1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,680 This program is about unsolved mysteries. 2 00:00:03,680 --> 00:00:06,280 Whenever possible, the actual family members and police 3 00:00:06,280 --> 00:00:09,280 officials have participated in recreating the events. 4 00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:12,120 What you are about to see is not a news broadcast. 5 00:00:16,720 --> 00:00:21,120 Tonight, on a special edition of Unsolved Mysteries, 6 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:23,400 meet Todd Mueller, an accused con man 7 00:00:23,400 --> 00:00:25,400 with a twisted sense of humor. 8 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:27,280 His escapades are the most important 9 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:29,200 and frustrated police investigators 10 00:00:29,200 --> 00:00:31,200 in Honolulu and Chicago. 11 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:33,720 Not content just to break the law, 12 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:35,800 Mueller has mercilessly taunted authorities 13 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:39,840 with a series of practical jokes. 14 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:41,600 Chad Mauer of Madison, Wisconsin 15 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:45,680 was an active popular teenager, the all-American boy. 16 00:00:45,680 --> 00:00:48,320 Then in 1990, he was found asphyxiating 17 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:50,880 in an abandoned garage in Chicago. 18 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:53,040 What could have taken Chad Mauer to Chicago's 19 00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:55,040 semi-south state of mind? 20 00:00:55,040 --> 00:00:57,840 Then Chad Mauer to Chicago's semi-south side 21 00:00:57,840 --> 00:01:01,280 and ultimately led to his death. 22 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:04,560 As a young single mother, Loreen Roberts was so destitute, 23 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:08,080 she felt compelled to put her three children up for adoption. 24 00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:11,160 Now she is one of the heirs to a million-dollar estate 25 00:01:11,160 --> 00:01:12,400 and doesn't even know it. 26 00:01:14,960 --> 00:01:17,920 In 1974, the violent murder of their mother 27 00:01:17,920 --> 00:01:20,720 ripped apart the nine children of the Vest family. 28 00:01:20,720 --> 00:01:23,640 17 years later, one of them is still missing. 29 00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:29,920 Join me for this intriguing edition of Unsolved Mysteries. 30 00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:32,000 Perhaps you can help solve a mystery. 31 00:01:55,040 --> 00:01:56,080 What's this? 32 00:01:56,080 --> 00:02:25,600 Okay, I think this is a great bike I want to show you. 33 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:27,720 It's perfect for what you're looking for. 34 00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:30,440 19-year-old Chad Mauer worked in a bike shop 35 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:33,880 in the Midwest College town of Madison, Wisconsin. 36 00:02:33,880 --> 00:02:37,480 He was a typical boy next door, a popular, well-rounded 37 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:39,680 athlete who hoped to save up enough money 38 00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:43,560 to attend college in Colorado. 39 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:46,000 So Chad, how are things at the bike shop today? 40 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:47,440 Pat, you wouldn't believe it. 41 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:47,940 Oh, really? 42 00:02:47,940 --> 00:02:49,240 Have you sold anything yet? 43 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:51,280 Yeah, sold my first bike. 44 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:53,800 On the afternoon of May 19, 1990, 45 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:56,440 Chad returned home to grab a quick lunch. 46 00:02:56,440 --> 00:02:58,840 You know, it's packed over there, so I got to get going. 