I visited Rising Daughter Baptist Church... - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Thinman · 12-04-2006, 10:08 AM

in Waverly, Georgia over the weekend where Harold and Thelma Swain were murdered in 1985. It is a beautiful, small-town church that has not changed at all since the segment. I also paid my respects to the Swains in the cemetery while I was there. Has anyone else ever visited the site of a UM case before?

dynoguy88 · 12-04-2006, 01:13 PM

Wow. On the segment, it looked like that church was in the middle of nowhere. And Waverly looked like one of those "blink and you'll miss it towns." I'm surprised you found it... then again, I think Robert Stack mentioned the highway the church was on.

Are the Swains buried outside the church yard or in a nearby cemetary? I couldn't tell on the segment.

And did you actually get to go inside the church?

Thinman · 12-04-2006, 03:08 PM

The church is on Highway 17, off Exit 26 of I-95. I was driving to Jacksonville and happened to see Waverly on my road atlas. I figured I would take a shot, and sure enough, it is about a mile and half from the interstate. They are buried in the church yard in the back corner of the cemetery. I did not get to go inside the church because nobody was there. And honestly, I was ready to get out of there because the members of that church have probably had their fill of thrill seekers, reporters, and trespassers over the years. I actually felt a little guilty to be one of them.

It was very interesting and creepy at the same time.

UMfan77 · 12-04-2006, 03:32 PM

Thinman, were the Swain's the African American couple that were shot by an unknown white man in the back hall of the church? And a pair of glasses, which didn't belong to the victims, were found in the back hall?

I think that it was nice that you visited a place that had a connection to Unsolved Mysteries. I visited Cleveland a few years ago, probably close to where Kurt Sova's neighborhood of Newburgh Heights.

Thinman · 12-04-2006, 04:51 PM

You got it. They finally convicted Dennis Perry for the killings in 2003. He claims to be innocent, but the evidence against him is pretty strong. I certainly hope they have the right man.

ClevelandTorsoFiend · 12-04-2006, 11:57 PM

Anybody got any info on this Dennis Perry or links to any info on him and this case? This is a sad story..

Thinman · 12-05-2006, 09:41 AM

http://www.injusticebusters.com/04/Perry_Dennis.shtml

HyeTev · 12-05-2006, 04:51 PM

Yeah, that was a tough segment to watch. Brutal and, as far as I know, no motive. Utterly senseless.

Speaking of visiting UM sites... I plan on visiting the Jessica Lyn Keen murder site in Foster Chapel Cemetery when I am in the Columbus area.

crystaldawn · 12-05-2006, 06:23 PM

I know "gaf" who posts on here occasionally has visited the site in Nebraska where the church exploded sparing the lives of all the members. They rebuilt the church and he sent me some pictures.

I also know a few posters who have been to the General Wayne Inn. I was watching a Forensic Files a few weeks ago about the then owner of the building who was killed by his partner. Very interesting.

Awsi Dooger · 12-05-2006, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thinman

Has anyone else ever visited the site of a UM case before?

Well hell, if we want to include anything in that category I'm sure I've been to a bunch of them.

Let's see, there was the Bird Road Rapist case in Miami. Bird Road was our high school cruising street, about a mile from my house.

I've also been to the McDonalds in Las Vegas where one older guy was working and apprehended, the case where the parents put up their house as collateral and he had skipped.

That case where the guy was staying in a small cabin near Boulder City and left a note in the trash describing the UM segment as a "bombshell" and it was picked up by the landlord, I've been to the casino many times, where he was pulled over in the parking lot and it was shown on UM. That small casino has really changed since the time of that episode but it's interesting to see the segment and remember the place from that time frame.

I've certainly been to the Laughlin casinos where the woman disappeared while supposedly playing her favorite slot machine, and her husband is the possible suspect. I'm blanking on the name but crystaldawn and others would remember. That city is about 90 miles from Las Vegas. I think the Edgewater was mentiioned in that segment, maybe eating a buffet there. That's the hotel I've spent the most time in while visiting Laughlin.

Also, of course, many times a week I drive past the old grocery store where Kathy Hobbs was abducted in the parking lot. That store is now an Office Depot. When I'm in the Carl's Jr. drive thru on that site, I frequently find myself looking to the right while I'm awaiting the order, thinking that I'm staring at where the abduction must have occured in the late '80s, maybe 50-100 yards or less from that drive-thru window.

wiseguy182 · 12-07-2006, 12:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Awsi Dooger

I've also been to the McDonalds in Las Vegas where one older guy was working and apprehended, the case where the parents put up their house as collateral and he had skipped.

I've certainly been to the Laughlin casinos where the woman disappeared while supposedly playing her favorite slot machine, and her husband is the possible suspect. I'm blanking on the name but crystaldawn and others would remember. That city is about 90 miles from Las Vegas. I think the Edgewater was mentiioned in that segment, maybe eating a buffet there. That's the hotel I've spent the most time in while visiting Laughlin.

Those would be the Elmer Locker, Jr. and Jean Moore/Al Henderson segments, respectively.

UMfan77 · 12-07-2006, 02:29 PM

"Also, of course, many times a week I drive past the old grocery store where Kathy Hobbs was abducted in the parking lot."

Please refresh my memory, can you tell me more about the Kathy Hobbs case. Can't remember that one. Thanks.

Awsi Dooger · 12-07-2006, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UMfan77

"Also, of course, many times a week I drive past the old grocery store where Kathy Hobbs was abducted in the parking lot."

Please refresh my memory, can you tell me more about the Kathy Hobbs case. Can't remember that one. Thanks.

That was the Las Vegas teenager who left her apartment at night to walk to a grocery store and buy a romance novel, summer 1987. She was abducted in the parking lot, and her body found in the desert a few days later, I believe near Lake Mead.

