Dale Kerstetter article in Popular Mechanics May/June 2025 edition - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

crystaldawn · 04-21-2025, 11:01 AM

Hello! As you may or may not know, I have written 2 different in-depth articles about Dale Kerstetter as well as 2 podcast episodes. I was contacted by an author in Fall of last year concerning a feature article she was asked to write about Dale. She interviewed me as well as his family and the article is finally out in the May/June edition of Popular Mechanics.

It was nice to have my name and blog mentioned but I'm really excited that Dale's disappearance will be getting such a wider audience now.

Here's a preview of the article. The issue is for sale everywhere now I believe.

https://www.zinio.com/article/popula...n-heist-a35013

bigted12 · 04-21-2025, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crystaldawn

Hello! As you may or may not know, I have written 2 different in-depth articles about Dale Kerstetter as well as 2 podcast episodes. I was contacted by an author in Fall of last year concerning a feature article she was asked to write about Dale. She interviewed me as well as his family and the article is finally out in the May/June edition of Popular Mechanics.

It was nice to have my name and blog mentioned but I'm really excited that Dale's disappearance will be getting such a wider audience now.

Here's a preview of the article. The issue is for sale everywhere now I believe.

https://www.zinio.com/article/popula...n-heist-a35013

It would be really interesting to know what his kids think now.

crystaldawn · 04-21-2025, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigted12

It would be really interesting to know what his kids think now.

I have talked to a few of them as well as his ex-wife and they all think he was abducted and murdered that night. One of his children contacted me a few months ago after reading my 2 articles. She wanted to thank me so much, because over the years she just figured he was unhappy with his life but after reading my articles, she is convinced he didn't leave willingly.

The Popular Mechanics article talks a lot about his daughter Penny and her thoughts on the case.

bigted12 · 04-21-2025, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crystaldawn

I have talked to a few of them as well as his ex-wife and they all think he was abducted and murdered that night. One of his children contacted me a few months ago after reading my 2 articles. She wanted to thank me so much, because over the years she just figured he was unhappy with his life but after reading my articles, she is convinced he didn't leave willingly.

The Popular Mechanics article talks a lot about his daughter Penny and her thoughts on the case.

I think it's impossible that he left willingly, I mean we're told that the platinum was worth 250k, but that doesn't mean you can sell it on the black market for 250k, Dale would have had to have at least one accomplice, the guy in the video and maybe others...

This means that Dale could have walked away with as little as 50k. he had a family who clearly loves him, a new van, a home....

To go on the run forever, leaving your family behind, a new van... to maybe only have 50k to begin a whole new life while you face is plastered all over the news and things like unsolved mysteries... it would be insane.

The plant had got into a situation where they had to let people go.. in one sentence they described him as a hero and then a "marginal" employee who was more than likely guilty...

I think they bosses/owners planned it all and knew Dale would be easy to blame.

The only question is, what happened to his body?

tvscript124 · 04-21-2025, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigted12

I think it's impossible that he left willingly, I mean we're told that the platinum was worth 250k, but that doesn't mean you can sell it on the black market for 250k, Dale would have had to have at least one accomplice, the guy in the video and maybe others...

This means that Dale could have walked away with as little as 50k. he had a family who clearly loves him, a new van, a home....

To go on the run forever, leaving your family behind, a new van... to maybe only have 50k to begin a whole new life while you face is plastered all over the news and things like unsolved mysteries... it would be insane.

The plant had got into a situation where they had to let people go.. in one sentence they described him as a hero and then a "marginal" employee who was more than likely guilty...

I think they bosses/owners planned it all and knew Dale would be easy to blame.

The only question is, what happened to his body?

That is the question, and I hope we find out someday. For some desperate people who say damn the consequences, 50K might be enough to disappear, but Dale Kerstetter doesn't seem to be one of them...

Thanks for keeping the flame alive, Crystaldawn.

kane7474 · 04-24-2025, 11:34 PM

Penny use to post in here , in fact the younger sister did too of if I recall right

dynoguy88 · 04-25-2025, 08:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crystaldawn

I have talked to a few of them as well as his ex-wife and they all think he was abducted and murdered that night. One of his children contacted me a few months ago after reading my 2 articles. She wanted to thank me so much, because over the years she just figured he was unhappy with his life but after reading my articles, she is convinced he didn't leave willingly.

The Popular Mechanics article talks a lot about his daughter Penny and her thoughts on the case.

Did you talk to Dale's son? His comment at the end of the segment saying he’s probably in Canada or Australia until the statute of limitations is over always felt out of left field. But he was young and it was probably wishful thinking.

I always liked Penny from her interview. She left bias out of her thinking and just wanted to know what happened to Dale, whether he was involved or not.

VHSJunkie · 04-26-2025, 09:42 PM

I remember watching the segment with a text update, back in like 2011 when there was a handful of channels on YouTube with numerous VHS -rip segments, before the great takedown of 2013. The text update had no new information, can't remember exactly but just said his family had not heard from him since with some creepy theme music playing, anyone have it or get to download it?

JM · 04-26-2025, 11:28 PM

Thanks for your continued hard work on this, Heather. I'm sure the family appreciates it, as we all do.

This evening, I discovered that the article was posted in podcast form if you have access to Apple Podcasts. It says 'subscriber edition' so I think it may be included in my families' Apple One subscription (iCloud, News, Music, etc.) It may (or may not) be only accessible if you have such a subscription.

