00:00:00
[music playing]
00:00:04
DENNIS FARINA: Next on "Unsolved
Mysteries," a murder victim
00:00:09
seeks justice from
beyond the grave when
00:00:12
he contacts a
private investigator
00:00:15
with details of his own death.
00:00:18
A helicopter pilot who was
severely injured in Vietnam
00:00:23
searches for the nurse
who saved his life.
00:00:27
After a young girl has been
missing for seven years,
00:00:31
her mother receives a
mysterious phone call that
00:00:34
sounds just like her daughter.
00:00:37
And a simple classified add
to sell a computer brings
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an unexpected lethal response.
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Five stories, they're all
strange, but guess what.
00:00:50
They're all true.
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I'm Dennis Farina, and this
is "Unsolved Mysteries."
00:00:55
[theme music]
00:01:36
GHOSTLY VOICE: I'm David Chase.
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I was murdered.
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Go buy the Sunday paper.
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DENNIS FARINA: This is what Phil
Harris heard one night when he
00:01:49
fell asleep in his easy chair.
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It seemed crazy, but Phil
couldn't help being curious.
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He searched the morning
paper, looking for any mention
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of a David Chase.
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He said to me, a
strange thing happened.
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A voice came to me about
4:00 this morning while I
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was sitting here studying.
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And he said, the voice
told me his name,
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and said that I need
to look in the paper,
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and that he was murdered,
and I need to help.
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DENNIS FARINA: David Chase was
a local cabinet maker who had
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drowned four months earlier.
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His wife is convinced
that he had been murdered.
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Phil Harris believed
that for some reason
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he had been chosen
to solve the case.
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He knew that he
had to do something,
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and he knew it was
coming from somewhere.
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And he was going
to check it out.
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DENNIS FARINA: He
arranged to meet
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with David's widow, Judi Chase.
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I really don't
know what to think.
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DENNIS FARINA: Naturally,
Jud was skeptical,
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until Phil began to talk
about things that only
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David could have known.
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There were a lot of
very personal details
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about my relationship with
David that nobody else knew
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about our life together,
our love for one another,
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pet names that David called me.
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He called me honey
bunny and shuggies,
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things like this
that there's no way
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Phil Harris could have known.
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DENNIS FARINA: Phil and
Judy struck an unusual deal.
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For $1, Phil agreed
to investigate
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the case until it was solved.
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You've got a deal.
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Thank you so much.
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DENNIS FARINA: Phil Harris
was a retired police detective
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and a credible source.
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We arranged to interview
him about that case.
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But unfortunately, just a few
weeks before filming began,
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Harris died of a
massive heart attack.
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But still, he wanted the story
to be told, so here it is.
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He's going to work.
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He's gonna wear--
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DENNIS FARINA:
David and Judi Chase
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had lived in Evergreen,
Colorado, for 18 months.
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They had no children,
but were planning
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to adopt two foster kids
who were living with him.
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Matt should be
here any minute.
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DENNIS FARINA: One
summer day, David
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was scheduled to work
with a local handyman
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named Matt Orahoske.
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They needed to
finish a roofing job
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and clear away brush
from the local Elks Club.
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By noon, the work was done.
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The two men went to lunch
and then stopped at the bank,
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where David cashed
a check for $1,800.
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Hey, uh, let's go drink
some beer and shoot some pool.
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Sounds good.
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Yeah?
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Let's go.
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DENNIS FARINA: Judi was
concerned when David
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didn't come home that night.
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And by the next morning, she
knew that something was wrong.
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She immediately drove
to Matt's house.
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No, Matt, where is my husband?
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He ain't home?
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No, he never came home.
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I left him at the bar.
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Where, on the deck?
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Shooting pool.
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DENNIS FARINA: Judi claims
that Matt's girlfriend
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called her later that morning.
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She said he had told her,
when she asked about David,
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that David had said, oh,
I'm going for a swim.
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I've got a raft.
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And I found this
completely bewildering.
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I mean, my husband was a very
experienced mountain climber
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and had studied hypothermia
and knew fully well
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the dangers of jumping
into a snow-fed river.
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So the story was
absolutely, completely
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impossible for me to believe.
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DENNIS FARINA: The Bear Creek
River runs right by the bar
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where David and Matt
were last seen together.
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By this time, Judi
didn't believe
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anything Matt had to say,
so she went to the police.
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When authorities
questioned Matt,
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he told the same story that
he had told his girlfriend.
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Matt told us that he and
David had been drinking most
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of the day and that after
they did that, they went out
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into the parking lot
and unloaded these tree
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limbs from Matt's
truck into Bear Creek.
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As they finished
unloading, Matt told us
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that David jumped into
the river and said,
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pick me up in Morrison.
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DENNIS FARINA: Six weeks
later, David's body
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was found in the
Bear Creek River,
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3 miles downstream from
where he was last seen.
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The autopsy supported
Matt's story.
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The coroner ruled that
the cause of death
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was, quote, "consistent
with drowning."
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But Judi said that some
of the coroner's findings
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made her suspicious.
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For instance, even though Matt
claimed that they had been
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drinking all day, the autopsy
didn't show that David
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was drunk at the time of death.
