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[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 are about to see is not a news
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broadcast in California a deadly fire
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ravaged is a house trailer one
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sixteen-year-old girl dies at the scene
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her injured twin sister succumbs four
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weeks later then the family suffers
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another cool blow when the girl's old
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half-brother
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becomes a chief suspect in a bizarre
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scenario of murder and arson 1955 was a
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summer of romance for Maria Bauer and
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Michael Sabol
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while working at a resort near Chicago
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they felt passionately in love but when
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Maria returned to her native Germany she
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returned alone and pregnant nearly 40
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years later her son Christophe needs
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your help to find his birth father
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Michael Sata when Bank executive John
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Bruno arrived at work on November 19th
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1990 he became the target of a most
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bizarre kidnapping his abductor was
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overweight oddly dressed and clumsy but
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he wielded what appeared to be a
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homemade bomb demanded three million
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dollars in cash nearly three years this
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unlikely criminals managed to elude
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authorities perhaps someone watching
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tonight will be able to identify him
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join me for another intriguing edition
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unsolved mysteries
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[Music]
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[Applause]
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[Music]
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in 1990 the FBI was called in to
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investigate one of the most bizarre
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kidnappings they have ever encountered a
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perpetrator was an overweight
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middle-aged man who wore thick glasses
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and a floppy rain hat hardly the profile
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of a dangerous criminal yet that is
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exactly what he was made more dangerous
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by the fact that his scheme was flawed
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from the outset and bungled it nearly
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every step along the way
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Minneapolis Minnesota member 19th 1990
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at 8:10 a.m. John groom Hoffa a wealthy
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hard-nosed business executive was
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approaching his office
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[Music]
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Bruno fur was chairman and president of
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First Bank system appointed in 1989 with
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a directive to trim the fat he had saved
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the bank millions by eliminating more
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than 2,000 jobs Grund offer was a man
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used to scrutiny but as he arrived at
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work that morning he had no idea that
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his every move was being watched
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[Music]
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John you're gonna have to go with me
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what do you mean just get back in the
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car oh there must be some mistake I have
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no business with you I think
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this is Carl and you are going with me
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what do you want
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Bruno ever kept his crew in fact he was
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about to spring a surprise of his own
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[Music]
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the commotion soon drew the attention of
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a witness I heard shouting and I looked
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over and saw two men rolling on the
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ground it was at that point I thought
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there was a mugging going on so I
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started to run over there to help
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whoever was being mugged and I got about
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half way there when the gentlemen had
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both gotten up and started to act like
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they knew each other
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and so I'd slowed to a walk what's wrong
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is somebody sick you need some help
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look
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[Music]
