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this program is about unsolved mysteries
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whenever possible the actual family
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members and police officials have
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participated in recreating the events
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what you were about to see is not a news
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broadcast in 1949
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Annie Curie lost custody of her two
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young boys in a bitter divorce case and
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vanished from their lives her son Jim
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has never forgotten his mother even
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though he hasn't seen her for more than
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40 years recently two inmates escaped
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from an Oklahoma Jail and embarked on a
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vicious murder spree in which four
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people have lost their lives these
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dangerous fugitives must be captured
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before they kill again a discussant her
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sprawling mansion ellen mclain berry was
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a classic southern lady imperious
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well-bred and proud in 1978 an elegant
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mysterious visitor charm mrs. Barry we
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did of her estate became her most
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trusted confidant and robbed her blind
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join me for another edition unsolved
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mysteries
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[Music]
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[Applause]
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[Applause]
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[Music]
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a September 19th 1991 two-time convicted
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killer Michael st. Claire orchestrated a
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daring escape from Bryan County Jail in
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Durant Oklahoma st. Claire released
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fellow inmate Denis Reese who is
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awaiting trial robbery and murder that
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[Music]
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night Michael st. Clair and Dennis Reis
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ignited a murderous crime spree that has
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stretched across eight states and left
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at least four dead in its wake
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authorities urgently need your help to
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capture Michael Sinclair and Dennis Reis
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with each passing day the odds increase
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that another innocent person will fall
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victim to their brutal rampage please
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watch carefully you may help save
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someone's life less than three months
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ago Michael st. Clair was convicted on
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two counts of first degree murder and
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was sentenced to three consecutive life
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prison terms the Michael st. Clair has
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been involved with various drug
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trafficking organizations in southern
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Oklahoma as well as northern Texas his
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uncle was was moving in on his drug
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operations and he felt that his profits
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were being threatened so he contracted
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out to have his uncle killed after his
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uncle was killed
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he then assassinated the hitman two days
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after the fugitives escaped newspaper
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reporter Tom Mullins received a chilling
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phone call from Michael st. Clair almost
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20 months now I've been covering Michael
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st. Claire I've gotten to know him
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fairly well I've always tried to give
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his side of the story in all fairness
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when he got out I was the obvious choice
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for him to get his message out that
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message being that he wouldn't be taken
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alive and that when the time came if if
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any law enforcement came around his
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quote was anyone wearing a badge I'll
