00:00:04
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
Next on "Unsolved Mysteries--"
00:00:07
a violent gang member terrorizes
the quiet streets of Milwaukee,
00:00:12
leaving three
innocent people dead.
00:00:16
Marie Hilley seemed to be
the perfect suburban wife
00:00:19
and mother until she
poisoned her entire family.
00:00:26
For over 100 years,
mysterious lights
00:00:29
have appeared and disappeared
near Marfa, Texas.
00:00:33
What could they be?
00:00:35
And a pregnant woman
vanishes without a trace.
00:00:39
Police think her husband knows
more than he's letting on.
00:00:45
There is just nothing
like a good mystery,
00:00:47
and they're even better
when they are true.
00:00:49
I'm Dennis Farina.
00:00:51
Join me, won't you?
00:00:52
[music playing]
00:01:29
The south side of Milwaukee was
home to a gang of drug dealers
00:01:33
known as the Lopez family.
00:01:35
They owned seven houses
in a two block radius
00:01:38
and used this location
as headquarters
00:01:42
for their drug empire.
00:01:45
When a rival gang
called the Latin Kings
00:01:47
tried to move in
on their territory,
00:01:50
the Lopez family took action.
00:01:56
[gunshots]
00:02:00
Anyone who got in their way
had to face this man, Arthur,
00:02:05
the Lopez family's hitman.
00:02:10
Carlos Hernandez
got in their way.
00:02:13
He was once a member
of the Latin Kings.
00:02:16
But according to
his family, Carlos
00:02:18
had recently left the gang
and turned his life around.
00:02:22
GUSTAVO HERNANDEZ: He'd
just seen drive-bys,
00:02:24
and he started to see
how very rarely do
00:02:26
they hit their intended target.
00:02:27
They'll hit innocent
bystanders--
00:02:29
kids playing on their bikes
in front of their houses.
00:02:34
He felt best that he
would get out of the gang
00:02:36
and turn it around,
and really try
00:02:38
to help the
neighborhood come back
00:02:39
to what it was once before.
00:02:42
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
Carlos organized the youth
00:02:44
basketball league and worked
for a city organization that
00:02:48
helps kids stay out of gangs.
00:02:51
A major part of
his job was to try
00:02:54
and mediate problems between the
gangs in that particular area.
00:02:59
So what do you think, Bob?
DET.
00:03:00
DAVE KLABUNDE: The
Lopez family had
00:03:01
come to Mr. Hernandez with a
problem with the Latin Kings
00:03:05
over territory.
00:03:07
DENNIS FARINA
(VOICEOVER): Police
00:03:08
believe that Carlos tried
to end the gang turf war
00:03:12
but was unsuccessful.
00:03:15
The Lopez family
hitman, Arthur, was told
00:03:18
to quote, take care of Carlos.
00:03:22
DET.
00:03:23
DAVE KLABUNDE: There
was a predetermined code
00:03:25
that they were going to
broadcast on the radio
00:03:27
when Mr. Hernandez was spotted.
00:03:29
The code was, it's a beautiful
day in the neighborhood.
00:03:32
And that code was
put out when Mr.
00:03:34
Hernandez left from his
business to his vehicle.
00:03:36
Tengo.
00:03:39
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
Lopez put on a mask,
00:03:41
hopped on a bike, and pedaled
toward his unsuspecting target.
00:03:50
[gunshots]
00:03:54
Carlos was hit by multiple
bullets and died instantly.
00:03:59
GUSTAVO HERNANDEZ:
It was a nightmare.
00:04:00
I mean, we miss him.
00:04:02
The hardest part is
family gatherings-- seeing
00:04:05
my sister and my mother cry.
00:04:09
Arthur Lopez was the
prime suspect in the killing
00:04:12
of Carlos Hernandez.
00:04:13
But police had little
evidence against him.
00:04:16
And then he made what seemed
like a little mistake.
00:04:20
It would be the beginning of
the end for the Lopez family.
00:04:24
He got himself arrested for
driving without a license.
00:04:29
Why are you harassing my son?
00:04:31
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
Arthur's father,
00:04:32
Arturo, was second in
command of the Lopez gang.
00:04:36
Arturo showed up at the station,
and he wasn't too happy.
00:04:40
DET.
00:04:42
DAVE KLABUNDE: Arturo Lopez
Sr. Demanded the release
00:04:44
of his son--
00:04:45
I [inaudible].
00:04:47
--and threatened to
kill all the police
00:04:49
officers who were involved
in Arthur Lopez Jr's arrest.
00:04:53
DENNIS FARINA
(VOICEOVER): Arturo
00:04:55
was arrested and convicted of
threatening a police officer.
00:04:59
Arturo was sentenced
to 18 months in jail.
00:05:04
Arthur could not be held
on the traffic charge
00:05:06
and was released.
00:05:08
This gave the police the chance
that they were looking for.
00:05:12
DET.
00:05:14
DAVE KLABUNDE: While Arturo
Lopez Sr. was in prison,
00:05:16
he made daily phone calls
to his son and other members
00:05:20
of the Lopez family,
directing the
00:05:22
continued narcotics distribution
activities of the Lopez gang.
00:05:27
He's going to
give you a paquete.
00:05:29
I want you to drop
it at Chino's pad.
00:05:31
DET.
00:05:32
DAVE KLABUNDE: All
of these phone calls
00:05:33
that were made by
Arturo Lopez Sr.
00:05:36
were recorded by the
prison phone system.
00:05:40
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
As authorities continued
00:05:42
to build their case
against the Lopez gang,
00:05:44
there was another
outburst of violence.
00:05:48
According to witnesses, Arthur,
again, played a key role.
