives and friends may call from 1-5 and 7-9 p.m. today at the Howe-Peterson Funeral Home, 22546 Michigan Ave., Dearborn, where services are at 10 a.m. Friday. The Rev. James Troust will officiate. Burial will be in Oakland Hills, Novi.
Memorial services are at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the First Presbyterian Church, Marshall Street, Coldwater.
Memorials may be directed to the Marilynn DePUE Memorial College Fund at Coldwater High School.

Of course, after all of that research, all we know is that they did move far away from where that tragedy took place. All we can do is hope that they are okay.

I hate obituaries. They always omit the important information. Like "Preceding him in death... his son, Dennis DePUE in 1991." followed by all this glowing information about his accomplishments... no mention that he committed suicide after killing his wife.

I hate obituaries. They always omit the important information. Like "Preceding him in death... his son, Dennis DePUE in 1991." followed by all this glowing information about his accomplishments... no mention that he committed suicide after killing his wife.

You need to look at it from the DePue family's POV though. This is obviously an extremely tragic case and I believe the term RS used in describing it as "the disintegration of a family" is very appropriate.

There is no reason to publicize the way Dennis ended his life or why he ended life to the general public. That is for his family to deal with and although you might feel that obituaries omit "important information" they are not the place to make comment or pass judgment on the life of the person who has passed.

I believe the name of the ex-husband and murderer was Daniel DePue. He was living a new life with a new girlfriend somewhere when he saw his story on Unsolved Mysteries. He fled, and when police caught up with him, that is when he shot and killed himself.

I went ahead and purchased this archive article off of the Dallas Morning News website, from 1991:

DALLAS MORNING NEWS

Show reveals Grapevine man as fugitive Michigan slaying suspect flees Texas, apparently kills self during shootout
Catalina Camia Staff Writer of The Dallas Morning News THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS (DAL)
Published: MARCH 23, 1991



Linda Blizzard knew there was something fishy about her boyfriend. Hank Queen never got any mail at the house they shared in Grapevine. He didn't have a driver's license, and his van carried stolen Texas license plates. But a private investigator she hired found no serious wrongdoing by the evasive Mr. Queen.

Then a television crime show broadcast Wednesday solved Ms. Blizzard's mystery. Hank Queen -- real name Dennis DePue -- was a murder suspect on the lam. "I guess I'm just lucky to be alive,' Ms. Blizzard said. Mr. DePue, 47, apparently killed himself early Thursday near Vicksburg, Miss., after a two-state car chase and shootout with authorities.

After seeing part of Unsolved Mysteries Wednesday night on NBC-TV, he had left Grapevine, telling Ms. Blizzard that he was going to see his sick mother in Indiana.

The television segment dealt with a Michigan man who had killed his ex-wife last April 15. "The show did a very realistic enactment -- right down to the paint color on the van,' said Robert DuHadway, agent-in-charge of the FBI office in Grand Rapids, Mich. John Cosgrove, executive producer of Unsolved Mysteries, said Ms. Blizzard and a friend who saw the segment called a toll-free number broadcast at the end of the show. The women had recognized Mr. DePue from pictures on the broadcast.

Authorities immediately sent out an all-points bulletin for Mr. DePue. Before the show, Mr. Cosgrove said, Ms. Blizzard "had no idea he was accused of murder. Apparently, he saw the program and realized he was about to be apprehended.' The mystery begins in Algansee Township, a small town in Branch County, Mich., on the state's border near Indiana and Ohio. Marilynn DePue was living there with her two daughters and son.

Michigan authorities say the DePues had gone through a bitter divorce in late 1989. Last year, on Easter, Mr. DePue arrived in Branch County to take his son on an outing. - Instead, the couple argued, said Branch County Undersheriff Gary M. Abbott.

He struck her, pushed her down a flight of stairs, then dragged her back up the steps -- all within sight of the three children.

As the children called the sheriff's office, Mr. DePue told them not to worry. He said he would take their mother to the hospital.

Undersheriff Abbott said deputies went to the nearest hospital to meet the DePues. When he didn't show up with her, they became suspicious.

Later that day, witnesses said they saw Mr. DePue dispose of a bloodied sheet about 12 miles from the Indiana state line. These same witnesses said they saw blood on the door of Mr. DePue's van.

Mrs. DePue's body was found the next day on a seldom-used country road in Michigan. She had died from a single gunshot wound to the head, Mr. Abbott said.

The Branch County Sheriff's Department sought help from the FBI. In the next few months, the law enforcement agencies received numerous clues but no real leads. From time to time, relatives and friends of Mr. DePue received letters from the fugitive.

Although he did not admit to the murder, he often wrote about why he was angry with his ex-wife. "All the communication was to justify or rationalize any bad action committed,' Mr. Abbott said. "He would write things like he was treated unfairl y or "something had to happen.' ' The Sheriff's Department would trace Mr. DePue to the cities postmarked on his letters only to discover that he had already left.

