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Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 11, Episode 3 - Full Episode

May 23, 2019 / 43:22

This episode of Unsolved Mysteries covers two brutal murders of women named Mary Morris in Houston, Texas, the disappearance of Oklahoma dairy farmer Leonard Erickson, the murder of Lita Sullivan in Atlanta, Georgia, and the claims of a Russian healer in Boston.

In Houston, two women named Mary Morris were found murdered in their cars just three days apart. The first victim, Mary Lou Morris, was a bank loan officer, while the second, Mary McGinnis Morris, was a nurse practitioner. Investigators explored connections between the two cases, including the possibility of a contract killing gone wrong.

Leonard Erickson vanished after leaving his home with a mysterious stranger. Despite sightings and an extensive investigation, no evidence of foul play was found, leaving his family in despair over his disappearance.

The episode also covers the murder of Lita Sullivan, whose husband Jim was suspected of orchestrating her death due to financial motives. Despite evidence suggesting his involvement, he was never convicted, and the case remains unresolved.

Lastly, the episode features Yefim Ben, a Russian immigrant in Boston who claims to have healing powers. Patients report success in overcoming addictions and phobias through his unconventional methods, raising questions about the nature of his abilities.

TL;DR

Two women named Mary Morris are murdered in Houston, a dairy farmer disappears in Oklahoma, and a Russian healer claims to cure ailments in Boston.

