00:00:04
DENNIS FARINA: Next, on
"Unsolved Mysteries,"
00:00:07
a professional
motorcycle racer falls
00:00:09
over dead in a gas station.
00:00:12
What happened?
00:00:15
A new church member gains the
trust of the congregation,
00:00:18
and then scams more
than a million dollars.
00:00:20
He steals much of it using ATMs.
00:00:26
A popular cheerleader is
found dead in the woods.
00:00:29
Who killed her?
00:00:32
And a rash of child
kidnappings in California
00:00:35
leads one mother to take action.
00:00:40
These are stories with
intriguing secrets
00:00:43
and surprising revelations.
00:00:46
I'm Dennis Farina and this
is "Unsolved Mysteries."
00:00:49
[music playing]
00:01:26
DENNIS FARINA: Emeryville,
California, just across the bay
00:01:29
from San Francisco.
00:01:32
On a warm February
evening, a motorcycle rider
00:01:35
weaves erratically down the
road and into a gas station.
00:01:46
Police and paramedics
arrive quickly.
00:01:48
They tried to revive
the unconscious rider.
00:01:52
OK, continue compression.
00:01:53
Let's get that back board over
here and get him out of here.
00:01:55
DENNIS FARINA: His
pulse is very weak,
00:01:57
but he doesn't seem injured.
00:01:59
Medics cannot find
any external wounds.
00:02:05
There was no bleeding
at all at the site.
00:02:08
If it had been some
kind of an accident,
00:02:11
you would expect to
see some kind of blood.
00:02:14
But there was absolutely none.
00:02:17
DENNIS FARINA: The
motorcyclist's was rushed
00:02:18
to a nearby hospital,
where they discovered
00:02:21
that he had been
shot three times
00:02:24
by a small caliber weapon.
00:02:26
1-2-3
00:02:28
DENNIS FARINA: One of the
bullets shattered his knee.
00:02:30
A second lodged in his stomach.
00:02:33
The third and fatal bullet
punctured his aorta.
00:02:36
The wounds were
nearly invisible,
00:02:38
but had caused massive
internal bleeding.
00:02:41
The rider never
regained consciousness
00:02:43
and was pronounced dead
shortly after 9:00 PM.
00:02:51
His name was Michael Hunter.
00:02:53
At 30 years old, he was a
dedicated motorcycle racer
00:02:57
who had survived hundreds
of dangerous competitions
00:03:00
only to be gunned down.
00:03:03
But why?
00:03:05
What happened to Michael
Hunter his all too common.
00:03:08
An innocent person is murdered,
the killer walks away,
00:03:11
and the police are left
without a suspect or a motive.
00:03:15
As investigators
examined Michael's life,
00:03:18
they looked for
anything that might have
00:03:20
set the stage for his murder.
00:03:23
Michael hunter competed in
races throughout California.
00:03:27
He earned a reputation
as one of the state's
00:03:29
most skilled bikers.
00:03:31
He said racing
gave him probably
00:03:34
the highest high that he'd
ever had in his whole life.
00:03:36
He said there was nothing
that beat this excitement
00:03:39
and the thrill of the racing.
00:03:42
And I think the
competition was maybe
00:03:44
almost incidental to the
thrill of the racing.
00:03:49
He was always sharing,
always teaching.
00:03:52
Mike took me in hand
from the beginning
00:03:55
and taught me how to ride,
taught me how to ride safely.
00:03:57
He taught me how to ride clean.
00:04:02
[engine revving]
00:04:08
DENNIS FARINA: On the
night that he was killed,
00:04:10
Michael fired up
his customized red,
00:04:12
white, and blue
Honda Interceptor
00:04:14
and took off from home.
00:04:20
A few minutes later, he stopped
at an ATM a half a mile away.
00:04:28
As he withdrew $20 from
his checking account,
00:04:31
a security camera
recorded the transaction.
00:04:36
From the photographs
that we have,
00:04:38
it would appear to be an
uneventful withdrawal.
00:04:41
So we don't have any reason
to think that he was robbed
00:04:45
or shot at the ATM machine.
00:04:49
DENNIS FARINA: Michael next
showed up at a liquor store
00:04:51
a half a block from the ATM.
00:04:55
There he bought a
pint of whiskey that
00:04:57
was later found in his jacket.
00:05:02
What happened next
is pure speculation.
00:05:05
The police believe that Michael
headed to a frontage road
00:05:09
three miles from
the gas station.
00:05:11
This area was known for
its breathtaking view
00:05:14
of the Bay Bridge.
00:05:16
It was here, while enjoying
the fresh winter breeze,
00:05:18
that Michael Hunter
may have encountered
00:05:21
his killer or killers.
00:05:26
Police theorize that someone
robbed Michael at gunpoint
00:05:29
and then demanded
his motorcycle.
00:05:34
Probably Mikes love
of his motorcycle
00:05:38
would cause him to be
reluctant to turn it over.
00:05:50
I think that he was
probably pretty scared.
00:05:52
And I like to think--
00:05:54
I'd really like
to believe that he
00:05:57
didn't know what was going on.
00:06:00
It would have taken him a long
time to get to that station.
00:06:02
That's not a short stint
to ride when you're hurt.
00:06:09
DENNIS FARINA: An hour
later, Michael Hunter
00:06:11
was dead leaving his family to
wonder who killed him and why.
