00:00:05
NARRATOR: Next, on
Unsolved Mysteries.
00:00:08
The official account of
Senator Huey Long's death
00:00:11
says that he was murdered
by a lone assassin,
00:00:15
but that official
account may be wrong.
00:00:20
Did Donna Morrow
run away in order
00:00:22
to escape her
unhappy life, or was
00:00:25
she the victim of foul play?
00:00:29
A high school dance ends in
tragedy when a 15-year-old
00:00:33
collapses and dies, and
he's not the first victim
00:00:37
of this mysterious disease.
00:00:40
Irene Love believes that her
best friend from childhood
00:00:44
may actually be her
sister, and she hopes
00:00:48
that you can help find her.
00:00:52
Sound intriguing?
00:00:54
Well, stick around.
00:00:55
These are unusual cases
that you won't want to miss.
00:00:59
I'm Dennis Farina, and
this is Unsolved Mysteries.
00:01:02
[theme music]
00:01:41
We will not destroy
the profit system.
00:01:43
We will not destroy the
Capitalistic system.
00:01:46
NARRATOR: He was a
superstar of Depression era
00:01:48
politics, a fiery speaker
known as The Kingfish.
00:01:53
His name was Huey Long.
00:01:55
--let it read in the
words it was written in.
00:01:59
NARRATOR: At age 34, Long was
elected governor of Louisiana,
00:02:04
and he became a senator
three years later.
00:02:07
Long was incredibly
popular, because he
00:02:10
believed in redistributing
America's wealth.
00:02:14
No man must be allowed
to have too much.
00:02:17
No man must be allowed
to have too little.
00:02:20
Unless you limit at
the size of the big,
00:02:22
it necessarily means
that the small people
00:02:24
must become more and more
impoverished, as time goes on.
00:02:29
NARRATOR: He was
a national figure,
00:02:31
and there was serious talk of a
run for the presidency in 1936.
00:02:36
But that idea
worried some people.
00:02:39
To the rich and powerful,
Long was the enemy,
00:02:42
and he received
numerous threats.
00:02:45
Some believed Long was
better dead than President.
00:02:48
In fact, a few were convinced
it was the only way to stop him.
00:02:55
Huey Long had a great
compassion for a lot of people,
00:02:59
but that compassion
did not extend
00:03:01
to people who crossed him.
00:03:03
Once you crossed Huey Long,
you had an enemy for life.
00:03:06
People lost jobs.
00:03:07
They lost businesses.
00:03:09
They lost lands.
00:03:10
They lost everything,
because of the vindictiveness
00:03:13
of Huey Long.
00:03:17
NARRATOR: Judge Benjamin
Pavy of St. Landry Parish
00:03:20
was one of the many elected
officials Long targeted
00:03:23
for political destruction.
00:03:26
And it was Pavy's 29-year-old
son-in-law, a respected doctor,
00:03:30
named Carl Weiss, who is still
remembered as the man who
00:03:34
assassinated Huey Long.
00:03:39
Long intended to eliminate
Judge Parvy's position.
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He had convened
a special session
00:03:45
of the state legislature.
00:03:47
And I don't want to hear
nobody blaming [inaudible].
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Be in my office.
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In 10 minutes--
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NARRATOR: Ignoring
threats against his life,
00:03:52
Senator Long walked boldly
between the state house chamber
00:03:55
and Governor Oscar
Allen's office,
00:03:58
where history says that
Dr. Carl Weiss was waiting.
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--you understand me?
00:04:04
[gun shot]
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He shot me!
00:04:06
[gun shot]
00:04:07
He shot me!
00:04:08
NARRATOR: Dr. Weiss
was killed instantly,
00:04:10
shot more than 60 times
by the bodyguards.
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[gun shots]
00:04:15
His 32 caliber pistol
was found beside him.
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Huey Long died 30 hours later.
00:04:25
He was just 42 years
old, and his funeral drew
00:04:28
more than 100,000 mourners.
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Five days after the
funeral, an inquest
00:04:37
concluded that Dr. Carl
Weiss was the lone assassin.
00:04:41
But now, strong
evidence indicates
00:04:44
that Huey Long may have
been killed accidentally
00:04:47
and that Dr. Weiss is innocent.
00:04:54
NARRATOR: On the day
Huey Long was shot,
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Carol Weiss and his
wife ate Sunday dinner
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at his father's house.
00:05:01
YVONNE: I'm fine, papa.
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And how is your
father, the judge?
00:05:03
He's fine--
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NARRATOR: Carl's wife,
Yvonne, was the daughter
00:05:06
of Judge Benjamin
Pavy, one of Huey
00:05:09
Long's most outspoken critics.
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According to those
present at dinner,
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Dr. Weiss' father was ranting
about Long and his attack
00:05:18
on Judge Pavy at the
special legislative session.
00:05:22
But Despite his marriage
to the judge's daughter,
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Dr. Weiss minimized
Long's actions
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and tried to calm his father.
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[gun shots]
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Ah!
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NARRATOR: Yet, just a few
hours later, Dr. Weiss
00:05:38
would lie dead in the
state capitol, accused
00:05:40
of assassinating Huey Long.
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He would leave behind
his wife and a son,
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Carol Weiss Jr. Weiss
granted us a rare interview.
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Naturally, there's been
a lot of interest focused
00:05:53
on the minute by minute detail
of my father's day, where he
00:05:58
went, what he did, et cetera.