47 00:02:58,840 --> 00:02:59,740 See you. 48 00:02:59,740 --> 00:03:00,960 OK, see you, Chad. 49 00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:04,200 It would be the last time Chad's parents would ever see him. 50 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:06,480 Dad, can I borrow some money for gas? 51 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:07,380 Be right out. 52 00:03:07,380 --> 00:03:08,320 OK, thanks. 53 00:03:08,320 --> 00:03:10,320 There was nothing about him that was different. 54 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:11,520 I mean, he wasn't on edge. 55 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:13,360 Chad, do you want me to get a jacket to take with you? 56 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:14,260 No, that's all right. 57 00:03:14,260 --> 00:03:15,160 Thanks. 58 00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:16,060 Bye-bye. 59 00:03:16,060 --> 00:03:18,320 You know, he was just so excited about the job. 60 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:22,640 And he had a big smile on his face, as usual. 61 00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:24,200 Hold the gas for 20, Chad, OK? 62 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:24,600 Sold out. 63 00:03:24,600 --> 00:03:25,800 Have a good day, OK? 64 00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:26,440 Catch you later. 65 00:03:26,440 --> 00:03:27,480 Bye. 66 00:03:27,480 --> 00:03:29,520 Now, staying right outside, saying goodbye to him, 67 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:30,640 and have a good one. 68 00:03:30,640 --> 00:03:32,480 You know, I didn't notice anything different, 69 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:34,160 either, about anything in the car. 70 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:37,480 You know, just kind of cool out that day and stuff. 71 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:39,760 I just don't think he had any intention of going anywhere. 72 00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:41,480 Or else he would have had a jacket with him. 73 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:45,280 About an hour, an hour and a half later, 74 00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:48,920 John needed something at the hardware store that's 75 00:03:48,920 --> 00:03:50,320 near the bike shop. 76 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:52,280 Matter of fact, it's two doors down from it. 77 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:55,200 So we headed up to the hardware store, 78 00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:58,440 and we noticed the car, Chad's car, 79 00:03:58,440 --> 00:04:00,160 was not in the parking lot. 80 00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:02,840 So we decided instead of going to the hardware store 81 00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:05,840 to stop there and see where Chad was. 82 00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:06,840 Just a minute, an hour and a half. 83 00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:07,840 This is up for us. 84 00:04:10,320 --> 00:04:11,400 Thank you. 85 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:12,560 George, you know where Chad is. 86 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:14,280 His car's not out front. 87 00:04:14,280 --> 00:04:16,000 Well, he better be here. 88 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:18,720 He may have a customer in the back. 89 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:20,000 I knew there was something wrong, 90 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:21,800 but I just couldn't imagine. 91 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:25,320 You know, so we just thought Chad will show up. 92 00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:28,280 I hardly slept at all that night. 93 00:04:28,280 --> 00:04:29,680 I probably got about five hours sleep. 94 00:04:29,680 --> 00:04:31,440 And I got up at six, and I literally 95 00:04:31,440 --> 00:04:32,440 started calling kids. 96 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:34,480 But I started calling kids about 7.30. 97 00:04:34,480 --> 00:04:36,480 And nobody knew anything. 