Episode

43:22
00:00:05
tonight on unsolved mysteries over a
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three-day period in Houston Texas
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investigators are called to the scene of
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two brutal murders both women are found
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in their cars they look surprisingly
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alike and most shocking of all they
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share the same name Mary Morris is there
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a connection there are these crimes an
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astonishing coincidence
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an Oklahoma dairy farmer leaves his home
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with a mysterious stranger and never
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returns several sightings have given his
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family hope that he is still alive after
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35 year-old Lita Sullivan was found
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murdered her husband Jim had this to say
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I had nothing to do with lead his death
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however leaders mother said this I
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really would like to see Tim go to the
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elect attend the Jim Sullivan hire a hit
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man with the wave of his hands this
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Russian immigrant claims he can heal
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dozens flocked to his Boston office
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every week to be treated
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can he relieve pain cure phobias and
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help smokers quit does he truly have a
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magic touch or is he too good to be true
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these four cases are among the most
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unusual and intriguing that we have yet
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encountered join me for this fascinating
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edition of unsolved mysteries
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[Applause]
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[Music]
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Houston Texas very early one clear
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October morning J Morris saw his wife
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marry off to work Mary Morris was a 48
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year old bank loan officer with many
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friends at a successful career
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however by early that afternoon Jay
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began to worry about his wife he had
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tried to phone her several times but she
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hadn't returned any of his calls so I
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called a supervisor and found out she
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wasn't at work and then that's when I
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knew immediately that there was
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something wrong because she didn't miss
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work meanwhile about three miles east of
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the Morris home a passerby made a
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gruesome discovery
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inside a smouldering car he found a body
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burned beyond recognition
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the police were notified and the crime
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scene investigation unit was soon
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combing the area for evidence by that
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time Jay had begun to think the worst so
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when he heard from a friend about a
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burned-out car found near the interstate
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he picked up his stepdaughter Marilyn
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Blaylock and drove to the scene Marilyn
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and I went down and the police was there
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but they had everything blocked off and
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they told us to turn around and come
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back home
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I was frustrated that they wouldn't tell
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me but at that point I still wasn't
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thinking that it was her however within
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a few hours detectives delivered the
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terrible news they had identified the
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victim in the car as Mary Morris because
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of the condition of the body it was
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impossible to determine how Mary had
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been killed the crime was so brutal
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police did not suspect robbery was the
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motive
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but soon every other Avenue of
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Investigation also turned into a dead
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end there was no reason for it
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whatsoever she was just a really a good
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person you know never did anything bad
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to anybody
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they asked everything from gambling to
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drugs to Affairs to anything and all the
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answers were no she didn't gamble she
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didn't drink nothing
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[Music]
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just three days after Mary Morris's
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death however the case took a strange
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twist and the circumstances were as
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chilling as they were unbelievable not
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far from where Mary's body was found
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another woman had been viciously
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murdered
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she too was killed in her car and
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incredibly her name was also Mary Morris
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two women both named Mary Morris both
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found murdered in their cars in the
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Houston area just three days apart
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on top of all that the two mary's also
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bore a certain resemblance however to
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find a possible link detectives would