00:05:55
Maximiliano Castillo, a known
member of the Latin Kings,
00:05:58
and his girlfriend,
Vanessa Revis,
00:06:01
we're returning home
after a quick trip
00:06:03
to the grocery store.
00:06:06
Police believe that
the driver was Arthur
00:06:08
and that his passenger
was another Lopez
00:06:11
gang member named Luis Acevedo.
00:06:16
Que paso, homes?
00:06:17
Que paso, bro!
00:06:18
I got a message from a
friend who [inaudible].
00:06:20
[gunshots]
00:06:21
[screams]
00:06:24
DENNIS FARINA
(VOICEOVER): Vanessa,
00:06:25
a completely innocent
bystander, had just
00:06:28
celebrated her 15th birthday.
00:06:31
DAVID ROBLES: Vanessa Revis
was hit once in the side.
00:06:34
She basically bled to death.
00:06:36
Mr. Castillo was struck
a number of times--
00:06:38
that least three times-- by the
bullets fired by Mr Acevedo.
00:06:42
And he also died
from his injuries.
00:06:48
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
Authorities used Arturo's taped
00:06:50
phone calls from jail
and eyewitness testimony
00:06:53
to obtain arrest
warrants for Arthur
00:06:56
and the rest of
the Lopez family.
00:06:58
A task force moved
then to put the Lopez
00:07:01
gang out of business for good.
00:07:05
[knocking at door]
- Police!
00:07:06
We have a warrant.
00:07:07
Go under the bed!
Go under the bed!
00:07:08
Get your hands up!
Throw them over.
00:07:10
Get your hands up!
- Don't shoot!
00:07:11
Don't shoot!
- Don't move them.
00:07:11
Get them up!
00:07:12
DENNIS FARINA
(VOICEOVER): In the raid,
00:07:14
police seized large stashes
of guns, drugs, and cash.
00:07:18
Eight people were
arrested, finally
00:07:21
ending the family's crime wave.
00:07:24
Only one Lopez family
member managed to escape
00:07:27
the citywide dragnet-- Arthur.
00:07:33
GUSTAVO HERNANDEZ:
He's got to pay.
00:07:34
He's done so much hurt to
many people-- families.
00:07:37
And he's a coward.
00:07:38
He's hiding.
00:07:40
We need-- we need--
we need to get him.
00:07:43
DENNIS FARINA
(VOICEOVER): Arthur Lopez
00:07:44
is 5 feet 9 inches,
weighs 170 pounds,
00:07:48
and is known by
the name Red Ryder.
00:07:54
Update-- Arthur
Lopez has finally
00:07:58
been captured and convicted,
and sent to prison.
00:08:06
Next-- they only come out
at night-- eerie balls
00:08:10
of light that have
mystified a small Texas
00:08:13
town for over a century.
00:08:25
The place-- central Texas,
just outside the town
00:08:28
of Marfa-- the year-- 1883.
00:08:33
One evening, during
a round up, a rancher
00:08:35
named Robert Ellison
notices a strange glow off
00:08:40
in the distance.
00:08:42
A ghostly light shimmers
in the darkness.
00:08:45
It appears to be
a few miles away,
00:08:47
and it hovers just a few
feet above the ground.
00:08:52
JULIA PLUMBLEY: And
they thought there
00:08:54
were probably a camp fire--
Indians or other travelers.
00:08:59
But they just kept seeing them.
00:09:00
The next night they were
there, and the next night,
00:09:03
and the next week, and year.
00:09:05
And I'm sure they began
to wonder, what on earth
00:09:08
were those lights?
00:09:11
DENNIS FARINA
(VOICEOVER): In 1916,
00:09:13
Hallie Stillwell is
18 years old when
00:09:16
she witnesses the same thing.
00:09:19
HALLIE STILLWELL: We had
decided to come to Marfa
00:09:21
to tend to a little business.
00:09:23
And all of a sudden,
we saw lights
00:09:25
over on the Chinati mountains.
00:09:27
It couldn't be any
kind of car lights.
00:09:31
And we first thought, probably
it was a camp fire of Indians,
00:09:36
or Mexicans, or ranchers.
00:09:40
But it didn't act like
a campfire at all.
00:09:43
So we said, well, it couldn't
be anything but a ghost.
00:09:47
And from then on, we mentioned
them as ghost lights.
00:09:53
DENNIS FARINA
(VOICEOVER): In 1943,
00:09:55
the mysterious lights are seen
from Marfa's Army Air Base.
00:09:59
FRITZ KAHL: When we saw the
Marfa lights the first time,
00:10:02
there was no vehicular
traffic at night.
00:10:05
Fuel was rationed.
00:10:07
Lights were a phenomena in
themselves in those days,
00:10:10
because there were no lights.
00:10:12
When the moon is
out, it's beautiful.
00:10:13
When the moon is not out,
it's so dark, it's awesome.
00:10:18
We saw something that was
totally foreign to anything
00:10:21
in and around the airbase.
00:10:24
When we inquired in
the village of Marfa
00:10:27
about these strange
things, they'd go, yeah.
00:10:30
Sure, we've got little lights.
00:10:34
So what else?
00:10:37
Over the years.
00:10:39
The reasons for the
mysterious lights
00:10:40
have ranged from ball
lightning, to wandering spirits,
00:10:44
to jack rabbits with glow
worms attached to their tails.
00:10:49
Only one thing is for certain,
Marfa's ghost lights are real.
00:10:55
No one in Marfa is really
afraid of the mysterious lights.
00:10:59
In fact, the town has set
up a special area where
00:11:02
you can actually view them.
00:11:06
KIRBY WARNOCK: When I
was a child, of course,
00:11:08
you have a lot of
childlike curiosity.