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kill
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three weeks later near Elizabethtown
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Kentucky a state trooper pulled over a
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pickup tree which was seen fleeing from
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a burning vehicle as the pickup truck
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came to a halt the man on the passenger
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side who we now believe was st. Claire
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instantly got out of the out of the
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truck
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the man fired at troopers parked two
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times
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trooper fortunately was not injured at
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all within just a matter of minutes the
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maroon truck was actually found disabled
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and abandoned along the interstate
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apparently had crossed the interstate
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and in doing so had blown both front
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tires
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the truck belong to 56 year-old Francis
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Brady retired distillery worker and
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father of three Brady had disappeared 12
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hours earlier after cashing a check at a
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convenience store
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Brady's body was found approximately 12
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miles north of Elizabethtown Kentucky he
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had been shot execution-style
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he'd been handcuffed and had been shot
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in the head what is remarkable about
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this type of execution is that it's
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almost identical to the way st. Clare's
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uncle Ronnie st. Clair had been executed
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a few years before the other truck the
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st. Clair and recent set fire to was
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registered to a Denver Colorado
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paramedic named Tim Keeling like Francis
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Brady Keeling also vanished after
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patronizing a convenience store his body
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was found on a roadside ditch outside of
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Clayton New Mexico
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five days after firing on the state
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trooper Michaels st. Claire and Dennis
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Reese apparently struck again this time
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in Tennessee two men matching their
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descriptions robbed a video store in
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Milan Tennessee they brutally executed
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the clerk a 20 year old mother of two 30
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minutes later the same two men robbed
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another video store just eight miles
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away again the young female clerk was
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gunned down in cold blood individuals
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who would kill for a hundred and 150 or
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200 dollars are extremely desperate
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individuals it indicates that they do
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not have any type of support apparatus
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going for them so these are people who
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are constantly moving they're very
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concerned about staying in one location
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for any period of time they're very
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paranoid they're very dangerous and will
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take any actions to prevent their
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apprehension these individuals seem to
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be leaving no witnesses in their crimes
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that they're committing and so the
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public needs to be very much aware of
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that and if they see them absolutely do
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not approach them because they are
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extremely violent
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next a gothic tale of murder betrayal
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and greed set against the fading
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background the state of Tennessee like
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much of the American South is dotted
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with majestic antebellum estates a type
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of aristocracy still thrives here and
