00:00:04
DENNIS FARINA: Next on
"Unsolved Mysteries."
00:00:09
What really happened
to DB Cooper?
00:00:12
He was the infamous skyjacker
who jumped out of a plane
00:00:15
with $200,000 and disappeared.
00:00:19
They call it the chair of death.
00:00:22
Those who dare take
a seat were doomed.
00:00:26
The family of a teenage
girl is viciously
00:00:29
attacked by her ex-boyfriend.
00:00:34
And a Florida woman meets
the man of her dreams,
00:00:38
and then vanishes.
00:00:43
Join me for five cases
that will surprise you
00:00:46
and perhaps even shock you.
00:00:48
I'm Dennis Farina,
and for the next hour,
00:00:51
it's "Unsolved Mysteries."
00:00:53
[theme music]
00:01:28
Thanksgiving Eve, 1971.
00:01:32
A man who identified
himself as DB Cooper
00:01:35
walks into the airport
in Portland, Oregon.
00:01:39
RALPH HIMMELSBACK: He
was your typical business
00:01:41
man-- a suit, tie, a raincoat,
carrying an attache case.
00:01:46
Nothing distinctive about him,
except perhaps for the fact
00:01:49
that everything was
very dark-- a black tie,
00:01:52
a black raincoat, black shoes.
00:01:57
He appeared at the ticket
counter, bought his ticket,
00:02:01
and just gave the name Cooper.
00:02:04
Bye the way, is that a 727?
00:02:07
Uh, yes, sir, it is.
00:02:08
RALPH HIMMELSBACK: The
727 became notorious
00:02:11
through this case because it
is the only airliner from which
00:02:16
a successful
parachute jump can be
00:02:18
made from the passenger cabin.
00:02:22
DENNIS FARINA: DB Cooper buys
a one way ticket to Seattle.
00:02:26
His only luggage, a briefcase.
00:02:28
Have a nice flight.
00:02:30
Thank you, sir.
00:02:31
You have a good flight now.
00:02:33
ATTENDANT: Good afternoon,
ladies and gentlemen.
00:02:34
Welcome aboard Flight 305--
00:02:36
DENNIS FARINA: He's the last
person to board the plane.
00:02:38
He takes his seat while the 727
begins taxiing to the runway.
00:02:43
Florence Schaffner is the first
crew member to talk to Cooper.
00:02:47
You'll need to put this
under your front seat, please.
00:02:52
He handed me a note,
and he kept looking at me.
00:02:56
And I just ignored him the
first time he looked at me.
00:03:00
And then he said, I want
you to read the note.
00:03:07
It was printed, "Miss, I
have a bomb in my briefcase.
00:03:13
I want you to sit beside me."
00:03:15
This is no joke.
00:03:16
There's a bomb in here.
00:03:19
FLORENCE SCHAFFNER: I saw a
big battery with six dynamite
00:03:22
sticks wrapped
around the battery.
00:03:24
And he said to me,
all I have to do
00:03:28
is attach this wire
to this gadget here,
00:03:32
and we'll all be dead.
00:03:34
And so began one of the most
infamous crimes in US history.
00:03:39
To this day, no one
knows the truth identity
00:03:42
of the man who called
himself DB Cooper,
00:03:46
or if he survived
his daring parachute
00:03:48
leap from 10,000 feet.
00:03:52
This case remains the
only unsolved skyjacking
00:03:56
in the world.
00:03:57
You saw the bomb, so
we know it's for real.
00:03:58
DENNIS FARINA: Florence
Schaffner went to the cockpit
00:04:00
to inform the crew about
Cooper and his threat.
00:04:03
Tina, he's the guy
in the very back.
00:04:05
He's all dressed in black.
00:04:06
FLORENCE SCHAFFNER: We were
very, very scared to death.
00:04:08
All of us were.
00:04:10
I was thinking about dying.
00:04:12
That's all I thought.
00:04:14
I was also thinking, I'll
never see my parents,
00:04:17
my brothers and sisters.
00:04:20
Scotty, do we
call headquarters?
00:04:22
Yes, Melville.
Go ahead.
00:04:23
DENNIS FARINA: The flight
crew immediately notified
00:04:25
air traffic control
about the hijacking.
00:04:27
305.
00:04:29
We have a hijack in progress.
00:04:30
DENNIS FARINA: They, in
turn, contacted the FBI.
00:04:33
OK, I gave the
captain your demands.
00:04:35
Did you tell him
$200,000 cash, small bills?
00:04:39
Yes, I told him small bills.
00:04:40
Four parachutes.
00:04:41
RALPH HIMMELSBACK: He wanted
$200,000 in cash in a knapsack
00:04:46
and four parachutes.
00:04:48
And he specified that the
airliner remain in the air
00:04:52
until the money
and the parachutes
00:04:55
were ready at Seattle.
00:04:58
He also specified that
the other passengers not
00:05:01
be told that the airplane
was being hijacked.
00:05:04
Can I get you
something to drink?
00:05:06
DENNIS FARINA: The flight
crew proceeded as if nothing
00:05:08
was out of the ordinary.
00:05:10
Drinks were served.
00:05:11
Cooper ordered two
bourbon and waters.
00:05:15
RALPH HIMMELSBACK: The
FBI asked the airline
00:05:16
what their approach to the
hijacking was going to be.
00:05:19
That is, did they wish
to pay the ransom?
00:05:22
This is an option that the
victim of an extortion has
00:05:24
rather than law enforcement.
00:05:26
And they responded instantly
they wish to pay the ransom.
00:05:32
And so the FBI at Seattle
set about assisting
00:05:36
and obtaining the money.