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first have to piece together the events
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surrounding the death of the second
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victim Mary McGinnis Morris was 39 years
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old when the first Mary was killed and
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like Mary Lou Morris she too was a
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successful professional with a sunny
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disposition Mary was like an angel she
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was very joyful always happy making
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people laugh not enough words really to
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describe her I mean she was just really
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loved by everybody Mary was a nurse
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practitioner in charge of several
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clinics for a major industrial
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corporation she was dedicated and
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excelled at her job anything basically a
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doctor would do Mary did she would work
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14 hours a day not think twice go back
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in of an evening weekends whenever she
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was needed Mary got along well with her
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staff but according to friends one new
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employee a male nurse was a poor fit
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right from the start and the
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relationship quickly went from bad to
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worse
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Mary became increasingly nervous and
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distraught
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she told me that she was afraid of this
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person that she worked with and I said
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do you really think he could hurt you
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and she said yes I do and I think he
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could do worse
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soon after Mary told friend she stopped
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by her office one evening to pick up
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some papers only to make a disturbing
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discovery
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she found things out of place on her
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desk pictures turned to face the wrong
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direction on his desk was written the
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words death to her which she assumed was
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written about her she made a phone call
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to me on her way home and she I could
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tell that she was that she was shaken
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okay baby what's going on I think this
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whole thing is really out of control she
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got home and she asked me if I would
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provide her with a gun to carry with her
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for her own protection she asked me to
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go over the the handling and use of the
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gun when we were finished she asked me
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to place the gun in her car under the
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driver's seat
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a few weekends later Mary met her friend
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Laurie gemmell at the clinic to give her
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an allergy shot Mary seemed fine that
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Sunday and we chatted a little bit about
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her making dinner for the family and she
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had a couple of errands to do and she
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was only going to stay a couple of hours
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and then she was gonna go home later
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that afternoon Laurie says she received
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an alarming phone call from Mary hates
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me when she was in the drugstore she saw
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somebody that gave her the creeps
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she said I'm just gonna run across the
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bridge and turn off my computer and sign
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out of the building and and go home
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police aren't sure what happened next
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the 12 minutes after saying goodbye to
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Lori Mary made a frantic call to 911
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we're not releasing the content of the
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tape it covers the attack that happened
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to Mary and anybody that's ever heard
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that tape has just had their blood
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shield listening to it it's very
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chilling disturbing call the details of
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Mary's abduction are unclear however the
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medical examiner's report revealed that
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she was viciously beaten and shot in the
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head the investigation first led police
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to Mary's co-worker at the clinic
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allegedly it left on bad terms quitting
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his job after several failed attempts to
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discredit Mary detectives say they have
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evidence that may link the co-worker to
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the crime and he remains a suspect
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investigators also had questions for
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Mike Morris Mary's husband Morris
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claimed he was at the movies with his
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daughter at the time of the murder
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detectives had concerns about his alibi
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and uncovered several other troubling
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issues first according to police Morris
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intentionally stonewalled the
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investigation through his own actions
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and by refusing to allow his daughter to
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be questioned he wouldn't meet with us