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Also, his neck was broken,
and there were unusual cuts
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on both of his legs.
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His clothes were evidently
ripped from his body.
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He had partial clothing
around his leg from his pants.
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And his shoes and socks
were still intact,
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but the rest of his
clothes were missing.
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There's no way David's blue
jeans would come off, no matter
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how long he'd been in
that water, because he
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tucked them into his boots.
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And the only way to
get those jeans off
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would be to cut them off.
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DENNIS FARINA: Police
questioned Matt again.
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This time, he changed two
important details in his story.
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He now said that he
and David left the bar
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and drove down the street to
dump the brush from the job.
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He also said that David fell
into the river and didn't jump.
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If it really was
an accident, Judi
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wondered why Matt
didn't try to get help
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from the nearby fire station.
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This location was 50
yards from the fire station.
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It was 10 yards from where
people were still playing pool.
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You could have gotten
someone to come and help
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with within one minute,
and David's life
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could have been saved.
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DENNIS FARINA: It was three
months later that Phil Harris
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contacted Judi to
say that David had
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been speaking to him from beyond
the grave on a regular basis.
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Phil said the voice gave him
details about what happened
00:08:12
the day that David disappeared.
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These are the exact
words he heard.
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GHOSTLY VOICE: Where I
deposited my check for $1,800,
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he talked me into cashing it and
keeping the money in my pocket,
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under the guise of possibly
buying a decent truck.
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I had second thoughts about
buying a truck from Matt,
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and I told him that as
we were leaving the bar.
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Matt was furious with me at the
time, which I didn't realize.
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As soon as we got
back by his truck,
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he started to tell me that I
had promised him this money,
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and therefore it was his.
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Matt shoved me in the chest.
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I shoved him back, and
he hit me in the face.
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I immediately hit
him back in the nose,
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and he started bleeding
very hard from the nose.
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This made him extremely
mad, and he flew into me.
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We went down very near
the edge of the water.
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In fact, we were up
against a small retaining
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wall, fighting on the ground.
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We rolled around and
tried to punch each other,
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and I feel Matt got in a
couple of good punches.
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I only remember him
hitting me in the back
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of the neck with a hard object.
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I don't know what he hit me
with, but it broke my neck.
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DENNIS FARINA: Phil went
on to say that Matt had
00:09:38
an accomplice who helped
him get rid of the body
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and the bloody clothes.
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The cuts on David's
legs came from a knife.
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GHOSTLY VOICE: The knife that
was used to cut my clothing off
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belonged to the other person.
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This is where Matt
cut my clothes off,
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rather than take my boots off.
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DENNIS FARINA: Exactly a year
and a day after David's death,
00:10:05
Phil took Judi to
the local reservoir.
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Testing, one,
two, three, hello.
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What is that for, Phil?
00:10:12
Just in case anything
should happen to me.
00:10:16
DENNIS FARINA: He pointed
out the area where
00:10:17
he believed the murder
weapon and the bloody clothes
00:10:20
had been dumped.
00:10:21
What follows is part of Phil's
taped conversation with Judi.
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PHIL (ON TAPE):
David told me that,
00:10:28
uh, he had tied David's clothes
around the murder weapon.
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He told the kid
to come up on top
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and throw them out in the middle
as far as he could throw them.
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I'm not sure whether it
was a hammer or a crowbar.
00:10:41
David just said,
like, a prying tool.
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DENNIS FARINA: A
week later, Phil
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died, leaving Judi to carry
on their investigation alone.
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He was a hero in my eyes.
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I mean, he put everything
else in his life
00:10:54
aside to stand by my side
and help me find the answers
00:10:58
that I so desperately needed.
00:11:01
Phil had a favorite saying.
00:11:04
What other people think of
me is none of my business.
00:11:07
And he felt that
he had information
00:11:09
that people needed to hear,
and he wanted to give it.
00:11:12
And he really did
not mind if anybody
00:11:15
thought he was a
little kooky because he
00:11:17
felt he could help the case.
00:11:19
And other people needed to
know what he was hearing.
00:11:22
Well, obviously,
if we were going
00:11:24
to develop a criminal case, we
would have to have something
00:11:28
that we could present
in court that would
00:11:31
be a prosecutable situation.
00:11:33
And in order to
do that, you have
00:11:34
to have evidence that
you can put your hands on
00:11:37
and witnesses that
you can talk to.
00:11:39
So the information that
Phil Harris was presenting,
00:11:45
although not discounted,
needs to be corroborated
00:11:50
through some other source.
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DENNIS FARINA: Matt
Orahoske declined to be
00:11:54
interviewed for this story.
00:11:55
It is important to remember
that he has not been charged
00:11:59
with any crime, and the source
of the accusations against him
00:12:03
is highly questionable.
00:12:05
According to Phil Harris,
the voice of David's spirit
00:12:08
told him there was, in fact,
a witness to his murder.
00:12:13
If you are that witness, or
if you have any information
00:12:17
about the death of David Chase,
please, log on to our website
00:12:22
at unsolved.com.
00:12:25
In a moment, a war
pilot is brought
00:12:28
back from the brink of death
by a kind-hearted nurse.