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you better get out of here at first it
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seemed so unreal that I I almost laughed
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at the gentleman and then I realized I
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was real and I wasn't danger and at that
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point I was terrified that I was gonna
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be shot and I then ran to the elevator
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[Music]
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just back up and get us out of this
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garage the gunman ordered goon Hoffer
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into the car it was 8:13 a.m. just three
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minutes had passed since crude Hoffer
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drove into the parking garage
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[Music]
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now where you want me to drive just
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Hetty he's just head towards Wisconsin
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[Music]
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and give me your arm well buddy want one
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give me your left arm and shut up
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see to avoiding further difficulties I'm
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gonna attach this dynamite to you that
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way if you give me any other problems
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all I've got to do is push up the button
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I think his intention was to frighten
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mr. grunt offer sufficiently enough that
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he would be very compliant and do what
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he was told to do that virtually that
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same woman a passerby in the garage
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found what the FBI believes was a cheat
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sheet for the kidnap reminding him
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exactly what he was going to order Grund
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offer to do I believe that the kidnapper
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is not really a professional criminal it
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would seem to me that if you're going to
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commit that kind of a crime that you
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could basically do it off the top of
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your head if you will that around 8:45
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Bruns Hoffa and the gun we're crossing
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the state line into Wisconsin 35 miles
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from Minneapolis it was clear that the
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abductor had done his homework who takes
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charge when you're not around
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probably be some vice-president Scott
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Taylor take over
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in what Scott Taylor at 8:57 but
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kidnapper ordered drooled offered to
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pull into a secluded resident they were
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now 46 miles from Minneapolis when they
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arrived at the wayside the kidnapper
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handed mr. grunt offer a note mr. grunt
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offer then made a phone call to his
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secretary who transcribed the ransom
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demands
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I am a hostage of a group called parents
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against drugs the demand was for 3
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million dollars in various denominations
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one hundred five hundred and even one
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thousand dollar bills
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once again a kidnapper had tipped his
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hand about his own inexperience 1
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million and five hundred and 1 million
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fessional criminal would would never ask
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for a thousand dollars you don't exactly
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take a thousand-dollar bill and go to a
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convenience store buy a cup of coffee
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and ask for change there are too many
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people that that carry thousand dollar
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bills with him
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officials at First Bank system began
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preparing the 3 million dollar ransom at
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around that same time a gunman was
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discovering that he had made a crucial
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mistake he had lost his cheat sheet have
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you got the note
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what no the notes from the parking
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garage I don't know what you're talking
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about
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he used a note before written a few
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things down are you sure you didn't take
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it I haven't seen this note the gunman
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became more agitated shut up about it
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let's just go
