Eyewitnesses Who Were Wrong - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TracyLynnS · 03-13-2012, 03:57 PM

I'm in the middle of watching the Dede Rosenthal segment and the bartender is so sure that she saw Dede in her bar acting strangely. After a man was convicted of murder (the body was never found) it was pretty much determined that the woman spotted more than once at that bar was not Dede Rosenthal.

That got me to thinking about how it used to be believed that eye witnesses were the best possible way of learning what happened but now it looks like eye witnesses might be one of the weakest links in a case.

Which UM segments had eyewitnesses who were eventually found to be wrong? I can think of a few such as the cases of:

Dede Rosenthal - bartender who saw her with brown hair then bleached hair, before and after the woman took a supposed trip to FL

Tom Roche - motorcycle shop owner says he saw Tom after he went missing (police think he's mistaken about the date of the sighting)

Kari Lynn Nixon - lady in a different state says she was introduced to Kari

Lisa Marie Kimmell - people who saw Lisa's car w/personalized plates

Gail Delano - truck driver who said she had "that northern accent pretty bad"

1990 UM fan · 03-13-2012, 04:20 PM

Would a psychic witness count?

TracyLynnS · 03-13-2012, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1990 UM fan

Would a psychic witness count?

Sure. Whatcha got?

TheCars1986 · 03-13-2012, 05:46 PM

I'm fairly certain that the truck driver who allegedly gave John Cheek a ride is mistaken.

1990 UM fan · 03-13-2012, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TracyLynnS

Sure. Whatcha got?

The psychic who thought he "saw" who killed Sherry Eyerly but turned out to be wrong.

XCalibur · 03-13-2012, 05:54 PM

Some people think the gas station attendant who fingered Michael Scott Martin was mistaken, but thats never been proven.

RobinW · 03-13-2012, 06:41 PM

A lot of eyewitnesses were mistaken about spotting Wanda Jean Mays since she was discovered to have fallen off a cliff the same night she disappeared.

Even though her body has never been found, I'm sure the couple who thought they saw Cathy Ford working in a restaurant were mistaken, as every other piece of evidence points to Paul Ferrell killing her.

I'm sure the sightings of Matthew Chase at the rescue mission were probably mistaken too unless he somehow became disoriented on the night he vanished and was killed later.

youem · 03-13-2012, 08:43 PM

Wasn't there a girl who went missing and her car had a vanity plate, like Missy or something, or Sassy? It turned out that the people who saw here were mistaken about the dates I believe...

WishfulDreamer · 03-13-2012, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by youem

Wasn't there a girl who went missing and her car had a vanity plate, like Missy or something, or Sassy? It turned out that the people who saw here were mistaken about the dates I believe...

Lisa Marie Kimmell, who I was just about to mention. Her license plate was titled "Lil Miss" and it seems that many of the eyewitnesses were incorrect about the dates or sightings at all, like the gas station one and the pink and yellow sweater ones.

youem · 03-13-2012, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WishfulDreamer

Lisa Marie Kimmell, who I was just about to mention. Her license plate was titled "Lil Miss" and it seems that many of the eyewitnesses were incorrect about the dates or sightings at all, like the gas station one and the pink and yellow sweater ones.

Yep that was it, thanks!

dynoguy88 · 03-14-2012, 12:20 AM

This one is kind of iffy but David Trusnik claimed he saw Kurt Sova and another boy walking down the street a full 3 days after Susan's party, less than a mile from Kurt's home. At that point the two boys yelled, "Franko!" and then got in a van. Trusnik said he didn't know Kurt was missing at the time so he didn't do anything and he was sure about the date of this sighting because he was on his way to a job interview that morning. Two days later, Kurt's body was found in the ravine.

It's hard to believe this sighting is accurate since I've always thought Kurt was in Susan's basement for the 5 days he was missing.

XCalibur · 03-14-2012, 12:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TracyLynnS

Kari Lynn Nixon - lady in a different state says she was introduced to Kari

This is the one thats always stood out to me the most. She sounded so sure. But I always thought there was something fishy about it, considering when the girl who allegedly introduced them was contacted she claimed to be 'suffering from a memory lapse', I heard that and was like WTH? Thats either majorly unlucky or majorly convenient whichever way you want to look at it. I wonder if UM and possibly even the local authorities had a good idea the whole South Carolina scenario was BS and just stuck it in the show to dramatize the story a little?

Not to mention the letters from Flint, Michigan regarding Kari.

Totally bizarre. And unfortunate that Kari's family had to get their hopes up.

XCalibur · 03-14-2012, 12:30 AM

I am not sure this counts as a witness since it was a mysterious phone call but what about those creepy phone calls saying Judith Hymes was alive?

why would someone call the cops and say a woman missing for two decades was alive when she wasn't? Thats extremely bizarre. I guess its possible it could be someone who was simply mistaken.

Of course granted, if I recall correctly the only confirmation I know of that Judith Hymes was dead was the anonymous letter claiming she died from an illegal abortion, that was in the update, and it seemed like the authorities were quick to regard it as authentic, I'm inclined to think it probably was. But I guess without a body they can't be sure, I do wonder if they ever found one?

