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Unsolved Mysteries with Dennis Farina - Season 6, Episode 2

March 09, 2017 / 42:53

This episode of Unsolved Mysteries covers the mysterious death of rock star Bobby Fuller, the controversial murder conviction of Larry Race, the spirit of Patience Worth communicating through a Ouija board, and the reunion of Vietnam veteran Jim Bukowski with his nurse Linda Sharp.

The segment on Bobby Fuller details his rise to fame with the hit "I Fought the Law" and his suspicious death in 1966. Friends and family question the suicide ruling, noting inconsistencies in the investigation and the circumstances surrounding his death.

The case of Larry Race involves the tragic drowning of his wife Debbie in Lake Superior. Despite being convicted of her murder, many, including Debbie's parents, believe he is innocent and that her death was an accident.

The episode also features the story of Patience Worth, a 17th-century spirit who purportedly wrote numerous literary works through Pearl Curran using a Ouija board, raising questions about the authenticity of the writings.

Finally, Jim Bukowski shares his emotional journey to thank Captain Linda Sharp, the nurse who saved his life during the Vietnam War, culminating in a heartfelt reunion.

TL;DR

The episode covers Bobby Fuller's mysterious death, Larry Race's murder conviction, the spirit Patience Worth, and Jim Bukowski's reunion with his nurse.

