00:00:04
DENNIS FARINA: Next on
"Unsolved Mysteries"--
00:00:07
a wealthy Houston housewife is
shot to death in her own home.
00:00:12
Her husband is the prime
suspect but he appears
00:00:15
to have an airtight alibi.
00:00:18
In a tragic murder case, the
victim speaks to a friend
00:00:22
from beyond the grave
to identify her killer.
00:00:27
Five chests filled with
gold worth millions
00:00:31
are just waiting to be
found beneath the murky
00:00:33
waters of Lake Michigan.
00:00:36
And a small Wisconsin farm
is transformed into a shrine
00:00:41
for Native Americans
after a pure white buffalo
00:00:44
calf is born there.
00:00:46
Is this buffalo the fulfillment
of an ancient prophecy?
00:00:53
Five fascinating stories
that you won't want to miss.
00:00:57
I'm Dennis Farina,
and for the next hour,
00:00:59
it's "Unsolved Mysteries."
00:01:01
[theme music]
00:01:38
Houston, Texas.
00:01:41
At 10:06 AM on Valentine's
Day, a wealthy young housewife
00:01:47
named Marilu Geri was found
shot to death in her home.
00:01:52
Two guns had been
used in the murder.
00:01:56
Investigators had been
unable to find the person
00:01:59
who shot Marilu Geri.
00:02:01
Marilu's parents are
convinced that her husband
00:02:04
Stephen is the
killer, but Stephen
00:02:06
insists that he is innocent.
00:02:08
Their accounts are
completely contradictory.
00:02:14
At 8:15 that morning, Stephen
Geri called Marilu's mother.
00:02:19
He asked her to go
over and help Marilu
00:02:21
prepare for a lunchtime party.
00:02:29
I dialed Mari's number and
she didn't answer the phone.
00:02:33
And it got me very concerned
because I thought, how strange.
00:02:36
She's supposed to be already
running around the house doing
00:02:40
the last things.
00:02:41
Where is she?
00:02:43
DENNIS FARINA: Maria immediately
drove to her daughter's house.
00:02:47
The front door was not locked.
00:02:52
DENNIS FARINA: She
searched the back
00:02:53
of the house, where
she finally found
00:02:55
Marilu laying on the floor.
00:02:58
It was 10:06 AM.
00:03:02
She looked like she
had fainted or something.
00:03:04
And I started to kiss her on
her face and touching her,
00:03:08
and she looked
like she was dead.
00:03:11
I thought I was in a nightmare.
00:03:15
DENNIS FARINA: At 10:30
AM, the paramedics
00:03:17
tried to revive Marilu.
00:03:19
They injected her
heart with medication
00:03:23
but she was already dead.
00:03:26
This procedure later made
it impossible to determine
00:03:30
the exact time of death.
00:03:33
Marilu had been shot four
times with two different guns,
00:03:38
a .380 and a .22 caliber.
00:03:41
There were no guns
found in the house,
00:03:43
and there were no
signs of a break in.
00:03:45
And yet, in the bedroom,
Marilu's jewelry box
00:03:49
was wide open.
00:03:51
It was jewelry
laying in there.
00:03:54
Whoever killed
Marilu didn't come
00:03:57
in the house to steal anything.
00:04:01
DENNIS FARINA: Marilu's
husband disagrees.
00:04:05
Well, there was
many things taken.
00:04:08
The gross value was
about $25,000 to $30,000,
00:04:13
maybe $40,000 worth of jewelry,
fur coats, or other valuables.
00:04:21
DENNIS FARINA: Maria believed is
was all a well-planned murder.
00:04:25
Marilu and Stephen had been
married for three years.
00:04:28
Steven was an insurance agent
and Marilu worked for him.
00:04:33
It was a torment
of a marriage.
00:04:38
The last 2 and 1/2 years of her
life it was nothing but crying.
00:04:43
They were fighting over money.
00:04:47
It was extremely
exciting and the most
00:04:50
fulfilling relationship
that I have ever had.
00:04:53
She brought out the
strongest qualities in me,
00:04:57
made me more
productive than I had
00:04:59
ever been in my entire life.
00:05:02
We allowed each other to
develop to the fullest.
00:05:05
DENNIS FARINA: Investigators
viewed Stephen Geri as one
00:05:08
of the possible suspects.
00:05:12
He owned several handguns,
which were tested
00:05:15
in the police ballistics lab.
00:05:17
The results proved
that Stephen's guns
00:05:19
were not used in the shooting.
00:05:22
Stephen also gave the
police a detailed account
00:05:25
of his movements on
the day of the murder.
00:05:28
Normally, he worked
in his home office
00:05:31
during the early
morning, but that day,
00:05:34
he changed his routine.
00:05:37
I woke up at about
5:00 that morning.
00:05:40
I went upstairs and
worked on the computer.
00:05:43
I had an extremely busy day.