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without an attorney witnesses don't need
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attorneys suspects generally have
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attorneys Mike Morris says he was simply
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following the advice of some trusted
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friends
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several of these people suggested that
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I'd take an attorney with me not because
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I had anything to hide but just to have
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somebody with me that was familiar with
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the procedures detectives were also
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suspicious about Morris's refusal to
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take a polygraph test I was on
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anti-anxiety medications I was on
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antidepressants I wasn't really sure
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that that this polygraph examination
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that they were talking about could
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adequately compensate for all of those
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conditions further according to friends
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Mike and Mary Morris are having serious
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problems with their marriage when microd
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rumors of an alleged affair between Mary
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and a family friend he confronted them
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head-on I can tell you that at the time
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that that happened they both looked me
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in the eye and they both told me that
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that there had been nothing
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inappropriate in their relationship and
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I didn't see any betrayal in their eyes
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then there was a question of motive what
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detectives say compelled them to follow
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the money a life-insurance policy that
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would payout $700,000 there was a large
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amount of life insurance on Mary Morris
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which Mike Morris was the beneficiary to
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there were a lot of reasons right there
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for in the way of a motive for Mike
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finally would police consider most
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curious of all the evidence against Mike
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Morris was a call he made to Mary cell
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phone around the time detectives believe
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she was murdered
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there was a phone call some two hours
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after Mary Morris made a very desperate
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and chilling call to 911 was made by
00:11:39
Mike Morris the problem is this phone
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call lasted for four minutes this was by
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all indications of the cellular
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telephone company a completed call what
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you have to wonder is what did that
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phone call either set in motion or end
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normally the the cellular service would
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have kicked in and and said that the
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that the party you were calling was
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unavailable I didn't get that I don't
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know why I didn't get that but as long
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as the phone was ringing and I thought
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that there was a possibility that she
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would answer it I let it ring but if the
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call went unanswered detectives
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questioned why it showed up on Mary's
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cell phone bill I don't accept that Mike
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made this phone call and at the phone
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rang for four minutes it's not possible
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the the question is who answered the
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phone on the other end that's what the
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big question is and what did they talk
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about for the four minutes
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was Mike Morris talking to his wife's
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killer he adamantly denies any
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involvement in her death
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I had absolutely nothing to do with the
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arrangement of Mary's murder it's a
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hurtful insinuation but you know I know
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that it's it's absolutely untrue
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despite Mike Morris's denial
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police say they have not eliminated him
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as a suspect in his wife's murder
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Mary's co-worker is also still under
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suspicion perhaps the answer lies in the
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possible link between the deaths of Mary
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McGinnis Morris and Mary Lou Morris one
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Theory speculated that an inept contract
00:13:34
killer had been hired to murder the
00:13:35
second Mary Morris and kill the first
00:13:38
Mary Morris by mistake that theory was
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fueled in part by a telephone call
00:13:43
allegedly made to a Houston newspaper a
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call came in to the Houston Chronicle
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and I verified this with somebody at the
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Chronicle
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between the time the first Mary Morris
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was killed and the time my friend was
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killed saying something to the effect
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that they got the wrong Mary Morris the
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first time the hit gone wrong theory was
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further bolstered when detectives
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determined that the wedding ring of the
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first Mary Morris was missing if someone
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had put a hit out on a person that's
