00:00:05
DENNIS FARINA: Next on
"Unsolved Mysteries."
00:00:08
On a deserted
highway a couple is
00:00:10
stalked by a mysterious
stranger, then,
00:00:14
a harrowing confrontation.
00:00:18
When two women and a young
girl vanish without a trace,
00:00:21
their families accuse each
other of kidnapping and murder.
00:00:27
In Cincinnati, a clever con
man poses as a physician.
00:00:31
We'll call him Dr. Fraud.
00:00:35
And the incredible journeys
of two lost house pets.
00:00:39
They managed to find their
way back home from a distance
00:00:42
of over 100 miles.
00:00:47
Five fascinating mysteries,
some just waiting to be solved.
00:00:51
I'm Dennis Farina, and this
is "Unsolved Mysteries."
00:00:55
[theme music]
00:01:30
For most people,
most days pass quietly,
00:01:33
without threats or danger.
00:01:35
But this next case is
just a little reminder
00:01:38
of just how easily an
ordinary evening can
00:01:42
turn into a deadly nightmare.
00:01:48
Sunnyvale, California.
00:01:52
Dick Hansen was a former
college football star.
00:01:55
He was just getting over a
very tough divorce when he
00:01:58
decided he needed a night out.
00:02:01
So he asked a friend who
we'll call Jean to meet
00:02:03
him at his favorite hangout.
00:02:06
He was in a very good mood.
00:02:08
He was very happy
with where he was,
00:02:10
he was very happy with what
was going on in his life,
00:02:12
and where he was headed.
00:02:15
DENNIS FARINA: Dick and
Jean left the bar together
00:02:17
in Jean's car, and Jean
drove Dick to where
00:02:20
he had left his pickup truck.
00:02:23
JEAN: There were no cars at
all, and I thought, I remarked
00:02:25
to Dick, I said, this is funny.
00:02:27
Yours is the only car
left on the street.
00:02:30
You uh, want to come
home for a little while?
00:02:34
JEAN: So we were
sitting there talking,
00:02:37
and this car pulls up behind us.
00:02:40
And I looked, and I
thought-- I really
00:02:43
didn't think it was too strange,
because there was a mailbox
00:02:46
on the sidewalk there.
00:02:49
I think he's trying
to get to the mailbox.
00:02:51
Does he have enough room?
00:02:52
I mean, we should
probably pull forward.
00:02:54
Nah, no problem.
00:02:55
He's got plenty of room.
00:02:57
JEAN: The man just sat there.
00:02:58
He didn't do anything, and I was
kind of half turned in the seat
00:03:01
so I could look at
Dick, and I could see
00:03:04
him of the corner of my eye.
00:03:06
I don't know what he's
doing, he's just sitting there.
00:03:08
He isn't doing anything.
00:03:13
DENNIS FARINA: Jean was
unfamiliar with the way home,
00:03:15
so Dick told her to follow him.
00:03:23
JEAN: Well, he pulled out, I
pulled out, the guy behind us
00:03:26
pulled out.
00:03:33
We went up to the
stoplight, turned left.
00:03:36
Dick turned left, I turned
left, the guy turn left.
00:03:43
We go up to blocks
and turn left again,
00:03:46
and he did the same thing.
00:03:57
Well, by this time it's
making me uncomfortable.
00:04:01
So I've moved to middle lane.
00:04:03
He moved to the middle lane.
00:04:05
So I moved back,
and he moved back.
00:04:09
I only did it once, but that was
enough to tell me that this man
00:04:12
was definitely following us.
00:04:17
DENNIS FARINA: At the
next traffic light,
00:04:19
Dick signaled for Jean to
follow him onto the freeway.
00:04:23
The man stayed close behind.
00:04:27
For 10 miles, the man
shadowed Jean's every move.
00:04:38
JEAN: Dick was on the inside
lane, I was on the outside,
00:04:41
and he was between
us, but behind us.
00:04:44
I thought all right, you
rascal, I'm going to get you.
00:04:50
So I slammed on my brakes.
00:04:52
I'll be darned if he didn't
slam on his brakes, too.
00:04:56
It was almost like he
was reading my mind.
00:05:10
The guy, he's still following
me, we should go to the police!
00:05:14
I can't hear you,
take the next exit!
00:05:20
JEAN: I almost missed the
turn, but he followed.
00:05:24
This man was still behind me.
00:05:28
So I followed Dick
down the ramp,
00:05:30
we made a right hand turn.
00:05:33
Dick just pulled over
to the side of the road,
00:05:36
I pulled up behind Dick, and
I don't know why in my mind,
00:05:39
I just knew this guy
would just go right on by
00:05:41
and wave or something.
00:05:43
He pulled right up behind us.
00:05:45
And I'm not sure who is
in more shock, Dick or I.
00:05:52
Do you know the guy?
00:05:54
I've never seen him before.
00:05:56
Get back in the car.
00:05:59
JEAN: So he walked back to the
man, and kind of leaned down,
00:06:03
and he said, what are you-- he
either said, what are you doing
00:06:06
or what do you want.
00:06:07
I couldn't quite
hear what he said.
00:06:10
And the guy said something
to him, and Dick goes, what?
00:06:13
And the guy said
something else to him,
00:06:15
and then proceeded to point
to the back of my car.