00:06:00
He spent the afternoon
at home, and then he
00:06:03
left to visit the home
of a man named Morgan,
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who was a patient of his.
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And I believe my father made a
phone call from the Morgan home
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to make plans for
the morning surgery.
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Thereafter he left--
00:06:16
See you later.
00:06:17
--and for reasons that I
don't believe we'll ever know,
00:06:21
he didn't go directly
home, but stopped.
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And the rest is, as
they say, history.
00:06:28
NARRATOR: Some people believe
Weiss went to the capitol
00:06:30
not to shoot Huey Long, but to
meet his father-in-law's case.
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Carl Weiss took
his position outside
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of the governor's office.
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He was in plain view, because he
was approached by other people
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who knew him, who saw him there,
approached him, shook hands
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with him, talked with him.
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NARRATOR: At the state
capitol that evening,
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the career of Yvonne Weiss'
father, Judge Benjamin Pavy,
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was on the line.
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House Bill number one,
a redistricting plan,
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was Huey Long's top priority.
00:07:05
How much longer am I have to
wait for House Bill number one
00:07:07
to pass?
- Oh, we just got started.
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I am tired of Henry Pavy
sitting on that judge's bench,
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and I thought y'all was
going to get him out tonight.
00:07:12
NARRATOR: We just started
working on this last night.
00:07:14
You've gotten
resistance on this.
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Oh, you get resistance
every bill you pass.
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That ain't no excuse no more.
00:07:18
We've just got to
take our time, Huey.
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HUEY: Time?
- You pushing too hard.
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I built this building
faster than you
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boys are passing this bill.
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Now, what's the deal here?
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Huey, Huey, I don't
think you understand.
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Look, we've got a
state constitution that
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tells us how to run things.
00:07:30
Let me tell you something
about the state constitution.
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I am The state constitution!
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John [inaudible], how you doing?
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NARRATOR: Three times,
Weiss approached
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Huey Long that night.
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And three times, he
was brushed aside.
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[loud overlapping chatter]
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--can I have a word--
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I'm a little busy right now.
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Oscar!
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On another pass, Weiss was
a little bit more urgent,
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and he told Long that he
really had to talk with him.
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And Long, once
again, said he didn't
00:08:01
have the time to talk to Weiss.
00:08:03
Senator Long, could I
speak with you, please?
00:08:05
Eleanor got Anderson to
come over to [inaudible].
00:08:07
Well, that's good, governor.
00:08:09
Mr. Senator, can I just
speak with you for a second?
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I'm a little
busy, son, but you
00:08:12
just make yourself comfortable.
00:08:13
In just a few minutes--
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But Senator Long!
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Senator Long, this
is very important!
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Mr. Senator!
00:08:18
History records the rest
in some blue haze, really,
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but we're uncertain
as to what happened.
00:08:25
--asking you people
to do your job.
00:08:26
You know your jobs.
00:08:27
You know what you've got to do.
00:08:28
Why do I have to come
tell you what to do?
00:08:30
No!
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I don't want to hear--
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NARRATOR: At 9:20 PM,
Dr. Weiss approached Long
00:08:36
for the third and final time.
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The historians who are
convinced that Weiss
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did not kill Huey Long
believed it happened like this.
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--last time I'm doing your
job for you, you understand me?
00:08:48
Mr. Long, I've
got to talk to you.
00:08:49
Just one second!
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Will you leave me alone?
00:08:51
You little piss ant!
00:08:52
[gun shot]
00:08:54
He shot me!
00:08:55
He shot me!
00:08:57
[gun shots]
00:09:02
Huey!
00:09:03
[screaming]
00:09:05
Huey!
00:09:08
NARRATOR: Long was taken
to a nearby hospital.
00:09:11
Despite his wounds, The Kingfish
remained very much in charge.
00:09:15
Boys, you staying in here?
[inaudible] you hear me?
00:09:17
- Stick.
- OK.
00:09:18
I won't fight you.
- All right.
00:09:18
Let's go.
00:09:19
Huey Long had been
briefed as to who
00:09:22
the man was who was there who
they claimed had shot him.
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He had been given a
lot of information.
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Somebody had to come up with
a story as to exactly what
00:09:32
happened there,
and Huey Long felt
00:09:34
that he was the man to do it.
00:09:35
No matter what happens in
here, you keep your mouth shut
00:09:38
about the capitol, you hear me?
00:09:39
I'll do all the
talking about that.
00:09:41
- OK.
- All right?
00:09:42
You tell them other boys I
said to shut the hell up.
00:09:45
I'll do the talking about that.
00:09:46
BODYGUARD: All right, Huey.
00:09:47
All right.
00:09:48
Let's put him under.
00:09:49
Let's put him under.
00:09:51
Huey Long was
shot around 9:20.
00:09:53
He was operated on
sometime around 11 o'clock.
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They went inside, found
out that the colon had
00:10:00
been punctured in two places.
00:10:03
They sewed up Huey Long, and
then pronounced him cured.
00:10:06
NARRATOR: However, the surgeons
had overlooked a serious wound
00:10:10
to the senator's kidney.
00:10:12
A day and a half later,
on September 10th, 1935,
00:10:16
Huey Long was dead.
00:10:20
It was the end of an era.
00:10:22
Huey Long, The
Kingfish, was gone.