00:06:17
BEVERLY HUNTER: I
think all the time
00:06:18
he raced I knew that
something could happen to him,
00:06:22
because he was
living beyond what
00:06:25
most people do as far as what he
chose to do for his recreation.
00:06:30
Had he died that way, it was
a choice he would have made,
00:06:33
and a conscious
choice he'd made.
00:06:36
And I think that it would have
been a lot easier to accept.
00:06:41
DENNIS FARINA: Michael's
friends and family
00:06:42
have raised a $10,000
reward for information
00:06:46
which may help solve this case.
00:06:48
If you know anything about
the murder of Michael Hunter,
00:06:52
please log onto our website
at unsolved.com Coming up,
00:06:59
five children are abducted
in Northern California.
00:07:03
Can a mysterious stranger help
solve these puzzling cases?
00:07:19
Pinole, California.
00:07:22
On a Friday afternoon,
Kim Schwartz
00:07:25
was preparing dinner when her
7-year-old daughter, Amber,
00:07:29
asked if she could play outside.
00:07:31
Oh, but our friends are going
to be here in five minutes.
00:07:34
Please?
00:07:35
KIM SCHWARTZ: Amber
asked if she could
00:07:37
use the jump rope in the hall
closet and jump rope outside.
00:07:42
So I walked with her over to
the closet and open up the door
00:07:44
and she grabbed the jump rope.
00:07:46
Thank you, mommy.
00:07:47
I love you.
00:07:48
On her way out the door
she just stopped and turned
00:07:50
and said, I love you, mommy.
00:07:52
And out the door she went.
00:07:57
DENNIS FARINA: Amber
planned to jump
00:07:59
rope until the guest arrived.
00:08:03
[door bell rings]
00:08:06
Hello.
00:08:07
How are you two?
00:08:08
Come in.
00:08:09
KIM SCHWARTZ: They
walk in the door,
00:08:10
and Merissa instantly
asks where Amber was.
00:08:13
And I said she was
outside jumping rope,
00:08:15
and so both of
them at that point
00:08:17
said we didn't
see her out there.
00:08:20
So I said, well, maybe she
was over in the vacant lot.
00:08:23
No, she's out there.
00:08:23
Go get her.
00:08:24
So Merissa quickly
ran right back
00:08:26
outside looking for Amber and--
00:08:28
I'm glad it's Friday.
00:08:29
Oh, me too.
00:08:30
KIM SCHWARTZ: She came
running back inside saying
00:08:32
she didn't see her.
00:08:34
And so at that point,
I went outside.
00:08:37
(CALLING FRANTICALLY) Amber!
00:08:40
Amber!
00:08:41
Amber, where are you?
00:08:44
Amber!
00:08:45
KIM SCHWARTZ: I
couldn't find Amber.
00:08:47
I was afraid.
00:08:49
I didn't want
anything to be wrong.
00:08:52
I wanted her to be home.
00:08:55
DENNIS FARINA: Kim Schwartz
would never see Amber again.
00:09:00
Following hours of searching,
investigators concluded
00:09:03
that Amber had been abducted.
00:09:06
The morning after
she disappeared,
00:09:08
a pair of pink
socks was discovered
00:09:10
in a park near Amber's home.
00:09:13
The socks had not been
there when the park
00:09:15
was searched the night before.
00:09:20
To come back the next morning
and find these socks in a place
00:09:23
that had already been
searched certainly
00:09:26
sent up a lot of red flags.
00:09:28
They were just like the socks
that Amber had on her feet,
00:09:30
I can say that, because I had
helped Amber put her new shoes
00:09:33
on that we had just bought.
00:09:37
DENNIS FARINA: In
the days following
00:09:38
Amber's disappearance,
many strangers
00:09:41
offered to help but one of
them Kim we will never forget.
00:09:46
His name was Tim Binder.
00:09:48
Hello, Kim.
00:09:50
My name is Timothy.
00:09:51
I'm with the search for
Amber, for your dear Amber.
00:09:54
KIM SCHWARTZ: He looked
like he'd been up all night.
00:09:58
Basically, he was
saying how he wanted
00:10:00
to be the one to save her.
00:10:02
He wanted to be the one
to bring her home to me.
00:10:05
I've been searching in
a lot of places that--
00:10:06
DENNIS FARINA: Binder's van
also caught Kim's attention.
00:10:10
KIM SCHWARTZ: It almost
looked like a van
00:10:12
that he painted himself.
00:10:13
He's got these plates
that say, love you.
00:10:16
He's got posters on
the outside of the van.
00:10:21
So I want you to know, I
want to be the one to find her.
00:10:24
DENNIS FARINA: Kim says Binder
became extremely emotional
00:10:28
as he talked about Amber.
00:10:29
I want to be the one to save
her and bring her back you.
00:10:41
Did you see Amber
Schwartz on June 3rd?
00:10:45
No.
00:10:46
DENNIS FARINA:
Binder was questioned
00:10:48
extensively by the FBI
following Amber's disappearance.
00:10:51
The results of his
polygraph were inconclusive.
00:10:57
Tim Binder is a
very bright man.
00:11:01
He's a very intelligent man.
00:11:02
He's a Berkeley grad.