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Ellen McClung Berry is typical of that
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upper crust group by 1978 when she was
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85 years old mrs. berry lived in
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solitary splendor on a mountaintop
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outside the city of Knoxville which had
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been founded by her
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great-great-grandfather gorgeous morning
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oh I think she would have been
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considered definitely one of the local
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grande downs of the old school and
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probably there were not many that means
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that you can live on the mountain like
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she did and have everybody come to you
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like Muhammad it's just that simple one
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of the people who came to the mountain
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back in 1978 was Dan Honda bald a
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vaguely mysterious man who claimed to be
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from Denmark for more than 15 years yet
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corresponded with mrs. berry but the
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true nature of their relationship was
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unclear sometimes mrs. Barry said Tunde
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bald was her godson sometimes that he
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was a friend of her late son Hugh and
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how is your health
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oh are you sure I'm sure drained
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emotionally but otherwise I'm fat look I
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had the strangest gut feeling that this
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kid was bad news but he was making Ellen
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happy she was happy that he was there
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and if he was in fact a friend of her
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late son Hugh for lots of reasons I was
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happy that she was happy and at least
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somebody was on the mountain with her at
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night in case she fell or got sick and
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could get help
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[Music]
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he was taking the place of her son he
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looked like her son apparently and I
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know that was the attraction mrs.
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Barry's attraction to Dan is that he was
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playing that role mrs. Barry's only
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child Hugh had left a dark stain on the
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family tree in 1951 at the age of 18 you
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berry flew into a rage over his
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inheritance turned a shotgun on his
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grandmother and killed her a judge ruled
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who very mentally incompetent to stand
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trial rumor had it that Hugh is
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lobotomized and sent to live in Mexico a
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New Year's Eve 1963 mr. and mrs. Barry
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received word that he would died of
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pneumonia later mrs. Barry hinted that
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he had in fact committed suicide
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according to his friends whose body was
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never returned to the United States when
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her husband died in February of 1978
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Ellen Barry was left all alone almost
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too conveniently the mysterious stranger
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from Denmark stepped in to fill the void
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in mrs. Barry's life dan Tom DeVoe moved
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into her guest house and quickly took
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over the day-to-day operation of her
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estate very month before long he had
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made himself indispensable to mrs. Barry
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not only was Tom Duvall running Barry
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mount he was running her I have some
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checks for you to sign if you don't mind
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I'm so glad you're taking care of this
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for me I didn't know this place was in
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such disrepair mrs. Barry signed
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anything
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Tom Duvall put in front of her she also
