00:00:04
DENNIS FARINA: Next on
"Unsolved Mysteries."
00:00:08
A journalist is about to blow
the lid on some government
00:00:11
corruption but is found dead,
his wrist slashed 12 times
00:00:15
by a razor blade.
00:00:18
Mutant, monster, or figment of
some overheated imaginations?
00:00:23
What is this strange creature
terrorizing West Virginia?
00:00:27
Some call it the Mothman.
00:00:30
Legend has it that
just two miles
00:00:32
from downtown LA a
treasure worth millions
00:00:35
is just waiting to be found.
00:00:38
And a flower delivery proves
fatal for a woman in Georgia.
00:00:47
Five cases, some
without endings.
00:00:50
Our team is working on them
and perhaps you can help.
00:00:54
I'm Dennis Farina and this
is "Unsolved Mysteries."
00:01:33
Martinsburg, West Virginia.
00:01:35
[knocking]
00:01:37
Housekeeping.
00:01:40
DENNIS FARINA: It starts
off like any other work day
00:01:42
at the local Sheraton Hotel.
00:01:45
The housekeeper opens one
of the rooms to clean it.
00:01:50
Nothing prepares her for what
she finds inside room 517.
00:01:55
Oh my god.
00:01:56
[screams]
00:02:00
DENNIS FARINA: Hotel
guest Danny Casolaro is
00:02:03
lying in a tub of bloody water.
00:02:06
Danny is an
investigative journalist
00:02:08
from Fairfax, Virginia, a
suburb of Washington, DC.
00:02:13
He is clearly dead.
00:02:17
What you got here?
00:02:18
Seems pretty clear
it's a suicide.
00:02:20
DENNIS FARINA: Martinsburg
police arrive on the scene.
00:02:22
About a dozen slash
marks on the wrist.
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DENNIS FARINA: In
the room they find
00:02:26
a suicide note and a single
razor blade in the bath tub.
00:02:30
Danny's wrists have
been slashed 12 times.
00:02:34
Eight cuts on his left wrist
and four cuts on his right.
00:02:40
One cut is so deep
it severed a tendon.
00:02:44
There are no signs
of a struggle.
00:02:48
Danny's body is taken
to a local funeral home
00:02:51
later that afternoon.
00:02:53
But strangely, Danny's
family and friends
00:02:56
aren't told about his
death until two days later.
00:03:00
JACK ANDERSON:
From the moment we
00:03:02
heard about his recorded suicide
we doubted it, questioned it,
00:03:04
wondered about it.
00:03:06
It was not his nature to
kill himself so we were
00:03:08
suspicious when from the first.
00:03:10
And the deeper we dug into it,
the more suspicious we became.
00:03:15
Just a few days before
Danny Casolaro died,
00:03:19
he told friends that
he was on the verge
00:03:21
of breaking a huge story.
00:03:23
Danny claimed to have proof
that some officials in the US
00:03:27
Justice Department were corrupt.
00:03:30
Many suspect that Danny's
death was not a suicide.
00:03:34
They believe that he
was murdered because he
00:03:36
was the man who knew too much.
00:03:40
First of all, when was the
promised software developed
00:03:42
and what was it for?
00:03:44
DENNIS FARINA: Danny's advocates
believe that the true story
00:03:46
of Danny's death began
when he interviewed
00:03:49
Bill and Nancy Hamilton.
00:03:51
They were the
owners of a computer
00:03:53
software company called Inslaw.
00:03:56
They had developed
revolutionary software
00:03:59
to speed up case management for
the law enforcement agencies.
00:04:03
The US Justice Department
was a major client.
00:04:07
What we'll do first
is bring up a menu.
00:04:09
DENNIS FARINA: At first,
the program was a success.
00:04:12
But then something changed.
00:04:15
WILLIAM HAMILTON: The
Justice Department
00:04:16
began to withhold
payments from Inslaw
00:04:19
and they withheld a couple of
million dollars from Inslaw,
00:04:23
drove Inslaw in to
Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
00:04:27
Inslaw then discovered that
the Canadian government
00:04:30
was also using
their software even
00:04:33
though they hadn't paid for it.
00:04:35
What sort of funny
things started happening?
00:04:37
DENNIS FARINA: Bill
and Nancy Hamilton
00:04:39
told Danny that they
were confused by what
00:04:41
was happening until they
talked to a man named
00:04:44
Michael Riconosciuto.
00:04:46
He claimed to have
worked for the CIA
00:04:49
and knew about the illegal
sales of the Inslaw's software.
00:04:53
Well the parties
that were involved
00:04:55
in the distribution
of this software
00:04:58
were involved in
covert operations.
00:05:01
And they were involved in
Nicaragua and Central America
00:05:06
and they were involved in
operations in the Middle East.
00:05:09
And yes, I have direct
knowledge of funds
00:05:14
from the sale of this
product being used
00:05:19
to finance those operations.
00:05:24
DENNIS FARINA: Then
Congress began to hear
00:05:25
about the Inslaw scandal.
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The House Judiciary Committee
opened a formal investigation.
00:05:33
The report describes the
committee's investigation
00:05:36
into serious allegations
that high level Department
00:05:39
of Justice officials
were involved
00:05:42
in a criminal conspiracy
to force Inslaw,
00:05:45
a small computer
company, out of business,
00:05:47
steal it's primary asset.
00:05:50
DENNIS FARINA:
Michael Riconosciuto
00:05:51
began telling his story to
committee investigators.
