00:00:05
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER): Up
next on "Unsolved Mysteries,"
00:00:08
Dale Williams responds
to a call for help
00:00:10
from a stranded motorist
and never returns.
00:00:14
When his truck is
found in the river,
00:00:16
police suspect foul play.
00:00:20
When the owner of a beauty
salon is brutally murdered,
00:00:23
a door-to-door saleswoman
becomes the key witness.
00:00:28
A woman is found strangled.
00:00:31
Her husband is
the prime suspect.
00:00:33
Four years later, he disappears.
00:00:38
When an infant dies, his
mother is accused of murder,
00:00:42
then a twist of fate
proves her innocence.
00:00:50
Our team is standing by.
00:00:51
Perhaps someone is
watching who can
00:00:53
help solve one of these
cases, and maybe it's you.
00:00:57
I'm Dennis Farina and this
is "Unsolved Mysteries."
00:01:01
Join us.
00:01:02
[theme music]
00:01:39
Montrose County, Colorado.
00:01:43
A family taking a Sunday
swim discovers a pickup
00:01:46
truck in the muddy water.
00:01:48
The sheriff's department
responds to the scene
00:01:51
and it turns out to be more than
a simple recovery operation.
00:01:57
The truck belonged to Dale
Williams, who had not been seen
00:02:00
or heard from for six weeks.
00:02:03
The pickup and the
crime scene gave
00:02:05
no clues to Dale's whereabouts.
00:02:07
The only lead was a
mysterious call that Dale
00:02:10
received before he disappeared.
00:02:13
It was a call for help.
00:02:17
42-year-old Dale Williams was
a devoted husband and a father
00:02:21
of two teenage daughters.
00:02:23
He owned and operated an auto
body shop in the town of Nucla.
00:02:28
The night he disappeared, Dale
didn't make it home for dinner.
00:02:32
At first, his
wife, Diana, assume
00:02:34
d he just lost track of
time, but by bedtime, she
00:02:39
was worried.
00:02:40
Hi, Dale.
00:02:41
It's me.
00:02:42
I called the shop a couple
of times and no answer.
00:02:46
Give me a call as
soon as you get in.
00:02:48
Bye-bye.
00:02:49
So I thought, well,
maybe he's just
00:02:51
didn't hear the phone
because he was using
00:02:52
the air ratchets or something.
00:02:55
I went there about 10:00.
00:02:57
I laid there and I felt
like something was wrong.
00:03:00
I tossed and turned all
night, woke up several times,
00:03:02
and still wasn't home.
00:03:04
DENNIS FARINA
(VOICEOVER): By dawn,
00:03:05
Dale still had not returned.
00:03:11
As soon as she got her
kids off to school,
00:03:13
Diana drove straight
to Dale's garage.
00:03:17
Dale?
00:03:21
When I first walked in the
shop, the door was unlocked,
00:03:26
the hood was still
up on the van,
00:03:27
his tools were just
laying around the vehicle
00:03:31
like he had just walked away
from it for a few minutes.
00:03:36
I went over to my
mother-in-law's and she
00:03:39
hadn't heard from him the
day before or that morning.
00:03:44
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
They searched for hours
00:03:45
before calling the police.
00:03:48
We thought we'd
probably find him
00:03:49
along the way on
the road somewhere
00:03:51
where he'd maybe
ran off the road.
00:03:54
We felt like that something had
to happened to him for sure,
00:03:57
but we felt like
we would find him.
00:03:59
But as it happened,
we didn't find him.
00:04:03
DENNIS FARINA
(VOICEOVER): Investigators
00:04:05
learned Dale had made a
brief stop at Tami Lowrance
00:04:07
office at about 12:15
the day he disappeared.
00:04:12
I had a windshield
that I needed
00:04:14
repaired on truck of ours.
00:04:16
Listen, I stopped
by to let you
00:04:17
know that I can't
do your windshield
00:04:19
until next Wednesday.
- That's OK.
00:04:20
I thought it was
strange that Dale
00:04:22
stopped in because he didn't
have to stop and tell me.
00:04:24
He could have called me.
00:04:26
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
Dale was in a hurry.
00:04:28
He told Tami he was on his way
to help a stranded motorist.
00:04:32
Maybe he felt uneasy about who
he was going to go give a tow.
00:04:37
I really don't know.
All right.
00:04:38
See you later.
00:04:39
Bye.
00:04:42
That was the last time
that I saw Dale Williams.
00:04:52
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
Investigators also found
00:04:54
out that Dale's
friend, Tom Ross,
00:04:56
and his son stopped by the
body shop late that morning.
00:05:01
It was just getting
close to the noon hour.
00:05:03
And he said, I'm real busy
today, I've got a full shop.
00:05:06
But he said, I've got
time for one game of darts
00:05:07
if you've got time.
00:05:08
I said, yeah.
00:05:09
Sure.
00:05:11
Nice job, bud!
00:05:12
[phone ringing]
00:05:14
A phone call come
in and they were broke
00:05:17
down they said
about 3/4 of a mile
00:05:19
east of the Bedrock,
Colorado store, just
00:05:22
a little country store.
00:05:23
Yeah.
00:05:24
I think I know where that is.
00:05:25
TOM ROSS (VOICEOVER): I
was under the impression
00:05:27
that it might have been
a lady that called.