00:11:10
And my first thing was I want
to find out what those are.
00:11:13
I mean, this is my
Loch Ness Monster.
00:11:16
I'm going to catch it
and find out what it is.
00:11:18
And so I just--
from that moment on
00:11:19
decided I was going to
try to solve the mystery.
00:11:22
It looks like we need to head
southeast toward the Chinatis.
00:11:24
We're going to--
00:11:26
KIRBY WARNOCK: A few years ago,
my brother and I got the idea
00:11:27
that the reason no one had
ever gotten close to the lights
00:11:30
was because they were
using motor vehicles,
00:11:31
like airplanes,
or jeeps, or cars.
00:11:34
So we thought if we took out
on foot across the desert,
00:11:36
we could sneak up on them.
00:11:40
So we got our gear
together and a camera,
00:11:43
and just took out walking
across the desert,
00:11:45
and tried for about four hours
to walk up close to them.
00:11:48
And we never could get
real close to them.
00:11:50
It was almost like a mirage.
00:11:51
They just kept moving further
and further away from you.
00:11:55
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
We asked three scientists
00:11:57
from a local observatory
and university
00:12:00
to conduct a formal
investigation.
00:12:03
Our team of scientists
noted that a radio tower
00:12:06
was one possible
source of the lights--
00:12:09
so was traffic on
a mountain highway.
00:12:12
They installed
marker lights that
00:12:14
helped determine where the
highway was visible in order
00:12:17
to rule out headlights.
00:12:20
If the scientists
saw lights that
00:12:23
weren't from cars
or from the tower,
00:12:25
they just might be the
legendary ghost lights.
00:12:31
The investigators used special
night vision equipment.
00:12:34
[static from a walkie talkie]
00:12:36
VOICE FROM WALKIE TALKIE:
We have two cars leaving--
00:12:38
DENNIS FARINA
(VOICEOVER): In this shot,
00:12:39
the camera captures
two headlights
00:12:41
moving slowly from
the left to right
00:12:44
past the radio beacon light.
00:12:48
Then, an unknown light appears.
00:12:52
Dr, look up
there on the hill--
00:12:54
to the right of marker three.
00:12:56
I see it.
00:12:57
It's off to the right.
00:12:58
DENNIS FARINA
(VOICEOVER): The camera
00:12:59
pans past the radio beacon.
00:13:01
MAN: Unit three, can you verify
if you have any traffic lights
00:13:03
off to the west or northwest?
00:13:05
VOICE FROM WALKIE TALKIE:
I do not see any lights.
00:13:07
DENNIS FARINA
(VOICEOVER): It continues
00:13:09
past the right marker light.
00:13:13
In the middle of an empty plain,
a ghostly glow can be seen.
00:13:19
A video camera also
records the light.
00:13:22
Can you see it?
00:13:27
DR. AVINASH RANGRA: We
know the light's there.
00:13:28
We notice something
of natural origin.
00:13:31
It is not man made.
00:13:34
Now the next question is
how do you explain them?
00:13:37
There is something in
addition to car lights.
00:13:41
People are seeing real
activity in the atmosphere.
00:13:44
DENNIS FARINA
(VOICEOVER): One scientist
00:13:45
thought the lights
might be refracted
00:13:47
star light; another--
glowing gases
00:13:51
produced by small earthquakes.
00:13:54
But they aren't sure.
00:13:56
All they can say for
certain is that the lights
00:13:59
are a natural phenomenon that
science has yet to explain.
00:14:05
FRITZ KAHL: It's a phenomena
that's not explained,
00:14:07
and all I know is they're there.
00:14:09
Let's don't find
out what they are.
00:14:12
Let's just leave them a mystery.
00:14:14
I'm not going to
try to solve it.
00:14:15
I'm going to-- [laughs] --I'm
going to be content with ghosts
00:14:19
and let the ghost
take care of them.
00:14:21
[laughs]
00:14:24
DENNIS FARINA
(VOICEOVER): Next--
00:14:25
we take you inside the mind
of a diabolical serial killer
00:14:29
who poisoned her entire family.
00:14:42
It may not surprise you
to know that most killers
00:14:44
and mass murderers are men.
00:14:47
There are, however, a
few diabolical women
00:14:50
who cleverly conceal their
true nature behind a veil
00:14:54
of tenderness and more.
00:14:59
Anniston, Alabama--
Frank and Marie Hilley
00:15:04
were married in 1950, and they
built a life that was the envy
00:15:09
of their friends and neighbors.
00:15:12
By 1971, the Hilleys had two
children-- 18-year-old Mike
00:15:17
and 11-year-old Carol.
00:15:20
By all appearances, Marie was
the perfect wife and mother.
00:15:26
But in this case,
appearances deceive.
00:15:33
MICHAEL HILLEY: I first started
getting sick when I was 18.
00:15:36
I had a lot of stomach
problems, and I started
00:15:39
having those problems
about two or three
00:15:41
months after an
insurance policy was
00:15:45
taken out on me for $25,000.
00:15:49
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
Mike's doctors
00:15:51
were unable to diagnose or cure
his ongoing stomach ailments.
00:15:55
But once Mike left for college,
the symptoms disappeared.
00:16:01
It wasn't long before
his father also developed
00:16:03
a mysterious stomach problem.
00:16:06
Once again, doctors were unable
to find a cause or a cure.
00:16:11
Around the same
time he got sick,
00:16:13
Frank was considering
getting a divorce.
00:16:16
MICHAEL HILLEY: My
father called me one day
00:16:18
and had something he
wanted to talk to me about.
00:16:20
He had come home from
work early one day
00:16:23
and had found my mother in
bed with one of her employers.
00:16:28
I think my father was
going to divorce her.