00:05:57
Within a week, Justice
Department agents arrested
00:06:00
Riconosciuto on drug charges.
00:06:03
The committee will reconvene.
00:06:05
DENNIS FARINA: Michael's
drug conviction
00:06:06
hurt his credibility.
00:06:08
But another witness with perfect
credentials stepped forward.
00:06:12
His name was Elliot Richardson.
00:06:15
He was also Richard
Nixon's Attorney General
00:06:17
until he resigned
rather than participate
00:06:20
in the Watergate cover up.
00:06:22
He was now the
lawyer for Inslaw.
00:06:25
In the case of Inslaw
there's a spreading radius
00:06:29
of circumstantial evidence
which, at its outer reaches,
00:06:34
entails a far more
sinister kind of conspiracy
00:06:38
than anything
revealed in Watergate.
00:06:41
DENNIS FARINA: Danny Casolaro
now believed he had uncovered
00:06:44
a sprawling criminal network.
00:06:47
He said it was made up of US
officials, organized crime
00:06:50
members, and
intelligence agents.
00:06:54
He called it the Octopus.
00:06:56
They have pretty
direct connections
00:06:58
with some of the
underworld crime figures.
00:06:59
Danny Casolaro stepped into a
world that he didn't belong in.
00:07:03
The type of people
that he became
00:07:04
involved with lie just
as a matter of course.
00:07:09
They lie, they cheat, they are
people who have been involved
00:07:11
in numerous murders,
dealing drugs, dealing arms,
00:07:15
and Danny Casolaro
thought he could
00:07:17
find his way through this
labyrinth by himself.
00:07:20
That was a mistake.
00:07:24
I know the guys that I've
been working with, my contacts,
00:07:26
and they're calling me
and saying, look, Danny,
00:07:28
you're getting too close.
00:07:29
You're going to get hurt.
00:07:30
Back off.
00:07:31
DENNIS FARINA: A
week before he died,
00:07:33
Danny told his brother
Tony that he had
00:07:35
been receiving death threats.
00:07:37
I don't recognize
their voices,
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I don't know where
they're coming from,
00:07:40
they're just saying,
you are going to die.
00:07:43
I'll tell you this, though,
when I go to Martinsburg
00:07:46
if something happens to
me or if I should get hurt
00:07:49
don't believe it's an accident.
00:07:54
DENNIS FARINA: Danny
arrived in Martinsburg
00:07:56
with all of his
notes and documents
00:07:58
two days before he died.
00:08:01
He was scheduled to meet
with several informants
00:08:04
and complete his investigation.
00:08:06
He believed to one
of these new contacts
00:08:08
would deliver key evidence about
the finances of the Octopus.
00:08:13
MICHAEL RICONOSCIUTO: Danny
had a source inside the IRS'
00:08:16
computer data center that was
giving him hard copy print
00:08:20
outs of IRS information on
certain specific targets
00:08:25
that Danny was after.
00:08:29
William Turner?
00:08:30
And you are?
00:08:31
Danny Casolaro.
00:08:32
Get in.
00:08:33
DENNIS FARINA: The
day before he died
00:08:34
Danny met with William Turner.
00:08:36
He was a former employee of
a major defense contractor.
00:08:40
You have some documentation?
00:08:41
You have some for me?
00:08:43
DENNIS FARINA:
According to Turner,
00:08:44
he gave Danny papers showing the
corruption that Danny believed
00:08:48
was tied to the Octopus.
00:08:52
But within 24 hours
Danny Casolaro was dead.
00:08:58
There was no sign of
Turner's documents
00:09:00
or Danny's research papers.
00:09:02
To this day, not one of
those papers has been found.
00:09:07
The media was all
over the story.
00:09:10
West Virginia authorities
opened a formal investigation
00:09:13
and ordered an autopsy.
00:09:15
ANTHONY CASOLARO: The assistant
medical examiner for the state
00:09:17
of West Virginia said, well,
you know, he's already been
00:09:20
embalmed and that's going to
make it a little difficult.
00:09:23
And I said, what are
you talking about he's
00:09:25
already been embalmed?
00:09:26
And he said, well, he was
embalmed apparently already.
00:09:31
He said, you didn't know that?
00:09:32
I said, absolutely not.
00:09:33
I said, we didn't
give any permission.
00:09:38
I'm now going to cut the
sutures to examine the wounds.
00:09:40
DENNIS FARINA: The
autopsy confirmed
00:09:42
that Danny had bled to death
from the 12 razor cuts.
00:09:46
But more importantly,
it revealed
00:09:48
that Danny wasn't
alone in his hotel room
00:09:51
during his last moments.
00:09:54
ANTHONY CASOLARO: There was
on the actual autopsy report
00:09:57
described a bruise on
the arm and a bruise
00:10:01
on the head which were
never accounted for.
00:10:03
I was told there were no
signs of any struggle.
00:10:06
Additionally, the tips
of three fingernails
00:10:09
were missing from one hand.
00:10:11
DENNIS FARINA: When Danny's
hotel room was cleaned the day
00:10:14
after his death by a
professional cleaning crew,
00:10:16
important evidence
was destroyed.
00:10:21
One of the housekeepers
saw two bloody towels
00:10:24
in the bathroom minutes
after Danny's body was found.
00:10:28
It looked like they
were used to wipe
00:10:31
blood off the bathroom floor.
00:10:34
JOHN CONNOLLY: The police
reports of the investigation
00:10:36
were certainly not professional.