00:05:29
Nothing was actually
said, it was just
00:05:31
the way he talked and stuff.
00:05:33
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
Dale's shop did auto body
00:05:35
repair, he wasn't a mechanic.
00:05:38
So it was strange
for him to receive
00:05:40
a call for roadside assistance.
00:05:43
I did feel odd that they
called Dale for assistance.
00:05:49
Sorry, guys.
00:05:50
I'm going to have to take off.
00:05:52
But at the same
time, Dale was one
00:05:53
that was willing to
go and help somebody
00:05:55
if they were broke down.
00:06:00
We said our goodbyes
at the shop door.
00:06:02
That's the last time
I ever saw Dale.
00:06:06
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
Dale's friends
00:06:07
and family printed
missing posters
00:06:09
and put them up all over town.
00:06:12
We had missing posters up.
00:06:14
And I noticed I put
some in the post office
00:06:16
and about two days later,
they were all gone.
00:06:19
So I put some more in there
and in two or three days,
00:06:22
they'd disappear.
00:06:24
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
A surveillance camera
00:06:25
hidden by police captured
this photo of the man
00:06:28
who tore down the flyers.
00:06:30
He was a former friend of
Dale and Diana Williams.
00:06:34
The individual depicted in
the photographs was questioned.
00:06:39
He denied any involvement
in Dale's disappearance.
00:06:42
He also was able to give us
some alibi for the 27th of May,
00:06:46
and for the most part
that alibi is consistent
00:06:49
and has been confirmed.
00:06:52
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER): 12
months before Dale vanished,
00:06:54
Dale and Diana had
helped move the man's
00:06:56
ex-wife to another state
without his knowledge.
00:07:01
He was angry at Dale for
helping his ex-wife move
00:07:05
and then we wouldn't
tell him where she
00:07:06
was at or anything like that.
00:07:09
And I feel like he was really
angry with Dale for that.
00:07:15
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
A month after the move,
00:07:17
Dale found some disturbing
items outside his shop.
00:07:22
He went to work and
he noticed some pictures
00:07:25
torn up there, just laying
all over the ground.
00:07:28
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
The torn photographs
00:07:30
had been stolen from his shop.
00:07:32
They were pictures
of Dale and Diana
00:07:34
with their now divorced friends.
00:07:36
Several 22 caliber rounds
were scattered on the ground.
00:07:43
A few days later, Diana
made a strange discovery
00:07:45
in the drop box at the
video store she managed,
00:07:49
a 22 caliber revolver.
00:07:52
The gun, like the
torn photos, had
00:07:55
been stolen from Dale's shop.
00:07:57
I was really nervous because
I didn't know what to think.
00:08:00
And Dale just told me
to not worry about it,
00:08:03
things would be OK and
things will settle down.
00:08:05
Whatever happened, it
was more scare him,
00:08:09
he felt like, than anything.
00:08:11
DENNIS FARINA
(VOICEOVER): Police
00:08:13
interviewed Dale's former
friend about the burglaries.
00:08:16
He denied any involvement.
00:08:18
There were no other mysterious
incidents after that
00:08:22
until 11 months later
when Dale disappeared.
00:08:27
Dale's truck
provided more clues.
00:08:30
At the time the truck went into
the river, the ignition was on
00:08:33
and the vehicle was in gear.
00:08:36
The angle between the
highway and the river
00:08:39
was extremely sharp,
indicating someone
00:08:42
had deliberately steered
Dale's truck into the water.
00:08:47
When Diana saw
pictures of the truck,
00:08:49
she was sure someone other
than her husband had driven it.
00:08:53
The half open window
was an important clue.
00:08:57
Dale usually drove
with the driver's window
00:08:59
all the way down, but never
halfway-- always down or up.
00:09:04
Somebody put it in
there to get rid of it,
00:09:08
somebody who knew the river.
00:09:12
DENNIS FARINA
(VOICEOVER): Police
00:09:13
never found the stranded
driver that Dale
00:09:16
Williams went to help.
00:09:18
Hello there.
00:09:19
Boy, oh boy.
00:09:20
It looks like you're having a--
00:09:21
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
However, investigators
00:09:23
now know that the
call was placed
00:09:25
from a stolen cell phone.
00:09:28
There is one more
confusing fact.
00:09:32
Some people claim that Dale's
truck was parked at a shop
00:09:35
at 1:30 PM the day he vanished.
00:09:38
If that's true,
Dale or someone else
00:09:40
returned his truck within 90
minutes of the distress call.
00:09:45
There were even
witnesses who claimed
00:09:47
to have seen Dale early
that evening at a market
00:09:50
in a neighboring town.
00:09:52
I do believe
that the people who
00:09:53
saw Dale Williams
between five and six
00:09:55
o'clock at the local grocery
store did, in fact, see Dale
00:09:59
and they are people
in the community
00:10:02
that their word can be trusted.
00:10:04
So what happened to Dale
Williams and where is he now?
00:10:10
I believe Dale either saw
something he shouldn't have
00:10:14
or knew something
he shouldn't have
00:10:15
and somebody was
looking to shut him up.
00:10:18
Maybe he was ready to go to
the cops and tell what he knew
00:10:21
and that was their way
of shutting him up.