00:05:44
There were some things
that I had to finish up.
00:05:47
Marilu was still in bed.
00:05:48
I told her that I would
call her at seven.
00:05:51
I know that the security system
was on when I left the house.
00:05:54
At about 6:25, 6:30, I
went down to 7-Eleven
00:06:00
and got another cup of coffee.
00:06:02
I left there and went
to the post office,
00:06:07
picked up our mail for the day.
00:06:10
From there, I went to a donut
shop and picked up donuts.
00:06:15
Then I went to
Precision Glass Company
00:06:19
and talked with
them for a moment.
00:06:21
I started to leave, realized
that I had forgotten to call
00:06:25
Marilu.
00:06:26
I went back in at
the reception desk
00:06:28
and called her at almost 7:30.
00:06:31
She was up.
00:06:32
She said she was
busy, busy, busy.
00:06:35
So I told her goodbye.
00:06:38
DENNIS FARINA: From 7:30 when he
called Marilu, till 10:06, when
00:06:42
Marilu's body was found,
Stephen spent most of his time
00:06:46
with witnesses, who
confirmed his alibi.
00:06:51
Marilu's parents hired private
investigator Bill Elliott
00:06:55
and he closely examined
Stephen's alibi.
00:06:59
The witnesses
that we interviewed
00:07:01
indicated to us that
it was not his habit
00:07:04
or pattern to leave the
house before 9:00 or 10:00
00:07:06
in the morning.
00:07:08
And this particular day he
claims to have left the house
00:07:12
between 6:00 and 6:30.
00:07:16
DENNIS FARINA: When
Stephen left home,
00:07:17
his first stop was
at the 7-Eleven,
00:07:20
only two blocks away and less
than a five-minute drive.
00:07:25
BILL ELLIOTT: We interviewed the
people at the convenience store
00:07:28
where he went first.
00:07:29
Stephen did not get there until
three minutes until 7 o'clock.
00:07:34
That would have
given him time to do
00:07:36
things, as far as
getting rid of evidence
00:07:38
and that kind of thing.
00:07:41
The curious thing is
Mr. Geri had not only
00:07:45
gone to these
places that morning,
00:07:47
but the following day, he went
back and reminded these people
00:07:51
that he had been there the
day before, which is something
00:07:54
that I found unusual.
00:07:55
DENNIS FARINA: Some two
years before Marilu's death,
00:07:58
Stephen bought life insurance
for the both of them.
00:08:01
Each policy had a total
value of more than $400,000.
00:08:08
Mr. Geri was a big spender,
liked to spend a lot of money,
00:08:11
and liked to live the
high life, at a higher
00:08:15
level than his income was
capable of supporting.
00:08:19
DENNIS FARINA: The overspending
was well documented
00:08:22
in the public record.
00:08:23
In Harris County
I found a little
00:08:26
over $120,000 of
hard cash judgments
00:08:31
that he had against him.
00:08:34
DENNIS FARINA: Ten
months after the murder,
00:08:36
Stephen tried to collect
on his wife's policy.
00:08:40
Outraged, Marilu's parents
went to court to prevent
00:08:43
him from collecting the money.
00:08:47
They claim that he didn't
deserve the money because he
00:08:50
had killed their daughter.
00:08:55
Stephen Geri believes that there
is another reason that Marilu's
00:08:58
parents filed that lawsuit.
00:09:01
Well, there's two things
that make the world go round
00:09:03
and that's sex and money, and it
definitely wasn't sex, was it?
00:09:07
DENNIS FARINA: Strangely, just
as his trial was beginning,
00:09:10
Steven Geri and
Marilu's parents reached
00:09:13
an out-of-court
settlement, but which
00:09:16
side requested the settlement,
Stephen or Marilu's parents?
00:09:22
My attorney came and got
me and said the Serratos
00:09:25
and made an offer
to settle the case.
00:09:28
We didn't have a reason to.
00:09:29
Why, why, why do we
wanted to do that?
00:09:33
I was adamant that when my
attorney presented this to me,
00:09:37
that it would not be as an
admission of guilt and that
00:09:40
rather that the Serratos would
realize that I was not involved
00:09:45
or why would they make the offer
and that we would settle on it?
00:09:49
If it had been my daughter
and I thought that person was
00:09:52
involved, there was no way I
would ever take a settlement
00:09:56
but they did.
00:09:58
You're not to
discuss any aspect
00:10:01
of the settlement of this case.
00:10:02
DENNIS FARINA: The court
documents cannot reveal who
00:10:04
asked for the judgment
because the judge
00:10:07
ordered the records sealed.
00:10:10
After Marilu was buried,
her headstone was vandalized
00:10:14
numerous times and then stolen.
00:10:18
The marker has been replaced and
it now reads, Marilu Serrato,
00:10:24
her maiden name.
