Horribly SAD moments on UM

[WishfulDreamer]

Old thread, but I'm bumping it because of the new UM.

When Pistol Black was told by his father that his mother had been found, and he said, "Cool, where is she at?" Then his father had to tell him that her remains had been found. I felt so bad for him throughout the entire episode, but most of all when he had that glimmer of hope she had been found alive.

In the House of Terror episode when the father kills the whole family and the lone surviving child is lured back completely unaware what has happened to his family--devastating.

And the final episode was a doozy as well. Lena was probably disposed of just like her stepfather, Gary, and it's doubtful any trace of her will ever be found.

[TripleG]

Two that stand out to me:

1) The Larry Dickens Murder = From the reenactment, there was something about the sister ID'ing Bell, and then leaping into the car to take some shots at him that really got the water works going with me. She just witnessed her brother being shot in the driveway not long prior and her brother was killed right in front of her mother, and that moment of pure rage and sadness really got to me.

2) The Blind River Rest Stop killings. Gordon's whole demeanor in the interview was that of a broken man that was haunted by the loss of his wife and the whole ordeal. When it ends with him saying "I don't care if he comes after me...maybe if he killed me, he'll get caught this time". Something about that always depresses me when I see it.

[marlins3]

Originally Posted by TripleG

Two that stand out to me:

1) The Larry Dickens Murder = From the reenactment, there was something about the sister ID'ing Bell, and then leaping into the car to take some shots at him that really got the water works going with me. She just witnessed her brother being shot in the driveway not long prior and her brother was killed right in front of her mother, and that moment of pure rage and sadness really got to me.

2) The Blind River Rest Stop killings. Gordon's whole demeanor in the interview was that of a broken man that was haunted by the loss of his wife and the whole ordeal. When it ends with him saying "I don't care if he comes after me...maybe if he killed me, he'll get caught this time". Something about that always depresses me when I see it.

Agreed on both accounts. On the Larry Dickens case (yes, I know this is against protocol), the arresting officers should have let her have a few free swings at Bell.


The case that always gets me is Christophe Day. My heart just breaks for Bill Day. Upon finally finding his ex-wife, he learned his son had passed away.

[WishfulDreamer]

The reenactment of Ron Lieberman rushing to the apartment he shared with his wife, failing to get into the building, and calling "Sne!" in a desperate attempt to find her. Just horribly sad.

The entire Donna Baldeo segment. Horrific loss of life just because two juveniles thought it was fun to start fires.

Nancy Hyer being murdered simply because she wanted to do a favor to Billy Fischer by picking him up.

Molly Bish's mother saying, "You can lose your keys, you can lose your car, but how do you lose your child in America? Something is wrong."

Julie Cross trying desperately to get away from the man with the shotgun by jumping into the backseat of the car. Not to mention her colleague's speech about keeping her badge to honor her memory and a way to be with her.

[dynoguy88]

I'm piggybacking off of WishfulDreamer with the Magi Bish quote. I have an amazing mother. I've been so blessed to have her and she has always showered me with so much love. Seeing her cry about anything is like a punch to the gut. And I've felt that way about many mothers featured on UM over the years. Their tearful words were always featured at the end to wrap up the segment and they always cut deep through your heartstrings.

Barbara Pasciak - (Mother of Paul Pasciak): "I've become a very angry, very hateful person. Your life is never the same. Part of you dies."

Rose Marie Maher - (Mother of Angela Maher): "She was friendly, bubbly, full of life and vitality...and always smiling. I had a young lady that was polished and educated, personable and loved life and this woman took that away...not only from me but from everybody else that touched Angela's life."

Linda Curtis - (Mother of Tammy Leppert): "I think Tammy is either a victim of foul play or she doesn't know who she is. I, as a mother, wanted to believe everything she told me and I wanted to help her. If I had to do it all over again, I would have gone back and I would believe every single thing she told me and I would just hide her some place until we knew what the truth was. But I can't do it over."

Nancy Marshall - (Mother of Nyleen Kay Marshall): "I still look for her, I always will. Every time I'm at an airport, every time I'm at a resort, every time I'm at an amusement park. Sure I look like I'm having a good time...but I'm looking for my child, every...single...time I am out."

