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Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 2, Episode 12 - Full Episodes

May 21, 2019 / 47:38

This episode covers the stories of Sharon Elliott, the hatbox baby, John Brennan, a wrongfully convicted physician, and Joseph Sham Beer, a Santa Claus searching for his daughter. It discusses the circumstances surrounding Sharon's abandonment in 1931, John Brennan's conviction for his wife's murder, and Joseph's quest to reunite with his long-lost daughter.

Sharon Elliott, known as the hatbox baby, was discovered abandoned in a hatbox in the Arizona desert on Christmas Eve 1931. The couple who found her, Edie and Julia Stewart, took her to the police, where she became a symbol of hope during the Great Depression. After being adopted, Sharon later sought to learn about her birth parents, questioning the circumstances of her abandonment.

John Brennan, a Chicago physician, was convicted of murdering his wife Donna in 1967. Despite claiming his innocence and having evidence suggesting he was not at the scene, he was sentenced to 20 to 30 years in prison. His case raises questions about the fairness of his trial and the evidence presented against him.

Joseph Sham Beer, a beloved Santa Claus figure, has spent decades bringing joy to children while searching for his daughter Alberta Elaine, whom he had to give up for adoption after the death of his wife. His story highlights the emotional toll of separation and his hope for reunion.

The episode intertwines these narratives, emphasizing themes of abandonment, justice, and the enduring bonds of family.

TL;DR

Sharon Elliott seeks her roots as the hatbox baby, John Brennan fights wrongful conviction, and Joseph Sham Beer searches for his daughter.