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he forced Grund offer to hike down a
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steep slope in a remote wooded area
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[Music]
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got arrested the kidnapper was
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apparently so out of shape that he
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struggled to make the descent eventually
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the two men reached a spot for a plastic
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sack containing a sleeping bag had been
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left wait wait a minute
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right there
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the gunmen moved quickly he removed the
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bomb he bound Grund hoppers hands with a
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nylon rope
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forced him into the sleeping bag
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taped his mouth shut
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Gurudwara worked for 20 minutes to free
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himself when he realized that no one was
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watching he went for help
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at 10:25 Rudolph recalled his office
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from a nearby farm house the ransom was
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never paid the kidnapping made headlines
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throughout the Midwest ten days later
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the FBI set up a hotline and published
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this composite drawing the response was
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immediate
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a man named John Henderson who bore a
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striking resemblance to the composite
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was identified as the kidnapper by two
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different callers Anderson was a
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maintenance worker who live 25 miles
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outside of Minneapolis he had never
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worked at First Bank system and had no
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apparent connection to Grund offer I was
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stunned when they stared questions
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anything about a kidnapping case they
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wanted to search and I told him to go
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ahead
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I had nothing to hide and they searched
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my car and my garage and the house the
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FBI requested that Henderson participate
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in a lie even though they had found no
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physical evidence that connected him to
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a crime step forward and say the line
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again
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this is Carl and you are coming with me
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do you see the man who kidnapped you in
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the lineup
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it's number three I know worried about
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the lineup because I know I didn't do it
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and you know he identified me I know I
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didn't do it
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despite grunt offers positive
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identification
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Jeff Rasmus the eyewitness in the garage
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did not pick Henderson out of the lineup
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nevertheless the FBI continued to look
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for evidence a handwriting sample was
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taken it did not match the note however
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the FBI felt that Henderson's alibi was
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less than airtight later he became the
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target of a grand jury investigation but
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in the end no charges were find the so
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far the FBI hasn't found anything and
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they won't find anything because I
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didn't do it
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[Music]
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[Music]
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[Music]
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next the family is torn apart by
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accusations of arson and murder the
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story you're about to see involves a
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brutal double homicide which took place
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several years ago to this day the case
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remains unsolved and a family has been
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ripped apart by accusations of arson and
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murder time may never heal the wounds of
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this complex case but perhaps someone
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watching may have some small clue that
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could help bring the perpetrator or
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perpetrators to justice
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when Oak Creek California population
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1000 is situated in the heart of the
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state's timber country some 250 miles