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what they take back to show that they
00:14:20
actually killed that person despite
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speculation that the two murders may
00:14:26
have been connected detectives had their
00:14:28
doubts it's while with the remoteness of
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the location where the victim was found
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as well as the effort that was taken to
00:14:35
you know can destroy the evidence and
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the vehicle that would be consistent you
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know with a you know contract killing
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but with the background of the victim
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that doesn't seem likely that the first
00:14:46
Mary Morris was it was a mistake it was
00:14:50
a missed hit a botched hit something
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like that there's not anything that we
00:14:57
found that would support that detectives
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continued the search for any clues that
00:15:04
might connect the two Mary Morris's but
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came up empty
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they later concluded that with nearly
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300 homicides in Harris County that year
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the murders were a bizarre coincidence
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however the family and friends of both
00:15:18
Mary's believe that explanation is
00:15:20
simply too far-fetched
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the astronomical odds the two Mary
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marshes with keel three days apart very
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similar in looks to me is that's what it
00:15:33
is astronomical laughter not connected I
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can't help but think they have to be
00:15:38
related
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I can't imagine that two women with the
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same name would be murdered within three
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days of each other both found in their
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cars and not have that be related
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[Music]
00:16:00
it began as a typical morning at Leonard
00:16:03
Erickson's dairy farm near Cheyenne
00:16:05
Oklahoma Leonard made breakfast for his
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19 year old son Jared and the two sat
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down to eat before a long day of chores
00:16:23
then at 9 a.m. a visitor arrived
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unannounced in a white pickup truck GERD
00:16:32
you know whose truck dentist
00:16:38
that's the monster
00:16:54
Leonard spent several minutes talking to
00:16:57
the driver of the truck they did not
00:16:59
appear to know each other but their
00:17:01
conversation was cordial when Leonard
00:17:08
returned he told Jared that the man
00:17:11
wanted to look at one of his stud horses
00:17:15
Leonard gave no sign that he found
00:17:17
anything unusual about the stranger so
00:17:23
he has told me that he was gonna go with
00:17:25
him he said stay here you can go to L
00:17:28
can get some feed and go feed the cows
00:17:30
and heavy back that afternoon
00:17:33
three years later Jarrod Erickson is
00:17:38
still waiting for his father to come
00:17:40
home on March 14th Leonard Erickson
00:17:47
voluntarily left his home with an
00:17:49
unidentified man and never returned
00:17:51
nobody has any idea what happened to him
00:17:54
to this day police have found no signs
00:17:57
of a struggle
00:17:58
no evidence of foul play and no body
00:18:00
their only clue is a mysterious man who
00:18:03
Kimber Leonard's house authorities
00:18:06
believe he is the key to explaining
00:18:07
Leonard Erickson's baffling
00:18:08
disappearance after leaving his home
00:18:14
Leonard Erickson did not simply vanish
00:18:18
two hours later a waitress claims to
00:18:21
have seen him eating breakfast with
00:18:23
another man at a local coffee shop now
00:18:27
that's a little odd to us because at
00:18:29
nine o'clock Leonard just got through
00:18:32
eating breakfast with his son is it's
00:18:36
extremely odd to breakfast --is in the
00:18:38
same day two hours apart they were
00:18:42
sitting there in the restaurant in the
00:18:45
unknown man that we're trying to
00:18:47
identify was doing most of the talking
00:18:49
and Leonard was just drinking coffee and
00:18:51
listening to the man talk the man at the
00:18:57
diner matched the description of the man
00:18:58
who picked Leonard up at his home there
00:19:04
was nothing suspicious about his
00:19:05
behavior than if he had meant to harm
00:19:08
Leonard why would he be seen with him in
00:19:11
a public place police next checked the
00:19:15
barn where Leonard kept his stud horse
00:19:17
but Leonard never came there that day in
00:19:20
fact an exhaustive investigation turned
00:19:23
up absolutely no information on
00:19:25
Leonard's whereabouts until six months
00:19:27
after he vanished
00:19:32
[Music]
00:19:36
but this sighting was even more
00:19:38
perplexing than the first a man at a
00:19:43
barn Amarillo Texas phoned the police
00:19:46
yeah I want to report this guy Leonard
00:19:48
Erickson he's supposed to be missing the
00:19:51
individual the college stated no Leonard
00:19:54
Erickson um from Elk City I can't give
00:19:57
you my name but he's in this bar I know
00:19:59
who he is I know this is him I'm
00:20:01
watching him he's wearing a blue check
00:20:03
shirt and he's drunk yeah I'm at the
00:20:07
highway bar in Amarillo yeah yeah yeah
00:20:10
I'll wait till you get here and then
00:20:15
they call terminates
00:20:16
by the time local police arrived at the
00:20:19
remote bar both the caller and the man
00:20:21
he claims as Leonard Erickson were gone
00:20:26
the following day the Roger Mills County
00:20:29
Sheriff's Department interviewed the
00:20:31
bartender I remember the guy who made
00:20:33
the two phone calls she remembered the
00:20:36
caller being at the bar and corroborated
00:20:38
his story we had no reason to disbelieve
00:20:41
it it almost stretches the imagination
00:20:43
that a guy would dance around in the bar
00:20:46
screaming hollering it's Leonard it's
00:20:47
Leonard and it not be Leonard I believe
00:20:50
he was in the bar in Amarillo but why
00:20:54
was Leonard Erickson hanging out in an
00:20:56
Amarillo bar six months after being
00:20:58
reported missing
00:21:01
Korea voluntarily disappeared if so why
00:21:08
Leonard had recently suffered through a
00:21:10
painful divorce and investigators
00:21:12
believe his dairy business was
00:21:14
collapsing along with a rapidly dropping
00:21:16
price of milk could Leonard have decided
00:21:19
to escape both his alleged financial and
00:21:21
personal problems once and for all
00:21:24
it's entirely possible Leonard left on
00:21:26
his own I don't know where he would be
00:21:32
today I believe it's possible that he's
00:21:35
working as a ranch hand somewhere or on
00:21:38
a dairy or a cattle ranch or even horses
00:21:42
there is only one problem with that
00:21:44
scenario
00:21:47
Leonard's son Jerrod Niemann dad we was
00:21:51
together every day every morning we'd go
00:21:54
work do the chores and I'd go school I
00:21:57
don't think he would have ever left me
00:22:01
and not every company nothing cuz it's
00:22:03
he was close and I don't think you ever
00:22:06
done that didn't and there's no way he
00:22:09
would have ever left Jared and gone off
00:22:12
and not ever let anybody know he was too
00:22:16
close we were all too close a family to
00:22:19
do that
00:22:24
if Leonard would not have left his son
00:22:26
behind the focus then switches back to
00:22:30
the mysterious man one aspect of this
00:22:32
case has always troubled investigators
00:22:35
gerrae did not know the man and Leonard
00:22:41
did not act as if he did either but then
00:22:44
how did the stranger know where Leonard
00:22:46
lived and why was he asking about a
00:22:48
horse that Leonard had not advertised as
00:22:50
for sale where Leonard lived north of
