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Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 5, Episode 19 - Full Episode

May 23, 2019 / 47:26

This episode covers the stories of Bryan Brothel's drug operation, the USS Vincennes incident, and Philip Macri's miraculous rescue. Key discussions include the shocking marijuana bust in Vermont, the tragic downing of Iran Air Flight 655, and Philip's journey to find his rescuer.

Bryan Brothel, a seemingly charming New Yorker, was revealed to be running a sophisticated marijuana operation in Vermont. In February 1990, authorities raided his farm, uncovering over 2,000 marijuana plants, leading to his eventual arrest after he fled to California.

The episode also recounts the USS Vincennes incident on July 3, 1988, when Captain Will Rogers mistakenly ordered the shooting down of an Iranian airliner, resulting in the deaths of 290 civilians. The emotional fallout for Rogers and his family is highlighted, especially the threats they received following the incident.

Finally, the story of Philip Macri, who broke his neck while diving into the ocean, is shared. A mysterious woman saved him, and years later, he sought to thank her. Their reunion is a heartwarming conclusion to his journey of recovery.

TL;DR

Bryan Brothel's drug bust, the USS Vincennes tragedy, and Philip Macri's rescue story are featured in this episode.

Episode

47:26
00:00:00
[Music]
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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
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when Brian Brogan a wealthy New York
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businessman bought a farm in rural
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Vermont local residents were instantly
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charmed by his easy manner and
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good-natured attempts to adopt country
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ways but in 1990 an early morning raid
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on Bravo's farm left his friends and
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neighbors stunned the congenial city
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slicker was apparently a major player in
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the international drug trade in the
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summer of 1988 tensions in the Persian
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Gulf were at the boiling point on July
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3rd Captain Will Rogers of the USS
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Vincennes believing his ship is about to
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be attacked mistakenly ordered his
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Gunners to shoot down an Iranian
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airliner leaving 290 civilians dead
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several months later in San Diego a car
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bombing that is no accident the target
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is the wife of the American ship's
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captain
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in police radio code is known as 211
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armed a robbery in progress two masked
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gunmen are about to terrorize the
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customers and employees of a restaurant
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clean out the cash register and then
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escape unmolested and unidentified since
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August 23rd 1991 the same scenario as
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unfolded no less than 29 times in and
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around the city of the label California
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in every case the robbers brandished
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handguns or semi-automatic weapons and
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in almost every case the target was a
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pizza restaurant join a are these
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fascinating stories perhaps you may be
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able help solve a mystery
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[Music]
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Orleans County Vermont lies on the
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United States border with Canada his
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quiet countryside is dotted with small
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farming towns whose families have lived
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here for generations in these parts a
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stranger is guaranteed to cause a stir
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but no one was prepared for the
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whirlwind that would follow the arrival
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of a man named Bryan brothel in August
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of 1986 the wealthy New Yorker bought a
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30 acre farm and West Glover he told
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people yet made his fortune
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manufacturing toothbrushes and had come
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to the country to put down roots
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his unassuming manner soon won the trust
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of his neighbors he loved Vermont and he
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really became friendly with a lot of the
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local people
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he had this easy way about him that made
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people very comfortable fancy Buckley
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met Bryan when he called him out a puppy
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she advertised in the local paper he was
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open and friendly and was either
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knowledgeable in an area that you were
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interested in or he was very curious and
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wanted to learn about something that you
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knew a lot about and both of those
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things ingratiate him to you he was a an
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accident waiting for a place to happen
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he nothing about country's life but he
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was willing to learn but Bryan's
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idea of learning was to ask you to help
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him to do something and then stand and
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watch you do it Frankie Susannah door
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wall soand a farm in Virginia where