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north of San Francisco hands and Betty
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Hanson moved to this quiet community in
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1971 three years after they were married
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hands operated logging supply business
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in a warehouse next to the couple's
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mobile home the Hanson family grew to
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include four children Donnie and Becky
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from Betty's prior marriage and twin
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girls Jill and Julie Gil Julie were good
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sensible kids they were a little shy to
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you got to know him if they had real
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good sense they would kind of be more
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friendly to underdog people then they
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were real popular girls in school so if
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a new person came to school or something
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it wasn't taken in so much by the other
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people they they would befriend him they
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seemed to view people from the inside it
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didn't matter what they look like or how
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much money they had or who they were
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they were kind to everyone her Betty
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enhance life was close to perfect until
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the night of November 14th 1986 at
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around 11:00 p.m. the 16 year old twins
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were in their room preparing for bed
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their half-brother Donny aged 21 was
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visiting from the town of Fortuna 70
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miles away he would sleep on a couch in
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the family room
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[Music]
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at around 3 a.m. Betty Hansen suddenly
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awoke get the kids
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cut
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Oh No
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[Music]
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- right
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today hands and Betty's memories are a
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blur of fragmented images but that night
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they was stripped by several things even
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the limits to the chaos didn't quite
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make sense I shot that fire extinguisher
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down the hall vapor right back up there
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was a strip in the middle that hallway
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burning I remember that going through my
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mind that that's realized that coming
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back in a strip like that and still no I
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got no response from anybody I was
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yelling all three of their names and
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then exited the house because I ran out
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the door I kicked the gas can out of the
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way not really thinking much of it till
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I got a few steps away thinking that gas
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can shouldn't bionaire it was empty
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because I felt how it was empty when I
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kicked it I went up the little hallway
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and the first person I saw was Donnie
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and he was standing at the end of the
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couch where I think he had slept that
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night but he didn't see me
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and he's screaming in a horrible voice
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he screaming get out of here
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real loud and running chasing and so
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right away I was afraid for him what was
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happening who he was chasing out
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Betty ran to the shop for a number of
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fire extinguishers were stored she was
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met first by Donna then by hands when I
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got to the shop I got a ladder and came
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into Jill's
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room and just shoved that ladder right
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through the window
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totally inflames totally engulfed in
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flame and I didn't get any response or
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see anybody hands Betty and Donnie
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continuously returned to the warehouse
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for fire extinguishers I remember asking
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Donnie as we were chasing back and forth
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for fire extinguished did you see
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anybody and he said no he didn't see
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anything fire trucks rode to the scene
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within 15 minutes but four hands and