00:10:26
It is very
uncomfortable for us
00:10:28
to go on living, knowing that
somebody did something horrible
00:10:32
and is not being punished.
00:10:37
No, I did not kill my wife.
00:10:39
Marilu was the
perfect woman for me.
00:10:43
We had a wonderful
life together,
00:10:45
exciting, we traveled.
00:10:47
We built one hell of a
business and a fantastic
00:10:52
complement for each other.
00:10:55
DENNIS FARINA: The
police still continue
00:10:56
to search for information
about the two weapons
00:10:59
that were used in the murder.
00:11:01
They feel that these guns
will lead them to the killer.
00:11:06
Stephen Geri remains
a person of interest.
00:11:12
If you have any information,
please log onto our website
00:11:15
at unsolved.com.
00:11:19
Next, a murdered woman contacts
a friend from beyond the grave
00:11:24
and offers clues to the
identity of her killer.
00:11:37
Chicago, Illinois.
00:11:46
At about 9:00 PM
on a cold winter
00:11:48
night, firefighters
respond to a call
00:11:51
from a lakefront
residential building.
00:11:53
When they arrive, they find an
upper floor apartment on fire.
00:11:59
In the middle of the
living room floor,
00:12:02
a mattress engulfed in flames.
00:12:07
Underneath the mattress, they
find 48-year-old Teresita Basa.
00:12:13
She had been stabbed in the
chest and possibly raped.
00:12:18
The fire is an attempt
to cover up the murder.
00:12:23
There was no apparent motive
for the murder and very
00:12:26
little physical evidence.
00:12:27
The investigation
quickly hit a dead end.
00:12:30
But nearly six months
later, the police
00:12:33
received new information that
came from a surprising source,
00:12:37
Teresita Basa herself.
00:12:41
Teresita Basa had moved
to the United States
00:12:43
from the Philippines
when she was in her 30s.
00:12:46
She worked as a
respiratory therapist
00:12:49
at a Chicago hospital.
00:12:53
Coworkers described
Teresita as a dedicated
00:12:57
professional, who
gave all her time
00:12:59
and energy to her patients.
00:13:01
She seemed to have
absolutely no enemies.
00:13:09
At the crime scene,
smoke and fire damage
00:13:11
had destroyed all
fingerprints and nothing
00:13:15
seemed to be missing from
Teresita's apartment.
00:13:19
For Chicago police
detective Joe Stachula,
00:13:23
there were no easy answers.
00:13:27
The only real piece
of evidence we found
00:13:29
was a memo indicating that
she was expecting to obtain
00:13:33
some theater tickets
for a subject
00:13:35
by name of AS, who
might have been expected
00:13:41
at the apartment on that night.
00:13:45
DENNIS FARINA: Nearly
six months passed
00:13:47
and Detective Joe Stachula
was desperate for leads.
00:13:51
So he responded
to a call that he
00:13:54
might otherwise have dismissed.
00:13:57
It would take his
investigation into the world
00:14:01
of the paranormal.
00:14:04
A Filipino physician heard
about Teresita's murder
00:14:06
from his wife, who had worked
with Teresita at the hospital.
00:14:11
The doctor and his
wife have requested
00:14:13
anonymity so we'll call them
Enrico and Alicia Borda.
00:14:22
Alicia told the detective
about strange events
00:14:26
that happened after
Teresita's death.
00:14:30
Late one night, Alicia
went to a hospital lounge
00:14:33
for a short nap.
00:14:35
Seconds after she
closed her eyes,
00:14:37
she felt a ghostly
presence in the room.
00:14:42
It was Teresita Basa.
00:14:46
ALICIA BORDA: At first,
I thought I was dreaming.
00:14:49
I could not believe my eyes,
but she is staring at me.
00:14:54
I pray.
00:14:58
DENNIS FARINA: The
Bordas told Joe
00:14:59
about a second
experience that happened
00:15:01
two weeks later at their home.
00:15:05
That night, Alicia
went to bed early,
00:15:07
complaining of
extreme exhaustion.
00:15:09
Later, her husband went into
the bedroom to check on her.
00:15:14
JOE STACHULA: Dr. Borda said he
asked her if she was all right,
00:15:17
and he said her
voice was different.
00:15:20
And in attempting to get
his wife to talk more,
00:15:23
he asked her, who are you?
00:15:25
What is your name?
00:15:27
Teresita Basa.
00:15:29
JOE STACHULA: He was
confused because he did not
00:15:31
know Teresita Basa at the time.
00:15:34
You must go to the police.
00:15:38
The police cannot
find my killer.
00:15:42
Tell them his name
is Allen Showery.
00:15:45
Tell them.
00:15:47
Upon listening to this,
I really picked up now, AS.
00:15:53
I asked him did he know
who Allen Showery was?
00:15:56
And he indicated from the
voice, from Teresita Basa,
00:16:00
that Allen Showery
was an orderly
00:16:02
that worked at the
hospital with both
00:16:04
his wife and Teresita Basa.