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Bryan's nearest neighbors they probably
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knew him better than anyone in the area
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manual labor was not in his vocabulary
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but he didn't such a likeable way you
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didn't object to it even very obviously
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a city boy here's a practice that he
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couldn't hide that I think you do that
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side did you show me one more time
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Brian bro Phil was definitely a hard man
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to figure he knew next to nothing about
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country life yet he went out and spent
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thousands of dollars to buy a single
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horse of a special breed a warm blood
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Brian then paid thousands more to board
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the horse with another neighborhood
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eggie DuPont there were a couple things
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about Brian that seemed a little strange
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the first thing was that he paid in cash
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for his board he had two horses so he
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would pay me $500 in cash for the
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boarding and my husband immediately said
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oh he's a drug dealer and I said he's
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not a drug dealer you're out of your
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mind he's a nice person and besides he
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had to go to the bank first to get the
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money he told me so
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PEGI DuPont's husband had no idea how
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right he was on February 12th 1990 20
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heavily armed form of State Police DEA
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agents and US Marshals paid a visit to
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Brian burrows farm the aegis burst in on
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a crop of more than 2,000 marijuana
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plants it was a biggest bust in Vermont
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history at that very moment go Phil was
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with the Meadors at the farm in Virginia
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at 8:30 a.m.
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a friend from zaman telephoned was
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stunning news of the rain are you
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kidding today I don't think so I got all
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that work in the corral to finish
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tomorrow be a bit a bit uh-huh yeah
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what's weird
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there was a marijuana bust in West
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Charleston they're looking for you Brian
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it was going on I don't know
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jeez I better make a phone call he just
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was real calm is Jesus I better make a
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phone call so he wouldn't made a quick
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phone call and it came back and said
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you're gonna have to take me to the
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airport
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he said because I'm gonna have to
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straighten this mess out he said that he
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was worried about his reputation and
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what is somebody trying to do to him
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and this can't be right I've got to get
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home and straighten out my reputation it
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was at that I mean I sincerely believed
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him
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the Meadors unwittingly drove Vermont's
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biggest pot dealer to the airport Brian
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brothel then dropped from sight
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meanwhile authorities were just
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beginning to realize the scope of his
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enterprise the agents initial reaction
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was just one of pure awe nobody's ever
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seen such an operation nationwide it was
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one of the most sophisticated operations
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that has ever been seen well phil has
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spared no expense his marijuana
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plantation featured automated irrigation
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and lighting a heating system sheltered
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the plants from Vermont's hard winters
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authorities estimated that the operation
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had been grossing as much as a quarter
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of a million dollars a month
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agent Libby our sifted through brothels
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private papers trying to pick up the
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fugitives trail I was looking for
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anything that would tell me who Brian
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Bravo was or is or will be
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I found volumes of information I tracked
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down each piece of information and each
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piece of information led me to a dead
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end
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agent Lee beer expected brothel would
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have a well-documented criminal past
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however FBI and various state records
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revealed only a single conviction for
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drunk driving convinced that brothel was