00:10:26
At the official inquest,
Dr. Carl Austin Weiss
00:10:29
was named as Long's assassin.
00:10:32
However, some question
that conclusion.
00:10:38
Next, new evidence
indicates that Huey
00:10:40
Long may have
actually been gunned
00:10:42
down by his own bodyguards.
00:10:45
[gun shot]
00:10:50
[gun shots]
00:10:56
Senator Huey Long of Louisiana
died a day and a half
00:10:59
after being struck down
by an assassin's bullet.
00:11:02
The man accused of
firing that fatal shot
00:11:05
was Dr. Carl Austin Weiss--
00:11:07
He shot me!
00:11:09
NARRATOR: --who was
killed at the scene.
00:11:11
However, in the decades
since, some researchers
00:11:15
have come to believe that
Dr. Weiss was innocent.
00:11:20
Most assassins
leave a paper trail.
00:11:22
They leave some hint as to what
they did and why they did it.
00:11:26
There was nothing like this.
00:11:28
Carl Weiss was not a man who
was preparing to shoot anybody.
00:11:31
And at that dinner, at
noontime, on September the 8th,
00:11:35
he was a model of
propriety and [inaudible]
00:11:37
he was in complete
control of himself.
00:11:39
Carl Weiss was a father
of a three-month-old son.
00:11:43
He was making provisions
for the future.
00:11:46
He spent a very normal
Sunday, and there
00:11:49
was nothing to incline
anybody to believe
00:11:51
that he had this on his mind.
00:11:54
I think it was altogether
incomprehensible
00:11:57
that he could have been the
perpetrator of this crime.
00:12:02
NARRATOR: No one disputes that
Carl Weiss owned a gun, a 0.32
00:12:05
caliber pistol, which
he kept in the glove
00:12:07
compartment of his car.
00:12:10
However, historian
Ed Reed believes
00:12:14
that he has uncovered
evidence that Huey
00:12:16
Long was not shot by that gun.
00:12:22
The official version
of the operation
00:12:25
makes no mention
of a bullet being
00:12:27
retrieved from Long's body.
00:12:29
But Reed heard a conflicting
story from a relative
00:12:32
of one of the surgeons.
00:12:36
All right.
00:12:38
Got a bullet here.
00:12:39
Indeed.
00:12:40
It looks like about
a 0.38 caliber,
00:12:42
wouldn't you say,
Dr. [inaudible]
00:12:43
Yes, I would.
00:12:44
All right.
00:12:47
During the operation,
there was a 0.38 caliber
00:12:49
bullet removed from Huey Long.
00:12:52
This is significant, because
Carol Weiss was alleged
00:12:55
to have been carrying a 0.32.
00:12:57
But the bodyguards were
carrying 0.38s and 0.45s.
00:13:00
So therefore, if a 0.38 was
removed, and I believe it was,
00:13:05
then that could not have come
from Carl Weiss or his gun,
00:13:07
certainly.
00:13:10
NARRATOR: Within half
an hour of the shooting,
00:13:12
Dr. Weiss had been tentatively
identified as Long's assailant.
00:13:18
Weiss' brother and
cousin heard the rumors
00:13:21
and went straight
to the capitol.
00:13:23
There, they found Weiss' car.
00:13:27
Weiss' brother and
cousin discovered
00:13:28
that the doctor's
gun was missing
00:13:31
from the glove compartment.
00:13:33
To this day, no
one can be sure who
00:13:35
removed the gun from the car.
00:13:40
Elois Sahuk, a security guard
at the state capitol that night,
00:13:45
told Ed Reed that it
was not Carl Weiss.
00:13:50
He told me that he felt that
that gun was a throw down gun,
00:13:53
that one of the bodyguards
had gone out to the car
00:13:56
that Carl Weiss had driven up
in, had gotten that pistol,
00:14:00
and had thrown it
next to the body.
00:14:07
NARRATOR: Reed believes his
theory is supported by Weiss'
00:14:09
own actions inside the capital.
00:14:13
If Carl Weiss was actually
at the state capitol
00:14:15
to kill Huey Long, he
had a perfect opportunity
00:14:18
that passed.
00:14:20
Huey Long had his back
turned to Carl Weiss.
00:14:23
It would have been very
easy for Carl Weiss
00:14:25
to shove his pistol up
against Long's body,
00:14:29
emptied out the magazine,
and then made his escape.
00:14:31
HUEY: It's the last
time I'm doing your job
00:14:32
for you, you understand me?
00:14:34
Because of the rumors that had
been flying that there would be
00:14:37
an attempt made on
Huey Long's life,
00:14:39
that night, because of that,
fuses were very, very short.
00:14:44
Something that
happened that night,
00:14:46
perhaps Carl Weiss
hit Huey Long.
00:14:49
[gun shots]
00:14:50
Perhaps he just moved too fast.
00:14:52
And I think the
bodyguards, who were
00:14:54
without any training
whatsoever in security,
00:14:57
I think they overreacted.
00:14:59
I think the bullets
that entered Huey
00:15:01
Long's body were
the bullets that
00:15:03
came from the bodyguard's guns.
00:15:07
[gun shots]
00:15:09
NARRATOR: Reed offers
up what he believes
00:15:11
is one final piece of evidence.
00:15:15
When Huey Long was
admitted to the hospital,
00:15:18
his lip was bleeding.
00:15:19
Melvis, I said,
shut the hell up.
00:15:21
I'll do all the
talking about that.