Episode

47:38
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this program is about unsolved mysteries
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whenever possible the actual family
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members and police officials have
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participated in recreating the events
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what you were about to see is not a news
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broadcast on Christmas Eve in 1931 a
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couple made an incredible discovery in a
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lonely Arizona den a baby girl abandoned
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in a hatbox today Sharon Elliott the so
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called hatbox bean wants to learn the
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truth about her parents and find the
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couple who rescued her all that long ago
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Christmas Eve man for 30 years
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Joe sham beer has been a real-life Santa
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Claus for the millions of children who
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listened to his radio broadcast but this
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man was given children so much happiness
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is searching for his own child
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Alberta Elaine who was given up for
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adoption 50 years ago also tonight we
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will tell the story of John Brown a
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Chicago physician in civil rights work
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who was in prison for murdering his wife
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20 years ago a crime he swears he did
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not commit indeed there is compelling
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evidence supports his claim of innocence
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if this is true and a man has been
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unjustly imprisoned tonight John Brennan
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makes his final appeal
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[Music]
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[Applause]
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[Music]
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Christmas Eve 1931 at 8:00 p.m. a car
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broke down in the middle of the chilly
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Arizona desert 56 miles outside Phoenix
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the four people inside were returning
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from a day trip to the mountains
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Edie Stewart took a look at the engine
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while his wife Julia waited in the car
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it looks like a busted fuel line Julia's
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15 year old twin cousins John and Betty
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Mansfield looked on from the backseat oh
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it's gonna take a few minutes to fix I'm
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gonna stretch my legs a bit all right
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honey you be careful out here there's
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scorpions
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[Music]
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[Music]
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Hey come here a minute what what is it
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it's a hat box that's probably just some
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chunk left by some campers of course it
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don't look that weather
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[Music]
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open it up oh my gosh it's a baby leave
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a child out here okay all right do you
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see anybody when we drove up Edie and
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Julia Stewart saw no sign of the person
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who would abandon the baby they carry
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the tiny found link back to their car 41
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miles away at the Mesa Arizona police
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station constable Joel Mayer was
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spending his Christmas Eve on duty we
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found this baby in the desert you found
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the child yeah
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Edie and Julius Stewart told constable
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Mayer the incredible story of how they
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found a tiny infant in a hatbox what
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I'll do is I don't know exactly what to
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do with there either I'll take her to
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Maude Dana's for tonight that's a good
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idea jump you'll take home and to you
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both I'll be back to your first
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statement on this okay constable Mayer
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turned over his young charge to Medina a
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midwife living near Florence Arizona she
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called in a doctor who pronounced the
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child a healthy 7 day old girl suffering
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no ill effects from her time in the
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desert a second baby
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local reporters were quick to turn up on
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Maude Dana's porch they dubbed the child
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a miracle news are the Christmassy baby
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spread like wildfire people shower the
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little girl with love gifts and
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attention we've never had anything like
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that happen around Florence that was a
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new thing and everybody was very
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family-oriented and loved their children
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and
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thought of them first to think that
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somebody would desert a little helpless
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baby and we felt it was surely a miracle
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at night that that little baby was saved
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the miracle Christmassy baby captured
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the imagination of the entire country to
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a people weathering the Great Depression
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this tiny baby girl rescued from the
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desert became a symbol of the Christmas
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season an array of hope in the midst of
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bleak times the baby was put up for
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adoption On February the 16th 1932 a
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hearing was held at the Pinal County
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Courthouse in Florence Arizona you know
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I think this baby must be the most
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fortunate baby in the county seventeen
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couples had expressed interest in
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adopting the baby I'm at the field
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finally narrowed to just two Judge Al
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Green faced a difficult choice under all
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circumstances I might say that since I