00:11:04
DENNIS FARINA: John Philpin is
a trained forensic psychologist.
00:11:07
He spent more than 1,000
hours interviewing Tim Binder
00:11:11
for his book
"Stalemate", which was
00:11:13
about Amber's disappearance.
00:11:16
There are law
enforcement agencies
00:11:18
which consider him a suspect.
00:11:21
There's also the perception
shared by a number of people
00:11:25
that Tim has done
absolutely nothing wrong
00:11:29
and that he is a
misunderstood good Samaritan.
00:11:33
One fact is he is
trying to be helpful.
00:11:35
He does that voluntarily.
00:11:37
It is a sense that
he has that he
00:11:40
has an obligation and a
duty to go out and try
00:11:43
to find missing children.
00:11:46
DENNIS FARINA: But
what has authorities
00:11:48
curious about Binder is
his apparent fascination
00:11:52
with the grave of another
murdered girl, Angela Bugay.
00:11:57
Five-year-old Angela disappeared
4 and 1/2 years before Amber.
00:12:02
She was later found sexually
assaulted and strangled.
00:12:07
The FBI placed Tim Binder
under surveillance.
00:12:11
His alleged habit
of visiting Angela
00:12:13
Bugay's grave site
up to 90 times a year
00:12:17
had caught their attention.
00:12:20
KIM SCHWARTZ: To have been
to this little girl's grave,
00:12:22
this little girl that he never
knew, I just can't imagine
00:12:25
anybody going to
somebody's grave
00:12:27
that many times in
that period of time,
00:12:30
unless there's something else
going on in that person's mind.
00:12:34
DENNIS FARINA: According
to John Burris,
00:12:35
the fact that Binder
visits grave sites
00:12:38
should not cast
suspicion on his client.
00:12:42
For him, it has a special
kind of significance
00:12:45
that is personal to
him but certainly
00:12:47
not an indication
that he's putting
00:12:50
anybody in that graveyard.
00:12:52
DENNIS FARINA: 11 days after
Amber vanished, a bloodhound
00:12:55
from the Contra Costa
County Sheriff's Department
00:12:58
allegedly tracked her scent
to Angela's grave site.
00:13:03
Police say the
dog also picked up
00:13:05
Amber's scent in Binder's van.
00:13:07
However, California
courts are often
00:13:11
leery about the reliability
of bloodhound evidence.
00:13:16
Five months after
Amber's disappearance,
00:13:18
another young girl
in the area was
00:13:21
abducted, nine-year-old
Michaela Garrett,
00:13:24
but she wasn't the last.
00:13:26
Two months later
in nearby Dublin,
00:13:29
13-year-old Ilene
Misheloff disappeared.
00:13:33
Despite the fact
that some suspicion
00:13:35
had been directed
at him, Tim Binder
00:13:38
helped search for Aileen.
00:13:40
Several years passed and
little progress was made.
00:13:43
And then, a woman in
the town of Fairfield
00:13:46
informed police
that her daughter
00:13:48
had begun receiving mail
from a man she didn't know.
00:13:52
His name, Tim Binder.
00:13:56
KIM SCHWARTZ: One young girl
is getting letters from Tim.
00:14:00
Oddly enough, these letters
were written backwards
00:14:03
and had to be held up
to a mirror to read,
00:14:06
which I'm sure would set
any parent on the edge
00:14:08
to have your kid all of a sudden
get this really weird letter.
00:14:14
I'm going to play with
my friend down the street.
00:14:16
DENNIS FARINA: Just a
few blocks from where
00:14:18
the letter was received,
another young girl disappeared.
00:14:22
Four-year-old Nikki Campbell
was playing in her driveway.
00:14:28
Nikki lived on Salisbury
Drive in Fairfield,
00:14:30
and she had been out
playing with her brother
00:14:34
in the afternoon.
00:14:36
Mom came home from work
and asked where's Nikki?
00:14:39
Well, she's out playing.
00:14:40
They couldn't find her.
00:14:41
DENNIS FARINA: Four days
after Nikki's disappearance,
00:14:44
her scent, like
Amber's before her,
00:14:47
was allegedly tracked
by bloodhounds
00:14:49
to Angela Bugay's grave.
00:14:52
The same grave that Tim
Binder reportedly visited.
00:14:56
JOHN PHILPIN: You put all of
these coincidences together,
00:14:58
you see them pile up,
the dogs, the cemetery,
00:15:01
the various scents in
the various places,
00:15:03
and you really have
to question which
00:15:06
is what I believe law
enforcement was doing
00:15:08
and I think their role to do it.
00:15:10
Is this a coincidence or
is there something to it?
00:15:14
If there was
something more to it,
00:15:15
then you would think
after all this time
00:15:17
there would have been
some more evidence
00:15:19
that was more definitive.
00:15:20
And there hasn't been any.
00:15:22
DENNIS FARINA: Following Nikki
Campbell's disappearance,
00:15:25
the Fairfield Police Department
searched Tim Binder's home.
00:15:28
They found nothing suspicious.
00:15:32
Believing that his reputation
had been unfairly tarnished
00:15:35
by the Fairfield
Police Department,
00:15:37
Binder brought a defamation
lawsuit against the city.
00:15:41
Fairfield settled out
of court for $90,000.
00:15:47
Citing the advice
of his attorney,
00:15:49
Binder turned down our
request for an interview.