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added somewhere for something agent
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libéré contacted Interpol the
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international law enforcement agency he
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was stunned to discover that the giant
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marijuana operation was little more than
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a hobby just a small part of an illicit
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drug empire masterminded by Brian bro
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Philly what I learned is that he
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initially began smuggling in the late
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1970s early 1980s he got involved with a
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group of people who were living a good
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lifestyle he traveled to a few exotic
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places with these people and got
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addicted to their lifestyle he wanted to
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become a Playboy
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the quickest way he could do that was to
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become a narcotics smuggler
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initially Brian traveled to Southeast
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Asia in the South Pacific where he
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procured small amounts of narcotics he
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would take these narcotics and tape them
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to his body and walk through customs and
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he did this in countries that execute
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people for drug activity
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Brian would walk through customs without
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sweating a bead and making friends by
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the time profil moved to Vermont he had
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developed one of the world's largest
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drug smuggling networks
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after months of painstaking research
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agent Lapeer was able to penetrate
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brothels shadowy world and recruit an
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informant this is what I found out he's
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working on his mother Lord yeah his
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mother Lord he talked about this one for
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a while this is the one he's gonna
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retire on it brings the drugs in on the
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west nose disclosures were frustratingly
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incomplete too as they run the beach
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hopeful plan to smuggle some twenty
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million dollars worth of heroin into the
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United States perhaps along the Oregon
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coast but agent love beer could never
00:10:54
pin down the exact place he confirmed
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our speculation that Brian it is a major
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narcotics smuggler and is continuing to
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smoke listen and narcotics what we
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didn't learn is the specifics we know
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that Brian's out there right now
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smuggling narcotics peddling his
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narcotics but we don't know exactly
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where he is when all of this happened I
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was in shock and I just couldn't believe
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that he could live such a double life I
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feel sorry for Brian um I feel sorry for
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him because his life his total life was
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a lie he lived this life so perfectly
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that he obviously had no life of his own
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the Brian that we liked did not exist so
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I can't certainly feel sorry for being
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caught
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on the night Brooklyn's story aired our
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phone setter switchboards lit up with
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calls from Paso Robles a central
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California Alert viewers they're
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recognized Brian bro Phil as one of
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their neighbors local authorities
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immediately moved in to make an arrest
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but brothel had vanished again our
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understanding is that Brian watched the
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show the show aired at 8 o'clock and
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Brian was gone at 8 to 15 he had left
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all his personal belongings behind
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and was just gone in Paso Robles brothel
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went by the name Brian Jenkins he found
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work as a handyman at local horse
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ranches and became an accepted member of
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the community ROFL never once drew the
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attention of police he was living
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comfortably with no fears we weren't
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even close to him he could have wrote a
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text book on how to hide he was that
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good
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but Bryan Burrough Phil wasn't good
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enough
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after Yvette Paso Robles viewer tips
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helped authorities track the fugitives
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south to Carlsbad near San Diego where
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he was arrested on December 19th 1993
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three weeks later Bryan brothel was
