00:00:05
tonight on unsolved mysteries bizarre
00:00:10
clues to a murderer left for the police
00:00:12
a woman's skull and an anonymous note
00:00:16
was young Linda Sherman killed by her
00:00:19
husband Hey
00:00:21
or did her tragic fate lyin someone
00:00:23
else's hands
00:00:26
from the moment you J began dating Erica
00:00:29
Richardson it seemed like they were
00:00:31
destined to be together but Erica soon
00:00:34
found out that few J was a ticking time
00:00:36
bomb and the fuse was burning Donna
00:00:41
Tyson claims her digital clock suddenly
00:00:43
began to blink the exact time of her
00:00:45
son's fatal car crash
00:00:46
[Music]
00:00:48
sharon troupe believes her deceased
00:00:50
daughter appears to her in ghostly
00:00:52
visions is it possible these mothers are
00:00:56
receiving messages from their dead
00:00:58
children
00:01:00
it seemed that she had the perfect life
00:01:03
but in truth Donna Mora was suffering
00:01:05
silently in a troubled marriage six days
00:01:08
before Christmas Donna mysteriously
00:01:10
disappeared leaving behind four children
00:01:13
did she voluntarily walk away is keeping
00:01:16
her unhappy life I was Donna Morrow a
00:01:18
victim of foul play
00:01:21
join me to this fascinating edition of
00:01:24
unsolved mysteries
00:01:26
[Music]
00:01:26
[Applause]
00:01:33
[Applause]
00:01:41
[Music]
00:01:53
[Music]
00:02:13
Bridgeton Missouri Picasso Gallardo's
00:02:15
Durrant to women having lunch notice
00:02:21
something strange outside the window a
00:02:27
shocking piece of evidence that would
00:02:29
turn an unsolved missing person case
00:02:31
into a larger mystery there in the
00:02:35
bushes was a human skull it's a very
00:02:39
well manicured area plants and gravel
00:02:42
and what have you and the way it was
00:02:45
situated it would give one the
00:02:47
impression that you know somebody put it
00:02:48
there so you would see it the skull was
00:02:52
determined to be that of an adult female
00:02:54
thorough examination revealed little
00:02:57
else during that time period there was
00:03:00
the relocating of a cemetery that was in
00:03:04
the area and a lot of bodies were being
00:03:06
exhumed graves were being moved so it
00:03:10
gives you the impression now that this
00:03:12
may be a prank
00:03:12
and there'd be no reason to suspect that
00:03:15
there were any foul play
00:03:18
the skull was cataloged stored in the
00:03:21
evidence room at the Bridgeton county
00:03:23
morgue and forgotten
00:03:27
one year later 25 miles away at the
00:03:31
Vinita park police station a mysterious
00:03:33
letter arrived it stated that the
00:03:36
Bridgeton police had el Sherman's skull
00:03:41
give me the Bridgeton Police Department
00:03:45
dental records confirmed that the
00:03:47
anonymous skull was a remains of Linda
00:03:49
Sherman a 26 year old wife and mother
00:03:52
who was last seen April 22nd 1985 her
00:03:56
disappearance is clouded with intrigue
00:03:58
involving an allegedly jealous husband
00:04:01
and an unknown lover years later
00:04:04
troubling questions still remain who
00:04:06
killed in de Sherman why was her skull
00:04:09
left outside a local restaurant and
00:04:11
where is the rest of her body as 16
00:04:17
Linda Sherman was a typical teenager she
00:04:20
grew up in the st. Louis suburb of Anita
00:04:22
Park the youngest of four siblings more
00:04:26
than ten years older she was sheltered
00:04:28
quiet and reserved Linda was kind of a
00:04:32
shy girl I guess growing up she wanted
00:04:35
to be more outgoing and more athletic I
00:04:38
think but uh she was more at home type
00:04:42
of a girl I guess Linda was a junior
00:04:46
when she fell for her high school
00:04:47
sweetheart
00:04:48
17-year old Don Sherman and got married
00:04:55
when their daughter Patti was born the
00:04:57
young mother was determined to finish
00:04:58
school Linda's mom would watch the baby
00:05:01
while she completed her senior year to
00:05:07
support his new family Don took a job at
00:05:09
a local gas station it was hard but it
00:05:13
was rewarding we're very happy together
00:05:16
the relationship was rocky later on in
00:05:19
our marriage several times but not not
00:05:21
in the early years working opposite
00:05:25
shifts and money troubles strained their
00:05:27
relationship in their nine-year marriage
00:05:30
Linda had taken Patti and moved out
00:05:32
several times but the couple always
00:05:34
reconcile won't we be home
00:05:42
hello come on Don according to Linda's
00:05:47
older brother Dennis Donna was obsessed
00:05:49
with knowing windows every movement all
00:05:52
right no she's not here Don was very
00:05:55
possessive over she said when I get off