00:10:24
DENNIS FARINA
(VOICEOVER): Dale Williams
00:10:25
stands five feet,
seven inches tall
00:10:27
and has light sandy
hair and blue eyes.
00:10:30
If you have any information
about his disappearance,
00:10:34
please contact us
at unsolved.com.
00:10:45
Next, a door-to-door
saleswoman comes
00:10:48
face to face with
a murder suspect
00:10:50
moments after the crime.
00:11:03
Roebuck, South Carolina.
00:11:07
One summer evening, a
woman we'll call Shirley
00:11:10
sells a bottle of cleaning
fluid to a new customer,
00:11:13
27-year-old Dana Satterfield.
00:11:16
Dana owns and operates
her own beauty salon
00:11:19
just off State Highway 221.
00:11:22
She is the mother of
two and has recently
00:11:25
separated from her husband.
00:11:28
She was real nice and she
told me to wait because she
00:11:31
wanted to see my product.
00:11:33
She was real friendly.
00:11:34
She was outspoken,
real friendly.
00:11:39
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
After the sale,
00:11:40
Shirley headed down the road
to look for other customers.
00:11:49
On her way back, she
looked in the window
00:11:51
and saw that it was 8:11 PM.
00:11:54
Dana was cleaning up to close
up the shop for the night.
00:11:58
She was wiping out the sink.
00:12:00
She was standing right between
where I left my product at.
00:12:03
I waved at her and I kept going.
00:12:08
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
After she made two more stops,
00:12:10
Shirley returned to the salon
to wait for her ride home.
00:12:15
I noticed the lights were on
so I went and stood at street,
00:12:19
at the edge of the pavement.
00:12:22
Then I noticed I heard a
noise, a loud thump noise.
00:12:27
I kept hearing about two
or three thump noises.
00:12:30
I kept looking back.
00:12:32
The next time Shirley
turned around,
00:12:35
someone had turned
the lights out.
00:12:38
And I said, wow, she's
getting ready to come out.
00:12:40
I was happy because I
wanted to talk to her.
00:12:44
By that time, I heard
a big crash sound.
00:12:48
When I look to my
left, I noticed a man
00:12:51
getting off the ground off his
knees and I just grabbed my bag
00:12:56
and I started running.
00:13:00
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
Shirley ran to a liquor store
00:13:02
50 feet away to call police.
00:13:07
And we met and we
looked at each other.
00:13:11
You know how a crazy person
looks when they're crazy?
00:13:13
That's how he looked,
like he was real crazy.
00:13:16
And he scared me, so
that's why I had to run
00:13:19
again to get away from him.
00:13:21
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
tried trying to flag down help,
00:13:23
but nobody stopped so she
ran to the nearest house
00:13:26
and called 911.
00:13:31
A deputy Sheriff arrived,
assuming the beauty
00:13:34
shop has been robbed.
00:13:36
He had no idea if
Dana was still inside.
00:13:44
Dana Satterfield had
been beaten severely,
00:13:49
she had been raped,
she had been strangled.
00:13:52
And there was no indication
that robbery was a motive
00:13:56
and there was no evidence
of any other disturbance
00:13:59
in any other part of the salon.
00:14:02
I just couldn't believe that
anybody would want to hurt her
00:14:05
because she never heard anyone.
00:14:09
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
At first, police focused
00:14:11
on Dana's husband, Mike.
00:14:13
However, Mike says their
breakup was friendly
00:14:16
and he did not fit the
description of the man
00:14:18
seen running from the trailer.
00:14:20
But all friends and family
and people that knew us
00:14:23
know that I didn't have anything
to do with Dana's murder
00:14:29
because I wouldn't put
someone through that
00:14:32
or put my children
through that or I couldn't
00:14:34
do something like that.
00:14:35
We've not ruled
anyone out in terms
00:14:38
of saying that one person
or another has absolutely
00:14:42
no connection with this case.
00:14:45
But at this point in time,
we're not actively pursuing
00:14:47
Mike Satterfield as a suspect.
00:14:51
DENNIS FARINA
(VOICEOVER): The police
00:14:53
looked into the possibility
that Mike had hired someone
00:14:55
to kill his wife, but the
brutality of the murder
00:14:59
was inconsistent with
a professional hit.
00:15:03
We believe this is a
predator, a serial killer,
00:15:07
a person who would have
stalked Miss Satterfield
00:15:10
and waited for an opportunity
to kill her in the manner
00:15:15
that they did.
00:15:17
I'm sure he didn't anticipate
a saleslady, and certainly not
00:15:23
a saleslady who would make a
sale earlier in the evening
00:15:26
and then come back
by and be standing
00:15:29
in front of the trailer
maybe even while this murder
00:15:33
was taking place.
00:15:37
DENNIS FARINA
(VOICEOVER): It was
00:15:39
pure chance that Shirley came
face to face with the killer.
00:15:42
Then, two weeks later, a
second eyewitness came forward.
00:15:46
Ken Smith was one
of Dana's customers.
00:15:49
At around 8:40 on the
night of the murder,
00:15:52
he was driving past the salon.
00:15:54
As I come up to 221,
I looked over at Dana's.