98 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:39,080 The last time anybody saw Chad was Friday night 99 00:04:39,080 --> 00:04:41,080 at a party for a couple hours. 100 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:41,720 And that was it. 101 00:04:48,640 --> 00:04:51,480 The south side of Chicago is one of the roughest neighborhoods 102 00:04:51,480 --> 00:04:52,960 in the country. 103 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:55,360 It is just a three hour drive from Chad's home 104 00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:56,560 in Madison, Wisconsin. 105 00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:04,920 Two days after Chad was last seen, 106 00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:06,880 a maintenance worker found Chad's car 107 00:05:06,880 --> 00:05:11,400 abandoned in the garage of a south side housing complex. 108 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:12,320 Oh my god. 109 00:05:14,840 --> 00:05:18,880 Inside the car was Chad Mauer, dead from carbon monoxide 110 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:19,880 poison. 111 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:24,280 The Chicago police contacted the Mowers 112 00:05:24,280 --> 00:05:27,240 with the tragic news that their son had committed suicide. 113 00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:31,720 My system went into shock. 114 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:33,200 My brain went into shock. 115 00:05:33,200 --> 00:05:37,640 And I was not thinking until the kids started calling. 116 00:05:37,640 --> 00:05:39,280 I don't even know how the kids found out, 117 00:05:39,280 --> 00:05:40,600 but the kids started calling. 118 00:05:40,600 --> 00:05:42,360 And they were screaming over the phone, 119 00:05:42,360 --> 00:05:43,800 did Chad commit suicide? 120 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:46,640 And while he died of carbon monoxide, no, no, not Chad. 121 00:05:46,640 --> 00:05:47,880 Not Chad. 122 00:05:47,880 --> 00:05:49,520 Chad had too much going for him. 123 00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:51,000 Chad had all his friends. 124 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:54,040 And Chad loved life. 125 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:55,840 Chad was not depressed. 126 00:05:55,840 --> 00:05:57,040 Chad was not down. 127 00:05:57,040 --> 00:05:58,160 He had all these goals. 128 00:06:02,960 --> 00:06:05,600 John and Dolly viewed Chad's body for the first time 129 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:07,760 just prior to the funeral. 130 00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:10,440 They were startled by his appearance. 131 00:06:10,440 --> 00:06:11,920 While the Chicago police had said 132 00:06:11,920 --> 00:06:14,200 there was no evidence of foul play, 133 00:06:14,200 --> 00:06:17,040 the knuckles on both hands had been skinned to the bone. 134 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:18,640 And there were bruises on his face. 135 00:06:19,560 --> 00:06:20,720 Are you aware of here? 136 00:06:20,720 --> 00:06:23,280 Well, we did receive his clothing, and that was soiled. 137 00:06:23,280 --> 00:06:24,400 Soiled? 138 00:06:24,400 --> 00:06:26,080 Yes, would you like to see it? 139 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:26,880 Most definitely. 140 00:06:26,880 --> 00:06:29,800 Moments later, Chad's father got his first look 141 00:06:29,800 --> 00:06:32,400 at the clothes Chad was wearing when he died. 142 00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:34,480 Oh, no, Chad. 143 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:35,440 Front and back. 144 00:06:35,440 --> 00:06:36,360 Oh, what happened? 145 00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:37,280 What happened? 146 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:41,720 He could not understand why there were blood 147 00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:43,720 stains on the t-shirt. 148 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:46,680 Now convinced that Chad's death was not a suicide, 149 00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:48,560 the Mowers contacted the local authorities. 