00:05:57
of work if I'm not home within five
00:05:59
minutes he wants to know what's going on
00:06:01
who you seeing what are you doing out
00:06:02
that late he's always he's always
00:06:05
hitting her and things just weren't
00:06:07
right Linda told her family that she
00:06:14
feared Dawn's violent temper once she
00:06:16
even got a restraining order to keep him
00:06:18
at a distance some family members
00:06:20
claimed by April of 1985 she had had
00:06:23
enough Linda was making final plans to
00:06:25
take Patty and leave she'd already made
00:06:29
a decision to move out she had filed for
00:06:32
divorce and she had definitely made
00:06:35
plans to start a new life she was going
00:06:41
to do it this time and she really meant
00:06:42
it meant that she was going to leave Don
00:06:45
for good on April 22nd Linda left her
00:06:51
night job at 2:16 in the morning she
00:07:01
didn't come home from work until about 3
00:07:05
o'clock in the morning we got into an
00:07:08
argument about the fact that she
00:07:10
wouldn't tell me where she'd been and we
00:07:14
stayed up until at least four o'clock in
00:07:16
the morning discussing that Linda was
00:07:20
still on the sofa later that morning
00:07:22
when patty left for school she always
00:07:25
took me to school but my dad took me to
00:07:28
school that day and I remember her
00:07:30
laying on the couch with her face to the
00:07:32
back of the couch and she didn't get up
00:07:37
she didn't get up to kiss me goodbye she
00:07:39
didn't say anything to me she was just
00:07:41
laying there
00:07:42
that would be the last time Patti saw
00:07:45
her mother
00:07:50
Don claims that when he returned to the
00:07:52
house that afternoon Linda was on edge
00:07:56
like I came back home Linda was still
00:07:59
there she should have been at work by
00:08:04
she was mad because she was running late
00:08:09
Don says Linda drove off at about 6:00
00:08:12
p.m. but there are no witnesses that saw
00:08:15
her leave Linda never arrived at work
00:08:18
and never came home when she didn't come
00:08:23
back I assumed it was typical of the the
00:08:27
previous times that she had left and I
00:08:28
thought that she took off with somebody
00:08:31
although Linda's family suspected she
00:08:34
was having an affair they had reason to
00:08:36
believe something terrible had happened
00:08:38
to her we knew that if she left there's
00:08:42
no way she's leaving without the
00:08:43
daughter and the daughter was still at
00:08:45
home and so there was definitely foul
00:08:49
play I was coming according to the
00:08:55
Millers at their insistence Don went to
00:08:57
the Vinita park police station and filed
00:09:00
a missing-persons report that's that's
00:09:04
the last time I seen her that was Monday
00:09:08
meanwhile salmon Fran frantically
00:09:10
searched for Linda on a hunch they
00:09:13
headed to the local airport
00:09:16
as we pulled into the short-term parking
00:09:19
why there's lenders car something right
00:09:21
there is it her car I know my sister's
00:09:25
car I know and we could see inside the
00:09:29
car gonna see her schoolbooks and her
00:09:31
hat and everything so we contacted the
00:09:34
airport police and they come and the car
00:09:37
was locked but they tried the trunk and
00:09:39
the trunk was open and when they opened
00:09:45
the trunk were they'd say but we fully
00:09:47
expected Linda to be in there and she
00:09:52
wasn't could it be possible that Linda
00:09:56
had abandoned her daughter and run off
00:09:59
with another man
00:10:01
Don claims he saw Linda with another man
00:10:04
days after her disappearance
00:10:06
she drove past him in a van and quickly
00:10:09
ducked out of sight Hey
00:10:18
five years later when Linda's skull
00:10:20
appeared suspicion fell on Don in a
00:10:24
bizarre coincidence her skull was found
00:10:26
outside the Casa de Yoda restaurant one
00:10:31
of Don's favorite hangouts I was at the
00:10:37
restaurant that evening after the skull
00:10:38
had been found I had heard about it that
00:10:41
day when it happened but never any
00:10:44
connection to it until later on no one
00:10:50
connected until a year later when the
00:10:53
anonymous letter arrived at the Vinita
00:10:55
park police station
00:10:56
I was rather astounded it was obvious to
00:10:59
me that someone wanted us to know that
00:11:03
we had obviously missed something in was
00:11:05
trying to tell us that Linda remains had
00:11:09
been recovered it was scary you know
00:11:14
somebody did put those remains there at
00:11:17
the restaurant obviously knew me or you
00:11:20
know knew that I hung out there I mean
00:11:24
