Dale Kerstetter

[crystaldawn]

Yes that was some very interesting insight JacopoBelbo. I have always figured that Dale was abducted but your comments make me think there's a possibility he could have been in on it. They state that Dale was in arrears several thousand dollars yet his daughter claimed he had stock in Corning and other different sources he could obtain money so that sort of contradicts itself. It makes me wonder if him and his son had a similar discussion than you had with Dale as he was very specific in stating that his dad was probably hiding out in Canada or Australia and would come back when the statute of limitations expired. His smiling and calm demeanor makes me wonder if maybe Dale's son knew something the other family members didn't. Its always great to have someone who knew the person profiled's comments so if there's anything else you want to share, feel free.

[JacopoBelbo]

Originally Posted by crystaldawn

Yes that was some very interesting insight JacopoBelbo. I have always figured that Dale was abducted but your comments make me think there's a possibility he could have been in on it. They state that Dale was in arrears several thousand dollars yet his daughter claimed he had stock in Corning and other different sources he could obtain money so that sort of contradicts itself. It makes me wonder if him and his son had a similar discussion than you had with Dale as he was very specific in stating that his dad was probably hiding out in Canada or Australia and would come back when the statute of limitations expired. His smiling and calm demeanor makes me wonder if maybe Dale's son knew something the other family members didn't. Its always great to have someone who knew the person profiled's comments so if there's anything else you want to share, feel free.

Al's demeanor could probably be attributed to his strong belief that his father was capable of partaking in this, and therefore he was hopeful that someday he would return, but there's probably no way that he was aware of details either before or after.

If I think of any other details I'll keep you posted.

[kadrmas15]

Hmm, interesting posting. Yes this case is a tough one to figure out what happened. Was Kerstetter a victim? Was he in on it and then murdered afterward when his accomplice wanted the loot for himself? Is Kerstetter still alive living comfortably somewhere unknown?

The security camera footage I found to be interesting. With Dale looking up into the camera the way he did, I do not know why he would do that unless he was flaunting his crime.

In my opinion Kerstetter either told the masked man where to go to get the platinum and had directed him towards tools and stuff or the masked man had at one time worked at the plant. In my opinion the sack on the manual forklift was the sack with the platinum in it.

I did find Kerstetter's son's demeanor and comments to be unusual but maybe Dale as his former son in law has suggested might have just said to his son in casual conversation about how he would like to get away to Canada or Austrailia or something?

What I would be curious about is how would the masked man even get in the plant? I am assuming the plant doors would be locked from the outside, so that makes me believe that Kerstetter let the man in but of course no one knows exactly how that went down.

The Keys under the newspaper and the lunch pail full of food tells me that this crime probably went down before the mid point of Kerstetter's shift since usually from what I have seen people tend to eat half way through their shift. Kerstetter leaving his truck behind is not suscipicious I do not think although I do find it odd he wouldnt take his cigarettes with him since according to the segment he was a heavy smoker. However his .22 caliber pistol was gone, so Kerstetter could have used it on this masked man if in fact Kerstetter was not in on the plot or if Kerstetter wasnt in on the plot and didnt have his gun with him the masked man might have known he had it and stolen it out of the holster to keep Kerstetter in control.

At one point on the security camera when you see the two talking and then they start to walk, it does look like the masked man has something pointed into Kerstetter's back although it is hard to see and you can really only see for a brief second.

[RightOnDude]

If I had to guess:

Guy comes in to rob the place, points gun at Dale.

Dale says, "Hey, take what you want, I'm a marginal employee and I'm not risking my neck over this platinum. Not like I'll ever see a dime of it. Heck I'll even show you where it is and act like I'm being held hostage if I can get in on the action!"

Guy agrees, gets the platinum, walks out with Dale shielding him from the camera somewhat

When it's all over he, sadly, "offs" Dale

platinum is melted into jewelry and sold to rappers nationwide

[moneypenny10]

I can not believe I just stumbled upon this site! I am one of Dale's daughters, the ex-wife of the son-in-law who has posted. J- thank you for your insight and opinion. Your description of my father is accurate; I appreciate that you remember him so and that you have pondered this mystery over the years.