00:15:23
BODYGUARD: All right, Huey.
00:15:24
Your lip, Huey.
00:15:25
That's where he hit me.
00:15:26
Oh, god.
00:15:28
NARRATOR: Was Long referring to
his encounter with Carl Weiss?
00:15:34
According to a sworn
affidavit from a witness,
00:15:37
he most certainly was.
00:15:41
In hindsight, there seems to
be considerable doubt about
00:15:44
who actually shot Huey Long.
00:15:47
But at the time, it was treated
as an open and shut case.
00:15:52
No one was allowed to
investigate further,
00:15:55
and all official records,
as well as Dr. Weiss' gun,
00:15:59
disappeared a few
years after the inquest
00:16:02
and remained missing for
more than half a century.
00:16:08
That is, until Professor James
Starrs a forensic expert,
00:16:13
began researching the case.
00:16:16
In trying to find
a gun and the state
00:16:18
police files, I decided
that the police were
00:16:21
the prime suspects that
should be looked at,
00:16:23
starting from the top down.
00:16:24
And I literally made a laundry
list of the individuals
00:16:28
with, Louis F. Guerre
at the top of that list.
00:16:32
NARRATOR: Louis F. Guerre was
the head of the criminal bureau
00:16:35
of investigation in Louisiana at
the time of Huey Long's death.
00:16:40
Years after Guerre
died, a researcher
00:16:43
hired by Starrs found Guerre's
will in the public records.
00:16:50
There was a listing
in the inventory
00:16:53
of miscellaneous files
listed as no value.
00:16:58
Now, being a lawyer,
as well as a scientist,
00:17:00
I realized that
inventories of estates
00:17:02
do not list items of no value.
00:17:05
And I said to myself, those
are the state police files.
00:17:09
NARRATOR: Guerre's will listed
something else of interest.
00:17:13
Carl Weiss' gun.
00:17:17
My father's handgun was,
in fact, in existence,
00:17:21
and its location was eventually
traced to a safe deposit
00:17:25
box in downtown New Orleans.
00:17:40
NARRATOR: With a gun
were several unused 0.32
00:17:42
caliber bullets and one
spent 0.32 caliber slug.
00:17:46
At first, it was assumed
that this was the bullet
00:17:49
that killed Huey Long.
00:17:52
But ballistics
tests showed it did
00:17:54
not come from Dr. Weiss' gun.
00:17:57
The obvious questions were,
where did it come from,
00:18:01
and why was it
kept with the gun?
00:18:05
Some believe that
the answer would
00:18:06
be found with the
official state files,
00:18:08
which were also recovered
by Starr's investigation.
00:18:12
However, the Louisiana
state police reviewed those
00:18:15
files and concluded that
there was nothing in them that
00:18:19
changes the original ruling.
00:18:22
It's my opinion that Dr. Weiss
was the assassin in this case.
00:18:27
We believe, from a law
enforcement standpoint,
00:18:29
that he had motive.
00:18:31
We believe he had
opportunity, and we believe
00:18:34
he had the means to do the job.
00:18:36
And we know that he was there.
00:18:39
If I were asked whether my
father shot Huey Long today,
00:18:42
I would say, categorically, no.
00:18:44
He didn't.
00:18:47
NARRATOR: Update.
00:18:49
Colonel Francis Grevemberg,
head of Louisiana state police
00:18:53
during the early
'50s, was among those
00:18:56
who believed that
Long's bodyguards
00:18:58
killed him accidentally.
00:19:00
And Grevemberg was in
a position to know.
00:19:04
He claimed that two state
troopers who were eyewitnesses
00:19:07
to the shooting told
him Dr. Carl Weiss
00:19:10
was unarmed when Long was shot.
00:19:13
The state troopers confirmed
that after the bodyguard shot
00:19:16
Long, they planted
a gun on Weiss.
00:19:20
Despite this information,
the official position
00:19:23
of the Louisiana state
police is still Dr.
00:19:27
Carl Weiss killed Huey Long.
00:19:33
There is one final
piece of evidence
00:19:35
that suggests that
Huey Long's death
00:19:37
might have been accidental.
00:19:40
Records uncovered decades
later revealed that a $40,000
00:19:44
life insurance payment was
awarded to Long's family.
00:19:47
At the time, insurance
company investigators
00:19:50
concluded that Huey Long's
death was, quote, "accidental."
00:19:57
NARRATOR: Next, a
joyful Christmas
00:19:59
holiday turns to tragedy when
a mother of four disappears.
00:20:03
Her husband is
the prime suspect.
00:20:17
Menlo Park, California.
00:20:20
With only six days
left to Christmas,
00:20:22
37-year-old Donna Morrow had
finally finished her shopping.
00:20:27
She looked forward to
spending the holidays
00:20:30
with her four young children.
00:20:32
Where you been?
00:20:34
NARRATOR: But her relationship
with her husband, Joe,
00:20:37
was rapidly disintegrating.
00:20:40
She She had told me that
Joe was very controlling.
00:20:43
And she didn't indicate to me
that he was physically abusive,
00:20:48
but I got the impression
that she was afraid of him.
00:20:54
NARRATOR: When Donna first
met Joe, 13 years earlier,
00:20:57
she saw him as
charming and kind.
00:21:01
Donna's family, however,
had a different impression.
00:21:05
He was arrogant,
and he thought he
00:21:07
was better than everybody else.