it wasn't and we're not talking about a
00:11:26
place that casually visited we're
00:11:28
talking about a place that I would visit
00:11:29
two or three times a week did Don have
00:11:34
reason to be frightened or did he have a
00:11:37
secret motivation for placing the skull
00:11:39
there himself some speculate Don was
00:11:44
making plans to remarry and needed proof
00:11:47
Linda was dead for Don the skull
00:11:50
provided the perfect evidence of Linda's
00:11:52
demise but for Patty the find was
00:11:56
devastating when the skull was found
00:11:59
it's kinda
00:12:01
last our hope in life they didn't know
00:12:05
that she was dead I guess there was
00:12:07
always some hope that she just
00:12:13
left
00:12:16
sixteen years after the murder
00:12:18
lieutenant Webb still hopes to find
00:12:20
Linda's killer the only suspect that
00:12:24
I've been unable to eliminate is Don
00:12:26
Sherman at this point in time he has
00:12:29
never been ruled out as a suspect in my
00:12:32
heart I I think that he might have done
00:12:34
it you know I can't think of anybody
00:12:37
else who would have I had nothing to do
00:12:41
with Linda Sherman's disappearance nor
00:12:43
her death I still think that she left
00:12:50
with someone and obviously met with foul
00:12:53
play and died
00:13:05
I would really like to find the rest of
00:13:07
her wherever it's at so that we can have
00:13:09
a proper burial for she can rest in
00:13:12
peace
00:13:12
and I'd like to know what happened to
00:13:16
her and who did it then they should
00:13:19
serve the agony that we have for 15
00:13:22
years Linda Sherman a young mother's
00:13:26
life tragically taken and shrouded with
00:13:28
uncertainty today police hope new
00:13:31
technology and soil sampling or someday
00:13:33
lead them to Linda's body and eventually
00:13:36
her killer
00:13:41
[Applause]
00:13:41
[Music]
00:13:51
in a quiet neighborhood in Tampa Florida
00:13:54
Ericka Richardson was excited and a bit
00:13:56
apprehensive about our first date with
00:13:58
John few J's erica was shy and Dida
00:14:05
infrequently fallujah had a reputation
00:14:08
as a ladies man or city but they hit it
00:14:10
off right away and as a relationship
00:14:13
develop they see more and more like the
00:14:15
perfect fit
00:14:16
Erica's family found fuge a likable and
00:14:19
charming when I first saw them together
00:14:23
they look nice and I thought that you
00:14:25
know they would make a good a nice
00:14:27
couple a couple as soon became
00:14:31
inseparable erica was literally swept
00:14:33
off her feet by few J who held down a
00:14:36
steady job as an electrical technician
00:14:39
erica was convinced John fuschia was mr.
00:14:42
right apparently she was wrong dead
00:14:46
wrong
00:14:47
family and friends first became
00:14:49
concerned when Erica invited fou Jay to
00:14:51
move in with her the decision seemed out
00:14:54
of character erica was a smart
00:14:57
successful woman who held a degree in
00:14:58
microbiology managed a large pharmacy
00:15:01
and valued her independence
00:15:03
however despite a good job great friends
00:15:05
on a close-knit family erica was missing
00:15:08
a special man in her life a boy she
00:15:10
hoped jang huije would fill the trouble
00:15:24
started not long after a few Jay moved
00:15:26
into the comfortable home Erica had
00:15:28
recently purchased Dolby I could see
00:15:31
that he was wearing a mask I discovered
00:15:34
him to be a jealous mean controlling
00:15:38
person he was just too possessive he
00:15:42
wanted Eric all to himself
00:15:44
don't be so paranoid jealous I am NOT
00:15:47
being jealous
00:15:48
not only was he possessive he wanted to
00:15:52
isolate her not only from her family but
00:15:55
from friends too over the next several
00:16:00
months the relationship continued to
00:16:02
unravel
00:16:03
according to police fuchsia was on a
00:16:05
downward spiral a friend and lover
00:16:08
turned abuser and stalker
00:16:12
[Music]
00:16:16
Pharmacy girl John you cannot continue
00:16:21
to call me here at work like this we
00:16:23
talked about this he exhibited wild mood
00:16:25
swamp who repeatedly called Eric at the
00:16:27
pharmacy accusing her of being
00:16:29
unfaithful and making unreasonable
00:16:31
demands few J moved out of the house but
00:16:38
his erratic behavior persisted
00:16:41
reportedly he began showing up at
00:16:43
Erica's workplace unannounced harassing
00:16:46
her and threatening physical harm what
00:16:49
are you doing here it's my question girl
00:16:52
she's really afraid of John because of
00:16:58
the threats what he said he would do to
00:17:01
her erica was forced to find a
00:17:05
restraining order
00:17:06