00:06:20
And at that point in time, Dick
just stepped back, stood up,
00:06:24
and raised his arm, and said get
a blankety blank out of here.
00:06:29
So I jump back in my car, and I
looked in my rear view mirror.
00:06:34
And I hear pop, pop.
00:06:35
[gunshots]
00:06:47
JEAN: We just stared
at each other.
00:06:50
Must been for oh, I'd say
at least five to 10 seconds.
00:06:53
I'm just staring at him.
00:07:08
I got back out of the car, and
ran back to where Dick was,
00:07:12
and his eyes were half closed.
00:07:15
Somebody, help!
00:07:18
JEAN: And I tried to
find a pulse on his neck,
00:07:20
and it didn't look
like he was breathing.
00:07:22
So I started to give
him mouth to mouth.
00:07:27
DENNIS FARINA: Dick Hansen was
shot twice, once in the chest
00:07:30
and once in the neck.
00:07:32
He never regained consciousness
and was pronounced dead
00:07:35
at the hospital.
00:07:37
He left behind two
daughters, age 11 and 13.
00:07:43
LES RICHARDS: As far
as we know, Dick Hansen
00:07:44
did not know his assailant.
00:07:46
What makes this particular
case extremely difficult
00:07:51
is when you deal with
homicide, most homicides
00:07:53
boil down to common denominators
of sex, money, or drugs
00:07:57
and network out from there.
00:07:59
We have not been able to
put this particular homicide
00:08:03
in any of those categories so
that we can develop a motive.
00:08:07
DENNIS FARINA: However,
police have come
00:08:09
up with one possible theory.
00:08:12
Jean's personalized
license plate read 49RHUGS.
00:08:18
The killer had gestured
toward her license plate,
00:08:20
while she was talking to Dick.
00:08:23
LES RICHARDS: Dick
Hansen's physical stature
00:08:24
was that of a football
player, so we were looking
00:08:27
into the theory of
a disgruntled fan
00:08:31
as being one of
the responsibles.
00:08:33
DENNIS FARINA: At the
time of the shooting,
00:08:35
Jean thought that
the suspect was
00:08:36
white with a dark complexion.
00:08:39
He wore eyeglasses with
large, black frames.
00:08:43
The suspect's vehicle resembled
a 1970 Pontiac GTO LeMans.
00:08:49
It was a two door coupe,
with a dull, faded light
00:08:52
gray or blue paint job.
00:08:55
If you have any information
about this case,
00:08:58
please contact us
at unsolved.com.
00:09:06
Coming up, two women
and a young girl
00:09:09
disappear after an
argument, and their families
00:09:12
point the finger at each other.
00:09:24
Two women and a young girl
suddenly and mysteriously
00:09:27
drop from sight.
00:09:28
When authorities investigate,
they find themselves
00:09:31
in the middle of a fight
between two families
00:09:34
and their bitter accusations of
abuse, kidnapping, and murder.
00:09:42
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
00:09:46
Wendy Britto was
a divorced mother
00:09:48
with a young daughter
when she fell in love
00:09:51
with a coworker named Chad Noe.
00:09:54
So we're still on tonight?
00:09:56
Yeah.
00:09:57
JACKIE TAYLOR: They hit
it off fairly quickly,
00:10:01
and started a relationship,
and then she got
00:10:05
pregnant with her second child.
00:10:09
And he convinced
her to marry him.
00:10:12
And they got married
about three or four
00:10:15
weeks before Jonathan was born.
00:10:18
DENNIS FARINA: Just one
month after Jonathan's
00:10:20
birth, Wendy developed
a crippling case
00:10:23
of multiple sclerosis.
00:10:26
She was hospitalized
for nearly a year.
00:10:29
Chad filed for divorce
and was awarded
00:10:32
primary custody of Jonathan.
00:10:35
Of course, along with the
MS, I didn't think she would be
00:10:38
able to help me raise my child
and instead of having two
00:10:44
people to-- or two
children to deal with,
00:10:47
I just decided that it was best
if we got a divorce and I help
00:10:51
her raise the child on my own.
00:10:54
Reach up and put
this ring on this rung.
00:10:57
DENNIS FARINA: Wendy Camp was
too sick to contest the divorce
00:11:00
or the custody decision.
00:11:03
For two years, she struggled
through physical therapy
00:11:06
just to regain the
simplest skills,
00:11:08
like eating and walking.
00:11:11
And then her life
took a positive turn,
00:11:13
at least for a while.
00:11:15
During this time, friends
introduced Wendy to Leon Camp.
00:11:20
They fell in love
and were married.
00:11:23
Wendy's first child,
Cynthia, lived with them.
00:11:28
Wendy's condition improved, so
she asked her ex-husband Chad
00:11:32
for visits with Jonathan.
00:11:34
At first, everything
went smoothly.
00:11:38
Jonathan spent a few
weekends with Wendy and Leon,
00:11:41
and then according
to Wendy's mother,
00:11:43
Chad's family began to
sabotage the visits.
00:11:47
JACKIE TAYLOR: She
would call and make
00:11:49
an appointment with them, set
up a time and everything for her
00:11:52
to see him, and
she would go there
00:11:54
and they would not be at home.
00:11:56
And then they kept moving
and getting unlisted phone
00:11:59
numbers, this type of thing.