150 00:06:48,560 --> 00:06:51,600 What is the crime scene photographs that were sent up 151 00:06:51,600 --> 00:06:53,760 by the Chicago authorities? 152 00:06:53,760 --> 00:06:56,160 Together with Detective David Bon Jovain, 153 00:06:56,160 --> 00:06:59,360 they studied the police report filed in Chicago. 154 00:06:59,360 --> 00:07:02,560 John and Dolly immediately noticed yet another suspicious 155 00:07:02,560 --> 00:07:03,960 clue. 156 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:06,520 Speaking of that, what the heck is that next time there? 157 00:07:06,520 --> 00:07:08,280 The jacket. 158 00:07:08,280 --> 00:07:09,120 Yeah. 159 00:07:09,120 --> 00:07:10,680 Chad didn't take a jacket with him, 160 00:07:10,680 --> 00:07:12,800 and he didn't own a jacket like that. 161 00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:13,760 And you're positive in that? 162 00:07:13,760 --> 00:07:15,560 Yes, I'm positive. 163 00:07:15,560 --> 00:07:18,040 The parents noted the jacket on the front seat 164 00:07:18,040 --> 00:07:20,000 was not a jacket they knew Chad owned. 165 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:22,360 It would be interesting to know the size of the jacket 166 00:07:22,360 --> 00:07:24,840 if it's consistent with Chad's size, 167 00:07:24,840 --> 00:07:27,320 or it may give us an idea of the basic build of somebody 168 00:07:27,320 --> 00:07:29,920 that may have been in the car with him, 169 00:07:29,920 --> 00:07:32,680 may have given us an idea of where in fact the jacket was 170 00:07:32,680 --> 00:07:35,240 purchased, which would give us possibly a location, 171 00:07:35,240 --> 00:07:39,120 assuming it's a real common brand. 172 00:07:39,120 --> 00:07:42,000 But the parents had pointed out that article in the photograph. 173 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:47,480 And when I checked with Chicago, they 174 00:07:47,520 --> 00:07:50,240 had noted the jacket as well, but we're not 175 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:53,640 sure where the jacket was. 176 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:56,240 They were going to check into that. 177 00:07:56,240 --> 00:07:58,280 The best thing I can determine was 178 00:07:58,280 --> 00:08:00,680 that the jacket remained in the car. 179 00:08:00,680 --> 00:08:03,880 And before the car was towed, somebody 180 00:08:03,880 --> 00:08:06,920 took the jacket from the vehicle because we couldn't secure it 181 00:08:06,920 --> 00:08:09,200 with the window being locked out. 182 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:14,840 So now I wish we had the jacket, but we have no jacket. 183 00:08:14,840 --> 00:08:17,000 The autopsy report also suggested 184 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:19,560 that Chad had not taken his own life. 185 00:08:19,560 --> 00:08:23,360 The level of carbon monoxide in his body was 74%, 186 00:08:23,360 --> 00:08:28,040 a figure much higher than usually found in a suicide. 187 00:08:28,040 --> 00:08:31,040 It's my understanding that levels where they're conscious 188 00:08:31,040 --> 00:08:33,040 at the time they succumb to carbon monoxide 189 00:08:33,040 --> 00:08:35,440 is about 50% to 60%. 190 00:08:35,440 --> 00:08:38,320 Levels that get up to about 74% to 80% 191 00:08:38,320 --> 00:08:41,040 are more consistent with a person being unconscious or sleeping 192 00:08:41,040 --> 00:08:43,320 at the time they succumb to carbon monoxide poisoning. 193 00:08:43,320 --> 00:08:46,200 And that's because people naturally 194 00:08:46,320 --> 00:08:49,160 have a tendency to breathe deeper and more methodically 195 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:51,680 when they're sleeping than possibly when they're awake. 196 00:08:54,760 --> 00:08:57,520 The cause of Chad's death was changed from suicide 197 00:08:57,520 --> 00:08:59,440 to undetermined. 198 00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:04,320 Authorities began a full-blown investigation. 199 00:09:04,320 --> 00:09:06,640 Do you have an opinion as to what happened that day? 200 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:09,360 The bike shop owner was quoted in a local newspaper 201 00:09:09,360 --> 00:09:11,360 regarding Chad's case. 202 00:09:11,360 --> 00:09:14,280 And something or someone spooked him. 203 00:09:14,360 --> 00:09:17,040 Nine days later, the shop was vandalized. 