00:16:33
I think that was one
circumstance that she
00:16:35
just wouldn't allow to happen.
00:16:38
I love you too, pop.
00:16:40
She placed a high value on
prominence and reputation.
00:16:46
And to go through a divorce
would have destroyed them.
00:16:49
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
Within two weeks
00:16:50
of confiding in Mike, Frank
Hilley's mysterious disorder
00:16:54
suddenly worsened.
00:16:57
Frank was admitted to
the local hospital.
00:17:00
Marie was constantly
by his side,
00:17:02
feeding and caring of him,
and tending to his every need.
00:17:06
You've got to eat, Frank.
00:17:08
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER): But
after 10 days in the hospital,
00:17:11
Frank Hilley died.
00:17:14
The official cause of
death was hepatitis.
00:17:17
Nobody suspected the truth.
00:17:22
Marie was not your
typical grieving widow.
00:17:25
She used Frank's life insurance
money to refurbish her house
00:17:30
and buy a new car, and
expensive clothes and jewelry.
00:17:33
Even when the money ran out,
she kept right on spending.
00:17:38
LT. GARY CARROLL: We
became aware that Marie
00:17:40
was having financial problems.
00:17:42
There were some deals
with automobiles
00:17:44
that she had made that
fell through and weren't
00:17:47
paid for-- just a lot of little
things that began to add up.
00:17:51
MICHAEL HILLEY: My
mother's finances
00:17:53
were in terrible shape.
00:17:55
She owed more than she had.
00:17:58
She couldn't pay her bills.
00:18:01
I began to receive phone
calls from creditors
00:18:07
wanting the money.
00:18:09
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER): Four
years after her father's death,
00:18:12
18-year-old Carol Hilley
suddenly became sick.
00:18:16
Nobody knew that
Marie had insured
00:18:18
Carol's life for $25,000.
00:18:23
MICHAEL HILLEY: During the time
that everyone was getting sick,
00:18:25
I think someone, a
relative in the family,
00:18:29
suspected that
something was going on--
00:18:31
and like me later on--
something is, but what?
00:18:35
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER): Carol
was in and out of the hospital
00:18:37
for six months
and finally became
00:18:40
paralyzed from the waist down.
00:18:43
Still, doctors could not
diagnose her illness.
00:18:48
In desperation, Carol agreed to
let Marie inject her with what
00:18:52
she said was a new
medicine that she got
00:18:55
from a friend who was a nurse.
00:18:58
OK, sweetie.
00:18:59
This is going to
sting a little bit.
00:19:06
MICHAEL HILLEY: I
remember my aunt
00:19:08
telling me that my mother
had Carol in seclusion,
00:19:10
would not let anybody
see her, would
00:19:12
not let anyone talk to her.
00:19:14
And if something didn't
happen, Carol was going to die.
00:19:19
How can I help you detective?
00:19:21
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER): While
at the hospital with Carol,
00:19:22
Marie was arrested for
passing bad checks.
00:19:26
This probably
saved Carol's life.
00:19:30
MICHAEL HILLEY: One
of Carol's friends
00:19:32
at that time told me that she
had visited Carol that day,
00:19:35
and Carol had mentioned
something about injections
00:19:39
that my mother had given her.
00:19:40
Now just look straight
ahead for me, would you?
00:19:42
Mm-hm, that's good.
00:19:43
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
Mike demanded that the hospital
00:19:45
staff re-examine Carol.
00:19:48
Doctors discovered white lines
across Carol's fingernails--
00:19:52
the unmistakable sign
of arsenic poisoning.
00:20:01
MICHAEL HILLEY: The world
as I knew it at that point--
00:20:04
it just fell apart.
00:20:06
Everything that I had
been taught to rely on
00:20:10
was totally in question.
00:20:12
Everything that my mother had
taught me-- right from wrong--
00:20:18
I had to go back and re-examine.
00:20:20
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER): Carol
Hilley eventually recovered.
00:20:23
But Mike was forced to
consider that his mother had
00:20:29
probably murdered his father.
00:20:33
At Mike's request,
and surprisingly
00:20:36
with Marie's permission,
Frank Hilley's body was
00:20:39
exhumed for a second autopsy.
00:20:42
The revised cause of
death-- arsenic poisoning.
00:20:47
But Marie quietly
slipped out of town
00:20:50
three weeks before the
results were released.
00:20:55
An arrest warrant was
issued charging Marie
00:20:57
with the murder of her husband.
00:21:00
But by then, Marie
Hilley was long gone.
00:21:08
700 miles away in
Fort Lauderdale,
00:21:11
Marie resurfaced with a new
identity-- Robbie Hannon.
00:21:16
John?
00:21:17
Could I have a light?
00:21:19
Oh, sure.
00:21:20
DENNIS FARINA
(VOICEOVER): John Homan,
00:21:21
who is from New Hampshire, was
pleased to meet Robbie Hannon.
00:21:25
So-- Robbie, right?
00:21:26
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
Robbie, a.k.a.
00:21:28
Marie Hilley, told John
that she was a widow
00:21:30
and that she would soon
inherit a large estate.
00:21:33
She also told him that
she had brain cancer.
00:21:36
The Robbie Hannon
character was skillfully
00:21:39
and deliberately created.
00:21:41
She was attractive.
00:21:42
She was available.
00:21:43
She was going to be rich.
00:21:45
And she might die
sometime in the future.
00:21:48
The possibilities were endless.
00:21:50
Not much to tell.
00:21:53
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
Six months later,
00:21:55
Robbie and John were married.
00:21:58
She found work as a
secretary and was welcomed
00:22:01
into John's social circles.