00:12:01
So it was almost impossible
to keep track of them.
00:12:04
DENNIS FARINA: Chad Noe
remembers it differently.
00:12:07
CHAD NOE: She was allowed to
visit him whenever she wanted,
00:12:11
and there was never really any
hard feelings up until the time
00:12:15
that my grandma-- or my
mother-- informed me that he
00:12:19
was being sexually molested.
00:12:21
And then what's whenever the
visitations were cut off.
00:12:25
There was no molestation.
00:12:26
None whatsoever.
00:12:30
And the idea of them thinking,
it just tore me up inside.
00:12:34
I was mad.
00:12:37
DENNIS FARINA: The charges
of sexual abuse against Leon
00:12:40
couldn't be proved or disproved.
00:12:43
The court ordered that
Wendy and Leon's visits
00:12:45
resume and cited
Chad for contempt.
00:12:49
For more than six
months, Chad refused
00:12:52
to allow Jonathan to visit.
00:12:54
And then one day, he had
a sudden change of heart.
00:12:57
Oh.
00:12:58
Yeah, that would be great.
00:12:59
That would be just great.
00:13:01
Chad is going to let
me see Jonathan today.
00:13:04
DENNIS FARINA: Chad
even offered to have
00:13:06
his mother, Beverly
Noe, pick Wendy up
00:13:09
since she was unable to drive.
00:13:11
Chad is going to let
me see Jonathan today.
00:13:13
Beverly's going to pick me up.
00:13:14
I didn't want Wendy
going by herself, because I
00:13:17
didn't trust these people.
00:13:20
Me and Chad didn't get
along, and I was just--
00:13:23
something inside of me,
I just felt like she
00:13:27
better not go by herself.
00:13:31
DENNIS FARINA: By the
time Beverly arrived, Leon
00:13:33
had convinced his sister,
Lisa Renee Kregear,
00:13:36
to go with Wendy and Cynthia.
00:13:39
You be careful, you make
sure you call me, you hear?
00:13:42
LEON CAMP: I kissed
Wendy goodbye first,
00:13:43
and they go in the car and
took off, and I waved at them.
00:13:47
That was the last
time I seen them.
00:13:52
DENNIS FARINA:
The 115 mile drive
00:13:54
to Chad's home in
Shamrock, Oklahoma
00:13:57
took just over two hours.
00:13:59
When the group arrived,
Wendy called Leon.
00:14:02
ACTRESS AS WENDY CAMP: Hi, babe.
00:14:04
Oh, we're fine.
00:14:05
We're fine.
00:14:06
We're just at the cafe.
00:14:07
We're waiting for
Chad to get here.
00:14:09
The first time she
called me that day, it
00:14:11
was about one
something to let me
00:14:15
know that she made it all right.
00:14:17
We sat there and
visited, and she didn't
00:14:19
even really play with Jonathan.
00:14:22
Her and Jonathan and
Cynthia played for a while.
00:14:26
But she mostly sat there
and drank coffee with me
00:14:29
out on the porch and talked.
00:14:34
DENNIS FARINA: When it was
time for Wendy to say goodbye
00:14:36
to Jonathan, she,
Cynthia, and Lisa Renee
00:14:40
climbed back into Beverly's car.
00:14:42
Chad's grandmother, Ida Prewitt,
joined them for the ride.
00:14:52
Before leaving Shamrock,
Wendy called Leon again.
00:14:56
We'll be home in
just a few hours.
00:14:58
Beverley's ready--
00:14:59
LEON CAMP: About 4:30,
4:45, she called me to let
00:15:02
me know how the visit went.
00:15:04
She said that Beverly
was in a hurry,
00:15:07
so she had to get off
the phone, and that
00:15:08
was the last I talked to her.
00:15:11
Now--
00:15:11
Chad is never at the house.
00:15:14
Chad doesn't spend
any time with him--
00:15:16
Chad is a good father.
00:15:17
DENNIS FARINA: According
to Chad's grandmother,
00:15:18
Ida, Wendy was unpleasant
from the very beginning.
00:15:23
[interposing voices]
00:15:25
IDA PREWITT: And all this time,
all the way into town, she's
00:15:27
just griping and bitching,
and that's all she could do.
00:15:30
So after they got back in
the car and everything,
00:15:33
I told Beverly, I said
just take me back home.
00:15:36
I said you've got to put
up this, but I don't.
00:15:39
So she brought me back
home, and then she went on.
00:15:43
DENNIS FARINA: Ida says
Chad's mother later
00:15:45
reported that the
bickering continued
00:15:48
for the next half hour.
00:15:50
IDA PREWITT: She said that by
the time she got to Chandler,
00:15:52
she had had just about
all she could stand.
00:15:54
She pulled into Walmart
and told them to get out.
00:16:00
DENNIS FARINA:
Beverly told police
00:16:01
that she pulled into a
shopping center parking
00:16:04
lot 45 miles from Wendy's home.
00:16:06
She then ordered Wendy, Cynthia,
and Lisa Renee out of the car.
00:16:13
They never returned home.
00:16:15
They never called.
00:16:16
They never asked
anyone for help.
00:16:19
It was as though
they had dropped
00:16:21
off the face of the earth.
00:16:25
We did an aerial
search which involved
00:16:28
four and five airplanes
searching a five county area.