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extradited to Vermont if convicted on
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all charges he faces a prison term of 20
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years to life
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next a car bombing in San Diego the
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suspects international terrorist seeking
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revenge summer 1988 the Persian Gulf
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just three months earlier an American
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ship had been badly damaged when it ran
00:13:47
afoul of an Iranian mind now the Gulf
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swarmed with United States naval vessels
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and aircraft their mission protect us
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flagged oil tankers from increasingly
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hostile Iranian forces the centerpiece
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of the United States naval presence in
00:14:04
the Gulf was the USS Vincennes a
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state-of-the-art guided missile cruiser
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fully armed with surface-to-air missiles
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what happened on July the 3rd 1988 would
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claim 290 lives alter the face of Middle
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Eastern politics and deeply affect Will
00:14:22
Rogers captain of the USS Vincennes by
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chance a navy film crew was aboard the
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ship that day they documented the
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hellish events started out in a benign
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fashion we were enroute to Bahrain to
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celebrate the the ship's birthday and as
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we had approached the the southern end
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of the Gulf
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I received a radio call that the USS
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Montgomery was having some difficulty
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with Iranian Revolutionary Guard small
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crowd we were directed by higher
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authority to develop a tactical picture
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and relay this information back to
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Bahrain
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the Vincennes dispatched a
00:15:04
reconnaissance helicopter it was
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immediately attacked by at least seven
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Iranian gunboats Captain Rogers sought
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and received permission to return fire
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to what ensued was a rather violent
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service engagement between myself USS
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Montgomery and about seven small high
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speed craft almost simultaneously an
00:15:26
unidentified aircraft showed up on the
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ship's radar screen the plane appeared
00:15:31
to be gathering speed and descending
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straight toward the Vincennes
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initially didn't take much attention to
00:15:39
it it was of some interest but not very
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tactically significant particular in the
00:15:44
middle of this surface engagement we
00:15:46
were involved in we commenced to issue
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radio warnings asking it to divert from
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its course heading directly at us
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receive no response in the meantime the
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service engagement continued I was very
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concerned about damage to my ship injury
00:16:04
of my crew when the aircraft had reached
00:16:08
20 nautical miles I had permission to
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engage it from higher authority I simply
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couldn't believe that this was happening
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elected not to engage when the aircraft
00:16:19
had closed to about 12 nautical miles
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the decision had to be made and I chose
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to to engage it with missiles
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the coos jubilant mood quickly turned
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somber information began to come in over
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the radio about an Iranian passenger
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plane which had failed to show up at its
00:16:44
supported destination it became obvious
00:16:51
to us that something was badly wrong
00:16:56
what the pieces of the puzzle begin to
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add up to was this overdue airliner was
00:17:01
the the result of the missile engagement
00:17:04
that we in fact had destroyed their
00:17:06
civilian airliner the men aboard the
00:17:12
Vincennes had come face-to-face with the
00:17:14
unspoken fear that haunts every military
00:17:17
man they were responsible for the death
00:17:20
of innocent civilians 290 passengers
00:17:23
aboard a commercial Iranian Airlines
00:17:25
flight or dead their baggage and
00:17:28
personal effects creating an eerie wake
00:17:30
in the blue waters of the DOS most
00:17:35
people accepted the downing of Iranian
00:17:37
Air flight 655 as a tragic error the
00:17:41
flight was not running at a scheduled
00:17:42
time it had not responded to repeated
00:17:45
requests to identify itself and the
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Vincennes radar screen could not
00:17:49
differentiate between the large
00:17:50
passenger plane and smaller Iranian
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fighter jets inside Iran itself however
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response to the incident was quite
00:17:58
different
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while high-ranking Iranian official even
00:18:01
stated that his country would not
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forgive and claim the right to revenge
00:18:08
in San Diego California
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captain Roger's wife Sharon a fourth
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grade schoolteacher tried to cope with
00:18:14
the news a few weeks later she would
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have chilling reason to take the Iranian
00:18:19
rhetoric seriously it was about a month
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after July 3rd
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it was one o'clock in the morning the
