UM's most heartbreaking SOLVED cases.... - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Fletch · 08-05-2005, 07:57 PM

I'm not sure if this kind of thread has been done before….so I'll go ahead and start one!

What solved case (or cases) in your opinion have the saddest endings? For me, number one is a no-brainer:

1. Kerri Lynn Nixon - it's tough to watch the NKOTB update, because her mother and the police were convinced and hopeful that the girl in the video was her. We all know what happened next and I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks about that case when they're walking down a dark street alone at night.

2. The woman who was hired to be the caretaker for an old man (a retired Judge) and ended up selling his family heirlooms and depleting his bank account. The re-creation showing the old man sitting at the kitchen table surrounded by trash and dirty dishes was tough to watch. They caught her, but the judge had passed away, so the charges were dropped. I still wish they could have charged her for something. What an evil, heartless person

.

3. The story of the man who's estranged Wife disappeared with their son. The boy had a disease and needed hospital care. The Wife was found, but as we found out in the update, the child had died. I'm not sure if she was ever charged with anything, but that's just a really sad story, IMO. The guy's son is kidnapped, only to find out the boy died because she didn't give him the care he needed.

Thoughts…….?

mistagee · 08-05-2005, 08:15 PM

The keri lyn nixon has to be up there with one of the saddest moments. Im sure though her parents must be touched by how many people cared about her and offered support.

Another moment that was sad was when there was this abused wife and the mother was being interviewed and she said her daughter had told her that the lord doesnt give you more than you can handle," and the mother felt helpless. The daughter was murdered and then on an update they caught the dirtbag i think even UM was there to film him being captured or recreated...who the hell remembers anymore, as usual it scared the crap out of me.

The amber swartz garcia case is also a heartbreaker. The father had been killed in the line of duty only a few yrs before.

The only good thing bout the recreations is that they do them with better looking people. Once you see the criminals mug shots you want to hide in your closet.

DarkDante · 08-05-2005, 11:41 PM

The thing is with the Nixon case is as tragic as it is that this teenage girl was abducted and later murdered while she was in walking distance of her home (and yes that shot of Nixon walking home lit by the streetlight is one of the most memorable and most well done UM camera shots) I truly believe it is better that Keri's parents learned the truth about what happened to their daughter rather than living with years of false hope wondering whether their daughter was abducted or simply ran away. I think that Kathy Nixon from listening to the interviews was heavily leaning towards the runaway theory up to the very end while the police saw it as a kidnapping.

A few more points: If you watch the NKOTB video closely you'll notice "doppleganger Keri" (the girl in the video) shares several features with the real Keri Lynn Nixon but the two also have several differences such as the face structure and jaw line. Keri Nixon had an angular jaw and a more narrow face while the girl in the video had a rounded off chin and less pronounced features. Now granted the quality of the concert video leaves much to be desired but there are those differences that are obvious if you pause the shot and look closely.

In addition (and I'm not trying to be insulting) did you notice how much Kathy Nixon aged between the original segment and the NKOTB update? - The strain of the mystery of her daughter obviously had a strain on her. This is actually and understandably the case of a lot of the people features on UM - You'll see them on the original broadcast and a few years later if there is an update and they re-interview them - the whole process seems to age them

Later.

Zero · 08-06-2005, 07:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fletch

2. The woman who was hired to be the caretaker for an old man (a retired Judge) and ended up selling his family heirlooms and depleting his bank account. The re-creation showing the old man sitting at the kitchen table surrounded by trash and dirty dishes was tough to watch. They caught her, but the judge had passed away, so the charges were dropped. I still wish they could have charged her for something. What an evil, heartless person

.

3. The story of the man who's estranged Wife disappeared with their son. The boy had a disease and needed hospital care. The Wife was found, but as we found out in the update, the child had died. I'm not sure if she was ever charged with anything, but that's just a really sad story, IMO. The guy's son is kidnapped, only to find out the boy died because she didn't give him the care he needed.

I too get angry when I see the first case on tv. Unfortunately in the eyes of the law, knowing something and proving it are two different things. With the judge dead, there was no proof. Sucks.

