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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 were about to see is not a news
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broadcast 11 a.m. May 11th 1987 the
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police were called to a deserted service
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station near Pontiac Michigan they
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forced the office door open and
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discovered an empty safe
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two people were missing Elmer de Bourgh
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the service station courier who was
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carrying $10,000 and Missy Mundy the
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assistant manager who was just 16 years
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old
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[Music]
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the car
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the following day the police found the
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body of 38 year old elemér de Bourgh
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he had been handcuffed and shot twice in
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the back of the head the police called
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it a cold-blooded execution and wondered
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what connection this pretty teenaged
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girl could have had with a brutal
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slaying what happened to Missy Mundy is
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a bizarre story of love and violence in
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rural America no one has heard from
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Missy since last May the day of the
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killing the police and her parents need
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to talk to her perhaps someone in our
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audience tonight has seen the scene
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perhaps Missy herself is watching the
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next star will tell you her story and
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three other unsolved mysteries all
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needing one last piece of information
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before they can be solved joining you
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may be able to help to solve a mystery
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[Music]
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Almodovar was killed on May 11th 1987
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his body left in the woods outside
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Pontiac Michigan the mystery of who
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killed Elmer and why the story of the
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fatal attraction between an innocent
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fifteen-year-old schoolgirl and a
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criminal would serve time for assault
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and rape according to the police
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their ill-fated love affair eventually
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ended in robbery kidnapping murder the
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mystery of Melissa Mundy begins in 1985
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in the small Maryland town of Hancock
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Melissa was known as Missy to her
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friends and attended the local high
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school she was an honor student and a
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member of the future homemakers of
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America
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Missy's academic records show that she
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was in probably the top 10% of her class
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she enjoyed what she was doing she got
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along well and if I could have gauged it
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I was gaged it everything was
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satisfactory because that's the way she
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seemed to be heard scolding Missy was
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very shy person she I go to her
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basketball games require practice or
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maybe COBOL games but we always heard
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where she was that when she got done she
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calls we go pick her up and bring her
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back home in 1985 a stranger arrived in
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the area his name was Jerry Strickland
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and he said he was looking for a
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property to convert into an orphanage
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he called on Missy's family asking about
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the ownership of a nearby house
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all right how are you today when I first
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met Jerry I thought well you know he's
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just smooth talker Memphis these actions
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the way he talked he was so demanding I
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didn't care for his attitude Missy was
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intrigued by Jerry this first glimpse
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was the beginning of a relationship that
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was to change her life forever she
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really liked him a lot every time I came
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out he brought her a gift and he gave
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her a lot of attention that she didn't
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get at home she went out with him in the
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evening after her mom go home and she
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said that she got home late but her mom
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didn't know who she's with and she lied
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to her she was with a friend Missy