00:05:38
DENNIS FARINA: Each
bill was photographed,
00:05:40
and their serial
numbers recorded.
00:05:42
Cooper also insisted the
plane be refueled immediately
00:05:45
once it landed in Seattle.
00:05:48
No passengers were to
be released until all
00:05:50
of his demands were met.
00:05:53
Flight 305,
Seattle, to come up.
00:05:55
MAN (ON RADIO): There's
been [inaudible] the money
00:05:57
[inaudible].
00:05:59
RALPH HIMMELSBACK: The hijacker
instructed that they land,
00:06:02
but that they stay on the
runway rather than to taxi
00:06:06
up to the terminal.
00:06:08
[inaudible].
00:06:10
DENNIS FARINA: At
5:43 PM, Flight 305
00:06:15
landed at Seattle Airport.
00:06:17
The plane taxied in,
and it was parked
00:06:20
in a remote area of the field.
00:06:24
RALPH HIMMELSBACK: The
money and the parachutes
00:06:26
were brought by an FBI
agent to the airplane.
00:06:30
They were carried on board
by the flight attendant.
00:06:33
There were 10,000 $20 bills
assembled in straps of 100
00:06:37
bills to a strap and
individual straps held
00:06:40
together with rubber bands.
00:06:44
The money alone, just the
currency, was 21 pounds.
00:06:50
DENNIS FARINA: Four
parachutes were delivered.
00:06:54
Both the flight crew
and the FBI were worried
00:06:56
that Cooper would
use the extra chutes
00:06:58
to take hostages with him.
00:07:01
The passengers on board were
completely unaware of the drama
00:07:04
surrounding them.
00:07:08
RALPH HIMMELSBACK:
During the time
00:07:09
the airliner was on
the ground at Seattle,
00:07:12
there were FBI agents
with scope rifles
00:07:15
who were prepared if any
indications were present that
00:07:19
required it to pick him off.
00:07:25
FLORENCE SCHAFFNER: He was
very, very uptight, suspicious.
00:07:28
He said to us to
pull down the shade.
00:07:31
DENNIS FARINA:
Finally, the passengers
00:07:33
were allowed to deplane.
00:07:35
Bu Cooper demanded
that the flight crew
00:07:37
and one attendant stay onboard.
00:07:40
The co-pilot said, you
better get the hell out now.
00:07:46
So I left without Tina.
00:07:48
And that's when he decided to
keep her because he was getting
00:07:55
suspicious at everything.
00:07:58
DENNIS FARINA: The passengers
were met by FBI agents.
00:08:01
It was only then that they
realized that the plane
00:08:04
had been hijacked.
00:08:05
Their lives had been
in mortal danger.
00:08:09
When debriefed, they can
remember nothing about the man
00:08:12
with the briefcase.
00:08:15
Cooper ordered the pilot
to fly from Seattle all
00:08:17
the way to Mexico City at a
height of only 10,000 feet
00:08:21
and a speed of only
200 miles an hour.
00:08:23
He agreed to refuel
in Reno, Nevada.
00:08:27
He then made an unusual request.
00:08:29
--15 degrees on
your flaps, and I
00:08:32
want the back stairwell down.
00:08:34
MAN (ON RADIO): Well, we're
checking with the company.
00:08:36
RALPH HIMMELSBACK: And the
pilot explained that he wasn't
00:08:38
able to take off
with that door open,
00:08:40
and they argued back and forth.
00:08:42
And finally, the pilot said he
just couldn't fly the airplane
00:08:45
and wasn't going to try, and the
hijacker consented for the door
00:08:50
to be closed for
takeoff, which it was.
00:08:53
DENNIS FARINA: At 737,
Flight 305 took off.
00:08:57
The Seattle control tower
alerted all other aircraft
00:09:00
to remain clear.
00:09:03
Cooper's 727 had
the sky to itself.
00:09:07
And then, a storm
front was directly
00:09:10
in the plane's flight path.
00:09:15
I want you to get up
there with your fly board.
00:09:17
I don't want to see you again.
00:09:18
RALPH HIMMELSBACK: He told her
to go back into the cockpit
00:09:20
and to close the curtain
between the coach
00:09:22
and the first class cabin.
00:09:24
As she turned around
to close the curtains,
00:09:26
she said she saw him tying
something to his waist
00:09:30
with what she thought was rope.
00:09:35
Later in the cockpit,
the light flashed
00:09:39
indicating that the hijacker was
attempting to operate the door.
00:09:44
At 8:12, the pilot told us
that they were experiencing
00:09:51
a rapid change in the
air pressure reflected
00:09:55
in an an popping experience.
00:10:01
DENNIS FARINA: Somewhere over
the forests of Washington
00:10:04
State, Cooper jumped.
00:10:09
He hasn't been seen since.
00:10:14
Next, the debate continues.
00:10:17
Did DB Cooper survive
his daring scheme?
00:10:25
On Thanksgiving Eve, 1971,
a man wearing a parachute
00:10:30
jumped out of a
727 with $200,000.
00:10:35
He left no fingerprints, no
personal items, and no clue
00:10:39
to his identity.
00:10:41
He said his name was DB Cooper,
and nobody has seen him since.
00:10:50
Upon landing in Reno,
Nevada, every inch of the 727
00:10:54
was examined for clues as
to who DB Cooper really was.
00:10:58
The flight attendants who
had seen Cooper up close
00:11:01
helped create a composite
drawing of his face.
00:11:06
Flight 305 flew along this
path on its way to Reno.