00:22:04
About a year later, Robbie
informed John that her brain
00:22:08
cancer had worsened.
00:22:10
She flew alone to Texas
for special medical tests.
00:22:15
John Homan never
saw Robbie again.
00:22:21
LT. GARY CARROLL: He got
a call sometime later
00:22:23
from Robbie Hannon's twin
sister, Terry Martin.
00:22:27
Robbie had died, and the body
had been donated to science.
00:22:31
And all the arrangements
had been made,
00:22:33
so there was nothing
for him to do.
00:22:37
DENNIS FARINA
(VOICEOVER): Several weeks
00:22:38
later, Robbie's sister, Terry
Martin, came to New Hampshire
00:22:42
with an emotional farewell
letter Robbie had written
00:22:45
to John just before she died.
00:22:49
Terry?
00:22:52
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER): Terry
Martin was really Marie Hilley.
00:22:55
She had lost 20 pounds,
dyed her hair blonde,
00:22:58
and boldly returned
to New Hampshire
00:23:01
as her own twin sister.
00:23:04
You must be John.
00:23:06
I'm Tammy Martin,
Robbie's sister.
00:23:11
DENNIS FARINA
(VOICEOVER): John Homan
00:23:12
accepted Terry at face value.
00:23:14
She moved in with him, and they
lived together for two months.
00:23:19
However, some of John's
neighbors became suspicious.
00:23:23
When they tried to
verify Terry's story,
00:23:25
nothing checked out.
00:23:28
Ultimately, Marie
Hilley was trapped
00:23:30
by a strange coincidence.
00:23:33
Her description just happened
to match that of a totally
00:23:36
different female fugitive.
00:23:40
Marie Hilley, a.k.a.
00:23:42
Robbie Hannon, a.k.a.
00:23:45
Terry Martin, was taken into
custody for questioning.
00:23:51
LT. GARY CARROLL: After
she was picked up,
00:23:52
they had no idea that she
was actually Marie Hilley
00:23:55
and that she was wanted
in Alabama for murder
00:23:58
and attempting to
poison her daughter.
00:24:00
Once she was picked up,
then they've learned
00:24:02
who in fact she really was.
00:24:04
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
Marie was convicted
00:24:06
of murder and attempted
murder, and sentenced
00:24:08
to life plus 20 years.
00:24:12
Five years into her
term, sheet escaped
00:24:15
while on a three
day pass, and died
00:24:18
a week later from exposure.
00:24:22
MICHAEL HILLEY: My mother had
a lot of charisma and charm,
00:24:26
and she knew how to use that.
00:24:29
She had the ability
to make you believe
00:24:32
what she was saying,
even if you knew
00:24:35
that it was an outright lie.
00:24:37
She had the ability to make you
believe that you were the most
00:24:39
important thing in her life.
00:24:42
And that could have been the
furthest thing from the truth.
00:24:47
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
What drove a wife and a mother
00:24:49
to poison her own
family members?
00:24:52
Like Marie Hilley, the answer
will forever remain a mystery.
00:25:02
Next-- a woman who is
eight months pregnant
00:25:05
receives a mysterious phone
call, and then she disappears.
00:25:19
Chatsworth California--
after a passionate two
00:25:24
year courtship, Alfredo Newball
and Cecilia Amaya got married.
00:25:30
Cecilia's son from a previous
marriage, Rene Perez,
00:25:33
was their ring bearer
at their wedding.
00:25:36
The couple started
their new life together,
00:25:38
and almost immediately,
Cecilia became pregnant.
00:25:45
One September afternoon, with
her due date only two weeks
00:25:49
away, Cecilia sat down to write
thank you notes for the gifts
00:25:53
from her baby shower.
00:25:57
That day, as Alfredo
left for work,
00:25:59
he says that he hesitated
at the door for a moment.
00:26:05
ALFREDO NEWBALL:
Her being pregnant,
00:26:06
she looked so beautiful.
00:26:07
And I went back and
I kissed her again.
00:26:12
I left her sitting
at the-- inside
00:26:15
the apartment writing
the thank you notes.
00:26:17
And that was the last
time that I saw my wife.
00:26:26
DENNIS FARINA
(VOICEOVER): Alfredo
00:26:27
worked as a nurse's assistant in
a hospital and retirement home.
00:26:31
2 1/2 hours into his
shift, he phoned Cecilia.
00:26:35
ALFREDO NEWBALL: I just had
some kind of very weird feeling
00:26:38
that something was wrong.
00:26:41
She never answered the phone.
00:26:42
[phone ringing]
00:26:43
And I don't know.
00:26:45
For some reason, I thought that
she could be visiting with some
00:26:49
friends or being at my mom's.
00:26:52
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
Alfredo called several times
00:26:54
throughout the evening.
00:26:56
Concerned, he left work early.
00:27:00
As he approached
the apartment, he
00:27:02
noticed that Cecelia's car
was parked on the street
00:27:06
instead of in the
building's secured lot.
00:27:10
Cecilia?
00:27:13
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
Inside, there were no signs
00:27:14
of a struggle or a break in.
00:27:17
But there were also no signs
of Cecilia and Rene either.
00:27:23
In the jeep,
Alfredo says that he
00:27:26
found a store-bought
generic goodbye card.
00:27:31
It was signed simply, Cecilia.
00:27:36
Cecilia's wedding and
engagement rings had been
00:27:39
left on the passenger seat.
00:27:41
To Alfredo, the
message was clear.
00:27:44
His wife had left him.
00:27:49
ALFREDO NEWBALL: The
relationship was always good.
00:27:52
We never had any
problems, fights.
00:27:55
Why would she do
something like this--
00:27:57
to leave me a note like that
and to leave the wedding rings?