The last one you typed up is of a boy named Christophe(sp) I believe. His mother took off with him to France and when they finally located her, he had been dead for about a year. He died at age 18 of leukemia. I believe that since her husband had never filed a missing persons report (or something like that) she was only wanted on passport fraud. Don't quote me on it though.

Fletch · 08-06-2005, 09:45 PM

Another sad case was the one with the WWII soldier who was on a submarine when it was attacked, and believed dead. Then a photo surfaced and his family believed it to be him. But, on an update it was reported that a man sitting next to the man in question in the photo confirmed it was not the family member they were looking for. So, that basically confirmed that he had indeed perished.

False hope can be a terrible thing.

Todd Mueller · 08-07-2005, 01:51 PM

The one that bugged me was about the guy missing in Vietnam. His family thought they saw his picture and that he might still be a POW. Some jackass in a bar overheard the conversation, and then said he thinks he met the guy.

Long story short, he describes the guy, the family thinks it is their missing son, so they show the guy in the bar a picture. He says, "Yeah, that was him."

On a later update, it was proven it wasn't him in the picture. They also said the guy in the bar (or at least the name he gave) never served in the military and his story was totally false.

Of all the low-down dirty tricks to play on a family. I can't imagine the hell of having a loved one missing, let alone having to have false hope given to you by some jerk in a bar.

DarkDante · 08-07-2005, 02:52 PM

You know what Todd, I always wondered though how that guy knew to refer to Mark Dennis (The Vietnam vet you are describing) as "preacher". Did he see a cross or some type of holy ornament on Mark's brother's person or something to make him think that the Dennis family was religious?

Cause that was the lynch pin the fact the lying phony said that in the POW they referred to Dennis as "preacher" - Dennis according to his family was well known for his deep religious convictions.

In addition I feel Mark Dennis' brother really needed to "let go" of the entire situation. Although I usually don't side with the military or federal government when it comes to telling the truth they more than adequately proved to the general public that Mark Dennis did indeed perish in Vietnam the way they said he did.

Later.

Todd Mueller · 08-07-2005, 06:50 PM

Thanks, Dark. I couldn't remember his name for the life of me.

I agree with you that the family was having difficulty letting go. I boughtt in to the story, but the evidence just doesn't pan out and it caused the family more grief to keep fighting reality. That's why I felt bad about the guy in the bar.

I admit I was shocked when I saw the update. I remember the original story with the guy in the bar, so when the update came on and said none of his info checked out, I was stunned.

I also often wondered about the "preacher" reference. But it could be a shot in the dark like John Edwards' entire career. I just feel bad that it gave false hope to a family that needed to let go a long time ago.

P.S. Who is the lady in your avatar? I don't recognize her but she is HOT!

Fletch · 08-07-2005, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Todd Mueller

P.S. Who is the lady in your avatar? I don't recognize her but she is HOT!

That would be Alicia Silverstone. I believe that's a still from the movie "Clueless."

Fletch · 08-07-2005, 10:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarkDante

The thing is with the Nixon case is as tragic as it is that this teenage girl was abducted and later murdered while she was in walking distance of her home (and yes that shot of Nixon walking home lit by the streetlight is one of the most memorable and most well done UM camera shots) I truly believe it is better that Keri's parents learned the truth about what happened to their daughter rather than living with years of false hope wondering whether their daughter was abducted or simply ran away.

I totally agree. But the sense of hope by Kathy Nixon in the NKOTB update is devastating when you know what happens in the end. That's why it made my list at number one.

DarkDante · 08-07-2005, 10:21 PM

Nope not Alicia Silverstone - It's actually Poppy Montgomery from "Without A Trace" and "Murder In The Hamptons".

Later.

OriginalNightstalker · 08-07-2005, 10:27 PM

The James Burnside case

Fletch · 08-07-2005, 11:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarkDante

Nope not Alicia Silverstone - It's actually Poppy Montgomery from "Without A Trace" and "Murder In The Hamptons".

Later.