00:15:57
I seen the lights off, I
seen her car sitting there,
00:16:00
and I thought that was
odd that her car was
00:16:04
there without her lights on.
00:16:06
As soon as I turned back
around and looked at the road,
00:16:09
that's where I seen
this guy run out
00:16:11
of the road to the shoulder.
00:16:13
He turned around and
looked at me while he
00:16:15
was standing at his Bronco.
00:16:17
As I come by, he sort
of just turned around
00:16:19
and gave me a go to hell look.
00:16:23
And he's got to pay for
what he did to my child.
00:16:28
And if he's done this
to somebody else,
00:16:31
we need to stop him.
00:16:35
Sometimes I wake up at night
and sit straight up in bed
00:16:39
and I see somebody strangling
her and I can't get to her.
00:16:45
It's hurt us all.
00:16:53
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
Update-- 10 years
00:16:58
after the murder,
a man contacted
00:17:00
police with the name
of a former classmate,
00:17:03
Jonathan Christian Vick.
00:17:05
The witness told police that
he knew Vick had killed Dana
00:17:08
but that Vick had threatened
to kill him if he told anyone.
00:17:14
The man kept silent
until one day
00:17:16
he just happened to
meet Dana's daughter.
00:17:19
Overcome with remorse,
he decided to talk.
00:17:22
Police used DNA evidence to
link Vick with the crime.
00:17:26
Jonathan Vick was charged
with murder, kidnapping,
00:17:29
and criminal sexual conduct.
00:17:31
And he was sentenced
to life in prison.
00:17:34
He will be eligible for
parole in the year 2035.
00:17:41
Next, a bizarre double mystery.
00:17:44
A woman is murdered.
00:17:45
Four years later, her
husband disappears.
00:17:49
Could there be a connection?
00:18:00
Morro Bay, California.
00:18:01
On the surface, a
picture postcard
00:18:04
seaside fishing village.
00:18:06
But this charming
town holds the secret
00:18:09
to a murder, or maybe two.
00:18:15
Morro Bay, California.
00:18:18
Hugh Harlin was a
well-known resident
00:18:20
of Morro Bay who sometimes
worked as a fisherman.
00:18:24
210.
00:18:25
DENNIS FARINA
(VOICEOVER): Hugh worked
00:18:27
when the spirit moved him,
so Hugh wasn't a wealthy man.
00:18:30
That makes 16,000.
00:18:33
There were a number of
times that he would stop
00:18:36
by our business and
we'd be unloading fish
00:18:39
and he'd roll up his
sleeves and pitch in.
00:18:42
And six or seven to 10 hours
later, when we're finally done,
00:18:46
he wouldn't take any
money for his help.
00:18:49
He wasn't just a weirdo.
00:18:52
He might have been weird at
times, but he wasn't a weirdo.
00:18:58
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
Unfortunately, his wife,
00:19:00
Diane, squandered what
little money Hugh made
00:19:02
on her friends and her dogs.
00:19:06
I'm going down to the docks.
00:19:07
Yeah.
00:19:08
Bring me some money, Hugh.
00:19:09
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
It led to more
00:19:10
than a one bitter argument.
00:19:12
Groceries, food.
00:19:13
What did you do with the
money I gave you yesterday?
00:19:16
I spent it, OK?
00:19:17
They weren't getting
along very well.
00:19:19
And Diane would
do bizarre things,
00:19:22
including opening
a can of dog food
00:19:25
and serving it to
Hugh for dinner.
00:19:27
I can't support
the entire county.
00:19:29
Hugh, do you
want dinner or not?
00:19:30
It's as simple as that, OK?
00:19:31
Don't walk away--
00:19:32
Hey, don't you touch me!
00:19:36
DENNIS FARINA
(VOICEOVER): It seemed
00:19:37
Diane cared more for her
dogs than she did for Hugh.
00:19:41
In fact, around town Diane
was known as the dog lady.
00:19:51
When the badly decomposed
body of a woman
00:19:54
was found just off the
beach at Morro Bay,
00:19:57
police could not identify
her but they could
00:19:59
identify the murder weapon.
00:20:02
The victim had been
strangled with a dog leash.
00:20:06
Investigators immediately
put out a news media release
00:20:10
with a description asking
for the public's assistance
00:20:13
in identifying this individual.
00:20:15
Later in the evening,
the department
00:20:17
was contacted by Hugh Harlan.
00:20:20
Hugh, do you recognize this?
00:20:22
Hugh Harlin was shown
several pieces of jewelry
00:20:25
and he identified that
jewelry as belonging
00:20:28
to his wife, Diane.
00:20:30
That was hers for sure, yeah.
00:20:32
When was the last time
you saw Diane, Hugh?
00:20:35
DENNIS FARINA
(VOICEOVER): Hugh had
00:20:36
told police that Diane had been
away from home for 12 days.
00:20:40
He said he wasn't worried
until he heard about the body.
00:20:43
I came home about 7
o'clock, she wasn't home.
00:20:46
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
First there he told detectives
00:20:47
the night Diane disappeared,
the dogs had come
00:20:50
home with their leashes on.
00:20:56
Then he said the
dogs were not wearing
00:20:58
leashes when they came home.
00:21:00
They didn't have
their leashes.
00:21:02
Well, which way is it, Hugh?