00:21:09
And he was condescending.
00:21:12
He was just basically
a jerk with money.
00:21:16
NARRATOR: Within
months, the couple
00:21:18
married and began a large
family both had always wanted.
00:21:22
They moved into a luxurious
home in upscale Menlo Park,
00:21:25
California, and Donna
settled into her role
00:21:28
as a full-time mother.
00:21:30
For 13 years, Donna appeared
happy with her life.
00:21:34
And then, on Thanksgiving,
Donna revealed the truth about
00:21:38
her seemingly perfect marriage.
00:21:42
She told me that she
did not love Joe anymore,
00:21:45
that she wanted a divorce.
00:21:47
And she said, but mom,
until after the holidays,
00:21:51
I won't do anything,
because I don't want to ruin
00:21:54
Christmas for the children.
00:21:57
NARRATOR: That holiday
season, Donna's mother
00:21:59
and her relatives gathered
in Missouri to celebrate.
00:22:02
Donna stayed in California.
00:22:05
On Christmas Day, they called
to wish her a happy holiday.
00:22:09
And that's when her family
first heard that Donna
00:22:12
had been missing for five days.
00:22:15
[phone ringing]
00:22:18
Hello?
00:22:19
FRANK (ON PHONE): Hey,
Joe, merry Christmas.
00:22:21
Hey, Frank.
00:22:22
Merry Christmas to you, too.
00:22:23
Hey, I want to talk to Donna.
00:22:24
JOE (ON PHONE): She's
not here right now.
00:22:26
Well, where is she?
00:22:27
JOE (ON PHONE):
Oh, you know what?
00:22:29
I don't know.
00:22:30
We had an argument on the
19th, and she walked out,
00:22:32
and I haven't heard
from her since.
00:22:34
SHIRLEY: Joe didn't bother to
give us any kind of a story,
00:22:37
just that she was gone.
- What's happening?
00:22:38
He says she's not there.
00:22:40
Looks like the whole
atmosphere over Christmas
00:22:43
just died right there.
00:22:47
Joe Morrow insists
that his wife,
00:22:49
Donna, chose to leave her
family and start a new life.
00:22:54
But Donna's friends and
family are just as convinced
00:22:57
that she was murdered.
00:22:59
In this troubling
case, there was
00:23:01
little physical evidence that
supports either conclusion.
00:23:09
What happened the night
your wife disappeared?
00:23:12
NARRATOR: In an
interview with police,
00:23:14
Joe Morrow stated that he last
saw his wife on December 19th,
00:23:18
at approximately 10:00 PM.
00:23:21
He said that Donna stormed
out the front door,
00:23:24
taking her purse and her keys.
00:23:26
She stormed out
the front door.
00:23:28
Did she take her car?
00:23:29
No.
00:23:30
She didn't take her car?
00:23:31
We asked him if he had
any explanation as to why
00:23:34
she had not taken the car.
00:23:36
He didn't have an explanation,
other than that she
00:23:38
is known to go out for
walks from time to time.
00:23:42
I thought that she
was seeing another man.
00:23:45
NARRATOR: Further
investigation confirmed
00:23:47
that Donna had formed a close
friendship with another man.
00:23:52
I think he was kind,
and understanding,
00:23:55
and was giving her a shoulder
to cry on, so to speak.
00:24:00
But due to her marital status,
it was not going beyond that,
00:24:06
other than seeking friendship.
00:24:08
Hey.
00:24:09
It's me.
00:24:10
NARRATOR: Police learned that
on the night she disappeared,
00:24:13
Donna telephoned
that close friend.
00:24:16
So we knew that she was
alive and well at that point.
00:24:18
And Joe is-- [sighs].
00:24:20
Donna had wanted to
get together with him,
00:24:23
and he declined the invitation.
00:24:27
NARRATOR: Donna's
friend provided
00:24:29
authorities with an alibi and
passed a lie detector test.
00:24:33
Bye.
00:24:35
JOE: I'm not going to take
any more crap from you!
00:24:38
NARRATOR: Police then found a
witness who can tell them what
00:24:40
happened later that
evening-- Donna and Joe's
00:24:44
eight-year-old daughter.
00:24:46
She told detectives
that at 9:30 PM,
00:24:50
she woke up and
heard her parents
00:24:51
screaming at each other.
00:24:53
The yelling got
quieter and quieter,
00:24:57
and then finally
stopped altogether.
00:25:00
DONNA (CRYING): All right.
00:25:01
JOE: You pay attention
to me, from now on.
00:25:03
And shortly
thereafter, she ended
00:25:05
up hearing one set of footsteps
leading to the front door area.
00:25:09
She didn't see whether it was
her father or her mom who was
00:25:12
walking to the front doorsteps.
00:25:13
She just heard them.
00:25:15
NARRATOR: A few hours later, she
went into her parents' bedroom.
00:25:18
Only her father
was there, asleep.
00:25:23
Could Donna, trapped
in an abusive marriage,
00:25:26
have simply walked out the
front door to start a new life?
00:25:30
Donna would never
just walk out.
00:25:33
She lived for her children.
00:25:35
She would never
just go and leave
00:25:38
him with a man that she planned
to leave in a couple of weeks.
00:25:44
And then, police discovered
the first promising clue--
00:25:49
a small spatter of blood
on the side of a bucket.
00:25:54
Want to come
take a look a this?