The FBI has no idea when or how he got to Texas.

Ms. Blizzard said she met Mr. DePue at a Halloween party in Dallas. He gave her sketchy information about his background, alluding to college years spent at Michigan State University.

He moved in with her around Christmas, she said. "I did know that something wasn't quite right,' Ms. Blizzard said. "But I didn't know how serious it was.' Mr. DePue's body was being flown from Mississippi to Michigan on Friday. Warren County, Miss., Sheriff Paul Barrett said the coroner ruled that Mr. DePue died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Mississippi authorities had been alerted by Louisiana officials about Mr. DePue, whose van was spotted along Interstate 20. Warren County authorities set up roadblocks, but he drove through them.

Deputies shot out three tires, but Mr. DePue began firing at them through the van's windshield. The deputies raked the van with automatic weapon fire. When the shooting stopped, they found Mr. DePue in the van with a .357-caliber Magnum handgun in his mouth and his thumb on the trigger.

Sheriff Barrett, who also saw the Unsolved Mysteries episode Wednesday, said he immediately recognized Mr. DePue when he saw the body.


The Associated Press contributed to this report. -


1991 Copyright The Dallas Morning News Company

I always found this to be one of the most tragic UM cases. Dennis Depue ripped apart his entire family and then tried to blame everything on his wife when it's very obvious that he just couldn't handle the thought of divorce. His coworker said that he was contemplating suicide and murder, but neglected to tell anyone, it seems. I'm not blaming him, of course, but I do wonder what kind of signs he was showing at work to indicate this to the coworker. I think he would have blown up sooner or later and the custody argument that Easter day is what threw him over the edge. He was a ticking time bomb.

I always get chills thinking of criminals watching their own segments, but I really wonder how he felt watching it before his girlfriend returned home, particularly seeing his own daughter interviewed about witnessing his brutal attack on Marilyn in their home. Those poor children must have been haunted for years by what they had seen.

I can't believe that girlfriend let DePue move in with her just a few weeks after meeting him, even though he was weird, evasive about his past, and she knew something about him "wasn't quite right". Scary.

Just saw this replay on Spike this weekend. Our first thought too was - whatever happened to the children? I'm glad they got out of the area and I sincerely hope they are doing well. I can't even imagine living through something like that.
This was a very disturbing case indeed. Similar to Jim Burnside. Luckily the children were raised by grandparents and had a good support system. I always wanted to see the original Dennis Depue segment. I always like those better than the updates as Stack would describe the suspect as well as where they might be and provide any other clues

This case is so memorable just because of that horrific re-enactment at the abandoned school house. Such a terrifying scenario.

I was reading about DePue, and saw that he was apparently a teacher in Portland, OR at one time. I'm from there, so that's kind of... well, gross.

This case was (inadvertently?) fictionalized in the first 10 or so minutes of the movie Jeepers Creepers.

I remember seeing the Dennis Depue case in the early 90s, but hadn't thought of it in a while. Then around 2004 I saw Jeepers Creepers and had the oddest feeling of deja vu, and then I remembered this UM episode. The writer or director has never admitted to plagiarism, but it's pretty obvious that the DePue case heavily inspired him.

If you go to the imdb boards, or even the wikipedia page for this movie, lots of other people have noticed the same thing. In fact, for a while there was even a comparision clip up on youtube showing the striking similarities, but in the UM youtube holocaust, it has vanished. Boy, that was a great clip!

To me the DePue case is one of the most memorable, scary, and "classic" of all the UM segments. Along with the Georgia Rudolph and Tallman's Ghost stories, it is one of my favorites.

I believe they edited out the "GZ" part in the segment, which is something that infuriates me about the new show. They used to have longer segments, but these days they have edited everything down to 8 minutes, in order to fit in all those ridiculous wrestling commercials.

I saw that jeepers creepers comparison on youtube recently.

Just saw this replay on Spike this weekend. Our first thought too was - whatever happened to the children? I'm glad they got out of the area and I sincerely hope they are doing well. I can't even imagine living through something like that.
I always thought about his offspring as well. This guy looks very similar to him. I have often wonder are they related. Perhaps, they are father and son? He goes by the name of Sean Salmon and he used to be a professional mixed martial arts fighter. Could it be that he change his name after the tragedy of his family? Judge for yourself.

http://s8.postimg.org/k0984h6vn/father_and_son.jpg

I always thought about his offspring as well. This guy looks very similar to him. I have often wonder are they related. Perhaps, they are father and son? He goes by the name of Sean Salmon and he used to be a professional mixed martial arts fighter. Could it be that he change his name after the tragedy of his family? Judge for yourself.

http://s8.postimg.org/k0984h6vn/father_and_son.jpg

Interesting user name. Just saying. :)