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began to cater to his predilection for
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expensive show horses by 1983 dan
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tandava would owned a stable of seven
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Tennessee walkers financed by mrs. Barry
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he named all the horses Barry mount
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heading only the numbers one through
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seven to individualize them mrs. Barry
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seemed delighted to finance what was
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fast becoming a million dollar hobby
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miss Barry words to me was mr. Thanh
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Davos hobby did not make a dent in my
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fortune that was a hobby I wanted him to
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have yes I would look at you go ahead
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and close the deal on that stallion for
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$20,000 It was as if Dan turned of old
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had cast a spell over mrs. Barry in
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April of 1982 she granted him power of
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attorney she was a willing pigeon so to
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speak other people I think have tried to
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tell her that there was something wrong
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that he just didn't make sense possibly
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was a con artist I don't know
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and she ignored it in 1984 Honda vole
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talked mrs. Barry into taking a winter
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vacation in Charleston South Carolina
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before they left he composed a
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classified ad for a chauffeur requesting
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men who were single and asking that
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applicants submit a photograph secretly
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turned of old placed the ad in the
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Charleston papers
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at the end of the four months in
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Charleston mrs. berry and Tonga both
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made plans to return home
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she and her hired companion would fly to
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Tennessee Tandav old would drive the
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Mercedes back to berry mount Susan I
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thought we left lights out when we left
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mrs. berry we did mrs. berry and her
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companion arrived at berry Mount on
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March 31st 1985 there was no sign of the
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Mercedes or of dant honorable the
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telephone at berry much as well as all
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the utilities had been inexplicably cut
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off the bank is going to foreclose on
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the house your checking accounts and
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saving accounts are completely depleted
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mrs. Barry was virtually bankrupt tunned
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of old had even borrowed money against
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Barry mount to the tune of $85,000 for
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the first time in her life mrs. Barry
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had a mortgage to pay for the first time
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in her life and she had no way to pay it
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her money was gone her checking account
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was empty
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he just gooded her took away her wealth
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and her pride and everything meanwhile
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damn countable turned up 100 miles south
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of Charleston an exclusive resort on
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Fripp Island South Carolina unaware that
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his secret is out tante of old continued
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to live in high style fine thank you I
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would like to speak to you about
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possibly upgrading my accommodations to
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something more suitable
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Tandav old had been running up massive
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bills and mrs. Barry's credit cards but
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now the jig was up all the cards were
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over their limit is substantial I'm
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going to have to request some sort of
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payment well let me go back to my villa