00:12:32
He just wants to say, thanks.
00:12:35
[music playing]
00:12:48
In 1965, 18-year-old
Jim Meade, Jr., quit
00:12:53
college to serve in Vietnam.
00:12:56
We tried to talk
him out of it.
00:12:58
Finish college and then go.
00:13:00
The war will still be there
after you finish college.
00:13:03
But he was determined,
and he went.
00:13:06
DENNIS FARINA: Two years later,
Jim earned his wings as an Army
00:13:09
helicopter pilot in Vietnam.
00:13:12
It didn't surprise
me to see him want
00:13:15
to give time to his country.
00:13:18
And being in helicopters and
being in the rescue mission
00:13:22
and what have you, these
were all part of Jim.
00:13:27
DENNIS FARINA: Jim served in
Vietnam for only three months,
00:13:30
transporting troops to
and from the front line.
00:13:34
Twice, Jim was shot down, and
twice he went back to duty.
00:13:40
But the third time,
he was not so lucky.
00:13:48
Jim's parents
received a telegram,
00:13:50
saying their son had been placed
on the seriously ill list.
00:13:54
He had a fractured skull.
00:13:58
Jim was transferred to a
hospital in Washington State.
00:14:02
Jim's family went
to meet him there
00:14:04
and waited in the lobby for
him to be assigned to a room.
00:14:07
They had no idea what to expect.
00:14:11
It was quite difficult
for me to just sit and relax
00:14:15
and wait till they
came to tell us
00:14:18
that Jim had been put in a room.
00:14:21
So myself and two
sons, I got up.
00:14:24
I said, I'm gonna walk down
the hallway for a while.
00:14:26
I just can't sit here and wait.
00:14:29
There was a soldier
on the gurney.
00:14:31
And he had bandages
all over him,
00:14:34
bandages on the head, legs,
and calves, tubes and bottles.
00:14:41
So I said to the other
boys, the two sons,
00:14:43
I said, boy, that soldier
is tore all to hell.
00:14:47
We went into that room,
and here was that gurney.
00:14:54
That guy that was
tore all to hell
00:14:55
was my son, beyond recognition.
00:15:04
CHRISTINE BOYED: I worked
in an emergency room.
00:15:07
Jim, it's Mom.
00:15:09
And I've seen a lot of things.
00:15:13
But I don't think I
have seen anything
00:15:16
as horrible as my son was.
00:15:22
DENNIS FARINA:
Jim was in a coma.
00:15:23
A helicopter rotor blade
had fractured his skull.
00:15:27
He made only animal-like
sounds and flailed
00:15:30
his arms involuntarily.
00:15:32
Both of his legs were
shattered and full of gangrene.
00:15:36
The doctors feared that Jim
would not come out of his coma.
00:15:43
As a last resort, the doctors
asked the other patients
00:15:46
to talk to Jim as if
he could hear them,
00:15:49
hoping that the constant
exposure to other people
00:15:52
would trigger a response.
00:15:56
Incredibly, it worked.
00:15:59
After 10 weeks, Jim
came out of his coma.
00:16:02
He would eventually
make a full recovery.
00:16:06
But when Jim came
out of the coma,
00:16:08
he had no memory of
his first 19 years.
00:16:11
He couldn't talk or
move his arms and legs.
00:16:16
I didn't know that I'd
been a helicopter pilot.
00:16:19
I didn't know I'd
been to Vietnam.
00:16:21
I didn't know that I'd
been injured so seriously.
00:16:24
I didn't know anything.
00:16:25
It was like a whole new world.
00:16:30
After his recovery, Jim Meade
got married, earned a PhD,
00:16:33
and enjoyed a career
as a psychologist.
00:16:36
But when he came out of
Vietnam, he was a little
00:16:39
more than a crumpled body.
00:16:41
Jim Meade feels
that he owes it all
00:16:43
to his nurse, Lieutenant
Karen Stephens, who literally
00:16:47
brought him back to life.
00:16:49
All right, now start with
this hand and this leg.
00:16:52
Ready?
00:16:53
Keep your legs straight.
00:16:54
Keep your legs straight.
00:16:55
There you go, good.
00:16:57
Grip that mat.
00:16:58
Feel the mat.
00:16:59
JIM MEADE: To learn
how to walk, I first
00:17:01
had to learn how to crawl.
00:17:03
Keep going.
00:17:04
JIM MEADE: Lieutenant
Stephens would get down
00:17:06
on the mat with me and
be right next to me
00:17:09
and show me because
I didn't have
00:17:11
any coordination between my
arms, legs, and the commands
00:17:16
from my brain.
00:17:19
I remember one
time in particular,
00:17:21
there were some
basic trainees who
00:17:22
had sprained ankles or whatever
and were in the hospital
00:17:26
and were in physical therapy.
00:17:27
OK, get your legs a
little bit further apart.
00:17:30
There you go.
00:17:31
JIM MEADE: And one
time, or after a series
00:17:35
of times of falling on my face,
they started laughing at me.
00:17:39
[laughter]
00:17:43
And I remember her
getting so angry.