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know you have an adopted child and the
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other couple doesn't have one
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I feel under the circumstances that I am
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forced to award the child to them
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[Music]
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let them leave the courtroom $5.00 but
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your honor I'm going to seal the court
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records on this case and we'd appreciate
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it very much if you boys were respecting
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people's privacy and let the child grow
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up in a normal life thank you the
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reporters and photographers waited
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inside while the baby and her new
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parents made their exit only the people
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in court that day knew who had adopted
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the hatbox baby for more than half a
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century the identity of the family
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remained a closely guarded secret
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finally on August the 10th 1986 the
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adoptive mother broke her five decade
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silence we tried to have children and we
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couldn't you're adopted honey we adopted
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when you were a little baby I was
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shocked I just I couldn't believe it
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you know because I hadn't I had no idea
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that I was a adopted nobody ever said I
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think to me it was never it's just I
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never even dreamt at eyes that was the
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last thing I would think that you know I
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would hear from her
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Sharon's mother also told her the
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amazing saga of how she had been found
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in the desert why I've never heard of
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the hatbox baby and I'm one person I
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grew up and I have a family and
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everything then I'm looking through all
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these pictures and it's just it just
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seemed like it was unreal kind of that
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this could be me
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Sharon began to look for her birth
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parents news of research reached an
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organization called orphan voyage which
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reunites adopted children with their
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families of birth
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Alice Simon one of the research
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consultants at orphaned voyage took up
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Sharon's cause both women felt it was
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vital to have access to the sealed court
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documents from 1931 and the court has
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reviewed your file and determined that
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it would be in the best interest to
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release these files so well that you
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look at him
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you're appreciated for the first time
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Sharon read the Stewart's verbatim
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account of finding her in the desert as
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she studied the record she grew
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skeptical of their story it seems such
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an amazing coincidence that their car
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had broken down at the exact spot in the
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desert where the hatbox had been left I
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think it was a setup
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who's gonna leave a baby in the desert
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in the middle this is this is winter
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it's Christmas Eve and it's that time I
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you know here it's cold here in sworn
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testimony ed and Julia Stewart stated
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they left home at dawn of December 24th
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1931 to drive up to the mountains the
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Stewart said they stopped only once
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and Roosevelt Arizona one of several
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small towns on their route mrs. Stewart
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had left an 8 month old nursing baby at
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home it was Christmas Eve the day that
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most people stay home and cook through
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turkey wrapped their Christmas presents
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I think that they went up to globe or
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superior or maybe Roosevelt he picked up
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the baby I'm someone they knew maybe a
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cousin a relative a friend and brought
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it back to Mesa could the Stewart's have
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picked up the infant Sharon and
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Roosevelt or another small town or did
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the indeed finder in the desert shares
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mysterious mother having placed her in
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the hatbox only seconds before the
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Stewart's car stopped
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it would have been a carefully arranged
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routes stage for the benefit of the
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teenage cousins John and Betty Mansfield
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had been brought along as innocent
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witnesses in that day if a girl got
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pregnant
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if out if she was not married it was I
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guess the greatest disgrace that she
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could bring up on our family I think
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that probably they were just trying to
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help out a young girl maybe it was a
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relative could have been a nice could
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have been her friend I you know I don't
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know maybe they had friends that had a
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daughter well I'm just glad that I
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survived I don't know if I have any
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brothers or sisters I don't even know
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the exact date of my birth or even where
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I was born I don't know what heritage I
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am what nationality or where I come from
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and I want to know you know who I look
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like and I think my I know my daughter