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I shall get you a check and pay you
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immediately I'll be right back yes Thank
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You mr.
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dan toned of old never returned the next
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day a hastily scroll suicide note and a
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last will and testament were found in
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his suite two weeks later in a swampy
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deserted area of Fripp Island a man's
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body was found he had apparently shot
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himself in the left temple an antique
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gun was a few inches away
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it belonged to Helen Barrie a dog also
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shot through the head lay nearby the
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dead man carried no identification but
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he did carry Ellen Berry's credit cards
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the security guard last body was
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partially decomposed nevertheless the
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coroner brought in a resort security
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guard to identify it it's gonna be tough
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cause he's been dead for a while
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according to what the security guard
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said he is a person who came to football
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and and said I am Dan thunderbolt it
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looks like and the best I can tell sir
00:16:01
that's mister Tonto who possibly may be
00:16:03
considered more circumstantial than
00:16:04
anything else investigation revealed
00:16:07
that he allegedly did not have a social
00:16:11
security card nor driver's license and
00:16:15
had supposedly never had either of these
00:16:21
the body was immediately cremated as
00:16:23
Tunde volt had requested in his
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handwritten will his death was ruled a
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suicide
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but not everyone believed the man found
00:16:30
in the swamp was Dan tons of old I'm not
00:16:35
sure he's dead nobody that knew him
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identified him you know the coroner
00:16:41
found him a police officer Canada
00:16:42
security guard said yeah that's him and
00:16:44
he hadn't seen him but just driving by
00:16:46
and a little security Shane
00:16:48
well you can't negate the possibility
00:16:51
that he did indeed kill himself that's
00:16:53
possible I just don't believe it it
00:16:56
doesn't make sense to me that somebody
00:16:58
who went to all that trouble to get all
00:17:01
that money and to be as nefarious about
00:17:03
the whole thing from beginning to end as
00:17:05
he was was out to kill himself a month
00:17:09
after the cremation Pete Ballard found a
00:17:12
copy of Tonto voles classified ad for a
00:17:14
chauffeur in the Barry Mount guest
00:17:16
cottage now I would find it ridiculous
00:17:20
that he would need to put an ad in the
00:17:23
Charleston paper for a chauffeur for
00:17:25
Barry Mont you can get them in the area
00:17:29
I'm sure just as easily and I suddenly
00:17:33
realized that maybe he was looking for a
00:17:34
look-alike Ballard is convinced a ton of
00:17:40
old remain in South Carolina not to hire
00:17:42
a chauffeur but to find a victim
00:17:47
look-alike I feel would have been the
00:17:50
person he ultimately killed and then he
00:17:53
just sort of scooted off to wherever he
00:17:56
had planned to go
00:17:58
it was never reported that he was ever
00:18:01
seen in the company of anybody male or
00:18:03
female so there is no reason that for me
00:18:07
to believe that it was anybody but then
00:18:10
Tunder fold I'm not going to say that
00:18:12
that it's not a possibility but I
00:18:14
certainly do not believe it to be one
00:18:17
the authorities remain convinced that
00:18:20
downtown-2 volt had committed suicide
00:18:21
yet a shadow of doubt lingered giving
00:18:24
rise to a piece about Regis gossip the
00:18:28
idea is is that then Thunderbolt is in
00:18:33
fact mr. and mrs. Barry's son who was
00:18:36
supposed to have died in Mexico a very
00:18:38
easy way to bring somebody back under an
00:18:43
assumed name to get off the hook after
00:18:46
having shot and killed his grandmother
00:18:48
[Music]
00:18:52
adding fuel to the rumor that Tandav old
00:18:54
and Hugh Barry with the same person was
00:18:56
a complete lack of any official record
00:18:58
of Dan tandem old but finally Tandy Vols
00:19:02
resume was found among his letters to
00:19:04
mrs. Barry which had been stored away
00:19:06
the resume listed his hometown is Las
00:19:09
Vegas Nevada a nun saw mr. E's
00:19:14
researcher turned up this 1951 yearbook
00:19:17
from Las Vegas high school dan turned of
00:19:20
old was a member of the senior class and
00:19:22
not surprisingly president of the
00:19:24
thespian Club
00:19:25
many people in Knoxville considered tan
00:19:28
Devils Danish accent an affectation
00:19:30
perhaps it was simply bad acting in any
00:19:34
case the rumor that Dan town of old and
00:19:36
Hugh Barry are the same person has
00:19:38
finally been put to rest I think he was
00:19:43
her son's replacement and here is this
00:19:47
lovely little old lady left left without
00:19:53
any money I mean she is poor but also
00:19:58
left without any love I mean what does
00:20:02
she have at this point nothing today
00:20:06
Ellen McClung Barry is 97 years old has
00:20:09
lost much of her ability to communicate
00:20:11
she lives in an apartment financed by
00:20:14
the interest on an endowment she made to
00:20:16
the University of Tennessee no one knows
00:20:19