00:11:10
The crew felt that
Cooper had jumped
00:11:12
somewhere near the southern
tip of Washington state.
00:11:15
It was believed
Cooper would be found
00:11:17
in this area bordered
by Lake Merwin,
00:11:19
And ending 20 miles
north of Portland.
00:11:24
No matter where Cooper
landed, Frank Heyl believes
00:11:27
he could have survived.
00:11:29
Let's say he went
down in the water.
00:11:32
You've got to know how
to manage that parachute.
00:11:33
You can use it for
some flotation.
00:11:36
Now his life
expectancy is not going
00:11:37
to be very long in that water.
00:11:39
It's cold, and you have to think
of the time of the year it was
00:11:41
in, so he had
probably a very, very
00:11:43
few minutes to get on shore.
00:11:46
But I think he could
have done this.
00:11:51
DENNIS FARINA: A
large white object was
00:11:53
seen floating in Lake Merwin.
00:11:55
But divers found nothing.
00:11:58
My feeling is he would
have been hurt regardless
00:12:02
of what he landed into.
00:12:07
I think that Cooper most
likely crawled to a creek.
00:12:10
He didn't have any
water supplies,
00:12:12
didn't bring any along
with him, and he would have
00:12:14
had to have water to survive.
00:12:17
So I assume he made his
way to a little creek
00:12:20
and perished there.
00:12:25
DENNIS FARINA: Some feel
that Cooper could never
00:12:27
have survived in that
rugged terrain dressed
00:12:29
only in a business suit.
00:12:32
FRANK HEYL: We don't know
what he wore under the suit.
00:12:35
He could have had a pair
a long underwear on, which
00:12:38
he certainly should have had.
00:12:39
And what he had
in his pockets may
00:12:41
have been the most
important thing,
00:12:43
because this would've given
him the tools of survival.
00:12:49
As long as a man's got a
knife, a cigarette lighter,
00:12:52
and the clothes on
his back, he could
00:12:54
have lived indefinitely after.
00:12:56
He could do it.
00:12:57
It's possible.
00:12:59
I think he buried the chute.
00:13:00
I think he probably
buried the brief case.
00:13:03
He got rid of that.
00:13:04
I think he probably put
the money in his coat,
00:13:07
and I think he headed
for a big city someplace
00:13:08
and lost himself.
00:13:14
DENNIS FARINA: The
search for DB Cooper
00:13:15
continued with no new clues.
00:13:18
Then, seven years
later, a hunter
00:13:22
deep in the Washington
forest discovered
00:13:25
a plastic sign from a 727.
00:13:28
It had been ripped from the
lower stairwell of Flight 305.
00:13:33
15 months later, an even more
dramatic discovery was made.
00:13:39
February 10, 1980.
00:13:41
A family was preparing
a barbecue on the shore
00:13:44
of the Columbia River.
00:13:46
It was 20 miles southwest of
Cooper's supposed jump point.
00:13:50
They planned on digging a fire
pit, but dug up something else.
00:13:59
The bills, totaling $5,880, were
waterlogged and deteriorated.
00:14:06
RALPH HIMMELSBACK: And
there were 294 bills found.
00:14:10
And all of those serial
numbers are on the ransom list,
00:14:14
so that money is
definitely, positively
00:14:17
identified as having come from
that particular ransom money.
00:14:24
They did not find $200,000.
00:14:26
Where's the rest of the money.
00:14:28
That's what I want to know.
00:14:29
He risked his life
to hijack the airliner.
00:14:34
He didn't get to
spend the money.
00:14:36
He may have lost his life.
00:14:38
I don't know that
he lost his life,
00:14:41
but I think there's a very
good chance that he did.
00:14:44
None of the money,
not one bill, has
00:14:48
ever turned up in circulation.
00:14:53
DENNIS FARINA: Many believe
that DB Cooper survived,
00:14:55
and some think he may
have struck again.
00:14:58
Only five months
after Cooper's flight,
00:15:01
a half a million dollars was
extorted by another hijacker.
00:15:05
He was a former Green Beret,
and his name was Richard McCoy.
00:15:09
He was sentenced to 45
years for air piracy,
00:15:11
but he escaped, and he
was killed in a gun battle
00:15:14
with the FBI.
00:15:16
Due to the resemblance
between their pictures,
00:15:18
some believe that DB Cooper and
Richard McCoy are the same man.
00:15:23
But flight attendant
Florence Schaffner
00:15:25
believes that a recent composite
of Cooper may be inaccurate.
00:15:30
FLORENCE SCHAFFNER:
The composite
00:15:31
never really looked like him.
00:15:34
The hair does not look like him.
00:15:36
The face does not look like him.
00:15:40
DENNIS FARINA: Florence
worked with Milan Coleman,
00:15:42
a forensic artist
from the Los Angeles
00:15:44
County Sheriff's Department.
00:15:46
Together, they created a
new portrait of DB Cooper.
00:15:51
FLORENCE SCHAFFNER: It's
still strong in my mind.
00:15:55
I remember everything--
the color of his eyes,
00:15:57
the color his eyebrows,
and his features.
00:16:02
What do you think?
00:16:03
DENNIS FARINA:
Florence is convinced
00:16:05
that this is the sky jacker,
and that he is still at large.
00:16:11
[beeping]
00:16:16
Who was DB Cooper?
00:16:18
Did he survive?
00:16:20
And if not, where is his body
and the remaining $194,000?
00:16:29
We may never know the truth.
00:16:36
Coming up.
00:16:37
A girl's childhood friend
turns into a rampaging killer.
00:16:42
[screaming]
00:16:43
And later, have a seat
in the chair of death.