Still another very strange witness report that apparently was false, Unsolved Mysteries had no short of puzzling stories for sure.

crookshanks · 03-14-2012, 02:22 AM

I always thought the sighting of Kari Lynn Nixon was a cruel joke played by those girls. Kids do stupid stuff, it's quite possible a girl was going around telling people she was the missing girl. Plus that "memory lapse" seems awfully convienent...

rhzunam · 03-14-2012, 03:50 AM

What about the case of the girl who everybody saw appeared in a convenience store video (even her family) but it turned out later that she was murdered along with her boyfriend by Angel Resendiz (the railroad killer).

03-13-2012, 03:57 PM	#1
TracyLynnS Don't Look Up Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 07, 2009 Posts: 3,107	Eyewitnesses Who Were Wrong I'm in the middle of watching the Dede Rosenthal segment and the bartender is so sure that she saw Dede in her bar acting strangely. After a man was convicted of murder (the body was never found) it was pretty much determined that the woman spotted more than once at that bar was not Dede Rosenthal. That got me to thinking about how it used to be believed that eye witnesses were the best possible way of learning what happened but now it looks like eye witnesses might be one of the weakest links in a case. Which UM segments had eyewitnesses who were eventually found to be wrong? I can think of a few such as the cases of: Dede Rosenthal - bartender who saw her with brown hair then bleached hair, before and after the woman took a supposed trip to FL Tom Roche - motorcycle shop owner says he saw Tom after he went missing (police think he's mistaken about the date of the sighting) Kari Lynn Nixon - lady in a different state says she was introduced to Kari Lisa Marie Kimmell - people who saw Lisa's car w/personalized plates Gail Delano - truck driver who said she had "that northern accent pretty bad"

03-13-2012, 04:20 PM	#2
1990 UM fan Unsolved Mysteries fanatic Senior Member Join Date: Jul 14, 2011 Location: United States Posts: 2,510	Would a psychic witness count?
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03-14-2012, 02:22 AM	#14
crookshanks Over it Frequent Poster Join Date: Sep 30, 2003 Location: Cincinnati Posts: 101	I always thought the sighting of Kari Lynn Nixon was a cruel joke played by those girls. Kids do stupid stuff, it's quite possible a girl was going around telling people she was the missing girl. Plus that "memory lapse" seems awfully convienent...
	__________________ A hero is the person who invented chocolate

03-13-2012, 05:46 PM	#4
TheCars1986 #VLSKMS Forum Fanatic Join Date: Nov 22, 2008 Location: Maryland Posts: 8,606	I'm fairly certain that the truck driver who allegedly gave John Cheek a ride is mistaken.

03-13-2012, 05:54 PM	#6
XCalibur Member Forum Regular Join Date: May 16, 2010 Location: Belfast, Va Posts: 980	Some people think the gas station attendant who fingered Michael Scott Martin was mistaken, but thats never been proven.

03-13-2012, 06:41 PM	#7
RobinW Member Senior Member Join Date: Jul 14, 2010 Posts: 1,874	A lot of eyewitnesses were mistaken about spotting Wanda Jean Mays since she was discovered to have fallen off a cliff the same night she disappeared. Even though her body has never been found, I'm sure the couple who thought they saw Cathy Ford working in a restaurant were mistaken, as every other piece of evidence points to Paul Ferrell killing her. I'm sure the sightings of Matthew Chase at the rescue mission were probably mistaken too unless he somehow became disoriented on the night he vanished and was killed later.

03-13-2012, 08:43 PM	#8
youem Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Feb 20, 2012 Location: Slowcala, FL Posts: 11	Wasn't there a girl who went missing and her car had a vanity plate, like Missy or something, or Sassy? It turned out that the people who saw here were mistaken about the dates I believe...

03-14-2012, 12:20 AM	#11
dynoguy88 Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 01, 2000 Location: Michigan, USA Posts: 3,672	This one is kind of iffy but David Trusnik claimed he saw Kurt Sova and another boy walking down the street a full 3 days after Susan's party, less than a mile from Kurt's home. At that point the two boys yelled, "Franko!" and then got in a van. Trusnik said he didn't know Kurt was missing at the time so he didn't do anything and he was sure about the date of this sighting because he was on his way to a job interview that morning. Two days later, Kurt's body was found in the ravine. It's hard to believe this sighting is accurate since I've always thought Kurt was in Susan's basement for the 5 days he was missing.

03-14-2012, 12:30 AM	#13
XCalibur Member Forum Regular Join Date: May 16, 2010 Location: Belfast, Va Posts: 980	I am not sure this counts as a witness since it was a mysterious phone call but what about those creepy phone calls saying Judith Hymes was alive? why would someone call the cops and say a woman missing for two decades was alive when she wasn't? Thats extremely bizarre. I guess its possible it could be someone who was simply mistaken. Of course granted, if I recall correctly the only confirmation I know of that Judith Hymes was dead was the anonymous letter claiming she died from an illegal abortion, that was in the update, and it seemed like the authorities were quick to regard it as authentic, I'm inclined to think it probably was. But I guess without a body they can't be sure, I do wonder if they ever found one? Still another very strange witness report that apparently was false, Unsolved Mysteries had no short of puzzling stories for sure.

03-14-2012, 03:50 AM	#15
rhzunam Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jan 01, 2010 Posts: 257	What about the case of the girl who everybody saw appeared in a convenience store video (even her family) but it turned out later that she was murdered along with her boyfriend by Angel Resendiz (the railroad killer).