still few J would show up at the house
00:17:08
at all hours
00:17:10
[Music]
00:17:11
finally with a help of her father she
00:17:13
found the courage to call the police and
00:17:15
have him arrested in trouble let's go
00:17:17
undeterred by the threat of jail time
00:17:19
few J continued to pursue Erica a few
00:17:26
weeks before Christmas she met her
00:17:27
mother at a local mall to do some
00:17:29
shopping they bought some gifts and a
00:17:31
comforter it was too big for us to carry
00:17:36
so they said that we could pick it up in
00:17:38
the back when we came to the car we
00:17:45
heard somebody say hey there don't worry
00:17:52
I can handle it okay
00:17:57
what is it a mission you miss me and
00:18:01
that's all Erica's mother heard little
00:18:04
of the conversation but she says she
00:18:06
wasn't surprised when her daughter
00:18:08
agreed to few Jay's request to meet I
00:18:10
don't know well John was a type person
00:18:14
that he could sweet-talk a lady and he
00:18:17
made promises that you know things were
00:18:20
going to get better he was going to do
00:18:22
better and of course she took him at his
00:18:26
word vue.js behavior followed long too
00:18:31
familiar pattern
00:18:38
and the sight of him following Erica out
00:18:40
of the parking lot was alarming to her
00:18:42
mother
00:18:44
still imaging Richardson believe there
00:18:47
was little she could do Sundy came and
00:18:51
went
00:18:51
Imogene heard nothing from her daughter
00:18:54
I didn't hardly sleep that night
00:18:56
thinking about it Monday morning I
00:18:59
called Erika's house and I didn't get an
00:19:03
answer so I called her job
00:19:07
the conversation was short and chilling
00:19:10
Erika had not shown up at the pharmacy
00:19:12
nor had she called in frightened
00:19:16
Imogene went over to her daughter's home
00:19:19
Jon's pickup truck was in the driveway I
00:19:24
went to the door and that's when I
00:19:29
looked in the window and nothing seemed
00:19:34
to have been disturbed I started to my
00:19:39
car and something told me to go back and
00:19:48
I went back and I looked through another
00:19:52
window and that's what I saw a knife and
00:19:57
blood
00:20:02
and I knew then something it happened to
00:20:05
my daughter minutes later police
00:20:10
confirmed Imogene's worst fears Erica
00:20:14
had been stabbed repeatedly in the upper
00:20:15
body the shock and grief was
00:20:18
overwhelming
00:20:20
Eric was my daughter my friend she was
00:20:26
successful she was bright she was caring
00:20:30
loving she was just a daughter that any
00:20:35
mother would love to have when I lost
00:20:39
Erica I lost part of me tal Erica's
00:20:46
Paris tried to make sense of a senseless
00:20:47
act police cordoned off the crime scene
00:20:52
inside detectives and members of the CSI
00:20:55
unit went to work there were some
00:20:58
articles that were strewn about the home
00:21:00
which were indicative of a struggle
00:21:03
there were no items of value that were
00:21:06
appeared to us at that point in time
00:21:08
missing from the home indicating to us
00:21:11
that someone maybe she knew might have
00:21:13
been in the home we found of course
00:21:17
Erica Richardson's blood but we also
00:21:19
found the blood of a second party mixed
00:21:22
in with her blood detectives suspected
00:21:26
the but of the second party belong to
00:21:28
John few J but they couldn't prove it
00:21:30
without a sample of his DNA few Jays
00:21:35
fingerprints are all over the crime
00:21:37
scene but that didn't implicate him
00:21:39
either since he had lived in the same
00:21:40
house however there was one solid lead
00:21:45
to pursue an eyewitness reported seeing
00:21:48
few J driving Erica's 1992 Honda a short
00:21:52
time after she had died we issued the
00:21:57
warrant for his arrest based on those
00:21:59
facts the vehicle was ultimately located
00:22:02
on December 23rd in Lafayette Louisiana
00:22:05
where mr. Fouchet is from that's where
00:22:09
he has a lot of family and friends
00:22:12
detectives questioned a few J's
00:22:14
relatives who claimed they hadn't seen
00:22:16
him in several weeks today jang huije is
00:22:20
still on the lam he is wanted for grand
00:22:22
theft auto and unlawful flight to avoid
00:22:24
prosecution qje remains the number-one
00:22:28
suspect in the murder of Erika
00:22:30
Richardson the only way we feel John PJ
00:22:34
would be able to stay hidden for this
00:22:36
amount of time would be to disappear to
00:22:40
a new location not tell anyone of his
00:22:43
whereabouts and start a new identity or
00:22:45
a new life from there due the fact that
00:22:49
John PJ is a mechanic or mechanically