The son - For those of you who question my brother's knowledge of the event, Al did not know anything of this caper; at the time he was simply a very young man (16 years old) who abruptly lost his idol. His on air comments were precipitated by his need to believe that his father would be back in his life; it was easier for Al to believe he was involved and therefore still alive and able to return one day.

Motive - While the show may have tried to depict a man with a financial motive, and it was true he took a large paycut to keep his job as the plant was cutting back, Dale was a very simple man and did not require significant financial means to survive. He was $30k in debt, as is anyone else who has a mortgage, so I think that the debt issue was sensationalized for the plant's benefit in the segment. I can tell you that my father owned a fair amount of Corning stock as well as several investment/retirement funds and life insurance policies that all could have been cashed in which makes it difficult to believe money was a motive, thus my comment in the show about having financial means available to him. As earlier posts have pointed out, you would need a market for this platinum and the PA State Police thoroughly checked out all legitimate avenues for selling such a commodity. You must remember, many people worked at that plant over the years, my father was one of hundreds who knew the platinum was there. It wasn't a secret to anyone in Bradford, Pa!

Dad was a typical, old-school, blue collar plant employee; do what you are paid to do and expected to do, nothing more, nothing less. I suppose that could qualify him as a marginal employee. He did not have any reason to "have it out" with the plant, the plant provided for a family with six kids for many, many years (and stock options, which he exercised).

About 15 years ago, I hired a retired FBI regional director-turned lawyer to assist me in the endeavor of declaring him legally dead; while the statute of limitations had passed, as you can imagine, in this bizarre situation, it is nearly impossible. For the record, none of the family has ever collected on any of his financial assets.

The security tape - I saw the entire tape. You saw what I saw - was he quietly signaling for help or flaunting his crime? There was nothing else on the tape that would offer you an opinion one way or another. I knew that man like the back of my hand and to this day I still cannot make up my mind as to what he is conveying in that frame of film.

The gun - my father would secure the entire plant by himself at night (he was a journeyman at the plant by day and did the security detail on the nightshift for the overtime) and he confided to me on one occasion that he would not be alone in that huge building by himself with no protection. When I would come home to visit him, my friends and I would simply walk in the front door of the plant to greet him in the middle of the night. If he wasn't at the guard post, we would just walk around the plant calling his name while he did his rounds. Anyone could have done it. The plant knew he carried a gun; it wasn't sanctioned by the plant but no one ever told him to leave it at home. The gun has never been found.

I can proudly tell you that he was a wonderful father who was extremely well liked and respected by many in the small town community he called home all his life.

I can sadly tell you that none of the family has ever had any contact with Dale or anyone who has been able to shed any light on this one way or another. It is indeed an unsolved mystery that his six children have pondered over for twenty plus years. We have conceded to the fact that we will never know.

[wiseguy182]

Originally Posted by moneypenny10

I can not believe I just stumbled upon this site! I am one of Dale's daughters, the ex-wife of the son-in-law who has posted. J- thank you for your insight and opinion. Your description of my father is accurate; I appreciate that you remember him so and that you have pondered this mystery over the years.

The son - For those of you who question my brother's knowledge of the event, Al did not know anything of this caper; at the time he was simply a very young man (16 years old) who abruptly lost his idol. His on air comments were precipitated by his need to believe that his father would be back in his life; it was easier for Al to believe he was involved and therefore still alive and able to return one day.

Motive - While the show may have tried to depict a man with a financial motive, and it was true he took a large paycut to keep his job as the plant was cutting back, Dale was a very simple man and did not require significant financial means to survive. He was $30k in debt, as is anyone else who has a mortgage, so I think that the debt issue was sensationalized for the plant's benefit in the segment. I can tell you that my father owned a fair amount of Corning stock as well as several investment/retirement funds and life insurance policies that all could have been cashed in which makes it difficult to believe money was a motive, thus my comment in the show about having financial means available to him. As earlier posts have pointed out, you would need a market for this platinum and the PA State Police thoroughly checked out all legitimate avenues for selling such a commodity. You must remember, many people worked at that plant over the years, my father was one of hundreds who knew the platinum was there. It wasn't a secret to anyone in Bradford, Pa!