00:10:38
Fingerprints get
lost, messed up.
00:10:40
They drained the tub
without a strainer.
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Sloppy work.
00:10:44
Police have a rule
in this country,
00:10:45
government people have a
rule, when they screw up,
00:10:48
they cover up.
00:10:49
Sad, but true.
00:10:51
Do I think they covered up here?
00:10:52
Yes I do.
00:10:54
ELLIOT RICHARDSON:
There is enough evidence
00:10:55
that he was murdered
so that there should
00:10:58
have been a much more
intensive investigation
00:11:02
than there has been.
00:11:04
All that I do know
makes me believe
00:11:07
that it was more likely
that he was murdered
00:11:10
than that he committed suicide.
00:11:14
DENNIS FARINA: Even Danny's
funeral was clouded by mystery.
00:11:18
At the funeral a
highly decorated
00:11:20
military officer
arrived in a limousine
00:11:23
near the end of the service.
00:11:25
No one recognized him.
00:11:29
The man carefully placed
a medal on the casket
00:11:32
just before it was
lowered into the ground.
00:11:36
ANN KLENK: And we went
back to Francis' house,
00:11:38
Danny's mother's house,
and I said, Francis,
00:11:41
who was the military man?
00:11:43
And she said, I
thought you'd know.
00:11:45
And we asked
everyone there, there
00:11:46
had to be 50 people
at Francis' house,
00:11:48
no one knew who they were.
00:11:50
No one.
00:11:52
DENNIS FARINA: A
short time later,
00:11:53
the official investigation
of Danny Casolaro's death
00:11:56
was closed.
00:11:58
West Virginia authorities
and Department
00:12:00
of Justice
representatives declined
00:12:02
to participate in this story.
00:12:04
Many of Danny's
family and friends
00:12:06
remain convinced that he
did not commit suicide.
00:12:10
If you have any information,
please log onto our website
00:12:14
at unsolved.com.
00:12:20
Coming up: meet the Mothman,
a mysterious red eyed creature
00:12:25
said to roam the
West Virginia woods.
00:12:29
But next, the story
of two women who's
00:12:32
scam of seduction and theft
earned them the nicknames
00:12:35
of Thelma and Louise.
00:12:46
Recently, we profiled a
pair of cunning criminals,
00:12:50
two women the police call the
real life Thelma and Louise.
00:12:56
If you passed them
on the road you'd
00:12:58
think they were just good
friends out for a joy ride.
00:13:02
But Rose Turford
and Carolyn Stevens
00:13:05
stole more than a quarter
of a million dollars
00:13:07
over three months
from at least 10 men.
00:13:13
Their MO was
simple, yet devious.
00:13:17
Rose and Carolyn lured
their victims to hotel rooms
00:13:20
and then robbed them.
00:13:23
CLEMENT ROMEO: Rose and
Carolyn, from the onset,
00:13:25
wanted out to be the real
life Thelma and Louise.
00:13:28
They I wanted to
experience that thrill.
00:13:31
And the only thing
is, I don't believe
00:13:32
they ever considered
what they were
00:13:34
going to do to their families.
00:13:37
DENNIS FARINA: A few
months later, they were
00:13:39
finally arrested in Houston.
00:13:42
Their families put up
everything they owned
00:13:44
to post the $500,000 bail.
00:13:49
But as soon as
they were released,
00:13:51
Thelma and Louise disappeared.
00:13:55
Update: Five months later a
t-shirt just like this one led
00:14:01
to the capture of the
Thelma and Louise bandits
00:14:05
in Toronto, Canada.
00:14:07
Police found Rose
Turford working
00:14:10
in a telemarketing firm.
00:14:12
Within 24 hours, both
she and Carolyn Stevens
00:14:16
were back in custody.
00:14:18
I think that anyone who does
a series of aggravated robberies
00:14:22
are nothing more than criminals.
00:14:24
They're not anything special,
they're not anything to admire,
00:14:29
they're just robbers.
00:14:33
Turford and Stevens
were each charged
00:14:35
with four counts of
aggravated robbery
00:14:38
and one count of
aggravated kidnapping.
00:14:41
Carolyn Stephens pleaded
guilty to the robbery charges
00:14:44
and was sentenced to 10 years.
00:14:46
She served nine
and was released.
00:14:48
Rose Turford, on the
other hand, took a chance.
00:14:52
She pleaded not guilty.
00:14:53
But the jury didn't buy it.
00:14:56
She was convicted and
sentenced to 30 years.
00:15:00
She served her time
and has been released.
00:15:08
Point Pleasant, West Virginia.
00:15:11
These crumbling
buildings are home
00:15:13
to one of the most bizarre
and terrifying creatures ever
00:15:17
to walk the earth.
00:15:19
Or at least, that's what
some would have you believe.
00:15:23
Oh my god!
00:15:26
I could see something standing
there that looked like a man
00:15:29
but yet it wasn't a man.
00:15:31
It was some kind of a creature.
00:15:34
What is that?
00:15:36
It stood seven
feet tall or better.
00:15:38
Enormous, glowing red eyes,
bat-like wings, man-like legs.
00:15:45
That was the biggest, by
far, and the ugliest bird,
00:15:49
and I do mean bird, I've
ever seen in my life.
00:15:53
And I hope in this
lifetime I never see it
00:15:55
or anything like it again.
00:15:58
You have your percentage
of citizens who feel that it
00:16:01
was 101% a hoax, you know?