00:25:56
We don't have Donna's
blood to compare it to,
00:25:58
but we were able to exclude
the children and Joe as being
00:26:03
the donors of that blood.
00:26:05
The question remains,
could it be Donna's?
00:26:09
NARRATOR: Without a
body, a crime scene,
00:26:11
or any forensic evidence, the
police investigation ground
00:26:15
to a halt. Two years
after Donna disappeared,
00:26:21
her parents sued Morrow in
civil court for wrongful death
00:26:25
on behalf of her children.
00:26:27
At the same time, he pleaded
guilty to an unrelated fraud
00:26:31
charge.
00:26:33
But on the day he was
scheduled to surrender,
00:26:35
Joe Morrow didn't show up.
00:26:40
I think that Joe
Morrow was shrewd enough
00:26:44
that he knew if he could
stagger around us for as long
00:26:49
as he did, that he could
build an exit strategy,
00:26:52
and that's what he did.
00:26:54
NARRATOR: After
Morrow disappeared,
00:26:56
his estate settled the wrongful
death suit for $2 million.
00:27:00
His brother and sister-in-law
became guardians of Joe
00:27:03
and Donna's four children.
00:27:05
Joe Morrow was charged
with Donna's murder,
00:27:09
and a warrant was
issued for his arrest.
00:27:14
Update.
00:27:16
10 years after Joe
Morrow disappeared,
00:27:19
he was arrested
in the Philippines
00:27:21
and extradited to
the United States.
00:27:25
At that time, a tip
led police to Donna's
00:27:27
remains, which had been buried
on one of Morrow's properties.
00:27:32
Joe Morrow pleaded no contest
to a charge of second degree
00:27:35
murder, as well as
seven counts of assault
00:27:38
for years of domestic abuse.
00:27:42
His sentence was
25 years to life.
00:27:50
Next, a family
fights to find a cure
00:27:52
for a baffling illness which
has claimed six of its members.
00:28:08
Santa Clara, California.
00:28:12
A lively high school
dance is interrupted
00:28:15
by an unexpected tragedy.
00:28:18
15-Year-old Frank Santos,
Jr. has collapsed.
00:28:22
He dies within an hour, the
victim of a baffling illness.
00:28:28
Frank's death was just the
latest blow for the Santos
00:28:31
family, who had been tormented
by a mysterious heart
00:28:34
disease for three generations.
00:28:37
Frank was the sixth
family member to die.
00:28:41
The long, sad history began
when Frank's grandfather
00:28:44
died suddenly, at 34.
00:28:51
DONATILA (VOICEOVER): That
morning, he starts snoring.
00:28:54
And he never snored in his life,
ever since we were married.
00:28:58
He wouldn't wake up.
00:29:00
Francisco, wake up!
00:29:01
Francisco!
00:29:03
[crying]
00:29:05
Then, all of a sudden,
he took his last breath,
00:29:07
and that was it.
00:29:08
He was gone.
00:29:12
NARRATOR: 30 years
earlier, Francisco Santos'
00:29:15
death was first thought
to be a stroke, and later,
00:29:19
heart failure.
00:29:21
His wife, Donatila,
was left to raise seven
00:29:24
young children by herself.
00:29:28
Donatila eventually remarried
and moved with her children
00:29:31
and new husband to
northern California,
00:29:34
where there was
another sudden death.
00:29:37
27-year-old Doris,
the youngest daughter,
00:29:40
was found unconscious
by her brother.
00:29:44
He starts knocking at my
door and says, mom, wake up,
00:29:47
because something's wrong.
00:29:49
Doris don't want to wake up.
00:29:51
Immediately jump out of
bed, went into her bedroom.
00:29:54
And I start waking her
up, and she won't wake up.
00:29:59
I told my son, Steve.
00:30:00
I said, call the paramedic
and the priest immediately.
00:30:03
NARRATOR: Doctors
concluded that Doris
00:30:05
died of acute congestive
heart failure,
00:30:08
which is the inability to pump
sufficient blood to the body.
00:30:12
The doctors saw no connection
between Doris' death
00:30:16
and that of her father, who
had died 20 years earlier.
00:30:22
Two years later, 23-year-old
Ronnie, the baby of the family,
00:30:27
began experiencing chest pains.
00:30:30
At the time, he was
engaged to his high school
00:30:32
sweetheart, Dana.
00:30:34
Ronnie was found to have had
a virus of the heart muscle
00:30:38
which could be
controlled by medication.
00:30:41
Under a doctor's
supervision, Ronnie
00:30:44
lived a normal,
active life, including
00:30:47
weekly games of softball.
00:30:51
He was standing
by the backstop,
00:30:53
talking to a few friends,
leaning on a bat.
00:31:01
Ronnie!
00:31:02
Let me go call help.
00:31:03
Ronnie!
00:31:05
DANA (VOICEOVER): He was
groaning, and moaning,
00:31:07
and I couldn't figure out
what was wrong with him.
00:31:10
And I was just standing
there, screaming.
00:31:12
All I could do was
scream and point.
00:31:14
Ronnie!
00:31:16
NARRATOR: Ronnie Santos was
pronounced dead on arrival
00:31:18
at the hospital.
00:31:20
The official cause of
death was cardiomyopathy,
00:31:24
an irregular heartbeat,
probably the result
00:31:27
of a viral infection.
00:31:30
I still can't believe,
at 24, he was gone.