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sneaked out of her house regularly to
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see Jerry he told her he had a tragic
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past and said his first wife and child
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had died in a terrible car accident
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Missy was swept off her feet by Jerry
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she had boy crushes at school you know
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like childhood sweetheart stuff like
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that but as far as going I was Bush
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never thinking about it she never paid
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that much of an interest in them that's
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why I don't understand about this and
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Jerry I got something
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oh it's beautiful like she bought a ring
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she said for a souvenir I come find out
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later Jerry had gave her the ring and I
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took write a word because Missy never
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didn't lie to me that's why I never
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dreamt what's gonna happen next
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on the morning of April 17 1986 Missy
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left home to catch the school bus as
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usual I'll never forget that day it's
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not a Thursday she said I'm going to
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school now I'll see the city nice
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alright that was it
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as les where she spoke
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in fact she got in Jerry's car and left
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the state I didn't believe it
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Missy when that kind of a person cuz i
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know'd miss I raised her it was just a
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big change and that one day when she
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just left
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even as Missy was driving away from her
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home in her family she still didn't know
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the truth about Jerry Strickland his
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first wife and child had not been killed
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in a car wreck they are still alive he
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had been passing bad checks around
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Hancock and he had a prison record he
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had been convicted of malicious assault
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he had raped his sister-in-law cut her
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throat and left her for dead this
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unlikely couple settled in Springfield
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Michigan just outside Detroit
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even though Missy gave birth to a son
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Jamie she never told her family where
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she was living she told me that she was
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very unhappy at home and that she didn't
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care about anybody at home but her older
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brother and her grandfather and that
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that's why she was with Jerry was cuz he
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took her away from her I've never seen
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him kiss never held hands I never seen
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him touch at all I thought that was a
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little strange I remember asking her
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about it once and she said that he was a
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very affectionate
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to help make ends meet Missy took a job
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as assistant manager at a gas station
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there she met Elmer de Bourgh a courier
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for the oil company he picked up the
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cash receipts from the local gas
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stations Missy and Elmer became close
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friends he understood that she was going
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through a really rough time you know
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being married to this guy and they
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didn't have anything for the baby and
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stuff like that he was very
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understanding man very loving on the
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morning of May 11th 1987 elemér de
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Bourgh came by as usual to pick up the
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cash from the station where Missy worked
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he was near the end of his route one
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hour later customers found the station
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deserted when the police arrived they
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found Elmer's car in the parking lot the
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office was locked
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we checked the interior of the station
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and found that there was nobody inside
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but the safe had been opened and there
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was an excess of $10,000 of stolen
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Melissa knew Elmer's routine because of
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her position his assistant manager to
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that particular station she knew when he
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was going to pick up and where
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the police have developed a theory of
