The Wackers

[Allierain]

Originally Posted by Labonte18

As I recall.. She had some coke bottle glasses. The blinking could be a result of eye problems.

Lol that’s true. I wish I could find a picture of the Wackers in their younger years.

[Allierain]

Originally Posted by GrantHarwood

Since this 100 page thread has the most activity - I've written a piece after obtaining the case file. Hopefully, those interested will find some new details here.

https://grantharwood.substack.com/p/cheaper-but-will-do

Incredible. So well written and objective, nice job. There is a great deal of information here that I wasn’t aware of and I’m looking forward to seeing what others make of it. In my case I have even more questions now than I did before.

We love UM. But as time goes on I find myself wondering more and more about how other segments could be built on misinformation or downright falsehoods.

[tvscript124]

Originally Posted by Allierain

Incredible. So well written and objective, nice job. There is a great deal of information here that I wasn’t aware of and I’m looking forward to seeing what others make of it. In my case I have even more questions now than I did before.

We love UM. But as time goes on I find myself wondering more and more about how other segments could be built on misinformation or downright falsehoods.

What jumps out at me is that someone said that the Wackers weren't the most congenial of neighbors. What does that mean?

[TheCars1986]

Originally Posted by GrantHarwood

Since this 100 page thread has the most activity - I've written a piece after obtaining the case file. Hopefully, those interested will find some new details here.

https://grantharwood.substack.com/p/cheaper-but-will-do

Thank you for sharing.

While it seems the case file has led you to believe Dorothy Wacker was orchestrating all of this, there was one detail in it that makes me believe there was an actual stalker/attacker. The next door neighbor's brother, Jimmy Pedigo, was the one who came inside the house and cut Dorothy loose from her bindings. He told the police that when he was going to the house, he heard the front door slam...as if the perpetrator was fleeing. Dorothy isn't slamming the front door and then seconds later being cut loose of bindings that tied her hands beneath her legs and knees with a gag. The neighbors, understandably so (if they indeed had nothing to do with the harassment), made the comment about the Wackers not being "congenial" and that they "bring most of their problems on themselves". That strikes me as someone with a possible motive.

There were also shoe prints found outside of the home in 1994, measured to be 13.5" in tennis shoes. Bill, as the responding deputy noted, did not own or wear tennis shoes of that size. If this was Dorothy orchestrating everything, where did those prints come from? Your article, IMO, showcased the same message that the Wackers expressed on the segment: they keep getting harassed for years and it appears that, at least by 1994, the police weren't taking them seriously. To believe that Dorothy Wacker was behind all of this, she would have had to have been that convincing to either trick or have her daughter be complicit in this, because Kathy Battin was present when banging was reported in November in 1993. Neighbors aren't going to report anything suspicious if they themselves were behind it, or knew who was.

[GrantHarwood]

Originally Posted by TheCars1986

Thank you for sharing.

While it seems the case file has led you to believe Dorothy Wacker was orchestrating all of this, there was one detail in it that makes me believe there was an actual stalker/attacker. The next door neighbor's brother, Jimmy Pedigo, was the one who came inside the house and cut Dorothy loose from her bindings. He told the police that when he was going to the house, he heard the front door slam...as if the perpetrator was fleeing. Dorothy isn't slamming the front door and then seconds later being cut loose of bindings that tied her hands beneath her legs and knees with a gag. The neighbors, understandably so (if they indeed had nothing to do with the harassment), made the comment about the Wackers not being "congenial" and that they "bring most of their problems on themselves". That strikes me as someone with a possible motive.

There were also shoe prints found outside of the home in 1994, measured to be 13.5" in tennis shoes. Bill, as the responding deputy noted, did not own or wear tennis shoes of that size. If this was Dorothy orchestrating everything, where did those prints come from? Your article, IMO, showcased the same message that the Wackers expressed on the segment: they keep getting harassed for years and it appears that, at least by 1994, the police weren't taking them seriously. To believe that Dorothy Wacker was behind all of this, she would have had to have been that convincing to either trick or have her daughter be complicit in this, because Kathy Battin was present when banging was reported in November in 1993. Neighbors aren't going to report anything suspicious if they themselves were behind it, or knew who was.

As I stated in the article, I do not allege anyone committed any crime. I simply reported the file, quoting from it directly, and there were many details either omitted for time or unknown when they put together the television segment.

[XCalibur]

Originally Posted by TheCars1986

Thank you for sharing.

While it seems the case file has led you to believe Dorothy Wacker was orchestrating all of this, there was one detail in it that makes me believe there was an actual stalker/attacker. The next door neighbor's brother, Jimmy Pedigo, was the one who came inside the house and cut Dorothy loose from her bindings. He told the police that when he was going to the house, he heard the front door slam...as if the perpetrator was fleeing. Dorothy isn't slamming the front door and then seconds later being cut loose of bindings that tied her hands beneath her legs and knees with a gag. The neighbors, understandably so (if they indeed had nothing to do with the harassment), made the comment about the Wackers not being "congenial" and that they "bring most of their problems on themselves". That strikes me as someone with a possible motive.