00:31:35
It's-- it's, such a
shock to think that.
00:31:37
It's just too young.
00:31:41
NARRATOR: A year later, the
Santos family was forced
00:31:43
to attend yet another funeral.
00:31:47
This time, the victim was
the oldest son, 33-year-old
00:31:51
Frank, who collapsed
while sitting at home,
00:31:54
watching television.
00:31:56
His mother and I were--
were out running errands.
00:31:59
And we received a phone call.
00:32:02
And she said, we've got to go.
00:32:03
We've got to go.
00:32:04
Something's wrong.
00:32:05
Something happened to Frank.
00:32:07
MOTHER: Hail Mary, full of
grace, the Lord is with thee.
00:32:09
Blessed art thou amongst women.
00:32:10
Blessed is the
fruit of thy womb.
00:32:11
ANNETTE: It's going
to be all right.
00:32:13
MOTHER: My son!
00:32:14
I've got to get to him!
Not again!
00:32:17
I told myself,
he cannot leave.
00:32:18
He's my oldest son.
00:32:20
And he-- he cannot--
he's not supposed to die.
00:32:23
But he was gone.
00:32:26
NARRATOR: Frank's death was also
attributed to cardiomyopathy,
00:32:31
but doctors were
unable to identify
00:32:33
the specific disease,
which soon claimed two more
00:32:37
members of the Santos family.
00:32:40
Another brother,
30-year-old Ralph Santos,
00:32:43
fell asleep on the
sofa, and never woke up.
00:32:47
It was said that he had a
viral infection of the heart.
00:32:51
He left behind a wife
and two young sons.
00:32:55
Then, four years later,
15-year-old Frank Santos, Jr.
00:33:00
was struck down at
a high school dance.
00:33:03
The mysterious
disease had now moved
00:33:06
on to the next generation.
00:33:10
Frank Santos, Jr. was buried
next to his uncle Ronnie.
00:33:14
Nearby are the
graves of his father,
00:33:17
his aunt Doris, and
his uncle Ralph.
00:33:20
At the funeral, Steve
Santos, the family's
00:33:24
only surviving son, worried
about his own uncertain future.
00:33:29
And I was thinking
that I-- I might be next,
00:33:31
you know, or is my
sister going to be next,
00:33:35
or, you know, one of us?
00:33:39
NARRATOR: Update.
00:33:40
When this story
aired, many people
00:33:42
called to suggest a
diagnosis that tests
00:33:45
have proven to be correct.
00:33:49
Brugada syndrome is
a genetic disease
00:33:51
that can cause sudden death
from heart arrhythmia.
00:33:55
As a result of the diagnosis,
Frank Jr.'s surviving brother
00:33:59
wears an implanted
defibrillator,
00:34:01
and other family members have
been treated with medication.
00:34:05
Since our broadcast, there
have been no other deaths
00:34:09
in the immediate family.
00:34:14
Coming up, a Vietnam vet
searches for the Army
00:34:17
nurse who saved his life.
00:34:29
We recently told you the story
of army helicopter pilot, Jim
00:34:33
Meade, who was severely
injured when he was
00:34:35
shot down in Vietnam in 1967.
00:34:40
Jim's war wounds left him in a
coma which lasted for 10 weeks.
00:34:46
When he came out of his
coma, Jim had no memory
00:34:49
of his first 19 years.
00:34:51
He had even forgotten
how to talk and walk.
00:34:55
His recovery was directed by
an army physical therapist
00:34:59
he knew as Lieutenant Stephens.
00:35:03
Come on!
00:35:04
NARRATOR: For the next
nine months, with the help
00:35:06
and encouragement of
Lieutenant Stephens,
00:35:09
Jim struggled to regain his
speech and motor skills.
00:35:13
I don't know if I
would have learned
00:35:15
to do these things without her.
00:35:17
I always wanted to get better
and learn things so I can show
00:35:22
her how much I had improved.
00:35:25
It was always important to me.
00:35:28
NARRATOR: Nearly one year after
Jim arrived at the hospital,
00:35:31
Lieutenant Stephens
left the army.
00:35:34
She never saw Jim again
or had any idea that she
00:35:38
had inspired his recovery.
00:35:41
It's always been important for
me that she knows that I'm OK.
00:35:48
NARRATOR: The morning after our
broadcast, Jim Meade's search
00:35:52
came to an end when
he received a phone
00:35:54
call from one of our viewers.
00:35:56
I was watching TV, and
I saw Jim at the beginning
00:36:00
of the program.
00:36:01
And I said to my family,
I treated that fella
00:36:07
when I was in the service.
00:36:08
And the next remark was
that they were looking
00:36:11
for Lieutenant Stephens.
00:36:13
And I thought, well,
that was my maiden name.
00:36:16
And at that point, I realized
that this was going to be more
00:36:19
than just a program to watch.
00:36:30
Hi.
00:36:31
How are
00:36:32
You?
00:36:32
Oh, it's good to see you.
00:36:34
[laughing]
00:36:35
How are you doing?
00:36:36
I'm great!
00:36:37
How you doing?
00:36:39
In my heart, Karen
hasn't changed a bit.
00:36:43
And I'm glad to
tell her, thank you.
00:36:46
It will stand out
as one of the most
00:36:48
exciting days of my life.
00:36:50
A lot of people had a lot to
do with Jim Meade's recovery.
00:36:55
I was just a small part.