00:21:03
Did they come home with them--
00:21:05
When Hugh Harlin
changed his story,
00:21:07
the investigators began to
look more closely at him
00:21:10
as a possible suspect.
00:21:13
I asked him, I said, do
you know a lot of people
00:21:16
suspect you and
did you kill her?
00:21:20
I know she's bizarre and I know
she tried to push your buttons,
00:21:23
did you do it?
00:21:25
He said he didn't do it.
00:21:27
I knew when he
answered that question
00:21:29
he was telling the truth.
00:21:32
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
Eventually, police
00:21:33
ruled out Hugh as a suspect.
00:21:35
The case remained unsolved
and four years passed.
00:21:45
Then one day, Hugh
went to a friend's
00:21:47
house to borrow some tools for
a construction job up the coast.
00:21:51
You probably need
these hand tools.
00:21:52
Yeah.
00:21:53
Throw them up in there.
00:21:55
You're all set, Hugh.
00:21:56
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
Hugh set off for San Simeon,
00:21:59
27 miles north of Morro Bay.
00:22:02
The next thing we
knew, I had gotten
00:22:04
a call from a mutual
friend in Cambria
00:22:07
wondering why Hugh's
truck was just
00:22:09
sitting off the side of the road
and had been for a day or so.
00:22:14
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
Steve Matthew and a friend,
00:22:16
Eddie Grimes, drove
to Cambria to check
00:22:19
out Hugh's abandoned truck.
00:22:21
Got a wheelbarrow there.
00:22:25
No keys in the truck.
00:22:27
I got curious as
to what was going on.
00:22:30
I took a look inside.
00:22:32
I saw Hugh's
glasses on the dash.
00:22:36
I saw a couple of
tins on the dash.
00:22:39
One was tobacco and one
was some ragweed pot
00:22:43
that he smoked quite regularly.
00:22:45
All of these things weren't
really adding up to me
00:22:48
since three days or
so had transpired
00:22:51
since the last time I'd
seen him and this is
00:22:55
basically the way he had left.
00:22:58
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
Before Steve and Eddie left,
00:23:00
they did a quick
search of the area.
00:23:03
Hey, Eddie.
00:23:04
Here's the keys.
00:23:06
What the hell are
they doing there?
00:23:08
STEVE MATTHEW (VOICEOVER):
It was at that point
00:23:10
that I decided that
there were just too many
00:23:11
elements involved here to
be a straight-up situation.
00:23:15
I think we ought
to call the cops.
00:23:18
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER): Did
Hugh Harlan meet with foul play
00:23:20
or did he just
choose to disappear?
00:23:23
There are several
possibilities as to what could
00:23:26
have happened to Mr. Harlin.
00:23:27
Number one, he simply
it could have possibly
00:23:29
staged his disappearance.
00:23:32
He knows he had been at one
time questioned regarding
00:23:35
the homicide of his wife.
00:23:40
I totally believe that
Hugh was smart enough
00:23:42
and crafty enough to engineer
his own disappearance, and just
00:23:47
in exactly this manner.
00:23:50
The thing that I have
never been able to decide
00:23:53
is if that's
actually what he did
00:23:56
or if there was
some foul play here.
00:24:00
If he wanted to
disappear, Hugh's
00:24:03
the kind of person
that would have
00:24:05
left his truck with somebody
he wanted to have it.
00:24:08
He wouldn't have left it by
the side of the road like that.
00:24:13
DENNIS FARINA
(VOICEOVER): Authorities
00:24:15
now think that
Hugh may have been
00:24:16
murdered by the same
person who killed Diane.
00:24:21
I believe and I think
investigators at time
00:24:24
believed that Hugh Harlin
knew more about the case
00:24:28
than he was telling them.
00:24:31
And my concern is
that possibly he
00:24:33
was harmed by some
individual who may very
00:24:36
well have harmed Diane Harlin.
00:24:39
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
The case of Diane and Hugh
00:24:41
Harlin remains unsolved.
00:24:43
The key to the mystery
lies in finding
00:24:46
Hugh Harlin, if he's alive.
00:24:49
At the time of
his disappearance,
00:24:50
Hugh weighed between
130 and 150 pounds.
00:24:55
He is five feet, six
inches tall and is
00:24:57
missing the thumb and
forefinger of his left hand.
00:25:03
If you have any information,
please log on to our website
00:25:06
at unsolved.com.
00:25:14
Next, a young
mother is convicted
00:25:16
of murdering her own child.
00:25:19
She must find a way to
prove her innocence.
00:25:31
A young mother rushes
her critically ill baby
00:25:34
to the hospital.
00:25:35
His breathing is labored and
he's vomiting uncontrollably.
00:25:39
It's just the beginning
of a nightmare that
00:25:41
will last more than two years.
00:25:46
St. Louis, Missouri.
00:25:50
The baby was three-month-old
Ryan Stallings.
00:25:55
Since birth, he had suffered
from chronic gastric distress.
00:25:59
Ryan was immediately placed in
the pediatric intensive care
00:26:03
unit.
00:26:09
He was hooked
up to a respirator
00:26:12
and all kinds of tubes
going in and out of him.
00:26:16
And it was awful.
00:26:18
It was just a shock
to see a little baby
00:26:22
incapacitated the way he was.