Episode

42:53
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[Music]
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next on Unsolved
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Mysteries in the 60s Bobby Fuller was a
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young rock and roll star with a top 10
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hit then one day he was found dead in
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his car and nobody knows how or why he
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died 33-year-old Debbie race died in ycy
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waters of Lake Superior her husband is
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accused of her murder but he says that
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it was a tragic
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accident some believe a 17th century
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Spirit named patience worth wrote over
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30 volumes of books speaking through a
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Ouija
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port and a Vietnam vet has always wanted
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to thank the nurse who saved his life
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and his marriage when he was wounded and
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close to
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death five stories they're all strange
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but they are all all true I'm Dennis
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finina and this is Unsolved Mysteries
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[Music]
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Hollywood
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California July 18th
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1966 the lifeless body of a popular
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young Rockstar lies in the front seat of
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his car it's a death that breaks a
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million hearts
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[Music]
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his name was Bobby Fuller his band The
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Bobby Fuller four hit a big when I
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fought the law shot to the top of the
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CHS they were four country boys from Al
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pasel and Bobby was the
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[Music]
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star they said he'd have been Rock
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overis Presley
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everybody that knew him would uh would
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describe him as a musical
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genius B was one of the most onp purpose
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uh musicians I've ever met in my life he
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was going to be it he was going to do
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it was something that came from within
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him and I think he was very driven from
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an early age it was just he was
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single-minded in The Pursuit Of
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[Music]
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[Applause]
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Music Bobby's career was almost over
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before before it got started but when
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police suggested that Bobby Fuller
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committed suicide it was the beginning
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of a mystery that continues to this
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day when I heard Bobby was dead and
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somebody said he had committed
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suicide I said that's not the Bobby I
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know I mean here is a man who had
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everything to live
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for it has all the elements of a mystery
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novel a handsome victim a mysterious
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woman a suspicious cause of death and
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then there were those rumors about drugs
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and the mod all that's missing is the
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Final Chapter to explain how and why
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Rockstar Bobby Fuller really
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[Music]
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died Bobby was born with music in his
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blood his idols were Elvis Presley Roy
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Orbison and especially fellow Texan
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Buddy Holly when Bobby to Hollywood and
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sign with Deli records he seemed
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destined to be the next big
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[Music]
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star by
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1966 the band was headlighting at hot
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spots across the country if Bobby was a
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man on the brink of suicide no one
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around him suspected
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it his mother found no gun no knife no
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note I'll meet you in the apartment we
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can talk to his mother why don't you go
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see how she's doing the police thought
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it was suicide from the start but
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Bobby's body was in full rigor mortise
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when they found him suggesting that he
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had been dead for several hours
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according to Bobby's mother suicide just
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did not make
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sense she claimed that Bobby's car had
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been gone all night and was still not
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there when she checked during the
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following day
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it wasn't until 5:00 p.m. when Bobby's
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mother went to pick up the mail that the
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car had mysteriously
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appeared the problem is that dead men
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don't drive
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cars that car got into that lot and
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Bobby did not drive it so the question
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is who did where did it come from why
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did they bring it back where did they
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go the death scene itself was strange
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there was blood on Bobby's face and
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chest and on the car seat his body and
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clothes were soaked with gasoline on the
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floorboard was a partly full gas can
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with a rubber hose attached to the
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spout Bob Keane of Deli records arrived
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while police were still