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phone rang there was a man on the other
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end of the phone with a Mid Eastern
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accent he wanted to know if this was the
00:18:40
home of Captain Rogers and then he said
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are you the wife of the murder and at
00:18:46
that time I hung up my worst nightmare
00:18:54
was coming true I had feared that there
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was someone out to make retribution for
00:19:02
what had happened in the Gulf at this
00:19:05
point with someone calling me I thought
00:19:08
possibly they know where our home is
00:19:10
they know where I live and possibly some
00:19:15
ones in the city it didn't sound like a
00:19:17
long-distance telephone call to me
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needless to say I didn't sleep the rest
00:19:22
of the night the Naval Investigative
00:19:25
Service was called in to secure the
00:19:28
Rogers home agents checked the mail and
00:19:31
monitored incoming phone calls they
00:19:33
recommend the Sharon Rogers always keep
00:19:36
her car securely locked in the garage
00:19:37
and she was at home ten weeks went by no
00:19:44
further phone threats were received and
00:19:46
on October 24th 1988 Sharon Rogers is at
00:19:49
the dock to welcome the USS Vincennes
00:19:52
and her husband home despite the period
00:19:56
of relative calm the Rogers continued to
00:19:59
observe safety precautions and to keep
00:20:01
both cars garaged
00:20:05
then on March 9th 1989 their stringent
00:20:09
attitude momentarily relaxed well and I
00:20:15
had a commitment at the Navy base for a
00:20:18
navy meeting and we've got back home
00:20:21
around 9:00 9:30 we were both exhausted
00:20:24
in it Burton tlie I had parked my van on
00:20:29
the driveway to make a long story short
00:20:34
we were very tired we decided not to put
00:20:38
the cars in the garage it was the first
00:20:43
night since July 3rd that we had not
00:20:47
parked the cars in the garage and the
00:20:51
only night the only time a 7:00 o'clock
00:20:57
the next morning Captain Rogers as was
00:20:59
his custom left the house and drove his
00:21:01
wife's van to a local market to buy
00:21:03
breakfast pastries well came back to the
00:21:10
house we exchanged a few words it was
00:21:14
time for me to go to work
00:21:18
got into the van pulled out of the
00:21:21
driveway took my normal route to school
00:21:26
everything seemed fine pulled up at a
00:21:30
red light at the horrea village drive in
00:21:32
Jesse and it was then that I heard the
00:21:38
explosion
00:21:41
I knew that if I'd ever do anything
00:21:44
right I'd better do this one right
00:21:45
because I realized I didn't have many
00:21:50
seconds left before I could get out of
00:21:53
that van alive
00:21:55
Sharon Rogers threw open the driver's
00:21:58
side door
00:21:59
I forgot that she had her seat belt on
00:22:00
as she struggled to free yourself a few
00:22:03
of her precious seconds slipped away I
00:22:06
[Music]
00:22:08
jumped from the cab of the van then I
00:22:11
ran to the curb where there was a
00:22:13
construction worker he took me and
00:22:17
placed me in the cab of his truck put
00:22:21
his jacket around me and and asked if
00:22:26
there was anyone I wanted to call
00:22:32
about that time a police woman
00:22:35
approached me I told her who I was that
00:22:40
I was the wife of the captain of the
00:22:42
Vincennes she immediately called a halt
00:22:45
to everything and told everyone to move
00:22:49
away get away she then began calling in
00:22:52
the naval Investigative Service the FBI
00:22:56
everyone else at the time I simply
00:22:59
couldn't grasp it could not fathom that
00:23:01
in fact the band had been bombed I was
00:23:04
convinced that the catalytic converter
00:23:05
it had exploded but then very shortly I
00:23:09
noticed laying in the street of a length
00:23:12
of pipe about like this just split from
00:23:16
end to end and that was no catalytic
00:23:18
converter an FBI investigation revealed
00:23:23
that indeed a large pipe bomb had been
00:23:26
strapped to the underbelly of the van
00:23:29
Sharon Rogers was extremely lucky the
00:23:32
blast from the bomb went up just behind
00:23:35
her seat through the roof of the van and
00:23:37
out to the right side of the van the
00:23:41
bomb was definitely designed to kill
00:23:43
someone it was not a prank
00:23:44
it was placed underneath the vehicle
00:23:46
located probably just behind where the
00:23:52
driver's seat was the FBI learned that
00:23:58
less than two months before the bombing
00:23:59
incident a stranger had been asking
00:24:02
questions on the Rogers Street
00:24:09
excuse me yes would you happen to know
00:24:13
which house the captain lives the
00:24:16
captain
00:24:17
I'm sorry I don't think I can help you
00:24:19
with that I was told that a Middle
00:24:22
Eastern family lives in this
00:24:23
neighborhood would you would you know
00:24:24
which house that might be well you might
00:24:27
try the gray house on the right the
00:24:29
third house up I believe as a Middle
00:24:31
Eastern family who lives there
00:24:32
thank you very much you both
00:24:35
[Music]
00:24:44
the FBI produced this drawing of the man
00:24:46
based on the description given by the
00:24:48
Roger's neighbors the man was thin five
00:24:51
feet nine and a half inches tall with
00:24:53
dark eyes and hair and receding hairline
00:24:56
yet a pronounced middle-eastern accent a
00:25:00
second man waited for him in the
00:25:02
passenger seat of a BMW with California
00:25:04
license plates the BMW was an unusual
00:25:08
color known as brown zet beige both men
00:25:11
appeared to be in their 30s it should be
00:25:13
stressed that neither man is wanted for
00:25:16
any crime only for questioning
00:25:21
we would like to identify the two
00:25:23
individuals who spoke to the neighbors
00:25:25
as that's one piece of our puzzle that
00:25:28
we need to to solve and in addition to
00:25:32
that we would like anybody that has any
00:25:35
information at all relative to the
00:25:37
bombing or to the individuals involved
00:25:39
in it to give us a call I think we both
00:25:44
fervently hope that it results in the
00:25:47
arrest and conviction and ultimately
00:25:50
imprisonment of the people responsible
00:25:52
for the attempt on Sharon's life by the
00:25:56
FBI and the NIS have worked very hard to
00:25:59
bring this case to a conclusion and we
00:26:01
certainly hope that somebody out there
00:26:04
see something knows something passes
00:26:06
that information this was a case of
00:26:09
attempted murder it was a terrorist act
00:26:12
and we need to apprehend someone they
00:26:16
need to be convicted as well said they
00:26:18
need to be imprisoned and we have to
00:26:20
send a very strong message to terrorism
00:26:24
that you're not just not going to win
00:26:27
here in the United States when we return
00:26:32
the inspiring story of a young man's
00:26:34
second chance of life and he searched
00:26:36
for the mystery woman who saved him
00:26:38
[Music]
00:26:47
rock'n'roll musician John Lennon once
00:26:49
said life is what happens while you're
00:26:52
making other plans you're about to meet
00:26:55
a vibrant inspiration a young man named
00:26:57
Philip Macri six years ago Philip was a
00:27:00
high school basketball star and a hot
00:27:02
college prospect whose life was turned
00:27:05
upside down in a split second it
00:27:07
happened on August 28th 1987 during a
00:27:10
weekend vacation in Virginia Beach
00:27:12
Virginia that was suddenly and terribly
00:27:15
wrong
00:27:20
[Music]
00:27:24
we went to the beach a day before a
00:27:27
softball tournament and just went down
00:27:31
there to try to get a nice tan and check
00:27:34
out the babes on the beach and I dove