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Betty assuming that Jill and Julie were
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still inside the trailer it was an
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eternity
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menace later the Hansel's are both
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shocked and relieved the neighbor
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noticed a crumpled figure in a vacant
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lot across the road
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it's Julie Hansen Julie was nearly dead
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bleeding profusely from a gaping wound
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in her stomach I heard somebody yell
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from across the street with you we found
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one of them or something like that then
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the next thing Donnie came running up on
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the deck and he said we found Julie
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Julie's out I got her out and I my first
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question in him was how bad is she burnt
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and he didn't give me an answer of
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course I didn't stand around hands
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claims that it was only after Julie was
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discovered that Donnie took credit for
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having pulled her from the fire but that
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apparent discrepancy was quickly
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overshadowed by concern for Julie when I
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saw Julie I thought there was no way she
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could live her stomach was just open
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blown open and so I ran back across the
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street and I just went from one fireman
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to the other room begging him to please
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go in and find Jill where's Jill
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and then I'd run back across the street
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and to see how Julie was doing and each
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time I went back across the street I was
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surprised she was still alive emergency
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personnel rushed Julie to the hospital
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believing her stomach injury had been
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caused by some kind of fire related
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explosion but in surgery doctors made an
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incredible discovery
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Julie's traumatic wound had absolutely
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nothing to do with the fire Julie Hansen
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had been shot in the abdomen virtually
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at point-blank range with a 12-gauge
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well I about fell off my chair then
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because that was the first I had known
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anything about any shooting at all and I
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still couldn't figure out why who who
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could have hated is this much to make an
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attack on our house like this the
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emerging facts seemed too shocking to be
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true unknown and unseen someone had
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apparently torched the Hanson home and
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gunned down Juli daylight brought still
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more unbearable news
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Jill's body was found in the ruins an
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autopsy would later confirm that Jill
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had also been wounded by shotgun fire
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unable to flee she had perished in the
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flames authorities recovered three
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shotgun shells in the second five gallon
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gas can from the ashes mounting evidence
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of arson and murder the Hansons
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warehouse is untouched by the fire and
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investigators examined every square inch
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for clues hey George
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shove behind some boxes they found a
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12-gauge shotgun ballistic tests were
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later proved it was the weapon used to
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shoot Jill and Julie Hanson
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the entire Hanson property was cordoned
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off and kept under round-the-clock
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surveillance two days after the fire in
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the early morning the officer on duty
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caught a prowler outside the warehouse
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[Music]
00:20:36
what are you doing that dad's name aunt
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Sansa you didn't see the hands and
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Betty's son Donny what's the light just
00:20:48
stand right there
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detective George Garrow was called to
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the scene Donnie told Gatto
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that he had come to feed the family dog