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[Music]
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investigating about the same time I got
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there the plane closed detective threw
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the can of gas and a dumpster excuse me
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isn't that evidence no that's not
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evidence he that's just another one of
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those rock and roll punks he committed
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suicide or something like that
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the police department didn't do anything
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they didn't take prints they didn't ask
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any questions of anybody it was like
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just a a buom off the
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street at first it was thought that
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Bobby died after drinking gasoline but
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the autopsy revealed no gasoline in his
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stomach his death was then attributed to
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inhaling gasoline fumes even the
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coroner's report has discrepancies on
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one page it is marked an accident and
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another page there's a question mark
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next to accident and a question mark
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next to Suicide there was nothing
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conclusive to suggest that Bobby had
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committed
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suicide the other unusual aspect of this
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was that Bobby looked as if he had been
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beaten up now some of this could have
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been the result of the early
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decomposition of the body or could have
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been earlier injuries bruises what have
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you but two or three people said that he
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had a broken finger and there was blood
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on his shirt
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nothing seemed to point to Suicide but
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the police were insistent some believe
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it was an off-hand remark made by
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Bobby's mother which led to that ruling
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she did say that he had been upset in
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recent days but did not suggest that he
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had been depressed or despondent as they
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had reported and she was very upset
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later on that they had concluded that he
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had committed suicide because she
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believed that he was incapable of that
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those closest to Bobby admit that in the
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days leading up to his death he was
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unhappy with Bob Keane and Deli records
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the drum kid says Bobby Fuller 4 I don't
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want to hear Buddy Holly come on I think
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it sounds fine Bob I want to hear Bobby
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Fuller I Buddy Holly was his God and he
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wanted to play like Buddy Holly and I
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was constantly saying no don't do that
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because you are Bobby Fuller you have
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your own Talent we were at odds
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sometimes in actually making the music
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the record Bobby but if it wasn't
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suicide was it
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murder the answer May lie with a
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beautiful young woman known as
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Melody that's good let take five even
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Bobby's closest friends and his mother
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didn't really know much about her except
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that he was occasionally seeing her and
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it was very much a clandestine kind of
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affair some believe that Bobby kept the
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affair secret because Melody's boyfriend
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who may have had ties to the Mob was
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still in the
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picture there was a very nefarious
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character in La at the time who was
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operating a number of nightclubs and had
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a reputation for being a violent man and
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this was supposedly his girlfriend but
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nobody really knew except that she did
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exist uh Bobby did have a certain amount
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of affection for her and tried to see
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her occasionally that's all we know
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Randy Fuller remembers that Bobby had
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planned to go to a party with Melody the
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night before he was found dead it's just
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a party man where guess down at the
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beach so there going to be any drugs
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there tonight I don't think so melody
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was going to drive him there and and
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introduce him to a lot of big time
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people and that there would probably be
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a lot of you know drinking and
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everything else going on and I told him
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not to uh do anything that would get him
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in any trouble or anything and he
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promised me he
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[Music]
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wouldn't what happened at the party is
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still unknown but soon after Bobby's
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death there were rumors of a drug
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overdose and a possible cover
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up I'd heard that Melody had turned
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Bobby on to hdden acid a couple of times
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one of the possibilities is that he was
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at a party with other celebrities and
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something happened
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[Music]
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an accident possibly or a fight of
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course they didn't want to be involved