00:27:38
into the water with my hands out forward
00:27:42
breaking the way and that was the last
00:27:49
movement I had because when I dove into
00:27:51
the wave I broke my neck instantly and
00:27:55
couldn't feel anything and I opened up
00:27:59
my eyes underwater and it was real dark
00:28:02
and black all I heard was he how's he
00:28:05
doing
00:28:06
I didn't I didn't know why I wasn't
00:28:11
moving you know in my mind I felt like I
00:28:13
was moving my arms and swimming but I
00:28:17
wasn't getting nowhere and I just kept
00:28:19
remembering that I was gonna go way out
00:28:22
into the ocean as he made beaten by
00:28:24
sharks my life is gonna be over my
00:28:28
basketball career was gonna be over
00:28:30
because that's all I love to do is play
00:28:32
basketball just the previous season
00:28:39
Phillip Macri had led his New Castle
00:28:41
Pennsylvania high school team into the
00:28:43
state playoffs he seemed destined to win
00:28:45
a college basketball scholarship
00:28:47
Phillips most glorious moment had come
00:28:50
during a matchup with his team's arch
00:28:52
rival with a score tied and only seconds
00:28:54
remaining in the game
00:28:55
Phillips stole the ball
00:29:05
[Applause]
00:29:06
[Music]
00:29:08
[Applause]
00:29:10
eight months later Philip found himself
00:29:13
unable to move his arms and legs
00:29:15
buffeted by waves not knowing whether he
00:29:18
would live or die I do remember when I
00:29:24
was underwater I was saying help
00:29:25
somebody help me help I was screaming
00:29:30
no one knows if Phillips calls for help
00:29:32
are actually heard but miraculously they
00:29:35
were answered by a woman whose identity
00:29:37
remains a mystery to this day
00:29:42
I was looking out into the water and I
00:29:44
saw some lady pulling Philip out of the
00:29:47
water but the only reason I knew it was
00:29:49
him was from his swimming trunks that he
00:29:52
had been wearing and when I saw the
00:29:56
swimming trunks I just rainy and I heard
00:30:09
my sister saying
00:30:11
Phillip Phillip moves something move
00:30:13
your arms move your legs and I was
00:30:16
gasping for air and I I was I responded
00:30:20
by saying and that was it
00:30:35
with everyone's attention on Philip the
00:30:37
quiet rescuer was all but forgotten she
00:30:40
disappeared
00:30:40
before anyone could ask her name I've
00:30:45
often thought about the woman that said
00:30:47
Philip
00:30:48
now I regret that I didn't think her at
00:30:50
that time but my mind and my my thoughts
00:30:54
were just all for Philip I got the
00:30:59
telephone call from Virginia Beach the
00:31:02
doctor was on the phone he says to me
00:31:04
mrs. Macri and Isis yes he says I need
00:31:07
your verbal consent to do something on
00:31:11
Philip burn Isis you have it
00:31:14
what'd he do break an arm or a leg he
00:31:16
says no ma'am he's paralyzed broke his
00:31:19
neck
00:31:21
[Music]
00:31:28
when I saw my parents for the first time
00:31:31
it was so hard it was like the hardest
00:31:35
thing seeing them do you know hovering
00:31:38
over me crying and telling me that I'd
00:31:41
never walk again
00:31:42
it was devastating all around we I mean
00:31:46
that maybe men aren't supposed to cry
00:31:48
but I cried more I never cried some
00:31:50
wetson all my life as I did that for
00:31:53
three days doctors pumped sand from
00:31:55
Philips stomach for two weeks he was
00:31:57
wrapped in ice blankets to counter
00:31:59
raging fevers resulting from multiple
00:32:01
infections finally Philips condition
00:32:05
improved enough for doctors as
00:32:07
surgically stabilized as crushed
00:32:08
vertebra but the damage had been done
00:32:14
more than five years have passed since a
00:32:16
mysterious stranger gave Philip a second
00:32:18
shot at life in that time Philip has had
00:32:21
to redefine his aspirations but he
00:32:24
pursues them with the same determination
00:32:25
he once brought to the basketball court
00:32:28
when I was in the hospital in Virginia I
00:32:31
had like three or four goals first call
00:32:35
was to get off the respirator my second
00:32:39
goal was to get in a wheelchair and
00:32:41
don't be so depressed and knowing that
00:32:45
you know it's hard to be in a wheelchair
00:32:47
and my last goal was to go to college
00:32:51
and get a degree I can get a job yes
00:32:54
mrs. Feldman recover from the campus of
00:32:57
Westminster College and here are today's
00:32:59
sports headlines the Chicago Bears up
00:33:01
can coach Mike Ditka Philip is majoring
00:33:04
in telecommunications at Westminster
00:33:06
College near his home in Pennsylvania in
00:33:09
the fall he will return to the sport he
00:33:11
loves this time as a play-by-play
00:33:13
announcer for local high school
00:33:15
basketball games
00:33:17
Philip Macri has made the most of his
00:33:19
gift of life but he still hopes to
00:33:21
accomplish one very important goal
00:33:24
you would like to personally thank the
00:33:26
woman who saved him it's very important
00:33:32
to find this lady who pulled me out of
00:33:33
the water because again I wouldn't be
00:33:36
able to fulfill my goals of being
00:33:38
becoming a sports broadcaster I wouldn't
00:33:42
be able to be here with my family today
00:33:45
I won't be able to do two things that I
00:33:48
always wanted to do in life if she
00:33:50
wasn't to save my life on the night of
00:33:54
our broadcast Philip was overjoyed to
00:33:56
learn that he would finally get his
00:33:58
chance to say thank you
00:33:59
43 year old Linda Potts called our
00:34:02
telecenter and identified herself as the
00:34:04
unknown rescuer on March 27th 1993
00:34:09
Philip and Linda met face to face for
00:34:11
the first time this is Philip nearly
00:34:13
drowned at Virginia Beach when she
00:34:24
pulled up in the car today when I first
00:34:27
met her it's just gave me tingling all
00:34:31
through my body and made me feel real
00:34:32
good to know that I could think her for
00:34:36
saving my life I felt like
00:34:40
I found a member of my family a lost
00:34:43
member of my family that I hadn't seen
00:34:45
in five years that evening Philips
00:34:50
parents hosted a dinner for family and
00:34:52
friends in honor of the woman who saved
00:34:54
their son's life
00:34:56
[Applause]
00:35:00
[Music]
00:35:03
I hope to keep it rope
00:35:16
close relationship with me and mrs.
00:35:18
Potts and found out she's you know had
00:35:22
some medical problems in her life and
00:35:24
you know if there's anything I could do
00:35:26
to help her out with her problems I love
00:35:30
the help bra with it Phillip Macri and
00:35:34
Linda Potts
00:35:35
two strangers joined by a twist of fate
00:35:39
felt and I will remain friends for a
00:35:43
long long time if there's anything I can
00:35:46
ever do for Phillip all he has to do is
00:35:49
pick up the phone and dial my number
00:35:50
I'll be there for him
00:35:52
[Music]
00:36:04
recently we brought you the story of
00:36:06
Martha doe Roberts who was kidnapped
00:36:08
from her home in each Tennessee on the
00:36:10
morning of August 7th 1992 since her
00:36:15
broadcast several strange developments
00:36:17
have surfaced in this case friends and
00:36:19
relatives of mrs. Roberts have received
00:36:21
more than a dozen telephone calls from a
00:36:23
man who claims to be your kidnapper
00:36:25
he has demanded a ransom of 185 thousand
00:36:28
dollars and says that doe Roberts is
00:36:31
still alive Melissa Lancaster received a
00:36:36
call from the alleged kidnapper last
00:36:38
December's alive he said he had dough
00:36:40
and that she was alive and I said well
00:36:43
let me speak to her he said no no you
00:36:45
asked question you asked three question
00:36:47
he turned around after each one and
00:36:50
asked someone to answer it and turn
00:36:53
around and gave me the correct answer
00:36:56
[Music]
00:36:58