00:15:52
And it's important to note
that Tim Binder has never
00:15:55
been charged with any crime
relating to the disappearance
00:15:59
of these girls.
00:16:00
He has consistently claimed
that he is innocent.
00:16:04
Kim Schwarz has not given
up her search for the person
00:16:08
who kidnapped Amber.
00:16:10
This effort led her to
create the Amber Foundation
00:16:14
for Missing Children.
00:16:16
Kim hopes to prevent
child abductions
00:16:18
so that what happened to her
never happens to anyone else.
00:16:26
Update, the body of Angela
Bugay, the first of the five
00:16:30
girls to disappear,
was exhumed and tested
00:16:33
for the DNA of her killer.
00:16:36
The results led to
the arrest of a man
00:16:38
named Larry
Christopher Graham, who
00:16:40
had once dated Angela's mother.
00:16:44
Graham was convicted of raping
and killing the five-year-old
00:16:47
and sentenced to death.
00:16:49
Tim Binder was not
involved in any way.
00:16:54
There are new
developments in this case.
00:16:56
Here's one of our
staff with the details.
00:17:01
MALE VOICE: 21 Years
after she disappeared
00:17:02
from her front yard,
police and the FBI
00:17:05
now believe they
know who kidnapped
00:17:07
and killed Amber Schwartz.
00:17:09
During a prison
interview with the FBI,
00:17:12
convicted child killer,
Curtis Dean Anderson,
00:17:15
confessed to abducting
Amber from her front yard,
00:17:18
murdering her in a Tucson,
Arizona motel room,
00:17:21
and disposing of her body
in the Arizona desert.
00:17:26
Anderson was serving a 300
year sentence in connection
00:17:30
with the killing and sexual
molestation of other children.
00:17:34
Just 30 days after
confessing to Amber's murder,
00:17:37
Anderson died in prison.
00:17:40
While they were never able
to conduct a polygraph,
00:17:43
FBI profilers who
interviewed Anderson are
00:17:46
convinced he was
telling the truth,
00:17:48
and the case has been closed.
00:17:54
DENNIS FARINA: Up next,
a friendly con man
00:17:56
dips into the church
offering basket
00:17:58
and makes off with more
than a million dollars.
00:18:11
In Virginia Beach, Virginia,
the Holy Family Church
00:18:15
serves a small, tight-knit
Hispanic community.
00:18:18
The parishioners are
honest and hardworking
00:18:21
but by no means wealthy.
00:18:27
When Carlos Garcia
arrived, he was warmly
00:18:30
welcomed into the congregation.
00:18:32
He was a gregarious
businessman who quickly
00:18:35
made friends with everyone.
00:18:38
IRIS YOUNG: really
struck me about him
00:18:39
when he first came to us was
how honest he seemed to be
00:18:43
and how concerned,
he seemed to be
00:18:46
for the people of our community,
for the Hispanic people,
00:18:50
especially with the Mexicans.
00:18:51
He was extremely close
to the Mexican community.
00:18:55
And he earned their
trust immediately,
00:19:00
just like he earned mine.
00:19:02
Let me just say
how excited I am.
00:19:04
We've had a great year.
00:19:06
DENNIS FARINA:
Within three years,
00:19:07
Garcia had been elected
president and treasurer
00:19:10
of the local pastoral council
which oversaw the church
00:19:14
budget and expenditures.
00:19:17
It was a powerful position,
and slowly Garcia began
00:19:21
to use it to his own advantage.
00:19:23
Now, on page one, all the
items that have an asterisk,
00:19:26
you'll find the
explanation on page two.
00:19:29
SISTER BARBARA GERWE: There
was, for many people, almost
00:19:31
an immediate trust
that this is somebody
00:19:34
who has come to this country,
who has become successful,
00:19:38
and now is helping other people.
00:19:41
OK, can we
approve the minutes?
00:19:42
Unfortunately, we
found out the trust
00:19:44
that had been put
in Carlos had been
00:19:47
betrayed just in many ways.
00:19:51
[speaking spanish]
00:19:54
DENNIS FARINA: Garcia
used his position
00:19:56
in the church to attract
clients to his tax business.
00:20:00
One couple gave him
more than $13,000
00:20:04
to turn over to the IRS.
00:20:06
But Carlos kept every penny.
00:20:14
IRMA NARANJO: We didn't know
how the system worked here
00:20:16
for paying taxes and all that.
00:20:22
He helped us arrange
our citizenship,
00:20:24
our immigration
cards, and he always
00:20:27
helped us with everything.
00:20:28
[speaking spanish]
00:20:32
So that's why we
trusted him so much,
00:20:35
and that's why we trusted
him with our taxes.
00:20:38
He takes advantage of
the fact that a great many
00:20:41
of the individuals he
comes in contact with
00:20:42
are unfamiliar with
federal income tax laws.
00:20:45
They trust him to
guide them through what
00:20:48
really must appear a maze.
00:20:50
Unfortunately,
they don't realize
00:20:51
that he has no intention
of taking them anywhere but
00:20:53
to the cleaners, so to speak.
00:20:57
DENNIS FARINA: Garcia's tax
scam was just the beginning.
00:21:01
Using church records, he
got confidential information
00:21:04
about hundreds of
community members.