00:17:46
What gives you the
right to laugh at him?
00:17:49
That is a person
who has been at war.
00:17:52
Now I want you both
out of here right now.
00:17:53
Come on.
Get out.
00:17:55
JIM MEADE: And just the
way she yelled at them
00:17:57
and kicked them out-- she was
so mad-- it meant a lot to me.
00:18:04
DENNIS FARINA: Because
she had so many patients,
00:18:06
Lieutenant Stephens could
only give Jim physical therapy
00:18:10
one hour each day.
00:18:12
She thought it would
be better if he
00:18:14
returned home to work more
intensely with his parents.
00:18:18
We're going to
play ball today.
00:18:21
DENNIS FARINA: For 12
grueling hours every day,
00:18:24
Jim's parents exercised
his motor skills
00:18:27
and taught him how to talk,
all under the guidance
00:18:30
of Lieutenant Stephens.
00:18:33
Nearly one year after Jim
first arrived at the hospital,
00:18:37
Lieutenant Stephens told him
that she was leaving the Army.
00:18:41
She never got to see Jim walk,
and she had no idea how she
00:18:45
had influenced his recovery.
00:18:47
JIM MEADE: And over
the years, I've thought
00:18:49
about her many, many times.
00:18:51
She was really important to
me, and she always will be.
00:18:56
Don't give up, don't.
00:18:59
JIM MEADE: If I saw her now,
I don't know what I'd do.
00:19:01
Cry maybe, maybe just
laugh a lot, I don't know.
00:19:07
I've thought about
seeing her so many times,
00:19:11
it's like she never left.
00:19:14
DENNIS FARINA: Update-- the
morning after our broadcast,
00:19:19
Jim's 15-year search
came to an end.
00:19:23
I was watching TV, and
I saw Jim at the beginning
00:19:26
of the program.
00:19:29
And I said to my family,
I treated that fella
00:19:34
when I was in the service.
00:19:36
And the next remark was
that they were looking
00:19:39
for Lieutenant Stephens.
00:19:41
And I thought, well,
that was my maiden name.
00:19:43
And at that point, I realized
that this was going to be more
00:19:46
than just a program to watch.
00:19:51
DENNIS FARINA: A
short time later,
00:19:53
Jim and Karen were reunited.
00:19:59
Hello.
00:19:59
Oh, it's good to see you.
00:20:01
[laughter]
00:20:05
How you doing?
00:20:06
I'm good.
How you doing?
00:20:07
Oh, I'm fine.
You look wonderful.
00:20:08
The reunion today has been
everything I expected it to be.
00:20:11
It will stand out as one of the
most exciting days of my life.
00:20:16
It's thrilling to see someone
that has come back so far
00:20:20
and made a success
of their life.
00:20:25
But a lot of people had a lot
to do with Jim Meade's recovery.
00:20:31
I was just a small part.
00:20:35
It would be very difficult
for me to put into words
00:20:38
what this day has meant to me.
00:20:40
It just makes the future that
much brighter because I do
00:20:43
know no now that
dreams do come true.
00:20:48
DENNIS FARINA: Today, Jim
Meade is retired and lives
00:20:50
with his wife in Oregon.
00:20:52
Karen Stephens Nelson
lives in San Diego.
00:20:56
They still keep in touch.
00:21:01
Next, a violent confrontation,
a mysterious phone call,
00:21:05
and a strange,
psychic vision are
00:21:07
the only clues to a young
woman's disappearance.
00:21:19
30-year-old Holly
Krewson lies comatose
00:21:23
in a hospital bed, possibly
the victim of a car accident.
00:21:27
Her location is a mystery.
00:21:29
How she got there is unknown.
00:21:32
These are not scenes
from real life.
00:21:34
They are images from
the mind of a psychic.
00:21:40
Over the years, we've heard
many claims about what
00:21:43
psychics can and cannot do.
00:21:45
In this case, a psychic
tells us that her visions
00:21:49
may explain the disappearance
of a young woman in California.
00:21:57
La Mesa, California, was
Holly Krewson's hometown.
00:22:01
From a very young
age, she dreamed
00:22:03
of becoming a movie star.
00:22:06
She started into
beauty pageants,
00:22:09
and she loved the attention
and the beautiful dresses.
00:22:13
And we kind of put her
on a pedestal, you know.
00:22:17
DENNIS FARINA: But
Holly's life wasn't
00:22:18
all pageants and dresses.
00:22:21
According to her
mother, Holly was
00:22:23
molested by a
trusted family friend
00:22:25
when she was just 11 years old.
00:22:30
A few years later,
her parents divorced.
00:22:34
This is my friend, Holly.
00:22:36
And then when she got
into her middle teens,
00:22:39
I think she started hanging
around with the wrong crowd,
00:22:42
and kind of lost interest in
the dancing and the pageants,
00:22:46
and wanted to be grown up.
00:22:52
DENNIS FARINA: Holly
dropped out of school
00:22:53
and began working as a waitress.
00:22:56
Who's that guy?
00:22:58
Just one of the customers.
00:23:00
She She ended up with a lover
who was abusive and violent.
00:23:04
Several times, he was
arrested for beating her.