Tillie Hack - (Mother of Cindy James): "If we could only find out what happened, I think it would be easier on us. Right now, we just wonder, what happened? What happened? I can see her in front of me. I can hear her laughter. The fun we had. You know, I still find it hard to believe that she's not there."

Magi Bish - (Mother of Molly Bish): "We're educating people and we're giving them tools, and the kids are going to get smarter...and they're not going to get our children, because you can lose your keys, you can lose your glasses but how to do you lose your children in America? Something is wrong, very wrong. And if it can happen here, it can happen anywhere."

Dee Ziegert - (Mother of Lisa Ziegert): "I think children always feel that nothing can happen to them. And when something happens to someone that so many of them knew, it brought it home that life isn't always fair. You have to be extra careful...and even sometimes when you're extra careful, it doesn't matter. This cannot go unpunished. It can't be something where this person gets away. And the children have got to know this. If it's important to us, it's even more important to them."

Debbie Baskin - (Mother of Kristi and Bobby Baskin): "You get up every morning and you think perhaps this will be the day that our FBI agent will call or someone will call and say, 'we've found the kids.' And then it doesn't happen. And you have a little boy who will go to bed at night and say, 'please don't let nanna and stomp come and steal me too.' And I don't have a family anymore. And I don't know if they're alive or if they're dead. They've threatened to kill the kids before they restore them. So it's fear, it's constant fear. The fact that my parents have stolen my children. It wasn't good enough to kidnap them, they had to destroy any love the children had for me by making them think I was some kind of a monster."

Vivian Hobbs - (Mother of Kathy Hobbs): "Someone out there walking the streets is killing kids...and they killed my daughter. And before they can kill someone else's daughter, I want them caught."

Rose Hoffman - (Mother of Gus Hoffman): "You can help me. If anybody knows where my son is, please, I beg you, please tell the police or call me. I want my son. That's the most important thing."

Do me a favor and hug your mother as soon as possible. It was draining just typing out those quotes.

[WishfulDreamer]

Touching collection of quotes, dynoguy. I miss my mother everyday, and watching UM was one of our favorite ways to spend time together. I still remember which lines made her laugh or her favorite Stack moments when I watch now.

I would add Susan Billig to the list of quotes as well. I don't have the whole quote by heart and Filmrise cut it out but something along the lines of, "When Ned was dying, he said 'please don't forget Amy.' I said, 'I never could, I never would.'" and later she says, "I want my child. Alive, preferably. If dead, I want to put her next to her father. And I know if something happens to me, Josh will continue the search."

[TheCars1986]

Probably unpopular, but I believe that Al Henderson was being sincere at the end of his interview on the UM segment when he said he would give up his money just to have Jean Moore back.

[SageSlowdive]

Originally Posted by TheCars1986

Probably unpopular, but I believe that Al Henderson was being sincere at the end of his interview on the UM segment when he said he would give up his money just to have Jean Moore back.

Guess I'm in the minority with you...I believe most of his story.

[mphs95]

Originally Posted by Oldschooler81

True, I think perhaps his voice was starting to weaken on the 2000/01 ones as well. He was one of those guys that I thought for sure would live to 100, so his sudden decline in health was pretty tough for me to take.

I was shocked to find out his actual age (b. 1919 and mainly in his 70s all through UM's heyday). If you've ever seen Caddyshack II (I was probably one of the only ones who loved the sequel, as a kid it was hilarious to me), he was in pretty darn good physical shape for his age.

I loved the sequel too and I remember watching with my mom and when she saw Robert Stack, she was pretty impressed with how fit he was, especially compared with the other characters in the locker room.

PS: He and Dan Ackroyd were the best part of CS 2.

[ChandlerMurielB1]

Harold and Thelma Swain segment

[Jon]

Originally Posted by dynoguy88

I'm piggybacking off of WishfulDreamer with the Magi Bish quote. I have an amazing mother. I've been so blessed to have her and she has always showered me with so much love. Seeing her cry about anything is like a punch to the gut. And I've felt that way about many mothers featured on UM over the years. Their tearful words were always featured at the end to wrap up the segment and they always cut deep through your heartstrings.