204 00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:24,320 No other stores in the area were hit. 205 00:09:24,320 --> 00:09:29,320 It now appeared that someone was sending a message. 206 00:09:29,320 --> 00:09:31,560 The following is a message from the Madison area 207 00:09:31,560 --> 00:09:32,600 Crime Stoppers. 208 00:09:32,600 --> 00:09:35,760 On October 22, 1990, Chad's story 209 00:09:35,760 --> 00:09:38,840 was aired on a local Crime Stoppers program in Madison, 210 00:09:38,840 --> 00:09:42,880 and a disturbing scenario emerged. 211 00:09:42,880 --> 00:09:45,120 After the broadcast, an anonymous tip 212 00:09:45,120 --> 00:09:47,960 alleged that Chad was involved in a drug deal 213 00:09:47,960 --> 00:09:51,760 with people who lived in his apartment complex in Madison. 214 00:09:51,760 --> 00:09:53,760 The same people had previously lived 215 00:09:53,760 --> 00:09:55,200 on the south side of Chicago. 216 00:09:57,920 --> 00:10:00,120 We know through our intelligence sources 217 00:10:00,120 --> 00:10:03,080 that there is a pipeline of narcotics trafficking 218 00:10:03,080 --> 00:10:05,760 from Chicago to Madison. 219 00:10:05,760 --> 00:10:08,800 Now, there's nothing in Chad's background 220 00:10:08,800 --> 00:10:13,080 that would really suggest that he's involved with narcotics. 221 00:10:13,080 --> 00:10:18,160 His toxicological analysis came back pure of any narcotics, 222 00:10:18,160 --> 00:10:20,000 not even any alcohol. 223 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:23,760 But because of this conduit, there's 224 00:10:23,760 --> 00:10:29,360 a possibility that he might have been tricked or enticed 225 00:10:29,360 --> 00:10:34,160 in some way to be involved in narcotics and narcotics 226 00:10:34,160 --> 00:10:37,120 trafficking. 227 00:10:37,120 --> 00:10:39,440 Is it possible that somebody else offered him money? 228 00:10:39,440 --> 00:10:40,480 Chad was looking for money. 229 00:10:40,480 --> 00:10:41,720 He wanted to move to Colorado. 230 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:43,560 He was hoping to get a couple of thousand dollars 231 00:10:43,560 --> 00:10:48,840 to go to Colorado for snowboarding and BMX, a future. 232 00:10:48,840 --> 00:10:51,960 Is it possible that somebody offered him $500 to make the trip? 233 00:10:51,960 --> 00:10:53,360 And then when they got to Chicago, 234 00:10:53,360 --> 00:10:55,520 reneged on that. 235 00:10:55,520 --> 00:10:57,240 And an altercation occurred. 236 00:10:57,240 --> 00:10:59,760 And Chad, obviously, being the loser of that altercation. 237 00:11:07,120 --> 00:11:08,120 Go! 238 00:11:08,120 --> 00:11:09,120 Go! 239 00:11:09,120 --> 00:11:10,120 Go! 240 00:11:10,120 --> 00:11:13,120 Keep your hands up. 241 00:11:13,120 --> 00:11:14,120 Let's go, man. 242 00:11:14,120 --> 00:11:15,120 Let's go! 243 00:11:15,120 --> 00:11:16,120 Come on, go. 244 00:11:16,120 --> 00:11:17,120 Go! 245 00:11:17,120 --> 00:11:18,120 Go! 246 00:11:18,120 --> 00:11:19,120 Go! 247 00:11:19,120 --> 00:11:20,120 Go! 248 00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:21,120 Go! 249 00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:22,120 Go! 250 00:11:22,120 --> 00:11:23,120 Go! 251 00:11:23,120 --> 00:11:24,120 Go! 252 00:11:26,120 --> 00:11:30,120 Most all of our homicides in Chicago 253 00:11:30,120 --> 00:11:34,120 have a common denominator of drugs in it somewhere, 254 00:11:34,120 --> 00:11:36,120 whether they're selling it, whether they're fighting over 255 00:11:36,120 --> 00:11:39,120 the territory, whether they're using it. 256 00:11:39,120 --> 00:11:43,120 Drug seems to come up in a great majority of our cases. 257 00:11:43,120 --> 00:11:49,120 So this is also a reason that we're inclined to lean toward this drug 258 00:11:49,120 --> 00:11:54,120 angle a little bit more because we see it so often here. 259 00:11:54,120 --> 00:11:58,120 We feel that there are people probably in the Madison area 260 00:11:58,120 --> 00:12:01,120 that probably know more than they're coming forward with. 261 00:12:01,120 --> 00:12:05,120 And I think probably that's who we're trying to reach out to now 262 00:12:05,120 --> 00:12:11,120 because we're not going to know what happened inside that garage 263 00:12:11,120 --> 00:12:15,120 unless we know the circumstances surrounding how he got there. 