00:16:07
He said at the end,
his wife woke up.
00:16:09
He asked her if she
knew what happened.
00:16:11
She said she didn't, and
then he sort of put it
00:16:14
in the back of his mind
and didn't act on it.
00:16:20
He said then there was a second
session, where the voice again
00:16:25
possessed his wife,
and at this time,
00:16:28
the voice became more insistent.
00:16:30
Why did you not
go to the police?
00:16:37
Why?
00:16:38
JOE STACHULA: He said he could
not do anything to really help
00:16:41
her and the police
couldn't do anything,
00:16:42
that they would need evidence.
00:16:44
I will give you proof.
00:16:47
JOE STACHULA: And at
this point, the voice
00:16:49
indicated that she
had some evidence
00:16:51
for him, that it her jewelry.
00:16:53
After he killed me,
he took my jewelry.
00:16:58
He gave it to his girlfriend.
00:17:02
First thought
that came into mind
00:17:04
is, how can I put this on
an official police report?
00:17:07
But at this point, we
began a background check
00:17:10
on Allen Showery.
00:17:12
Besides knowing Teresita
Basa at the hospital,
00:17:15
he lived a short
distance from her.
00:17:19
We also learned from
coworkers at the hospital
00:17:22
that Allen Showery was expected
over at Teresita's apartment
00:17:26
that night to repair
her television set.
00:17:31
This was probably
the best clue that we
00:17:35
had putting him on the scene
at the approximate time
00:17:38
of the murder.
00:17:39
DENNIS FARINA: The
detective brought in Allen
00:17:41
Showery for questioning.
00:17:45
Allen, when was the
last time that you were
00:17:46
at Teresita Basa's apartment?
00:17:48
DENNIS FARINA: Well,
Showery admitted
00:17:50
that he went to
Teresita's apartment
00:17:51
that night to repair
her television.
00:17:55
I was there, but I was just
there to fix the television.
00:17:58
DENNIS FARINA: He
claims that he was not
00:18:00
able to fix it so he went
home to the apartment
00:18:02
that he shared with
his girlfriend.
00:18:07
JOE STACHULA: We decided
to contact the girlfriend
00:18:10
and ask her if
Allen had given her
00:18:12
any jewelry recently within the
last several months or weeks.
00:18:19
DENNIS FARINA:
Showery's girlfriend
00:18:20
agreed to let
Teresita's relatives
00:18:22
and friends inspect the jewelry
that Allen had given her.
00:18:27
JOE STACHULA: The family
members immediately
00:18:30
recognized a large
green piece of jade
00:18:33
and several other distinctive
pieces of jewelry.
00:18:36
Any other piece
here look familiar?
00:18:38
The ring.
00:18:39
That's Teresita's ring?
00:18:42
The ring on her finger?
00:18:43
Yeah, she was wearing it
the last time I saw her.
00:18:53
It's all over, Allen.
00:18:54
DENNIS FARINA: Confronted
with this evidence,
00:18:56
Showery made a full confession.
00:18:59
Now, I want to
know what happened.
00:19:01
DENNIS FARINA: He said he
went to Teresita's apartment
00:19:03
to fix her TV, but when he
couldn't repair it, he left.
00:19:08
He then decided to go back
to rob and murder her.
00:19:16
Allen returned
to the apartment
00:19:18
and when Teresita let him
in and she turned her back
00:19:22
to lock the door, he said he
quickly moved up behind her
00:19:25
and placed a chokehold
on her neck, holding it
00:19:28
until she stopped struggling.
00:19:31
He then dragged her body
into the living room, where
00:19:34
he disrobed her to make
it look like it was
00:19:37
a rape/robbery type of scene.
00:19:44
And then went into the bedroom
and obtained the mattress
00:19:47
off her bed, placing
it over the body,
00:19:50
and setting the top of
the mattress on fire.
00:19:58
DENNIS FARINA: Is
it somehow possible
00:20:00
that Teresita Basa spoke
through Alicia Borda
00:20:03
to catch her own killer?
00:20:07
Now, no one knows that for
sure, but one thing is certain,
00:20:12
without the information
provided by Alicia,
00:20:15
police would never have
known the jewelry was missing
00:20:18
and Allen Showery would
never have been arrested.
00:20:22
To this day, I'm not quite
sure if Teresita came back.
00:20:27
It's one of those
bizarre incidents
00:20:30
that you don't know
is true or not true.
00:20:37
DENNIS FARINA: Despite
his confession,
00:20:39
Allen Showery pled
not guilty, but when
00:20:43
his trial ended in a hung
jury, he had a change of heart.
00:20:47
In a surprise move and
against his lawyers advice,
00:20:50
Showery admitted his
guilt. He was sentenced
00:20:54
to 14 years in prison.
00:20:56
He has served his
time and was released.