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what happened that morning they believe
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that Jerry planned the crime and was
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waiting with Melissa for Elma when Elmer
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opened decision Jerry made his move now
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the police think that Jerry handcuffed
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Missy and Elmer together to convince
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Elmer that Missy was also a holdup
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victim and that her life was in danger
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we feel that Elmer was handcuffed to
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Missy
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on the pretext that she was going to be
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hurt and Elmer went along with it
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reluctantly but to protect Melissa
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you're just gonna wager alright then he
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unlocked the handcuffs to show Elmer
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that he wasn't really going to hurt
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Melissa but he just wanted the money and
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then he shot him twice in the back of
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the head at first I couldn't believe
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that it could have happened that way but
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then I find out the rest of the story
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and how had it happened and it was
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unbelievable it was something that you'd
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never expected of Melissa well what do
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you think I figure home the morning
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after the murder Jerry and Missy were
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seen in Pontiac buying a blue pickup
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truck with cash in small bills while
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Jerry went to get insurance
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Missy set with a truck salesman and
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chatted for over two hours now you got
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this two and a half hours that she was
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alone she could have told the salesman
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of lucky auto sales she could have
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picked the phone up and called the
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police herself to say let me out of this
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I'm in trouble I need help she's guilty
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she just as guilty as he is
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she had the opportunity and she didn't
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do it
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it's unbelievable I made that sweet
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could do something like that it wasn't
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just me that thought she was sweet
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everybody did I just don't think from
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what I saw of her that she could have
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been involved in that again I'm I guess
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we changed but to what I remember of
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this girl I just don't think she could
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be bored of it she's as guilty as Jerry
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Strickland is even though she did not
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pull the trigger she is guilty of
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first-degree murder
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they are obviously aren't the people
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that they made everybody believe they're
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liars
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they're phonies
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there wasn't any reason for him to die
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and they could do that to somebody like
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that who knows what they've done and
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what they could do now we're fearful
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that somebody may get hurt again they're
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dangerous people and anybody that comes
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in contacting them better understand the
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fact that they can be very very
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dangerous I never noticed a change in
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her
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I didn't notice his split and her
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personality unless I didn't want to but
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as he's gone I don't know if I was
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hearing it or not
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when she left we found his letter and in
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that letter is stated not let nobody put
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her down she wasn't no [ __ ] she loved
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us all take care of us and son missing
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Missy is five feet six inches tall 135
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pounds and is now 17 years old she's
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traveling with her one-year-old baby
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Jamie Jerry Strickland is 26 years old 5
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feet 11 250 pounds and has a scar on his
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forehead I want them both real bad they
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are dangerous people to any community
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that they're in they will do this again
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update Moses Lake Washington within
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minutes of our broadcast 20 viewers in
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this small rural community call the
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police to say they recognized Jerry