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with it the celebrities so somebody said
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well look let's make it look like
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suicide but there were no drugs in
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Bobby's system and no one could explain
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why he was DED with gasoline or how the
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car got back to his
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apartment my mother went to her grve
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with a broken heart and I hurt every day
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you know some somebody out there knows
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something and I just wish I could
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[Applause]
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[Music]
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know Bobby had people talking about him
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as the next Buddy Holly more importantly
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when you know that here's a man who
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would never have committed suicide on
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the brink of superstardom who must have
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been murdered we want to know who did it
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and why
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[Music]
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update after the initial broadcast of
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this story we received a call from the
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mysterious woman known as Melody she
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confirmed many of the facts that we
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presented in our story but she disagreed
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with two important
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details first she says that she was
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never involved with anyone who had ties
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to the Mob and second she insists that
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she was not with Bobby the night he died
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and that she has no knowledge of the
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alleged
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party Melody also said she believes
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Bobby did not commit
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suicide since the Airing of this story
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the cause of Bobby's death has been
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officially changed from suicide to
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accident his family would like to exume
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his body in hopes that new technology
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might be able to solve the mystery of
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his death
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if you have any information about this
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story please log on to our website at
00:12:05
unsolved.com
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next a Minnesota man is found guilty of
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letting his wife freeze to death in the
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icy waters of Lake Superior but even her
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parents say he is innocent
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Lake
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Superior the water temperature here is
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close to freezing for most of the year a
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person a drift without a life rra has
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little chance of surviving when she was
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found dead at the edge of the lake
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33-year-old Debbie race still had her
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life jacket on she hadn't drowned she
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died of hypothermia from exposure to the
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IC
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water Debbie's husband Larry race was
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accused of intentionally letting his own
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wife freeze the death he was eventually
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convicted of her murder but many even
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Debbie's parents believe that Larry race
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is not
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guilty Larry race was sentenced to life
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in prison but he still claims that he is
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innocent he says the jury was prejudiced
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against him because he had a long
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history of INF that what happened that
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night was an accident I didn't kill
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Debbie I had nothing to do with her
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death on that night um
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adultery yes I'm guilty for that sorry
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for
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it I'm I'm extremely
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sorry Debbie and Larry had three
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children and lived 75 miles from Lake
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Superior Debbie's life revolved around
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home and family she worked hard to keep
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her marriage together Larry had many
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Affairs but he says that he and Debbie
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had vowed to try
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again to celebrate their 14th wedding
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anniversary Debbie and Larry had dinner
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at a Lake View Restaurant and then took
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their boat named the Jenny Lee for an
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evening cruise on Lake
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Superior it felt as if things were
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starting over again and I was thinking
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you know I have a a wonderful woman here
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there's nothing wrong with her and I
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want to take an about about
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face as Darkness fell they were about
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one mile offshore enjoying the view of
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the city lights and listening to tapes
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of their favorite music tape over do you
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want to listen to another one no that's
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good Larry says that Debbie noticed the
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boat was taking on water oh the boat
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Where's that coming from
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honey as soon as we pulled the cover off
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the engine we noticed there was water
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spraying all over the place kill the
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engine turn the engine on we shut the
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engine down and dropped the alternator
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as soon as we dropped the alternator
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shut the engine down the water leaky
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stopped like going a hold I think it'll