00:23:06
No, I'm not getting
smart with you.
00:23:08
- That's not good.
- Will you please relax, OK?
00:23:09
Listen, don't
tell me to relax.
00:23:11
DENNIS FARINA: Gwen
says she didn't
00:23:13
see her daughter very
often, but one day
00:23:16
Holly came to see her at work.
00:23:18
Where are you going?
00:23:20
I'm just gonna go upstairs
and grab a few things.
00:23:22
I'll be back in a second.
00:23:23
Is everything OK?
00:23:24
Yes.
00:23:25
DENNIS FARINA: Gwen didn't know
that this was the last time she
00:23:27
would ever see her daughter.
00:23:29
Um, have you
seen Holly around?
00:23:32
DENNIS FARINA: Over
the next several weeks,
00:23:33
Gwen tried to find
Holly, but had no luck.
00:23:37
I panicked, and I
called all of her friends.
00:23:39
They hadn't seen her.
00:23:41
DENNIS FARINA: Gwen reported
her missing to the police.
00:23:43
She was told that
they couldn't help
00:23:45
because Holly was an
adult, and that there
00:23:47
was no evidence of foul play.
00:23:51
Two years later, with
Holly still missing,
00:23:53
police took a closer look at
her boyfriend's criminal past.
00:23:58
Because the boyfriend
was arrested at least three
00:24:00
different times for domestic
violence with Holly,
00:24:03
detectives from La
Mesa Police Department
00:24:05
polygraphed her boyfriend.
00:24:07
And it appeared at the time
that he had no involvement
00:24:10
in her disappearance.
00:24:12
DENNIS FARINA: On
Holly's 30th birthday,
00:24:15
a San Diego newspaper publicized
a story of Gwen's search
00:24:18
for her daughter.
00:24:19
A local psychic saw
the story and says
00:24:22
that she immediately began
receiving images of Holly.
00:24:27
Well, I started to
get little flashes,
00:24:29
like, short, little images.
00:24:31
It's how I receive a lot
of my psychic information.
00:24:39
And my first impression was
seeing her in a hospital bed,
00:24:45
so I knew right
off that I wanted
00:24:49
to contact this mother,
who was obviously missing
00:24:53
her daughter something fierce.
00:24:55
And I saw Holly
in a hospital bed.
00:24:58
DENNIS FARINA: Joyce
told Gwen that Holly
00:25:00
had left California to escape
her abusive relationship.
00:25:05
My feeling was that
there was a car accident.
00:25:13
And she was in a somewhat
semi-comatose condition.
00:25:18
The name,
Marymount, came to me.
00:25:22
DENNIS FARINA: Joyce
believed that Holly
00:25:23
possibly received treatment at
a hospital called Marymount.
00:25:28
She also claimed the towns
of Marysville and Kenwood
00:25:31
were significant,
but she couldn't
00:25:33
make any further connections.
00:25:35
[phone ringing]
00:25:39
Three months later, Gwen
received a phone call
00:25:43
that would change her life.
00:25:46
Hello?
00:25:49
Holly?
00:25:51
GWEN: I hear this weak,
little voice say, hi, Mama.
00:25:56
And I didn't hear anything.
00:25:57
And I said, who is this?
00:26:00
And the voice said,
Holly, kind of strained,
00:26:05
like she was crying.
00:26:06
And I said, Holly, is that you?
00:26:09
Are you still there, Holly?
00:26:11
DENNIS FARINA: Gwen had
a tape recorder handy
00:26:13
and recorded part of the call.
00:26:16
GWEN (ON TAPE):
Holly, I love you.
00:26:17
Talk to me.
00:26:18
This is your mom.
00:26:49
And then pretty
soon it disconnected.
00:26:52
But I know it was her.
00:26:54
I mean, mothers
know these things.
00:26:58
DENNIS FARINA: With the new
possibility that Holly was
00:27:00
in Ohio, Gwen studied
the information
00:27:03
that the psychic had given her.
00:27:06
I got my atlas out,
and I found Marysville.
00:27:09
There's a Marysville there.
00:27:10
There's a Marymount Hospital,
and it's right on the map.
00:27:15
DENNIS FARINA: Gwen contacted
several Ohio hospitals,
00:27:18
however they were not
allowed to release
00:27:20
any medical information, even
if they had treated Holly.
00:27:24
Are you sure you don't have
anybody there by that name?
00:27:27
DENNIS FARINA:
Investigators later
00:27:28
turned up a promising lead.
00:27:31
The owner of a campground
outside La Mesa
00:27:34
reported seeing Holly a
few months after she was
00:27:37
believed to have disappeared.
00:27:41
Holly Krewson, her boyfriend,
and one other person,
00:27:44
the last name of Humby,
were up at a campground
00:27:46
in Julian, California.
00:27:48
Throughout the weekend,
Holly's boyfriend
00:27:49
was creating trouble, drinking
too much, it sounded like,
00:27:54
just creating a
general disturbance.
00:27:56
You guys are taking off.
00:27:57
What are you talking
about, load it up?