this is an audio tape of a ransom call
00:37:01
made on December 14th 1992 the car
00:37:04
always uses a fake exaggerated Asian
00:37:07
accent voice tests indicate that the
00:37:17
caller is a middle-aged white male in
00:37:20
addition several of his cause of cast
00:37:22
suspicion long dole Roberts husband in
00:37:26
these phone calls
00:37:27
the caller was implicating mr. Roberts
00:37:30
as being responsible for the
00:37:32
disappearance of his wife the caller
00:37:35
stated that mr. Roberts had hired them
00:37:37
- kidnapped oh and had not paid them the
00:37:42
money that he owed them any implications
00:37:46
that I was was involved in the
00:37:50
kidnapping of my wife it's totally
00:37:52
untrue
00:37:54
and uh and I resent it I love my wife
00:38:07
we were like one we'd been together for
00:38:11
44 years and we were planning on another
00:38:14
44 years it would be real nice if I
00:38:19
could get my wife back if if the
00:38:23
kidnapper were to see this and my wife
00:38:25
is still alive you let her go and I'll
00:38:32
send you one hundred eighty-five
00:38:34
thousand dollars anyway you want it I'll
00:38:38
do it secretly if she's not alive and
00:38:42
she did you let me know where she's
00:38:45
buried and I'll give you fifty thousand
00:38:48
dollars anywhere you want
00:39:07
[Music]
00:39:15
on a previous broadcast we presented the
00:39:18
unsettling story of Ethel nation a nurse
00:39:20
in San Antonio Texas during the 1950s
00:39:24
and 60s nation allegedly operated a
00:39:26
secret but lucrative enterprise in which
00:39:28
she befriended young unwed mothers and
00:39:30
then sold their babies for a profit our
00:39:36
segment profile the case of donut barker
00:39:39
lucy air who was adopted in 1966 by a
00:39:41
childless couple in San Antonio as a
00:39:47
last desperate attempt they had
00:39:48
approached Ethel nation after years of
00:39:50
trying to adopt through state agencies
00:39:52
[Music]
00:39:54
there were bassinets and there with
00:39:56
children um I think there were two twin
00:39:59
boys and myself
00:40:01
my parents didn't because they didn't
00:40:04
expect that things would happen so
00:40:05
quickly they just thought they were
00:40:08
going to go to see the baby but at that
00:40:11
point mrs. Nations told my parents that
00:40:14
they could go ahead and take me home
00:40:16
that night when Donna turned 18 she
00:40:19
began to search for her natural parents
00:40:21
she found that her mother's name was
00:40:23
Gloria Cantu the adoption papers had
00:40:26
been notarized by Ethel nation when
00:40:29
donut met with nations she was coldly
00:40:31
and fauna she should abandon her search
00:40:33
because her mother had not wanted her in
00:40:35
the first place your mother was a [ __ ]
00:40:39
she didn't want you she went there to
00:40:41
have an abortion but it was just too
00:40:43
late to have one I don't understand
00:40:47
what's happening I told you you should I
00:40:50
really couldn't understand or how she
00:40:55
could say that it hurt
00:41:00
on the night of our broadcast several
00:41:02
viewers called our telecenter on behalf
00:41:04
of donuts birth mother Gloria Ken to
00:41:06
Martinez of San Antonio Texas a short
00:41:09
time later donut spoke to her mother for
00:41:11
the very first time and learned that
00:41:14
glory had never intended to give her up
00:41:15
but had been tricked into signing the
00:41:17
adoption papers don''t was overjoyed to
00:41:20
discover that Gloria wanted to see her
00:41:22
as soon as possible on November 9th 1992
00:41:28
Gloria flew to Washington DC for a
00:41:30
tearful reunion with da net for mother
00:41:33
and daughter it was an emotional end of
00:41:35
26 years of painful separation when I
00:41:43
was waiting for her to come out from the
00:41:47
plane I don't a million things are going
00:41:51
through my mind and just relief that it
00:41:56
was over that I was finally where I
00:42:00
wanted to be after a long time of
00:42:04
looking
00:42:05
[Music]
00:42:08
and I just couldn't put it here it
00:42:12
that was finally gonna happen what I
00:42:17
always wanted I've always wanted her
00:42:21
find her wondered what she was like if
00:42:28
she was married if she had any children
00:42:31
[Music]
00:42:35
the reunion was made even more special
00:42:37
when Gloria met her four grandchildren
00:42:39
for the first time Donuts dream of
00:42:48
having her entire family together had
00:42:50
finally come true in the past six months
00:43:10
twenty-nine restaurants in the Vallejo
00:43:12
California had been robbed at gunpoint
00:43:15
authorities believe that the robberies
00:43:17
of the work of a marauding street gang
00:43:19
known to operate in Northern California
00:43:21
to date no innocent bystanders have been
00:43:23
seriously injured but police fear that
00:43:26
if the holdups continue violence is
00:43:28
inevitable
00:43:31
the assault-style robberies typically
00:43:34
occur between 9:00 and 11:00 p.m. near
00:43:36
closing time when the restaurant is
00:43:38
virtually empty and the cash register is
00:43:41
full police believe that in all there
00:43:49
may be as many as six to eight Pizza
00:43:51
bandits who usually operate in rotating
00:43:54
teams of tubes when the two robbers came
00:44:01
in there just quartering us around
00:44:04
honest open things if we weren't fast
00:44:06
enough they'd curse you know and tell us
00:44:08
do it quicker so just gave him the stuff
00:44:10
and hope they'd hurry up and leave from
00:44:14
the time they came into the tent they
00:44:15
left it probably took about two minutes
00:44:19
it was frightening the fact that I mean
00:44:21
they have guns right there they could
00:44:23
just kill you if they wanted to some of
00:44:26
the language they've used during the
00:44:28
commission of these has been very
00:44:29
specific they've used terms such as
00:44:32
don't make this a 187 which in
00:44:34
California is the Penal Code section for
00:44:36
murder the pattern it was fairly
00:44:38
consistent throughout
00:44:40
in that it involved generally two black
00:44:42
males that would enter an establishment
00:44:44
they always wore masks they're generally
00:44:47
of the knit cotton ski mask type weapons
00:44:51
have varied from handguns revolvers semi
00:44:54
automatics to more recently Guzzi type
00:44:56
weapons they've gone so far as to strike
00:44:59
people on the side of the head with the
00:45:00
handguns kick them when they're down
00:45:02
whether or not they're going to get more
00:45:04
aggressive we always fear that we don't
00:45:07
want to encourage and giving them any
00:45:09
opportunity to escalate that I don't
00:45:11
want to see anyone acting as a hero or
00:45:12
taking them on a robbers seem familiar
00:45:17
with a layout of each individual target
00:45:19
and go about their business with brisk
00:45:21
cold efficiency within minutes the
00:45:23
thieves have vanished leaving police
00:45:25
with almost no clues only a handful of
00:45:28
terrified victims On January 3rd 1992
00:45:34
authorities finally got a break in the
00:45:36
pizza bandit case a reputed member of
00:45:39
the Vallejo gang was arrested moments
00:45:41
after the robbery of a restaurant and
00:45:42
nearby Fremont California the FBI is now
00:45:46
joined in the investigation because a
00:45:48
gang has also been linked to several
00:45:49
bank robberies in the area two suspected
00:45:52
gang members have been charged in
00:45:53
connection with one of the bank holdups
00:45:55
and are now in custody
00:45:58
authorities believe there are at least
00:46:00
five bandits still at large all are
00:46:03
thought to be black males in their
00:46:04
twenties all should be considered armed
00:46:07
and dangerous
00:46:25
[Music]
00:46:31
join me next time perhaps you may be
00:46:35
able to help solve a mystery
00:46:40
[Music]
00:47:03
[Applause]
00:47:06
[Music]