00:22:56
Cheyenne Oklahoma the man would have had
00:22:59
to know how to have gotten there because
00:23:00
it's just not a straight drive there
00:23:03
they'd have to turn and go on the back
00:23:04
roads and things
00:23:07
so he knew the area to get there someone
00:23:11
had given him directions how to get to
00:23:13
Leonard's Oh
00:23:16
there's a possibility that that this man
00:23:19
was involved in setting Leonard up to be
00:23:22
murdered if this man didn't do the
00:23:23
murder he may have taken Leonard
00:23:25
somewhere to someone that wanted to
00:23:27
that's a possibility we just we don't
00:23:30
have a motive for that have not found
00:23:33
one without a motive the search for
00:23:37
Leonard Erickson will continue to be
00:23:39
hampered until then his family can only
00:23:41
pray that Leonard is safe and well
00:23:43
somewhere and was someday return home to
00:23:49
never ever hear anything it's hard
00:23:53
because there's no end to it and for a
00:23:57
year after I would listen to the news
00:24:00
and they would say they had found the
00:24:01
body someplace you know I would just
00:24:05
think maybe that's him maybe this is it
00:24:09
but nothing anywhere this is a composite
00:24:15
drawing of the man last seen with
00:24:17
Leonard Erickson he was driving a white
00:24:21
Ford pickup and wearing a baseball hat
00:24:23
with a phrase no fear on the front
00:24:26
police would like to question him
00:24:28
regarding Lehner's disappearance
00:24:35
Leonard Erickson is six feet tall has
00:24:38
brown hair and weighs approximately 200
00:24:41
pounds
00:24:41
[Music]
00:24:54
January 1987 the exclusive area of
00:24:58
Buckhead in Atlanta Georgia a woman lay
00:25:02
dead in the doorway of her home her name
00:25:05
was Lida McClinton Sullivan the daughter
00:25:08
of one of Georgia's most politically
00:25:10
prominent african-american families her
00:25:14
husband was James Sullivan heir to a
00:25:16
million-dollar family fortune police had
00:25:21
no idea who killed leader or why the
00:25:25
only clue was a dozen blood spattered
00:25:28
roses who killed Lida Sullivan
00:25:33
authorities are left with a baffling
00:25:35
mystery could Lida have been the victim
00:25:38
of a random robbery attempt or cut her
00:25:41
own husband had been involved in a
00:25:43
conspiracy to commit murder James
00:25:49
Sullivan met Lita McClinton at Nevada
00:25:52
mall in 1975 Lita was training to be a
00:25:56
clothing buyer for a department store a
00:26:03
Boston native James Sullivan was refined
00:26:05
and charming leader soon fell in love
00:26:10
[Laughter]
00:26:16
when James Sullivan married into litas
00:26:18
family her Paris fear that his real
00:26:20
motive was to capitalize on the
00:26:22
political influence that the McClinton
00:26:24
family had earned through years of
00:26:26
public service I think that was one of
00:26:30
his attractions to Lita he needed
00:26:33
someone who could give him a better
00:26:37
social stand against status eventually
00:26:40
the couple moved into this home in Palm
00:26:42
Beach Florida leaders parents say that
00:26:49
in time
00:26:50
Sullivan wanted to control every aspect
00:26:52
of their daughter's life he had
00:26:56
originally said that he did not want her
00:26:58
to work but then he would give her such
00:27:01
a small budget that it was no way
00:27:04
practical to quote buy groceries to take
00:27:08
care of the household and things like
00:27:10
that
00:27:11
in 1985 Lita filed for divorce and left
00:27:15
her husband moving into a townhouse they
00:27:17
owned in Atlanta
00:27:18
leda's family says Sullivan was outraged
00:27:21
and feared he could lose millions in a
00:27:24
divorce settlement the day leader was
00:27:28
scheduled to testify at her divorce case
00:27:30
was the same day she was murdered
00:27:35
police would discover that a witness had
00:27:37
seen a man come to the door carrying a
00:27:39
box of flowers although the suspect was
00:27:55
seen fleeing the property he could not
00:27:57
be identified at the time of the killing
00:28:00
leaders husband James was at the
00:28:02
couple's home in Palm Beach he had an
00:28:06
alibi unless it was a contract killing
00:28:10
40 minutes later Jim Sullivan receives a
00:28:14
collect phone call from outside Atlanta
00:28:16
and when I retraced the time from
00:28:18
Buckhead where Lida was murdered to
00:28:21
where the phone booth was who's exactly
00:28:22
40 minutes I believe the killer was
00:28:25
calling Saldana telling the job is done
00:28:27
police traced the flowers to a shop for
00:28:30
a clerk remembered a nervous man buying
00:28:32
them before the murder
00:28:35
they said the telephone records show
00:28:37
that just before the killing three men
00:28:40
who had checked into a Georgia Motel
00:28:42
using false identification made calls to
00:28:45
Sullivan's home police now thought they
00:28:50
had a case to take to trial they were
00:28:52
wrong the judge dismissed the case for
00:28:55
lack of evidence a relieved James
00:28:59
Sullivan spoke with a press following
00:29:01
the decision
00:29:02
I want everyone listening to this to
00:29:06
know that I am absolutely innocent I had
00:29:11
nothing to do with leda's death her
00:29:15
death was a great tragedy and I thank
00:29:19
God and my attorneys that this ordeal is
00:29:24
over leaders family believed James
00:29:27
Sullivan was getting away with murder
00:29:30
Jim had Lita killed because of money
00:29:37
Jim loved money just eight months after
00:29:43
the murder
00:29:44
Sullivan married again this time to a
00:29:48
woman named Sookie Rogers but three
00:29:53
years later Sookie and Sullivan were
00:29:55
involved in their own bitter divorce in
00:29:58
1991 Sookie told police that Sullivan
00:30:01
admitted to her that he hired someone to
00:30:04
kill leta the McClinton found a four
00:30:07
million dollar civil suit against
00:30:09
Sullivan and one we're not interested in
00:30:13
the money it was really knowing that Jim
00:30:20
was a perpetrator he was a cause of our
00:30:24
daughter's death and we wanted to bring
00:30:26
him to trial
00:30:28
officials believe Sullivan's motive for
00:30:31
murder
00:30:31
was his intense desire not to part with
00:30:33
any of his fortune but they still didn't
00:30:36
think there was enough physical evidence
00:30:37
to win a criminal conviction leaders
00:30:40
devastated family said James Sullivan
00:30:42
had gotten away with murder
00:30:46
February 1998 Georgia investigators
00:30:50
arrest a man they suspect help set up
00:30:52
leaders murder I had a business
00:30:55
arrangement with mr. Sullivan not 11
00:30:58
years ago a man alleged that James
00:31:00
Sullivan masterminded the killing you
00:31:04
know finally a warrant was issued for
00:31:06
Sullivan's arrest he was charged with
00:31:09
murder and aggravated assault
00:31:11
but before police could find him
00:31:13
Sullivan disappeared Sullivan had an
00:31:15
Irish passport and authorities believe
00:31:17
he may have fled to Ireland he planned
00:31:19
it and I really really feel that he
00:31:25
should I just feel that he should pay
00:31:27
with his life I tell him what he already
00:31:31
knows he'll never beat me I will get him
00:31:38
[Music]
00:31:46
[Music]
00:31:54
[Music]
00:32:11
this brownstone in Boston is filled with
00:32:14
patients people with real ailments
00:32:17
hoping to be healed
00:32:19
I'm here to quit smoking and I've been
00:32:22
smoking over 30 years fear of crowds
00:32:26
Lycus when I came to stop biting my
00:32:29
fingernails but this is not a medical
00:32:33
facility it is the office of Euphemia
00:32:36
Ben saw a Soviet immigrant
00:32:39
affectionately known as the mad Russian
00:32:42
my name is the Houston itself hear theme
00:32:45
seems to have an unexplained power that
00:32:47
cures thousands have flocked from all
00:32:50
over the world to experience his Healing
00:32:52
Touch for me right now people can make
00:32:59
appearance smarting during drugs all
00:33:02
kind of bad habits for this under excess
00:33:05
body weight lost and this Russian wonder
00:33:16
really heal or is he a charlatan playing
00:33:19
on people's hopes can a simple wave of a
00:33:22
hand change a life you be the judge
00:33:26
[Music]
00:33:29
Maranda Beeson is a successful New York
00:33:32
business woman with an addiction
00:33:34
she couldn't quit smoking I really
00:33:37
adored smoking and I smoked great
00:33:39
cigarettes I won't name the brand I
00:33:41
loved them all but I had tried to
00:33:45
numerous other kinds of ways of smoking