00:16:51
would
00:16:57
Woodstock, Illinois.
00:16:59
In the early
morning hours, a man
00:17:01
slipped into the
home of Ray and Ruth
00:17:03
Ann Ritter intent on murder.
00:17:07
He brutally stabbed three
family members, then turned
00:17:10
on 17-year-old Colleen Ritter.
00:17:15
His name was Richard
Church, and Colleen
00:17:20
was his high school sweetheart.
00:17:24
Colleen began to
date Richard Church
00:17:26
when they were students at a
small Catholic high school.
00:17:29
It seemed like a good match.
00:17:31
But no one knew just
how far Richard would
00:17:34
go to avenge a broken heart.
00:17:37
- How are you?
- Good.
00:17:38
How are you?
00:17:39
Good.
00:17:41
How was school?
00:17:42
COLLEEN RITTER: I
first started dating
00:17:43
Rick when I was a sophomore.
00:17:45
At that point he was a senior.
00:17:47
I think I did OK on my test.
00:17:49
Yeah?
00:17:49
Rick was really good-looking.
00:17:51
He was involved in
sports activities.
00:17:55
He was real quiet, though.
00:17:56
He had a lot of friends,
but he was real quiet.
00:17:59
I know.
00:18:00
It's not a fun
position to be in.
00:18:02
DENNIS FARINA: The year after
Collen and Rick began dating,
00:18:04
he went away to college.
00:18:06
For her, the romance
began to cool.
00:18:08
[phone ringing]
00:18:10
Rick had a hard time accepting
that the relationship
00:18:13
might be over.
- Hello?
00:18:14
Hey, Colleen, it's me.
00:18:15
DENNIS FARINA: He
called Colleen nearly
00:18:16
every night, upset and on edge.
00:18:18
I really haven't studied
much-- I-- I have to go.
00:18:23
I just called to talk
to you for a second.
00:18:25
COLLEEN ACTRESS: But you
never have anything to say.
00:18:27
That's not true.
00:18:30
DENNIS FARINA: By the time
Rick came home for the summer,
00:18:33
Colleen had reached a decision.
00:18:36
I think we should
see other people.
00:18:38
I'm not good enough for you?
00:18:39
COLLEEN RITTER: I still
wanted to be friends.
00:18:40
We had known each
other, you know,
00:18:42
practically all our lives.
00:18:43
And I did consider
him a good friend.
00:18:45
[door slamming]
00:18:48
So I thought maybe this
just wasn't-- it was like
00:18:50
a friendship trying to
turn into a romance, and it
00:18:52
just didn't-- didn't cut it.
00:18:55
DENNIS FARINA: Two
months later, Colleen
00:18:57
had a friend sleeping over,
as did her brother, Matthew.
00:19:02
We got [inaudible]
friend of mine.
00:19:03
DENNIS FARINA: Then
Rick telephoned.
00:19:04
[phone ringing]
00:19:06
He was upset because he
wanted one last Saturday
00:19:08
night with Colleen.
00:19:10
Hello?
00:19:11
RICK ACTOR: Colleen?
00:19:12
Hi.
00:19:13
RICK ACTOR: What are you doing?
00:19:14
Nothing.
00:19:16
RICK ACTOR: I called earlier.
00:19:17
Where were you?
00:19:18
I was out with some
of my girlfriends.
00:19:21
Where'd you go?
00:19:22
COLLEEN RITTER: He
was kind of depressed.
00:19:23
He sounded very depressed,
very silent, really quiet,
00:19:29
like he knew something he didn't
want to tell me, or something.
00:19:32
And immediately,
then I said, well,
00:19:35
no, don't talk to me like-- if
you're going to act like this,
00:19:37
I don't want to
talk to you tonight.
00:19:39
I'll just talk to
you tomorrow then.
00:19:40
He said, well, fine.
He just hung up on me.
00:19:41
I don't know exactly
how the fight started,
00:19:44
but it ended up where
he just hung up on me.
00:19:46
He hung up.
00:20:00
DENNIS FARINA: Several
hours later, about 5:15
00:20:03
AM, Rick Church entered
the Ritter's house.
00:20:09
[crickets]
00:20:13
Ray and Ruth Ann
Ritter were asleep
00:20:16
in their ground floor bedroom.
00:20:17
By 5:25 AM, both
parents were dead.
00:20:29
Upstairs, 11-year-old
Matthew Ritter awoke.
00:20:37
He was stabbed twice.
00:20:45
[screaming]
00:20:48
Colleen frantically dialed 911.
00:20:54
Rick broke into her room.
00:20:56
She ran.
00:20:58
Rick never spoke a word as
he began to stab Colleen.
00:21:01
Help me!
00:21:03
Help me!
00:21:04
We had a cedar
chest, and I was like,
00:21:05
laying on the cedar chest,
just pretending I was dead,
00:21:08
so he would stop,
or just trying to do
00:21:10
anything so he would stop.
00:21:12
I was like, playing dead.
00:21:13
I told him, I just
yelled out "I love you,"
00:21:15
so I thought maybe
he would stop.
00:21:17
Help me!
00:21:20
Help me!
00:21:21
DENNIS FARINA: Rick chased
Colleen onto the front lawn
00:21:23
and continued his attack.
00:21:26
[screaming]
00:21:30
He ran off when two neighbors
came to Colleen's aid.
00:21:34
[screaming]
00:21:38
Inside the house, young
Matthew managed to call 911
00:21:43
and gave his address
to the operator.
00:21:45
The police arrived
almost immediately.
00:21:50
Police found Matthew
bloody and in shock.