There were also shoe prints found outside of the home in 1994, measured to be 13.5" in tennis shoes. Bill, as the responding deputy noted, did not own or wear tennis shoes of that size. If this was Dorothy orchestrating everything, where did those prints come from? Your article, IMO, showcased the same message that the Wackers expressed on the segment: they keep getting harassed for years and it appears that, at least by 1994, the police weren't taking them seriously. To believe that Dorothy Wacker was behind all of this, she would have had to have been that convincing to either trick or have her daughter be complicit in this, because Kathy Battin was present when banging was reported in November in 1993. Neighbors aren't going to report anything suspicious if they themselves were behind it, or knew who was.

Wow, very enlightening. I hadn't had a chance to read his files yet because they were long. But this honestly points to some suspicions I've had for a long time about this case, as I've mostly been an advocate for the Wackers telling the truth.

I also pointed that out in another thread, that if the neighbors were badmouthing the Wackers saying they brought this on themselves that should cast at least some suspicion on them.

As for this Pedigo guy, I also wondered who the neighbor was who came and freed Dorothy, and how she was able to get the neighbor's attention if her mouth was taped shut. Unless they knew she was there. But you said he was the neighbor's brother, he still could have known though.

The shoe prints in the yard really kind of wreck the narrative that there was never any evidence of any intruder. And that goes back to an issue you and I both have had with Unsolved Mysteries, they often leave out key facts that make a case look way more strange and mysterious than it really was. Seems like Unsolved Mysteries wanted to make these incidents look like the work of some kind of supernatural unseen phantom, and inadvertently made a lot of people think the Wackers were fabricating all this.

Also makes me wonder how seriously the sheriffs dept took this whole thing from the start. I think its possible the Wackers may have staged a couple of incidents to try and get people to believe them, but it doesn't look to me like they were behind the whole thing, I've long suspected it had to be a neighbor. They could be seen near the residence without arousing suspicion. They would not admit to seeing anything suspicious especially after the police were beginning to think the Wackers were doing it themselves, they could have observed from their house the Wackers stake out and found the blind spot, they would not have needed a car to access the property as Bill said he never heard one......... list goes on and on.

I've also read the harassment stopped or at least slowed down after the UM broadcast, if so at least the Wackers got some peace finally. And the broadcast could have scared them into stopping. So at least it accomplished that. But after reading this I'm more convinced than ever they did not do this to themselves, at least not all of it.

[Clockwork]

Originally Posted by TheCars1986

Thank you for sharing.

While it seems the case file has led you to believe Dorothy Wacker was orchestrating all of this, there was one detail in it that makes me believe there was an actual stalker/attacker. The next door neighbor's brother, Jimmy Pedigo, was the one who came inside the house and cut Dorothy loose from her bindings. He told the police that when he was going to the house, he heard the front door slam...as if the perpetrator was fleeing. Dorothy isn't slamming the front door and then seconds later being cut loose of bindings that tied her hands beneath her legs and knees with a gag. The neighbors, understandably so (if they indeed had nothing to do with the harassment), made the comment about the Wackers not being "congenial" and that they "bring most of their problems on themselves". That strikes me as someone with a possible motive.

There were also shoe prints found outside of the home in 1994, measured to be 13.5" in tennis shoes. Bill, as the responding deputy noted, did not own or wear tennis shoes of that size. If this was Dorothy orchestrating everything, where did those prints come from? Your article, IMO, showcased the same message that the Wackers expressed on the segment: they keep getting harassed for years and it appears that, at least by 1994, the police weren't taking them seriously. To believe that Dorothy Wacker was behind all of this, she would have had to have been that convincing to either trick or have her daughter be complicit in this, because Kathy Battin was present when banging was reported in November in 1993. Neighbors aren't going to report anything suspicious if they themselves were behind it, or knew who was.

Plus she'd have had injuries too would she not? We can keep another thing in mind here, this seems like it happened over several years. And while even one of these incidents in a year would be disturbing, it seems as if it was happening annually perhaps. Which is not saying it is good, but that isn't a ton either. Meaning it likely was a prank and it was a neighbor/family member getting bored. But when UM aired it, they figured it wasn't worth getting caught, so they stopped.

[Stratego]

Originally Posted by GrantHarwood

Since this 100 page thread has the most activity - I've written a piece after obtaining the case file. Hopefully, those interested will find some new details here.

https://grantharwood.substack.com/p/cheaper-but-will-do

Great piece and I definitely agree with your assessment.