00:16:03
I personally think that there
was something up there that
00:16:06
scared the wits out
of most of the people
00:16:08
who came face-to-face with it.
00:16:13
DENNIS FARINA: What is
this strange creature?
00:16:15
No one knows for sure.
00:16:17
But one thing is certain:
hundreds of ordinary people
00:16:21
have seen something in the
woods that they can't explain.
00:16:25
They call it the Mothman.
00:16:30
One fall evening
Linda Skarberry,
00:16:32
her husband, and another
couple took a drive to an area
00:16:35
called the TNT.
00:16:40
It got its nickname
because in World War II
00:16:42
it was an ammunition factory.
00:16:47
It was here that the Mothman
made his first appearance.
00:16:53
Oh my god what--
00:16:55
JEFF WAMSLEY: As they approached
it the headlights hit it
00:16:57
and the red eyes were prominent.
00:16:59
It was a very huge creature
with a wingspan estimated
00:17:04
eight to 10 to 12 feet.
00:17:05
There it is!
00:17:06
There it is!
00:17:07
[screaming]
00:17:08
Get out!
00:17:10
DENNIS FARINA: When the Mothman
let out a horrible screech,
00:17:11
the two couples fled.
00:17:15
Even as they drove at
almost 100 miles per hour,
00:17:19
the creature kept up with them.
00:17:22
JEFF WAMSLEY: It flew above the
car, gliding from side to side
00:17:25
but never getting
in front of the car.
00:17:27
And as they approached
the lights of the city
00:17:30
the creature backed
off and fled.
00:17:37
DENNIS FARINA: The
next day Marcella
00:17:39
Bennett left her
brother's house with
00:17:40
her four-year-old daughter.
00:17:44
MARCELLA BENNETT:
When I got to the car
00:17:45
and reached for the
door handle then
00:17:48
I saw what looked like legs.
00:17:52
Get back in the house!
00:17:54
I kept looking
from the feet up.
00:17:56
And when I did, I could see
that I was looking at something
00:18:00
that I had never saw before.
00:18:02
Come back to the house!
00:18:10
MARCELLA BENNETT: The
creature looked like a man
00:18:12
but it was over six
foot tall and it
00:18:15
had feathers instead of skin.
00:18:18
The way it looked
it was something
00:18:20
I never in my
wildest imagination
00:18:23
would have ever thought
would be standing out there.
00:18:27
DENNIS FARINA: Then, as
quickly as it appeared,
00:18:29
the Mothman vanished.
00:18:39
Tom Ury was driving near the TNT
factory just a few days later.
00:18:44
He is one of only a few
people who have seen
00:18:47
the Mothman during the day.
00:18:50
I caught something out
of the corner of my eye.
00:18:53
Looked like a helicopter
coming over the trees
00:18:55
first until I saw it.
00:18:57
It was a bird, a huge bird that
proceeded to circle my car.
00:19:03
Every time it would make a
loop that would get lower,
00:19:06
lower, and lower and I was
getting a little bit scared,
00:19:08
you know?
00:19:09
This thing's
curious about my car
00:19:11
and I sure didn't
want to be breakfast.
00:19:14
DENNIS FARINA: The number
of Mothman sightings
00:19:16
increased over the next year.
00:19:18
Eyewitnesses describe the
creature in the same way:
00:19:22
part man, part bird with huge
wings and hypnotic red eyes.
00:19:28
However, others dismiss
the so-called Mothman
00:19:32
as nothing more
than a large bird
00:19:34
called the sandhill cranes.
00:19:37
ROBERT GOERMAN: The sandhill
crane stands nearly as tall
00:19:40
as a man and has two red
patches of flesh that
00:19:44
under extraordinary
circumstances
00:19:46
might be mistaken for red eyes.
00:19:49
But none of the rest of the
bird fits the description.
00:19:52
Not even close.
00:19:54
DENNIS FARINA: Could
the Mothman simply have
00:19:56
been a large, frightening bird?
00:19:59
Or something more sinister.
00:20:03
MARCELLA BENNETT:
Residents of Point Pleasant
00:20:04
would go out on farms
and find their animals
00:20:07
dead and maybe just the
blood out or the heart going.
00:20:13
Someone had removed the
heart of the animal.
00:20:18
DENNIS FARINA: With
mutilated animals came
00:20:20
another strange phenomenon.
00:20:22
Visits from strangers dressed
entirely in black from head
00:20:27
to toe.
00:20:29
JEFF WAMSLEY: The men
in black were strange
00:20:31
out of town visitors who seemed
to want to pretty much just
00:20:34
quiet everything down.
00:20:37
They would show up on
people's doorsteps,
00:20:39
show up at their house at
night and basically just say,
00:20:43
hey, you know, let's
just keep quiet for now.
00:20:46
And it terrified a lot of
the original witnesses.
00:20:50
DENNIS FARINA: Some
believe these strangers
00:20:52
may know the secret behind
the mysterious creature.
00:20:56
One of the theories is that
the Mothman was a government
00:20:59
experiment gone
awry and it escaped
00:21:03
which would explain a little
bit of the man in black.
00:21:07
A lot of people tied at
that in with the government
00:21:09
as a government experiment.
00:21:13
DENNIS FARINA: One
final theory focused
00:21:15
on the TNT region itself.
00:21:17
Before this area was
a weapons factory
00:21:21
it was a bird sanctuary.