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work once we got all the repairs done
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Debbie went to start the
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engine why both start just turn it over
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one more time well I figured she just
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didn't know how to start it right so I
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went to start it wouldn't start for me
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either so now we're both back by the
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engine wondering why it won't
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start God the fear came to both of us
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when we heard that gushing and that
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whooing noise from the bottom of the
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boat I made poor judgments I listened to
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what she said get off the boat cck the
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valve on this when I get it together
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okay tell me when you're ready first
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thing we did was pull the life Raff out
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to get it blown up we always carry um
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scuba tank on the board for that purpose
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Larry there's holes and it is it's the
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number of rafts on the Jenny Lee would
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be a key question at Larry's murder
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trial we can't use this so we tossed
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that one aside and got the second one
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and we filled that one up the same way
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we started the first one and that was
00:16:03
filled it worked
00:16:05
fine one more even though these are two
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men rafts there's only room for one
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person in that
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boat you're going to get in here and I'm
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going to drag us to shore okay all right
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Larry was a strong swimmer and thought
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that he could tow Debbie and the raft to
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shore she said the same thing she said
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Larry you're strong enough you can do it
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I pushed and I pushed and I was making
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it I was I was okay but I started
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getting cold no no no Larry the water's
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coming in she was terrified and at that
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time I knew I couldn't get in raft and
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um I thought that you know I would die
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and uh looked off to the right and there
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was lights coming I said I'll go for
00:16:50
help out there the was going that way
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toward Shore I was going the opposite
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way for help one of us were going to get
00:16:57
somebody to help
00:16:59
the light that Larry saw was his own
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boat this time the engine started he
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began searching for Debbie and fired
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distress flares finally Larry returned
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to Shore and notified the Coast Guard
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they searched for Debbie but didn't find
00:17:18
her the next afternoon a teenager found
00:17:22
Debbie's body on the shore Larry was
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charged with murder
00:17:29
the case against Larry was
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circumstantial however the prosecuting
00:17:33
attorney John Danto was able to convince
00:17:36
a jury that Larry had the opportunity
00:17:39
the means and the motive to murder his
00:17:42
wife I have absolutely no doubt that
00:17:45
Larry race is guilty of first-degree
00:17:47
murder and that's why I believe that
00:17:50
this is not an appropriate case for
00:17:52
Unsolved Mysteries it simply is not an
00:17:54
unsolved mystery I believe the evidence
00:17:56
showed that he wanted out of an an
00:17:58
unhappy marriage at this time in his
00:18:00
life and at the same time he had
00:18:03
$108,000 of life insurance on her life
00:18:06
in place that he had purchased within
00:18:08
the 7 months previous to her death
00:18:10
through credit life insurance part of
00:18:12
Larry's defense was built around the
00:18:15
number of Life rafts on the Jenny Lee
00:18:18
Larry race insists he had two a damaged
00:18:21
raft that wouldn't inflate and the one
00:18:24
that held air the raft Debbie was in
00:18:26
when she disappeared
00:18:28
however the prosecution claims that
00:18:31
there was only one raft and Larry used
00:18:33
it to commit the murder according to the
00:18:37
prosecution Debbie's raft was in
00:18:39
excellent condition Larry pushed it far
00:18:42
from the Jenny Lee then returned to the
00:18:44
boat there he put on his scuba
00:18:48
gear Larry then swam back under Debbie's
00:18:51
raft and slashed it with a knife
00:18:54
according to the prosecution he left
00:18:56
Debbie to freeze to death in the icy
00:19:03
waters only one life Ra was recovered
00:19:06
after the incident and it had holes in
00:19:09
it but was the damage from routine wear
00:19:13
or from Larry's sabotage as the
00:19:15
prosecution insisted Larry Race's guilt
00:19:18
or innocence rested on the answer to
00:19:21
that question this was very significant
00:19:23
evidence at the trial and it was that
00:19:26
there were five punctures or cuts in the
00:19:29
bottom of the raft placed in the raft
00:19:31
while it was inflated because as the
00:19:33
experts testified there was no uh knife
00:19:36
cut on the top of the raft that would
00:19:38
correspond with the bottom puncture
00:19:39
meaning the the air Chambers were uh
00:19:43
inflated and strategically placed in
00:19:45
that they cut both air Chambers it
00:19:48
wasn't a random thing like vandalism
00:19:51
where someone who isn't really intent on
00:19:53
cutting both air Chambers but just
00:19:55
damaging a piece of property they were
00:19:57
placed in both air Chambers from the
00:19:59
bottom while the raft was
00:20:01
inflated but at the trial a deputy
00:20:04
sheriff supported Larry's claim that
00:20:06
there were two life wraps on boarder no
00:20:09
we we don't have a noise maker but we do
00:20:11
have two WPS this Deputy testified that
00:20:15
Larry specifically told him quote what
00:20:18
about rafts I have two that Deputy
00:20:21
testified about that happening over 2
00:20:24
weeks beforehand well sounds like you
00:20:26
got just about everything yeah well if
00:20:28
you got
00:20:29
well the evidence clearly showed there
00:20:31
was but one raft on the Jenny Lee the
00:20:33
night of May 11th and 12th of
00:20:35
1982 everyone of Larry Race's diving
00:20:38
companions or friends testified at the
00:20:41
trial said that they had never seen him
00:20:44
in possession of two blue and yellow
00:20:46
rafts as he claims and also as
00:20:49
significant is the fact that the search
00:20:51
and rescue people from the Coast Guard
00:20:53
said that if that raft had existed they
00:20:55
would have found
00:20:57
it however Larry's claim that Debbie
00:21:00
floated away from him in a raft is
00:21:02
supported by the location where Debbie
00:21:04
was
00:21:05
found Witnesses place the Jenny Lee here
00:21:09
close to the mouth of the Tage River at
00:21:11
8:30 p.m. and again at 9:30 Debbie's
00:21:15
body was found here 7 m away according
00:21:18
to expert testimony it would have been
00:21:21
impossible for a body to drift that far
00:21:24
without a
00:21:25
raft if she had been in the water with a
00:21:28
Parker with a live vest she can only
00:21:31
travel 1 to two miles and will hit sure
00:21:34
somewhere the only way she could have
00:21:37
landed 7 miles down was on a
00:21:41
raft the fact that we just don't know
00:21:44
where the Jenny Lee was on the lake at
00:21:46