00:27:58
VINCENT BROWN: When they
were finally asked to leave,
00:28:00
as they left the
campground, the boyfriend
00:28:01
pointed a gun at the
owner and threatened
00:28:03
to come back and shoot
him because they were
00:28:05
being kicked out of the park.
00:28:11
DENNIS FARINA: Gwen says she
will not rest until she finds
00:28:13
out what happened to Holly.
00:28:16
If I gave up hope, whoever
took her, or killed her, or is
00:28:20
holding her captive, or whatever
the case may be, they've won.
00:28:25
And they're not gonna win.
00:28:27
As long as I'm alive, I'm gonna
keep looking for my daughter.
00:28:32
DENNIS FARINA: Update-- a
year after Holly disappeared,
00:28:36
skeletal remains were
found near San Diego.
00:28:40
Dental records later
confirmed that the remains
00:28:43
were those of Holly Krewson.
00:28:46
Authorities won't
release any details,
00:28:48
other than to say her case
is now considered a homicide.
00:28:56
Next, when he answered
the for-sale ad,
00:28:58
he seemed like an
innocent buyer.
00:29:01
But it was just the
cover for a deadly trap.
00:29:05
[music playing]
00:29:13
When a Nashville
video company had
00:29:15
some computer equipment
to sell, it ran an ad
00:29:18
in a local trade publication.
00:29:20
No one could have imagined
that the sale of that equipment
00:29:23
would end in murder.
00:29:31
Well, if you've got
a couple of minutes,
00:29:32
I'd like to ask you some
specific questions about it,
00:29:35
because I'm really interested.
00:29:36
DENNIS FARINA: One fall
day, a man calling himself
00:29:38
Tom Johnson answered the ad.
00:29:40
He said that he was a
freelance computer programmer
00:29:43
and database consultant.
00:29:46
A few days later, Johnson met
with a videotape editor named
00:29:50
Jeremy for a demonstration.
00:29:52
I'm mainly concerned with
a fast processor and a--
00:29:55
DENNIS FARINA: The
two men eventually
00:29:56
agreed on a price of $31,000.
00:29:59
Johnson asked that
the computer system
00:30:01
be delivered to
his office, which
00:30:04
was several hundred miles away.
00:30:08
In the middle of the night,
Jeremy and his fiancee,
00:30:10
Heather Uffelman, set off
on the five-hour drive.
00:30:14
--that you were
attracted to me.
00:30:16
I'd been working for about
30 hours on another project
00:30:19
and was completely exhausted.
00:30:22
And I said, well,
I don't know if I'm
00:30:23
gonna be able to find anybody
except Heather at this point.
00:30:26
And I'd like to take her along
anyway because, you know,
00:30:28
we enjoy taking trips together.
00:30:32
DENNIS FARINA: After
driving all night,
00:30:34
they arrived at Tom
Johnson's motel.
00:30:38
JEREMY: Originally,
we had been set
00:30:40
to meet in an industrial park.
00:30:41
But he said that the directions
to the industrial park
00:30:44
were so complex
that he would prefer
00:30:45
to meet us first at his motel.
00:30:48
Come on in.
00:30:51
Tom, hi.
00:30:52
How you doing?
00:30:53
This is my fiance, Heather.
- Hi.
00:30:55
Nice to meet you.
00:30:56
JEREMY: We arrived a
little early, I think.
00:30:57
But he said that his business
partner would be along shortly,
00:31:01
and he was bringing
the certified check.
00:31:02
--bring it here.
00:31:03
And he should be here in about
half an hour, 45 minutes.
00:31:06
Where is he coming from?
Do you know?
00:31:07
He's coming from the office.
00:31:08
DENNIS FARINA: A half
an hour later, Johnson
00:31:09
suggested that they put
the computer into his car
00:31:13
while they waited
for his partner
00:31:15
to arrive with the money.
00:31:17
JEREMY: We so
trusted this guy, it
00:31:19
didn't strike me as being odd.
00:31:22
There were absolutely no clues
that this guy was anything
00:31:24
but what he said he was.
00:31:29
DENNIS FARINA: The three
returned to Johnson's room
00:31:31
and talked for
another 20 minutes.
00:31:33
Finally, Jeremy grew
tired of waiting.
00:31:36
Tom, I-- I've been
up about 30 hours.
00:31:39
If you knew where
your president was,
00:31:40
we could, uh, close this deal.
00:31:44
I think we can close
this deal right now.
00:31:47
Are you kidding?
00:31:48
No, I'm not kidding.
00:31:50
Put your money belt over there
and get down on your knees.
00:31:52
You, stand up.
00:31:53
Take the sheet off that bed and
lay it down here on the floor.
00:31:55
Hurry up.
00:31:56
Put the sheet down here.
00:31:57
Lay it on the ground.
00:31:58
Lay down.
00:32:00
JEREMY: The person we'd
been talking to before was
00:32:01
this kind of thoughtful,
introspective
00:32:04
guy, interested in computers.
00:32:05
And then this person
who was pointing the gun
00:32:07
was cold and calculating
and deliberate.
00:32:10
He knew exactly what
he wanted to do.
00:32:13
TOM: Now lay down in it.
00:32:14
Roll yourself up in it.