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Strickland and Missy Mundy seven hours
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later the police arrested the fugitive
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couple at a friend's house they
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discovered that Jerry and Missy had
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themselves watched the broadcast and
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we're waiting for the police all he says
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I'm the guy you're looking for and he
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was just real calm and collect no
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violence at all
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actually the times about 7 hours and 15
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minutes from the time me
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I'm solve mysteries aired on February
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12th Jerry and Missy were extradited
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back to Michigan to stand trial for
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armed robbery kidnapping and murder
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Jerry insists they are innocent they got
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circumstantial evidence all hearsay it's
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people talking but no witnesses I mean
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okay that's why you know I say they're
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gonna learn that we didn't do this we
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have enough evidence circumstantial
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evidence and physical evidence that we
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feel he's guilty all they want is a
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conviction and they don't care if they
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burn me or not thanks to our viewers
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Jerry strictly Missy Monday will have
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their day in court they're being tried
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separately and if convicted could face
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life imprisonment without the
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possibility of parole
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[Music]
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in a moment the story of a man who is
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serving a life sentence for robbing a
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gas station five eyewitnesses claimed
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his innocence
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[Music]
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July 14th 1979 the Dallas suburb of
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Garland Texas at 7:00 p.m. a man entered
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a gas station office and drew a gun on
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Doyle the attendant who was closing up
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for the day
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when he first come in the door and he
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was shaking the gun at me telling me
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he'd kill me I'd a me kill me then I
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realized it was all for real
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the incident took 10 minutes but Doyle's
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key eyewitness testimony would
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eventually put a man in prison for life
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I don't think that you ever really get
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over something like that that happens to
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you and if you had a 45 stuck in your
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face and somebody was telling you baby
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was going to kill you it's something
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that stick with you the rest your life
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and you never forget the person that
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does it
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Doyle identified his attacker as Michael
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Scott Martin a 26 year old welder five
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other witnesses however swore that
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Michael Scott Martin could not have
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robbed the gas station they claimed he
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spent the whole day at his home 70 miles
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away I mean this is ridiculous I'm at my
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house in Fort Worth working on a
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motorcycle they're saying I'm robbing a
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gas station in Garland and I've never
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robbed anything in my life and I never
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will Michael Martin Denis Waitley
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Michael Martin was arrested tried and
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convicted of armed robbery because of a
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previous arrest he was sentenced to life
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imprisonment with no possibility of
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parole until 1999
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Martin has already served eight years
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and still maintains he's innocent
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tonight he makes a final appeal I'm back
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to the point of giving up I am innocent
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I've gone all the way to the Supreme
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Court fighting this and I just keep
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hoping and praying there's there's a way
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and I'll find it
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and one day I'll prove that I didn't Rob
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their gas station the case against
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Michael Martin was based entirely on
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eyewitness identification that placed
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him at the scene of the crime there was