Really??? Holy crap, she looks just like Alicia Silverstone in Clueless!

george ramos · 08-08-2005, 06:13 PM

That's what I was thinking also. I was just about to ask her who was that. She looks exactly like Alicia Silverstone in that picture. . As Dark Dante just said she just did a movie about the real life murder of Ted Ammon. It's called Murder in the hamptons. It's a shame Generosa got away with murder by dying of cancer.. At least Danny Pelosi was sentenced to 25 years to life. Anyway yes, she is VERY HOT.

If she has a boyfriend, he is lucky. Her real name is so long though.

george ramos · 08-08-2005, 06:17 PM

Also that case in which the father found out his son was dead was heartbreaking. It's a shame the estranged wife never went to jail. France doesn't extradite people on passport fraud as far as I know.

08-05-2005, 07:57 PM	#1
Fletch Cabin fever Frequent Poster Join Date: May 10, 2002 Posts: 485	UM's most heartbreaking SOLVED cases.... I'm not sure if this kind of thread has been done before….so I'll go ahead and start one! What solved case (or cases) in your opinion have the saddest endings? For me, number one is a no-brainer: 1. Kerri Lynn Nixon - it's tough to watch the NKOTB update, because her mother and the police were convinced and hopeful that the girl in the video was her. We all know what happened next and I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks about that case when they're walking down a dark street alone at night. 2. The woman who was hired to be the caretaker for an old man (a retired Judge) and ended up selling his family heirlooms and depleting his bank account. The re-creation showing the old man sitting at the kitchen table surrounded by trash and dirty dishes was tough to watch. They caught her, but the judge had passed away, so the charges were dropped. I still wish they could have charged her for something. What an evil, heartless person . 3. The story of the man who's estranged Wife disappeared with their son. The boy had a disease and needed hospital care. The Wife was found, but as we found out in the update, the child had died. I'm not sure if she was ever charged with anything, but that's just a really sad story, IMO. The guy's son is kidnapped, only to find out the boy died because she didn't give him the care he needed. Thoughts…….?

08-05-2005, 08:15 PM	#2
mistagee Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Aug 02, 2005 Posts: 114	many heart breaking moments The keri lyn nixon has to be up there with one of the saddest moments. Im sure though her parents must be touched by how many people cared about her and offered support. Another moment that was sad was when there was this abused wife and the mother was being interviewed and she said her daughter had told her that the lord doesnt give you more than you can handle," and the mother felt helpless. The daughter was murdered and then on an update they caught the dirtbag i think even UM was there to film him being captured or recreated...who the hell remembers anymore, as usual it scared the crap out of me. The amber swartz garcia case is also a heartbreaker. The father had been killed in the line of duty only a few yrs before. The only good thing bout the recreations is that they do them with better looking people. Once you see the criminals mug shots you want to hide in your closet.

08-05-2005, 11:41 PM	#3
DarkDante Member Senior Member Join Date: Jul 27, 2002 Posts: 1,569	Nixon... The thing is with the Nixon case is as tragic as it is that this teenage girl was abducted and later murdered while she was in walking distance of her home (and yes that shot of Nixon walking home lit by the streetlight is one of the most memorable and most well done UM camera shots) I truly believe it is better that Keri's parents learned the truth about what happened to their daughter rather than living with years of false hope wondering whether their daughter was abducted or simply ran away. I think that Kathy Nixon from listening to the interviews was heavily leaning towards the runaway theory up to the very end while the police saw it as a kidnapping. A few more points: If you watch the NKOTB video closely you'll notice "doppleganger Keri" (the girl in the video) shares several features with the real Keri Lynn Nixon but the two also have several differences such as the face structure and jaw line. Keri Nixon had an angular jaw and a more narrow face while the girl in the video had a rounded off chin and less pronounced features. Now granted the quality of the concert video leaves much to be desired but there are those differences that are obvious if you pause the shot and look closely. In addition (and I'm not trying to be insulting) did you notice how much Kathy Nixon aged between the original segment and the NKOTB update? - The strain of the mystery of her daughter obviously had a strain on her. This is actually and understandably the case of a lot of the people features on UM - You'll see them on the original broadcast and a few years later if there is an update and they re-interview them - the whole process seems to age them Later.