00:32:17
Your company is gonna
get an insurance check,
00:32:19
and I'm gonna get the computer.
00:32:20
And everybody's gonna be fine.
00:32:25
Don't look at her.
00:32:30
And then a second later, I
hear a sharp buzzing in my ear,
00:32:35
almost like a siren.
00:32:36
And the whole room spins
because he's struck
00:32:39
me in the back of the head.
00:32:42
And then he leaned
over to Heather,
00:32:44
and I saw him raise his
hand up and bring it down.
00:32:49
And when he did, Heather
screamed this horrible scream,
00:32:55
so he kept hitting her.
00:32:56
[screaming]
00:32:57
Stop screaming,
and he'll leave.
00:33:00
So he came back over and
hit me more and then went
00:33:02
back over and hit her more.
00:33:04
And then, as he backed
out of the room,
00:33:06
still pointing the
gun at us, he dusted
00:33:08
the counter top for fingerprints
as he walked out of the room.
00:33:14
And as soon as he left, I
crawled over to Heather.
00:33:16
And I told her that I
was going to get help
00:33:17
and that we were going to be OK.
00:33:19
And what I saw haunts me.
00:33:23
You know, I can't-- I can't
get the picture out of my head,
00:33:26
I mean, that someone could
so hurt such a gentle person.
00:33:35
DENNIS FARINA: Heather
and Jeremy were
00:33:36
rushed to a nearby hospital.
00:33:38
Two hours later, Heather died
of massive head injuries.
00:33:44
Authorities questioned witnesses
and searched the motel room.
00:33:48
They found what
the killer had used
00:33:50
to beat Jeremy and Heather.
00:33:53
The hammer was still
wrapped in plastic.
00:33:55
It still had the card
identifying its weight,
00:33:58
it's SKU number.
00:34:01
But we have not been able
to trace exactly which
00:34:03
store it was purchased from.
00:34:05
I think we can close
this deal right now.
00:34:08
BILLY HUGGINS: It's unusual that
he had a hand gun, especially
00:34:11
a small-caliber handgun,
and didn't use this handgun
00:34:14
to kill the victims.
00:34:17
DENNIS FARINA: Police
discovered that a woman
00:34:19
had visited the motel
manager about an hour
00:34:22
before the attack.
00:34:23
Yes, ma'am, may I help you?
00:34:24
Yes, I would like to
report a disturbance down--
00:34:26
DENNIS FARINA: Investigators
believe that woman may
00:34:29
have been Johnson's accomplice.
00:34:32
They speculate that
she tried to sabotage
00:34:35
the plan after
learning that Johnson
00:34:38
intended to murder his victims.
00:34:40
I wouldn't have
come down here if I
00:34:42
didn't think this was urgent.
00:34:43
If we could locate the
mystery woman that entered
00:34:45
into the motel that
morning, maybe she
00:34:47
could give us further
information, or anybody
00:34:49
at the motel, if they would
come forward and give us
00:34:51
any further information on the
vehicle or this suspect called
00:34:55
Tom Johnson, or if anybody
has any information on
00:34:59
the computer, its whereabouts.
00:35:02
DENNIS FARINA: Johnson is
approximately 6 feet tall
00:35:05
and weighs 165 pounds.
00:35:08
He has sandy brown hair
and may be wearing glasses.
00:35:12
Tom Johnson is a riddle.
00:35:15
He had a smile and a
way of talking to you
00:35:17
that made you feel
very much at ease.
00:35:19
Tom Johnson could be
someone's coworker.
00:35:22
He could be someone's,
you know, acquaintance,
00:35:25
and they would have no clue
that this other side is there
00:35:28
at all until it was too late.
00:35:34
DENNIS FARINA: If you have any
information about this case,
00:35:37
please log on to our
website at unsolved.com.
00:35:45
Next, a loving husband
sends a letter to his wife
00:35:49
on her birthday, from
beyond the grave.
00:35:53
[music playing]
00:36:02
I can't believe
it's been 34 years.
00:36:04
34 years married, and
34 years he's gone.
00:36:07
I have a feeling that he's
here all the time, around me.
00:36:13
I really do.
00:36:20
DENNIS FARINA: During
the 1930s and '40s,
00:36:22
Teresa and Frank Wilson
were busy raising
00:36:24
their seven children.
00:36:26
Money was scarce,
but the Wilsons
00:36:28
were content with the
simple things in life.
00:36:33
And then tragedy struck.
00:36:34
Frank?
00:36:36
TERESA WILSON: The last
time I saw Frank, we got up
00:36:37
at our usual time, 6 o'clock.
00:36:40
And I went to the
door, like I always
00:36:43
did, to kiss him goodbye.
00:36:45
Surprise me.
00:36:46
All right.
00:36:48
Goodbye, sweetheart.
00:36:52
TERESA WILSON: That was his
last words, when he said,
00:36:55
goodbye, sweetheart.
00:36:57
DENNIS FARINA: Frank Wilson
died of a heart attack
00:36:59
on his way to work.
00:37:00
Frank was only 59 years old.
00:37:04
Teresa's family,
which eventually
00:37:06
grew to include more than
two dozen grandchildren,
00:37:09
help to fill the void
left by Frank's death.