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would like you know about you know her
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grandmother - her real grandmother the
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Christmas Eve miracle has remained a
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mystery for nearly six decades the vital
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missing links to Sharon Eliot's lost
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identity or the couple who found her in
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the desert if they are alive Eden Julia
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Stewart would be today in their 80s only
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they know the truth about Sharon Elliott
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the woman who began her life 58 years
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ago as a poignant baby and a hatbox lost
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in the chil December blackness of an
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Arizona desert night
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when we return the story of a Chicago
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physician who was convicted of murdering
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his wife dramatic evidence suggests that
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he may have been unjustly in prison
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[Music]
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December 22nd 1967 Chicago Illinois a 41
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year old physician named John Brangwyn
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and his son Joe P arrived home to pick
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up John's wife Donna the family was
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planning to go Christmas shopping
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together
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Jovie and I returned from nursing school
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and went into the house the first thing
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that struck me was all the lights are on
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and two television sets and I called out
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to Donna I got no answer
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and then when I got to the kitchen I
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looked at the right and I could see feet
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legs really sticking out of the utility
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room and she was dead she wasn't
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breathing her legs were askew and her
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skirt was kind of wicked up over our
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legs I switched off the light and
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reached around and grabbed Joby and ran
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out of the back of the house after his
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grim discovery dr. Brennan immediately
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called the police five months later he
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was on trial for his life today Joan
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Branyan is serving a 20 to 30 year term
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at Illinois's Dixon Correctional Center
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for the first-degree murder of his wife
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a crime he swears he did not commit I
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think it was an atrocity I think it was
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extremely unfair I feel that it was a
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setup
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my father was railroaded because he
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didn't kill my mother I think he's
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innocent because the evidence shows that
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he could not have physically been there
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at the time these events were going on I
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think the jury was was emotionally
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caught up in the case and just didn't
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forgot or didn't pay attention to the
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evidence that overwhelmingly proved that
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John couldn't have been the killer
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I couldn't murder the mother of my
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children
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I couldn't murder my high school
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sweetheart Don and I had known each
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other since the age of 14 I didn't
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murder her
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it is not uncommon for a convicted
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criminal to stoutly maintained his
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innocence but in John Brennan's case E
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is not alone though some say he is a
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murderer others are convinced that he
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was framed for John Brennan this debate
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is literally a matter of life and death
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after suffering five heart attacks he
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desperately needs a heart transplant but
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because he is a convicted murderer the
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operation he needs to survive has been
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denied him this is John Branyan story
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during the mid-60s Martin Luther King
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dreamed his dreams of equality for all
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Americans John Brennan marched by his
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side and in 1966 he was King's personal
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physician in Chicago Chicago was a
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racial battleground during those years
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Branyan was often on the front line even
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went so far as to provide medical
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services for the Black Panthers the
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Weathermen and other extreme
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revolutionary groups not surprisingly
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Branyan was viewed with hostility by the
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Chicago Police I've always covered for
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equal rights and speller for freedom
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hoping that there would eventually be
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freedom and equal rights and I've done
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it all my life I did it very early in
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very left-wing groups and I'll do it
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when I get out of here the son of a
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prominent attorney John Brennan worked
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at a busy community clinic and lived in
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Chicago's affluent Hyde Park district in
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1946 he married Donna Braun and they had
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two children
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December 22nd 1967 after being called by
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John Branyan a Chicago police arrived at
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his Hyde Park home dr. brandy are you
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holding up then okay stir with me you
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noticed anything missing anything that
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might have been taken from the apartment
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investigators found four shell casings
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from a 9-millimeter gun next to Donna's
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body they assumed that she had been shot