264 00:12:15,120 --> 00:12:19,120 And that's what we're really after, I think, at this point. 265 00:12:19,120 --> 00:12:24,120 All we know in Chad's case is Chad is dead and handed up in Chicago. 266 00:12:24,120 --> 00:12:26,120 That's all we know in this case. 267 00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:28,120 And we know he was beaten up. 268 00:12:28,120 --> 00:12:30,120 But why was he beaten up? 269 00:12:30,120 --> 00:12:32,120 How did he end up in Chicago? 270 00:12:32,120 --> 00:12:33,120 So many questions. 271 00:12:33,120 --> 00:12:37,120 And every day we wake up and we think a different thing 272 00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:39,120 that could have happened to Chad. 273 00:12:39,120 --> 00:12:43,120 I know it won't bring Chad back, but we cannot rest 274 00:12:43,120 --> 00:12:48,120 and we cannot put Chad to rest until we really have the answers to this case. 275 00:13:03,120 --> 00:13:10,120 In 1971, Big Brothers of America opened a chapter in Elkhart, Indiana. 276 00:13:10,120 --> 00:13:14,120 Their first little brother was seven-year-old Jeff Fisher. 277 00:13:14,120 --> 00:13:20,120 Jeff's big brother was John Novotny, a local salesman and father of a two-year-old daughter. 278 00:13:20,120 --> 00:13:22,120 I play shortstop, buddy. 279 00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:25,120 John gave me the companionship that I really needed at that time. 280 00:13:25,120 --> 00:13:29,120 Just the fact that this was an older guy that I could hang around with 281 00:13:29,120 --> 00:13:34,120 and not have him tell me to go away and come back later and stuff. 282 00:13:34,120 --> 00:13:39,120 A guy that wanted to spend some time with me made me feel really good. 283 00:13:39,120 --> 00:13:42,120 So I'll get this tied up and then we're just about ready. 284 00:13:42,120 --> 00:13:45,120 After Jeff and John started seeing each other, 285 00:13:45,120 --> 00:13:49,120 I noticed that Jeff had a lot more confidence in himself. 286 00:13:49,120 --> 00:13:53,120 And he was very proud of the fact that he had a big brother. 287 00:13:53,120 --> 00:13:55,120 And he would tell the other kids, 288 00:13:55,120 --> 00:13:57,120 well, John and I are going to go do this, 289 00:13:57,120 --> 00:14:00,120 or my big brother and I are going to go do this. 290 00:14:00,120 --> 00:14:04,120 He was very proud of the fact that he had a man in his life. 291 00:14:04,120 --> 00:14:05,120 I think it's ready to light. 292 00:14:05,120 --> 00:14:06,120 Yeah. 293 00:14:06,120 --> 00:14:07,120 OK. 294 00:14:07,120 --> 00:14:10,120 A year and a half later, John and his family moved away. 295 00:14:10,120 --> 00:14:13,120 Although Jeff never saw John again, 296 00:14:13,120 --> 00:14:16,120 he never forgot the warmth and kindness that changed his life. 297 00:14:19,120 --> 00:14:24,120 He just introduced me to a world that I had never seen before. 298 00:14:24,120 --> 00:14:28,120 And if I finally see him again, I just want to thank him. 299 00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:30,120 He made a lasting impression. 300 00:14:30,120 --> 00:14:35,120 It's been 20 years and he's still a really vivid part of my memory. 301 00:14:39,120 --> 00:14:42,120 Thanks to our viewers, Jeff Fisher searched for his big brother 302 00:14:42,120 --> 00:14:44,120 and ended the night of our broadcast. 303 00:14:44,120 --> 00:14:48,120 Nine days later, Jeff and his mother traveled to John Lovatny's home 304 00:14:48,120 --> 00:14:51,120 in Tacoma, Washington for an emotional reunion. 305 00:14:51,120 --> 00:14:53,120 He's doing the like this now. 306 00:14:53,120 --> 00:14:54,120 There they are. 307 00:14:54,120 --> 00:14:56,120 There they are. 308 00:14:58,120 --> 00:14:59,120 Bye, God. 309 00:14:59,120 --> 00:15:00,120 Thank you. 310 00:15:00,120 --> 00:15:01,120 Thank you. 311 00:15:01,120 --> 00:15:03,120 Yes, nice to meet you. 312 00:15:03,120 --> 00:15:06,120 I can't believe we're in the same place. 313 00:15:06,120 --> 00:15:08,120 Now you look just like your picture, man. 314 00:15:11,120 --> 00:15:12,120 It's unbelievable. 315 00:15:12,120 --> 00:15:14,120 I was absolutely stunned. 