the time Larry race persuaded Debbie to
00:21:48
leave it makes it impossible to then
00:21:51
start with a drift theory that would put
00:21:53
her body at such and such a place
00:21:56
whether she's in a raft or without a
00:21:58
raft because we again don't have a
00:22:01
precise starting point we never did have
00:22:03
one and that's what makes it so
00:22:05
difficult to give any credibility to the
00:22:08
abono uh drift theory that was presented
00:22:10
by the defense after hearing all the
00:22:13
evidence a jury of four men and eight
00:22:16
women found Larry race guilty of murder
00:22:20
I couldn't believe it because there was
00:22:22
no hard facts was all
00:22:25
circumstantial there was nothing con
00:22:28
about his case at all except he had his
00:22:31
Affairs it's hard to take you know when
00:22:35
so many people think he was guilty but
00:22:38
it's never been a problem with us we
00:22:40
just don't believe he was
00:22:42
guilty if you only knew Larry you
00:22:45
wouldn't think that Larry would ever do
00:22:47
anything like
00:22:50
that today I'm I'm angry at the fact
00:22:53
that he was able to convince 12 jury
00:22:55
members that this happened without any
00:22:58
fact without any evidence he just says
00:23:01
we think glar did it we want him
00:23:03
convicted and that's what he
00:23:07
did
00:23:09
update after serving 22 years for murder
00:23:13
he says he didn't commit Larry race was
00:23:16
released on parole Debbie's parents
00:23:19
along with Debbie and Larry's children
00:23:21
still believe that he is
00:23:26
innocent coming up a 17th century Spirit
00:23:30
uses a Ouija board to write poetry plays
00:23:33
and novels that win the phases of
00:23:45
critics Luigi board for nearly 3,000
00:23:49
years it has been used to predict the
00:23:51
future and contact the spirits of the
00:23:54
Dead for all its alleged Powers Luigi
00:23:57
board is nothing nothing more than a
00:23:59
flat piece of wood with letters and
00:24:01
numbers and here's how it works with her
00:24:04
hands resting lightly on the pointer one
00:24:07
of the participants asks a question
00:24:10
supposedly the indicator will move on
00:24:12
its own and spell out an
00:24:16
answer the most amazing Ouija experience
00:24:20
began when the spirit of a 17th century
00:24:23
English woman named patience worth spoke
00:24:26
through the board it is said that she
00:24:28
composed 30 volumes of plays novels and
00:24:32
poems from Beyond the
00:24:35
Grave St Louis Missouri
00:24:39
1912 Pearl Kar was the wife of a
00:24:42
successful businessman she had no
00:24:45
interest in the occult and no creative
00:24:47
talent beyond a love of Music Pro Curran
00:24:51
had a very close friend named Emily
00:24:53
Grant Hutchings who was a very active
00:24:55
freelance writer she persuaded Pearl
00:24:57
Curran to take part in some experiments
00:25:00
with the Ouija board around
00:25:02
1912 as far as we know Mrs Curran was
00:25:05
very reluctant Emily I think you've
00:25:07
gotten carried away with this Ouija
00:25:09
board I really do I haven't once a week
00:25:12
Pearl played along to humor her friend
00:25:15
but the IGI only produced giberish Emily
00:25:19
what books have you been
00:25:21
reading sometimes Pearl's mother joined
00:25:23
them with her notebook just in
00:25:27
case and m a n on July 8th 1913 they had
00:25:33
just started when the pointer suddenly
00:25:35
began flying across the board selecting
00:25:38
letters at an incredible speed I to
00:25:42
everyone's surprise the letters formed
00:25:44
words and the words a
00:25:48
sentence many moons ago I lived again I
00:25:52
come patience worth my name
00:25:59
patience oh that's a Quaker name it was
00:26:01
a modest beginning but the woman began
00:26:04
to believe that the spirit of patience
00:26:06
worth a young English woman who had died
00:26:09
250 years before was speaking to them
00:26:12
through the Ouija board see over the
00:26:15
next few months patients began to
00:26:18
dictate literary Works in an
00:26:20
old-fashioned style using words like
00:26:23
thee and thou patients was often asked
00:26:27
why do you speak in such difficult
00:26:28
language and her answer in effect was I
00:26:31
do this because if I spoke in a simpler
00:26:34
way you would assume it was Mrs Curran
00:26:36
speaking and it's not Mrs Curran
00:26:38
speaking it's patience worth
00:26:43
speaking and patience was speaking
00:26:46
volumes by 1915 when Pearl's husband
00:26:50
John took on the job of transcribing the
00:26:52
sessions patience was dictating for
00:26:55
hours on end producing from 500
00:26:58
to 3,000 words at a sitting friends and
00:27:02
curious strangers came to St Louis to
00:27:05
witness The Amazing Creation of poems
00:27:08
plays and
00:27:11
novels William M Rey publisher of a
00:27:14
respected literary journal was one of
00:27:17
those visitors oh I don't believe in
00:27:19
this sort of thing it is rather amazing
00:27:22
this is the Ouija board mhm patience
00:27:25
would you like to greet Mr REI
00:27:30
he patience greeted Mr REI with
00:27:33
characteristic irreverence roughly
00:27:36
translated she said hello Mr fat and
00:27:40
wide fat and wide she doesn't mean
00:27:42
anything she just does nonsense
00:27:44
sometimes she certainly does Mr REI how
00:27:48
would you like to join in and ask
00:27:50
patients a question yourself do you
00:27:53
suppose patience would continue her work
00:27:56
on the novel if I have my hands on why
00:27:59
don't we see well by the end of the
00:28:03
session REI was a Believer yes
00:28:07
yes RI never was willing to admit that
00:28:10
patience worth was indeed a spirit but
00:28:13
what he did Proclaim in his journal was
00:28:16
the the literary merit of the writings
00:28:18
of patience worth in fact he said that
00:28:19
these were extremely extremely
00:28:21
remarkable
00:28:23
writings the praise continued when
00:28:25
patients finished a fulllength novel
00:28:27
called the sorry Tale the book was
00:28:30
immediately published by Henry Holt and
00:28:34
Company a leading historian in St Louis
00:28:37
reviewed the sorry tale and he said
00:28:39
unquestionably this is the greatest book
00:28:42
about Jesus written since the gospels
00:28:45
now for a distinguished historian to
00:28:48
write something of this kind was almost
00:28:50
unheard of because he was putting his
00:28:52
career on the line uh by taking this
00:28:55
position about the writings of someone
00:28:57
purporting to be a
00:28:59
spirit even the New York Times gave the
00:29:01
sorry tale a rave review saying it was
00:29:04
written with quote the Precision and
00:29:07
accuracy of a Master Hand but not
00:29:10
everyone praised the writing some
00:29:13
Skeptics accused pearl of fraud they
00:29:16
claimed that she would memorize stories
00:29:19
all day then at the sessions say that
00:29:22
the words were coming from patient worth
00:29:25
everybody agreed that Pearl Curran lived
00:29:28
the average typical life of a housewife
00:29:30
during the day she would clean her house
00:29:32
she would go grocery shopping she was
00:29:34
not pouring over books all day some
00:29:37
scientists had another theory perhaps
00:29:41
patience and her writings were creations
00:29:43
of Pearl's
00:29:46
subconscious Pearl Curran came from
00:29:48
workingclass parents her father was a
00:29:51
railroad man she quit school at the age
00:29:53
of 13 all of a sudden this provincial St
00:29:56
Louis housewife had a separate
00:29:58
personality that was capable of writing
00:30:01
works that the New York Times labeled
00:30:03
The Works of a genius I just don't see
00:30:05
how science can so readily explain this
00:30:08
phenomenon
00:30:10
way patients worth continued to dictate
00:30:13
through the weiji board and a second
00:30:15
novel entitled hope True Blood hit the
00:30:18
stores in 1918 the communication between
00:30:22
Pearl and patience went on for another
00:30:25
19 years eventually patient dictated
00:30:28
close to 4 million words Pearl's husband
00:30:32
John transcribed the sessions until his
00:30:35
death in
00:30:36
[Music]
00:30:40
1922 in 1930 Pearl moved from St Louis
00:30:44
to Los Angeles and then in November of
00:30:48
1937 a startling prediction patience has
00:30:52
shown me the end of the road so it's
00:30:55
time for you to carry on as best you
00:30:59
can but I'm a bit tired and I think I'm
00:31:02
going to go in for an NA Pearl seemed
00:31:05
healthy when she said those words but
00:31:07
within 2 weeks she became ill and a week
00:31:10
later she was dead the voice of patience
00:31:13
worth had been silenced
00:31:18
forever was patience worth really a
00:31:20
ghost who communicate through Pearl
00:31:23
current perhaps the best answer came
00:31:26
from patience herself
00:31:28
after Relentless questioning by a
00:31:30
skeptic patients wrote back if you are
00:31:33
so sure that this is a
00:31:35
trick let's see you do
00:31:41
it next Lois capillo spent years solving
00:31:46
one family mystery only to discover
00:31:48
another hidden secret
00:32:01
Altadena
00:32:02
California he he's here after 32 years
00:32:06
of searching Lois Capello met her
00:32:09