00:21:07
Who used it to
order credit cards
00:21:09
in the names of
fellow churchgoers
00:21:12
and their dead relatives.
00:21:16
THOMAS SOCHOR: He would use the
information that he obtained
00:21:18
about other people to build
resumes, obtain credit cards,
00:21:22
establish bank accounts.
00:21:24
And with his credit
cards, he even assumed
00:21:26
the identities of females.
00:21:29
And he would charge things
on these credit cards.
00:21:31
And he would explain to them
that sometimes a name which you
00:21:35
would assume would
be female was not
00:21:36
because it was a Hispanic name.
00:21:38
And he got away with it.
00:21:41
DENNIS FARINA: Carlos was also
something of a ladies man.
00:21:46
One woman who we'll call
Anna, dated him for six years
00:21:50
and never realized
what he was up to.
00:21:54
[speaking spanish]
00:21:57
DENNIS FARINA:
When Carlos learned
00:21:58
that Hannah's mother
inherited a lot of money,
00:22:01
he encouraged her
to put it in a CD.
00:22:07
He had told her that the
interest rate would be better
00:22:11
at his credit union,
and he had already
00:22:13
picked up the signature
cards and everything
00:22:16
and bought those with him.
00:22:17
So she filled out the
application and signature card,
00:22:20
and he took the money.
00:22:22
He put it in the credit union.
00:22:25
I think it's an
excellent investment.
00:22:27
Well, thank you Carlos.
00:22:28
DENNIS FARINA: What Anna and
her mother didn't realize
00:22:31
was that Garcia had co-signed
this signature card.
00:22:35
Before long, he emptied
the account of $25,000.
00:22:41
Finally, after eight years
one of Garcia's clients
00:22:45
became suspicious and
contacted the IRS.
00:22:50
CA BARG: The taxpayer alleged
that she had given Carlos
00:22:53
cash money for three
consecutive years for Carlos
00:22:57
to [inaudible] to the
Internal Revenue Service.
00:23:00
She subsequently
learned that IRS did not
00:23:03
have any record of her
filing or any payments made
00:23:07
to the Internal Revenue Service.
00:23:10
DENNIS FARINA: She made
a phone call to Carlos
00:23:12
to discuss her situation.
00:23:13
Hello.
00:23:14
DENNIS FARINA: He had
no idea that the IRS
00:23:17
inspectors were listening in.
00:23:19
Carlos, I'm calling because
I've received some letters
00:23:22
from the IRS and they
say that they haven't
00:23:26
received payments from me.
00:23:29
And you know, I paid
you in cash and I
00:23:31
don't have any record of it.
00:23:33
Obviously, there's
been a terrible mistake.
00:23:36
I will call them on Monday
morning and straighten
00:23:37
this whole situation out.
00:23:39
So you do have
the record then?
00:23:41
You can prove to them that I
gave you the payment in cash?
00:23:44
Yes, I've got those records.
00:23:46
I know you've paid me.
00:23:47
I've got everything right here.
00:23:49
I will take care of it?
00:23:50
Do you understand?
00:23:52
OK, then I'll wait
to hear from you.
00:23:55
Thank you, Carlos.
00:23:56
Bye-bye.
00:23:59
DENNIS FARINA: Garcia was
arrested a few days later.
00:24:02
He soon posted bail,
and within a week
00:24:05
he had slipped out of
Virginia Beach and vanished.
00:24:11
When the IRS searched
through Garcia's records,
00:24:14
they discovered his true
identity, Fernando Zapico.
00:24:19
Zapico is a native of Argentina.
00:24:22
He's a career con man
whose life of crime
00:24:25
spans more than four decades.
00:24:27
He has used at least
17 aliases to defraud
00:24:31
victims of nearly $2 million.
00:24:35
Probably even greater
than the loss of funds
00:24:38
from our Hispanic community
has been the loss of trust,
00:24:43
and the real betrayal that
people have felt of someone
00:24:48
whom they loved and
respected and truly looked up
00:24:51
to as a leader of
their community,
00:24:54
and now they find that
they've been betrayed by an
00:24:57
I still have times when it's
hard for me to accept this.
00:25:03
I still have times when
I feel like crying,
00:25:05
when I feel depressed,
because I trusted him.
00:25:10
I believed in him.
00:25:13
He took money from people
that were simple people.
00:25:17
Again, people that trusted him.
00:25:20
And these people will
never be the same again.
00:25:23
The whole community will
never be the same again.
00:25:30
Update, after decades of
bilking innocent victims,
00:25:35
Fernando's Zapico
has been captured.
00:25:38
He was working at a convenience
store in Miami, Florida
00:25:41
when one of our
viewers recognized him
00:25:43
and notified
authorities who moved
00:25:45
in quickly to make the arrest.
00:25:48
Fernando Zapico pleaded guilty
to bank fraud, credit fraud,
00:25:52
and other felonies,
and was sentenced
00:25:54
to two years in federal prison.
00:25:57
He has since been released.
00:26:01
Next, a high school cheerleader
is murdered near campus.
00:26:05
We need your help
to catch the killer.
00:26:18
East Millinocket, Maine, a
peaceful milk town where kids
00:26:23
play in the parks
unsupervised, and most people
00:26:26
don't even lock their doors.