00:21:53
He was huddled with his
friend, who was unharmed.
00:21:56
Colleen's girlfriend
also escaped injury.
00:22:00
Downstairs, they found
the bodies of Colleen
00:22:03
and Matthew's parents.
00:22:07
Meanwhile, Rick Church had
run the 12 blocks to his home
00:22:10
and was packing his things.
00:22:15
At 5:45 AM, Rick took his
mother's truck and vanished.
00:22:23
He was not a
criminal, or somebody
00:22:25
that's hanging out on street
or anything like that.
00:22:27
This was a kid who had
been going to school here
00:22:29
all his life, and
knew a lot of people,
00:22:31
and had a lot of friends,
and went onto college,
00:22:33
and then all of a sudden, was
accused of a crime like this.
00:22:36
And I would think it would
be totally out of character
00:22:38
for somebody like this.
00:22:39
And I really don't
know today yet what
00:22:43
the motive might have been.
00:22:44
Speculation is the breakup,
boyfriend-girlfriend
00:22:46
relationship.
00:22:48
At the hospital, police put
Colleen Ritter and her brother
00:22:50
Matthew under a 24 hour guard
in case Rick Church showed up.
00:22:54
Again Matthew Ritter was treated
and released the next day,
00:23:01
but Colleen was
critically injured
00:23:03
with more than 20 stab
wounds, most of them
00:23:05
in the back of her head.
00:23:07
Some of Colleen's
doctors feared that she
00:23:09
would be permanently
blind or suffer
00:23:11
irreversible brain damage.
00:23:14
Two days later, while Colleen
was still in intensive care,
00:23:17
her parents were buried.
00:23:18
The hardest part throughout
all of this was, I guess,
00:23:24
not having my parents there.
00:23:27
That's real hard.
00:23:29
That's two of your best
friends , and they're gone.
00:23:34
So that's hard.
00:23:36
And not being able
to say goodbye
00:23:37
because I wasn't at their
funeral, that was hard.
00:23:40
So I did that in my own way.
00:23:42
And I still am.
00:23:46
DENNIS FARINA: Update.
00:23:48
Three years after the crime,
Richard Church was arrested.
00:23:52
Church was working behind
the counter of a fast food
00:23:54
restaurant when he
was spotted by a Salt
00:23:57
Lake City police officer.
00:23:59
The following day,
the FBI closed in
00:24:01
and took him into custody.
00:24:03
Church agreed to plead guilty
to avoid the death penalty.
00:24:07
He is now serving a life
sentence at an Illinois prison.
00:24:13
Coming up.
00:24:15
A con man suspected of bilking
millions from his victims
00:24:18
is captured by police, and
is once again on the run.
00:24:23
And later, a woman vanishes,
and her boyfriend offers
00:24:27
three different explanations.
00:24:37
On a previous show, we told you
about Earl and Donna Chotvacs,
00:24:42
a young couple whose dream of
building a house on this site,
00:24:45
200 miles north of Denver,
became the ultimate home
00:24:50
builders' nightmare.
00:24:53
They hired a builder
named Mark Mitchell, whose
00:24:55
specialty was log cabin homes.
00:24:58
A contract was drawn up, and
Earl and Mitchell a $25,000
00:25:03
deposit, their
entire life savings.
00:25:06
Then, they waited.
00:25:12
Weeks stretched into months.
00:25:14
Nothing happened.
00:25:15
Every time they questioned
Mitchell, he had an excuse.
00:25:18
They waited and waited
for another six months.
00:25:23
And then their banker turned
up disturbing information
00:25:27
about Mark Mitchell.
00:25:29
Well, I'm afraid
the news isn't good.
00:25:32
DENNIS FARINA: His real name
was Wade Mitchell Parker,
00:25:35
and they weren't the first
victim's to be defrauded.
00:25:38
At that point,
I felt nauseous.
00:25:43
Suddenly, just was sick,
feeling as though we
00:25:48
were going to lose
all the money that we
00:25:50
had given to Mark Mitchell.
00:25:53
DENNIS FARINA: Wade Mitchell
Parker, alias Mark Mitchell,
00:25:55
left town soon after.
00:25:57
He allegedly disappeared
with more than $1 million
00:25:59
he collected from at least
30 other fraud victims.
00:26:04
Some 1,300 miles from
Colorado, Wade Mitchell Parker
00:26:08
was arrested in Cobb
County, Georgia.
00:26:12
There, Parker was using
two new aliases, Ronald
00:26:16
Anderson and Larry Wheeler.
00:26:19
Wade Mitchell Parker was
arraigned in Colorado
00:26:21
on fraud and theft charges.
00:26:24
While out on bail,
he failed to show
00:26:26
up for a scheduled court date.
00:26:29
Parker is once again
a wanted fugitive,
00:26:31
charged with securities
fraud and theft.
00:26:36
Update.
00:26:38
Since we broadcast this case,
and after years on the run,
00:26:41
Wade Mitchell Parker
has been captured.
00:26:44
He served his time
and has been released.
00:26:53
In the English
village of Thirsk,
00:27:02
mounted on the wall of the
town's cluttered museum
00:27:05
hangs an antique chair.
00:27:08
But it's not on
display for its rarity.
00:27:10
The locals claim
that this chair is
00:27:12
cursed with an astonishing
and lethal power.
00:27:20
It all started in 1702 Thomas
Busby, a murderer on his way
00:27:25
to the gallows, was
granted a last wish,
00:27:29
a pint of ale in his favorite
chair at his favorite pub.
00:27:33
When he finished, the condemned
man pointed to the chair
00:27:36
and proclaimed, may sudden
death come to anyone
00:27:40
who dares sit in my chair.
