Did ANY of the following ever actually happen?

[SheRaaa]

So we all know that UM often tried to play-up the more "mysterious" or "sinister" side of a mystery, when there was frequently a different explanation. Out of all the cases profiled on UM, were any of the following actually proven to have happened?

-genuine satanic cult involvement in a crime?

-a missing person who actually ran away to start a new life?

-government conspiracy/coverup of either a crime or some unexplained phenomenon?

-a missing person who really did "run off with another man/woman" as per their guilty-looking spouse?

The only one I can think of offhand is Gail Delano, who was thought to be missing but really did disappear voluntarily....but it was to (unfortunately) commit suicide rather than "start a new life."

[LooksLikeCRicci]

Originally Posted by SheRaaa

So we all know that UM often tried to play-up the more "mysterious" or "sinister" side of a mystery, when there was frequently a different explanation. Out of all the cases profiled on UM, were any of the following actually proven to have happened?

-genuine satanic cult involvement in a crime?-- I can't think of one where it's been PROVEN outright. I think UM ran a lot with the Satanic Panic of the 1980's.

-a missing person who actually ran away to start a new life?-- I would argue that Arthur "Paul" Beale did this, as he was facing criminal charges at the time of his "amnesia." I could say the same for Craig Williamson. Although it's never been proved, it seemed to me that he wanted out of a marriage and staged his disappearance.

-government conspiracy/coverup of either a crime or some unexplained phenomenon?-- Again, not proven. However, I think there are MAJOR questions with Keith Warren, The Boys on the Tracks, and Danny Casolario, just to name a few.

[SPD Yellow]

Originally Posted by SheRaaa

-a missing person who actually ran away to start a new life?

I can't think of any UM examples off the top of my head, but Michele Whittaker was an example from Disappeared. She took advantage of circumstances to start a new life and was happily living said life, not knowing that her parents and the police looking for her, thought she was dead.

[RobinW]

Originally Posted by SheRaaa

-a missing person who actually ran away to start a new life

Alex Cooper, the elderly British Columbia man who ran away because he had been living under a false identity for decades to escape a robbery charge from the late 1940s and was worried about his secret being discovered (even though the statute of limitations for the crime was long expired). He was eventually found alive and reunited with his family.

There's also Scott Hill, who ran away from his family to escape financial problems. He turned out to be alive and it ended up being the most awkward reunion ever on UM since he clearly only resurfaced because he wound up being the recipient of a $750,000 inheritance.

[wiseguy182]

Originally Posted by RobinW

There's also Scott Hill, who ran away from his family to escape financial problems. He turned out to be alive and it ended up being the most awkward reunion ever on UM since he clearly only resurfaced because he wound up being the recipient of a $750,000 inheritance.

That guy was one lucky bastard to pull all of the stunts he did and wind up with an inheritance AND his family back. I think I've made my disgust of him pretty well known on here.

[wiseguy182]

I think there were a lot of genuine cases in each category.

Satanic angle.

-I think the grandmother of Jared Peters would qualify. She had a videotape on it, so I think it's safe to say she practiced it.

-the killers of Pam and Erik Ellender.

-Ann Sigmin.

Government cover-up.

-I'm willing to bet quite a few here, but since it's a cover-up, we'll never know for sure.

Running off to start a new life with a new man, etc.

-I think people like Diane Broadbeck, Kay Beeman and others of this ilk would qualify.

[DazzlerSparkler]

I wanna see the Scott hill segment. Also what was the boys on the tracks?

[cdr369]

The boys on the track would be the murder of Don Henry and Kevin Ives. Originally the police believed their death was the result of drug usage, but later after a second (I believe) autopsy it was changed to homicide.

[dynoguy88]

Originally Posted by RobinW

Alex Cooper, the elderly British Columbia man who ran away because he had been living under a false identity for decades to escape a robbery charge from the late 1940s and was worried about his secret being discovered (even though the statute of limitations for the crime was long expired). He was eventually found alive and reunited with his family.

And the runaway theory was the strongest lead because he had disappeared again as soon as he was identified. His wife even commented on it saying, "If he's hiding/running away, he needs to stop. He's got this family who loves him and needs him."

[Corkys-Place]

Originally Posted by SheRaaa

So we all know that UM often tried to play-up the more "mysterious" or "sinister" side of a mystery, when there was frequently a different explanation. Out of all the cases profiled on UM, were any of the following actually proven to have happened?

-genuine satanic cult involvement in a crime?

-a missing person who actually ran away to start a new life?

-government conspiracy/coverup of either a crime or some unexplained phenomenon?

-a missing person who really did "run off with another man/woman" as per their guilty-looking spouse?

The only one I can think of offhand is Gail Delano, who was thought to be missing but really did disappear voluntarily....but it was to (unfortunately) commit suicide rather than "start a new life."

I personally think UM made the entire Kurt Sova story to be far more sinister than what it actually was. A kid drinks far too much booze at a party and dies of alcoholic poisoning. Loser friends freak out and cover up his body.

[UMFaninMD]

I was watching a news story last night on those two escaped convicts and the woman that may have helped them, and they mentioned Bobbi Parker. The reporter said that she fell in love with Randolph Dial and willingly left her husband to be with him. I know there's some argument as to whether she did leave of her own accord.

[Charlie99909]

Originally Posted by UMFaninMD

I was watching a news story last night on those two escaped convicts and the woman that may have helped them, and they mentioned Bobbi Parker. The reporter said that she fell in love with Randolph Dial and willingly left her husband to be with him. I know there's some argument as to whether she did leave of her own accord.

I was literally just telling two coworkers about Bobbi today because of those escapees!

[Thiussat]

Originally Posted by Corkys-Place

I personally think UM made the entire Kurt Sova story to be far more sinister than what it actually was. A kid drinks far too much booze at a party and dies of alcoholic poisoning. Loser friends freak out and cover up his body.

Yeah. I think he either drank too much or overdosed on some drug. Either way I think it was an accident and the other people panicked and dumped his body.

[dynoguy88]

Originally Posted by Thiussat

Yeah. I think he either drank too much or overdosed on some drug. Either way I think it was an accident and the other people panicked and dumped his body.

Dorothy Sova was a realist. You have to give her credit for that. She said in her interview that Kurt probably WAS drinking at the party, that he probably died at the party, the kids panicked and they dumped his body.

But she was lied to by multiple people, an eyewitness sighting was mistaken, a friend's story (leaving Kurt on the fence and disappearing within seconds) seems doubtful, a random stranger comments to the store clerk that the missing boy would be found dead and most frustrating of all, the autopsy came back with no evidence for the cause of death.

Had the autopsy come back with an actual cause of death (or if the police made any attempt to interrogate Susan) all the answers would be known in 1981 and the Sovas would have gotten closure from the onset.

[wiseguy182]

Originally Posted by DazzlerSparkler

I wanna see the Scott hill segment. Also what was the boys on the tracks?

PM me your address and I will send you Scott Hill and the update so you can see how much a ********* he is.