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never any physical evidence connecting
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Martin to the robbery no fingerprints
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were found the money was never recovered
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and the gun still hasn't been located
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Martin insists that he has been wrongly
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imprisoned
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Michael Martin had a clean record until
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he was 26 years old
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in 1979 seven months before the gas
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station robbery he was arrested after an
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altercation in a supermarket Michael and
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a friend had been drinking were seen
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eating Polish sausage and potato chips
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from a supermarket shelves and the
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manager threatened to call the police
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Michael panicked the incident escalated
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into violence stay right here I'm gonna
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contact police
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we're not staying anywhere I tell you
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what here's your lousy money all right
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we paid for everything no I don't think
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so I won't you wait right here please
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you want some of this you want some come
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on man
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I don't really know why I pulled a knife
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I guess it was just a desire to get out
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of the door I got here got him drunk I'm
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feeling a little crazy
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I'd been hassling with this manager I
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was part of it
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I fired well over their heads I wasn't
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meaning to hurt anybody
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it was just an adolescent stunt that I
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never should you know I was 26 years old
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then I shouldn't have been out shooting
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up to town like that it just didn't make
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any sense
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I wouldn't call placing knives or
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shooting at people to prank it's pretty
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serious offense
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you don't expect somebody to get out
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rage ously angry when they're asked to
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pay for something that they were eating
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inside a store I don't think that should
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led to the kind of reaction on Michaels
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part that he obviously had there was
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testimony that he was intoxicated at the
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time but still an intoxicated person who
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would go to that lengths to avoid paying
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for a Polish sausage you have to wonder
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about Martin pleaded guilty to assault
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with a deadly weapon he was fined and
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given four years probation
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at 7:00 p.m. on July 14 1979 just two
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weeks after Martin's probation began the
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gas station was robbed the gunmen stole
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over $400 and fled the scene of the
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crime in a car he'd stolen from Doyle
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the attendant and 15 minutes later the
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7:15 p.m. the policy had spotted the
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stolen car outside a nearby apartment
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hello or Martin had lived until only a
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month before
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at approximately 7:25 p.m. detective
00:22:01
Wheatley who investigated the
00:22:03
supermarket incident claimed he saw
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Michael Scott Martin as blue Camaro
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three blocks from the gas station
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if he came through the intersection he
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looked at me and I looked at him and
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knew him from the previous office and I
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said to myself that's Michael Scott
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Martin
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he came posting up to me after that
00:22:25
photo reached over the top of my
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motorcycle and slapped him though I wish
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all you stack of photographs here but
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lucky to do is look to see if you see
00:22:35
anything that you reckon is okay
00:22:37
Wheatley asked to be assigned to the
00:22:39
robbery case the following day he showed
00:22:42
the victim Doyle a series of mug shots
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he's the type of witness that you wish
00:22:48
you had or ever a case that you worked
00:22:50
his intensity his quick reaction to
00:22:54
picking Michael Scott Martin made him is
00:22:57
a good witness I think that's the man
00:23:02
are you sure there's me sure Michael
00:23:11
Martin was arrested charged with
00:23:13
aggravated armed robbery and held
00:23:15
without bail it's a depressing
00:23:18
experience but I felt like I would prove
00:23:22
my innocence I mean I didn't rob this
00:23:24
gas station I knew I didn't rob this gas
00:23:26
station I thought I had sufficient proof
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and just having people that knew where I