00:21:23
DONNIE SERGENT:
One of the theories
00:21:24
is that the Mothman is a
mutant bird which was created
00:21:27
from the TNT residue
left over from the plants
00:21:31
during the World War
II effort and combined
00:21:33
with the genes of the
animals during 1966
00:21:36
and formed a mutant
bird-type creature.
00:21:41
DENNIS FARINA: Whatever
the explanation,
00:21:43
the Mothman terrified
everyone who saw it.
00:21:47
And some even believe that
the creature caused Point
00:21:50
Pleasant's greatest tragedy.
00:21:54
After nearly a year
of Mothman sightings,
00:21:56
the silver bridge leading out
of town suddenly collapsed.
00:22:01
46 people were killed.
00:22:04
One witness claims to have seen
the Mothman man on the bridge
00:22:07
just before it crumbled.
00:22:11
It's been years since
anyone has seen the Mothman,
00:22:14
but it has been the subject of
books and even a major motion
00:22:18
picture with Richard Gere.
00:22:21
The Mothman has always been
there and will always be there.
00:22:25
It will never go away.
00:22:26
It's a legend, it's
a local legend,
00:22:28
and now it's a worldwide legend.
00:22:30
It'll never fade away.
00:22:31
DENNIS FARINA: The Mothman
is now more famous than ever.
00:22:35
He has scared a lot of
people, real or not.
00:22:44
Next, a treasure hunt
near downtown Los Angeles
00:22:47
yields surprising discoveries.
00:22:58
Legends of buried
treasure usually
00:23:00
take us to remote locations .
00:23:03
But it is possible that there
is a treasure worth millions
00:23:06
of dollars hidden just
two miles from the heart
00:23:09
of America's second largest
city, Los Angeles, California.
00:23:17
It's hard to believe
that 160 years ago this
00:23:21
was just a quiet dusty Pueblo.
00:23:24
But that suddenly
changed in 1846.
00:23:29
War erupted between Mexico
and the United States
00:23:33
and it's believed that
wealthy Angelenos panicked
00:23:36
as the fighting got closer.
00:23:38
According to legend, some
dug elaborate escape tunnels.
00:23:42
Others buried their
family fortunes.
00:23:46
ROY ROUSH: This
was the best thing
00:23:48
that they could do to protect
their valuables at the time.
00:23:51
And it was a customary way
because there were no banks.
00:23:54
And if you wanted to protect
something, bury it, hide it.
00:23:58
DENNIS FARINA:
Since then stories
00:24:00
have circulated that
many families did
00:24:02
not return for their valuables.
00:24:05
That means they
may still be there.
00:24:09
Two sisters looking for a
long lost family treasure
00:24:12
hired Roy Roush.
00:24:13
--Around a lot.
00:24:14
You know, this
looks like the spot.
00:24:17
DENNIS FARINA: Years
ago they had searched
00:24:18
for the treasure
with their father.
00:24:21
Right up in there.
00:24:22
DENNIS FARINA: Now
they were able to find
00:24:24
a spot that looked familiar.
00:24:27
ROY ROUSH: Well the
first thing that
00:24:29
attracted my attention was on
the side of a sandstone bluff
00:24:32
were three indentations.
00:24:35
The holes seem to be rather
symmetrical and rather smooth
00:24:39
and looked like it
could be man made.
00:24:41
So keeping that in mind,
I'm now looking around
00:24:44
for some other
signs and symbols.
00:24:47
About 75 feet away
on the side of a hill
00:24:50
I discovered some
initials carved
00:24:53
in the side of another rock.
00:24:55
DENNIS FARINA: Roy spotted
evidence of an old tunnel
00:24:59
halfway between the two signs.
00:25:02
ROY ROUSH: Obviously,
it was a treasure shaft.
00:25:04
There was no other reason
for this hole being there.
00:25:07
DENNIS FARINA: It
seemed simple: remove
00:25:09
the dirt, claim treasure.
00:25:11
They had permits
from park officials
00:25:13
but Roy suggested
they dig at night
00:25:16
to keep the location a secret.
00:25:19
ROY ROUSH: We got
down about 25 feet
00:25:22
and I got a fairly
good signal right
00:25:25
in the center of the hole.
00:25:27
We all got excited because
metal detectors don't
00:25:30
lie in a situation like that.
00:25:33
DENNIS FARINA: The
instrument had indeed
00:25:34
detected buried artifacts,
but they were not exactly
00:25:38
what Roy Roush was looking for.
00:25:41
ROY ROUSH: We uncovered two
very old flashlight batteries.
00:25:46
The oldest flashlight
batteries I'd ever seen.
00:25:50
DENNIS FARINA: The
digging continued.
00:25:52
30 feet further
into the tunnel they
00:25:55
found the frayed end of a
very old crudely made rope.
00:26:00
ROY ROUSH: So after finding the
two old flashlight batteries
00:26:03
and the piece of rope
it was quite obvious
00:26:05
that somebody else had already
beat us to the treasure years
00:26:08
before.
00:26:10
It was a combination
of gratification
00:26:12
and disappointment.
00:26:13
We had correctly found
a treasure tunnel
00:26:17
and had excavated it.
00:26:19
But the disappointment was that
after all the time and money
00:26:22
and work and effort
that we put into it,
00:26:25
we had nothing to
show for our efforts
00:26:27
except a couple of old
flashlight batteries
00:26:29
and a piece of rope.
00:26:33
DENNIS FARINA: Even though
he came up empty-handed,
00:26:36
Roy believes there
are still buried
00:26:38
treasures in Elysian park.