grandmother Marjorie Kim for the first
00:32:11
time Lois had been given up for adoption
00:32:14
at Birth and had always wanted to find
00:32:17
her
00:32:19
family we all felt just a click the
00:32:23
minute we met it's hard to explain how
00:32:25
total strangers who know nothing about
00:32:27
each other can just click and bond in a
00:32:30
matter of moments with one hug it was
00:32:33
like an answer to a prayer that I had
00:32:36
prayed for 32 years knowing that she was
00:32:39
out there we've been anel just as much
00:32:42
waiting it seemed that Lois's search was
00:32:45
over but then a new family mystery
00:32:48
revealed
00:32:49
itself Lois's birtha John Kim was only
00:32:53
17 when he learned that his girlfriend
00:32:56
Judy was pregnant
00:32:58
Lois was born in November
00:33:00
1963 and immediately put up for
00:33:05
adoption the pregnancy had caused an
00:33:08
uproar in both families by the time Lois
00:33:11
was born they were hardly speaking
00:33:14
marjerie Kim John's mother wanted to
00:33:16
adopt the baby but Judy's parents
00:33:19
wouldn't let her Judy's sister secretly
00:33:22
came by to tell marjerie about the birth
00:33:24
I just wanted to tell you that Judy gave
00:33:26
birth today oh God gosh a boy or a girl
00:33:29
twins girls how wonderful but Judy had
00:33:35
given birth to twins but according to
00:33:37
her sister one of them died at
00:33:42
Birth and that's what marjerie believed
00:33:45
until the day she was reunited with her
00:33:47
granddaughter they had hardly met when
00:33:50
margorie and Lois realized that the past
00:33:52
still held a puzzling mystery Grandma
00:33:56
you should have come back
00:33:58
what do you mean honey you should have
00:34:00
come back i' never been to her house
00:34:02
before so to have someone tell me why
00:34:05
didn't I come back I was very confused
00:34:07
and I said I don't understand what
00:34:09
you're asking me and she well you've
00:34:10
been here before yes you were Honey
00:34:12
about 15 years a Gohan Derek Lois's
00:34:15
cousin Derek stain remembers that day
00:34:19
clearly I was in the front and I was
00:34:21
riding my bike and a car pulled up and a
00:34:26
girl got out
00:34:28
Grandma there's somebody
00:34:30
here can I help you I'm looking for a
00:34:34
Judy cim does she live here well this is
00:34:37
the Kim residence but I'm sorry there's
00:34:40
no Judy here there isn't no well do you
00:34:44
know any Judy Kim I'm
00:34:47
sorry is there somewh I could help you
00:34:50
no it's
00:34:51
okay I'm sorry to bother you thanks
00:34:58
that girl look so
00:35:02
familiar suddenly Marjorie realized that
00:35:05
the girl might have been her long lost
00:35:09
granddaughter and then it hit me and to
00:35:12
myself I said dear God I let her leave
00:35:15
it was Johnny's daughter and I let her
00:35:18
leave she said she looked just like your
00:35:19
father she looked like you you know I
00:35:21
don't understand if you haven't been
00:35:22
here who was
00:35:23
it my twin but she died what if she
00:35:28
didn't oh God l oh God it's like a
00:35:33
little thing in your stomach just kind
00:35:34
of clenches up and you're just thinking
00:35:35
oh my God you know she didn't die she's
00:35:38
alive and she's you know walking around
00:35:40
there somewhere searching just as I
00:35:43
did back in the day adoption agencies
00:35:46
often tried to have twins adopted
00:35:48
together Lois and the Kims now suspect
00:35:51
that someone claimed one of the twins
00:35:53
died in order to make it easier to place
00:35:56
the babies Lois looked for a death
00:35:58
certificate for her twin but she
00:36:00
couldn't find one I think the lack of
00:36:03
any of that information proves to me
00:36:06
that she is alive and that that girl who
00:36:08
came to the door was my twin
00:36:11
sister I am sure in my heart that the
00:36:14
girl that came to my house 15 16 years
00:36:17
ago was my son John's daughter the twin
00:36:22
I would love with all my heart to see
00:36:24
her to be able to see her like God
00:36:27
answered my prayer was with Lois let's
00:36:30
sit on a eat shall we for Lois finding
00:36:32
her father's family has been a rich and
00:36:34
rewarding experience one that she hopes
00:36:37
to soon share with her twin sister hang
00:36:40
on I got a couple she has a family who
00:36:43
loves her who' like to get to know her
00:36:46
we may have missed the first 30 years or
00:36:48
so of our life but we have many more to
00:36:50
get to know each other and that I'd like
00:36:53
to meet her and have her be a part of my
00:36:55
life Lois is twin sister was born at St
00:36:59
an's maternity hospital in Los Angeles
00:37:02
on either November 8th or November 13th
00:37:05
1963 she might look very much like Lois
00:37:10
capoto if you have any information about
00:37:13
this story please log on to our website
00:37:16
at
00:37:16
unsolved.com
00:37:18
[Music]
00:37:22
coming up a soldier who almost died in
00:37:25
Vietnam spends years searching for the
00:37:27
nurse who help saved his
00:37:38
life in the summer of
00:37:41
1967 Jim Bukowski married his high
00:37:44
school sweetheart
00:37:45
Dolores a week later he left for
00:37:52
Vietnam 4 months into his Tour of Duty
00:37:55
Jim's platoon was overrun by a l unit of
00:37:58
North Vietnamese troops they blew us to
00:38:02
Smither I went flying through the air I
00:38:05
landed 30 ft down the hill I picked up
00:38:08
my leg that was blown off and I crawled
00:38:11
back up the hill I don't know he's
00:38:13
coming in and out I my first conscious
00:38:15
memory was looking up and
00:38:19
seeing this blonde lady helping me we
00:38:22
need a doctor back over here Captain
00:38:25
Linda Sharp
00:38:28
because of extreme infection what was
00:38:31
left of Jim's leg was amputated at the
00:38:33
hip this was followed by frigid baths to
00:38:37
lower his body temperature hi Jim how
00:38:39
you
00:38:41
doing going for a little swim the lady
00:38:44
was phenomenal hey you know we need to
00:38:46
hurry every time i' open my eyes that
00:38:49
lady's blue eyes would be looking down
00:38:51
at me looks like you're feeling
00:38:54
better hey I promise if you get your
00:38:55
temperature down I can take you out and
00:38:58
go get a couple beers with Captain
00:39:00
Sharp's help Jim began to recover from
00:39:02
his physical wounds but the emotional
00:39:05
trauma was overwhelming
00:39:09
good so you going to write your wife
00:39:12
about your leg I don't know how you were
00:39:14
not allowed to leave the mash unit until
00:39:17
you wrote a letter to your wife I didn't
00:39:20
have the courage to write it she forced
00:39:24
me to do it and then
00:39:27
I didn't know she had sent a letter and
00:39:31
a picture to my wife with
00:39:34
it I don't think that I would have came
00:39:37
back to my wife without Captain
00:39:40
sharp I would very much like to thank
00:39:43
her for what she did for
00:39:46
me and all the other
00:39:49
guys
00:39:51
update before the story even aired Linda
00:39:55
sharp saw a promo and called a
00:39:58
immediately 2 weeks later she and Jim
00:40:01
were reunited Hi how are
00:40:04
you
00:40:08
you believe it you look so good you
00:40:12
really do when I opened the door I was
00:40:16
elated all I wanted to do is give her a
00:40:18
great big hug and just hug her and thank
00:40:21
her and kiss her on the cheek and
00:40:24
just uh just try to show my appre
00:40:27
appreciation I feel very blessed to be
00:40:29
here to actually see him and talk with
00:40:32
him and and uh hear his versions of what
00:40:37
went on we need a doctor back over
00:40:40
here sometimes nurses don't realize that
00:40:42
we have an impact on patients lives and
00:40:45
uh I certainly didn't realize the impact
00:40:47
I had on his life at
00:40:49
all hello how are you over the years
00:40:54
I've thought about about Jim and Dolores
00:40:57
and wondered how they were doing and if
00:40:59
they were still together and and uh
00:41:01
seeing the show on TV and seeing them in
00:41:04
the segment was just uh the best news
00:41:07
that that just made it all worthwhile it
00:41:08
really pulled things together for me and
00:41:10
it it reinforced that that what I did
00:41:13
over there was uh important Linda this
00:41:15
is my son Cory hi Cory how are you Jim
00:41:18
gave Linda a special gift a portrait of
00:41:22
a combat nurse which he had framed for
00:41:24
her was how much I think of you I had
00:41:26
this up for you then I thought you'd
00:41:29
like to have
00:41:30
[Music]
00:41:32
this when he gave me the the plaque it
00:41:35
was just such a special moment it's made
00:41:39
this day very very special something
00:41:41
that that uh was like the the
00:41:43
culmination of a a nursing
00:41:46
career thank
00:41:48
you to be thanked in such a special way
00:41:51
is very memorable something I'll never
00:41:54
forget this meeting with Linda
00:41:57
represents the final step in my healing
00:42:01
and the way I feel right now I have won
00:42:03
the
00:42:04
war Jim Bowski remained in contact with
00:42:08
Linda sharp until his death 9 years
00:42:12
after the reunion
00:42:30
[Music]
00:42:45
[Music]