00:22:51
inclined that he very well may be
00:22:53
employed on an oil rig or something of
00:22:56
that nature off the coast of Louisiana
00:22:58
or Texas meanwhile a loving family
00:23:03
continues to mourn the loss of their
00:23:05
only daughter but maintaining hope that
00:23:08
justice will be served before it's too
00:23:10
late there is some young lady I'm sure
00:23:15
that he's involved with at this time who
00:23:19
doesn't know what he has done and I just
00:23:23
pray that it doesn't happen again and I
00:23:27
wish that someone would come forward and
00:23:31
help us get him brought to justice
00:23:36
[Music]
00:23:45
[Music]
00:23:53
[Music]
00:23:59
[Music]
00:24:01
[Applause]
00:24:01
[Music]
00:24:03
the loss of a loved one is a traumatic
00:24:05
experience especially in the case of a
00:24:08
parent losing a child
00:24:10
Donna Tyson and Sharon trooper two
00:24:12
mothers who believe they have received
00:24:14
messages from their deceased children
00:24:16
can those who passed away communicate
00:24:19
from beyond the grave or should the
00:24:21
events you're about to see be considered
00:24:23
pure coincidence mothers are supposed to
00:24:30
protect the children and this continues
00:24:33
even when they're adults
00:24:35
it's worse that because you have no
00:24:37
control over them when you as you do
00:24:39
when they're small a34 Michael Owen was
00:24:43
a recovering alcoholic
00:24:44
his mother Donna and family were
00:24:47
grateful that he was attending a a
00:24:48
meetings and holding down a steady job
00:24:50
as a boat mechanic but in late January
00:24:53
Michael gave in to temptation
00:24:58
Michael had partied the night before
00:25:00
with some friends he was two blocks from
00:25:05
his home going to Proxima sixty-five
00:25:07
miles now when he hit a parked recycling
00:25:12
truck
00:25:13
[Music]
00:25:22
he basically died instantly
00:25:26
it's like a part of you scone and it's
00:25:30
like there's a big hole in your heart it
00:25:34
was just two months later in a gift shop
00:25:36
the Donna believes she felt an emotional
00:25:39
connection to Michael in the middle was
00:25:42
a huge rack of the little porcelain cups
00:25:45
that have your names on him from A to Z
00:25:48
setting off to one side where two cups
00:25:51
and once that I love you mom and the
00:25:53
other one said Michael and I felt like
00:25:58
Michael was there with me and he was
00:26:01
telling me it was okay
00:26:02
weeks later out in the market another
00:26:05
unusual incident occurred
00:26:07
Donna was surprised when she happened
00:26:09
upon an out of place book the seemed
00:26:12
destined for her and I thought this
00:26:14
strange this book why is it sitting here
00:26:16
and there was no writing on the cover
00:26:19
and I opened it up what Donna found was
00:26:24
a message she feels was meant
00:26:26
specifically for her I am ancient
00:26:29
mariner who had a tail in his heart to
00:26:31
be told to all to someone I am always
00:26:33
saying someday you must meet my mother
00:26:37
it mentioned the Ancient Mariner and
00:26:40
Michael was a boat mechanic and he often
00:26:45
used to refer to himself as the Ancient
00:26:47
Mariner
00:26:48
I started crying when I read it and I
00:26:51
thought I have to have this book Michael
00:26:52
sending this to me Donna says the most
00:26:56
convincing communications involve both
00:26:58
the time of Michael's accident 6:20 and
00:27:01
his time of death 633 while working at
00:27:05
her home office
00:27:06
Donna claims something happened to the
00:27:08
digital clock Michaels clock was
00:27:12
flashing 6:20 and it was not 6:20 I know
00:27:17
you're here don't have to do that that
00:27:21
was the time of the accident at all the
00:27:24
other digital clocks in the house were
00:27:26
fine he was just letting me know that he
00:27:28
was there what happened next was very
00:27:32
unsettling 14 months after his death
00:27:35
Donna says she heard Michaels voice on
00:27:38
her answering machine
00:27:39
the message was supposedly recorded at
00:27:42
6:33
00:27:43
the operator voice that is on your
00:27:47
voicemail said Saturday 633 which is the
00:27:54
time that Michael died and I heard
00:27:57
Michaels voice he only says two words he
00:28:00
says follow me Saturday 6:30 3 p.m. end
00:28:06
of message and I was dumbfounded I had
00:28:12
his friends come over and listen to it
00:28:14
his sister's listened to it and it is
00:28:17
Michael it's voice Donna's convinced the
00:28:21
messages from Michael are designed to
00:28:23
bring her comfort but others have a
00:28:25
different explanation for encounters
00:28:27
like these there is no greater loss than