00:23:33
was that Martin Clint II was at Lake
00:23:38
Worth 70 miles away from Garland
00:23:41
at the time of the robbery five separate
00:23:44
witnesses three of whom hardly knew
00:23:46
Martin substantiate his claim their
00:23:49
testimony was the crux of Martin's
00:23:51
defense the day that they say the
00:23:54
robbery happened I worked on my car and
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he worked on his motorcycle and other
00:23:59
than about two hours that afternoon
00:24:01
between I don't know I think was around
00:24:03
2:00 o'clock 2:00 to 4:00 o'clock when
00:24:05
he were in four parts he was here at all
00:24:07
times from timing got up in the morning
00:24:09
at the time he went to bed at night he
00:24:11
was here he was there with me and with
00:24:15
George at the time he's accused of
00:24:16
robbing this gas station he just
00:24:19
couldn't have done it he didn't do it
00:24:21
when I left my house it was after 6:00
00:24:24
before 6:30 and I saw my accountant
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his house I don't remember what he's
00:24:31
doing it seems like he's working on his
00:24:32
motorcycle I don't know but he was here
00:24:35
and after finding out what the
00:24:37
circumstances were and what day it was I
00:24:39
was surprised to see that Mike was
00:24:41
arrested because I knew I had seen him
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so close to the time that the crime was
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supposed to be committed it takes well
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over an hour to drive from here to
00:24:51
Garland I saw him around 6 o'clock and
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there's no way he would have had time to
00:24:56
leave and and commit this crime by 7
00:24:58
o'clock it's 7 o'clock Saturday night I
00:25:02
remembered real well because there was a
00:25:04
television show that I wanted to catch
00:25:06
his Battlestar Gallactica so I made sure
00:25:09
that at 7 o'clock I was there in front
00:25:11
of the television and Mike came in and
00:25:15
watched the show with me how could he
00:25:18
have been at my house at 7 p.m. if he
00:25:21
was in Garland at 7 p.m.
00:25:23
75 80 miles away Michel Martin's trial
00:25:29
hinged on the issue who the jury would
00:25:31
believe the to prosecution eyewitnesses
00:25:34
are the five defense eyewitnesses
00:25:41
the trial was held in the same courtroom
00:25:43
or two months previously Michael Martin
00:25:46
had received his probation the turning
00:25:50
point came when his supermarket
00:25:52
conviction was admitted into the court
00:25:53
record possibly prejudicing the jury
00:25:56
against Martin
00:25:59
I don't know if we could have gotten a
00:26:03
guilty conviction in the second offense
00:26:06
if the jury had not known about the
00:26:08
first offense I think that works great
00:26:13
psychological influence on the jury I
00:26:17
know that my witnesses were positive I
00:26:20
also know that the defense witnesses
00:26:23
were positive and it was one of those
00:26:25
cases back then when I simply had to put
00:26:29
on the case and let the jury make their
00:26:31
decision that's what our system is all
00:26:32
about
00:26:34
it took the jury only 15 minutes to find
00:26:38
Michael Martin guilty of armed robbery
00:26:42
they gave him the maximum set was
00:26:44
possible under the law I have to do 20
00:26:49
flat years which means I can't come up
00:26:52
for parole until 1999 because I
00:26:57
supposedly took $400 from this gas
00:27:00
station I don't think I got a fair trial
00:27:03
if a person is on probation for a felony
00:27:08
offense and went out and committed this
00:27:11
type of aggravated robbery no I don't
00:27:15
have any problem with him serving a life
00:27:16
sentence for that if he's guilty
00:27:21
if he's guilty those words have troubled
00:27:25
Brad Lawler for nine years could the
00:27:28
jury have put a man behind bars who was
00:27:30
innocent it always bothered me that we
00:27:35
were not able to come up with the
00:27:37
clincher there were no fingerprints
00:27:40
found at the scene or on the getaway car
00:27:42
no recovery of the stolen items there
00:27:48
was nothing that conclusively tied
00:27:50
Michael Martin to the commission of the
00:27:52
offense
00:27:53
besides the eyewitness testimony and
00:27:55
it's for that reason that I think I
00:27:57
always had a little doubt left in my
00:28:00
mind about this case I'm still sure and
00:28:04
I put the right man in jail no doubt in
00:28:07
my mind and there is no doubt in my mind
00:28:09
now why would five people four of whom
00:28:14
or three of whom barely knew him why
00:28:17
would they lie in the court of law to
00:28:20
protect him back at the time I leaned
00:28:27
toward thinking that Michael Martin was
00:28:29
guilty
00:28:31
and today in retrospect I simply don't
00:28:34
know I thought my 18 year old witness
00:28:40
was positive but also the witnesses who
00:28:46
testified from art Martin were positive
00:28:47
that they were with him at the time of
00:28:49
the offense 70 miles away so it's one of
00:28:52
those that I guess we'll never know the
00:28:53
true answer to
00:29:00
Michael still has 11 more years to serve
00:29:03
in prison the groundswell of doubt about
00:29:06
his guilt has had no effect I've never
00:29:11
stopped trying to prove my innocence
00:29:14
because I don't know what else I have
00:29:17
right now
00:29:20
it's prove my innocence or just sit here
00:29:24
for 11 more years
00:29:31
I can really appreciate what freedom is
00:29:37
before I came here it was a big abstract
00:29:40
you know it was always there and it's
00:29:43
taken away you really appreciate it
00:29:45
I want what I lost what I hate what I
00:29:50
feel I had taken from me
00:29:53
[Music]
00:30:05
next the san francisco teen who strayed
00:30:08
into a world of witchcraft magic and
00:30:10
mysticism his father please he was
00:30:13
murdered on saturday september 8 1984 a
00:30:33
teenage boy drove from his home in
00:30:36
Concord California across the Bay Bridge
00:30:38
into San Francisco it planned to spend
00:30:41
the night and return home Sunday evening
00:30:45
Monday September 10th three days later
00:30:48
on some rugged cliffs in a remote area
00:30:51
of San Francisco Bay
00:30:52
two men were bird-watching on the
00:30:55
isolated beach below they discovered the
00:30:58
brood half-naked body of 17 year old
00:31:01
Kurt McFaul his father suspects foul
00:31:04
play Kurt told this friend of his that
00:31:08
he was involved in some kind of satanic
00:31:11
cult and that he wanted out but thought
00:31:15
that they might try to kill him he
00:31:18
really feared for his life it was a
00:31:20
murder it needs to be investigated
00:31:23
there's no doubt in my mind that Kurt
00:31:27
could have handled himself on in that
00:31:28
Cliff area because he was an experienced
00:31:30
mountain climber and he was a diver so
00:31:33
he would not have drowned in the water
00:31:36
or fallen down the hill
00:31:37
Kurt McFaul dead at 17 - outward
00:31:42
appearances Kurt was a handsome and
00:31:44
popular high school student a confident
00:31:46
young man who made friends easily
00:31:49
Tomic fathers learned there was another
00:31:51
side of his teenage son the day after
00:31:55
Kurt disappeared Tom received an
00:31:57
anonymous telephone call telling him
00:31:59
that his son had wanted to escape from a