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looking in a window looking in the
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window what are you looking at son I
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just came out to feed my dog that was
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the truth Donnie no he knew the dog had
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been taken to our neighbors okay
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he knew the dog was not there and that's
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when the figure did read he was there he
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was there to get the shot again cuz he
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didn't know we had found it yet the case
00:21:24
had taken an incredible turn late
00:21:26
Donnie was about to become the prime
00:21:28
suspect in the murder of his own sister
00:21:31
investigators soon uncovered
00:21:33
circumstantial evidence that implicated
00:21:35
Donnie in the crime three days before
00:21:39
the fire Donnie had borrowed the shotgun
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from a friend
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Donnie admitted keeping it in his car
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unspent shells found in the car matched
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those used in the attack
00:21:49
Donnie had purchased the ammunition the
00:21:51
very evening Jill and Julie were shot
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this credit card statement verified the
00:21:59
two days before the fire Donnie had
00:22:02
purchased five gallons of gas at a local
00:22:04
station
00:22:05
witnesses confirmed that the container
00:22:08
Donnie filled was identical to one of
00:22:10
those found at the scene he said there
00:22:14
was only one person who might be able to
00:22:16
confirm the growing suspicions Julie
00:22:19
Henson approximately two weeks after the
00:22:22
fire she had recovered enough to tell
00:22:24
her Paris what had happened at first
00:22:29
Judy's memories were sketchy she
00:22:31
recalled being shot but not seeing
00:22:33
anyone she said she crawled over her
00:22:38
sister which source sister was still
00:22:39
asleep in the bed beside her and stepped
00:22:42
out of her bedroom door and bang the
00:22:45
that she saw the flash and she thought a
00:22:48
bomb went off and she said she reached
00:22:50
down and felt her belly it was like a
00:22:52
bowl of jell-o as hands and betty asked
00:22:57
more questions Judy had a chilling
00:22:59
recollection so what did she see
00:23:01
anything else did you see anybody see
00:23:03
anybody Donnie's face in the flesh sorry
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brother Donnie's face
00:23:12
however Judy statement contradicted what
00:23:14
she told her doctor I never found out
00:23:19
why she said that she's still dying in
00:23:21
the flash he definitely did not tell me
00:23:23
that she told me she saw nobody
00:23:26
specifically when I questioned her about
00:23:29
that situation I said who who did you
00:23:32
see or did you see anything she said I
00:23:34
saw nobody I never mentioned seeing
00:23:37
Donnie on December 2nd two weeks after
00:23:42
the fire Darley Hansen was met by his
00:23:44
mother and sister at the County
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Courthouse he had come in voluntarily
00:23:48
for further questioning one of the
00:23:53
shells the shells riad trapshooting and
00:23:56
I picked some more as his stool was on
00:23:58
the way home don't you think it's kind
00:24:00
of funny that you bought the shells
00:24:01
right before the murder
00:24:06
what about the gun
00:24:10
why did you try to hide the gun look I
00:24:16
just got scared you know I panicked it
00:24:18
try to hide the gun in the warehouse
00:24:21
because I figured it we found the gun in
00:24:22
my car that you're just gonna assume
00:24:23
that I did it
00:24:24
I don't have a right to assume that I'm
00:24:30
having trouble believing this whole
00:24:31
story he kept saying he was innocent he
00:24:36
failed the polygraph twice and when I
00:24:39
interviewed him completely new Johnny
00:24:41
could be nine everything why don't you
00:24:43
believe I could ever tell there's a
00:24:45
different story with us
00:24:46
[Music]
00:24:48
the interrogation lasted two hours when
00:24:51
Donny emerged he was in handcuffs facing
00:24:54
trial on charges of arson and murder
00:24:57
he's under arrest
00:25:01
George we are trying to co-op that was a
00:25:04
pretty low point in my life to see my
00:25:07
son arrested for the murder of my
00:25:08
daughter it was just unbelievable and I
00:25:12
kept thinking when am I gonna wake up
00:25:14
what's this going to end
00:25:17
it was just I can't describe it there's
00:25:21
just no words the nightmare was far from
00:25:25
over
00:25:26
on December 19th Julie suddenly died in
00:25:29
a freak medical accident an air bubble
00:25:32
had entered her bloodstream through an
00:25:33
intravenous tube and stopped her heart
00:25:39
Julie's death was another devastating
00:25:41
blow to her grieving parents it was also
00:25:44
a crippling setback to the prosecutors
00:25:46
Julie's eyewitness statements would now
00:25:49
be inadmissible as evidence so she could
00:25:51
not be cross-examined by defense
00:25:52
attorneys when we return
00:25:55
Donnie Hanson tells his story in April
00:26:04
of 1988
00:26:05
Donnie Hanson went on trial for the
00:26:07
murder of his half-sisters Jill and
00:26:09
Julie the district attorney was
00:26:12
confident enough to ask for the death
00:26:14
penalty the defendant Donald Hanson
00:26:20
brought the gun that was the murder
00:26:22
weapon to the scene he brought the
00:26:24
shotgun shells that killed those two
00:26:27
girls he hid the murder weapon he lied
00:26:31
about all of those things that was
00:26:33
strong evidence however the defense
00:26:36
introduced eyewitness testimony from the
00:26:38
Hansons neighbors across the street they
00:26:42
claimed to have seen two unidentified
00:26:43
men near the trailer while it was on
00:26:46
fire their sighting became the
00:26:49
cornerstone of a defense theory designed
00:26:51
to show that Donnie Hanson was innocent
00:26:55
there were a tremendous number of
00:26:57
unanswered facts and occurrences that
00:27:01
that happened that night that the
00:27:03
prosecution couldn't explain and which
00:27:06
were not consistent with Donnie having
00:27:08
been involved I was able to come up with
00:27:12
at least a suggested scenario that tied
00:27:15
all of the unanswered or the majority of
00:27:17
the unanswered factual questions
00:27:21
together the defense contented that
00:27:26
around 3:00 a.m. two intruders identity
00:27:29
and motive unknown approached the
00:27:31
henson's trailer the person had found
00:27:36
Donnie's shotgun outside and for
00:27:38
whatever reason decided to bring it
00:27:40
inside with some shells picked bilac