[tvscript124]

Originally Posted by XCalibur

Wow, very enlightening. I hadn't had a chance to read his files yet because they were long. But this honestly points to some suspicions I've had for a long time about this case, as I've mostly been an advocate for the Wackers telling the truth.

I also pointed that out in another thread, that if the neighbors were badmouthing the Wackers saying they brought this on themselves that should cast at least some suspicion on them.

As for this Pedigo guy, I also wondered who the neighbor was who came and freed Dorothy, and how she was able to get the neighbor's attention if her mouth was taped shut. Unless they knew she was there. But you said he was the neighbor's brother, he still could have known though.

The shoe prints in the yard really kind of wreck the narrative that there was never any evidence of any intruder. And that goes back to an issue you and I both have had with Unsolved Mysteries, they often leave out key facts that make a case look way more strange and mysterious than it really was. Seems like Unsolved Mysteries wanted to make these incidents look like the work of some kind of supernatural unseen phantom, and inadvertently made a lot of people think the Wackers were fabricating all this.

Also makes me wonder how seriously the sheriffs dept took this whole thing from the start. I think its possible the Wackers may have staged a couple of incidents to try and get people to believe them, but it doesn't look to me like they were behind the whole thing, I've long suspected it had to be a neighbor. They could be seen near the residence without arousing suspicion. They would not admit to seeing anything suspicious especially after the police were beginning to think the Wackers were doing it themselves, they could have observed from their house the Wackers stake out and found the blind spot, they would not have needed a car to access the property as Bill said he never heard one......... list goes on and on.

I've also read the harassment stopped or at least slowed down after the UM broadcast, if so at least the Wackers got some peace finally. And the broadcast could have scared them into stopping. So at least it accomplished that. But after reading this I'm more convinced than ever they did not do this to themselves, at least not all of it.

The fact that the harassment slowed down or stopped after the segment raises some interesting questions:

1) If the Wackers were behind it in part or completely, and they did it for attention, wouldn't they continue it after getting national exposure? Some people love perpetuating a hoax when they get media attention, or feel a need to keep up the facade. We have seen this with high-profile cases.

2) If someone else was behind it, even in a pre-social media pre-Internet era, wouldn't they decide to cut their losses rather than be exposed?

[TheCars1986]

I could believe that Dorothy was orchestrating the attacks on herself. That's not out of the realm of possibility. But her also "stealing" the various items inside the house (including guns and other pieces that would be difficult to hide) and then returning them one by one to the house. What purpose does this serve? It also freaked out their kids and in-laws to the point where they staged a stake out and their daughter that lived out of state was in constant communication with the investigators. If there was even a hint of Dorothy and/or Bill being behind this, would their family willingly go along with this lie? Seems unlikely.

[tvscript124]

Originally Posted by TheCars1986

I could believe that Dorothy was orchestrating the attacks on herself. That's not out of the realm of possibility. But her also "stealing" the various items inside the house (including guns and other pieces that would be difficult to hide) and then returning them one by one to the house. What purpose does this serve? It also freaked out their kids and in-laws to the point where they staged a stake out and their daughter that lived out of state was in constant communication with the investigators. If there was even a hint of Dorothy and/or Bill being behind this, would their family willingly go along with this lie? Seems unlikely.

Only if they were really deluded. If they were deluded enough to go along with the lie, then maybe. But that's even a stretch, especially since the stakeout already had so many people questioning the Wackers' story.

[tvscript124]

I just caught this segment again recently and I now 100 percent believe the Wackers had nothing to do with the harassment. I just don't see it with them.

No disrespect to the poster who posted his Substack article with the police file, but I just do not believe that Dorothy and Bill were responsible.

[EighthStreet]

I don't know how you can read the last police report about the front door being cut to make it look like someone was going at it with a pry bar and not come to the conclusion that this was all fabricated.

[Labonte18]

Originally Posted by EighthStreet

I don't know how you can read the last police report about the front door being cut to make it look like someone was going at it with a pry bar and not come to the conclusion that this was all fabricated.

To be fair.. That's the opinion of the officer who was looking at it, most likely. Possibly someone who had responded multiple times and was, perhaps, prejudiced to believe that they were doing it themselves.

You have to take everything.. And I mean EVERYTHING.. With a grain of salt.

That being said.. I still agree with you that I just don't see how this couldn't - at least partially - be something they made up.

[EighthStreet]

Originally Posted by Labonte18

That being said.. I still agree with you that I just don't see how this couldn't - at least partially - be something they made up.

And really, that's where I'm at with this. Maybe the home invasion happened, but after that everything becomes very childish.
Can anyone provide an example of a harassment campaign that decreases in intensity over time? Especially one that reaches the crescendo of breaking in, assaulting, and tying up your target?