00:37:13
As Teresa approached
her 80th birthday,
00:37:16
her children planned
a special celebration.
00:37:22
They wanted to put together
a memory book with letters
00:37:26
from all the relatives and
the children and grandchildren
00:37:29
and people all
across the States,
00:37:32
just writing her a
letter, and telling her
00:37:34
how they felt about her,
and remembering things
00:37:37
that they had done in the past.
00:37:39
And it took a long time,
and it was a lot of work,
00:37:41
but it was worth it.
00:37:43
DENNIS FARINA: Margaret says
that one of those letters
00:37:46
arrived as she tossed and
turned on a sleepless night.
00:37:51
MARGARET LOCH: I sensed that
there were someone in the door.
00:37:53
And I looked over, and there
was a man standing there.
00:37:59
And it just came to me
that it was my father.
00:38:05
Margaret, I am here because I
want you to take down a letter.
00:38:10
Letter?
00:38:12
You mean, a letter
for Mom's book?
00:38:16
DENNIS FARINA: Margaret says
that she grabbed her journal
00:38:19
and began scribbling.
00:38:21
Dear Teres, as you
celebrate your 80th birthday,
00:38:27
I want you to know
I'll be at your side
00:38:31
as you blow out the
candles on your cake.
00:38:34
Happy birthday, sweetheart.
00:38:38
MARGARET LOCH: When he was
done, I looked up at him again.
00:38:41
And he smiled, and he was gone.
00:38:44
He just vanished.
00:38:49
And I woke up the next morning,
and I thought, what a dream.
00:38:53
What a dream I had.
00:38:55
DENNIS FARINA: When Margaret
read the love letter
00:38:56
the next day, she
began to realize
00:38:59
that this was not just a dream.
00:39:02
GHOSTLY VOICE: If
I were really here,
00:39:04
I would shower you with
sapphires as blue as the ocean,
00:39:08
to match your eyes.
00:39:10
My father was
always like that.
00:39:12
I mean, when my mother's
regular birthdays came around,
00:39:15
he was so-- sometimes
they didn't have
00:39:19
enough money to buy her a gift.
00:39:21
But he always had
something special for her,
00:39:24
and I really think this
was the most special thing
00:39:27
he had in all her years.
00:39:31
DENNIS FARINA: The night of
the party finally arrived.
00:39:36
PEOPLE: Surprise!
00:39:37
Happy birthday.
00:39:42
Well, when they took
me there, it was a hall.
00:39:44
And I knew it was
gonna be a party.
00:39:47
And it was my birthday,
so I figured, that's it.
00:39:52
DENNIS FARINA: Teresa may have
guessed right about her party,
00:39:56
but she had no idea
what was in that book.
00:40:01
She opened the first page,
and inside was the invitation,
00:40:04
which, oh, that's nice.
00:40:06
And then she opened
it up, and there
00:40:08
was a picture of her and my
dad that my nephew had drawn.
00:40:11
And then there was the letter.
00:40:17
GHOSTLY VOICE: Dear Teres--
00:40:19
TERESA WILSON: I just
couldn't control myself.
00:40:21
I just started to cry.
00:40:24
DENNIS FARINA: At first, Teresa
thought that Margaret had
00:40:26
written the letter
as a way of including
00:40:29
Frank in the celebration.
00:40:31
But then she began to wonder.
00:40:35
When it said, "Dear
Teres," everybody else
00:40:38
called me Teresa.
00:40:39
But he called me Teres.
00:40:41
GHOSTLY VOICE: Happy
birthday, sweetheart, Frank.
00:40:48
TERESA WILSON: Couldn't
get past the first page.
00:40:50
I was in tears.
00:40:52
How did you know
what he called me?
00:40:55
What do you mean?
00:40:56
Sweetheart?
00:40:58
I didn't.
00:40:59
I just wrote what he said.
00:41:01
TERESA WILSON: I
couldn't believe it.
00:41:03
I said, oh, no,
it's just a dream.
00:41:05
But then when she told me
that she never knew about him
00:41:09
calling me sweetheart,
and she said
00:41:11
that's what he told me to sign
it, and then I believed it.
00:41:17
DENNIS FARINA: More than a
decade has passed since Teresa
00:41:19
has received the letter.
00:41:22
Could it really have been a
message from beyond the grave?
00:41:26
Well, for Teresa the
answer is immaterial.
00:41:30
For her, the letter
remains a tangible link
00:41:33
to her one true love.
00:41:36
TERESA WILSON: Well,
I read his letter,
00:41:37
and I can just hear him say it,
just like he was right there.
00:41:42
GHOSTLY VOICE: I love
you more as each day
00:41:44
brings us closer together.
00:41:47
Stay a while, though.
00:41:49
I'll wait forever.
00:41:52
I love that part of it.
00:41:54
He doesn't want me to leave yet.
00:41:57
And I guess my kids don't
want me to leave either.
00:42:00
But it gave me a good feeling
to know that when I go,
00:42:07
they shouldn't feel
bad, because I'll
00:42:09
have somebody waiting for me.
00:42:14
[theme music]