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four times
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do you own a 9-millimeter weapon yes the
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onion was an avid gun collector and says
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that police asked him for any weapon in
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his collection capable of firing a
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nine-millimeter bullet he gave them a
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Luger pistol right dr. Brennan let me
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give it back
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police determined that the gun had not
00:17:20
been recently fired they would later
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claim that Branyan had denied owning any
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other gun capable of firing the fatal
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bullets never seizures
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Aseem evening at the police station
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Brennan gave detectives his alibi dr.
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brandy I know it's been a long difficult
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day I'd like to go over one more time
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whereabouts Branyan told police that he
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had left the clinic where he worked at
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11:30 a.m. morning listen I'm on my way
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to pick up Toby I won't be back any more
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this afternoon he then drove his car
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your old sons nursery school to pick him
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up
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[Music]
00:18:06
after leaving the school they went to
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see his wife's cousin Maxine Brown to
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meet her for lunch
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[Music]
00:18:18
[Music]
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she was unable to join Branyan told
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police that he then proceeded home there
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he discovered the body of his wife and
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you arrived home at what time around
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noon
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dr. brainian did you submit to a
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lie-detector test
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chan I don't think that's such a good
00:18:44
idea no but I would like to have a
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nitrate test though we don't have the
00:18:49
chemical a nitrate test would have
00:18:51
determined whether he had fired a gun
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but the Chicago police were unable to
00:18:55
conduct this test that night Brennan was
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released without being charged morning
00:19:06
one month passed then on January 22nd
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1968 the police made an unexpected visit
00:19:13
to Brennan's clinic dr. Brennan you're
00:19:16
under arrest for the murder of your wife
00:19:18
you'll have to come with us right now I
00:19:21
think that the police were under great
00:19:24
deal of pressure from the black press at
00:19:27
the time and I think they saw a chance
00:19:34
because 85% of murders are committed by
00:19:37
either the family or friends close
00:19:39
friends they saw a chance to arrest me
00:19:42
and they did I don't think they thought
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they were going to convict me but they
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arrested me anyway
00:19:55
on April 4th 1968 Martin Luther King was
00:19:59
gunned down in Memphis and riots broke
00:20:01
out in Chicago racial tensions in the
00:20:05
city were an all-time high in this
00:20:09
polarized atmosphere John Brennan's
00:20:11
trial began would you state your name
00:20:13
please sir Michael boy his jury was
00:20:16
composed of 11 White's and one black
00:20:18
profession sir I'm detective for Chicago
00:20:20
Police Department the prosecution's case
00:20:23
is built on three assertions first
00:20:25
although the murder weapon was never
00:20:27
found they claim that the bullets that
00:20:29
killed Donna could have been fired from
00:20:31
a Walther PPK there was part of Rania's
00:20:33
gun collection a gun they maintained
00:20:36
here denied owning detective testified
00:20:41
they went back to him and said do you
00:20:42
have a Walther PPK and he said no he
00:20:45
never had one and it turned out that
00:20:49
that he had a Walther PPK had been sold
00:20:52
about a year before to a man named hooks
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who was one of the good friends of dr.
00:20:58
Brandon police then went to hooks and
00:21:00
asked him where his gun was and he said
00:21:02
no he bought that gun for Branyan as a
00:21:03
Christmas present the year before not
00:21:07
sir what if any relationship did mrs.
00:21:10
Brandon bear to you she was my sister
00:21:12
later during the trial
00:21:14
Donna Brandon's brother Nelson Brown
00:21:16
testified that John Brennan had told him
00:21:19
that the day Donna was murdered his
00:21:21
Walther PPK had been stolen from his
00:21:23
bedside he mentioned that there were two
00:21:25
guns missing one was a PPK and the other
00:21:28
was a collector's item worth fifteen
00:21:30
hundred to two thousand dollars did he
00:21:32
in the confusion following his wife's
00:21:34
death Branyan had not immediately
00:21:36
noticed the theft I show you now that
00:21:39
which has been marked as people's
00:21:41
exhibit 13 the prosecution second
00:21:44
assertion was that the four shell
00:21:45
casings found by Donna's body had come
00:21:47
from a box of ammunition they had
00:21:49
discovered when they searched Brandon's
00:21:51
closet for shells were missing from this
00:21:54
box these are the shells that I
00:21:57
recovered from the shelf in the dental
00:21:58
closet finally the prosecution claimed
00:22:02
that John Branyan had a moody for
00:22:03
wanting his wife dead
00:22:05
at the time of Donna's death as marriage
00:22:07
was in trouble for six years John
00:22:10
Brennan had been conducting an affair
00:22:11
with a nurse at his clinic named Shirley
00:22:13
Hudson his wife knew about the affair
00:22:15
but the couple had not divorced our
00:22:18
theory of the trial was that it was it
00:22:21
was to get out of a bad marriage get out
00:22:24
of a marriage without having to pay all
00:22:26
the consequences of divorce and that
00:22:29
certainly I had I had a friend a
00:22:33
girlfriend of six years it wasn't a hot
00:22:37
on a burner affair there was nothing
00:22:40
pressing about our relationship our
00:22:43
relationship was mutually accepted sure
00:22:46
I never pressed me and I never ever
00:22:50
thought of leaving Donna why would I
00:22:53
suddenly decide to kill her
00:22:55
no our theory a prosecution was that he
00:23:02
had planned for why that day we don't
00:23:05
know to kill his wife and that he was
00:23:07
gonna leave the hospital come home and
00:23:10
kill her do it silently when that didn't
00:23:12
work he used the gun then pick up his
00:23:16
son at school then pick up Maxine for
00:23:19
the luncheon date that was made at the
00:23:20
very last minute of the night before
00:23:22
have lunch have an alibi for the period
00:23:26
of time involved and then have either
00:23:29
someone or himself find the body and
00:23:31
have a very good alibi are you ready
00:23:34
with your neck granules defense was
00:23:36
suing he and his attorney were certainly
00:23:38
his alibi was airtight as they
00:23:40
maintained it was impossible for Branyan
00:23:42
to be in two places at once
00:23:44
mrs. Kendra when you got home did you
00:23:47
have occasion to look at your clock yes
00:23:50
this alibi was strengthened when Brahe's
00:23:53
next-door neighbor testified that she
00:23:55
had heard the fatal gunshots at 11:20
00:23:57
a.m. while Branyan was reportedly still
00:24:00
at his clinic if the dr. brennan's lived
00:24:03
the hospital 11:30 and I heard the shots
00:24:07
at 11:20 and I'm sure of it
00:24:09
I was sure then and I'm sure now that is
00:24:12
impossible for him to shoot his wife to
00:24:14
be there at that time when you heard
00:24:17
those
00:24:18
while you were putting away the grocer
00:24:20
suprisingly this testimony would have
00:24:22
little impact on the jury the
00:24:24
prosecution pursued their theory that
00:24:27
the murder took place after Branyan left
00:24:29
the clinic now officer you also stated
00:24:34
that you drove certain routes and that
00:24:37
you totalled these times and that the
00:24:39
autonomy arrived dad was from six to
00:24:41
twelve minutes
00:24:42
is that right yes police testified that
00:24:45
they had driven and time Brannan's route
00:24:47
on the morning of the murder and had
00:24:49
determined that he did in fact have just
00:24:51
enough time to kill his wife before he