00:26:24
It was to the point
where they said, well,
00:26:27
they don't know how long
he's going to be here,
00:26:29
we don't know what's
wrong with him yet.
00:26:30
So you might as well just
go to the waiting room
00:26:33
and stay out there until we
can tell you what's wrong.
00:26:37
Hi.
Mr. Stallings?
00:26:38
Yes, sir.
00:26:39
I'm Dr. Baylor,
chief of Pediatrics.
00:26:40
Happy to see you.
00:26:41
This is Mrs. Jergensen
of Family Services.
00:26:43
David and Patty Stallings
rented a hospital room
00:26:46
to be near their son.
00:26:47
After three agonizing days,
the Stallings' learned
00:26:50
that Ryan would recover.
00:26:53
Ryan's fine.
00:26:54
There are no problems.
00:26:56
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
The diagnosis, however,
00:26:58
was shocking.
00:26:59
Ryan had been poisoned.
00:27:02
When the lab
tests came back, we
00:27:03
found a couple of substances.
00:27:05
Those substances are
ethyl glycol and acetone.
00:27:09
Ethyl glycol is the substance
that you'll find in radiator
00:27:13
antifreeze and acetone is in
fingernail polish remover,
00:27:18
for example.
00:27:19
He goes, do you
have in the house?
00:27:20
I said, yeah.
00:27:21
Patty uses it on her
fingernails to remove
00:27:23
her old fingernail polish.
00:27:24
He goes, well, that's
got acetone in it.
00:27:27
I said, OK.
He said, do you have antifreeze?
00:27:29
I said, yes.
I have antifreeze.
00:27:31
I'd just rebuilt the
radiator on my vehicle
00:27:34
and I had a partial gallon
left in the basement.
00:27:37
He says, well, that's what
we're saying he may have gotten.
00:27:40
Do you happen to know how
he could have gotten it?
00:27:42
They were very
polite yet suspicious.
00:27:46
They would not allow
us to see Ryan alone.
00:27:49
There would have to be at least
two nurses or a doctor present.
00:27:52
We were never allowed to
be on his bedside alone.
00:27:56
Now, that bothered
me but I still
00:27:57
didn't understand because I
wasn't looking at it the way
00:28:00
they were, I guess.
00:28:01
I just have to ask you
a few questions if you
00:28:03
could come in for a moment.
00:28:05
Sure.
00:28:06
David, you have a seat.
00:28:07
I'll come get you in a minute.
00:28:08
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
On that same day,
00:28:09
the police were brought
in to investigate.
00:28:12
We were split up and
talked to by detectives.
00:28:17
They immediately
started asking me, well,
00:28:19
is there a problem at home?
00:28:20
Are you and David fighting?
00:28:23
They were saying that they
knew that that baby had
00:28:26
been poisoned by either
me or my husband.
00:28:29
It infuriated me and
I was just devastated.
00:28:34
I was blown away.
00:28:36
I just could not believe that
they could even think-- I mean,
00:28:38
Ryan was my world.
00:28:41
Ryan was so beautiful
and he was perfect.
00:28:46
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
Ryan's condition improved.
00:28:49
After 12 days, he was
released from the hospital
00:28:52
but not to the custody
of his parents.
00:28:56
A social worker come up to
us and told us that they were
00:28:59
taking custody of Ryan from us.
00:29:02
And at that point,
I became very angry.
00:29:04
She said, well, this is policy.
00:29:07
When there's a
suspected poisoning,
00:29:10
we take children
from the parents
00:29:11
and put them in foster care.
00:29:13
That's a boy.
00:29:15
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
Patty and David
00:29:16
were allowed only a one-hour
visit each week on Thursdays.
00:29:21
I just could not
wait till Thursday.
00:29:24
My whole week I
would tell everybody
00:29:25
over and over and over
how last Thursday went.
00:29:29
That was my life--
Thursday, Thursday morning.
00:29:31
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
For five weeks,
00:29:33
the parental visits continued.
00:29:35
During the sixth visit,
Patty was left alone
00:29:38
with Ryan for a short time.
00:29:41
Three days later, he suffered
another severe attack
00:29:44
of vomiting.
00:29:46
Once again, he was
rushed to the hospital
00:29:48
and once again, the
diagnosis was poisoning.
00:29:56
I have a warrant for yourself.
00:29:57
A what?
00:29:58
PATTY STALLINGS (VOICEOVER):
We were getting out the car
00:30:00
and they said, stop right there.
00:30:02
And I turned around
and I was like,
00:30:04
well, come on into the house.
00:30:06
And they said no, you're not
allowed to go into the house.
00:30:08
They immediately slapped
handcuffs on me and said,
00:30:11
you're under arrest for assault.
00:30:22
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
Patty Stallings was arrested
00:30:23
and charged with assault.
And if that weren't enough,
00:30:27
David was left alone to
deal with their dying son.
00:30:32
I knew it wasn't true.
00:30:34
I didn't care what they thought.
00:30:35
I just thought, well, I'll
be home in a couple hours.
00:30:38
This will be over with,
I'll get to go be with Ryan.
00:30:43
And then the day
turned into a night
00:30:46
and then it got really serious.
00:30:48
I got really scared.