00:27:42
came through the sliding glass door
00:27:45
[Music]
00:27:49
they just spread the gasoline around the
00:27:52
living room area at the front of the
00:27:53
trailer the the kitchen he certainly
00:27:57
didn't seem to care that people were
00:27:59
asleep in the trailer they went
00:28:00
throughout the trailer and spread the
00:28:02
gasoline
00:28:03
[Music]
00:28:14
at some point during the activities of
00:28:18
the perpetrator Julie was awakened she
00:28:22
comes down the hallway and walks in on
00:28:26
the perpetrator who then at that
00:28:29
particular point apparently was to the
00:28:32
left of Donnie as he was lying on the
00:28:34
couch and somewhat behind him and he
00:28:39
shoots her as she's coming out of the
00:28:41
hallway and she goes down that's what
00:28:44
wakes Donnie up Donnie picks Julie up
00:28:48
takes her out onto the front porch
00:28:51
posits are there some unnamed unknown
00:29:01
masked intruders are in your house
00:29:05
killing people and burning the place
00:29:07
down and you're standing right next to
00:29:09
them that they'd shoot you too wouldn't
00:29:11
you
00:29:12
they didn't according to the defense
00:29:17
theory at least one of the assailants
00:29:19
was still in the trailer after hands
00:29:21
betty and Donnie escaped it was only
00:29:23
then that Jill was shot
00:29:27
and the perpetrator then exited the
00:29:29
trailer that person was put the gun back
00:29:33
in the the car threw it back in the car
00:29:35
as he was going on and by and those
00:29:38
persons ran to their car
00:29:43
jumped in and off it went you're gonna
00:29:47
commit a murder don't you bring the
00:29:49
instruments to do that job don't you
00:29:51
bring the gun if you're gonna burn down
00:29:53
the house don't you bring the gas how
00:29:55
convenient for them that both of these
00:29:58
items just happen to be provided by
00:30:00
Donald Hanson makes no sense however the
00:30:05
jury believed it did make sense and they
00:30:07
found Donnie Hanson not guilty when I
00:30:12
first heard the verdict my initial
00:30:15
reaction it was I was really happy to
00:30:17
think that he didn't do it but when I
00:30:20
thought back to everything I knew that
00:30:23
Donnie's involved that Donnie knew what
00:30:26
happened and and he knew what went on
00:30:28
that night and he has all the answers
00:30:32
this has been a real tragedy yes because
00:30:35
we have lost three of our four children
00:30:37
out of this two of them are dead and
00:30:42
Donnie's dead to me because I do feel he
00:30:45
was a hundred percent responsible for
00:30:47
this whether he pulled it off 100%
00:30:49
himself or not if I know who had would
00:30:53
have Dennis I would not have put my life
00:30:55
on the line through a jury trial through
00:30:57
a death penalty case that covered him up
00:30:59
for someone that killed my sisters that
00:31:01
I loved you know a statement like that
00:31:04
is absolutely ludicrous because of the
00:31:07
notoriety surrounding the trial Donnie
00:31:09
has changed his name he asked that we
00:31:11
alter his voice and obscure his face
00:31:13
during this exclusive interview no I
00:31:17
realized nothing has been done or has
00:31:20
been done since my acquittal to take
00:31:23
steps to solve this case I think the
00:31:25
only way this case will ever be solved
00:31:27
as if someone's conscience gets to him
00:31:31
Donnie's account is still the subject of
00:31:34
debate although his attorney claimed
00:31:36
Donnie was awakened by the shotgun blast
00:31:38
donnie now says he never heard the shot
00:31:42
told it was a vet rather than at night
00:31:44
heard he blasts so III don't know how I
00:31:48
didn't hear it I don't know how any of
00:31:50
us didn't hear it as a group but we're
00:31:54
all fairly consistent none of us heard
00:31:55
anything
00:31:58
another nagging question is why Donnie
00:32:01
removed the shotgun from his car before
00:32:03
anyone knew that his shotgun had been
00:32:05
involved or even that a crime had been
00:32:07
committed I don't really know why I
00:32:14
moved it other than I you know I didn't
00:32:17
want began to know someone steal it
00:32:21
someone find a gun and blame think you
00:32:23
know I did this
00:32:24
you know if it was used in the
00:32:25
commission of this car at that time I
00:32:27
didn't know if it had been or not
00:32:31
a third incident was also difficult to
00:32:34
reconcile Donny's 5:00 a.m. visit to the
00:32:37
warehouse and the explanation he gave
00:32:39
police it was one of those things the
00:32:42
old you know store with one lie leads
00:32:44
into another and they just start rolling
00:32:46
in and I supplies to maybe check on my
00:32:48
god which I wasn't really checking on
00:32:50
the dog and I was going back there to
00:32:53
get your gun and that's the story that I
00:32:54
told them I think that I acted out of
00:32:57
ignorance not stupidity in this without
00:32:59
me trust in me I now has it you pay
00:33:02
accusations that I know what went on
00:33:04
that matter absolutely ludicrous because
00:33:06
I had absolutely everything to lose and
00:33:09
nothing to gain you know and the fact
00:33:13
that to let someone get away with what
00:33:16
they did to children she wait tears me
00:33:19
up
00:33:19
it's just makes my life I guess you
00:33:23
could say the whole truth about this
00:33:28
hideous crime may never be known
00:33:29
a jury has acquitted Donnie Hanson but
00:33:33
his mother and stepfather
00:33:35
I believe that insurance policy was part
00:33:39
of the motive the insurance was on me if
00:33:40
the dawnie came home that night to wipe
00:33:43
our family out he brought a gun with him
00:33:46
he had the gasoline that he'd bought two
00:33:48
nights previous and I believe that
00:33:51
motive was money whether he was by
00:33:53
himself or not I don't know you go on
00:33:57
but life is never the same and you can
00:34:01
build a new house or buy a new car but
00:34:02
you can't you can't bring back the girls
00:34:07
and all we have left is memories and
00:34:14
it's it's really rough
00:34:20
Jill and Julie Hanson were 15 years old
00:34:23
when these home movies were taken the
00:34:25
parents have never gotten over the
00:34:27
brutal crime that tore their family
00:34:29
apart
00:34:30
[Music]
00:34:42
when we return we'll aging love-letters
00:34:45
lead to a long-lost father perhaps with
00:34:49
your help
00:34:49
[Music]
00:35:01
it was a summer of 1955 Maria Hoffman a
00:35:05
20 year old exchange student from
00:35:07
Germany found work at the hotel Marais
00:35:09
an elegant lakeside resort 26 miles from
00:35:12
a Chicago Maria just finished a year of
00:35:15
study in the United States I needed
00:35:18
money for the passage home I'm sorry to
00:35:27
you
00:35:28
hey wait a minute we both saying the
00:35:31
same thing yes yes he surprised me so
00:35:35
much I forgot my English I'm sorry I
00:35:38
didn't mean to
00:35:38
the young man introduced himself as
00:35:40
Michael same Oh like Maria he was in his
00:35:44
early twenties here let me help you