00:28:02
I-- it was very confusing to me.
00:28:06
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
Alfredo phoned the one person
00:28:07
that he thought might know
where she was-- her closest
00:28:11
friend at work, Kevin Annabel.
00:28:13
[phone ringing]
00:28:14
It was this phone
call that first
00:28:16
cast suspicion on Alfredo.
00:28:19
Hello?
00:28:20
ALFREDO NEWBALL
(ON PHONE): Kevin?
00:28:22
This is Al.
- Al.
00:28:23
What time is it?
00:28:25
I don't know.
00:28:26
It's about midnight.
00:28:27
Is Cece there?
00:28:29
What?
00:28:30
She's got to be there.
00:28:30
Put her on.
00:28:32
I came home.
00:28:32
She's not here.
00:28:34
He was unusually calm,
like, if it were me,
00:28:37
I would have been
screaming at the person
00:28:39
I thought where my wife was.
00:28:41
But he was-- I was more nervous
and excited than he was.
00:28:47
I felt like she
needed to be away
00:28:50
for a few days or something.
00:28:52
I don't know.
00:28:53
It was very strange.
00:28:55
But like, I believed that
she was coming back soon.
00:29:02
DET.
00:29:03
ALEX VALADEZ: It appeared
that nothing was taken
00:29:06
by Cecilia or her son Rene.
00:29:08
All his toys were left there,
clothing was left there--
00:29:11
not so much as a toothbrush.
00:29:12
Hello?
00:29:13
Is this Alfredo Newball?
00:29:14
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER): The
day after Cecilia disappeared,
00:29:16
the police called Alfredo.
00:29:18
POLICEMAN (OVER
PHONE): Tell me Mr.
00:29:20
Newball, when was the last time
you saw your wife, Cecelia?
00:29:22
Ah, yesterday afternoon.
00:29:25
I was getting ready
to go to work.
00:29:27
Then I gave her a
kiss, and that was it.
00:29:29
DET.
00:29:30
ALEX VALADEZ: Mr. Newball didn't
appear to be that concerned.
00:29:33
And here he has an 8
1/2 month pregnant wife,
00:29:38
a 6-year-old stepson.
00:29:41
Mr. Newball just didn't appear
to be the grieving husband/soon
00:29:45
to be father.
00:29:49
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
Three days later, suspicion
00:29:52
increased when Alfredo
received a letter postmarked
00:29:55
in nearby Van Nuys California.
00:29:59
Inside the envelope was a
card identical to the one
00:30:03
Alfredo had found
in Cecelia's car.
00:30:07
There was also a
typewritten note.
00:30:11
CECELIA REENACTMENT
(VOICEOVER): Alfredo,
00:30:13
I have gone to
Honduras with a man
00:30:14
I met nine months ago
by the name of Arturo.
00:30:17
He a doctor.
00:30:19
I don't know if this
baby is yours or his.
00:30:21
I love you with all
my heart, but you
00:30:23
will not amount
to anything, and I
00:30:25
want only the best for my baby.
00:30:27
Alfredo, you can't give us that.
00:30:30
Adios, Cecilia and Rene.
00:30:34
ALFREDO NEWBALL:
My first impression
00:30:35
after opening the letter
was that she had left.
00:30:39
But then after reviewing
the letter several times,
00:30:44
some parts, it don't
sound like Cecelia.
00:30:46
It doesn't strike me
as Cecelia at all.
00:30:52
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
Kevin Annabel also found
00:30:53
the letter out of character.
00:30:56
KEVIN ANNABEL: I would say she
was almost obsessed with Al.
00:31:00
And when you're that
in love with a person,
00:31:02
you don't just meet
a doctor and say,
00:31:04
well, I think I'm
going to Honduras.
00:31:06
Let me just write
my husband a note.
00:31:08
That doesn't happen.
DET.
00:31:10
ALEX VALADEZ: I took
a look at the letter,
00:31:11
spoke to friends and
family of Cecilia later on,
00:31:16
and I'm convinced that that
letter is not from Cecelia.
00:31:22
Whoever typed this letter
knew more about Alfredo's side
00:31:26
of the family rather
than knowing very much
00:31:29
about Cecilia's
side of the family.
00:31:34
My best guess is that
Cecilia's disappearance
00:31:38
is not by her will.
00:31:40
I believe there's a third
party involved in this.
00:31:44
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER): Six
months before she disappeared,
00:31:46
Cecilia received
an odd phone call.
00:31:50
What?
00:31:51
CAMMY GIACOMI: She
had gotten a call
00:31:52
that a woman had a videotape
of Al kissing another woman
00:31:57
at a baby shower,
and that the woman
00:32:00
wanted Cecelia to see the tape.
00:32:02
And Cecelia had agreed
to see the tape.
00:32:05
OK.
00:32:06
Yes, I know where is that.
00:32:07
8 o'clock?
00:32:09
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER): The
woman said that she would phone
00:32:11
again to arrange a meeting.
00:32:13
But that call never
came, and the matter
00:32:15
was apparently forgotten.
00:32:17
[phone ringing]
00:32:19
Then, just a few weeks
before Cecelia disappeared,
00:32:22
a second mysterious call--
this one from a woman who
00:32:26
claimed to work with Alfredo.
00:32:29
CAMMY GIACOMI: A
woman had called
00:32:31
and said that she was
giving Al-- they were going
00:32:34
to give Al a baby
shower at work,
00:32:36
and that she had
some baby furniture.
00:32:39
And she wanted Cecilia to pick
out a piece of that furniture,
00:32:43
but to keep it a secret,
because the shower
00:32:46
was going to be a surprise.
00:32:48
On the 20th?
00:32:50
Yeah, that's fine.