08-07-2005, 06:50 PM	#8
Todd Mueller Member Senior Member Join Date: Feb 11, 2005 Posts: 1,626	Thanks, Dark. I couldn't remember his name for the life of me. I agree with you that the family was having difficulty letting go. I boughtt in to the story, but the evidence just doesn't pan out and it caused the family more grief to keep fighting reality. That's why I felt bad about the guy in the bar. I admit I was shocked when I saw the update. I remember the original story with the guy in the bar, so when the update came on and said none of his info checked out, I was stunned. I also often wondered about the "preacher" reference. But it could be a shot in the dark like John Edwards' entire career. I just feel bad that it gave false hope to a family that needed to let go a long time ago. P.S. Who is the lady in your avatar? I don't recognize her but she is HOT!
	Last edited by Todd Mueller; 08-07-2005 at 06:51 PM. Reason: added the p.s. note

08-07-2005, 10:27 PM	#12
OriginalNightstalker Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jul 21, 2005 Location: Illinois Posts: 78	The James Burnside case
	__________________ Some people are so stupid. Use your brian morons!

08-06-2005, 09:45 PM	#5
Fletch Cabin fever Frequent Poster Join Date: May 10, 2002 Posts: 485	Another sad case was the one with the WWII soldier who was on a submarine when it was attacked, and believed dead. Then a photo surfaced and his family believed it to be him. But, on an update it was reported that a man sitting next to the man in question in the photo confirmed it was not the family member they were looking for. So, that basically confirmed that he had indeed perished. False hope can be a terrible thing.

08-07-2005, 01:51 PM	#6
Todd Mueller Member Senior Member Join Date: Feb 11, 2005 Posts: 1,626	The one that bugged me was about the guy missing in Vietnam. His family thought they saw his picture and that he might still be a POW. Some jackass in a bar overheard the conversation, and then said he thinks he met the guy. Long story short, he describes the guy, the family thinks it is their missing son, so they show the guy in the bar a picture. He says, "Yeah, that was him." On a later update, it was proven it wasn't him in the picture. They also said the guy in the bar (or at least the name he gave) never served in the military and his story was totally false. Of all the low-down dirty tricks to play on a family. I can't imagine the hell of having a loved one missing, let alone having to have false hope given to you by some jerk in a bar.

08-07-2005, 02:52 PM	#7
DarkDante Member Senior Member Join Date: Jul 27, 2002 Posts: 1,569	You know what Todd, I always wondered though how that guy knew to refer to Mark Dennis (The Vietnam vet you are describing) as "preacher". Did he see a cross or some type of holy ornament on Mark's brother's person or something to make him think that the Dennis family was religious? Cause that was the lynch pin the fact the lying phony said that in the POW they referred to Dennis as "preacher" - Dennis according to his family was well known for his deep religious convictions. In addition I feel Mark Dennis' brother really needed to "let go" of the entire situation. Although I usually don't side with the military or federal government when it comes to telling the truth they more than adequately proved to the general public that Mark Dennis did indeed perish in Vietnam the way they said he did. Later.

08-07-2005, 10:21 PM	#11
DarkDante Member Senior Member Join Date: Jul 27, 2002 Posts: 1,569	Nope not Alicia Silverstone - It's actually Poppy Montgomery from "Without A Trace" and "Murder In The Hamptons". Later.

08-08-2005, 06:13 PM	#14
george ramos Member Frequent Poster Join Date: May 28, 2005 Posts: 148	That's what I was thinking also. I was just about to ask her who was that. She looks exactly like Alicia Silverstone in that picture. . As Dark Dante just said she just did a movie about the real life murder of Ted Ammon. It's called Murder in the hamptons. It's a shame Generosa got away with murder by dying of cancer.. At least Danny Pelosi was sentenced to 25 years to life. Anyway yes, she is VERY HOT. If she has a boyfriend, he is lucky. Her real name is so long though.

08-08-2005, 06:17 PM	#15
george ramos Member Frequent Poster Join Date: May 28, 2005 Posts: 148	Also that case in which the father found out his son was dead was heartbreaking. It's a shame the estranged wife never went to jail. France doesn't extradite people on passport fraud as far as I know.