Do the following things ACTUALLY happen in real life?

[SheRaaa]

UM sometimes promotes some pretty "out there" theories regarding a person's death, disappearance, etc.

Certainly, some of these are probably simple embellishments or products of the time (satanic panic), although some of them may actually be true...who knows!

My question is, what are your guys' thoughts on the following theories -- often featured in UM episodes -- and their potential to have actually happened?

Does anyone know of any cases, or any real-life examples, of the following?

-satanic cults

-the U.S. government killing people to silence them

-people involved in drug deals killing people who "know too much"

-getting kidnapped into sex slavery

-getting kidnapped by a biker gang

-people completely abandoning their former lives in order to start a new life, not contacting anyone for years and years

I know that truth is often stranger than fiction, and that the above theories don't even scratch the surface of weirdness that occurs everyday in real life. That being said, I'm curious to hear what you guys think of the plausibility of the above scenarios

[1990 UM fan]

Alot of this happens more than we'd like to believe. Sex slavery is not just a "foreign" affair, but in the United States it happens just about everyday, especially with young teen girls. I don't know what to tell you about the others but it's very possible. I can't say much more because I've never been in a biker gang, cult or in a drug deal (thank God ).

[Orange_Sody_84]

I just read about a local case where a teenage girl was kidnapped and drugged. She was passed around to God knows how many men while she was kept doped up on drugs for days on end. She finally escaped when she managed to send a text message out to a friend who called the Police. It's sickening but trafficking/forced prostitution is real.

[WishfulDreamer]

I grew up in a very safe area of Los Angeles County; but in the 1980s, serial killer Christopher Wild abducted a teenager from a mall that I frequented all the time as a child, assaulted her, and forced her help lure in other victims. He killed everyone but her, then let her go. Crazy, but it can happen anywhere.

I nearly had a heart attack when I went on Charley Project and saw that two serial killer went through my hometown in the 70s.


As for personal connections, my mother (when she was a child) met her family's friends, a nice couple. The wife vanished and was never seen again; no missing persons record has been filed. It's believed she ran away to start over without a trace.

[Necco]

Disappeared intentionally and never contacted family?
-David Bigelow MacDonald, missing from CT in 1956 was finally located after his death living under a different name in 2008.
http://articles.courant.com/2008-03-...her-lives-card

Killing a drug related witness who knows too much?
-Russell Peeler is on death row in Connecticut for ordering the killing of an 8 year old child, Leroy Brown, who witnessed a drug related murder. He also killed the boy's mother.

Sexual slavery?
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Jamelske

Kidnapped by bikers?
-Maria Anjiras of Norwalk, CT is believed to have been with bikers after her disappearance.
http://charleyproject.org/cases/a/anjiras_maria.html

US Government killing people to silence them?

-This could technically apply to Julius and Ethel Rosenburg.

-The CIA has released documents admitting its involvement in the deaths of Charlie Horham and Frank Teruggi during the Chilean coup of 1973. Chilean courts have indicted a former US Navy captain.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/30/wo...-killings.html



That's all off the top of my head.

[TheCars1986]

Alex Cooper is one that comes to mind who "vanished" and was presumed dead, but he was found alive and well years later thanks to UM. I believe he ran off to start a new life because he was embarassed about a previous arrest from when he was younger and didn't want to tell his wife and kids. So he did the only logical thing a man could do: run away and make your family think you're dead.

[UMFaninMD]

The Dawson family in Baltimore, Maryland were killed in October 1992 when Darrell Brooks firebombed their home after Angela Dawson reported drug dealing in her neighborhood to police.

Recently, the "Disappeared" show featured a case of a man who left of his own free will and didn't tell anyone. He was subsequently found. I forgot his full name but he went by Snoop. It's in the True Crimes section.

[justins5256]

Scott Hill (I think that was his name) was another UM case where he up and left his family, I believe because he was embarrassed over some financial problems. He was eventually located and reunited with his family.