00:27:46
Thomas Busby's curse has echoed
down the centuries, proving
00:27:50
its power over and over again.
00:27:53
At least, that's how
the locals tell it.
00:27:56
After he was hanged, this
chair remained in the pub,
00:28:00
and people were
dared to sit in it.
00:28:03
But gradually, it
became noticed that they
00:28:06
were coming to a sticky end
afterwards, or very shortly
00:28:10
afterwards.
00:28:11
DENNIS FARINA: Nobody knows
really exactly how many
00:28:14
victims the chair has
claimed since Thomas
00:28:17
Busby met his maker.
00:28:18
But the legend gained a
great deal of notoriety
00:28:21
during World War II.
00:28:23
Airmen at a nearby base
made the pub a hot spot
00:28:25
and the chair a hot seat.
00:28:28
People started noticing those
who sat didn't come back.
00:28:34
Well, until I came here,
I didn't believe in curses.
00:28:39
But now I have mixed
feelings after hearing
00:28:41
some things about this chair.
00:28:43
The only way I would sit in the
chair if my doctor told me I've
00:28:47
only got 12 hours to live.
00:28:49
A great many people
take it very seriously.
00:28:52
I'm not a superstitious man,
but I wouldn't sit in it.
00:28:56
[inaudible] Busby's chair.
00:28:57
What do you think?
00:28:58
DENNIS FARINA: 1967.
00:29:00
300 years after Busby
drank his last pint,
00:29:03
a pair of Royal Air Force pilots
downed a few too many pints
00:29:07
of their own.
00:29:08
- How's that feel, sir?
- Very nice.
00:29:10
My heart is still ticking a bit.
00:29:11
You feel all right?
00:29:12
I feel pretty damn
good, I tell you.
00:29:14
Sit right down in there.
00:29:15
Oh, it's not bad at all.
00:29:16
It's not bad at all.
00:29:17
It's a bit tingly.
00:29:18
It is tingly.
00:29:19
DENNIS FARINA: That tingly
feeling didn't last long.
00:29:23
The pilots were about
to be grounded for good.
00:29:28
The chair was no longer known
merely as Busby's chair.
00:29:31
Now it was the chair of death.
00:29:37
A few years later, two
bricklayers working nearby
00:29:41
took a lunch break at the pub.
00:29:42
Are you feeling lucky today?
00:29:43
DENNIS FARINA:
Despite DENNIS FARINA:
00:29:44
The sinister reputation, they
couldn't resist the dare.
00:29:48
Isn't that right fellows?
00:29:50
DENNIS FARINA: That afternoon,
Busby's curse struck again.
00:29:55
[inaudible].
00:29:56
All right then.
00:29:57
All right.
00:29:57
[applause]
00:29:59
Well done.
00:30:02
[shouting]
00:30:06
DENNIS FARINA:
According to the legend,
00:30:08
the chair has never
taken a day off.
00:30:10
Anyone who warned this
wooden bottom died swiftly.
00:30:16
A workman who tempted the chair
fell to his death when the roof
00:30:19
he was working on collapsed.
00:30:22
A cleaning woman
stumbled into the chair
00:30:24
while mopping, and soon after,
a brain tumor killed her.
00:30:29
Finally, for safety's
sake, the pub owner
00:30:32
moved the chair into the
basement and out of harm's way,
00:30:35
or so he thought.
00:30:37
Well, don't sit in it.
00:30:40
I can tell you more than one
or two stories about people
00:30:43
who've met a premature death.
00:30:44
Do you believe in that sort--
00:30:46
DENNIS FARINA: Within
the hour, the delivery
00:30:47
man's delivery days were over.
00:30:53
That was the last straw.
00:30:55
There was only one safe
place for the chair,
00:30:58
the local museum.
00:30:59
And to make sure no one would
sit in Busby's chair again,
00:31:03
they hung it on the wall,
5 feet off the ground.
00:31:12
While its killing
days may be over,
00:31:14
people still continue to
come forward with more
00:31:17
tales of the Chair of Death.
00:31:19
The strangest one was
just a couple of months ago,
00:31:22
a fellow around the--
a retired man from
00:31:24
Darby who'd been
stationed on the Air
00:31:27
Force Base during the war.
00:31:29
And he was a member
of the RAF band.
00:31:31
And they used to play
functions in Thirsk
00:31:33
and travel there by truck.
00:31:36
On the way back one
night, they picked
00:31:37
up two air men who were walking
home from a night out in town.
00:31:41
And one of these air man
wanted to use a toilet,
00:31:43
so they stopped here
at the Busby stoop.
00:31:46
While waiting for the
airman, the driver
00:31:48
of the truck, all unknowing,
sat in Busby's chair.
00:31:51
When the airman didn't
return, the driver
00:31:53
left the pub without him.
00:31:55
The abandoned airman had to make
his own way back to the base.
00:32:00
When he got there,
he got a building brick
00:32:02
and smashed the head of
this driver and killed him.
00:32:06
DENNIS FARINA: These days,
the chair is never taken
00:32:08
down, not even for cleaning.
00:32:10
This is just in case
anyone is daring enough
00:32:13
to test the curse once more.
00:32:16
Whether legend,
superstition, or curse,
00:32:18
there's really only
one question regarding
00:32:20
the chair that truly matters.
00:32:23
Would you sit in it?
00:32:26
The power of the chair
has been hung up with it,
00:32:28
and I wouldn't advise anybody to
take it down and sit on it now.