00:26:42
To test that theory we called
a nonprofit group that conducts
00:26:45
both ocean and ground searches.
00:26:49
All right guys, let's go.
00:26:51
DENNIS FARINA: A sensing device
sends out radar waves as it's
00:26:54
dragged across the field.
00:26:57
A cross section of
what lies underground
00:26:59
shows up on this monitor.
00:27:03
After the survey is
complete computers
00:27:05
translate the information.
00:27:07
Here's what they found.
00:27:10
These marks suggest it's a
30 foot deep vertical tunnel.
00:27:15
They also detected
an object less
00:27:17
than 10 feet below the surface.
00:27:20
It appears to be
made of solid metal.
00:27:24
If there is
treasure here I would
00:27:26
prefer to see it stay here.
00:27:27
I'd like to keep
that mystery alive.
00:27:29
I think it adds to the
mystique of this park.
00:27:31
I think it's something that
people would probably continue
00:27:34
to talk about in
the future and help
00:27:36
to keep the mystique
of a treasure that
00:27:38
might be in Elysian park alive.
00:27:43
DENNIS FARINA:
Obtaining a permit
00:27:44
to excavate in Los
Angeles is even more
00:27:46
difficult than finding
the buried treasure.
00:27:50
And digging without a
permit is against the law.
00:27:53
Violators are subject to
arrest and could end up in jail
00:27:57
rather than on easy street.
00:28:03
Next, flowers weren't the
only thing this man delivered
00:28:07
to a women in Georgia.
00:28:19
Atlanta, Georgia.
00:28:22
Lita McClinton Sullivan
lies dead in the doorway
00:28:26
of her home.
00:28:29
She's the daughter
of one of Georgia's
00:28:31
most politically prominent
African-American families.
00:28:35
Her husband is James
Sullivan, heir to a million
00:28:38
dollar family fortune.
00:28:42
Who killed Lita Sullivan?
00:28:44
Some thought she was the victim
of a random robbery attempt.
00:28:48
Others believed her own husband
hired someone to kill her.
00:28:52
The only clue was a dozen
blood spattered roses.
00:28:57
James Sullivan met Lita
McClinton at a mall in Atlanta
00:29:00
where she was training
to be a clothing
00:29:02
buyer for a department store.
00:29:05
-Excuse me.
-Hi.
00:29:06
Hi.
00:29:07
Can I help you find something?
00:29:09
DENNIS FARINA: James
was refined and charming
00:29:12
and Lita's soon fell in love.
00:29:14
How bout a trip to Paris?
00:29:17
DENNIS FARINA: Lita's
parents were afraid
00:29:19
that he was marrying
their daughter because
00:29:21
of the family's political power.
00:29:24
EMORY MCCLINTON: I think that
was one of his attractions
00:29:26
to Lita.
00:29:27
He needed someone who
could give him a better
00:29:32
social standing and status.
00:29:35
DENNIS FARINA: Eventually, the
couple moved into this home
00:29:38
in Palm Beach, Florida.
00:29:39
I'm going back to
work, you can't stop me.
00:29:42
DENNIS FARINA:
Lita's parents said
00:29:43
that Sullivan tried to
control every aspect
00:29:46
of their daughter's life.
00:29:49
EMORY MCCLINTON: He had
originally said that he
00:29:51
did not want her to work.
00:29:53
But then he would give
her such a small budget
00:29:55
that it was no way
practical to quote,
00:30:00
buy groceries, to take
care of the household,
00:30:03
and things like that.
00:30:06
DENNIS FARINA: Finally,
Lita filed for divorce
00:30:08
and moved into a townhouse
they owned in Atlanta.
00:30:12
Her family said that
Sullivan was furious
00:30:15
and was afraid that
he would lose millions
00:30:17
in a divorce settlement.
00:30:20
Lita was murdered the
day she was scheduled
00:30:22
to testify in her divorce case.
00:30:28
Police discovered that a witness
saw a man coming to her door
00:30:32
carrying a box of flowers.
00:30:35
[knocking]
00:30:37
Who is it?
00:30:38
Flowers for Lita Sullivan.
00:30:42
Are you Lita Sullivan?
00:30:43
Yes.
00:30:48
DENNIS FARINA: No one was
able to identify the man
00:30:50
seen running from Lita's porch.
00:30:53
James was at their
home in Palm Beach
00:30:55
at the time of the killing.
00:30:57
But his alibi didn't
rule out the possibility
00:31:00
of a contract hit.
00:31:03
JOHN CONNOLLY: 40 minutes
later, Jim Sullivan
00:31:05
receives a collect phone
call from outside Atlanta.
00:31:08
And when I retraced
the time from Buckhead
00:31:11
where Lita was murdered
to where the phone was
00:31:13
was exactly 40 minutes.
00:31:16
I believe the killer
was calling Sullivan
00:31:18
to tell him the job was done.
00:31:20
DENNIS FARINA: Police
traced the flowers
00:31:21
to a nearby flower shop.
00:31:23
The clerk remembered a
very nervous man buying
00:31:26
them just before the murder.
00:31:30
Telephone records
also showed that just
00:31:32
before the murder calls were
made to Sullivan's home.
00:31:36
They were traced to three men
who had checked into a Georgia
00:31:39
motel using fake IDs.
00:31:45
Police thought there was
enough evidence to go to trial,
00:31:48
but they were wrong.
00:31:50
The judge dismissed the
case for a lack of evidence.
00:31:53
A relieved James Sullivan
spoke to the press.