Dad was a typical, old-school, blue collar plant employee; do what you are paid to do and expected to do, nothing more, nothing less. I suppose that could qualify him as a marginal employee. He did not have any reason to "have it out" with the plant, the plant provided for a family with six kids for many, many years (and stock options, which he exercised).

About 15 years ago, I hired a retired FBI regional director-turned lawyer to assist me in the endeavor of declaring him legally dead; while the statute of limitations had passed, as you can imagine, in this bizarre situation, it is nearly impossible. For the record, none of the family has ever collected on any of his financial assets.

The security tape - I saw the entire tape. You saw what I saw - was he quietly signaling for help or flaunting his crime? There was nothing else on the tape that would offer you an opinion one way or another. I knew that man like the back of my hand and to this day I still cannot make up my mind as to what he is conveying in that frame of film.

The gun - my father would secure the entire plant by himself at night (he was a journeyman at the plant by day and did the security detail on the nightshift for the overtime) and he confided to me on one occasion that he would not be alone in that huge building by himself with no protection. When I would come home to visit him, my friends and I would simply walk in the front door of the plant to greet him in the middle of the night. If he wasn't at the guard post, we would just walk around the plant calling his name while he did his rounds. Anyone could have done it. The plant knew he carried a gun; it wasn't sanctioned by the plant but no one ever told him to leave it at home. The gun has never been found.

I can proudly tell you that he was a wonderful father who was extremely well liked and respected by many in the small town community he called home all his life.

I can sadly tell you that none of the family has ever had any contact with Dale or anyone who has been able to shed any light on this one way or another. It is indeed an unsolved mystery that his six children have pondered over for twenty plus years. We have conceded to the fact that we will never know.

thank you for posting, moneypenny10. I sincerely wish the best for you and your family.

your father was much better than a marginal employee. anyone that risks their life to save the lives of coworkers is a hero, the representative of Corning that was interviewed on the segment didn't seem to know what he was talking about, calling Dale a marginal employee. And next month I am getting my degree which has a focus on human resources management, so I think I'm qualified to make that statement.

I believe that Dale was a victim (which is unfortunate) and that he would not do this to his family, commuity and employer.

Sometimes we like to examine all sides of a particular case, just to present all possible theories, but judging from the results of the poll at the top of this page, it appears that the overwhelming majority of us think Dale has not committed a crime.

Please feel free to post again, we would love to hear anything else you have to say.

[crystaldawn]

Great to have you posting here moneypenny10! For what its worth I have never thought that your father took off with any ill gotten gains. He obviously knew where the security cameras were and I believe his looking into them was a cry for help. If he was going to steal something, it makes more sense that he would go out of his way to avoid the camera. One question I have though: I always figured that it was a current or ex-employee who stole the platinum and who was walking with your father on the footage. Was there any current employees who disappeared abruptly around the time of the theft or any former and possibly disgruntled ex-employees that police were looking at that may have left the area or suddenly seem to come into a lot of money at the time of the theft?

As far as your brother, granted his smiling on the camera did seem a bit suprising but I always got the impression that he was in denial that his father was now gone and possibly wasn't coming back. I didn't realize he was so young in the UM segment.

Any thing you can think of to post, we're all ears.

[peachysquirt21]

Hi moneypenny10. great to see one of Dale's family members posting here. First I wanna say I am so sorry you & your family have had to go all these years not knowing what happened to your dad. I can't even imagine having to try & deal with something like this day to day & to go all these years wondering what happened.

Your ex had mentioned in his post about a guy that Dale was friends with. From his description of this guy, he seems to be on the shady side. Have you ever met this person? Did your dad ever talk about this person?

After reading his post it got me to thinking where was this guy when this incident of your dad going missing took place. If he just up & dissappeared shortly after your dad went missing, I be looking at him as a suspect or maybe he hired someone to steal the platinum.

Also do you know why Unsolved Mysteries didn't show the original security tapes? I have wondered why they didn't show the originals.

[moneypenny10]

Thank you for all of your kind words! I am sharing this site with my family so they, too, can offer their insight. Feel free to ask me questions, it was so long ago your questions jog certain memories about it.