Badges

This episode stands out for the following:

  • 90
    Most heartwarming
  • 85
    Most shocking
  • 80
    Most inspiring
  • 80
    Most surprising

Episode Highlights

  • A Second Chance at Life
    Philip Macri's life was forever changed after a diving accident, leading to a miraculous rescue.
    “I was looking out into the water and saw some lady pulling Philip out.”
    @ 29m 42s
    May 23, 2019
  • The Mysterious Rescuer
    Years later, Philip seeks to thank the woman who saved his life after a tragic accident.
    “It's very important to find this lady who pulled me out of the water.”
    @ 33m 26s
    May 23, 2019
  • An Emotional Reunion
    Philip finally meets Linda Potts, the woman who rescued him, in a heartfelt encounter.
    “When I first met her, it just gave me tingling all through my body.”
    @ 34m 27s
    May 23, 2019

Episode Quotes

  • My life is gonna be over.
    Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 5, Episode 19 - Full Episode
  • I felt like I found a member of my family.
    Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 5, Episode 19 - Full Episode

Key Moments

  • Life-Changing Accident27:00
  • Miraculous Rescue29:35
  • Emotional Reunion34:40
  • Gratitude and Friendship35:16

Words per Minute Over Time

Vibes Breakdown

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Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 7, Episode 20 - Full Episode
May 23, 2019
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51:21
Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 7, Episode 20 - Full Episode
Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 4, Episode 15 - Full Episode
May 22, 2019
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48:44
Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 4, Episode 15 - Full Episode