00:36:58
It will be very difficult
for me to put into words
00:37:01
what this day has meant to me.
00:37:03
Dreams do come true.
00:37:07
Nearly Nearly 21 years
after they said goodbye,
00:37:11
Jim and Karen were reunited.
00:37:13
And now, almost another
20 years have gone by,
00:37:16
and Jim and Karen
still keep in touch.
00:37:25
NARRATOR: Los
Angeles, California.
00:37:29
16-year-old Irene Love was home
alone one Saturday afternoon,
00:37:33
exploring a box that she had
found in her mother's bedroom.
00:37:38
I opened it up.
00:37:39
And there was a
birth certificate,
00:37:42
and it had Irene Wynn on it.
00:37:44
And I go, hm.
00:37:46
Same first name as mine.
00:37:48
I noticed the father's name
was Glenn, mother's name
00:37:51
was Ramona, date with the
same date as my birth.
00:37:55
And, uh, by that time,
a little bit later on,
00:37:57
my mother came home.
00:37:59
And I showed her the paper.
00:38:00
[sighs] Oh, no.
00:38:04
Are you my real mother?
00:38:07
And it came to light that I
was adopted, and she and my dad
00:38:12
had adopted me three
days after I was born.
00:38:16
NARRATOR: Minnie and Forest Love
had no children of their own,
00:38:19
so they were thrilled with
their newly adopted daughter.
00:38:22
Oh.
00:38:23
We're home.
00:38:24
NARRATOR: Irene's parents
gave her everything, even
00:38:27
a best friend.
00:38:29
Dolores Ford was one year older
than Irene and the only child
00:38:33
of her parent's best friends.
00:38:37
IRENE: They would bring her
over every day or every weekend.
00:38:41
We went on camping trips.
00:38:42
We went to the park.
00:38:44
We never really argued.
00:38:46
It was like we--
we knew each other.
00:38:48
We connected.
00:38:50
They made sure that
we were happy kids.
00:38:52
Is there anything
else you should tell me?
00:38:55
Well, honey--
00:38:57
NARRATOR: Irene's
mother asked her
00:38:59
to recall Clifton's,
the restaurant
00:39:01
they had gone to every Sunday.
00:39:05
And now, Irene's mother
explained why they had
00:39:07
always gone to the same place.
00:39:11
Irene's birth mother, Ramona,
worked at the cafeteria.
00:39:15
This was her only opportunity
to watch Irene grow up.
00:39:22
At some point, Irene's
birth father, Glenn, began
00:39:26
to work at Clifton's also.
00:39:28
The Loves would sit at different
tables in the restaurant
00:39:30
each week, so both
Glen and Ramona
00:39:33
could see the daughter
they had been too poverty
00:39:35
stricken to raise themselves.
00:39:39
I never faulted them
for what they did.
00:39:42
They had to do what
they had to do.
00:39:43
And I'm thankful that they gave
me to a family-- to the family
00:39:47
that they did give me to.
00:39:50
NARRATOR: When Irene
was 10 years old,
00:39:52
her best friend's mother died.
00:39:55
And suddenly, Dolores seemed
to vanish into thin air.
00:40:00
Irene never saw her again.
00:40:03
Years later, Irene's mother
finally explained what
00:40:06
had happened to her friend.
00:40:09
Dolores's father
took her to live
00:40:11
with Glenn and Ramona,
the couple who had
00:40:14
worked at Clifton's cafeteria.
00:40:20
MAN: Dolores, this is Ramona.
00:40:21
NARRATOR: But why?
00:40:22
Hi, Dolores.
00:40:23
NARRATOR: Well, finally,
the shocking news came out.
00:40:26
Dolores was also Glenn
and Ramona's child.
00:40:32
Dolores and Irene were sisters.
00:40:35
You remember Dolores?
00:40:37
NARRATOR: Irene was stunned.
00:40:39
Her mother explained
why she had not
00:40:41
let Irene keep seeing Dolores.
00:40:43
I love you so much.
00:40:46
I was afraid if I told you the
truth, that I would lose you.
00:40:51
No matter what, you'll
always be my mother.
00:40:59
NARRATOR: After both of
her adoptive parents died,
00:41:01
Irene found herself drawn
back to the old neighborhood,
00:41:05
reliving her happy
childhood with Dolores.
00:41:11
LADY: Come and go now.
00:41:13
Fudge, fudge, tell the judge.
00:41:16
Mama's got a newborn baby.
00:41:19
NARRATOR: We were like
twins, you know, but not
00:41:21
knowing that we were sisters.
00:41:23
I feel things that I don't think
anybody else could feel right
00:41:27
now, because it's like
an emptiness that's
00:41:29
going on inside of
me, due to the fact
00:41:32
I don't know where she's at.
00:41:34
And I hope one day soon,
that we can come together
00:41:38
and be the silly
little girls that we
00:41:39
were when we were growing up.
00:41:41
I want to be with her
as soon as possible.
00:41:44
NARRATOR: These are
two of the last known
00:41:45
photographs of Dolores Ford.
00:41:48
When she was 10,
Dolores moved to 2nd
00:41:51
Street in Downtown
Los Angeles to live
00:41:53
with Glenn and Ramona Wynn.
00:41:56
Dolores' last known address was
also in the Los Angeles area.
00:42:03
If you have any information
about this story,
00:42:06
please log on to our
website at unsolved.com.
00:42:13
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