00:31:56
I want everyone
listening to this to know
00:32:01
that I am absolutely innocent.
00:32:04
I had nothing to do
with Lita's death.
00:32:09
Her death was a great tragedy.
00:32:13
And I thank God and my attorneys
that this ordeal is over.
00:32:22
DENNIS FARINA: Lita's family
believed that Sullivan
00:32:24
was getting away with murder.
00:32:26
Jim had Lita killed
because of money.
00:32:31
Jim loved money.
00:32:35
DENNIS FARINA: Just eight
months after Lita's murder
00:32:38
Sullivan married again.
00:32:40
Perfect.
00:32:41
DENNIS FARINA: His bride's
name was Suki Rogers.
00:32:44
But three years later Suki
and Sullivan were involved
00:32:47
in their own bitter divorce.
00:32:50
Suki told police that Sullivan
admitted to her that he
00:32:54
hired someone to kill Lita.
00:32:57
The McClintons
filed a $4 million
00:33:00
civil suit against
Sullivan and won.
00:33:04
JOANN MCCLINTON: We're not
interested in the money.
00:33:05
It was really
knowing that Jim was
00:33:09
the cause of our
daughter's death
00:33:11
and we wanted to
bring him to trial.
00:33:14
DENNIS FARINA: Then
11 years after Lita
00:33:17
was killed Georgia investigators
got the break they needed.
00:33:22
They arrested a
man who supposedly
00:33:24
helped set up Lita's murder.
00:33:26
I had a business arrangement
with Mr. Sullivan.
00:33:29
DENNIS FARINA: The man
claimed that Sullivan
00:33:31
had contracted the killing.
00:33:33
Finally, a warrant was
issued for Sullivan's arrest.
00:33:36
He was charged with murder
and aggravated assault.
00:33:39
But Sullivan disappeared before
the police could arrest him.
00:33:46
JOANN MCCLINTON: He planned it.
00:33:48
I really, really
feel that he should--
00:33:51
I just feel that he
should pay with his life.
00:33:56
DENNIS FARINA: Update:
four years later
00:33:59
and halfway around
the world Royal Thai
00:34:01
Police arrested James Sullivan.
00:34:04
He was living in a beachfront
condo 100 miles south
00:34:07
of Bangkok with a girlfriend.
00:34:10
Sullivan was returned to the
US and charged with murder.
00:34:14
He was sentenced to life without
the possibility of parole.
00:34:21
Next a young man
with autism alone,
00:34:24
desperate, and yearning to
be reunited with his parents
00:34:28
has disappeared.
00:34:30
Perhaps you can help.
00:34:41
Grand Rapids, Michigan.
00:34:44
These are home movies of
Gordon Page Jr., or Gordie,
00:34:48
when he was just 18 months old.
00:34:51
He was born autistic
but sadly it
00:34:54
wasn't until much later in his
life that he was diagnosed.
00:34:59
GORDON PAGE: I
guess maybe when he
00:35:00
is real young we thought
something was wrong
00:35:02
but we didn't know what.
00:35:04
He didn't walk like other
kids and run like other kids.
00:35:07
And as he got older, you know,
he'd just sat there and look
00:35:10
around and didn't even move.
00:35:14
LINDA PAGE: He didn't
really seem unusual to us
00:35:16
because that was our
first child and we just
00:35:18
raised him like a normal child.
00:35:19
I mean, he was slow.
00:35:20
That's what we thought,
he was just slow.
00:35:25
Just slow.
00:35:26
Using an expression like
that seems a little bit
00:35:29
insensitive at best.
00:35:31
But for Gordie's
parents it seemed
00:35:33
to help make sense of their
son's unusual behavior.
00:35:37
But it could hardly
explain why Gordie
00:35:39
had such an incredible
memory, especially
00:35:42
when it came to baseball.
00:35:45
Wes Gibson.
00:35:47
Batting average, 193.
00:35:50
GORDON PAGE: I would
say he probably
00:35:51
at 25,000 or 30,000
baseball cards
00:35:54
and he knew the names
of every player, all
00:35:56
the statistics of the
cards, and he would just
00:35:58
sit there and memorize them.
00:36:00
223, home runs seven.
00:36:03
LINDA PAGE: I don't think he
realized that he was slow.
00:36:06
And then as he got
older in junior high
00:36:09
his peers started
getting ahead of him.
00:36:11
And when he needed to go
into a special ed room
00:36:14
it bothered him.
00:36:15
And he had a hard time
in 11th and 12th grade
00:36:18
because he couldn't
keep up with-- everybody
00:36:20
was passing him by.
00:36:23
DENNIS FARINA: Finally, Gordie
did graduate from high school.
00:36:26
He was ready for his first job.
00:36:28
His parents helped him apply
at a local grocery store.
00:36:33
GORDON PAGE: He said,
dad, I got the job.
00:36:35
He said, I start Monday,
isn't that great?
00:36:37
And it made me feel
so happy and I dropped
00:36:40
him off at work in the morning.
00:36:42
And it made me feel proud as
a father to see him working
00:36:45
and to see him happy.
00:36:47
DENNIS FARINA: But
soon, the store manager
00:36:49
said that Gordie
was having trouble
00:36:52
talking to the customers.
00:36:54
GORDON PAGE: You're carrying
the groceries to my car now
00:36:57
and I say thank you.
00:36:58
What do you say?
00:36:59
Good.
00:37:00
GORDON PAGE: No, you
say you're welcome, OK?