00:21:02
Coming up, treasure
hunter Richard Bennett
00:21:05
is convinced $400
million in gold
00:21:08
is waiting to be found in the
murky waters of Lake Michigan.
00:21:24
We recently told you
the story of Phillip
00:21:26
Macri, a talented
high school basketball
00:21:29
star from Pennsylvania.
00:21:39
On a warm summer day, Phillip's
dreams of a basketball career
00:21:43
came to a sudden
and horrifying end.
00:21:49
Just before the start
of his senior year,
00:21:51
Phillip went to Virginia
Beach for a weekend getaway.
00:21:55
A carefree dive into the ocean
nearly cost him his life.
00:22:00
When I dove into the wave,
I broke my neck instantly
00:22:05
and couldn't feel anything.
00:22:08
I do remember when
I was underwater,
00:22:11
I was saying help,
somebody help me.
00:22:13
Help.
00:22:14
I was screaming.
00:22:18
DENNIS FARINA: Philip was
unable to move his arms or legs.
00:22:21
He would have drowned
if another swimmer had
00:22:24
not pulled him from the water.
00:22:27
However, in the frantic
moments after the rescue,
00:22:30
the woman who saved Phillip's
life disappeared before anyone
00:22:34
could ask her name.
00:22:37
Even though the freak accident
left Phillip paralyzed,
00:22:40
he has always wanted to thank
the mysterious woman who
00:22:44
gave him a second shot at life.
00:22:47
It's very important to find
this lady who pulled me out
00:22:51
of the water because I
wouldn't be able to be
00:22:55
here with my family today.
00:22:57
I wouldn't be able
to do the things
00:22:58
that I always
wanted to do in life
00:23:01
if she wouldn't
have saved my life.
00:23:04
DENNIS FARINA: On the
night of our broadcast,
00:23:06
43-year-old Linda Potts
called to say that she
00:23:11
was the unknown rescuer.
00:23:14
Linda lives in Ohio, just
60 miles from Phillip's home
00:23:17
in Pennsylvania.
00:23:20
Now, five years later,
Phillip and Linda
00:23:22
could be properly introduced.
00:23:24
Hi, Phillip.
00:23:28
How are you?
00:23:30
Fine, how are you?
00:23:33
Thank you very much.
00:23:34
Oh, you're welcome.
00:23:35
When she pulled up in the car
today, when I first met her,
00:23:38
it gave me tingling
all through my body.
00:23:40
It made me feel real
good to know that I could
00:23:43
thank her for saving my life.
00:23:46
I felt like I found
a member of my family,
00:23:51
a lost member of my family that
I hadn't seen in five years.
00:23:57
DENNIS FARINA: That
evening, Phillip's parents
00:23:59
hosted a dinner for
her family and friends
00:24:01
in honor of the woman who
saved their son's life.
00:24:07
I hope to keep a
real close relationship
00:24:11
with me and Mrs. Potts.
00:24:13
I found out that she's had some
medical problems in her life,
00:24:17
and if there's
anything I could do
00:24:19
to help her out
with her problems,
00:24:23
I'd love to help
her out with it.
00:24:25
Phillip and I will remain
friends for a long, long time.
00:24:31
If there's anything I
can ever do for Phillip,
00:24:34
all he has to do is pick up
the phone and dial my number.
00:24:37
I'll be there for him.
00:24:39
DENNIS FARINA: To this day,
Phillip Macri and Linda Potts
00:24:42
still keep in
touch, two strangers
00:24:45
introduced by a twist of fate.
00:24:54
Poverty Island is only a
speck of rocky land just east
00:24:57
of Wisconsin.
00:25:00
Treacherous storms often
sweep across Lake Michigan
00:25:03
without warning.
00:25:06
The result is a
graveyard of sunken ships
00:25:10
and intriguing tales
of lost treasures.
00:25:15
One legend in particular claims
that just offshore Poverty
00:25:19
Island there are
five chess stuffed
00:25:22
with gold bullion and
coins, which today would be
00:25:25
worth more than $400 million.
00:25:30
Richard Bennett is a
professional diver and author
00:25:33
of "Deep Quest." he has
spent more than 20 years
00:25:37
and $100,000 of his
own money searching
00:25:41
for the sunken fortune.
00:25:43
Any story that lasts
or survives 100 years
00:25:47
has to have some validity to it.
00:25:49
If they survive 100 years,
they probably have an 80%,
00:25:52
85% chance of being true.
00:25:55
DENNIS FARINA: But how
does $400 million in gold
00:25:59
end up on the bottom
of Lake Michigan?
00:26:03
The treasure story
reaches back to 1863,
00:26:06
when the tide of
the Civil War was
00:26:08
turning in favor of the Union.
00:26:10
The cash poor South
asked France for help.
00:26:15
Supposedly, the French Emperor
Napoleon Bonaparte, III
00:26:19
secretly dispatched a ship
of gold across the Atlantic
00:26:23
to Canada.