00:26:30
But that sense of safety
ended when 16-year-old
00:26:34
Joyce McLean was murdered.
00:26:38
Her body was found in the woods
behind the high school soccer
00:26:41
field.
00:26:44
I saw Joyce, and
she wasn't moving.
00:26:47
Her body looked like
it had been beaten.
00:26:50
Joyce!
00:26:51
I knew that she wasn't alive.
00:26:52
Joyce!
00:26:54
And after that, I turned and
ran home and called the police.
00:26:57
It turned out to be
a big part in my life
00:27:01
that's really hurt me.
00:27:05
I never expected
what happened at all.
00:27:08
It's just something in
a little town like this
00:27:10
that you don't forget.
00:27:11
It's there all the time.
00:27:13
There's not a day that goes by
that her name isn't mentioned,
00:27:16
mainly because she was such a
bright, beautiful young girl,
00:27:19
so talented.
00:27:20
She made such a
mark on this town
00:27:23
that people just didn't forget.
00:27:26
Over 6,000 signatures
were collected
00:27:30
petitioning "Unsolved Mysteries"
to tell Joyce's story.
00:27:33
The people of her hometown feel
that it may be the last chance
00:27:37
to find the person who
killed their friend
00:27:40
and their neighbor,
Joyce McLean.
00:27:44
She was the kind
of teenager that
00:27:45
would make any home town proud.
00:27:48
Joyce was a gifted musician, who
played in the school orchestra
00:27:52
and composed her own music.
00:27:55
She was an honor
student, cheerleader,
00:27:57
and student body officer.
00:28:01
Joyce's mind was
filled with thoughts
00:28:03
of what kind of a future
she was going to have.
00:28:07
She was heading into
a no stopping life.
00:28:09
She was getting her
driver's license.
00:28:11
She is going to
turn 17-years-old.
00:28:13
She had a big party planned
at the beach with a big band,
00:28:17
and lots of friends and
family was going to be there.
00:28:22
I believe that it was
a growing up time.
00:28:27
DENNIS FARINA: On
a Friday evening,
00:28:29
Joyce went for her usual
jog around the school.
00:28:32
It was the last time
that she was seen alive.
00:28:37
DET.
00:28:38
BARRY SHUMAN: Joyce
got a route that
00:28:39
took her out around the town
and behind Schenck High School.
00:28:43
And the last time she was seen
is turning the corner going
00:28:45
down to the softball
field in the soccer field
00:28:48
where she usually
did a number of laps.
00:28:51
We have witnesses
that say this happened
00:28:54
roughly between quarter
of eight and 8:00 o'clock
00:28:56
in the evening.
00:28:59
DENNIS FARINA: The field
was a popular hangout.
00:29:02
One theory is that some
locals were drinking there
00:29:05
and began harassing Joyce.
00:29:07
They may have forced
her into the woods
00:29:09
intending to rape her.
00:29:11
Instead, it ended in murder.
00:29:18
A second theory
is that Joyce was
00:29:20
attacked by one or more workers
from the local paper mill.
00:29:24
300 laborers who were not local
residents had just been hired.
00:29:30
But after intense investigation,
the case remains unsolved.
00:29:35
WENDY MCLAIN: Before she
was murdered, all of us kids
00:29:38
would all go out walking around.
00:29:40
6:00 o'clock we we're
all out on the street.
00:29:42
And after she was
murdered, it all changed.
00:29:47
The parents were real, you
know, where are you going?
00:29:50
What time are you
going to be home?
00:29:51
And people never even locked
the doors around here.
00:29:55
People started locking
up their houses,
00:29:56
and I mean everybody
was just in a panic.
00:29:58
It was like it's something
you least expect around here.
00:30:02
Can you imagine
living in a town
00:30:05
where people are aware
that these killers have
00:30:08
never been found.
00:30:10
They may very well be
still walking our streets.
00:30:13
The town has been
like a pressure cooker
00:30:17
just ready to explode.
00:30:20
I believe that Joyce's
murder is solvable,
00:30:26
and I believe out
there someone has just
00:30:28
the tiniest bit of information.
00:30:32
They may not even know it.
00:30:35
They could come forward,
and it could be solved.
00:30:41
DENNIS FARINA: Update.
00:30:42
An arrest has been
made in this case.
00:30:44
Here's one of our
staff with the details.
00:30:47
MALE VOICE: After a 35 year
investigation, Phillip Scott
00:30:52
Fournier 55, was arrested
and charged with the murder
00:30:55
of Joyce McClain.
00:30:57
Fournier was 19 at the
time of Joyce's death,
00:31:00
and he had been
interviewed nearly two
00:31:01
dozen times since her murder.
00:31:03
He allegedly told his mother
and several other witnesses
00:31:06
that he had killed McClain.
00:31:08
He is pleading not
guilty to the crime
00:31:12
DENNIS FARINA: Next, the amazing
journey of a note in a bottle
00:31:15
and its 18 year odyssey
around the world.
00:31:30
Ovid, New York near Lake Cayuga.
00:31:33
One summer day, nine-year-old
Kevin Reeder and his mother
00:31:37
Merle were at the lake.
00:31:39
They tried a little experiment.
00:31:41
1978.
00:31:43
When you find this bottle--
00:31:47
I know, please drop me a line.
00:31:50
Perfect.