Apparently a Hispanic man witnessed the abduction and called authorities a few months later with a description including a partial license plate, but it didn't lead to a vehicle and no suspects were developed, to my knowledge.

The case stood out since Kathy Hobbs had a premonition of her own death, believing she wouldn't make it to 16. She was shocked when the day arrived and she was OK. Her death was three months later, and her family found letters addressed to each of them, written shortly before her 16th birthday, asking them not to grieve for her once she was gone.

That area of Las Vegas is not far from the Hilton, about a mile east of the Strip. It's not particularly well lit and not heavily developed. At the time it was a better area than now, and certainly not one of the most dangerous sections of town. The mother shouldn't be blamed for allowing a 16 year old to walk in that area. Heck, before midnight is considered almost the middle of the day in this town.

The Las Vegas police department has an extensive cold case website including pictures and case description, but Kathy Hobbs' murder is not listed. Nor is the case of my friend Larry Mathews, killed in March 2004.

SiberianKiss · 12-08-2006, 06:17 AM

nm

Awsi Dooger · 12-08-2006, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SiberianKiss

I went to all the banks that were robbed by the guys that tunneled their way into vaults in 1986-1987....I will try to find them and then write a book but it's gonna be very difficult to find them....FBI couldn't do it...

I'm still hoping to find out which espisode my house was used for back when I was little.....stupid lifetime got rid of UM dammit.....I was tivo'ing every episode so eventually I would recognize my home on one of the segments.....

You should bump one of the old threads and say you went to all the banks where they tunneled. That's pretty cool, to borrow from Butthead.

If you find the robbers you're probably less likely to write that book. I doubt they'll welcome you with a handshake and momentos.

12-04-2006, 10:08 AM	#1
Thinman Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Apr 08, 2005 Posts: 182	I visited Rising Daughter Baptist Church... in Waverly, Georgia over the weekend where Harold and Thelma Swain were murdered in 1985. It is a beautiful, small-town church that has not changed at all since the segment. I also paid my respects to the Swains in the cemetery while I was there. Has anyone else ever visited the site of a UM case before?

12-04-2006, 01:13 PM	#2
dynoguy88 Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 01, 2000 Location: Michigan, USA Posts: 3,675	reply Wow. On the segment, it looked like that church was in the middle of nowhere. And Waverly looked like one of those "blink and you'll miss it towns." I'm surprised you found it... then again, I think Robert Stack mentioned the highway the church was on. Are the Swains buried outside the church yard or in a nearby cemetary? I couldn't tell on the segment. And did you actually get to go inside the church?

12-04-2006, 03:08 PM	#3
Thinman Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Apr 08, 2005 Posts: 182	The church is on Highway 17, off Exit 26 of I-95. I was driving to Jacksonville and happened to see Waverly on my road atlas. I figured I would take a shot, and sure enough, it is about a mile and half from the interstate. They are buried in the church yard in the back corner of the cemetery. I did not get to go inside the church because nobody was there. And honestly, I was ready to get out of there because the members of that church have probably had their fill of thrill seekers, reporters, and trespassers over the years. I actually felt a little guilty to be one of them. It was very interesting and creepy at the same time.
	Last edited by Thinman; 12-04-2006 at 04:59 PM.

12-08-2006, 06:17 AM	#14
SiberianKiss Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Mar 08, 2006 Posts: 204	nm
	Last edited by SiberianKiss; 05-08-2015 at 03:06 AM.

12-04-2006, 03:32 PM	#4
UMfan77 Member Senior Member Join Date: Nov 28, 2003 Posts: 1,064	Thinman, were the Swain's the African American couple that were shot by an unknown white man in the back hall of the church? And a pair of glasses, which didn't belong to the victims, were found in the back hall? I think that it was nice that you visited a place that had a connection to Unsolved Mysteries. I visited Cleveland a few years ago, probably close to where Kurt Sova's neighborhood of Newburgh Heights.

12-04-2006, 04:51 PM	#5
Thinman Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Apr 08, 2005 Posts: 182	You got it. They finally convicted Dennis Perry for the killings in 2003. He claims to be innocent, but the evidence against him is pretty strong. I certainly hope they have the right man.

12-04-2006, 11:57 PM	#6
ClevelandTorsoFiend Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Apr 11, 2006 Location: Midwest Posts: 30	Anybody got any info on this Dennis Perry or links to any info on him and this case? This is a sad story..

12-05-2006, 09:41 AM	#7
Thinman Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Apr 08, 2005 Posts: 182	http://www.injusticebusters.com/04/Perry_Dennis.shtml

12-05-2006, 04:51 PM	#8
HyeTev Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Dec 14, 2005 Location: Virginia Posts: 155	Yeah, that was a tough segment to watch. Brutal and, as far as I know, no motive. Utterly senseless. Speaking of visiting UM sites... I plan on visiting the Jessica Lyn Keen murder site in Foster Chapel Cemetery when I am in the Columbus area.

12-05-2006, 06:23 PM	#9
crystaldawn Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 17, 2002 Location: Illinois Posts: 4,261	I know "gaf" who posts on here occasionally has visited the site in Nebraska where the church exploded sparing the lives of all the members. They rebuilt the church and he sent me some pictures. I also know a few posters who have been to the General Wayne Inn. I was watching a Forensic Files a few weeks ago about the then owner of the building who was killed by his partner. Very interesting.

12-07-2006, 02:29 PM	#12
UMfan77 Member Senior Member Join Date: Nov 28, 2003 Posts: 1,064	"Also, of course, many times a week I drive past the old grocery store where Kathy Hobbs was abducted in the parking lot." Please refresh my memory, can you tell me more about the Kathy Hobbs case. Can't remember that one. Thanks.