00:32:35
Because it does
seem that those who
00:32:36
challenge the power
of the chair have been
00:32:39
the quickest to succumb to it.
00:32:55
DENNIS FARINA:
Coming up, a woman
00:32:56
planning to sail
around the world
00:32:58
vanishes and is
never seen again.
00:33:09
When Colleen Wood moved from
Dayton, Ohio to Boca Raton,
00:33:13
Florida it was the culmination
of a lifelong dream.
00:33:18
Colleen had a whirlwind
romance with a former race
00:33:21
car driver and Wall Street
investor named John Paul.
00:33:25
Colleen vanished
without a trace,
00:33:27
and she's never been
seen or heard from again.
00:33:33
MICHAEL TANDARICH: My
mother met John Paul
00:33:35
through a personal ad looking
for a sailing companion.
00:33:38
She was impressed
with his credentials.
00:33:40
He said he had an
MBA from Harvard.
00:33:44
And in the racing circle,
he was really famous.
00:33:46
Would you like
to see the cabin?
00:33:47
Sure.
00:33:48
And he was also
reputed to be wealthy due
00:33:50
to his success in ownership
of a mutual fund company.
00:33:55
DENNIS FARINA: Colleen and
John fell madly in love.
00:33:57
They were inseparable.
00:34:02
Here's to dreams.
00:34:03
Here's to our dreams.
00:34:05
What is it that
you'd like to do
00:34:07
that you've never done before.
00:34:08
Well, I've always
thought it'd be pretty
00:34:10
fun to sail around the world.
00:34:12
Well, why don't we do that?
00:34:13
DENNIS FARINA: And
they soon made plans
00:34:15
to sail around the world
on John's 55 foot schooner,
00:34:19
"The Island Girl."
00:34:21
Colleen sold her condo
and gave the profit
00:34:23
to John to invest, $43,000.
00:34:27
She moved in with him
aboard "The Island Girl,"
00:34:29
and then quit her job.
00:34:31
I'm going to the
hardware store.
00:34:33
Do you need anything?
- Yeah.
00:34:34
Would you get some t-coil?
00:34:35
Sure.
00:34:36
Thanks.
00:34:37
I was very, very
shocked when Colleen
00:34:40
told me that she was leaving.
00:34:43
I personally was very
concerned about her
00:34:47
selling all of her
assets to take this trip.
00:34:49
Yeah, in a minute.
00:34:51
I got to call Mike
before I forget about it.
00:34:53
DENNIS FARINA: On December 3rd,
Collen placed a call to her son
00:34:56
in Ohio.
- Hello?
00:34:57
Hey, hi.
00:34:59
DENNIS FARINA: She told Mike
that "The Island Girl" was
00:35:00
setting sail in a few
weeks, and that she
00:35:01
would be in touch soon.
00:35:05
According to Maureen
Canada, she spoke
00:35:07
to Colleen about 10
days later to invite her
00:35:10
to the office Christmas party.
00:35:13
MAUREEN CANADA: I called
her cell phone number.
00:35:15
And she happened to be in Key
West at a bar with John Paul.
00:35:20
She sounded fine.
00:35:21
She sounded like she
was having a good time.
00:35:23
Great.
00:35:24
So you can make the party?
00:35:25
COLLEEN: I wouldn't
miss it for the world.
00:35:26
All right.
I'll see you Tuesday.
00:35:28
Bye.
00:35:29
MAUREEN CANADA: Tuesday,
the party came and went,
00:35:31
and she didn't show up.
00:35:32
But I just assumed that
something happened where there
00:35:36
was possibly rough
seas, and they couldn't
00:35:38
make it back on the boat.
00:35:39
She didn't call us for
Christmas, Christmas Eve.
00:35:42
And after new year,
everyone was really worried.
00:35:45
Friends and family were
asking, hey, haven't you heard?
00:35:47
Because we know she
would have called.
00:35:49
I tried to call her
on her cell phone,
00:35:50
and the account had been closed.
00:35:54
DENNIS FARINA: Michael
immediately contacted
00:35:56
the police in Florida.
00:35:57
But there was no
evidence of any crime.
00:36:00
Days turned into
weeks and then months.
00:36:02
Still, there was no
sign of Colleen Wood.
00:36:06
We spent the best part
of January and February
00:36:08
going back and
forth with the Coast
00:36:10
Guard and FCC just
trying to in some way
00:36:12
identify and locate this boat.
00:36:15
DENNIS FARINA: Michael
searched the internet
00:36:17
in hopes of finding
an address or maybe
00:36:19
a phone number for John Paul.
00:36:21
What he did discover
frightened him.
00:36:24
MICHAEL: I ran across an article
that said that he had served
00:36:27
time in prison, that he
went to federal penitentiary
00:36:31
for approximately
15 years serving
00:36:33
time for an attempted murder.
00:36:36
I'm still thinking
they're on a boat,
00:36:37
but I'm thinking she's
on a boat with a killer,
00:36:40
or a possible killer.
00:36:42
DENNIS FARINA: Michael learned
that Colleen's boyfriend was
00:36:44
the mastermind behind
a drug smuggling
00:36:46
ring in the early
'80s, and he tried
00:36:49
to kill his partners in crime.
00:36:52
Colleen met John Paul less than
a year after he was paroled.
00:36:58
Colleen's friends were
certain that she knew
00:37:00
nothing about John Paul's past.
00:37:03
Asked about her disappearance,
John would eventually
00:37:06
give three different
accounts of his relationship
00:37:09
with Colleen that he
says ended on the rocks.
00:37:13
Colleen's son Michael
was able to track
00:37:15
down John Paul's daughter.