00:35:49
haven't seen you here before
00:35:51
are you new the chance encounter quickly
00:35:54
blossomed into my summer romance but it
00:35:56
was a relationship Maria would keep
00:35:58
secret for nearly 30 years welcome until
00:36:01
the spring 1983 in the ensuing years
00:36:09
Maria had returned to Germany Mary
00:36:11
become a mother and a grandmother her
00:36:15
oldest son Christa was a lieutenant in
00:36:17
the German air force during a weekend
00:36:20
visit with Maria made a stunning
00:36:22
confession
00:36:23
okay so there's something I want to talk
00:36:25
to you about or listen this is very
00:36:28
difficult
00:36:29
Chris your father is not your real
00:36:32
father but as a man who raised you is
00:36:36
not your real father are you serious
00:36:40
your real father is a man I met four
00:36:43
novels in the United States
00:36:45
why haven't you told me this sooner when
00:36:48
my mother first told me this I felt a
00:36:50
little bit anger about her not telling
00:36:53
me before I'm your son I have a right to
00:36:55
know I made a decision right there
00:36:57
that I need to find him that I need to
00:37:01
find out what kind of man he is that I
00:37:04
want to see him and make my own decision
00:37:07
whether I like him or not and what I
00:37:09
want to stay in contact with him or not
00:37:12
how did it happen it was the year after
00:37:15
I was in school in America over the next
00:37:19
hour
00:37:19
Kristof learned more about his
00:37:21
biological father
00:37:22
and the long secret romance
00:37:27
for Maria and Michael the attraction had
00:37:29
been instant an all-consuming together
00:37:32
they spent an enchanted summer
00:37:34
[Music]
00:37:36
a mother told me that he was from Canada
00:37:39
that it was a very gentle man and that
00:37:42
she fell in love with this man and she
00:37:45
had an affair with him
00:37:48
[Music]
00:37:53
but the carefree love affair was
00:37:55
eventually clouded by a very real
00:37:57
concern
00:37:58
Maria Hoffman was pregnant she was very
00:38:03
worried about the future because she was
00:38:06
in a foreign country was basically no
00:38:11
fixed income and her friend the man she
00:38:15
was in love was obviously didn't have a
00:38:18
very high income job either so they
00:38:22
would have had to struggle a lot I also
00:38:27
know that they were in love and that she
00:38:29
wanted to be with him in October of 1955
00:38:39
Maria made agonizing decision she would
00:38:43
return to Germany to have her baby
00:38:44
without Michael Savior
00:38:49
they separated not in anger they
00:38:53
separated in a good phase I'm planning
00:38:55
on getting together again they wrong
00:38:57
[Music]
00:38:59
and I went to say Maria
00:39:03
- I
00:39:05
it's also confusing
00:39:08
I know that I'll miss you it wasn't an
00:39:14
easy way for her but it was the best way
00:39:17
because she could go to the security of
00:39:21
her family and had all the support that
00:39:23
she needed
00:39:24
[Music]
00:39:29
Maria would never again see Michael same
00:39:32
or Christophe was born in Germany on May
00:39:35
22nd 1956 the following year Maria
00:39:39
married a college professor a man
00:39:42
Christoph had come to know as his father
00:39:46
Christa sit down there is something I
00:39:52
have for you I have been saving all
00:39:55
these years these are letters from your
00:39:59
father perhaps it will help you to
00:40:05
understand or at least to have more
00:40:08
information in all there were four
00:40:12
letters alas written in 1958 included
00:40:16
were two snapshots of Michael's same or
00:40:18
Christophe bomber at the age of 27
00:40:21
suddenly found himself staring into the
00:40:23
face of his birth father
00:40:26
[Music]
00:40:29
Christophe immediately followed up the
00:40:31
few clues he had he wrote to the four
00:40:33
different return addresses on the
00:40:35
envelopes
00:40:36
he got no response government agencies
00:40:41
both in Canada and the United States had
00:40:43
no records of say more
00:40:44
and the hotel more rain or Christoph's
00:40:47
mother and say more had met at long ago
00:40:50
burned to the ground
00:40:53
but there was one ray of hope a cousin
00:40:56
of Maria's who lived in Chicago said
00:40:58
that Michaels same or had periodically
00:41:00
phoned her after Maria returned to
00:41:02
Germany have you heard from Maria do you
00:41:05
know how she's been doing to Christoph's
00:41:07
amazement Michael say mores occasional
00:41:10
calls had continued for nearly 20 years
00:41:13
and when I learned that he had checked
00:41:17
on me and that he still was interested
00:41:21
in me I felt supported in my decision to
00:41:24
find him 1976 this relative moved and
00:41:31
that was the end of the contact these
00:41:37
are letters one year after her dramatic
00:41:40
confession maria bauer died she was 49
00:41:44
years old the aging letter she left to
00:41:47
krista paint a bittersweet picture of
00:41:49
youthful love
00:41:50
[Music]
00:41:53
I feel any child of yours would be
00:41:55
somebody worthwhile I'm happy to be
00:41:58
joined to you through it one way or
00:41:59
another even if by now or in time to
00:42:02
come that is all we have between us I
00:42:06
also want some kind of closer
00:42:08
relationship with our son Christopher I
00:42:10
think he is the cutest thing I've ever
00:42:12
seen
00:42:13
I received your last letter with the two
00:42:15
pictures of him on the bicycle and with
00:42:17
yourself I really treasure them
00:42:20
[Music]
00:42:25
today Christophe Bower is a captain in
00:42:28
the German air force since 1991 he has
00:42:31
lived with his family in the United
00:42:32
States or his training helicopter POTUS
00:42:35
for the US Army Christoph and his family
00:42:38
will be returning to Germany next year
00:42:40
perhaps Michels say more can be found
00:42:42
before they leave so he could meet his
00:42:45
son and three grandchildren for the
00:42:47
first time recently Christoph was
00:42:51
surprised to learn that the name
00:42:53
Michaels say more is an alias say mores
00:42:56
real name is Walter Joseph Anthony
00:42:58
seaman he was born October 4th 1930 in
00:43:03
Pembroke Ontario Canada and lived in
00:43:05
Evanston Illinois until at least 1970
00:43:19
on our next unsolved mysteries the
00:43:22
harrowing tale of three young men who
00:43:24
escaped from an Oklahoma Jail and took
00:43:26
to the road armed with a truckload of
00:43:27
weapons after a wild 150 mile chase
00:43:31
state troopers cornered the fugitives
00:43:33
but one of them managed to slip away the
00:43:37
Mona Lisa
00:43:38
one of Leonardo da Vinci's greatest
00:43:40
works the identity of the model is a
00:43:43
mystery that has intrigued and baffled
00:43:45
historians for 500 years now an
00:43:48
unorthodox new theory is sparked a
00:43:50
heated debate could the model have been
00:43:52
Leonardo himself join me next time for
00:43:57
another edition unsolved the streets
00:44:00
[Music]
00:44:26
[Applause]
00:44:30
[Music]
00:44:38
you
00:44:38
[Music]