00:37:02
Let's do it again.
00:37:03
DENNIS FARINA: His father's
coaching was not enough.
00:37:07
It just didn't work out
at the grocery store.
00:37:09
GORDON PAGE: Then you
don't-- just smile at them.
00:37:11
Let's see that nice
Gordon Page smile.
00:37:16
DENNIS FARINA: Linda
and Gorden were worried
00:37:18
about their son's future.
00:37:20
They asked a social
worker to evaluate him.
00:37:23
He was diagnosed
as a schizophrenic
00:37:26
and recommended to start
living at a group home.
00:37:30
GORDON PAGE: Finally
we agreed to try it
00:37:32
and we went to
visit a group home
00:37:34
and the lady said, well, he
can't stay here until he goes
00:37:37
to see if he needs
to be stabilized
00:37:39
on medication in the hospital.
00:37:41
So we did this.
00:37:42
We finally agreed.
00:37:44
And the doctor there put
him on Ritalin and Valium
00:37:47
and Gordon wasn't
Gordon after that.
00:37:52
DENNIS FARINA: Eventually,
Gordie was accepted
00:37:54
by a well-regarded group home.
00:37:56
There his medication
was adjusted
00:37:58
and he started to feel better.
00:38:00
With Gordie in good
hands his parents
00:38:02
felt that they could
finally relocate to Florida
00:38:05
as they long planned.
00:38:07
Gordie stayed
behind in Michigan.
00:38:12
For several months
things went well.
00:38:16
But then one day while
heavily medicated
00:38:18
Gordie stole a truck
that was left running
00:38:21
in the driveway of the home.
00:38:42
What are you doing?
00:38:45
Look at my car.
00:38:46
CHET BUSH: We
interviewed the lady who
00:38:47
was the victim in the accident.
00:38:49
She gave us a description
which fit Gordon.
00:38:52
Our officers then
received another call
00:38:55
from one of our
elementary schools
00:38:57
that a person
fitting Gordon Page's
00:38:59
description was at
this elementary school
00:39:02
wanting to teach a class.
00:39:05
So we responded there and that
time picked up Mr. Gordon Page.
00:39:10
Tell me about the voices that
you told the doctor about,
00:39:12
Gordon.
00:39:13
DENNIS FARINA: Gordie was
sent to a county hospital.
00:39:15
There, psychiatric social worker
Bill Arnold evaluated him.
00:39:20
He was brought in with
a label of schizophrenia.
00:39:24
People that are schizophrenic
will, with medication,
00:39:27
over a couple of week
period usually they'll
00:39:29
start to clear up
in their thinking
00:39:30
and their behavior
will come in line
00:39:32
and they start getting
back more to normal.
00:39:36
With Gordon that didn't work.
00:39:38
Tell me about your baseball
card collection, Gordon.
00:39:41
Woodie Fryman, 1966,
Pirates, rookie of the year.
00:39:45
DENNIS FARINA: After several
months of intensive therapy,
00:39:47
Bill realized that Gordie
was not schizophrenic,
00:39:51
he was autistic.
00:39:54
BILL ARNOLD: Once we got
off all those medications
00:39:57
and we started treating
him as possibly an autistic
00:39:59
and working on training and
just giving him some respect,
00:40:04
he was a totally
different individual.
00:40:06
And we'll need
you to sign this.
00:40:08
DENNIS FARINA: The Pages
found a different group
00:40:10
home in Grand Rapids.
00:40:11
One that specialized in autism.
00:40:15
Finally, it was
time to say goodbye.
00:40:18
GORDON PAGE: We kind of
stood there and talked
00:40:20
and we hugged and talked
a little bit more.
00:40:24
How are you doing, son?
00:40:27
GORDON PAGE: And then we walked
over to the van and I said,
00:40:30
everything's going to work out.
00:40:37
DENNIS FARINA: Gordie
desperately tried
00:40:38
to get his father to take him.
00:40:41
GORDON PAGE: It's very painful.
00:40:43
Now in retrospect I
wish I had allowed him
00:40:45
just to get in and crawl
back and just driven
00:40:47
right to Florida and come home.
00:40:49
But you don't think
of those things
00:40:51
and we didn't know we were going
to be facing in the future.
00:40:58
DENNIS FARINA: Four
days after his father
00:41:00
left Gordie disappeared.
00:41:05
An eye witness reported
seeing Gordie hitchhiking
00:41:08
towards interstate 96.
00:41:10
But a search of the
area turned up no leads.
00:41:17
GORDON PAGE: We
love you, Gordie.
00:41:20
LINDA PAGE: We'll never
stop looking for Gordie
00:41:22
because we love him we've
always been a close family.
00:41:25
He would know that
we want him back.
00:41:27
And no, we will never
stop looking for him.
00:41:31
GORDON PAGE: We just
want our son back,
00:41:32
we want to be
reunited as a family.
00:41:35
And we love Gordon very much.
00:41:38
DENNIS FARINA:
Gordie Page Jr. is
00:41:39
6 feet 3 inches tall with blue
eyes and reddish brown hair.
00:41:44
This is what he would
look like today.
00:41:47
The Pages say Gordie
often gives his address
00:41:50
as 16785 Martha Drive.
00:41:53
It's the street Gordie lived
on when he was growing up.
00:41:57
Gordie also might respond to
the names of his two younger
00:42:00
brothers, Lance and Todd.
00:42:04
If you have any information
about Gordie Page Jr.
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