00:28:30
the loss of a child and that is exactly
00:28:33
what the explanation is is that
00:28:36
emotionally driven people in a state of
00:28:40
grief tend to see things in their
00:28:44
environment that connect them to their
00:28:47
lost loved ones
00:28:50
Donna's experience resonates with
00:28:52
thousands of other parents who believe
00:28:53
their deceased children are in contact
00:28:55
with them
00:28:56
Sharon troupe believes her daughter
00:28:58
Wendy has appeared to her several times
00:29:01
Wendy was a freshman in college when she
00:29:04
became a victim of a date rape shortly
00:29:07
thereafter
00:29:08
Wendy became depressed and tragically
00:29:11
committed suicide Wendy was only 19
00:29:15
years old
00:29:17
Sharon Wendy's mother was devastated and
00:29:20
spent the days after her daughter's
00:29:22
death in an emotional fog I was sitting
00:29:24
there and I had been sobbing off and on
00:29:27
I was just a mess and I leaned my head
00:29:30
back and I saw it's like a movie picture
00:29:36
came on it was then that Sharon claims
00:29:40
Wendy came to her in a vision I was
00:29:43
looking down a hallway and it was very
00:29:46
bright and she looked at me as if to say
00:29:50
I am so sorry I made the hugest mistake
00:29:54
and I can't take it back
00:29:58
and she turned around and she walked
00:30:00
through the door and that was it it was
00:30:03
gone
00:30:05
and I just bawled because I wanted her
00:30:09
back and she was gone
00:30:14
Sharon's second sighting came a few
00:30:17
months later on Owen a friend of Wendy's
00:30:19
rented a movie to try and bolster Sharon
00:30:22
and her husband Bill's spirits something
00:30:26
caught my eye looked over by the door
00:30:27
and when he was standing there she was
00:30:30
dressed in a real comfortable girl type
00:30:33
flannel shirt and she smiled at me and
00:30:36
she looked over at Owen and then she was
00:30:39
gone this time I didn't cry this time I
00:30:43
was like wow I know I saw her I mean I
00:30:47
wasn't even thinking about her in that
00:30:48
instant and she's there so I honestly
00:30:51
felt that she was letting me know that
00:30:54
she was so pleased that Owen was
00:30:56
spending time with us and we were
00:30:58
together so that we could help one
00:30:59
another
00:31:01
it was Christmas a year later when
00:31:04
Sharon received what she calls
00:31:06
undeniable confirmation of Wendy's
00:31:08
continued presence in her life I know
00:31:14
sweetie we all do we all miss or
00:31:16
something that a holiday party across
00:31:18
the street from their home Sharon and
00:31:20
Bill were visiting with friends they
00:31:21
hadn't seen in over a year when Sharon
00:31:23
became upset and went home I wasn't home
00:31:29
about 10 minutes
00:31:30
and Bill called me from across the
00:31:32
street and he said I have something to
00:31:34
tell you and it's really important and I
00:31:37
want you to stay up when Bill returned
00:31:40
home he told Sharon that Pam a friend of
00:31:43
their neighbors claimed to have had an
00:31:45
unusual experience involving Wendy just
00:31:48
weeks after she died she saw Wendy she
00:31:53
just saw her face and there weren't any
00:31:55
words but she was absolutely positive
00:32:00
that it was Wendy and the way she
00:32:03
described it was exactly the same way
00:32:06
that you've told me it was probably
00:32:09
about a month after Wendy had died I
00:32:12
went to bed I think before everyone else
00:32:14
that night I saw a girl and it was kind
00:32:20
of just a head shot it just kind of
00:32:22
zoomed in on me
00:32:24
and I felt this tremendous energy but
00:32:27
kind of like if you've ever been shocked
00:32:29
by electrical fence you know the little
00:32:31
warm surge of current that you feel
00:32:34
through your body but I could just sense
00:32:36
that she wanted to tell her parents that
00:32:38
she was okay now and she was finally at
00:32:41
peace and it happened that quickly and
00:32:44
then it was gone
00:32:47
it seemed obvious to me you know who it
00:32:49
was and and what the purpose of that
00:32:51
visit was she saw I think it was a gift
00:32:56
from God so to let her come back for us
00:32:58
to see because somebody could tell you
00:33:01
that you wouldn't believe him
00:33:04
seeing something is totally different
00:33:08
the real question here I think that
00:33:11
touches us deeply is is there actually
00:33:14
an afterlife that people who died go to
00:33:18
and that they're actually not God and if
00:33:21
we're going to look at this question
00:33:22
objectively and scientifically and not
00:33:24
emotionally then we have to answer
00:33:27
nobody knows Sharon and Donna will