00:37:17
She told Michael that her father
said that Colleen had become
00:37:21
upset over an incident
involving one of John
00:37:24
Paul's old girlfriends, and that
Colleen ended the relationship.
00:37:29
When I heard that she had
broken up in December I was
00:37:33
panicked, completely panicked.
00:37:37
DENNIS FARINA: Three
days later, John Paul
00:37:39
called Michael with a
second version of the story.
00:37:43
JOHN PAUL: It's John.
00:37:44
I understand you
wanted to talk to me.
00:37:47
MICHAEL: He told me that
they had an argument.
00:37:49
He said he didn't remember
what it was about.
00:37:52
But after the argument,
she left the boat,
00:37:55
and then she came back with
her football player boyfriend,
00:37:58
she gathered all
of her belongings,
00:38:01
and she left the boat.
00:38:02
And he hasn't seen her since.
00:38:04
I filed a missing
person's report
00:38:06
immediately with the Fort
Lauderdale Police Department.
00:38:09
DENNIS FARINA: Four months after
Colleen was last heard from,
00:38:12
investigators turned up
some suspicious activity
00:38:15
on her credit card.
00:38:17
In a two month period between
mid-December to mid-February,
00:38:21
in excess of 80 transactions,
cash advancements,
00:38:24
totaling over
$40,000 had occurred
00:38:27
on Colleen Wood's card.
00:38:29
We were able to come up with
good solid physical evidence
00:38:33
that not only did
Colleen Wood not
00:38:35
make any of the
transactions, they
00:38:38
were not made with her consent.
00:38:41
DENNIS FARINA: If it wasn't
Colleen withdrawing the cash,
00:38:44
then who was?
00:38:45
The police were
still investigating
00:38:46
and would only say that it was
a woman, perhaps more than one.
00:38:52
Also raising suspicions
were two ads that
00:38:55
appeared in a local newspaper.
00:38:57
They were purchased with
Colleen's credit card.
00:39:00
Both of the ads were
ordered by a male.
00:39:07
The first ad that
ran in early December
00:39:11
was in the Help
Wanted section looking
00:39:14
for a first mate on the boat.
00:39:17
The second ad that
ran mid-December
00:39:20
was in the Romance Male
Seeking Female section.
00:39:25
DENNIS FARINA: Had the ads
been placed by John Paul?
00:39:28
Detectives weren't sure.
00:39:30
They did know the second ad
began running on December 26,
00:39:34
about the same
time Maureen Canada
00:39:36
spoke to Colleen by phone.
00:39:38
According to Maureen,
Colleen told her
00:39:40
that she was partying
with John in Key West,
00:39:43
and that everything was fine.
00:39:47
Police finally tracked down John
Paul, and according to them,
00:39:51
he offered a third version
of his breakup with Colleen.
00:39:56
Excuse me.
00:39:58
Are you John Paul, Senior?
00:40:00
Yes.
00:40:01
I'd like to ask you a few
questions about Colleen Wood.
00:40:03
Sure.
00:40:04
How can I help you?
00:40:05
Have you heard from
her labor lately?
00:40:07
Well, no.
00:40:08
I can't help you there.
I haven't seen her--
00:40:10
DETECTIVE: John Paul said that
in mid-December, he and Colleen
00:40:14
had a large fight over
money, that Colleen
00:40:18
Wood owed him money and had
made no effort to repay him.
00:40:21
Then she left.
00:40:22
But
00:40:23
DENNIS FARINA: The alleged
inconsistencies weren't all
00:40:24
that troubled the detectives.
- --you know?
00:40:26
To get her stuff.
00:40:28
DETECTIVE: My partner and I both
noticed that he was becoming
00:40:31
increasingly more nervous.
00:40:32
I found it unusual
that he seemed
00:40:35
to have so little
concern over a woman
00:40:38
that he lived with,
that he loved.
00:40:41
I haven't seen
her since, you know?
00:40:44
Just a very unusual interview.
00:40:46
Very little compassion
shown on his part.
00:40:50
Well, if you can
think of anything else
00:40:51
that may help us out,
we'd appreciate it
00:40:53
if you'd give us a call.
00:40:54
Of course.
00:40:55
DENNIS FARINA: Despite
the allegations,
00:40:56
suspicious behavior, and
the inconsistent stories,
00:40:59
there is no solid evidence
to indicate he had anything
00:41:03
to do with her disappearance.
00:41:05
In fact, John Paul,
may have no knowledge
00:41:08
whatsoever about the mystery
surrounding Colleen Wood.
00:41:12
He has not been named
a suspect in the case.
00:41:16
We have no body, no
physical evidence, to show
00:41:20
us what happened to Colleen.
00:41:23
But I can tell
you it's not good.
00:41:25
I don't believe Colleen
Wood is with us anymore.
00:41:28
I know she's gone.
00:41:29
It's scary to know that
something like this
00:41:32
could happen to someone
who's so close to you.
00:41:34
You think it happens
to everybody else.
00:41:37
But you know what?
00:41:38
I'm everybody else.
00:41:39
We need to find
out what happened.
00:41:42
We need to know if indeed
he's responsible for the death
00:41:46
of my mother.
00:41:47
I really want to
see justice served.
00:41:49
DENNIS FARINA: John Paul has
apparently left town, violating
00:41:52
the terms of his parole.
00:41:54
Detectives would
like to find him
00:41:56
to question him again about the
disappearance of Colleen Wood.
00:42:03
If you have any information on
the whereabouts of Colleen Wood
00:42:07
or any of the other cases
featured on the program,
00:42:09
log onto unsolved.com.
00:42:11
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