00:16:34
It also involved
several search teams,
00:16:37
and nothing was
discovered at that time.
00:16:40
JACKIE TAYLOR: Wendy was very,
very dependent upon Leon,
00:16:44
and she's already called twice.
00:16:46
She would have immediately
gone in and called
00:16:48
her husband, Leon,
or, if she had
00:16:50
been able to get a hold of
him she would have called me.
00:16:53
I feel that my daughter
and my granddaughter
00:16:58
and the sister-in-law were
murdered that Friday night.
00:17:03
I feel that Ida, Beverly, and
Chad all three are involved.
00:17:07
I feel that they pretty well
had their plans laid out
00:17:11
on what they were
going to do when
00:17:12
they made the phone
call to ask Wendy
00:17:15
if she wanted to see Jonathan.
00:17:18
And after whoever
got in that car,
00:17:21
they were going to do what
they had planned to do.
00:17:26
Beverly and I did
not have nothing
00:17:28
to do with their
disappearance, and I know this.
00:17:32
I don't care whether they
know it or not or believe it,
00:17:34
but I know it.
00:17:36
There is no way that I or
my grandma or my mother
00:17:39
could kill them, or
ship them off somewhere,
00:17:44
or are still holding them.
00:17:46
DENNIS FARINA: No
physical evidence has ever
00:17:48
been found to indicate what
happened to Wendy Camp, Cynthia
00:17:51
Britto, and Lisa Renee Kregear.
00:17:54
They simply vanished
without a trace.
00:17:58
Update.
00:17:59
There are new
developments in this case,
00:18:01
here's one of our
staff with details.
00:18:04
STAFF MEMBER: 21 years
after they disappeared,
00:18:07
a man named Grover Prewitt
alerted investigators
00:18:10
that he suspected that the
bodies of Wendy Camp, Cynthia
00:18:13
Britto, and Lisa Renee Kregear
were located on his property.
00:18:18
Prewitt is the brother
of Beverly Noe,
00:18:20
and he believed the victims
were buried in a septic tank
00:18:23
hole he had dug.
00:18:25
All three victims
were found there.
00:18:27
Beverly Noe was arrested
for the 1992 killings.
00:18:31
Noe pleaded no contest
to the murder charge,
00:18:33
and was sentenced to
30 years in prison,
00:18:36
with 15 years suspended
as part of a plea bargain.
00:18:39
Ida Prewitt, Beverly's
mother, was also a suspect,
00:18:43
but she is now deceased.
00:18:47
DENNIS FARINA: Next, a clever
con man poses as a doctor
00:18:51
and dupes his victims out
of jewelry, coins, and gold.
00:19:04
Cincinnati, Ohio.
00:19:07
A smooth talking con artist
lays the intricate groundwork
00:19:11
for his latest scam.
00:19:13
The target is Mike Wills,
a veteran coin dealer.
00:19:18
Mike Wills?
00:19:18
Yes?
00:19:19
Dr. John Anderson,
how do you do?
00:19:21
Well, nice to
meet you, doctor.
00:19:22
MICHAEL P. WILLS: He came
across as a very polite,
00:19:24
articulate man, and I had
no reason at that time
00:19:27
to doubt that he was anything
other than what he told
00:19:29
me he was, indeed a doctor.
00:19:32
DENNIS FARINA: The
man, who called
00:19:33
himself Dr. John Anderson,
was interested in buying
00:19:36
gold coins.
00:19:38
He suggested that Mike visit
him at a local hospital
00:19:41
and speak to his physicians
investment group.
00:19:45
I got to be rushing on
over to the hospital--
00:19:47
DENNIS FARINA: The
trap was now in place.
00:19:55
Coins Plus.
00:19:56
DENNIS FARINA: Two days
later, Dr. Anderson ordered
00:19:58
$30,000 worth of gold coins.
00:20:03
Mike agreed to bring the
coins to the hospital
00:20:06
when he addressed
Anderson's investment group.
00:20:10
MICHAEL P. WILLS: The
elevator door opens up,
00:20:11
and he's in the elevator.
00:20:13
We'll take care
of our business
00:20:14
as soon as we get downstairs.
00:20:15
That's fine.
00:20:17
MICHAEL P. WILLS: There were two
other doctors on the elevator.
00:20:19
He was not having conversation
with the gentlemen--
00:20:21
See you later.
00:20:22
MICHAEL P. WILLS: --but as we
got off, he acknowledged them.
00:20:25
There was nobody at
all in the hall, which
00:20:28
didn't strike me as
being odd because it
00:20:30
was so early in the morning.
00:20:32
OK, let's see
what we have here.
00:20:35
I have two tubes of
gold, each 25 pieces.
00:20:41
DENNIS FARINA: Dr.
Anderson told Mike
00:20:42
that he had access to
a safe upstairs where
00:20:45
he wanted to store the gold.
00:20:47
He said he'd be right back.
00:20:50
You might want to
have a seat, and I'll
00:20:53
be back with the check.
00:20:59
MICHAEL P. WILLS: I sit
there, thinking back
00:21:00
on it, what seems
to be in eternity
00:21:02
but was most probably more
like five or six minutes.
00:21:05
And my gold is gone, and
Dr. Anderson is gone,
00:21:08
and I have nothing
to show for it.