00:33:31
continue to find solace in the messages
00:33:34
they believe are left for them by their
00:33:36
children I believe that there is
00:33:40
something more out there they don't just
00:33:43
go away some people say to me do you
00:33:46
believe in the afterlife do you believe
00:33:48
that there's something beyond yes I do
00:33:50
if you choose not to believe that that
00:33:53
is your privilege me I'm gonna believe
00:33:57
it
00:34:00
[Music]
00:34:02
[Applause]
00:34:03
[Music]
00:34:05
with only five days left to Christmas 37
00:34:09
year old Donna Morrow had just finished
00:34:10
her last minute shopping she looked
00:34:13
forward to spending the holidays with
00:34:14
her four young children but her
00:34:24
relationship with her husband Joe was
00:34:26
rapidly disintegrating we interviewed
00:34:29
several of Donna's friends who asked not
00:34:31
to be identified by name she had told me
00:34:35
that Joe was very controlling and she
00:34:38
didn't indicate to me that he was
00:34:39
physically abusive but I I got the
00:34:43
impression that she was afraid of him it
00:34:51
hadn't always been this way when Donna
00:34:53
first met Joe he seemed the ideal
00:34:55
partner charming wealthy and kind
00:34:58
Donna's family however had a different
00:35:00
impression he was arrogant and he
00:35:04
thought he was better than everybody
00:35:05
else and he was condescending he was
00:35:09
just basically a jerk was money within
00:35:14
months of meeting the couple married and
00:35:17
began the large family both had always
00:35:18
wanted they moved into a luxurious home
00:35:21
in upscale Menlo Park California and
00:35:24
Donna settled in to be a full-time mom
00:35:27
for 13 years Donna appeared happy with
00:35:30
her life that one Thanksgiving Donna
00:35:33
revealed the truth about her seemingly
00:35:35
perfect marriage what's the matter
00:35:44
she told me that she did not love Joe
00:35:46
anymore that she wanted a divorce I just
00:35:49
and she said but mom until after the
00:35:51
holidays I won't do anything because I
00:35:55
don't want to ruin Christmas for the
00:35:57
children that Christmas Donna's mother
00:36:00
and her relatives gathered in White
00:36:02
Plains Missouri to celebrate Donna could
00:36:05
not make it so a stepfather called
00:36:07
California to wish her a happy holiday
00:36:14
hello hey Frank merry Christmas to you
00:36:18
too
00:36:26
she walked out and I haven't heard from
00:36:29
her since Joe didn't bother to give us
00:36:31
any kind of a story just that she was
00:36:33
gone what's happening he says she's not
00:36:36
there it's like the whole atmosphere
00:36:38
over Christmas just died right there
00:36:42
it was terrible because we were so far
00:36:45
away and there was nothing that we could
00:36:47
do
00:36:51
Joe Mauro maintains that his wife Donna
00:36:54
voluntarily left him and their children
00:36:56
to start life anew but Donna's friends
00:36:58
and family are convinced she fell victim
00:37:00
to foul play there's no compelling
00:37:03
physical evidence to support either
00:37:05
conclusion no body has ever been found
00:37:07
there's also no sign that Donna Mauro is
00:37:10
still alive without your help
00:37:13
Donna's fate may never be known what
00:37:17
happened the night your wife disappeared
00:37:18
in an interview with Menlo Park police
00:37:21
shortly after Donna's disappears Joe
00:37:23
Mauro stated that he last saw his wife
00:37:25
on December 19th at approximately 10:00
00:37:27
p.m. well we had somewhat of a heated
00:37:31
argument and she got very upset
00:37:33
following an argument donna stormed out
00:37:35
the front door taking her person keys
00:37:37
did she take her car no she didn't take
00:37:41
her car we asked him if he had any
00:37:43
explanation as to why she had not taken
00:37:45
the car he didn't have an explanation
00:37:47
other than that she is known to go out
00:37:50
for walks from time to time
00:37:52
I thought that she was seeing another
00:37:53
man Mauro also suggests that his wife
00:37:56
was having an affair further police
00:37:58
investigation established that Donna had
00:38:00
indeed formed a close friendship with
00:38:02
another man I think he was kind and
00:38:06
understanding and was giving her a
00:38:09
shoulder to cry on so to speak but due
00:38:14
to her marital status it was not going
00:38:17
beyond that other than seeking
00:38:19
friendship police discovered that Donna
00:38:24
called this man on the night she
00:38:26
disappeared
00:38:26
at 7:30 p.m. so we knew that she was
00:38:30
alive and well at that point Donna had
00:38:33
wanted to get together with them and he
00:38:37
declined the invitation Donna's friend