00:32:51
DENNIS FARINA
(VOICEOVER): Later, police
00:32:52
learned that the call
had not been made
00:32:54
by Alfredo's coworker,
and that a baby
00:32:57
shower had not been planned.
00:33:00
But by then, it was too late.
00:33:03
She disappeared
on Tuesday, the day
00:33:06
she was supposed to get
together with this lady
00:33:09
to pick out a piece of
furniture for the baby shower.
00:33:13
It appears that someone
is trying to lure her
00:33:16
away from safety, away from her
family, away from her friends,
00:33:22
trying to get her alone.
00:33:25
I just want to know
what happened to them.
00:33:28
And that's why I really need
the public's help finding
00:33:33
something about this case.
00:33:35
DET.
00:33:36
ALEX VALADEZ: It's my opinion
that Mr. Newball is not telling
00:33:39
me everything that he knows.
00:33:42
As far as Celia's
disappearance, he
00:33:45
may not have been there
when she disappeared,
00:33:48
but it's my opinion that
he knows something now.
00:33:53
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
Cecilia Newball is 5 feet tall
00:33:56
and weighs just over 90 pounds.
00:33:58
She was born in El
Salvador and speaks
00:34:01
with a pronounced Latin accent.
00:34:04
Her son, Rene Perez,
would now be in his 20s
00:34:07
and may look like this
age-progressed photograph.
00:34:11
If you have any information
about Cecilia or Rene,
00:34:15
please log onto our
website at unsolved.com.
00:34:22
Next-- the search for
three Good Samaritans
00:34:26
who befriended a runaway
girl on a bus trip to Texas.
00:34:40
Washington, D.C-- 15-Year-old
Michele Donahoe has
00:34:46
decided to run away from home.
00:34:49
She tries to make herself
appear older and more confident,
00:34:53
but on the inside, she
is completely terrified.
00:34:57
Nonetheless, Michele
has the presence
00:34:59
of mind to use a fake name when
speaking to the ticket agent.
00:35:04
Thanks
00:35:07
Four months earlier,
Michele Donahoe's family
00:35:10
had moved from San Antonio,
Texas to Fairfax, Virginia.
00:35:14
Michele was very
upset, and she never
00:35:16
forgave her parents for taking
her away from her friends
00:35:19
and her school.
00:35:21
And now Michele was going
back to Texas, the place
00:35:24
that she called home.
00:35:28
MICHELE DONAHOE: I was
scared at that point
00:35:30
just because I'd never really
been anywhere by myself before,
00:35:33
and this was an environment that
I wasn't really familiar with.
00:35:38
I had never been among all
these strangers before.
00:35:41
And, you know, people
would look at you.
00:35:43
And first I thought,
well, maybe they're
00:35:45
just wondering why I'm young
and I'm on this bus by myself.
00:35:48
But then you kind
of get the idea
00:35:50
that people are--
especially men,
00:35:52
you know-- are mainly looking
to see that you're alone,
00:35:55
and, you know, try
and bother you.
00:35:58
That's when it really started
to be scary, because I
00:36:01
couldn't protect myself.
00:36:03
And I didn't-- you know-- I--
nobody knew-- like I said,
00:36:06
nobody knew where I was.
00:36:08
So if something were
to happen to me,
00:36:09
nobody-- nobody would know it.
00:36:12
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
At a stop in North Carolina,
00:36:15
three men boarded
the bus together.
00:36:18
MICHELE DONAHOE: I remember
thinking, you know,
00:36:20
as far as men goes, I was
staying away from as many
00:36:23
as I could.
00:36:25
And especially one of them
looked pretty-- pretty scary.
00:36:28
He had really-- a lot
of scars on his body.
00:36:31
So I was sitting next to him,
and I thought, that's great.
00:36:33
But they came and
they sat around.
00:36:35
And they were talking
among themselves.
00:36:38
Take [inaudible] couple, man.
00:36:39
- How can you sleep now, man?
- I'm tired.
00:36:40
Well, wake up.
I'm tired.
00:36:42
Tired?
You ain't done nothing.
00:36:44
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER): While
the three men slept on and off,
00:36:46
Michele's nerves
kept her wide awake.
00:36:50
But as the trip
progressed, Michele
00:36:52
observed that the
men were not as
00:36:54
scary as they first appeared.
00:36:57
Tiny Feet does not
snore, thank you very much.
00:36:58
Oh, right.
00:36:59
DENNIS FARINA
(VOICEOVER): Eventually,
00:37:00
Michelle relaxed around them.
00:37:02
Why do they call
you Tiny Feet?
00:37:03
[laughter]
- Are you kidding?
00:37:04
MICHELE DONAHOE:
The one really big
00:37:06
guy, his name was Tiny Feet,
because his feet were huge.
00:37:08
[laughs]
- Thank you.
00:37:09
[laughter]
- No, Miss, we're truckers.
00:37:11
[laughter]
00:37:12
And Tiny Feet is his handle.
00:37:13
You see, me, I'm a deacon in my
church back in North Carolina.
00:37:16
They call me Doc, because
I've got a Bible verse
00:37:18
for everything that ails you.
[laughter]
00:37:20
That's right.
00:37:21
My name is Sunshine--
00:37:22
Sunshine!
00:37:23
--named after my
favorite song, actually.
00:37:25
MICHELE DONAHOE: It just
made me feel like, you know,
00:37:27
he was more a family man.
00:37:28
And I didn't really
have to worry.
00:37:31
And the rest of them talked
about their families,
00:37:32
and Doc kept talking
about his church,
00:37:36
you know, and the people in his
church and what they were like.
00:37:38
And I just-- I felt at
ease with them then.
00:37:43
I didn't feel like I had
anything to fear from them.