Barbara Pasciak - (Mother of Paul Pasciak): "I've become a very angry, very hateful person. Your life is never the same. Part of you dies."

Rose Marie Maher - (Mother of Angela Maher): "She was friendly, bubbly, full of life and vitality...and always smiling. I had a young lady that was polished and educated, personable and loved life and this woman took that away...not only from me but from everybody else that touched Angela's life."

Linda Curtis - (Mother of Tammy Leppert): "I think Tammy is either a victim of foul play or she doesn't know who she is. I, as a mother, wanted to believe everything she told me and I wanted to help her. If I had to do it all over again, I would have gone back and I would believe every single thing she told me and I would just hide her some place until we knew what the truth was. But I can't do it over."

Nancy Marshall - (Mother of Nyleen Kay Marshall): "I still look for her, I always will. Every time I'm at an airport, every time I'm at a resort, every time I'm at an amusement park. Sure I look like I'm having a good time...but I'm looking for my child, every...single...time I am out."

Tillie Hack - (Mother of Cindy James): "If we could only find out what happened, I think it would be easier on us. Right now, we just wonder, what happened? What happened? I can see her in front of me. I can hear her laughter. The fun we had. You know, I still find it hard to believe that she's not there."

Magi Bish - (Mother of Molly Bish): "We're educating people and we're giving them tools, and the kids are going to get smarter...and they're not going to get our children, because you can lose your keys, you can lose your glasses but how to do you lose your children in America? Something is wrong, very wrong. And if it can happen here, it can happen anywhere."

Dee Ziegert - (Mother of Lisa Ziegert): "I think children always feel that nothing can happen to them. And when something happens to someone that so many of them knew, it brought it home that life isn't always fair. You have to be extra careful...and even sometimes when you're extra careful, it doesn't matter. This cannot go unpunished. It can't be something where this person gets away. And the children have got to know this. If it's important to us, it's even more important to them."

Debbie Baskin - (Mother of Kristi and Bobby Baskin): "You get up every morning and you think perhaps this will be the day that our FBI agent will call or someone will call and say, 'we've found the kids.' And then it doesn't happen. And you have a little boy who will go to bed at night and say, 'please don't let nanna and stomp come and steal me too.' And I don't have a family anymore. And I don't know if they're alive or if they're dead. They've threatened to kill the kids before they restore them. So it's fear, it's constant fear. The fact that my parents have stolen my children. It wasn't good enough to kidnap them, they had to destroy any love the children had for me by making them think I was some kind of a monster."

Vivian Hobbs - (Mother of Kathy Hobbs): "Someone out there walking the streets is killing kids...and they killed my daughter. And before they can kill someone else's daughter, I want them caught."

Rose Hoffman - (Mother of Gus Hoffman): "You can help me. If anybody knows where my son is, please, I beg you, please tell the police or call me. I want my son. That's the most important thing."

Do me a favor and hug your mother as soon as possible. It was draining just typing out those quotes.

Hall of fame level post

[ChandlerMurielB1]

The segment about Lady and Wolfka, the two dogs who disappeared. Lady ended up finding her way home, but no one seemed to care about Wolfka.

[1990 UM fan]

Originally Posted by dynoguy88

I'm piggybacking off of WishfulDreamer with the Magi Bish quote. I have an amazing mother. I've been so blessed to have her and she has always showered me with so much love. Seeing her cry about anything is like a punch to the gut. And I've felt that way about many mothers featured on UM over the years. Their tearful words were always featured at the end to wrap up the segment and they always cut deep through your heartstrings.

Barbara Pasciak - (Mother of Paul Pasciak): "I've become a very angry, very hateful person. Your life is never the same. Part of you dies."

Rose Marie Maher - (Mother of Angela Maher): "She was friendly, bubbly, full of life and vitality...and always smiling. I had a young lady that was polished and educated, personable and loved life and this woman took that away...not only from me but from everybody else that touched Angela's life."

Linda Curtis - (Mother of Tammy Leppert): "I think Tammy is either a victim of foul play or she doesn't know who she is. I, as a mother, wanted to believe everything she told me and I wanted to help her. If I had to do it all over again, I would have gone back and I would believe every single thing she told me and I would just hide her some place until we knew what the truth was. But I can't do it over."