While they hired a local actor to portray Dad in the segment, I thought they showed a brief clip from the actual security tape. I do have an original copy that UM kindly gave to me but in VHS format and my VCR has gone to techno heaven with my cassette player so, alas, I cannot go back and watch it again for you. Any idea if I can watch it online somehow? The man shown with him in the tape I did not recognize; he had on a ski mask but after agonizing over it watching it repeatedly I could not honestly say I had any idea who it was. There wasn't anyone in the town, much less a plant employee, that was missing or suspect in this incident.

The friend of my father, the wealthy man my ex referred to, moved to Florida about the same time, which I always thought was a questionable coincidence. My dad helped him out of a major jam with the law, actually hid him out for a while, with suitcases full of cash not clothes. So I think he was loyal to my dad. I called him and pressured him, but he didn't appear to have any info on this at all. He knew how close I was to my father and I really think he would have told me if he knew something. He was, however, someone that I would certainly not hesitate to call if I was trying to put together a "shady" or "gray" deal; he made alot of money doing this type of thing and always seemed to know somebody who knew somebody. Another piece to the puzzle!

So I'll give you another - in 1992 the PA State Police called me because they thought the FL State Police may have found dad's body(!) but it was missing the head and the hands. They took x-rays from a knee surgery that he had had done years before to compare. The doctor that performed the surgery compared the x-ray from the found body to dad's and declared they were not the same. Shortly thereafter, this same doctor ends up running from law, I can't honestly remember why, I think he tried to kill his ultra rich wife or something, and he is found, on a fluke, in Canada during the Winter Olympics! Guess who else had seen this doctor? Yep, rich man in FL who owed my dad a favor, to say the least.

Maybe I am trying too hard at 6 degrees here, but always seemed like more than coincidence to me. I don't even know if that guy is still alive. And, Dale would be 70 this year. He was in good overall physical health, not overweight, no health problems, but smoked a pack a day and liked his whiskey. I often think maybe he thought of coming back someday, but all of us kids have since moved, he wouldn't even know how to contact any of us. I can assure you he would not own a computer! Maybe he was on the run and intended to return after so many years but just got old and died. I know, that is sad, but better than thinking of other ways he might have met his demise.

[kadrmas15]

Hey Moneypenny, well thanks for posting here, I am sorry about your dad's loss and while it is unlikely I hope you and your family can get some answers one way or the other on what happened to him and why.

Very interesting story on the guy in Florida! Sadly that could have been your dad's body, it seems someone was trying very hard to prevent the body from being identified, thus the cutting off of the head and hands. Then the sleazy doctor going and running off, it could have been him but I guess it will never be known if the body was Dale's?

What surprised me in the unsolved mysteries segment the first time I watched it, was the personell manager of the plant calling Dale a "marginal employee." I mean he was talking about a guy that was missing, it seems the plant managers thought that Dale was the one behind the theft.

I am assuming also that your grandmother has passed away since the Unsolved Mysteries segment was filmed? Sad that she passed away without ever finding out what happened to Dale.

[greatgarrett2]

hey moneypenny10! My condolensces go out to you and your family on having lost someone you loved and cared for deeply.

I originally was split 50/50 on this, but after reading all these sincere posts, and given his life circumstances (loyal to the plant), I'm starting to think why would he look straight into the security camera if he WAS involved?

I tend to think that might have been a cry for help. Judging from the posts I've read on here and the feedback, I'm sure he was a humble, simple nice guy.

And, like wiseguy said, anyone that risks their life to save the lives of co-workers is a hero.

[moneypenny10]

You are correct, he was a very humble and simple guy, probably about as low maintenance and low tech as you could get! He was extremely generous; a family with a half dozen kids like ours that lived in the same trailer park where my father did suffered a catasrophic blow when the father, the sole breadwinner, was so severely injured in an accident that he was in a wheelchair and suffered head trauma with no hope of recovery. I can assure you that Dale made sure those kids never went hungry.

The most impressive memory of my father is that he was a man that you could never impress; he saw you for what you were, not what you had. His circle of friends was very diverse culturally and financially. While he knew enough to plan financially for the future, in the grand scheme of things, money meant nothing to him.

