Another "What segment was this?" thread...

[Robert Stack, Jr.]

But this time I thought I'd list a few details and see if anybody remembers these "most perplexing cases." (Had to throw a little Stack in there, lol.)

--A married man takes another woman home and asks his wife to welcome the other woman as his "second wife."

--A woman and her little son are canoeing for his birthday and two derelicts rape the woman, in front of her son.

--Older woman gets lost and disoriented in the woods, but a psychic vision saves her.

Do these cases ring any bells??

[Apostapler]

First one is Stryder Styarfyr, aka Daniel Chafe. Still wanted for crimes against children.

Third one is familiar, I think the woman's first name was Millie. A cowboy had a vision that he knew her location and found her.

[wiseguy182]

the second one: they only gave her name as "Theresa", although that is not her real name. Unfortunately, the perpetrators were never caught, despite excellent composite drawings from Jeannie Boylen.

[Guardian]

1st case - doesn't sound familiar to me

2nd case - i believe the movie (I want to say this is the title) River Wild was based on that. I think Kevin Bacon played one of the attackers. Never saw the movie myself, but if I remember the segment correctly, the woman was a lawyer or worked in a law office or something like that.

3rd case - I also think Millie was her name. It was aired on lifetime just recently. I don't recall the cowboy's name. Just that he went out and found the woman after his visions. He even had the thought to bring her food and water as she had been out there a day or two.

[MegtheEgg86]

Originally Posted by Guardian

1st case - doesn't sound familiar to me.

I remember that segment was definitely one of the final ones. Pretty sure it debuted in the last or second-to-last season, so that may be why it's not immediately familiar.

[Robert Stack, Jr.]

I have to add two more segments to this thread (I swear I'm horrible with names!!)

--The cabbie who was kidnapped and had the dynamite strapped to his body.

--Can't remember many details, but it was an attractive model/actress who was in an abusive relationship/marriage. One detail I remember about the case was that she was pregnant at one point, and her husband oredered her to abort the baby or get out of the house.

[DarkDante]

Originally Posted by Robert Stack, Jr.

I have to add two more segments to this thread (I swear I'm horrible with names!!)

--The cabbie who was kidnapped and had the dynamite strapped to his body.

--Can't remember many details, but it was an attractive model/actress who was in an abusive relationship/marriage. One detail I remember about the case was that she was pregnant at one point, and her husband oredered her to abort the baby or get out of the house.

The second one might be the case of Barbara Piotrowski and Richard Minns. Minns eventually hired a hitman to kill Barbara and although he failed in his attempt, his attack did paralyze Barbara from the waist down. Minns fled and eventually was brought up on charges related to passport fraud. He has never been convicted of orchestrating the attack on Barbara and despite being ordered to pay her over $60 million dollars has never paid Barbara a dime.

There is a great deal of press on the case including a TV movie entitled "Sleeping With The Devil" (starring Shannen Doherty) and a book by the same name. Also of note that at the time of it's taping, the Piotrowski-Minns segment was the most expensive UM segment ever put together. Also oddly enough Barbara Piotrowski and Dick Minns' posh Houston residence still stands to this day and from things I've read online seems to be the subject of local folklore.

[wiseguy182]

Originally Posted by DarkDante

Also of note that at the time of it's taping, the Piotrowski-Minns segment was the most expensive UM segment ever put together.

I can believe that. It was a very lengthy segment, about 2 and a half times longer than the average segment. In fact, I think the only other segment aired that episode was Katherine Bennett.

[Jediknight1823]

Originally Posted by DarkDante

Also of note that at the time of it's taping, the Piotrowski-Minns segment was the most expensive UM segment ever put together.

It was more expensive than the Georgia Rudolph case?

I want a good reason, as to why Georgia Rudolph was shown as often as it was. Because it can't be because of cost, since Georgia Rudolph was shown a crapton more than Piotrowski-Minns. It was up there with Resurrection Mary, kidnapped cabbie, and Chair of Death for the segment shown the second most. Nothing could top Cokeville, maybe that should be a segment. Why were these segments shown so much?

Sorry I kind of got off-topic.

[justins5256]

DD,

I was was wondering where you read that the Minns story was the most expensive that UM filmed at the time? Just curious. It doesn't surprise me though. The segment is long and elaborate and documents many of the events in their sordid relationship.

Was Minns ever caught? I seem to remember seeing an update at some stage in the game but I don't recall the details. Keeping in mind everything that transpired and, well, knowing Minns' nature and character, I wouldn't be surprised if the outcome was some sort of slap on the wrist type punishment.

[DarkDante]

Originally Posted by justins5256

DD,

I was was wondering where you read that the Minns story was the most expensive that UM filmed at the time? Just curious. It doesn't surprise me though. The segment is long and elaborate and documents many of the events in their sordid relationship.

Was Minns ever caught? I seem to remember seeing an update at some stage in the game but I don't recall the details. Keeping in mind everything that transpired and, well, knowing Minns' nature and character, I wouldn't be surprised if the outcome was some sort of slap on the wrist type punishment.

I read an article a few years ago previewing the case before it aired on NBC. People associated with UM mentioned in that article that it was the most expensive segment they had ever produced. The reason being as both you and Wiseguy ascertained was due to the length of the segment. From memory, the article also mentioned that the segment took an inordinate amount of time to film, at least several weeks which from what I gathered was an unusual practice at the time.

As for Minns he was brought up on charges of passport fraud which was documented via update on UM. He has never been formally charged in the attack on Piotrowski. As I mentioned she did win a civil suit against him but Minns has never paid her a dime. According to Minns' son there simply is no money left/available for Barbara to collect from his father.