exactly how much money mrs. Barry lost
00:20:21
to Dan Tonto but estimates run into the
00:20:24
millions authorities believe he
00:20:26
transferred mrs. Barry's funds to
00:20:28
European accounts possibly in France or
00:20:30
Denmark
00:20:32
[Music]
00:20:48
on a recent broadcast we featured the
00:20:51
compelling story of John Nellis a man
00:20:53
whose life has been torn apart by two
00:20:55
wars during one conflict John lost his
00:20:58
father an American GI and the other he
00:21:02
lost his son still wish you'd come with
00:21:05
me
00:21:07
when John was 5 years old his father
00:21:09
Melvin Ellis was ordered back to the
00:21:11
United States miss duty and war ravaged
00:21:13
China because his parents weren't
00:21:15
legally married John and his mother uh
00:21:18
Vietnamese national were forced to stay
00:21:20
behind John never saw his father again
00:21:24
[Music]
00:21:26
27 years later John was among the last
00:21:29
group of people to flee South Vietnam
00:21:31
after the u.s. withdrew its troops
00:21:34
[Music]
00:21:35
tragically amid the confusion and chaos
00:21:38
John's five-year-old son Daniel was left
00:21:40
behind if my father and my son watching
00:21:46
me right now I would like to tell him
00:21:49
how much I missed them
00:21:50
and I loved him
00:21:54
and I like to reunite it and see them
00:21:59
again thanks to our broadcast
00:22:04
John Ellis learned that his father's now
00:22:06
retired and living in Tokyo Japan
00:22:09
incredibly just three weeks later John
00:22:11
search for his son Daniel also came to
00:22:13
an end when they were reunited after
00:22:15
more than 17 years or so many years I
00:22:37
miss him a thing of him all the time and
00:22:39
I'm so happy to see this is a real dream
00:22:43
come true
00:22:46
it's a miracle you're laughing and I saw
00:22:51
my dad I was so excited and very happy
00:22:56
when I looked into his eyes and saw his
00:22:58
family that I found happiness Daniels
00:23:03
first day in America was overwhelming
00:23:05
not only did he reunite with his father
00:23:08
he also met his stepmother and a
00:23:10
half-sister for the first time now he's
00:23:14
with me I want to do my best you know
00:23:17
give him a good chance in life and a
00:23:20
better future for young make up for what
00:23:24
he has lost
00:23:28
[Music]
00:23:48
March 1949 Vancouver British Columbia
00:23:51
Canada
00:23:53
Annie curry an English war bride says
00:23:56
goodbye to her husband Donald and her
00:23:57
two little boys
00:24:00
[Music]
00:24:04
after only five years of marriage and
00:24:07
Ian Donald had divorced he has received
00:24:10
custody of both sons Darrell three years
00:24:13
old and Jim five they haven't seen their
00:24:17
mother for more than 40 years I was
00:24:22
never given the sense that I could say
00:24:24
how much I missed her that I could ask
00:24:26
questions about where's my mom
00:24:28
she's a big question mark and I would
00:24:31
like to hear her voice I would like to
00:24:32
hear what she has to say about her life
00:24:35
I'd like her to know me in most ways Jim
00:24:39
curry is no different from anybody else
00:24:40
searching for a lost parent but there is
00:24:43
one odd twist of his story Jemma spent
00:24:47
most of his life looking for other
00:24:49
people's parents Jim curry is senior
00:24:52
investigator for a California public
00:24:54
defender's office an advocate for
00:24:56
defendants who may be facing the death
00:24:58
sentence I've had adopted defendants
00:25:04
before and had to find their mothers and
00:25:06
I've been very successful in doing that
00:25:09
it just is very ironic to me that I can
00:25:14
find so much about these people's
00:25:16
history then I can't complete my own
00:25:19
it's very frustrating
00:25:23
[Music]
00:25:26
gyms Paris met in 1943 during the
00:25:29
darkest days of World War two Donnell
00:25:33
Currie was 23 a Canadian sergeant
00:25:35
serving in England annie fry was a 19
00:25:38
year old country girl from wales the two
00:25:42
fell in love and were married that same
00:25:44
year my mother was described to me as
00:25:50
being an outgoing socially oriented kind
00:25:53
of upbeat person with a lot of vitality
00:25:55
this is a young girl really
00:25:59
in 1944 London was still being bombed by
00:26:03
the Nazis
00:26:04
Annie was pregnant when the impact of
00:26:07
one of the bombs knocked her to the
00:26:08
ground she miscarried Annie became
00:26:13
pregnant again and Donald sent her to
00:26:15
live with his parents in Vancouver on
00:26:18
December 20th 1944 Jim was born
00:26:23
Annie's delight was tempered by the
00:26:25
absence of Donald still stationed in
00:26:27
England
00:26:29
[Music]
00:26:33
she's in a foreign country she doesn't
00:26:35
know anybody except for my dad's
00:26:37
immediate family she makes the best
00:26:40
adjustment she can but it's a lonely
00:26:42
kind of existence for things fraught
00:26:45
with a lot of fear you know that whether
00:26:47
or not my dad was gonna make it home
00:26:50
[Music]
00:27:00
in June of 1945 Penny's prayers were
00:27:04
answered the war in Europe was finally
00:27:07
over and after more than a year of
00:27:09
separation from his wife
00:27:11
Donald Currie was home
00:27:12
[Music]
00:27:39
Donald was overjoyed to meet his son for
00:27:41
the first time but the happiness of his
00:27:44
homecoming was short-lived the war had
00:27:48
changed him forever it was a very
00:27:51
traumatic experience for my father he
00:27:56
thought war was wrong he told me once
00:28:00
that you'll never know how much it can
00:28:03
change you when you see your closest
00:28:05
friends blown into a thousand pieces in
00:28:08
front of your eyes and you can do
00:28:09
nothing about it I think he lost a lot
00:28:12
of faith he closed down emotionally to
00:28:16
protect himself
00:28:19
in 1945 a second son Darrell was born
00:28:22
and Donald Curie found a position as a
00:28:25
customs official his job took him out of
00:28:28
the house every night Annie was left
00:28:31
alone and began spending time with one
00:28:33
of her neighbors a much older married
00:28:35
man
00:28:40
soon the relationship turned into a
00:28:42
full-fledged affair a relative broke the
00:28:45
news to Donald and he sued Annie for
00:28:47
divorce and for custody of the boys I
00:28:50
believe the petitioner mr. curry
00:28:52