00:37:46
DENNIS FARINA
(VOICEOVER): By the time
00:37:48
the bus pulled into Atlanta,
Doc, Sunshine and Tiny Feet
00:37:52
had practically adopted Michele.
00:37:55
When they sat down
for breakfast,
00:37:57
Tiny Feet noticed another girl
who appeared to be in trouble.
00:38:01
I want you to come
take a ride with me.
00:38:03
Leave me alone!
[laughter]
00:38:05
Wait.
Hey.
00:38:06
Hey!
00:38:07
Excuse me.
00:38:09
Look, is he bothering you?
00:38:11
Yes.
00:38:12
Listen, we're about to sit
down and have breakfast.
00:38:13
Why don't you come join
us for breakfast, OK?
00:38:15
And we'll just-- just talk, OK?
00:38:17
All right.
00:38:19
MICHELE DONAHOE: She came over,
and we bought her breakfast.
00:38:22
And she told us her story.
00:38:23
And she was a runaway also.
00:38:25
And you know, I just--
I guess at that point
00:38:30
I kind of just sat
back and watched,
00:38:32
and saw how they helped people.
00:38:34
And it wasn't just me,
it was other people.
00:38:36
They were just like
Good Samaritans
00:38:38
on the road kind of thing.
00:38:41
You guys?
00:38:43
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
Michelle felt so comfortable
00:38:45
with her new
friends, she finally
00:38:47
confessed her real
name, her age,
00:38:50
and that she was a runaway.
00:38:51
They're probably
very worried about you.
00:38:53
That's right!
00:38:54
If it was my kids,
I'd be going crazy!
00:38:55
Yeah.
00:38:56
It could get real
dangerous out here.
00:38:58
Yeah, they didn't
react badly to it.
00:39:00
They were actually really
comforting about it.
00:39:02
And they knew that I was scared.
00:39:04
And that's the first time I was
actually able to tell somebody,
00:39:06
I'm really scared doing this.
00:39:09
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
The next morning,
00:39:11
the bus arrived in Mississippi
where the men were supposed
00:39:14
to pick up their tracks.
00:39:15
[chatter]
00:39:17
Listen, I want
you to take my card.
00:39:19
It has both my home number
and my church number on it.
00:39:21
OK.
00:39:22
And please, if you ever need
a place to stay, you call me.
00:39:24
All right.
00:39:25
My wife and I have
plenty of rooms.
00:39:27
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
Sunshine could not
00:39:28
leave without making a request.
00:39:30
Listen, Michele, All I
ask that you call your mom
00:39:34
and let her know you're OK.
00:39:35
- I will.
- All right.
00:39:36
Will you do that for me?
You promise?
00:39:38
Good luck!
00:39:40
MICHELE DONAHOE: I was
sad to see them go.
00:39:42
So I think they were
worried about me.
00:39:45
And I started to
worry about me too
00:39:48
when they got off the bus,
because all of a sudden,
00:39:50
I felt scared and alone.
00:39:51
You know, I-- I didn't have
people to protect me anymore.
00:39:57
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
Later that afternoon,
00:39:59
Michele kept her promise to
Sunshine, at least in a way.
00:40:04
MICHELE DONAHOE: I got out
there, and I lost my nerve.
00:40:06
And I didn't have the nerve
to talk to my parents,
00:40:09
because by this time,
I realized that they'd
00:40:10
probably be really upset.
00:40:13
So I called a friend
of mine, and I
00:40:15
asked her to call my parents
and let them know I was OK.
00:40:19
I got back on the bus,
and there was a girl
00:40:21
there, probably my same age.
00:40:24
She was young.
00:40:26
And she was sitting by
herself with a paper
00:40:28
bag full of things.
00:40:29
Hi.
You want some donuts?
00:40:30
I have some extras.
00:40:32
Yeah.
00:40:34
Thanks.
00:40:37
MICHELE DONAHOE: I guess
I switched somewhere
00:40:38
during that trip to instead
of just thinking about myself
00:40:42
and how terrible my life was--
00:40:44
[laughs]
00:40:45
you know-- into thinking
about other people.
00:40:49
You know, listening
to stories of people
00:40:50
on the road and other runaways,
I wasn't a typical runaway.
00:40:56
And when I listened
to their stories,
00:40:59
and then think about my
reasons, or they'd ask me,
00:41:01
you know, why did you run away?
00:41:03
I didn't want to say, because
it sounded so stupid by the end,
00:41:05
you know, that oh, well,
my parents gave me a curfew
00:41:09
and made me catch the bus
in the morning, you know.
00:41:11
It just sounded so
ridiculous compared
00:41:13
to their really tragic stories.
00:41:16
DENNIS FARINA (VOICEOVER):
Michele finally made
00:41:18
it to a friend's home in Texas,
where her father picked her up.
00:41:22
She was relieved
to go back home.
00:41:25
Over the years, Michele never
forgot the three men who'd made
00:41:29
such a difference in her life.
00:41:31
Her one wish was
to say, thank you.
00:41:37
Update-- a man named Jesse
Garrett was watching "Unsolved
00:41:42
Mysteries" when he
not only recognized
00:41:44
Michele, but also recognized
himself as the man called Doc.
00:41:50
Jessie phoned Sunshine, whose
real name is Bill Polite,
00:41:54
and they contacted us.
00:41:56
The men, both preachers,
have lost touch
00:41:59
with Rufus, Tiny Feet Wheeler.
00:42:02
Jesse and Bill
spoke with Michele,
00:42:04
and they were thrilled to
find out that they had such
00:42:06
a positive effect on her life.
00:42:09
They hope to meet with her
sometime in the near future.
00:42:15
[music playing]