00:21:10
That was about all I could
take, I guess, at that moment
00:21:12
I got up and I walked
out of this blind door.
00:21:15
And now everybody is there.
00:21:17
There's five or six parents
in the waiting room,
00:21:20
now there's a nurse at
the nurse's station.
00:21:23
Can I help you?
00:21:24
Yes, I Mike Wills from a
coin store here in Cincinnati.
00:21:26
I need you to a page a
Dr. John Anderson for me.
00:21:29
I just gave him a
large amount of gold.
00:21:31
There's no Dr. Anderson
at this hospital.
00:21:33
There was a Dr. Anderson--
00:21:35
MICHAEL P. WILLS:
It made me feel
00:21:36
extremely gullible,
that I could be
00:21:39
duped so easily out of $30,000.
00:21:43
I trusted a name tag.
00:21:44
I trusted what this man told me,
and when he mentioned doctor,
00:21:48
maybe checks that I could
have made I didn't make,
00:21:50
because this made
everything seem right.
00:21:52
Here you go.
00:21:54
DENNIS FARINA:
Three years later,
00:21:55
a Doctor Alford Evans showed
up at a coin shop in Albany,
00:21:59
New York.
00:22:00
OK., here you go, doc.
00:22:02
80 ounces of gold maple leaves.
00:22:04
How much is this?
00:22:05
They'll $380, 75 each.
00:22:08
All right, I'll make
you out a check for it.
00:22:10
You know I'm going to have to
hold it it over check, please.
00:22:12
DENNIS FARINA: When
plan A didn't work,
00:22:14
the bogus MD
switched strategies.
00:22:18
'Scuse me, fellas, I've got
to take care of a customer.
00:22:20
Sure.
00:22:21
Can I help you?
00:22:22
DENNIS FARINA: With the
store owner occupied,
00:22:24
the coast was clear.
00:22:26
Plan B went off without a hitch.
00:22:28
All right.
00:22:29
I tell you what, if
you can do me a favor,
00:22:32
I gotta get running
off to the hospital.
00:22:34
So I'm going to leave
these checks here,
00:22:38
and if you can
just do me a favor,
00:22:39
make sure that he gets them.
00:22:41
Uh, sure.
00:22:43
Thank you very much.
00:22:44
DENNIS FARINA: Dr.
Evans skipped town.
00:22:46
His check for more than $30,000
was, of course, no good.
00:22:54
In trying to track the
activities of Dr. Evans
00:22:57
we've noticed that he'll be
in town for a couple of months
00:22:59
to pull his scam, and
then he'll be disappeared
00:23:02
for a couple of months.
00:23:03
We can't seem to find
out what he's been doing
00:23:05
during that period of time.
00:23:06
DENNIS FARINA: Authorities had
uncovered these photographs
00:23:09
of the con man.
00:23:11
In addition to
Anderson and Evans,
00:23:13
he also used the aliases
Dr. John Miller, Dr.
00:23:17
Michael Baker, and Dr. Brown.
00:23:23
Update.
00:23:26
After this story originally
aired, one of our viewers
00:23:29
pointed authorities to the con
man, who was later identified
00:23:33
as Michael John Sabo.
00:23:36
Basically, we received
a telephonic tip
00:23:38
from a viewer of
"Unsolved Mysteries" who
00:23:40
called in with where
they believed Mr.
00:23:42
Sabo was currently residing.
00:23:44
DENNIS FARINA: Authorities
learned that Sabo had escaped
00:23:46
from federal prison, where he
was serving time for possession
00:23:49
of stolen securities.
00:23:52
Sabo was arrested and
charged with three
00:23:54
counts of felony grand larceny.
00:23:57
He would ultimately spend time
behind bars in five states
00:24:01
on a variety of convictions.
00:24:08
Next, what mysterious
force guided
00:24:11
this cat and this dog hundreds
of miles to find their owners?
00:24:25
We've all heard the stories.
00:24:27
Common household pets are
separated from their owners
00:24:31
and then travel
hundreds of miles
00:24:32
to find their way home,
against impossible odds.
00:24:37
Next we have two accounts
of this mysterious animal
00:24:41
instinct.
00:24:44
Bear Head Lake State
Park, Minnesota.
00:24:49
All right, we'll put Lee
in there, how about that?
00:24:51
DENNIS FARINA: Whenever the
Riesgraff family went camping,
00:24:54
they brought along their
dogs, a collie named Lady
00:25:00
and Wolfka, a Belgian Shepherd.
00:25:03
It was springtime, ice
was coming off a lake.
00:25:06
Green leaves were
starting to bud out,
00:25:08
and it was just a good
time to take a break.
00:25:10
Come on, come on, Lady, come
on, Wolfka, have a good run,
00:25:13
go on!
00:25:14
DENNIS FARINA: The family
had been to the cabin
00:25:15
a couple of times.
00:25:17
They felt perfectly safe letting
the dogs out on their own.
00:25:21
Normally, Lady and Wolfka
would return within an hour.
00:25:25
Lady!
00:25:27
Come on, Lady!
00:25:28
DENNIS FARINA: But this
time was different.
00:25:29
Wolfka!
Wolfka!
00:25:34
DENNIS FARINA: A forest fire
erupted just a few miles
00:25:36
southwest of the camp.
00:25:38
Flames were headed
in their direction,
00:25:40
and they had to
evacuate instantly.
