Bravest people on UM?

[isotope]

Who do you think are among the most courageous people UM has spotlighted?

I'm going to go with the couple who first discovered the crimes of Dennis Depue - if you recall, they were driving past an abandoned school building when they spotted him holding a bloody sheet (a scene so memorable, it provided the inspiration for the opening of "Jeepers Creepers"), He then aggressively tailgated them, they then tried to get his licence plate number and THEN they returned to the building to see what he had left there.

The last act was one of enormous bravery - this was in the days before cell phones and it was a remote rural location. If DePue had returned to the building armed, while they were there, they would have both been finished. If I'd seen what they had, I like to think I would have reported to the police in the next town I came to, but there is NO WAY I would be heading back to that creepy schoolhouse with a potential murderer on the loose.

(Incidentally, that abandoned schoolhouse is still standing - Cnr S. Snow Prairie Road & W. Southern Rd in Michigan)

As for the most erm..."unbrave" people, I'm going to go with the couple who were woken by screaming coming from Crystal Spencer's apartment at 4 in the morning (she would be found dead the next day in unexplained circumstances) and decided they didn't want to get involved, not even to ring the cops. Unbelievably, they were happy to be show their faces on national TV.

[Mike82]

Originally Posted by isotope

As for the most erm..."unbrave" people, I'm going to go with the couple who were woken by screaming coming from Crystal Spencer's apartment at 4 in the morning (she would be found dead the next day in unexplained circumstances) and decided they didn't want to get involved, not even to ring the cops. Unbelievably, they were happy to be show their faces on national TV.

Let me play Devil's advocate on this one:

Perhaps Crystal was noisy in general and they just assumed they were being a typical 'crazy' couple, making lots of noise but ultimately nobody was in any danger. I had a woman above me in one of my apartments who let's just say had very loud fun with strangers all the time for one example. I was tempted to call the cops but for a noise complaint not a criminal one.

Fast forward to today and I had to call the cops on a neighbour once after yet another wall shaking 4am party. He doesn't know I was the 'rat' but in the middle of one night he went on a very loud, profanity laced tirade about what he thought of who called. He is a a typical mid 20s spoiled brat who has never learned the word no. This isn't even a ghetto either: I live in a nice middle class neighbourhood.

Honestly, would YOU want to be known as the person who got the neighbour arrested and potential gave them a criminal record that ruined their life? You could be putting your own life in danger for no good reason, at least as you saw it at the time. I know if I were in that person's shoes I would be out for blood if I ended up jobless and homeless over a minor incident and I am a pretty civilized person: there's no telling what a thug would do but they would probably use all that free time to make your life a living hell.

Having said that I agree it's a good idea to make an anoymous call in that situation. While I almost got arrested a few years back because a neighbour called about my (then) crazy, borderline psychotic girlfriend screaming uncontrollably I don't blame the neighbour one bit for calling and hold no ill feelings towards them but in my experience few people share my view.

[WishfulDreamer]

Rose Hoffman and Susan Billig both get my vote. They interacted with some pretty dangerous people in attempts to find their children (both of whom have sadly never been found in 40+ years).

The guy who wouldn't go in the back room with the I-70 killer.

Dawna Dickens, who tried to stop Edward Harold Bell from driving away by using her car as a barrier even after she just saw her brother get shot by him. I'll add the woman who fended off the home intruder in the same segment (who may or may not have been Bell).

[James T]

The old lady who took on the drug dealers blighting her street &ended up being shot-while the useless cops did nothing.

[isotope]

Originally Posted by WishfulDreamer

The guy who wouldn't go in the back room with the I-70 killer.

I think that was more presence of mind than anything.

The guy had a split second to decide his course of action with a gun in his face, and was savvy enough to realize that if he refused to go in the back room he MAY get killed, whereas if he went in the back room he'd DEFINITELY get killed

[DALLASTEXAN!!]

Originally Posted by WishfulDreamer

Rose Hoffman and Susan Billig both get my vote. They interacted with some pretty dangerous people in attempts to find their children (both of whom have sadly never been found in 40+ years).

The guy who wouldn't go in the back room with the I-70 killer.

Dawna Dickens, who tried to stop Edward Harold Bell from driving away by using her car as a barrier even after she just saw her brother get shot by him. I'll add the woman who fended off the home intruder in the same segment (who may or may not have been Bell).

all of these are great. but the I-70 Killer in particular stands out for me. It takes bravery to defy someone who has a gun because you don't always know if their intentions are to rob or kill or both. that took a lot of bravery whether it was fight/flight situation or not. every time I watch that part of the segment it shivers mi timbers...even-though I know the ending of the story for him.

[DALLASTEXAN!!]

Originally Posted by James T

The old lady who took on the drug dealers blighting her street &ended up being shot-while the useless cops did nothing.

yes indeed. a hero for that neighbourhood. she deserves respect.

[dynoguy88]

Originally Posted by DALLASTEXAN!!

yes indeed. a hero for that neighbourhood. she deserves respect.

That segment even starts out with Stack telling the viewers they're about to see one of the bravest women we've ever featured.