Badges

This episode stands out for the following:

  • 85
    Most heartwarming
  • 80
    Most shocking
  • 75
    Most emotional
  • 75
    Most surprising

Episode Highlights

  • The Mysterious Death of Bobby Fuller
    Bobby Fuller, a rising rock star, was found dead under suspicious circumstances. His death remains a mystery, with conflicting reports of suicide and foul play.
    “It's a death that breaks a million hearts.”
    @ 01m 49s
    March 09, 2017
  • Larry Race's Controversial Conviction
    Larry Race was convicted of murdering his wife Debbie, but many believe he is innocent. The case against him was largely circumstantial, raising questions about the true events of that night.
    “I have absolutely no doubt that Larry Race is guilty of first-degree murder.”
    @ 17m 45s
    March 09, 2017
  • The Ouija Board Phenomenon
    Pearl Curran's reluctant participation leads to the emergence of a spirit named Patience Worth.
    “I think you've gotten carried away with this Ouija board.”
    @ 25m 07s
    March 09, 2017
  • A Bold Literary Claim
    A historian declares Patience Worth's novel the greatest about Jesus since the gospels.
    “This is the greatest book about Jesus written since the gospels.”
    @ 28m 42s
    March 09, 2017
  • A Twin's Discovery
    Lois Capello uncovers a family mystery that suggests her twin sister may still be alive.
    “Oh my God, you know she didn’t die, she’s alive.”
    @ 35m 35s
    March 09, 2017
  • A Heartfelt Reunion
    Jim Bukowski reunites with Captain Linda Sharp, the nurse who saved his life in Vietnam.
    “To be thanked in such a special way is very memorable.”
    @ 41m 51s
    March 09, 2017

Episode Quotes

  • It's a death that breaks a million hearts.
    Unsolved Mysteries with Dennis Farina - Season 6, Episode 2
  • Somebody out there knows something.
    Unsolved Mysteries with Dennis Farina - Season 6, Episode 2
  • I have absolutely no doubt that Larry Race is guilty of first-degree murder.
    Unsolved Mysteries with Dennis Farina - Season 6, Episode 2
  • I think you've gotten carried away with this Ouija board.
    Unsolved Mysteries with Dennis Farina - Season 6, Episode 2
  • I just don’t see how science can so readily explain this phenomenon.
    Unsolved Mysteries with Dennis Farina - Season 6, Episode 2
  • To be thanked in such a special way is very memorable.
    Unsolved Mysteries with Dennis Farina - Season 6, Episode 2

Key Moments

  • Bobby Fuller's Death01:49
  • Mystery of Melody08:13
  • Debbie Race's Tragic End13:06
  • Larry Race's Trial17:29
  • Spirit of Patience Worth26:06
  • Literary Acclaim28:16
  • Family Mystery Unveiled32:48
  • Healing Reunion41:57

Words per Minute Over Time

Vibes Breakdown

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44:54
Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 11, Episode 13 - Full Episode
Unsolved Mysteries with Dennis Farina - Season 4, Episode 6
March 09, 2017
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42:54
Unsolved Mysteries with Dennis Farina - Season 4, Episode 6
Unsolved Mysteries with Dennis Farina - Season 3, Episode 13
March 09, 2017
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42:53
Unsolved Mysteries with Dennis Farina - Season 3, Episode 13
Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 7, Episode 11 - Full Episode
May 23, 2019
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47:06
Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 7, Episode 11 - Full Episode
Unsolved Mysteries with Dennis Farina - Season 3, Episode 19
March 09, 2017
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42:55
Unsolved Mysteries with Dennis Farina - Season 3, Episode 19
Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 8, Episode 8 - Full Episode
May 23, 2019
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45:49
Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 8, Episode 8 - Full Episode
Unsolved Mysteries with Dennis Farina - Season 5, Episode 22
March 09, 2017
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42:49
Unsolved Mysteries with Dennis Farina - Season 5, Episode 22
Unsolved Mysteries with Dennis Farina - Season 3, Episode 21
March 09, 2017
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42:55
Unsolved Mysteries with Dennis Farina - Season 3, Episode 21