00:33:48
cessation and they had not been
00:33:50
successful and I thought I have nothing
00:33:52
to lose so Miranda went to Boston for a
00:33:57
session with your theme and smoked what
00:33:59
she hoped was her last cigarette okay
00:34:03
okay be brave be brave because what we
00:34:06
have to do inside Miranda joined a dozen
00:34:09
others looking for a final cure to their
00:34:11
chronic pain or addiction for $65
00:34:14
precession a theme holds a group healing
00:34:17
followed by individual meetings
00:34:19
initially he tries to alleviate any
00:34:22
overt pain who have pain phobia at some
00:34:27
addiction of some sort you have will
00:34:29
have everybody you have why you here why
00:34:31
you here I want to quit smoking good
00:34:33
smoke people he's incredibly dynamic you
00:34:36
have yes you got pain where here in my
00:34:39
back pain you up it's a power of focus
00:34:41
so that when he focuses on you you're
00:34:44
engaged
00:34:47
we kind of sensed this fireball across
00:34:51
the room and that pain is gone yefim
00:34:57
claims his hand gestures are a
00:34:59
reorganization of what he calls bio
00:35:01
energy it's like somebody throwing a
00:35:06
really fast curveball you're the catcher
00:35:09
he's the pitcher you're there you catch
00:35:12
it what I want you to do is to think in
00:35:15
your mind the first very first puff of
00:35:17
cigarette that you take in her
00:35:19
one-on-one session they discuss her
00:35:21
specific problems
00:35:23
Miranda's 20-year addiction to
00:35:25
cigarettes well some people say he
00:35:29
sneezes on you which is not what it does
00:35:31
at all but he kind of gives you this
00:35:35
parting gift after her session Miranda's
00:35:40
desire for cigarettes disappeared she
00:35:43
claims the craving stopped I was somehow
00:35:48
profoundly changed I just know that I'm
00:35:51
greater than this habit at this point so
00:35:54
it cannot move in since her visit to you
00:35:59
FEMA over two years ago Aranda has
00:36:01
remained a nonsmoker and believes it you
00:36:04
theme was key to her success according
00:36:09
to you theme he has helped thousands
00:36:11
like Miranda and thousands more who
00:36:14
suffer from another common addiction
00:36:16
overeating her weight loss I helped
00:36:20
dramatically remove desire to eat
00:36:22
whatever you want
00:36:23
remove desire ticking between meals I
00:36:25
remove desire to eat big portions
00:36:27
etcetera etcetera but exercise I cannot
00:36:30
do instead of you Louise coal is a
00:36:33
single mother living in Bradenton
00:36:35
Florida when both were young children
00:36:37
became seriously ill the emotional
00:36:41
stress and financial pressure were
00:36:42
overwhelming and Louise began to overeat
00:36:49
yeah I would actually hide food just
00:36:53
just for emergencies for me and because
00:36:56
I knew that it did comfort me
00:36:58
so after things were quiet and
00:37:00
everything was taken care of instead of
00:37:01
falling apart emotionally and
00:37:03
exhaustedly crying or you know just
00:37:05
falling to sleep I would go to the
00:37:07
kitchen and bring out my goodies
00:37:10
chocolate is probably one of my favorite
00:37:13
things and I would get so excited
00:37:14
because I'm gonna I'm looking through
00:37:17
the top of the chocolate and I'm
00:37:18
thinking okay this is my favorite I'm
00:37:19
gonna eat this I'm gonna eat that
00:37:21
knowing in the back of my mind it didn't
00:37:24
matter which one I started with because
00:37:25
I was gonna finish the box
00:37:27
Louise tried to end the binging but
00:37:30
couldn't and when I reached 187 pounds I
00:37:33
realized that now it's not an ego issue
00:37:35
it's a health issue I went from the high
00:37:40
protein diets the low carb diet the
00:37:42
watermelon diet a grapefruit diet
00:37:45
I took prescription diet pills and none
00:37:48
of these worked just just could not get
00:37:50
it Louise decided to take a chance and
00:37:55
visit you Fein after her session she
00:37:58
immediately felt different and within
00:38:01
three months saw positive results I had
00:38:05
lost 17 pounds and now it's down to 20
00:38:08
pounds so I feel good about that I think
00:38:11
it's a it's a very healthy 1 to 2 pounds
00:38:13
a week and I I like that
00:38:16
I have a new feeling and outlook
00:38:19
emotionally towards food it will never
00:38:22
have the power over me that it once had
00:38:25
but hoarded you fiends gift for healing
00:38:28
come front as he tells it he was
00:38:31
delivering artwork one day and a
00:38:34
stranger walked up to him on the street
00:38:35
and said something about his having a
00:38:37
very strong energy field nothing it
00:38:41
turned out to be a researcher from a
00:38:43
Soviet laboratory that was studying the
00:38:45
paranormal and this person persuaded him
00:38:48
to come to the laboratory and have some
00:38:50
tests conducted evidently when he put
00:38:53
his hands on or over plants the plants
00:38:55
perked right up at one point a
00:38:58
researcher in the laboratory was
00:39:00
suffering from a migraine and without
00:39:02
really quite knowing what he was doing
00:39:03
he removed the pain he took the pain
00:39:07
away and that's when he realized that
00:39:12
although he wasn't quite sure what he
00:39:14
was doing he was definitely doing
00:39:16
something to heal people in 1979 Yaffe
00:39:22
moved to America for his curative powers
00:39:24
were soon touted by the media Yefim also
00:39:28
attracted the attention of the medical
00:39:29
world in 1982 to Harvard University
00:39:33
Health Service doctors decided to do a
00:39:35
clinical trial the goal was to verify
00:39:38
your theme's success rate to
00:39:41
psychotherapist asked him to come and
00:39:44
work with a number of patients of theirs
00:39:46
whom they had treated without success
00:39:48
these were people with fear of needles
00:39:50
phobias smoking pain they first observed
00:39:56
the healing sessions are you actually a
00:39:58
doctor no I'm not a dumb can you help me
00:40:01
get over my fear of needles well of
00:40:02
course I can of course I want her to sit
00:40:04
in this chair come over here sit here i
00:40:07
watch watch what any but they have
00:40:12
questions nobody questioned the doctors
00:40:15
and kept track of the trial group for
00:40:17
four months
00:40:18
he saw all of these patients and managed
00:40:22
to cure 85% of them tell me about the
00:40:25
tetanus shot well when I went into the
00:40:27
doctor's office I wasn't nervous at all
00:40:29
I had no fear of the needle when the
00:40:32
Harvard doctors studied what he had done
00:40:35
they were able to conclude that he had
00:40:37
not hypnotized anyone no no wasn't like
00:40:40
hypnosis at all
00:40:42
in fact they weren't really sure what he
00:40:44
had done they just knew that whatever he
00:40:45
did it worked the published results from
00:40:50
the Harvard trial state that you themes
00:40:52
powers were genuine as were the positive
00:40:55
results the Harvard study at most shows
00:41:00
that there is some real effect here most
00:41:03
probably a placebo effect and when they
00:41:05
state that something real happened they
00:41:08
don't mean real psychic power or
00:41:11
anything like that but that a real
00:41:12
mental power in the in the patients
00:41:15
themselves happened I don't think yefim
00:41:18
has any special power at all other than
00:41:20
the power to convince people that they
00:41:22
can implement change in their own lives
00:41:26
although your theme's gift remains
00:41:29
undefinable both Miranda and Louise
00:41:32
believe in it I don't think anybody
00:41:34
knows how it works I just know that it
00:41:36
does work and I've been very successful
00:41:38
with it you may go see him and say I
00:41:43
don't understand a word this man says I
00:41:45
don't know what he's doing you can be
00:41:48
suspect or you can say you know what I
00:41:50
go around once what do I have to lose
00:41:53
[Music]
00:42:00
it is hard not to be intrigued by the
00:42:02
mad Russian and his mystifying energy
00:42:05
but is he able to heal with a wave of a
00:42:07
hand or is it only the power of
00:42:10
suggestion that it work here the truth
00:42:13
remains an unsolved mystery for more
00:42:24
cases that are stranger than fiction
00:42:26
stories all the more remarkable because
00:42:28
they are true join me next time on
00:42:32
unsolved mysteries
00:42:34
[Music]
00:42:39
[Music]
00:42:46
[Music]
00:42:58
[Music]
00:43:09
[Applause]
00:43:10
[Music]
00:43:10
[Applause]
00:43:13
[Music]