[justins5256]

Originally Posted by TheCars1986

Alex Cooper is one that comes to mind who "vanished" and was presumed dead, but he was found alive and well years later thanks to UM. I believe he ran off to start a new life because he was embarassed about a previous arrest from when he was younger and didn't want to tell his wife and kids. So he did the only logical thing a man could do: run away and make your family think you're dead.

I never really bought Cooper's explanation myself. He could have gone to an attorney and figured out if that warrant was still outstanding and how to legally deal with this situation.

I think he, for whatever reason, wanted to start a new life.

[XCalibur]

Originally Posted by justins5256

I never really bought Cooper's explanation myself. He could have gone to an attorney and figured out if that warrant was still outstanding and how to legally deal with this situation.

I think he, for whatever reason, wanted to start a new life.

I disagree. As impartial observers its often easy for us to say what the logical thing to do would be, but when people panic they don't always do the logical thing. Its far different when you are actually faced with a situation then when observing it from afar.

I don't think his story about fearing that warrant and not wanting to bring trouble to his family or not wanting to face them is far fetched, I think its perfectly plausible. People panic and make poor decisions all the time, and not wanting to face up to the fact that you have been lying about who you are or that you have a criminal record is a valid reason why someone would run.

Given that there was a legit warrant at one time, and that Alex Cooper indeed had not been honest with his family about his identity there is no reason not to believe his story at this point.

[Thiussat]

Originally Posted by UMFaninMD

Recently, the "Disappeared" show featured a case of a man who left of his own free will and didn't tell anyone. He was subsequently found. I forgot his full name but he went by Snoop. It's in the True Crimes section.

"Disappeared" also aired another episode about a woman who was on skid row, on drugs, hanging out with dangerous people, etc. Then she turns up missing. Watching the first half of the show, I was CONVINCED she had been murdered. The police detective told her mother he was positive she was dead. It was only a matter of finding her body. They even got a tip with a map drawn showing where she had been buried in a pond.

Then suddenly the show takes a turn. Someone from Oregon sends in an e-mail to the family saying they know a woman who looks just like her. The local police go to Oregon and fingerprint the woman. Turns out it is her. She had moved to Oregon and began working on a ranch with horses. She had turned her life around, gotten off drugs, etc. The police told her it is her choice whether she contacts her family again and they would only tell her family she is alive but not reveal any personal information (she did eventually get back in touch with her family).

So, yes, people do indeed just get up and walk away from their lives. I think there are cases on UM like this.

[scc1222]

Originally Posted by justins5256

I never really bought Cooper's explanation myself. He could have gone to an attorney and figured out if that warrant was still outstanding and how to legally deal with this situation.

I think he, for whatever reason, wanted to start a new life.

for sure.his wife and family would have understood.he reminds me of the 'amnesia' guy found living in FL.Both did what they wanted to do,at the expense of others.

[RobinW]

Here's another case which was profiled on "Disappeared" of a man who has recently been discovered to have left on his own and started a new life, and is still refusing to contact his family. In his case, he seems to have been under the influence of a cult-like religious group:
http://triboro.patch.com/articles/mi...y-found-safely

[TheCars1986]

Originally Posted by XCalibur

I don't think his story about fearing that warrant and not wanting to bring trouble to his family or not wanting to face them is far fetched, I think its perfectly plausible. People panic and make poor decisions all the time, and not wanting to face up to the fact that you have been lying about who you are or that you have a criminal record is a valid reason why someone would run.

IIRC, it was something "petty" Cooper did in his youth before he was ever even married. That is inexcusable reason to just up and leave your wife and children behind, especially by making them fear for the worst. We also have to remember that Cooper made no effort to reach out to his family and tell them he was ok, it was UM that brought out the fact that he was still alive. However panicked he felt initially, he still had days, weeks, months that went by where he could have picked up a phone and let them know he was ok. Yet he didn't. I'm amazed they took him back with open arms.

[Corkys-Place]

Gus Hoffman was kidnapped and subsequently murdered by a Biker Gang. That other Girl (Amy Billing?) was supposedly taken away in 1974 by Bikers.