00:25:44
For our own safety
we have to go, honey.
00:25:45
Come on.
00:25:46
HANNAH RIESGRAF: I
was scared because I
00:25:49
didn't know where they'd go,
and wish we could've stayed.
00:25:55
When my mom told me that
we were leaving, I felt sad
00:25:58
and I wish we didn't
have to leave.
00:26:03
DENNIS FARINA: The fire burned
out of control for three days,
00:26:07
consuming more than 9,000 acres.
00:26:13
From their home in
Duluth, 100 miles away,
00:26:16
the Riesgrafs waited for
news that their dogs were OK.
00:26:20
JOHN RIESGRAF: We had
called Susan's father,
00:26:23
and I had asked him to go
back to the cabin a few times,
00:26:27
because I thought they would
come back to the cabin.
00:26:30
I thought that would
be our best hope.
00:26:34
And he had done that,
and not seen anything.
00:26:38
DENNIS FARINA: Then, almost two
weeks after Lady disappeared,
00:26:42
a hungry, scruffy collie
wandered up to a house
00:26:46
on the outskirts of Duluth.
00:26:49
Hello!
00:26:51
Let me see, have
you got a collar?
00:26:53
[phone rings]
00:26:55
What?
00:26:56
Wait, you found Lady?
00:26:59
SUSAN RIESGRAF: Out of
the blue, some folks
00:27:00
that were about 15
miles from our house
00:27:04
called and said your
dog is in our yard.
00:27:07
And I said what?
00:27:08
And they said your dog is
a collie, her name is Lady,
00:27:11
is this telephone number?
00:27:12
I said yes, and I said, do you
realize this dog has traveled
00:27:16
a long way to get to your yard.
00:27:22
DENNIS FARINA:
After 13 days apart,
00:27:24
Lady was reunited
with her family.
00:27:28
Lady!
00:27:29
Lady!
00:27:35
DENNIS FARINA: When Lady's
amazing journey made headlines,
00:27:38
several people called to
tell the family that they had
00:27:41
seen the dog on her journey.
00:27:43
A railroad worker had spotted a
collie 30 miles from the cabin.
00:27:50
About a week later,
someone spotted
00:27:53
a collie near an
old logging trail,
00:27:55
approximately 15
miles from Duluth.
00:27:59
All together, Lady had
traveled more than 150 miles.
00:28:06
The Riesgrafs have no doubt
that Lady would have reached
00:28:08
their house one way or another.
00:28:12
SUSAN RIESGRAF: She's found her
home and she's there to stay.
00:28:14
Since this long walk
home, she stays home.
00:28:17
It's like she realized
this is my family,
00:28:21
and we just appreciate
her a whole lot more.
00:28:26
DENNIS FARINA: The Riesgrafs
still don't know the fate
00:28:28
of their other dog, Wolfka.
00:28:30
They hope he is safe, perhaps
adopted by a caring stranger.
00:28:36
Meanwhile, they continue
to marvel at Lady's return.
00:28:39
But dogs aren't
the only pets that
00:28:42
show this remarkable ability.
00:28:48
Baltimore, Maryland.
00:28:52
Sue Anderson has been an
animal lover for as long
00:28:55
as she can remember.
00:28:57
When she packed for
a cross-country move,
00:28:59
the last thing she loaded were
her most valued possessions,
00:29:03
her five beloved cats.
00:29:06
SUE ANDERSON: I had Puss
and Cinderella and Woolly
00:29:09
Booger and Nova and Stardust.
00:29:13
They're like children
to me, in a way,
00:29:15
and I feel when I take on
the responsibility of a pet,
00:29:19
then that responsibility
is mine until the pet dies.
00:29:23
DENNIS FARINA: Sue traveled
with their brother,
00:29:25
who was also moving west.
00:29:27
As for the cats, it
was the first time
00:29:29
they'd been further away
from home than the local vet.
00:29:33
I got over about four years ago.
00:29:36
SUE ANDERSON: She was left
outside of my apartment.
00:29:39
She just kind of clung to me,
and got very attached to me,
00:29:43
and ever since then it's been a
very, very close relationship.
00:29:47
DENNIS FARINA: After 10 days on
the road, Sue and her brother
00:29:50
reached California.
00:29:51
Hi.
00:29:52
How you doing?
00:29:53
I'm so beat.
00:29:54
DENNIS FARINA: They stopped
to rest for the night
00:29:56
200 miles from Modesto,
their final destination.
00:30:01
They planned to sleep until
daybreak before pushing on.
00:30:06
[cat meowing]
00:30:20
Good morning.
00:30:23
DENNIS FARINA: Sue awoke
to discover Nova was gone.
00:30:27
Oh no.
00:30:29
Kitty, kitty!
00:30:30
SUE ANDERSON: I felt devastated.
00:30:31
She was in a strange place,
and never been here before,
00:30:34
and it scared me.
00:30:35
I was worried
about her survival.
00:30:37
Nova's escaped.
00:30:38
Oh, great.
00:30:39
Nova!
00:30:40
DENNIS FARINA: Sue and her
brother searched for an hour,
00:30:43
without any luck.
00:30:44
Nova!
00:30:45
Nova!