implicitly he's a clean wholesome
00:28:55
individual with a fine war record I
00:28:58
hereby grant a decree in his favor
00:29:01
against an Alan Curry and the custody of
00:29:04
his two children my understanding of the
00:29:09
judgment against my mother was that my
00:29:11
dad was to have sole custody of both
00:29:13
children and she was to have no
00:29:16
visitation rights it would be up to my
00:29:18
father whether or not she would be
00:29:21
allowed to see the children
00:29:23
mr. curry you must realize that there is
00:29:26
more good than evil in this girl so do
00:29:29
not burn your bridges she has been a
00:29:32
clean and decent girl until she met the
00:29:34
correspondent the judges decree doesn't
00:29:36
indicate hostility toward her it
00:29:38
indicates that even there may be
00:29:39
something worth salvaging that she was
00:29:42
under the blandishments of an older more
00:29:44
sophisticated man in spite of all the
00:29:47
negatives I've heard and on the surface
00:29:49
at being a very nasty divorce there was
00:29:51
still something that came through for
00:29:53
the judge this was basically a good
00:29:55
person well you think you need to long
00:29:57
johns yeah
00:30:00
Donnell curry elected to send his
00:30:03
younger son Darrel to live with a couple
00:30:04
he knew in Vancouver any powerless tried
00:30:09
to put on a brave face you want your
00:30:13
favorite shirt yes I think so and do I
00:30:17
want you to know just because I'm not
00:30:20
there doesn't mean I don't love you
00:30:23
[Music]
00:30:28
just after the divorce was final Donald
00:30:31
curry broke his family apart
00:30:34
darrel would eventually be adopted Jim
00:30:37
would see his mother one final time
00:30:41
[Music]
00:30:47
several months after the divorce
00:30:49
Donald curry decided to move to Los
00:30:51
Angeles with Jim just before the
00:30:54
departure
00:30:54
Donald led any tell Jim goodbye he needs
00:30:59
his mother
00:31:00
I don't think so he needs his brother he
00:31:06
meets me look at him I don't have to I
00:31:10
know what he feels
00:31:12
despite Inez please Donald remained
00:31:15
unmoved there was a sense in me at the
00:31:21
time that it was the last time I would
00:31:23
see her I don't remember any hugging I
00:31:28
don't remember any arguing but I do
00:31:32
remember it being sad I remember my
00:31:35
feeling sad and confused and sort of
00:31:42
like just not very powerful in this
00:31:45
situation whatever was happening was out
00:31:47
of my control in Los Angeles Donald
00:31:54
curry married twice both stepmothers
00:31:57
were kind to Jim still he yearned for
00:32:00
the mother he barely remembered
00:32:01
[Music]
00:32:05
my dad was always very reticent to talk
00:32:08
about his early life and my mother in
00:32:10
particular anything that would lead my
00:32:12
dad to believe that I wanted to find her
00:32:14
was very upsetting to him Donald Curie
00:32:20
died in 1989 after his father's death
00:32:23
Jim curry began to search for his mother
00:32:26
in earnest although Jim is on earth no
00:32:30
new clues to aunty Curry's whereabouts
00:32:32
he has found his brother Darryl is
00:32:35
married and still living in Vancouver he
00:32:38
and Jim have been reunited but Darryl's
00:32:41
loyalty is to his adoptive mother and
00:32:43
father he has no memory of Annie or
00:32:45
Donald
00:32:50
despite Darryl's reaction Jim is more
00:32:53
committed than ever to finding his
00:32:55
mother there's an unconditional love
00:32:59
that a mother has for her son and I feel
00:33:02
like I was pulled away from me I don't
00:33:05
think I'd have to say a word to her for
00:33:07
four hours
00:33:10
I don't think I'd have to say anything
00:33:11
[Music]
00:33:14
Annie Ellen curry married again in 1951
00:33:17
but that marriage too ended in divorce
00:33:20
she may be using the last name from her
00:33:22
second marriage MacDonald or her maiden
00:33:24
name Frey Jim Boley she could be living
00:33:27
in the United States Canada or England
00:33:30
[Music]
00:33:45
the 1930s the Great Depression
00:33:49
breadlines hobos and shanty towns were
00:33:53
an all too visible part of the American
00:33:55
landscape millions lost their jobs their
00:33:58
homes their savings and finally their
00:34:01
pride
00:34:03
many times a destitute relied upon
00:34:05
strangers to help them in their time of
00:34:07
need
00:34:10
one such stranger was an ordinary farmer
00:34:13
named Charlie best Charlie lived with
00:34:16
his wife Alma and three children
00:34:18
Zella Mae Carl and vermin in rolling
00:34:21
hills of eastern Tennessee they managed
00:34:25
to stave off the hardships of the
00:34:27
depression by growing watermelons and
00:34:29
tobacco
00:34:30
[Music]
00:34:33
as darkness fell on a warm spring
00:34:35
evening in 1939 an unknown traveler and
00:34:39
two young girls sought refuge at
00:34:40
Charlie's farmhouse Charlie's daughters
00:34:52
Ella Mae then a teenager remembers that
00:34:55
evening vividly actually I was trying to
00:34:58
find a place where the girls could pass
00:35:00
the night under a roof for a change
00:35:02
Hades come up the porch and asked daddy
00:35:05
if he would give the two little girls
00:35:08
the bed to sleep in and said he would
00:35:11
sleep in the barn and they don't know
00:35:14
that they could stay and he could stand
00:35:16
you know house - where's home I'll be
00:35:21
honest we tea we don't have one moving
00:35:22
on the move for so long when we come
00:35:24
down from Knoxville Tom under him was a
00:35:27
man who had fallen upon hard times his
00:35:31
daughter's Madol of nine and eight is
00:35:33
seven had travelled the backroads of
00:35:35
them for months as he searched in vain
00:35:36
for work their mother had died years
00:35:40
before
00:35:47
they spent the night I cook breakfast
00:35:50
for him and well up in the morning I
00:35:54
probably said Marie de pau he they have
00:35:57
to walk them with the little girl's game
00:36:07
Tom told Charlie that he was taking the
00:36:10
two girls to live with friends in
00:36:12
another part of Tennessee while he
00:36:13
continued his search for a job I wish
00:36:18
they could've stayed with us I'll be
00:36:20
alright thanks they left I said daddy
00:36:24
why didn't we just keep those full girls
00:36:26
I just didn't figure I would ever see
00:36:29
him anymore
00:36:30
[Music]