00:38:41
provided authorities with an alibi and
00:38:43
passed a lie-detector test
00:38:46
he has been ruled out as a suspect
00:38:49
police then found a witness who could
00:38:54
tell them what happened next
00:38:56
Donna and Joe's own eight-year-old
00:38:58
daughter she told it Texas of at 9:30
00:39:04
p.m. she awoke to her parents screaming
00:39:06
at each other according to the daughter
00:39:08
the yelling got quieter and quieter and
00:39:11
then stopped altogether and shortly
00:39:14
thereafter she ended up hearing one set
00:39:17
of footsteps leading to the front door
00:39:19
area she didn't see whether it was her
00:39:21
father or her mom who was walking to the
00:39:24
front doorstep she just heard him was
00:39:27
this the sound of Donna Mora leaving the
00:39:28
house just as Jill Morel claimed Donna's
00:39:32
daughter seemed to confirm that scenario
00:39:34
with what she next told investigators
00:39:36
[Music]
00:39:39
a few hours later she went into her
00:39:41
parents bedroom only Joel Mora was there
00:39:44
asleep did Donna Morel trapped in an
00:39:48
allegedly abusive marriage simply walk
00:39:50
out the front door to start a new life
00:39:53
Donna would never just walk out she
00:39:57
lived for her children she would never
00:40:00
just go and leave him with the man that
00:40:03
she planned to leave in a couple of
00:40:07
weeks but there was no compelling
00:40:10
evidence to contradict Donna leaving
00:40:12
voluntarily then police discovered the
00:40:16
first potential clue on the side of a
00:40:20
bucket a small splatter of blood they
00:40:24
said soon to come take a look at this we
00:40:26
don't have Donna's blood to compare it
00:40:28
to but we were able to exclude the
00:40:31
children and Joe as being the donors of
00:40:34
that blood the fact that Donna is not
00:40:38
here the question remains could it be
00:40:41
done us but without a body a crime scene
00:40:45
or any compelling forensic evidence the
00:40:47
police investigation ground to a halt
00:40:53
[Music]
00:40:55
three weeks later in a motel room 95
00:40:59
miles from the Morrow's home sir
00:41:04
are you okay Joel Mora was sprawled in
00:41:09
the bed semi-conscious he had taken an
00:41:11
overdose of barbiturates the other thing
00:41:14
that was odd was that they found a large
00:41:16
number of suicide notes to various
00:41:19
people none addressed to his allegedly
00:41:23
missing wife and she was not mentioned
00:41:26
in any of those letters
00:41:30
Joel Mora recovered from the suicide
00:41:32
attempt and continued to deny any
00:41:35
involvement in Donna's disappearance but
00:41:39
two years later Mora was sued in civil
00:41:41
court for wrongful death by Donna's
00:41:43
parents on behalf of her children at the
00:41:46
same time Mora pled guilty to an
00:41:47
unrelated fraud charge it was scheduled
00:41:51
to surrender on June 24th he never
00:41:54
showed up I think that Jo Moro was
00:42:00
shrewd enough that he knew if he could
00:42:03
stagger around us for as long as he did
00:42:06
that he could build an exit strategy and
00:42:10
that's what they did after Jo's
00:42:13
disappearance is a stay settle the
00:42:15
wrongful death suit and agreed to pay
00:42:16
two million dollars guardianship of his
00:42:20
four children was given to his brother
00:42:22
and sister-in-law ultimately an arrest
00:42:25
warrant citing probable cause was issued
00:42:27
for Joseph Morrel for the murder of his
00:42:29
wife family friends and the police are
00:42:32
not convinced that he killed her my
00:42:36
impression is that perhaps Joe found out
00:42:39
about this other person this young man
00:42:41
and in a fit of rage just threw Donna
00:42:44
down or she hit her head or something I
00:42:47
just feel like it was a crime of passion
00:42:51
I think that she probably left the
00:42:54
residents dead and was dragged to the
00:42:57
garage where she was placed in a vehicle
00:43:00
the location of where the blood was
00:43:03
found on the bucket speaks for itself
00:43:06
that it was probably during a cleanup
00:43:07
process in the garage I would like to
00:43:11
see Joe put behind bars or put to death
00:43:14
it wouldn't bother me and I want my
00:43:16
daughter found I want to at least know
00:43:20
what he did with her so I can put her to
00:43:23
rest
00:43:24
[Music]
00:43:35
[Music]
00:43:43
[Music]
00:43:51
[Music]
00:43:52
[Applause]
00:43:57
join me next time for four more
00:44:00
intriguing stories cases where you may
00:44:03
have that one vital clue that can help
00:44:05
solve a mystery
00:44:12
[Music]
00:44:19
[Music]
00:44:41
[Applause]
00:44:42
[Music]
00:44:43
[Applause]
00:44:45
[Music]