00:26:24
It was then spirited down
the St. Lawrence River
00:26:27
and into Lake Michigan.
00:26:30
But some say that while
traveling en route to Chicago,
00:26:33
the ship was attacked
and sank or that it
00:26:37
was wrecked in a storm.
00:26:40
Either way, the chests
of gold never arrived.
00:26:44
One of the most intriguing
things about this legend
00:26:47
is that it's consistent
in that the loss
00:26:49
is always at Poverty Island.
00:26:51
There's always five chests, and
it's always the same scenario.
00:27:01
DENNIS FARINA: However,
historian Chuck Feltner
00:27:04
disagrees.
00:27:06
He has spent years in the Great
Lakes searching for shipwrecks,
00:27:09
and he believes that the
legend is a good story
00:27:13
but that's all it is.
00:27:17
Records of shipwrecks on the
Great Lakes in the year 1863
00:27:21
are extremely good.
00:27:23
We've not been able
to find any evidence
00:27:26
that any of these vessels that
were recorded to have been lost
00:27:31
were sunk in the vicinity
of Poverty Island
00:27:35
or that they were French
vessels as the legend
00:27:38
would have it to be.
00:27:40
This is not the
kind of activity
00:27:42
that people would
normally document.
00:27:45
This was more of
a secret activity
00:27:47
and they would not want
to be broadcasting it.
00:27:51
DENNIS FARINA: Despite
the lack of a paper trail,
00:27:53
the legend of the secret
shipment has persisted.
00:27:58
In 1929, a group of sailors
supposedly snagged the five
00:28:02
chests with their anchor.
00:28:05
They almost got
it to the surface
00:28:07
when it felt back
into the water.
00:28:12
A few years later, a group
of investors in Chicago
00:28:15
raised $50,000 to
try their luck.
00:28:19
A young boy named Carly
Jessen, whose father was
00:28:22
the local lighthouse
keeper, was said
00:28:24
to have watched the
salvage operation
00:28:27
for three consecutive summers.
00:28:31
One day he was sitting on the
rocks watching this operation,
00:28:36
and there was a lot
of rejoicing, revelry,
00:28:38
obviously a real
congratulatory party
00:28:41
that was going on, on the ship.
00:28:44
According to Carly, a storm hit
that night and the salvage ship
00:28:47
sank with all the men on board.
00:28:51
The waters of Lake Michigan
had once again reclaimed
00:28:55
the Poverty Island treasure.
00:28:59
Today, Richard Bennett feels
confident that he will succeed
00:29:03
where others have failed.
00:29:06
He has devised an underwater
sled to comb the murky
00:29:09
depths of Lake Michigan.
00:29:12
The only way to really
find this treasure
00:29:15
is to have human beings on
the sled, visually looking
00:29:19
at the bottom.
00:29:22
It's cold.
00:29:23
It's deep.
00:29:24
The area is very treacherous,
but I'm a dreamer
00:29:30
and I'm a gambler.
00:29:31
As long as I have those
things working for me,
00:29:33
I'll probably continue to do it.
00:29:36
DENNIS FARINA: Will
Richard Bennett ever find
00:29:37
the Poverty Island treasure?
00:29:40
Well, only time will
tell, but until that day,
00:29:45
Lake Michigan will keep
its grip on the secret
00:29:47
of the five wooden
treasure chests said
00:29:50
to wait beneath the surface.
00:29:56
Next, the harrowing account
of a rape and shotgun attack,
00:30:00
told by the woman
who survived it.
00:30:13
Fayetteville, North Carolina.
00:30:17
Business Route 95, just outside
of town-- state troopers Chris
00:30:23
Dew and Ron Knight
stop to compare
00:30:25
notes during a routine patrol.
00:30:29
About two minutes
into the conversation,
00:30:31
a lady walked out of the
woods about 75 yards away
00:30:36
and started toward
us, staggering.
00:30:41
She had blood on her
shoulders and she
00:30:44
was coming in our direction.
00:30:51
I laid her on the ground,
and the other trooper
00:30:53
went to his car and
called for an ambulance.
00:30:59
DENNIS FARINA: The
young woman had
00:31:00
been shot in the
face with a 12-gauge
00:31:03
double-barreled shotgun.
00:31:05
Her left jaw was
completely shattered,
00:31:08
and she was unable to speak.
00:31:11
She had no ID and it
wasn't until 10 hours later
00:31:15
when her condition
stabilized that she
00:31:17
was able to write
down her mother's
00:31:19
name and telephone number.
00:31:21
Police discovered that the
victim was from Winston-Salem,
00:31:24
120 miles away.
00:31:28
We conducted probably a
30-minute interview with her.
00:31:33
It was probably the most
severe injury I've ever seen
00:31:37
for a person that survived.