00:36:34
but a few days later Tom and the girls
00:36:36
passed through the area again by pure
00:36:39
coincidence
00:36:40
Salameh best happened upon well my
00:36:55
kinfolk couldn't take care of the girls
00:36:57
so you come stay with us
00:37:03
oh can we have please I don't know Ellie
00:37:06
I don't think that's a good idea why
00:37:08
don't you please come talk to him please
00:37:10
[Music]
00:37:13
I just sharted Tom would later agree to
00:37:18
leave the girls in Charlie's care until
00:37:20
he could get back on his feet again
00:37:22
times were hard and it was hard for us
00:37:26
to survive but he was willing to take
00:37:29
them and and give my home and give him
00:37:31
what we had to eat it might not been
00:37:33
everything but we never did go hungry
00:37:36
Madeline and ADA were immediately
00:37:38
accepted as part of the family
00:37:40
Charlie treated them as if they were his
00:37:43
own children
00:37:44
the two girls shared in everything was
00:37:47
Ella Mae Berlin and Carl
00:37:51
we went school together we went to
00:37:53
church together we worked in the field
00:37:55
they went the field with us and we had
00:37:58
mules and we had cows and we'd have
00:38:00
shucked corn feed them twice today full
00:38:03
of us the shuck often but don't often
00:38:06
feed them they've worked hard me in
00:38:09
Berlin did you know they'd ship corn
00:38:10
just like we did in his name they just
00:38:19
didn't seem like no strangers it's like
00:38:21
I'd always knew him I always wanted a
00:38:25
sister and I knew I never would have one
00:38:27
so that they took the place all the
00:38:30
system
00:38:34
Madeline became especially close to her
00:38:36
surrogate mother Charlie's wife Alma
00:38:39
Elvis suffered from a rare nerve
00:38:41
disorder which left her unable to care
00:38:43
for herself
00:38:47
[Music]
00:38:50
but I think daddy was as happy as the
00:38:53
girls was and I think the girls was
00:38:55
happiest anymore they would skip and har
00:38:59
if you know and he'd hold her hands
00:39:01
maybe they were just happy you know
00:39:05
there's never nothing said about you
00:39:07
know them being a stranger or anything
00:39:09
like that they just sort of like one of
00:39:11
us and we really enjoyed you know and
00:39:14
being with us Zella may remembers a time
00:39:19
underwood visited his girls at least
00:39:20
twice then after Madeline and ADA had
00:39:24
been with the best for 26 months Tom
00:39:27
returned to the farmhouse for the final
00:39:29
time yeah Zella may I come for the
00:39:35
children could you wait till that guitar
00:39:41
I really can't tell a man it's coming on
00:39:43
nightfall and need to be on the road for
00:39:45
dark if you'll just pack some things for
00:39:46
me and you'll never see the girls either
00:39:49
said that his health was bad and that he
00:39:53
had married and he warns the children to
00:39:57
be with the children the girls got
00:40:05
everything
00:40:06
okay
00:40:10
[Music]
00:40:14
let's go come on I think it it reason he
00:40:21
wouldn't wait till daddy come in he was
00:40:23
afraid that daddy would buck on him that
00:40:25
day might say hey you you're not going
00:40:26
to take the children told you pay me
00:40:28
some money now it's what I thought that
00:40:30
was that's true I don't know that's why
00:40:32
I felt dear mr. and mrs. best three
00:40:36
months later Charlie received a curious
00:40:38
letter from Madeline Anita where daddy
00:40:41
left us their father had placed them in
00:40:43
an orphanage in Nashville Charlie
00:40:47
immediately contacted the orphanage and
00:40:49
asked if he could adopt the girls but by
00:40:53
the time the letter arrived
00:40:55
Tom Underwood had once again retrieved
00:40:57
his children it was a last time the best
00:41:00
family heard from Madeline and ADA
00:41:03
[Music]
00:41:07
today more than 50 years later Charlie
00:41:10
and Salome still lived within 10 miles
00:41:13
of the Old Farmer's Zell ma is 66
00:41:18
Charlie is 91 years old
00:41:21
[Music]
00:41:30
well if daddy could see her again it
00:41:33
would make him make him cry and of
00:41:35
course I know he tell her he loved her
00:41:36
he calls him the little girls now he
00:41:38
don't comb he don't look at him as being
00:41:40
women he calls him two little girls the
00:41:43
other day he said have you heard any
00:41:45
more about the little girls and I said
00:41:48
no daddy but there are common they're up
00:41:51
common the night this story aired ADA
00:41:56
Underwood now 59 years old was watching
00:41:59
our broadcast at her home in Indiana ADA
00:42:02
was shocked to see herself and her older
00:42:04
sister Madeleine profiled sadly
00:42:07
Madeleine passed away several years ago
00:42:09
but for ADA Charlie and Zell amaze
00:42:12
stories their distant childhood memories
00:42:16
ten days after our broadcast ADA under
00:42:20
traveled Madisonville Tennessee for a
00:42:23
very special reunion charlie best and
00:42:25
his two children Salome and a car well I
00:42:31
was anxious to see her it was exciting
00:42:33
to know she was coming where you feel
00:42:37
like you say
00:42:39
[Music]
00:42:40
welcome idiot today I have been waiting
00:42:44
for her up ready for 51 years how was
00:42:51
your father well getting that Gotti old
00:42:55
I was very excited when I heard that
00:42:58
they were looking for me because
00:43:00
somebody cared enough about me to hunt
00:43:02
for me that long
00:43:06
although only eight years old when she
00:43:09
last saw Charlie payda never forgot the
00:43:12
warmth and kindness he and his family
00:43:14
brought into her life this year's ADA
00:43:19
that is you remember Charlie had to be
00:43:23
very good to him my sister and I for him
00:43:26
to take us in and take care of us when
00:43:27
we had a buddy else to take care of us
00:43:29
so I think he was had to be a really
00:43:32
great man you breathe thank you it nice
00:43:41
meant a lot to Daddy
00:43:42
and I feel this in his own mind dream
00:43:47
has come true
00:43:48
[Music]
00:44:00
sadly eight weeks after we filmed this
00:44:02
update charlie best passed away
00:44:05
according to his family the reunion with
00:44:07
Ada brought Charlie great comfort in his
00:44:10
final days join me next time for an all
00:44:22
new edition unsolved mystery
00:44:25
[Music]
00:45:05
you
00:45:06
[Music]