00:32:01
cult that he feared for his life Tom now
00:32:05
believes that Kurt strayed from a
00:32:07
suburban middle-class background into a
00:32:10
variant of witchcraft mysticism possibly
00:32:14
murder
00:32:17
[Music]
00:32:21
alarmed by the strange phone call tom
00:32:24
searched his son's bedroom
00:32:25
[Music]
00:32:28
after I had received a telephone call
00:32:30
they thought of a lot about this
00:32:33
individual as to what he knew about
00:32:35
Kurt's disappearance I wanted to gain
00:32:39
all the information I could as to what
00:32:42
happened in Kurt's room Tom discovered a
00:32:48
knife made from a deer's hoof a necklace
00:32:51
of stone and feathers drawings of
00:32:53
witchcraft and violent fantasies they
00:32:56
seemed to be further proof that Kurt was
00:32:58
leading a double life attended become
00:33:01
interested in the medieval fantasy game
00:33:03
Dungeons & Dragons it was the beginning
00:33:06
of a voyage into a subculture that would
00:33:08
dominate Kurt a year before he died Kurt
00:33:21
joined the Society for Creative
00:33:23
anachronism or FCA its members enjoy
00:33:27
reliving medieval customs and the actual
00:33:29
costumes of the period once a week they
00:33:32
practice jousting and sword fighting in
00:33:34
the parking lot of an Oakland subway
00:33:36
station Kurt was here about twice a week
00:33:41
through February and into March of 84
00:33:44
learned how to fight he was good quick
00:33:48
talented really going to be very good at
00:33:52
the game we were real pleased with him
00:33:53
and his death certainly had nothing to
00:33:56
do with any part of his participation in
00:33:58
the SCA that I knew anything about as
00:34:02
Kurt became increasingly interested in
00:34:04
medieval rituals he joined a separate
00:34:06
group who initiated him into pagan
00:34:08
religion one of Kurt's old high school
00:34:11
friends feared this new and contacted
00:34:13
Tom McFaul you become concerned for Kurt
00:34:17
and now fears for his own safety
00:34:19
gradually over a period of perhaps six
00:34:22
months his attitude towards other people
00:34:26
changed drastically he kind of moved
00:34:29
from just studying with an interest in
00:34:32
medieval religion to actually adopting
00:34:36
that religion
00:34:36
as his he lost a lot of his friends
00:34:40
through that process
00:34:55
Kurt studied pagan religion with Gabriel
00:34:58
Carrillo who uses the ancient Welsh name
00:35:00
Quranic this is a religion which is also
00:35:06
an art a craft which has techniques
00:35:11
which are at their essence magical I met
00:35:15
Kurt because he had evinced an interest
00:35:19
in magic Kurt was real bright and real
00:35:25
curious about just about everything his
00:35:28
involvement with this group can be
00:35:31
compared to a drug addiction where you
00:35:34
begin thinking that you've got it in
00:35:36
control and you can take it when you
00:35:38
want but gradually losing that sense of
00:35:42
knowing when to stop until you're a
00:35:45
junkie we regard evil I do not make any
00:35:50
attempt to control people's lives people
00:35:55
are free to come and go at their own
00:35:57
discretion just as Kurt did if anything
00:36:00
the emphasis that we have is on
00:36:04
individuals taking control of their own
00:36:06
lives Saturday September 10th Kurt had
00:36:12
planned to spend the night at karateka
00:36:14
partment they had dinner went to a movie
00:36:17
and around midnight Kurt went swimming
00:36:20
at Ocean Beach a few blocks from Kotik
00:36:22
soul
00:36:24
[Music]
00:36:26
later crit was restless and couldn't
00:36:28
sleep according to quranic kurt knocked
00:36:33
on his door about 3:00 in the morning
00:36:37
kurt was never seen again my best guess
00:36:42
is simply that he took one too many
00:36:45
chances he might have gone swimming in
00:36:47
the ocean and been pulled out by the
00:36:49
undertow he might have gone climbing on
00:36:51
the cliffs at Lands End and slipped and
00:36:54
fallen or any one of a number of other
00:36:57
things the following evening Kurt's car
00:37:01
was found abandoned on a golf course
00:37:03
overlooking the ocean there were a
00:37:06
number of puzzling clues Kurt's driver's
00:37:09
license was on the floor his car keys
00:37:12
were on the seat a $20 bill was in the
00:37:15
glove compartment the price suit of
00:37:18
armor which Kurt had made for his SCA
00:37:20
sword-fighting was missing from the
00:37:22
trunk
00:37:28
most curious of all the were beer
00:37:30
bottles scattered in and around the car
00:37:34
the car has to be a phony scene to me
00:37:37
that was set up because Kirk did not
00:37:40
drink beer that's also inconsistent with
00:37:43
the autopsy report that shows that there
00:37:45
was no signs of alcohol or drugs on the
00:37:48
body when it was recovered so that looks
00:37:53
very suspicious
00:38:02
[Music]
00:38:03
at 10:15 the following morning national
00:38:07
park service lifeguards recovered the
00:38:09
body of kurt McFaul it was lying in a
00:38:13
cove less than two miles from karateka
00:38:15
partment just below the cliffs at the
00:38:17
golf course where Kurt's car was found
00:38:21
we came upon the body you noticed it was
00:38:24
in fairly good condition fairly pale
00:38:27
usually a sign of being in the water for
00:38:29
an extended period of time
00:38:30
no obvious external trauma he looked
00:38:34
pretty clean other than a few small
00:38:36
abrasions on the body but nothing
00:38:38
obvious Kurt's body had no shoes socks
00:38:43
or shirt his back and shoulders were
00:38:46
scored with cuts and abrasions and
00:38:48
strangely the belt he wore was missing
00:38:51
its buckle with the facts that we have
00:38:54
in this case it's really anybody's guess
00:38:55
as to where he actually entered the
00:38:57
water where he came from my guess would
00:39:00
be and that's all it is is an educated
00:39:01
guess that he simply fell off the cliff
00:39:03
and that's what it appears to me
00:39:07
the coroner's report determined that
00:39:09
Kurt died from multiple traumatic
00:39:11
injuries and severe blood loss but no
00:39:14
one knows what caused those injuries
00:39:16
Kurt may have drowned but that would not
00:39:19
explain his cuts and abrasions or the
00:39:21
acute loss of blood
00:39:22
it appears that Kurt fell from the
00:39:24
treacherous cliffs but it is not known
00:39:27
if he fell accidentally or if he was
00:39:29
beaten and pushed I went to the san
00:39:33
francisco corner and i said what do you
00:39:36
think happened to Kurt and he said I
00:39:39
think the most probable cause of Kurt's
00:39:41
death is homicide but he said he didn't
00:39:46
have enough to testify to that in a
00:39:48
court of law
00:39:49
and so he sent it up to homicide
00:39:50
classified as unknown and I can't accept
00:39:56
that the San Francisco police declined
00:40:00
to be interviewed they investigated
00:40:02
Kurt's death but found no evidence to
00:40:04
classify it as a homicide the case
00:40:08
remains open but there are no suspects
00:40:10
although he has no proof Tom McFaul
00:40:13
still believes his son was murdered
00:40:17
Kurt may have uncovered something in the
00:40:20
organization and may have indicated to
00:40:23
people that he was going to expose this
00:40:25
and I feel that all of these things
00:40:29
probably contributed to them to wanted
00:40:31
to do away with Kurt my personal theory
00:40:34
is that Kurt stumbled on to some
00:40:36
information that he wasn't supposed to
00:40:38