00:31:40
DENNIS FARINA: Although
the victim could not speak,
00:31:43
she was able to
write down a detailed
00:31:45
description of
the savage attack,
00:31:47
as well as the attacker.
00:31:50
A police artist
created this drawing.
00:31:54
This story may not be
easy to watch, however,
00:31:58
police fear that if
the man responsible
00:32:00
for this hideous crime is not
caught, he could strike again.
00:32:05
The young victim courageously
agreed to be interviewed.
00:32:09
She asked that we not
use her real name,
00:32:11
so we'll call her Debbie.
00:32:13
And this is her story.
00:32:17
It's important that
this man be caught
00:32:23
because he is not rational.
00:32:25
He's very dangerous and
he may harm someone else.
00:32:31
DENNIS FARINA: One
spring morning,
00:32:32
Debbie made a large cash
withdrawal from a local bank.
00:32:36
She left at 9:40 AM.
00:32:40
We're going for a rid.
00:32:41
Just start the car.
00:32:43
Start the car!
00:32:44
DENNIS FARINA:
Debbie told police
00:32:46
that the man forced her to
drive to a nearby liquor store.
00:32:48
Give me the keys.
00:32:49
Give me the keys!
00:32:50
DENNIS FARINA: The man
went inside to buy whiskey,
00:32:52
holding Debbie's car keys and
keeping a close eye on her.
00:32:57
Debbie was terrified
because he threatened
00:33:00
to kill everyone in the liquor
store if she tried to escape.
00:33:05
The man then ordered Debbie
to head towards Fayetteville.
00:33:09
For four agonizing hours,
he threatened her life,
00:33:13
drank heavily, and even
bragged that he once
00:33:16
killed a man in New York City.
00:33:19
The journey for Debbie
was a living hell.
00:33:23
A lot of the time, he just
wouldn't talk to me at all
00:33:26
and when he did, he was
very abusive, very angry.
00:33:30
It got worse as time went on
because he was drinking also
00:33:35
the liquor and he would just get
more angry and more irrational.
00:33:41
And I got more afraid knowing
I could not reason with him.
00:33:47
DENNIS FARINA: Just north of
Fayetteville, the man forced
00:33:49
Debbie to pull off the road.
00:33:53
Get out.
00:33:54
Get out!
00:33:56
DENNIS FARINA: Debbie
made an attempt
00:33:58
to escape from her kidnapper.
00:34:04
At almost that same moment,
state trooper Ron Knight
00:34:09
noticed a gray station wagon.
00:34:11
I was going to cross
over and check the vehicle,
00:34:14
and just about this time, I met
a speeding vehicle traveling
00:34:17
south on 95
Business, so I turned
00:34:19
and pursued after this vehicle.
00:34:35
Debbie was beaten, sexually
assaulted, shot in the face,
00:34:41
and left for dead.
00:34:45
The next day,
Debbie's station wagon
00:34:47
was found abandoned 300 miles
away in Northern Florida.
00:34:52
Authorities in Fayetteville
investigated the crime scene.
00:34:57
They found a suspect's
size 42 dark blue
00:35:00
jacket and brown cloth gloves.
00:35:03
Both smelled like petroleum.
00:35:06
We think we're looking
at a person that works
00:35:08
around that type of a product.
00:35:10
It could possibly be
a mechanic, somebody
00:35:12
who works with greasy, grimy
motors, that kind of thing.
00:35:16
Possibly even somebody
that drives a fuel
00:35:18
oil, heating oil type truck.
00:35:22
Debbie's attacker was about
5'10" tall and weighed
00:35:25
between 150 and 160 pounds.
00:35:31
I feel like until
they find him,
00:35:34
I'm going to continually
feel like he's there.
00:35:36
He's out there and it's
that fear of him being there
00:35:41
and that he also might
hurt someone else.
00:35:44
DENNIS FARINA: If you
have any information
00:35:46
about Debbie's case,
please log onto our website
00:35:49
at unsolved.com.
00:35:55
Next, some say the birth of
a rare white buffalo calf
00:36:00
is the fulfillment of
an age old prophecy.
00:36:12
150 years ago, more
than 60 million buffalo
00:36:16
roamed the Western
Plains, but today,
00:36:21
just 30,000 of those
majestic creatures remain.
00:36:26
Most are on ranches or
farms, such as this one
00:36:30
in Janesville, Wisconsin.
00:36:32
Dave Heider and his wife Valerie
have been breeding buffalo
00:36:36
for decades, but nothing
could have prepared them
00:36:39
for the remarkable
events that began
00:36:42
when Dave made a routine
check on a pregnant cow.
00:36:46
The cow walked out
into the sunlight
00:36:48
and the calf followed her.
00:36:51
I could not believe
what I was looking at.
00:36:53
She was as white as white
could be, as white as snow.
00:36:57
DENNIS FARINA: The odds
were one in 10 million
00:37:00
that a white non-albino
buffalo calf would be born.