00:31:51
DENNIS FARINA: They signed
the note with Kevin's name
00:31:53
and address, and then tucked
it inside an old bottle.
00:32:00
OK, all right you go ahead.
00:32:01
Give it a good throw.
00:32:02
Go ahead.
00:32:06
Good arm.
00:32:09
Mom?
00:32:09
What sweetie?
00:32:10
How far do you
think it could go?
00:32:13
I don't know.
00:32:14
MERLE CUSHMAN: We thought
somebody around Aurora
00:32:16
might find it or it would go
to the south end of the lake
00:32:19
to Ithaca.
00:32:20
There were college,
and they might
00:32:22
be interested in seeing where
it went and write to Kevin
00:32:25
and give him a new pen pal.
00:32:28
After we tossed a bottle
into the lake, it was probably,
00:32:32
or it was part of a
daily thought process,
00:32:36
waiting for the mail,
checking the mail,
00:32:38
the anticipation
until it progressively
00:32:40
faded away until you
forgot entirely about it.
00:32:44
DENNIS FARINA: Years past.
00:32:46
Kevin Reeder grew up and
moved away from New York.
00:32:49
First to Florida, then to Texas.
00:32:51
Kevin had no idea that he
had launched the battle
00:32:54
on its own epic journey.
00:33:01
18 years later, Kevin
returned to Ovid to find
00:33:05
a letter waiting for him.
00:33:06
It had arrived only days before.
00:33:09
Inside was the message that
he had put in the bottle
00:33:12
almost two decades earlier.
00:33:15
It came with a short note
from the people who found it.
00:33:21
When I called my
mother, the first thing
00:33:23
that came out of
my mouth was you're
00:33:24
never going to believe this.
00:33:26
It says, hello Kevin.
00:33:27
I found your message in
a bottle, like that song,
00:33:30
at the beach in San
Diego, California.
00:33:32
I thought it would be
funny to write back.
00:33:34
Pretty cool!
00:33:36
It was signed by Rosa and Bruce.
00:33:38
And it has a PS.
00:33:40
Where the heck is Ovid.
00:33:41
But there's no return
address or phone number.
00:33:46
DENNIS FARINA: In 20 years,
the bottles had apparently
00:33:49
traveled more than 3,000 miles
by land and some 25,000 miles
00:33:54
by sea.
00:33:56
So how could a glass bottle
get across the entire continent
00:33:59
from a lake in New York
to the Pacific Coast?
00:34:04
That is really amazing.
00:34:06
I think it's a bit unlikely
because of all the difficulties
00:34:08
to get there, but that is truly
amazing but not impossible.
00:34:14
DENNIS FARINA: Dr. Richardson is
one of the world's top experts
00:34:17
on global water currents.
00:34:19
Here's how Dr. Richardson
says this well-traveled bottle
00:34:23
might have maneuvered through
the waterways of the world.
00:34:28
First, the bottle would
have floated out of the lake
00:34:31
through the Erie Canal into
the St. Lawrence Seaway,
00:34:35
and then out into the Atlantic
Ocean near Nova Scotia.
00:34:39
That's the hardest
part, because it's
00:34:41
so easy for a bottle to go
ashore and be found by someone.
00:34:45
Once it gets into the Atlantic,
it's easy for a bottle
00:34:47
to stay adrift for many years.
00:34:49
DENNIS FARINA: Dr. Richardson
speculates that a combination
00:34:52
of tides, winds,
and ocean currents
00:34:55
could have taken the
bottle around the world.
00:34:58
From Nova Scotia
south down the Eastern
00:35:00
Seaboard and then
east towards Europe,
00:35:04
down the west coast
of Africa, and then
00:35:06
across to South America.
00:35:09
The bottle was swept
back across the Atlantic
00:35:12
past the Cape of Good Hope
and into the Indian Ocean.
00:35:16
Then, east until it
reached the south.
00:35:22
Currents pushed it
back across the Pacific
00:35:25
then north past the
Philippine Islands and Japan.
00:35:29
After that, the
bottle would have
00:35:31
had to cross the Pacific yet
again head down the west coast
00:35:35
of North America, and
reach its final destination
00:35:39
San Diego, California.
00:35:44
It would have been a
magnificent voyage,
00:35:47
but Dr. Richardson himself has
some doubts it really happened.
00:35:53
I'm a bit skeptical.
00:35:54
I think it went to
California in someone's
00:35:56
pocket or someone's suitcase.
00:35:57
It's very difficult to get out
through the canals and rivers
00:36:01
without going aground or
being found by someone.
00:36:05
DENNIS FARINA: Those
someone's were Bruce and Rosa.
00:36:07
Although they did not give their
last names or a return address,
00:36:12
Kevin's mother feels
that she knows at least
00:36:15
a little something about them.
00:36:18
They had to have some kind
of sense of humor to value
00:36:20
to pick it up and
open it and read
00:36:22
it and then send our
note back and say,
00:36:26
where the heck is Ovid?
00:36:28
I like to picture it as a
couple strolling the beach
00:36:31
and just coming upon it and
taking the time and energy
00:36:34
to allow somebody to
revisit their childhood
00:36:36
like they've allowed
me to do, and also
00:36:38
just to thank them for it.