know about these types of organizations
00:40:40
don't make threats they make actions if
00:40:45
I wanted to murder somebody the last
00:40:47
person I would murder was so so be it
00:40:49
would be somebody who was staying at my
00:40:50
house and his father knew that he was
00:40:52
staying at my house I mean the whole
00:40:54
thing is stupid I understand that Kurt's
00:41:00
father went through a great deal of pain
00:41:02
about his death and needed to find
00:41:04
somebody to blame and I understand I was
00:41:08
a very convenient person for him to
00:41:10
blame
00:41:11
the I had absolutely no responsibility
00:41:17
for Kurt's death
00:41:21
[Music]
00:41:32
I'm so frustrated to have information
00:41:36
that would indicate that your son has
00:41:39
been murdered and to date they have
00:41:41
virtually closed the case I am bound and
00:41:47
determined to get an investigation I
00:41:50
think Kirk deserved this he did not
00:41:53
deserve to be taken in that manner
00:41:55
[Music]
00:41:57
currently Tomic fall is the only person
00:42:00
investigating his son's death if Kurt
00:42:03
was murdered he hopes that even now
00:42:06
three years later someone will come
00:42:08
forward with new information new
00:42:10
evidence that could reopen the
00:42:11
investigation and provide peace of mind
00:42:14
for himself and justice for his son
00:42:18
[Music]
00:42:20
next the story of a mysterious bag of
00:42:23
unopened letters dating back 40 years
00:42:25
they are written by GI standing off the
00:42:28
battle in World War two and I've yet to
00:42:30
reach their lost loved ones letters from
00:42:45
home each day millions of them are sent
00:42:47
to American servicemen fighting on
00:42:49
distant battle fronts because of a war
00:42:51
postal system called v-mail they can be
00:42:54
flown throughout the world reaching
00:42:56
distant points safely and with amazing
00:42:58
speed during World War tina's thousands
00:43:01
of soldiers said goodbye to their loved
00:43:02
ones and almost every GI in a parting
00:43:06
promise write home as often as possible
00:43:08
their letters
00:43:10
carried by the military v-mail service
00:43:12
for the only link between them and their
00:43:15
families some would return others would
00:43:19
not for the relatives of those GIS lost
00:43:22
in battle the last letter home became a
00:43:25
precious keepsake a memory of lost love
00:43:30
[Music]
00:43:37
41 years after the war ended on February
00:43:40
4th 1986 Mike Mingus a pest exterminator
00:43:44
was spraying the Attic and an elderly
00:43:46
woman's house in Raleigh North Carolina
00:43:47
in the corner he saw some letters
00:43:51
spilling out of a laundry bag Mike
00:43:54
Mingus had in fact discovered a military
00:43:56
duffel filled with hundreds of unopened
00:43:59
letters written by soldiers during World
00:44:01
War two the longer I looked more
00:44:06
incredulous I became really there was
00:44:10
just something that the insignia crossed
00:44:13
I'd never seen v-mail before I heard the
00:44:17
term and knew that generally anything
00:44:20
with V and it was World War two vintage
00:44:22
and it was really apparent from the very
00:44:25
beginning that there was something here
00:44:27
that was just really strange Mike
00:44:33
learned that the elderly woman had a
00:44:34
nephew who'd been a crew member aboard
00:44:36
the SS Kaleb strong when it was bound
00:44:39
for North Africa in May 1944 the troops
00:44:43
on board had written 235 letters home
00:44:46
and stuffed them into the duffel bag
00:44:48
the woman's nephew had vowed to mail
00:44:51
them when he returned to the USA but
00:44:53
he'd forgotten he died about 1980 and
00:44:56
the woman had been too embarrassed to
00:44:58
say anything after promising never to
00:45:02
reveal her name
00:45:03
Mike convince this woman to release the
00:45:06
letters to him the letters were sent to
00:45:09
Meg Harris of the Postal Service 92g is
00:45:13
on board the Kaleb strong had written
00:45:15
letters to over 150 friends and family
00:45:18
one by one the US Postal Service
00:45:21
delivered the letters from 89 of the
00:45:23
soldiers only three could not be tracked
00:45:27
down you have to be real careful when
00:45:32
you start telling them about this man
00:45:33
you kind of lead into it slowly because
00:45:34
you don't want anybody to go into shock
00:45:36
and you feel a lot of the closeness of
00:45:40
family ties the whole experience has
00:45:43
been one where you really
00:45:45
how much people care for each other and
00:45:47
how much they continue carrying even
00:45:49
after 40 years still at sea may 1944 my
00:45:58
precious why darling
00:46:01
I sure miss you I wish I will back with
00:46:04
you right now it seems so hard to write
00:46:07
you is all I can think of is how I love
00:46:09
you and long to be with you the boat is
00:46:11
rocking so I can't write too neatly
00:46:14
Merrill darling I love you and hope that
00:46:17
we will soon be together for good from
00:46:20
what information we can gather I believe
00:46:22
the big invasion is own so I'll be stuck
00:46:25
overseas until the war is over I love
00:46:28
you my darling your husband fine Beryl
00:46:35
page rattling is a retired teacher who
00:46:37
was married to Frank rapidly a b-17
00:46:39
turret gunner his plane was shot down
00:46:42
over Austria in 1944 Beryl Rapley never
00:46:47
remarried she's been a widow for 44
00:46:50
years
00:46:51
receiving Frank's last letter was a
00:46:53
surprising and poignant moment I was
00:46:59
shocked it told me all to pieces and it
00:47:04
was just as though we were there
00:47:06
together and this is though he was
00:47:08
talking with me and of course I guess I
00:47:13
was more or less in the state of shock
00:47:14
but it was the most wonderful that I
00:47:17
have received from Frank even though all
00:47:20
of his letters were very dear to me but
00:47:24
after waiting that long and still being
00:47:26
able after four to two years to get
00:47:30
another letter from a man that I still
00:47:32
loved that was just something that only
00:47:36
the Lord can understand the depth of the
00:47:40
meaning of it
00:47:43
[Music]
00:47:49
it's short two and a half years I had
00:47:52
with him was just equal to a lifetime
00:47:56
for me that's why I never didn't remarry
00:47:58
nobody else could ever replace him and I
00:48:01
have every letter he's ever written me
00:48:03
but this above all was no special one
00:48:06
[Music]
00:48:13
I use sweet just another line today as
00:48:18
I'm always thinking about you and may
00:48:21
not be able to write for a few days
00:48:23
haven't seen land yet but expect to soon
00:48:27
there is about six hours difference in
00:48:29
time here so I often tried to think of
00:48:32
where you are and what you might be
00:48:34
doing guess that is natural your ever
00:48:38
loving and faithful husband it's always
00:48:43
touching can't help think back all the
00:48:52
time
00:48:54
[Music]
00:48:56
your ever loving and faithful husband
00:48:59
those were Staff Sergeant sumpter grubs
00:49:01
last words to his wife Peggy written on
00:49:05
may 19 1944 within months Sumter was
00:49:10
killed in combat but his words would not
00:49:13
die
00:49:17
[Music]
00:49:32
tonight we've seen four mysteries for
00:49:35
true stories that people caught in the
00:49:37
most extraordinary circumstances
00:49:39
Irish mystery someone somewhere knows
00:49:43
the truth perhaps at you
00:49:48
[Music]
00:50:18
you
00:50:23
you
00:50:32
[Music]