00:30:52
The doctors come
up to me and tell me
00:30:54
that they have a feeling that
Ryan's not going to make it
00:30:58
and that maybe I should get
in contact with a minister
00:31:02
and have him baptized.
00:31:05
I tried to get Patty up there
and all I got from the judge
00:31:10
was no, absolutely not.
00:31:13
I'm not going to let a
baby killer up there.
00:31:17
And I said, this lady
did not kill this baby.
00:31:21
And when they finally
come back to me
00:31:23
and told me that we need to
know if we can turn him off,
00:31:29
I told them go ahead and
shut the machine down but I
00:31:38
wanted to be in there with him.
00:31:41
So for three hours, I sat
there with him in my arms
00:31:47
knowing that Patty
couldn't be there watching
00:31:53
this meter on this
machine go down
00:31:57
each time his heart would beat.
00:32:00
They called me back about
nine o'clock that night
00:32:05
and I went up to the phone
and it was David's voice
00:32:09
and he told me he died.
00:32:12
And I started begging that
he could come up and see me.
00:32:18
And the deputy on
duty said he could.
00:32:28
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
When Ryan Stallings died,
00:32:29
he was just five months old.
00:32:33
Patty was charged with
first degree murder
00:32:35
and held without bail.
00:32:37
She was not allowed to
attend Ryan's funeral.
00:32:42
A few weeks later,
Patty discovered
00:32:44
she was pregnant again.
00:32:47
Six months later, David
Stallings, Jr. Was born.
00:32:51
Even though David,
Sr. Was not a suspect,
00:32:54
he was not allowed
to take his son home.
00:32:57
The baby was placed
in foster care.
00:33:00
Ironically, this would turn out
to be a stroke of good luck.
00:33:04
Without it, Patty might have
spent the rest of her life
00:33:07
in prison.
00:33:14
Next, Patty and David Stallings
are accused of poisoning
00:33:18
their second newborn child.
00:33:28
When David and Patty
Stallings' baby died,
00:33:31
authorities charged
Patty with murder.
00:33:34
Then she found out she was
pregnant with her second child.
00:33:38
When David Stallings,
Jr. Was two weeks old,
00:33:41
he began to exhibit symptoms
identical to the ones that
00:33:45
had plagued his brother, Ryan.
00:33:47
This time, the
diagnosis was different.
00:33:51
David, Jr. Had a rare genetic
disorder in which the body
00:33:56
produces chemical
byproducts that
00:33:58
are similar to the chemicals
found in antifreeze.
00:34:02
It would be very simple to
confuse the diagnosis of MMA
00:34:06
with multiple poisonings because
the symptoms are very similar.
00:34:10
But more importantly than that,
MMA and other similar disorders
00:34:15
are very rare and the
majority of doctors
00:34:19
either will never have seen
a case, or if they have seen
00:34:22
a case didn't know that they
saw it and actually confused it.
00:34:27
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
While prosecutors
00:34:29
re-evaluated the
medical evidence,
00:34:31
Patty Stallings was
released from jail.
00:34:34
However, she was denied
visitation rights
00:34:37
with her newborn son.
00:34:39
I thought it was over as
far as the nightmare of being
00:34:43
accused of hurting Ryan.
00:34:46
Even my lawyer said it was over.
00:34:49
There was no way that they
could not see the truth
00:34:52
right in front of their eyes.
00:34:55
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
Yet local officials continued
00:34:57
to pursue Ryan's case.
00:34:59
Their position was
that Ryan Stallings
00:35:01
had not died from MMA.
00:35:04
In the judge's chambers, they
cited four expert witnesses.
00:35:09
The judge refused to allow
the diagnosis of David, Jr.
00:35:14
To be presented to the jury.
00:35:16
We were concerned that if
it came out that David, Jr.
00:35:21
or Ryan, for that matter, had
this methylmalonic acidosis
00:35:25
unless it could be shown
that he actually died of that
00:35:29
or it was some kind
of a contributing
00:35:30
factor to his death, we believe
that that would not be relevant
00:35:33
and in fact might cause a jury
to go off on a wild goose chase
00:35:37
and make a decision
based on something
00:35:39
that's really not relevant.
00:35:41
First cases in the
family are often missed,
00:35:44
and it's only when
it occurs again
00:35:47
that the medical practitioners
are tipped off to the fact
00:35:51
that this may well
be a genetic disorder
00:35:54
and maybe the first
child had that as well.
00:35:57
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
Without the medical testimony,
00:35:59
the case against
Patty seemed airtight.
00:36:02
The prosecution focused on
one of Patty and David's
00:36:04
parental visits with Ryan.
00:36:12
On the sixth visit, my parents
were invited for the first time
00:36:18
and then about 20
minutes into the visit,
00:36:21
my mom and dad decided
they were going
00:36:22
to go ahead and leave that Patty
and I had the rest of the time
00:36:26
with him.
00:36:27
We'll be right back.
00:36:28
So I escorted my mom
and dad out of the room,
00:36:31
walked down the hall.
00:36:33
I was out of the room no more
than 45 seconds at the most.
00:36:38
Patricia was left alone with
the child from about three
00:36:41
minutes to about eight minutes,
during that time did actually
00:36:45
feed the child a bottle.
00:36:48
The child again got the same
symptoms had before, came back
00:36:52
into the hospital, was diagnosed
with ethylene glycol poisoning.