00:36:41
The incredible journey of
Kevin's message in a bottle
00:36:44
may be one of our
quirkier mysteries,
00:36:47
but we're hoping
that Bruce and Rosa
00:36:49
can provide the final chapter
in this intriguing story.
00:36:53
If you know Bruce
or Rosa, please
00:36:55
contact us at unsolved.com
00:37:06
Queens, New York.
00:37:09
Jean and Don Warren we're the
parents of three daughters
00:37:12
and had always wanted a son.
00:37:15
Their dream seemed
to come true the day
00:37:17
that a two-year-old
foster child named
00:37:19
Roger arrived at their home.
00:37:22
For Jean, being a foster
mother had special meaning.
00:37:26
JEAN WARREN: I was
a foster child,
00:37:27
and because of this I
wanted a foster child
00:37:31
to do what somebody did for me.
00:37:35
Hello, Roger.
00:37:36
Welcome to our family.
00:37:38
It's the tender loving care.
00:37:40
To me this is what's
important, giving a child
00:37:43
the love, the attention
that he needed,
00:37:45
and not just a bed to sleep in.
00:37:50
Roger, this is Carol
and Wendy and Donna.
00:37:54
Donna this is Roger.
00:37:56
Hi, do you want to come
and play with my toys.
00:37:59
JEAN WARREN: He was kind of shy,
but Donna, she was a year older
00:38:04
than Roger and she took to him.
00:38:09
Within a year's
time, I have to say
00:38:11
Roger developed so wonderfully.
00:38:16
He started smiling a
lot, laughing a lot.
00:38:19
You know, he was no
longer that shy little boy
00:38:22
that walked in that day.
00:38:23
You're doing real good, Roger.
00:38:25
I'm proud of you.
00:38:27
I think adjusting in our family
was the best thing for Roger.
00:38:32
Whatever we did, he
was there with us.
00:38:36
And each day I was loving this
child more and more and more.
00:38:42
DENNIS FARINA: But
after three years,
00:38:44
Don and Jean had to move
from New York to Ohio.
00:38:48
They were heartbroken
to learn that they
00:38:49
could not take Roger with them.
00:38:53
DENNIS FARINA: I questioned
the agency, because I
00:38:56
wanted to adopt Roger.
00:38:58
And they told me
that was impossible,
00:39:00
because a foster child
couldn't be taken out of state.
00:39:07
Come on, Roger.
00:39:08
Time to go.
00:39:09
DENNIS FARINA: Jean will
never forget the day
00:39:11
that Roger was taken away.
00:39:20
JEAN WARREN: When she took him
to the car, he looked at us
00:39:23
and he looked at me.
00:39:24
And I remember him putting
out his hand and crying,
00:39:29
I don't want to go.
00:39:30
I don't want to go.
00:39:32
You be a good boy, Roger.
00:39:34
I could only say, Roger be good.
00:39:36
Take care of yourself,
and I love you
00:39:39
and I'll always remember you.
00:39:42
DENNIS FARINA: Jean never
forgot Roger and never
00:39:44
stopped hoping to find him.
00:39:50
Update.
00:39:52
Jean Warren's 30 year
search is finally over.
00:39:56
Roger was watching "Unsolved
Mysteries" the night
00:40:00
this story aired
and rushed to see
00:40:02
the woman he still calls Mom.
00:40:05
Hello.
00:40:06
Oh, you are handsome.
00:40:08
How are you?
00:40:09
I'm fine.
00:40:11
JEAN WARREN: I was ecstatic.
00:40:16
My heart started pounding.
00:40:18
I would like him and his wife
to be a part of our family.
00:40:23
And it's so nice to
hear him call me mom.
00:40:27
That makes it all worthwhile.
00:40:30
Hi, Wendy
00:40:32
ROGER: I feel so much
love for that woman.
00:40:35
She has changed my life.
00:40:39
I got a family overnight.
00:40:42
Overnight I got a family,
and I'm a happy man.
00:40:47
These are the pictures of
your life of the three years
00:40:51
that you spent with us.
00:40:53
DENNIS FARINA: The reunion
with Jean was a huge success,
00:40:57
but there was more to come.
00:40:59
A viewer contacted
our phone center
00:41:01
saying he was Roger's brother.
00:41:03
They'd been separated as
toddlers and out of contact
00:41:06
for nearly three decades.
00:41:08
Hey.
00:41:09
Hey, Roger, how you doing?
00:41:12
Where you been?
00:41:13
It's unbelievable.
00:41:15
There's no feeling in the
world you could imagine is not
00:41:18
to have a family, and then
30 years later in your life
00:41:21
you see somebody that's
like you is indescribable.
00:41:26
I'm overwhelmed.
00:41:27
I really am.
00:41:29
I found my foster mother.
00:41:31
I found my brother.
00:41:33
I couldn't see leaving
this world without knowing
00:41:36
where I came from.
00:41:38
Now I know.
00:41:40
DENNIS FARINA: But
believe it or not,
00:41:42
there was still more to come.
00:41:43
In the weeks since
their reunion,
00:41:46
Roger and James found
their father, Phillip Sr.
00:41:49
and met their brother,
Phillip Jr. This case
00:41:54
has come to a
successful conclusion,
00:41:57
but several others we
profiled still need your help.
00:42:00
If you have any information,
please log onto our website
00:42:04
at unsolved.com
00:42:09
[music playing]