00:24:53
picked up his son yes and when you
00:24:56
arrived to dr. Brandon's home however in
00:24:58
one of the trials most dramatic moments
00:25:00
a defense challenged this timetable
00:25:02
watch by the way officer when you
00:25:07
arrived at the nursery school whose
00:25:09
little boy did you use another state of
00:25:12
question sir well I assume that you went
00:25:15
to the nursery school to cover some time
00:25:17
about checking on a kid now how much
00:25:19
time did you allow for him to pick up
00:25:21
his son from the nursery school we
00:25:24
allowed no time for that you didn't
00:25:27
allow that I can remember feeling a
00:25:31
chill in in the courtroom when he sent
00:25:33
us in that you are moving a lot slower
00:25:37
when you've got a child didn't old and
00:25:40
when you're with yourself by yourself so
00:25:44
I thought that was an effective point
00:25:46
the point of the other point is would he
00:25:48
walk into the house knowing his wife was
00:25:50
dead with with the kid and it's a
00:25:53
shocking thing to see if he knew it had
00:25:55
happened so I thought those were the
00:25:57
strong points they had going for them on
00:26:01
May 28 1968 after deliberating for 8
00:26:04
hours the jury reached their decision
00:26:08
mr. Foreman has the jury reached a
00:26:11
verdict we have your honor
00:26:14
read the verdict mr. Foreman we the jury
00:26:17
find the defendant John Brandon jr.
00:26:20
guilty in manner inform is charged in
00:26:23
the indictment
00:26:24
when the judge said I was guilty the
00:26:29
verdict will be entered I felt Hollow I
00:26:32
felt as though I was no longer but I
00:26:36
know what I did do I remember kind of
00:26:38
sticking my head up I don't know why but
00:26:41
I remember that I did that I know my
00:26:44
shoulders got a little straighter but it
00:26:48
certainly hurt when he said that he'd
00:26:51
really hurt
00:26:59
the three years Branyan was freon babies
00:27:01
he appealed his verdict during this time
00:27:04
he married his former girlfriend Shirley
00:27:06
I loved him and I still love him very
00:27:11
much and I could not desert him as
00:27:18
people were beginning to do he was a
00:27:22
walking shell he'd loved both of us he
00:27:27
loved Donna and he loved me yet April of
00:27:32
1971 his appeal was denied and John
00:27:35
Branyan was ordered to begin serving as
00:27:37
twenty to thirty years sentence a few
00:27:43
days later after the Supreme Court
00:27:44
declined to hear his case Branyan jumped
00:27:47
bail and left the country for 12 years
00:27:51
Branyan lived in Africa but in 1983 he
00:27:54
was apprehended in Uganda he was brought
00:28:00
back to Illinois to serve his sentence
00:28:04
an innocent person should be found
00:28:08
innocent in this country we've been
00:28:10
taught that ever since we were kids
00:28:12
so because of that I had to sleep
00:28:14
because I couldn't get justice anywhere
00:28:15
else the evidence against me proves that
00:28:20
I couldn't have done the crime yet I'm
00:28:22
here currently two investigators have
00:28:27
volunteered their services to Brandon's
00:28:29
case Anthony D'Amato a prominent law
00:28:32
professor from Northwestern University
00:28:34
and his wife author Barbara De Aza are
00:28:37
working with Brandon's wife Shirley to
00:28:39
document what they consider to be a
00:28:41
shocking miscarriage of justice
00:28:44
when mrs. Brennan said my husband was
00:28:47
innocent I was very skeptical about that
00:28:49
I don't I don't tend to believe people's
00:28:51
statements about things like this and it
00:28:54
was only Barbara's investigation of the
00:28:56
thing that proved to me that no matter
00:28:58
what John Branyan said he couldn't have
00:29:00
done it that was the main
00:29:01
theamazingatheist somebody else's word
00:29:11
John Brennan is currently serving his
00:29:13
sentence in Illinois for the 1967 murder
00:29:15
of his wife Donna
00:29:17
he could be incarcerated until the year
00:29:19
2006 but Tony and Barbara D'Amato
00:29:24
believe he deserves to be released
00:29:25
immediately they claim that by
00:29:28
reconstructing the events that took
00:29:30
place in the late morning of December
00:29:31
22nd 1967 it can be proved John Brennan
00:29:35
did not shoot his wife the fact is that
00:29:40
when his wife was murdered he was a mile
00:29:43
and a half away treating patients in a
00:29:45
hospital and that's proven that's a fact
00:29:47
so there's no there's no legal rule
00:29:50
whatsoever that says an innocent man has
00:29:52
to stay in prison okay because it cannot
00:29:58
definitely be proved that the fatal
00:29:59
shots were fired at 11:20 then it is
00:30:02
possible that Donna was murdered later
00:30:04
Brenna's guilt or innocence might rest
00:30:07
on the 10-minute window of time between
00:30:08
11:35 and he left his clinic and the
00:30:11
time that he arrived at the nursery
00:30:13
school to pick up his son what seems dr.
00:30:19
John Brennan spent the morning of
00:30:21
December 22nd at his clinic where he saw
00:30:23
14 different patients three to four
00:30:25
times a day
00:30:27
at approximately 11:35 Branyan left the
00:30:30
clinic located here and stopped outside
00:30:33
to talk with Leonard Scott the
00:30:34
hospital's administrator he was next
00:30:38
seen by a teacher at his sons nursery
00:30:40
school here approximately 10 minutes
00:30:42
later in order to have murdered Donna
00:30:45
Branyan would have had to have driven to
00:30:47
his home shot his wife and then raced to
00:30:50
his son's school all in less than 10
00:30:53
minutes
00:30:55
now there's no way the police could have
00:30:57
made this in six minutes
00:30:58
during the trial police claimed that
00:31:00
this drive could be made in as little as
00:31:02
six minutes but according to the
00:31:04
D'Amato's the police grossly
00:31:05
underestimated the actual time his drive
00:31:08
would take
00:31:09
D'Amato's traveled the same route
00:31:11
several times it took them at least 11
00:31:14
minutes the police testified that they
00:31:18
got it down as low as six minutes but
00:31:20
they also said that they sometimes it
00:31:22
took them 12 minutes well that's a huge
00:31:25
disparity between 6 and 12 and I just
00:31:27
wonder how and how they could have
00:31:29
pulled off that six minutes and they
00:31:31
certainly couldn't have done it at a
00:31:32
time when there were other cars on the
00:31:33
street or pedestrians or snow or
00:31:36
anything else like the conditions that
00:31:37
John Branyan had to drive it in it's one
00:31:40
thing to say well if you're gonna kill
00:31:41
your wife you can speed and hurry up to
00:31:42
get home but you can't drive through a
00:31:44
car ahead of you now if the streets are
00:31:46
filled with pedestrians and people
00:31:48
crossing the streets and other kinds of
00:31:50
cars it was just clearly impossible
00:31:57
further evidence a Brandon could not
00:31:59
have shot his wife came when the
00:32:01
d'amato's consulted pathologist Douglas
00:32:03
Shanklin after examining the original
00:32:07
autopsy reports on Donna Brannon
00:32:10
Shanklin believes he can prove that she
00:32:11
was first dassault at at least a half
00:32:13
hour before John Branyan had even begun
00:32:16
to drive home an attack he believes
00:32:18
would have required at least two
00:32:20
assailants it's very important to note
00:32:24
that there were bruises and other marks
00:32:25
on her body the most particular of which
00:32:28
is a groove in her neck it was a very
00:32:31
deep groove that began in the anterior
00:32:34
neck and moved laterally and then
00:32:36
disappeared behind as though somebody
00:32:38
was standing in back with a top chord
00:32:41
not strong enough to strangle a person
00:32:43
but strong enough to hold them to move
00:32:46
their body as you wish them to move and
00:32:49
to restrain them from escape and of
00:32:52
course as soon as she was shot the core
00:32:54
was released this groove stayed there
00:32:56
it's not going to continue to form after
00:32:59
death because of the loss of circulation
00:33:01
it takes at least 15 minutes for such a
00:33:04
groove to be formed and possibly longer
00:33:09
so you've got a minimum of 15 minutes
00:33:12
before the gun is used the latest time
00:33:17
and testimony for those sounds was
00:33:19
approximate 11:25 so that pushes the
00:33:22
beginning of the cord around the neck 15
00:33:25
minutes earlier and seems to me that the
00:33:28
crime began probably around 11 o'clock
00:33:30
or a few minutes before that so she
00:33:33
would lie that way in the alcove I think
00:33:37
dr. Brannon is innocent of this crime
00:33:38
because there were two people at least
00:33:40
involved one of whom held the victim for
00:33:44
a period of time but could not have shot
00:33:45
at the same time bang she falls so there
00:33:50
had to be two parties to the final
00:33:51
action of this scenario but even if
00:33:56
Donna Branyan was killed by two
00:33:58
assailants while her husband was at work
00:34:00
former prosecutor Patrick - it believes
00:34:02
that Branyan may still be guilty I
00:34:06
always even at the time of trial had
00:34:10
doubts is whether he actually pulled the
00:34:12
trigger that was our theory of the
00:34:13
prosecution but I always felt and I
00:34:17
still feel that he was somehow
00:34:18
responsible for his death he is a man
00:34:21
that deals with facts if there are facts
00:34:23
that say that I did not kill my wife but
00:34:26
I hired someone else didn't let him come
00:34:29
forth with him how what gives him the
00:34:31
right the arrogance to say that he