Badges

This episode stands out for the following:

  • 80
    Most shocking
  • 75
    Most heartbreaking
  • 70
    Most dramatic
  • 70
    Most surprising

Episode Highlights

  • The Murders of Mary Morris
    Two women named Mary Morris are found murdered in Houston just days apart, raising questions about a possible connection.
    “Two women both named Mary Morris found murdered in their cars.”
    @ 04m 52s
    May 23, 2019
  • Leonard Erickson's Disappearance
    Leonard Erickson vanishes after leaving home with a mysterious stranger, leaving his family in despair.
    “Nobody has any idea what happened to him to this day.”
    @ 17m 54s
    May 23, 2019
  • The Baffling Case of Lida Sullivan
    Lida Sullivan, from a prominent family, is found dead in her home, leaving police puzzled.
    “Who killed Lida Sullivan?”
    @ 25m 33s
    May 23, 2019
  • James Sullivan's Innocence Claim
    James Sullivan insists on his innocence following the murder of his wife Lita.
    “I want everyone listening to this to know that I am absolutely innocent.”
    @ 29m 02s
    May 23, 2019
  • Murder Motive Revealed
    Lita's family believes James Sullivan had a financial motive for her murder.
    “Jim had Lita killed because of money.”
    @ 29m 30s
    May 23, 2019
  • Miranda's Transformation
    After a session with Yefim, Miranda claims her craving for cigarettes disappeared.
    “I just know that I’m greater than this habit.”
    @ 35m 51s
    May 23, 2019
  • Yefim's Healing Powers
    Patients believe in Yefim's mysterious ability to heal, despite skepticism.
    “I don’t think anybody knows how it works I just know that it does work.”
    @ 41m 34s
    May 23, 2019

Episode Quotes

  • Two women both named Mary Morris found murdered in their cars.
    Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 11, Episode 3 - Full Episode
  • The astronomical odds of two Marys murdered three days apart.
    Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 11, Episode 3 - Full Episode
  • I can't imagine that two women with the same name would be murdered.
    Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 11, Episode 3 - Full Episode
  • I want everyone listening to this to know that I am absolutely innocent.
    Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 11, Episode 3 - Full Episode
  • I really really feel that he should pay with his life.
    Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 11, Episode 3 - Full Episode
  • I don’t think anybody knows how it works I just know that it does work.
    Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 11, Episode 3 - Full Episode

Key Moments

  • Disappearance17:40
  • Baffling Mystery25:33
  • Divorce Filing27:11
  • Murder Case27:35
  • Murder Investigation28:10
  • Healing Session34:17
  • Weight Loss Success38:01
  • Mystifying Energy42:02

Words per Minute Over Time

Vibes Breakdown

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