That is the main reason it doesn't make sense that he would do this. To tell him he'd come into some quick big cash for his role in a scheme like this would do nothing for him. But if you told him you had some crazy idea and could show him how it was foolproof, I can see him saying "count me in".

However this man had a collection for Fortune and Money magazines that rivaled his collection of western novels . . . . he could tell you on any given day if the Dow was up or down.

Yes, Grammie died in 1991 without any closure to this.

[Todd Mueller]

WOW!

Moneypenny - like others have said, thanks for posting here! It is cool to hear all of this extra info from you. I also express my sympathy for you having to go through this. I can't imagine a tougher spot to be in. Door #1: your dad was robbed and murdered at work, or Door #2: Your dad robbed his employer and took off never to be heard from again. In my mind, the worst part for you guys is the not knowing. I'm not trying to say I know how you feel, because I never could, but to me that would be the hardest part. I hope you and your family can find some sort of peace through this. And thanks again for sharing your info!

With that said, I was always a 50/50 split on this based on what I saw on UM. I never could get a good read either way. One things for sure: If he was in on it, it is a ballsy thing to do.

I guess what makes me think he did not do it is why he would hide it if he was in on it. In other words, he was the only guy there so if he were going to rob the place and make a run for it, never to surface again, why have guys in masks point a gun at you? For a "simple guy" it would be a lot of theatrics. From the way your dad sounds, if he wanted to steal the platinum he would just do it. The look to the camera could be him saying, "I really hope this is recording this robbery..." So that's why I would say he probably did not do it.

I pray that someday you can find out the truth and I pray that your father was just trying to stop a criminal act. Take care!

[SP4CE INV4DERZ]

Yeah same goes here, thanks for posting Moneypenny. Very interesting as pretty much all us UM fans have always wondered if Dale ever returned or not. Just like nearly everyone, I'm still not sure what exactly to make of Dale and the missing Platinum.

[Corky Kneivel]

Man...Google does it once again! Dolphin lover Paul Pollis would be proud!

To Miss moneypenny10 & JacopoBelbo: thank you both for sharing so much personal insight. Its almost surreal for me to be reading your posts. Dale Kerstetter has always just been a name for me, a man involved in an incredibly bizarre mystery on one of my favorite television shows. I don't even picture Dale Kerstetter in my head right now as I type these words, I picture an actor hired to portray him.

But reading your posts helps remind me that this was a real person who lead a life that contained infinitely more than, and isn't solely defined by, the one night I'm aware of. I thank you both once again for your candid allowances into your personal life and the opportunity for all of us mystery-lovers to needle you with questions.

This segment is one of the few I can remember watching during the original UM run that has stuck with me through the years. I can recall getting completely creeped out, with my big sister, by the video footage of the man in the ski mask walking into frame and leading Dale around the plant. When I was younger I didn't know that the footage was recreated and I was so scared that the man in the mask was going to kill poor Dale. I felt the look into the camera was a pleading gesture...sort of a farewell.

I guess I still feel the same way...in my heart of hearts I think Dale's innocent of the crime...however I think UM played up the look into the camera as a "all guilty/all innocent" thing just to make a more palatable mystery.


moneypenny10: if you wouldn't mind, I would love to hear about the entire UM taping process. Did they contact you? How long and detailed was the interview? Do you feel they skewed the segment a specifi way? Any thoughts you would like to share are welcome.

Also I'd be interested in hearing more of what you know about the authority's investigation. The robbing of the plant in many ways reminds me of the infamous LUFTHANSA CARGO theft at Kennedy Airport in the late 70's. I think the known facts of that case could be extrapolated onto this one and would posit a compelling theory of how it went down. It HAD to be an inside job. Regardless of your contention that anyone living in the city at the time knew there was platinum at the Corning plant, the set up of the job had to come from someone intimately familiar with the ins and outs of the place. Someone who knew there was only one security guard at night, that said security guard was a guy who wouldn't put up a struggle, someone who knew the exact location of the platinum, and the best time and place to catch the security guard unaware. Most importantly, it had to be someone who had some way of getting rid of a load of platinum at a price that would make it worth it.