00:34:35
believes something when there's no
00:34:38
evidence of it if there was a second
00:34:41
party involved why didn't they get the
00:34:42
second party and hang us both there is
00:34:46
no basis in the law whatsoever to say oh
00:34:48
well if he wasn't there he hired someone
00:34:51
to do it it's the jury should hear if
00:34:53
there was any evidence of anyone being
00:34:54
hired and if they didn't if the state
00:34:56
chose not to present that theory then it
00:34:59
is legally irrelevant today John Brennan
00:35:04
and the de Matos have exhausted all
00:35:06
avenues of judicial appeal preyas only
00:35:09
hope is clemency from the governor of
00:35:10
Illinois a clemency that cannot be
00:35:13
delayed much longer for John Brennan
00:35:15
needs a heart transplant that will be
00:35:17
denied him as long as he remains in
00:35:19
prison
00:35:21
convicted murderers are not put on a
00:35:25
waiting list for heart transplants so
00:35:30
he's almost you know he has a double
00:35:33
death sentence he's already in prison
00:35:36
for a crime that he did not commit and
00:35:38
then he can't get the medical care that
00:35:41
he needs to continue living so in
00:35:44
essence he has a death sentence
00:35:47
[Music]
00:35:51
tonight John Brennan is in prison and
00:35:53
for him time is running out is he a
00:35:57
murderer or an innocent victim the
00:36:01
brainy ins operation is delayed much
00:36:03
further the answer would make little
00:36:05
difference
00:36:05
[Music]
00:36:19
in a moment the poignant story of a
00:36:22
real-life Santa Claus he was given
00:36:23
happiness to children across the country
00:36:25
but today Joseph's sham beer wants a
00:36:27
Christmas present of his own to speak
00:36:29
with his long-lost daughter all of us
00:36:40
are familiar with a department store
00:36:42
Santa's a street corner Santa's who
00:36:43
appear each December these jolly men are
00:36:46
cheerful symbols of the season yet our
00:36:49
next story is about a Santa Claus who
00:36:51
behind his Jodie smiles been hiding a
00:36:53
broken heart for more than 40 years
00:36:55
tonight maybe you can help bring about a
00:36:57
happy ending to this story which we call
00:37:00
satyrs baby
00:37:04
the story begins toward the end of the
00:37:07
Great Depression in 1937 the economy was
00:37:10
slowly beginning to improve but
00:37:12
Pittsburgh Pennsylvania remained
00:37:14
hard-hit bread lines were still a common
00:37:17
sight good jobs were hard to come by 20
00:37:22
year-old Joseph Felix cambiar could find
00:37:24
work only as a Western Union delivery
00:37:26
boy against the backdrop of his bleak
00:37:29
Depression hit City Joe did however find
00:37:31
a wife he and garnet worried to lawyers
00:37:35
without family ties of their own fell in
00:37:37
love and married they were both eager to
00:37:40
begin a family two months after the
00:37:42
wedding
00:37:43
garnet became pregnant one June 16 1939
00:37:49
I was at work at Western Union I had 14
00:37:53
cents in my pocket neither I nor garnet
00:38:07
I had any idea that this would happen so
00:38:10
suddenly we had given it like an
00:38:13
additional couple of weeks the doctor
00:38:15
thought it would be an additional a
00:38:17
couple of weeks but that wasn't solved
00:38:22
needless to say I ran up to three
00:38:25
flights of stairs and I was excited very
00:38:28
excited garnet was further along in her
00:38:33
labor and Joe had expected the landlady
00:38:35
had called for a doctor but he had not
00:38:37
yet arrived I didn't expect that baby to
00:38:59
come rushing out and say he'll all run
00:39:01
off the back without the doctor being
00:39:03
there you know that that's that's quite
00:39:06
a shock to the system
00:39:09
remorse we the two of us were so elated
00:39:24
it was like a package sent from heaven
00:39:27
[Music]
00:39:30
at one o'clock in the afternoon the
00:39:33
doctor finally walked in he pronounced
00:39:37
both mother and daughter in good health
00:39:38
and congratulated the new parents garnet
00:39:44
for the better part of an hour or so had
00:39:50
the baby in her arm and she kept talking
00:39:52
about it move you know what was quite
00:39:54
you'd have never known that she had gone
00:39:57
through this misery they're giving birth
00:40:02
she was so pleased with it and I was too
00:40:06
because my goodness look at that pretty
00:40:08
girl she got a little bit tired and I
00:40:11
didn't have a bassinet so what I did was
00:40:14
wrap the baby up in the blanket and I
00:40:16
placed her in the drum but he had a
00:40:18
bureau dresser there were three drawers
00:40:22
the bottom draw was quite long and large
00:40:24
and sofas I made a bet in him place the
00:40:28
baby in there temporarily and then
00:40:32
garnet had a short nap and woke up again
00:40:38
and started speaking from a strange
00:40:40
fashion for example Felix if anything
00:40:45
happens to me make sure Alice Miller
00:40:49
gets to baby Alice Bray's garnet so to
00:40:52
speak there was a relationship there
00:40:55
more like a second mother they were very
00:40:58
close
00:40:59
[Music]
00:41:05
take care of the baby Alberta four
00:41:12
o'clock she just died no fight no
00:41:17
suffering nothing of that sort when I
00:41:22
wake up what's wrong
00:41:23
I was none I was absolutely numb so I
00:41:34
followed her deathbed wish I did what I
00:41:38
thought I was supposed to do Joe took
00:41:42
his baby daughter Alberta Elaine to
00:41:44
Alice Miller you're gonna be a good
00:41:46
little girl for mrs. Miller
00:41:48
Albert Elaine all right there was a
00:41:51
sense of relief in that I knew that the
00:41:54
baby would be well taken care of
00:41:56
she'd be brought up properly you sure
00:42:00
it's not too much trouble oh no trouble
00:42:02
Oh
00:42:06
I appreciate it no this is what garnet
00:42:10
wanted god rest her soul ballast was a
00:42:13
very conscientious woman very loving
00:42:17
caring person good common sense she was
00:42:22
typical good American woman don't worry
00:42:29
thank you
00:42:34
good jobs were still almost impossible
00:42:37
to find so one week before Pearl Harbor
00:42:39
Joe sham beer enlisted he felt the army
00:42:42
was his best chance to give some
00:42:44
financial security to his tiny daughter
00:42:47
Joe was assigned to basic training in
00:42:50
Fort Devens Massachusetts then shipped
00:42:52
out to the Pacific Theater his little
00:42:54
daughter never left his mind doll during
00:42:58
the time that I was in the service I
00:43:00
kept up a little prayer book here that
00:43:04
little manual is what it's called and
00:43:08
inside that manual is a picture of my
00:43:10
daughter it's the only picture that I
00:43:13
have of her I wrote to the mullahs
00:43:19
several times I I don't know five six
00:43:23
times I've never received a reply no
00:43:27
communications with Alice at all all
00:43:29
during the time I was in the Army in
00:43:33
August of 1943 Joe suffered a head
00:43:35
injury during air raid drills in the
00:43:37
Panama Canal Zone after treatment he was
00:43:40
plagued with intermittent neck and back
00:43:42
pain so he was shipped to a Boston
00:43:43
hospital for further treatment on the
00:43:46
way his plane stopped in Pittsburgh at
00:43:51
the Allegheny Airport when we landed we
00:43:53
had a half an hour to refuel and I asked
00:43:56
permission to call out was Miller after
00:43:59
all she had the baby and I wanted to
00:44:00
find out about the baby how she was
00:44:02
doing and so far the baby was roughly
00:44:05
five years old at the time
00:44:07
hello this strange voice a woman
00:44:11
answered and when I told her who I was
00:44:15
she said I was supposed to be dead that
00:44:17
the baby had been adopted back went to
00:44:21
receive him
00:44:23
you gotta go the nameless woman on the
00:44:26
telephone left Joe dumbfounded she said
00:44:29
Alberta Elaine's adoption records were
00:44:31
sealed and he would never see his
00:44:33
daughter again well it's a blow to say
00:44:38
the least it's a blown and left up blow
00:44:41
your mind
00:44:43
despite Joe's best efforts he could not
00:44:45
locate his baby daughter he never
00:44:47
stopped trying to find her in 1946 he
00:44:51
married for the second time then moved
00:44:53
to New England where he worked as a
00:44:54
clerk at the Veterans Administration one
00:45:07
year later at Christmastime Joe phoned a
00:45:10
little girl in his neighborhood
00:45:11
pretending to be Santa Claus a little
00:45:18
girl was delighted soon all the other
00:45:20
neighborhood children were clamoring for
00:45:22
Santa to call them by the next Christmas
00:45:26
a local radio station had put Joe on the
00:45:28
air soon thanks to newspaper articles
00:45:30
across the country telephone operators
00:45:32
everywhere we're referring young callers
00:45:34
who asked to speak to Santa Claus - Joe
00:45:37
sham beers what would you like for
00:45:39
Christmas I'm writing this down in my
00:45:41
big book that's not work it's a
00:45:45
challenge but you know deep down that
00:45:49
you're doing something good and at the
00:45:51
same time you are looking for that
00:45:53
needle in the haystack namely Alberta
00:45:56
Lane that would be a heaven-sent
00:46:01
to be able to look at her be able to sit
00:46:06
down with her talk brother maybe give
00:46:09
her a big hug people she would let me
00:46:12
hey it's my own flesh and blood and she
00:46:15
deserves to know what took place
00:46:19
[Music]
00:46:37
every mystery someone somewhere who
00:46:40
knows the truth perhaps said someone is
00:46:43
watching
00:46:44
perhaps as you
00:46:46
[Music]