00:30:46
SUE ANDERSON: I was very,
very anxious about her, very,
00:30:49
very frightened
for her, and very
00:30:52
upset about the whole incident.
00:30:53
Nova!
00:30:58
DENNIS FARINA: When sue
told a coworker about Nova,
00:31:01
he gave her a picture of
a black cat as a memento.
00:31:05
SUE ANDERSON: People would
stop by, they would stop
00:31:07
and say, get real, she's
never going to come back.
00:31:09
You know, you're just dreaming.
00:31:11
I said, well, maybe
one day she will.
00:31:13
So I kept it up there the
entire time I was working there.
00:31:21
DENNIS FARINA: A full year
later, Sue came across two
00:31:24
stray cats outside of work.
00:31:26
One resembled Nova.
00:31:30
Kitty, kitty, kitty,
kitty, kitty, kitty.
00:31:35
DENNIS FARINA: Could
Nova have traveled more
00:31:38
than 250 miles to find Sue?
00:31:46
SUE ANDERSON: She had
a mole inside her ear.
00:31:48
She had five or six
distinguishing white hairs
00:31:53
on her chest, and she
let me look at her claws,
00:31:57
and I could identify her claws.
00:31:58
All these things were adding
up that this was indeed my cat.
00:32:07
DENNIS FARINA: How do we explain
Nova's incredible journey?
00:32:11
Noted animal behaviorist
Miriam Yarden has a theory.
00:32:16
MIRIAM YARDEN: She told
me that she spend 10 to 12
00:32:18
hours at her place of work.
00:32:21
And by thinking of the cat and
seeing her own surroundings,
00:32:26
subconsciously she was
sending visual images
00:32:28
to the cat, come to this
area, come to this place,
00:32:32
this is where I am.
00:32:34
Can I prove it?
00:32:35
No.
00:32:37
Anyone can disprove it?
00:32:39
Probably not.
00:32:40
I like to think that
there's enough of a bonding
00:32:43
that if you really believe in
your capacity to love and let
00:32:48
that love be a kind
of a guiding light,
00:32:52
that they will use
that love to get
00:32:54
back to us when they want to.
00:32:55
And that that's a sort of
communication in its own way.
00:33:04
DENNIS FARINA:
Next, a killer calls
00:33:06
the police to confess his
crimes, and then he disappears.
00:33:19
On a previous broadcast,
we interviewed
00:33:22
detective Pat Brennan of the
Philadelphia Police Department.
00:33:26
One day, she received
a call from Julius
00:33:29
Patterson, an ex-con who
had served time for rape.
00:33:33
Patterson confessed that he and
his girlfriend Paulette Hite
00:33:37
killed two people.
00:33:39
PAT BRENNAN: It was
like a man on a mission.
00:33:40
He was out to convince me and
anyone else that would listen
00:33:43
to him that what he
had to say was real,
00:33:46
and he was out to make
the police act on it.
00:33:49
With this urgency in his voice
and the detail to what he was
00:33:52
saying to us, just made me feel
that everything he was saying
00:33:56
was the truth, and
would be founded.
00:33:59
DENNIS FARINA: Patterson
said one of the victims
00:34:01
was an older man
named Hall Luther
00:34:03
Gordon, who had mysteriously
disappeared three years before.
00:34:09
How do you know he
was telling the truth?
00:34:11
Well, we have to
check it out, Pat.
00:34:12
It's probably just a crank call.
00:34:14
DENNIS FARINA: Patterson
claims that the remains
00:34:16
of the second person
he had murdered
00:34:18
could be found buried
in the basement
00:34:20
of a Philadelphia row house.
00:34:23
The victim, his own sister.
00:34:27
Julius Patterson was
telling the truth.
00:34:31
Testing later confirmed
that the bones found
00:34:33
in the basement were those
of his mentally handicapped
00:34:36
younger sister, Jessie.
00:34:40
After Patterson called
police, he and Paulette Hite
00:34:43
disappeared.
00:34:45
These are pictures of
Patterson and Hite,
00:34:48
taken from a bank
ATM camera, and they
00:34:51
suggest a possible
motive for the killings.
00:34:54
Authorities believe
that the pair
00:34:56
may have stolen social security
checks from the two victims
00:35:00
while they were still
alive, and collected
00:35:03
and cashed additional
checks after killing them.
00:35:09
Update.
00:35:13
When this story aired, a
viewer called our phone center
00:35:16
to report that Paulette Hite
had worked for him in New
00:35:19
Jersey under an assumed name.
00:35:22
He gave us the social
security number she used,
00:35:24
and the FBI tracked that Social
Security number to a welfare
00:35:27
recipient New York City.
00:35:30
FBI agents and New York
City Police Department
00:35:32
staked out the location where
she was to pick up her checks.
00:35:36
At that time, both Julius
Patterson and on Paulette Hite
00:35:39
were apprehended.
00:35:41
DENNIS FARINA: After the
arrest, Patterson led police
00:35:43
to this empty warehouse
in North Philadelphia,
00:35:46
where he said he had
left the partial remains
00:35:49
of Hall Luthor Gordon.
00:35:52
Patterson's confession
allowed police
00:35:54
to finally identify bones
found earlier at that site.
00:35:59
Paulette Hite and
Julius Patterson
00:36:02
were arraigned on
charges of armed robbery
00:36:04
and assault. Patterson
was also charged
00:36:08
with the murders of Hall Luther
Gordon and Jessie Patterson.