Just wanted to pass it along:

https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/i...=1000704938131

DALLASTEXAN!! · 04-27-2025, 12:47 PM

Glad to see that his case still lives on and could still be solvable, but maybe that's wishful thinking. I've always said that the company clearly did their best to smear Dale's character in the UM segment. perhaps as to absolve themselves from any liability for his murder. I wish that they would have been punished for their malpractices which most likely led to Dale's murder.

Street Novelist · 04-27-2025, 08:23 PM

Hey everybody, crystaldawn is back!

schmave · 04-29-2025, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DALLASTEXAN!!

Glad to see that his case still lives on and could still be solvable, but maybe that's wishful thinking. I've always said that the company clearly did their best to smear Dale's character in the UM segment. perhaps as to absolve themselves from any liability for his murder. I wish that they would have been punished for their malpractices which most likely led to Dale's murder.

That company representative was one of the most unlikable interviewees of the entire series. I hope he was proud of himself for smearing someone who likely was dead.

LooksLikeCRicci · 05-02-2025, 01:46 PM

I think I already congratulated you on FB, Heather, but if not, congrats on the article! That's pretty impressive work!

EDIT: Okay, so I went and bought the digital copy of the magazine article. Again, great work, Heather.

Tighthead · 05-06-2025, 11:38 PM

I posted this as an update last month, no clue it was the handiwork of the one and only Crystaldawn.

It was only teased at that point, and I kind of forgot.

crystaldawn · 05-22-2025, 01:18 PM

Thank you so much Cricci, Tighthead and Street Novelist!

Dynoguy, I never spoke to Al. Penny says he really doesn't want to talk about it. I believe he's more of the mindset to just leave it be. However, I did recently hear from Al's twin sister. She was great and had just recently read my articles and was so grateful. She lived out of state when he went missing and was very young so I'm sure she wasn't told everything out of protecting her. She wasn't sure what to think all these years about why he disappeared but she said after reading my articles she is convinced that he didn't leave willingly.

04-21-2025, 11:01 AM	#1
crystaldawn Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 17, 2002 Location: Illinois Posts: 4,261	Dale Kerstetter article in Popular Mechanics May/June 2025 edition Hello! As you may or may not know, I have written 2 different in-depth articles about Dale Kerstetter as well as 2 podcast episodes. I was contacted by an author in Fall of last year concerning a feature article she was asked to write about Dale. She interviewed me as well as his family and the article is finally out in the May/June edition of Popular Mechanics. It was nice to have my name and blog mentioned but I'm really excited that Dale's disappearance will be getting such a wider audience now. Here's a preview of the article. The issue is for sale everywhere now I believe. https://www.zinio.com/article/popula...n-heist-a35013
	__________________ Blog:www.lostnfoundblogs.com Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/s...nfoundpodcasts Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Lostnfoundpodcast

04-27-2025, 12:47 PM	#10
DALLASTEXAN!! Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 31, 2007 Location: Devil's Backbone Posts: 3,139	Glad to see that his case still lives on and could still be solvable, but maybe that's wishful thinking. I've always said that the company clearly did their best to smear Dale's character in the UM segment. perhaps as to absolve themselves from any liability for his murder. I wish that they would have been punished for their malpractices which most likely led to Dale's murder.
	__________________ "Payback is a MF" -RS

04-24-2025, 11:34 PM	#6
kane7474 Member Forum Regular Join Date: Mar 10, 2006 Posts: 778	Penny use to post in here , in fact the younger sister did too of if I recall right

04-26-2025, 09:42 PM	#8
VHSJunkie Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jul 18, 2017 Posts: 111	I remember watching the segment with a text update, back in like 2011 when there was a handful of channels on YouTube with numerous VHS -rip segments, before the great takedown of 2013. The text update had no new information, can't remember exactly but just said his family had not heard from him since with some creepy theme music playing, anyone have it or get to download it?

04-26-2025, 11:28 PM	#9
JM Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jan 01, 2005 Location: Columbus, Ohio Posts: 246	Thanks for your continued hard work on this, Heather. I'm sure the family appreciates it, as we all do. This evening, I discovered that the article was posted in podcast form if you have access to Apple Podcasts. It says 'subscriber edition' so I think it may be included in my families' Apple One subscription (iCloud, News, Music, etc.) It may (or may not) be only accessible if you have such a subscription. Just wanted to pass it along: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/i...=1000704938131

04-27-2025, 08:23 PM	#11
Street Novelist Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Sep 03, 2015 Location: Bay Area Posts: 78	Hey everybody, crystaldawn is back!

05-02-2025, 01:46 PM	#13
LooksLikeCRicci Likes to live in a clean house Moderator Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Nov 27, 2005 Posts: 4,050	I think I already congratulated you on FB, Heather, but if not, congrats on the article! That's pretty impressive work! EDIT: Okay, so I went and bought the digital copy of the magazine article. Again, great work, Heather.

05-06-2025, 11:38 PM	#14
Tighthead Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Aug 15, 2006 Posts: 199	I posted this as an update last month, no clue it was the handiwork of the one and only Crystaldawn. It was only teased at that point, and I kind of forgot.

05-22-2025, 01:18 PM	#15
crystaldawn Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 17, 2002 Location: Illinois Posts: 4,261	Thank you so much Cricci, Tighthead and Street Novelist! Dynoguy, I never spoke to Al. Penny says he really doesn't want to talk about it. I believe he's more of the mindset to just leave it be. However, I did recently hear from Al's twin sister. She was great and had just recently read my articles and was so grateful. She lived out of state when he went missing and was very young so I'm sure she wasn't told everything out of protecting her. She wasn't sure what to think all these years about why he disappeared but she said after reading my articles she is convinced that he didn't leave willingly.