Badges

This episode stands out for the following:

  • 90
    Most heartbreaking
  • 85
    Most heartwarming
  • 80
    Most emotional
  • 75
    Most shocking

Episode Highlights

  • The Hatbox Baby Miracle
    On Christmas Eve 1931, a couple discovered a baby girl abandoned in a hatbox in the Arizona desert, sparking a nationwide fascination.
    “This tiny baby girl became a symbol of hope.”
    @ 06m 08s
    May 21, 2019
  • John Brennan's Fight for Innocence
    Convicted of murdering his wife, John Brennan maintains his innocence, claiming he was framed.
    “I think it was a setup.”
    @ 13m 57s
    May 21, 2019
  • John Brennan's Verdict
    After hours of deliberation, the jury finds John Brennan guilty of murder.
    “We the jury find the defendant John Brandon jr. guilty.”
    @ 26m 17s
    May 21, 2019
  • A Father's Heartbreak
    Joe Sham Beer learns he may never see his daughter again after her adoption.
    “The baby had been adopted back and I would never see her again.”
    @ 44m 17s
    May 21, 2019
  • The Santa Claus Connection
    Joe Sham Beer becomes a beloved Santa Claus while searching for his daughter.
    “Deep down, you’re doing something good and looking for that needle in the haystack.”
    @ 45m 53s
    May 21, 2019

Episode Quotes

  • This tiny baby girl became a symbol of hope.
    Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 2, Episode 12 - Full Episodes
  • I think it was a setup.
    Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 2, Episode 12 - Full Episodes
  • I couldn't murder the mother of my children.
    Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 2, Episode 12 - Full Episodes
  • I felt Hollow I felt as though I was no longer.
    Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 2, Episode 12 - Full Episodes
  • He has a double death sentence.
    Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 2, Episode 12 - Full Episodes
  • It’s a blow to say the least.
    Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 2, Episode 12 - Full Episodes

Key Moments

  • Hatbox Baby Discovery00:22
  • Christmas Eve Miracle05:48
  • John Brennan's Trial12:00
  • Guilty Verdict26:24
  • Desperate Search44:38
  • Santa Claus45:51

Words per Minute Over Time

Vibes Breakdown

Related Episodes

Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 4, Episode 4 - Full Episode
May 22, 2019
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46:09
Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 4, Episode 4 - Full Episode
Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 5, Episode 17 - Full Episode
May 23, 2019
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49:22
Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 5, Episode 17 - Full Episode
Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 1, Episode 12 - Full Episode
May 16, 2019
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47:48
Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 1, Episode 12 - Full Episode
Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 6, Episode 10 - Full Episode
May 23, 2019
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43:55
Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 6, Episode 10 - Full Episode
Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 3, Episode 22 - Full Episode
May 22, 2019
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47:29
Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 3, Episode 22 - Full Episode
Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 12, Episode 5 - Full Episode
May 23, 2019
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43:19
Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 12, Episode 5 - Full Episode
Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 6, Episode 8 - Full Episode
May 23, 2019
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44:49
Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 6, Episode 8 - Full Episode
Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 4, Episode 6 - Full Episode
May 22, 2019
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50:51
Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 4, Episode 6 - Full Episode
Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 6, Episode 18 - Full Episode
May 23, 2019
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43:26
Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 6, Episode 18 - Full Episode
Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 6, Episode 23 - Full Episode
May 23, 2019
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01:32:48
Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 6, Episode 23 - Full Episode
Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 6, Episode 14 - Full Episode
May 23, 2019
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49:31
Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 6, Episode 14 - Full Episode
Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 7, Episode 6 - Full Episode
May 23, 2019
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01:29:02
Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 7, Episode 6 - Full Episode