00:37:05
Miracle was the perfect name.
00:37:09
News of the extraordinary calf
spread and numerous members
00:37:15
of the Lakota Sioux
Nation made a pilgrimage
00:37:18
to the Heider's farm.
00:37:20
To the Lakotas, Miracle
was the fulfillment
00:37:23
of an ancient prophecy.
00:37:25
Almost overnight, the
farm was transformed
00:37:28
into a religious shrine.
00:37:31
They came from
all over the world.
00:37:33
We had telephone calls
every three minutes
00:37:36
from 6:30 in the morning
until 11:30 at night.
00:37:39
At one period, we had 2,300
people through our driveway
00:37:43
in a five-hour length of time.
00:37:45
And it was wall-to-wall
people constantly.
00:37:47
It was like a wave
that never ended.
00:37:55
DENNIS FARINA: At first, the
Heiders were overwhelmed by all
00:37:57
the attention, but
that was before they
00:38:00
learned the full significance
of the white buffalo calf.
00:38:05
This rare animal is at the
heart of a sacred legend
00:38:09
handed down by the Lakota
Sioux for over 2,000 years.
00:38:15
Chief Arvol Looking Horse of
the Cheyenne River Reservation
00:38:18
is the spiritual leader
of the Lakota nation.
00:38:21
He is responsible for
passing on the story
00:38:24
of the white buffalo calf
to the next generation.
00:38:27
[non-english speech]
00:38:34
DENNIS FARINA: The legend
says that two scouts
00:38:36
were sent out during
a great famine
00:38:38
to search for the buffalo herd.
00:38:40
The scouts spotted a
lone white buffalo calf.
00:38:44
They watched in
amazement as the calf
00:38:46
magically transformed itself
into a beautiful young woman.
00:38:51
Four days later,
the White Buffalo
00:38:53
Calf Woman appeared again, but
this time, to the entire tribe.
00:38:59
She came with a sacred pipe
and a code of laws that
00:39:02
are as important to the Lakota
as the 10 Commandments are
00:39:06
to Western religions.
00:39:10
The woman promised that
she would return again
00:39:13
in 2,000 years as a
white buffalo calf
00:39:16
to introduce a time
of peace and harmony.
00:39:21
She came when the cherries
are deepest red or black
00:39:25
and that would be the
last week in August,
00:39:30
and that's when 19 generations
later, this white buffalo calf
00:39:35
is being born.
00:39:37
DENNIS FARINA: But if
Miracle is the reincarnation
00:39:40
of the White Buffalo Calf
Woman, why is she here now?
00:39:45
The Lakota believe
that her return
00:39:46
is tied to an ancient prophecy.
00:39:49
The prophecy says that the
world will soon experience
00:39:53
great fires,
floods, earthquakes,
00:39:56
typhoons, and some
man-made disasters
00:39:59
like pollution and war.
00:40:02
It then states that harmony
will prevail, followed
00:40:07
by a period of world peace.
00:40:10
There is hope there's no
going to be no end to the world.
00:40:13
It just had to we've got
to put our minds together
00:40:16
as concerning our Mother Earth.
00:40:21
DENNIS FARINA: Not
surprisingly, there
00:40:22
were offers to buy
the buffalo calf,
00:40:24
some from such diverse people
as media mogul Ted Turner
00:40:28
and rock star Ted Nugent.
00:40:32
She's not for sale.
00:40:34
She will not leave here.
00:40:36
You have to be here
to see the effect
00:40:37
that this calf has on people,
how it changes their lives.
00:40:42
Something that is sacred and
holy as what that calf is,
00:40:46
you can't put a price on it.
00:40:48
That calf was sent here for us
to be like a caretaker to it,
00:40:54
for all people to come see.
00:40:57
DENNIS FARINA: Apparently,
the miracle calf has already
00:40:59
fulfilled one portion of the
prophecy, changing colors
00:41:03
four times, from white to
black to red and now, yellow.
00:41:08
This is the world
renowned buffalo,
00:41:11
which is not so white anymore.
00:41:12
No, and she's
one of these four.
00:41:16
Do you think you
can pick her out?
00:41:24
Ladies and gentlemen,
there is the star,
00:41:28
world renowned white buffalo.
00:41:31
I've seen people from all
over the world come here
00:41:35
and when they walk away, there's
something different about them,
00:41:38
which is spiritual awakening.
00:41:40
But the message
she brought to us
00:41:42
is the time has come
for us to live through
00:41:46
peace, love, and harmony.
00:41:51
Update.
00:41:53
Miracle gave birth
to four calves
00:41:55
before dying of natural
causes at 10 years of age.
00:41:59
The Heider farm was blessed
with a second white buffalo
00:42:03
two years later.
00:42:04
And even though he was
unrelated to Miracle,
00:42:07
they named him
Miracle Second Chance.
00:42:12
[theme music]