Nancy Marshall - (Mother of Nyleen Kay Marshall): "I still look for her, I always will. Every time I'm at an airport, every time I'm at a resort, every time I'm at an amusement park. Sure I look like I'm having a good time...but I'm looking for my child, every...single...time I am out."

Tillie Hack - (Mother of Cindy James): "If we could only find out what happened, I think it would be easier on us. Right now, we just wonder, what happened? What happened? I can see her in front of me. I can hear her laughter. The fun we had. You know, I still find it hard to believe that she's not there."

Magi Bish - (Mother of Molly Bish): "We're educating people and we're giving them tools, and the kids are going to get smarter...and they're not going to get our children, because you can lose your keys, you can lose your glasses but how to do you lose your children in America? Something is wrong, very wrong. And if it can happen here, it can happen anywhere."

Dee Ziegert - (Mother of Lisa Ziegert): "I think children always feel that nothing can happen to them. And when something happens to someone that so many of them knew, it brought it home that life isn't always fair. You have to be extra careful...and even sometimes when you're extra careful, it doesn't matter. This cannot go unpunished. It can't be something where this person gets away. And the children have got to know this. If it's important to us, it's even more important to them."

Debbie Baskin - (Mother of Kristi and Bobby Baskin): "You get up every morning and you think perhaps this will be the day that our FBI agent will call or someone will call and say, 'we've found the kids.' And then it doesn't happen. And you have a little boy who will go to bed at night and say, 'please don't let nanna and stomp come and steal me too.' And I don't have a family anymore. And I don't know if they're alive or if they're dead. They've threatened to kill the kids before they restore them. So it's fear, it's constant fear. The fact that my parents have stolen my children. It wasn't good enough to kidnap them, they had to destroy any love the children had for me by making them think I was some kind of a monster."

Vivian Hobbs - (Mother of Kathy Hobbs): "Someone out there walking the streets is killing kids...and they killed my daughter. And before they can kill someone else's daughter, I want them caught."

Rose Hoffman - (Mother of Gus Hoffman): "You can help me. If anybody knows where my son is, please, I beg you, please tell the police or call me. I want my son. That's the most important thing."

Do me a favor and hug your mother as soon as possible. It was draining just typing out those quotes.

All of the above. I was just thinking about the Gus Hoffman case yesterday and how Rose tried her damnest to find him. I feel bad that she died without being able to put his body to rest.

Originally Posted by ChandlerMurielB1

The segment about Lady and Wolfka, the two dogs who disappeared. Lady ended up finding her way home, but no one seemed to care about Wolfka.

This has always bothered me too. I sincerely hope he made it out of the forest and found a loving home.

[GyorkLady]

The Francis Murphy portion of the Orphan Train riders segment. As a teenager he's sent out on the orphan train only to not be chosen by any of the families along the route, so he gets sent back to New York. Then he passes away before his interview on UM airs, so he never got to be reunited with his sister in life.

Victor Simon's segment. His backstory always wrecks me, especially his adoptive/foster parents. The whole thing gives me Georgia Tann/Ethel Nation vibes. The fact that he did find his relatives, but was never able to meet them before he died, is bittersweet.

Joseph Schambier's search for his daughter, and how that ended.

[dynoguy88]

Originally Posted by GyorkLady

Victor Simon's segment. His backstory always wrecks me, especially his adoptive/foster parents. The whole thing gives me Georgia Tann/Ethel Nation vibes. The fact that he did find his relatives, but was never able to meet them before he died, is bittersweet.

The thing I always loved about Victor was how he responded to the horrible situation he was put in. He was adopted by a horrible couple who didn't want a son but a farm hand, a 5 year old who they forced to sleep in the barn with the animals and then they eventually abandoned him.

The fact that later in life, he was able to marry and have so many kids who he showered with so much love despite the fact that he was never given a proper model of what love is....it's a testament to the amazing human being he was.

He's one of my favorite people ever featured on the show. It's just such a shame that some bad luck prevented him from meeting so many of his family members.