I don't think that was a segment that was ever transferred to Lifetime. I saw it when it originally on NBC and I never saw it again until Amazon Prime.

[DazzlerSparkler]

I don't remember the exact case but a woman fought off her rapist and escaped. It was a Hispanic man. The woman had glasses in her interview segment.

Special mention to the newspaper repoeter who took the shot of the bank robbers

[TheCars1986]

Originally Posted by DazzlerSparkler

I don't remember the exact case but a woman fought off her rapist and escaped. It was a Hispanic man. The woman had glasses in her interview segment.

That was the Rufino Castaneda segment. What pissed me off the most about that segment was that the other men who were complicit in her abduction and rape were never profiled or wanted to my knowledge.

[James T]

Originally Posted by TheCars1986

That was the Rufino Castaneda segment. What pissed me off the most about that segment was that the other men who were complicit in her abduction and rape were never profiled or wanted to my knowledge.

Yeah, that was really odd-I was wondering where they vanished to during the segment as well. According to her they all abducted her, yet there were only two in the car with her & then one got out. I wondered what happened to her 'friend' as well-was he like everybody else in the bar blind & deaf? If it was out of his eye-line did he not wonder what the hell had happened to her friend who had somehow vanished into thin air while going to buy a drink? I wonder maybe if this friend had helped set this up to pay off a debt, or maybe he was one of their buddies? Or did the friend call the cops but UM just didn't tell us?

[James T]

Originally Posted by DALLASTEXAN!!

yes indeed. a hero for that neighbourhood. she deserves respect.

A crying shame it took her being shot to force the cops to do what they were being paid to do but weren't in the first place. The chief or whoever was in charge there could have cleaned that place up in a week or two if he would have bothered.

[CanadianGuitaris]

Originally Posted by DazzlerSparkler

Special mention to the newspaper repoeter who took the shot of the bank robbers

First one who came to my mind as well, although my former career in journalism probably played a small role in it.

[Allierain]

Originally Posted by Mike82

Let me play Devil's advocate on this one:

Perhaps Crystal was noisy in general and they just assumed they were being a typical 'crazy' couple, making lots of noise but ultimately nobody was in any danger. I had a woman above me in one of my apartments who let's just say had very loud fun with strangers all the time for one example. I was tempted to call the cops but for a noise complaint not a criminal one.

Fast forward to today and I had to call the cops on a neighbour once after yet another wall shaking 4am party. He doesn't know I was the 'rat' but in the middle of one night he went on a very loud, profanity laced tirade about what he thought of who called. He is a a typical mid 20s spoiled brat who has never learned the word no. This isn't even a ghetto either: I live in a nice middle class neighbourhood.

Honestly, would YOU want to be known as the person who got the neighbour arrested and potential gave them a criminal record that ruined their life? You could be putting your own life in danger for no good reason, at least as you saw it at the time. I know if I were in that person's shoes I would be out for blood if I ended up jobless and homeless over a minor incident and I am a pretty civilized person: there's no telling what a thug would do but they would probably use all that free time to make your life a living hell.

Some around here have actually outright blamed Crystal's neighbors for her death. It's ridiculous.

Some of the bravest people I've ever seen on UM are those who walk the streets in disguise, asking about their missing and murdered loved ones. I second Amy Billig's mum for sure, and also Lee Selwyn's mum, Elizabeth Campbell's parents...and I think there is one other I forgot.

[Labonte18]

Originally Posted by isotope

Who do you think are among the most courageous people UM has spotlighted?

I'm going to go with the couple who first discovered the crimes of Dennis Depue - if you recall, they were driving past an abandoned school building when they spotted him holding a bloody sheet (a scene so memorable, it provided the inspiration for the opening of "Jeepers Creepers"), He then aggressively tailgated them, they then tried to get his licence plate number and THEN they returned to the building to see what he had left there.

The last act was one of enormous bravery - this was in the days before cell phones and it was a remote rural location. If DePue had returned to the building armed, while they were there, they would have both been finished. If I'd seen what they had, I like to think I would have reported to the police in the next town I came to, but there is NO WAY I would be heading back to that creepy schoolhouse with a potential murderer on the loose.

(Incidentally, that abandoned schoolhouse is still standing - Cnr S. Snow Prairie Road & W. Southern Rd in Michigan)

I don't really consider that bravery.. That's stupidity and luck. You know the old saying.. Fate protects fools, little children and ships named Enterprise. I think you can guess the two of those they weren't. I think them getting his plates.. Maybe I'll agree with you a bit on that, but.. Let's say he had come back while they were at the school house. What would they have done? Probably would have been 3 bodies discovered there. They should have called the cops rather than going back.

The segment that had Matthew McConaughey in it.. Larry Dickens.. That was a fairly brave guy. Stupid as well, because.. Give him the keys or go for the gun. standing there saying no to someone pointing a gun at you generally isn't going to end well. I don't really fault him for taking the keys, but, the part afterwards.. I mean, throw the keys on the roof or something. Run away, because most people can't hit anything past 15 yards with a handgun and 'ol Ed didn't look like he could run too fast anyway. As it stands.. Larry died and Ed Bell got the keys anyway.