00:36:56
At that time, a
number of bottles
00:36:58
were also examined
for possible traces.
00:37:03
And while there were negative
effects and in all the bottles
00:37:07
but one, one bottle which
was identified as the bottle
00:37:11
she had fed the baby
with actually contained
00:37:15
traces of ethylene glycol.
00:37:17
That bottle had actually been
prepared by the foster mother
00:37:21
and retrieved from the
baby bag during a visit.
00:37:24
The state believes,
and certainly
00:37:26
circumstantial evidence
suggests, that she slipped
00:37:29
ethylene glycol or
antifreeze into the bottle
00:37:32
during that feeding.
00:37:34
What they were trying to say
was she started feeding him
00:37:37
before anybody got in there.
00:37:39
And that's wrong,
that's incorrect.
00:37:43
What happened was I walked
back to the cubby hole
00:37:46
where Patty was with Ryan.
00:37:48
He just started getting
a little cranky,
00:37:50
so I reached into the bag
and took the baby bottle
00:37:52
out and started feeding him.
00:37:55
I saw the bottle.
00:37:57
I did not smell, I did not see
any discoloration in the bottle
00:38:01
whatsoever.
00:38:03
There was nothing done to that
bottle-- absolutely nothing.
00:38:06
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
According to Patty's lawyers,
00:38:08
Ryan's symptoms did not appear
until three and a half days
00:38:12
after the visit.
00:38:14
I would be amazed if something
as volatile and as easily
00:38:19
fusible as ethylene
glycol would require
00:38:22
80 hours in order to cause
symptoms in a young child.
00:38:26
I believe it would have to
happen a lot faster than that,
00:38:29
and therefore it seems
much less probable
00:38:33
that this was a poisoning.
00:38:34
Ryan was taken from the
visit by the DFS worker
00:38:38
to the foster parents' home
but later that day or actually
00:38:44
early the next morning was
taken to what we call respite
00:38:47
home, temporary
foster parents who
00:38:50
kept him just for the weekend.
00:38:53
The second set of
foster parents,
00:38:54
not knowing what
the child was like,
00:38:58
may well have overlooked
symptoms that the first set
00:39:00
would have seen.
00:39:01
The defendant will
rise and face the court.
00:39:07
On count one, assault with
a deadly weapon, the court
00:39:10
finds you guilty as charged.
00:39:13
On count two, murder in
the first degree, the court
00:39:17
finds you guilty as charged.
00:39:20
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
Patty Stallings
00:39:21
was sentenced to life in
prison without the possibility
00:39:24
of parole.
00:39:26
Her few visits with her son
were limited to one hour.
00:39:30
David Stallings, Sr. was allowed
to see his son once a week.
00:39:35
I cannot see how they can live
with themselves knowing that
00:39:38
they sent an innocent
woman to jail
00:39:40
the rest of her life for
something that she didn't do.
00:39:46
If Ryan would have been
correctly diagnosed with MMA,
00:39:51
none of this would
have happened.
00:39:53
None of this series of
events in the last two years
00:39:57
would have happened.
00:39:59
It all depended on
whether he was correctly
00:40:01
diagnosed, which he was not.
00:40:04
I truly do believe
in the system.
00:40:06
And I think that when 12
people heard the evidence
00:40:10
and they returned the
verdict that they did,
00:40:12
that it's the right person.
00:40:13
On count one, assault
with a deadly weapon,
00:40:16
the court finds you
guilty as charged.
00:40:18
I've lost one child to MMA,
my second child is stricken
00:40:26
with MMA and may not live.
00:40:30
I lost my freedom.
00:40:35
I've lost everything.
00:40:40
DENNIS FARINA
(VOICEOVER): Update--
00:40:44
shortly after this
story aired, doctors
00:40:46
from all over the country
called to say that they
00:40:49
were familiar with MMA.
00:40:51
A renowned scientist
from Yale University
00:40:54
performed tests which
confirmed that MMA
00:40:56
was the cause of Ryan's death.
00:41:00
At a press conference,
the prosecutor
00:41:02
announced that he had
dropped all charges
00:41:05
against the Stallings family.
00:41:07
Unfortunately, we
can't undo the suffering
00:41:10
that the Stallings have endured
during this entire ordeal.
00:41:14
And I apologize to
them both personally
00:41:17
and for the State of Missouri.
00:41:18
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
David Stallings,
00:41:20
Jr. was finally going home.
00:41:28
I just want to make up
for the year and a half
00:41:31
that we didn't have him.
00:41:33
It's hard to make
up that much time,
00:41:35
but I'm doing the best I can.
00:41:40
His condition is
very scary, but we've
00:41:43
tackled so many hard things
that we've just kind of said,
00:41:48
we'll beat this, too.
00:41:50
And with that attitude, I
know that DJ will do all right
00:41:53
and that we'll do OK.
00:41:55
He is a miracle child and
we're lucky to have DJ
00:41:59
and we have our whole
life back and it's
00:42:01
like we're starting over.
00:42:04
It's indescribably wonderful.
00:42:06
DENNIS FARINA
(VOICEOVER): At the time
00:42:08
this program was produced,
DJ was doing just fine.
00:42:15
[theme music]