00:36:14
Hite was sentenced to
six years in prison,
00:36:17
and has since been released.
00:36:19
Patterson was convicted
of third degree murder
00:36:22
and involuntary manslaughter.
00:36:25
He was sentenced to
20 years in prison.
00:36:35
Candy Gaither
Hoerner should be dead,
00:36:38
but thankfully, she isn't.
00:36:40
And Candy is convinced that
her sister, Roxy, who died
00:36:43
years before, is the reason.
00:36:49
Crystal River, Florida.
00:36:53
Candy Hoerner was fighting
leukemia, a battle that no one
00:36:58
expected her to win.
00:37:01
CANDY HOERNER: Every day,
I felt I was getting worse.
00:37:06
I didn't really know if I
was going to make it or not.
00:37:10
When I started slipping into
my coma, I thought about Roxy.
00:37:16
I thought about seeing
her in her hospital bed.
00:37:20
I thought about were mom
and dad going to have
00:37:24
to go through this again.
00:37:26
I thought a lot about that.
00:37:29
DENNIS FARINA:
Candy and Roxy were
00:37:31
the only girls in their family,
born just 13 months apart.
00:37:38
When they both became young
mothers, they grew closer.
00:37:43
CANDY HOERNER: Roxy
and I got real close.
00:37:44
One She became a mother
first, and then I did.
00:37:49
So I asked her advice,
and she gave it to me,
00:37:53
and we started getting along
really, really well then.
00:37:57
She's in an auto accident.
00:37:59
DENNIS FARINA:
Then one day, Roxy
00:38:01
was rushed to the hospital.
00:38:07
Roxy had suffered
serious head injuries
00:38:10
after being thrown from a Jeep.
00:38:12
I'm sorry, but we
need to get Roxy--
00:38:15
DENNIS FARINA: She
was awake and talking,
00:38:16
but her condition was critical.
00:38:21
By the time Candy arrived,
Roxy had slipped into a coma.
00:38:26
I thought that
she would be fine.
00:38:28
I thought she would wake
up, and we'd go home
00:38:33
and everything would be fine.
00:38:34
That's what I thought.
00:38:37
Two days later, Roxy died.
00:38:40
She was only 22 years old.
00:38:44
CANDY HOERNER: It was really
hard, for a long time.
00:38:47
I still thought she was
just gone for a while.
00:38:50
She'd be back.
00:38:52
It took a long time
for me to realize
00:38:54
that she was really gone.
00:38:58
DENNIS FARINA: 13 years
later, Candy herself
00:39:01
was lying in a hospital.
00:39:03
Her only hope was a
bone marrow transplant.
00:39:06
At first, the transplant
seemed to be a success.
00:39:11
But five days later, Candy's
body began to shut down.
00:39:15
Her liver failed, and she
started sinking into a coma.
00:39:19
Her family had
been very dedicated
00:39:22
and continuously supporting
her, talking to her,
00:39:25
and praying for her.
00:39:27
But there came a time when I
felt that I needed to prepare
00:39:30
them for her possible death.
00:39:33
DENNIS FARINA: What Candy
needed was a miracle,
00:39:36
and she believes she got one.
00:39:47
Roxy?
00:39:49
DENNIS FARINA: It
was Roxy, exactly
00:39:51
as she had appeared in life.
00:39:54
Candy, I love you, but
you can't come with me now.
00:39:57
Mom and dad need you here.
00:39:59
CANDY HOERNER: I was
so glad to see her.
00:40:02
It had been so long.
00:40:05
I'm too tired, and
it hurts too much.
00:40:08
Mom and dad already
lost me, they couldn't
00:40:11
stand to lose you, too.
00:40:14
I don't think I can
take the pain any longer.
00:40:17
You have to stay
here, you know why?
00:40:20
Because you're going to
be a grandmother someday.
00:40:23
CANDY HOERNER: I thought
I was so close to death,
00:40:27
and I actually believe
that she did visit me,
00:40:32
and she did give me
the strength to fight.
00:40:40
I felt cold one day, and
I just opened my eyes
00:40:45
and there was my husband,
and my dad standing there.
00:40:50
They were smiling.
00:40:53
I knew something
good had happened,
00:40:55
I just wasn't sure what.
00:40:58
I think all physicians
have cases in which they
00:41:01
cannot explain the outcome.
00:41:03
However, in my experience
as a physician,
00:41:05
this is truly the
most amazing case,
00:41:07
and I feel qualifies truly
as a medical miracle.
00:41:13
DENNIS FARINA: Two
weeks later, Candy
00:41:15
was released from the hospital.
00:41:17
Two years later, Roxy's
prediction came true.
00:41:22
Candy's daughter
had a baby girl.
00:41:25
CANDY HOERNER: Someday, when
my granddaughter grows up,
00:41:27
I'm going to tell
her all about Roxy.
00:41:32
She was with me.
00:41:35
I don't know how, but I do
know that she was there,
00:41:41
and I did talk to her
and she did talk to me.
00:41:46
Me and Roxy had such a
bond, I loved her so much.
00:41:51
I never got to tell
her that I loved her,
00:41:56
and I feel like she
came back to tell me,
00:42:00
hey, I know you love
me, and I love you, too.