316 00:15:14,120 --> 00:15:19,120 I had absolutely no idea that Jeff was looking for me. 317 00:15:19,120 --> 00:15:25,120 And then as the show aired, people from Elkhart and from Michigan 318 00:15:25,120 --> 00:15:29,120 started calling me on the phone telling me that I was on television. 319 00:15:29,120 --> 00:15:35,120 And Jeff Fisher was looking for me and we must have got 35 calls that night 320 00:15:35,120 --> 00:15:37,120 and at least that many the next night. 321 00:15:37,120 --> 00:15:40,120 You know, I've been wanting to say thanks to this guy for 18 years 322 00:15:40,120 --> 00:15:46,120 and you know, whatever it took to come out and say that, you know, I was willing to do. 323 00:15:47,120 --> 00:15:51,120 This is when we were down in some Kentucky for a John Mellencamp show. 324 00:15:51,120 --> 00:15:55,120 When I first started being a big brother, the question was, 325 00:15:55,120 --> 00:15:58,120 would I really have enough time to do it right? 326 00:15:58,120 --> 00:16:03,120 And then 20 years later to find out that I really did make a difference, 327 00:16:03,120 --> 00:16:06,120 I mean, it brings the whole thing to reality. 328 00:16:17,120 --> 00:16:20,120 The Homeless. 329 00:16:20,120 --> 00:16:26,120 Estimates of their numbers go as high as 3 million in the United States alone. 330 00:16:26,120 --> 00:16:31,120 Sadly, many of us tend not to see the individuals in the faceless mass. 331 00:16:31,120 --> 00:16:36,120 We forget that for each man, woman and child on the streets, there is an untold story. 332 00:16:36,120 --> 00:16:38,120 The written of a promise. 333 00:16:39,120 --> 00:16:44,120 This is the story of a woman named Loreen Roberts who may be lost among the homeless. 334 00:16:44,120 --> 00:16:48,120 Her family has not seen or heard from her in more than 30 years. 335 00:16:48,120 --> 00:16:53,120 Loreen has no way of knowing that she is one of the heirs to a million-dollar estate. 336 00:16:56,120 --> 00:16:58,120 Loreen grew up in Dripping Springs, Texas. 337 00:16:58,120 --> 00:17:03,120 She was on the high school basketball team and the first woman to be found was a woman 338 00:17:03,120 --> 00:17:06,120 Loreen grew up in Dripping Springs, Texas. 339 00:17:06,120 --> 00:17:10,120 She was on the high school basketball team and a member of the pep club. 340 00:17:10,120 --> 00:17:14,120 But at 16, Loreen inexplicably dropped out of school. 341 00:17:14,120 --> 00:17:20,120 Her family believes this may have been the beginning of a slow descent into mental illness. 342 00:17:21,120 --> 00:17:24,120 Loreen was very quiet. 343 00:17:24,120 --> 00:17:30,120 She would just be to herself with her own thoughts and her own world. 344 00:17:31,120 --> 00:17:36,120 It's as if she wasn't there with you most of the time. 345 00:17:39,120 --> 00:17:41,120 Hey, little lady, can we get some coffee over here? 346 00:17:41,120 --> 00:17:43,120 Yeah, you the pretty one. 347 00:17:43,120 --> 00:17:45,120 You want to take our order? 348 00:17:45,120 --> 00:17:47,120 Oh, I'll be with you. 349 00:17:47,120 --> 00:17:53,120 In 1949, just after she dropped out of high school, Loreen moved to Austin and soon found work as a waitress. 350 00:17:53,120 --> 00:17:55,120 She also found love. 351 00:17:55,120 --> 00:17:59,120 Coffee, pie, and how about I take you for a whirl? 352 00:18:00,120 --> 00:18:03,120 I don't know what you mean. 353 00:18:03,120 --> 00:18:06,120 Let me show you. 354 00:18:13,120 --> 00:18:18,120 Just 10 days after they met, Loreen and the young service man were married. 355 00:18:18,120 --> 00:18:25,120 Loreen and her husband had three children in quick succession. 356 00:18:25,120 --> 00:18:29,120 In 1956, they moved to his hometown in New Jersey. 357 00:18:29,120 --> 00:18:33,120 That decision would prove to be the undoing of the young couple. 358 00:18:33,120 --> 00:18:38,120 Loreen told me that she wasn't happy there. 359 00:18:38,120 --> 00:18:41,120 His family didn't accept him. 360 00:18:42,120 --> 00:18:46,120 Loreen told me that she wasn't happy there. 361 00:18:46,120 --> 00:18:49,120 His family didn't accept her. 362 00:18:49,120 --> 00:18:53,120 And that his mother bought her and the children a train ticket 363 00:18:53,120 --> 00:18:57,120 and put them on the train to come back to Austin, send them back to Austin. 364 00:18:59,120 --> 00:19:02,120 Loreen's husband filed for divorce. 365 00:19:02,120 --> 00:19:04,120 With no money and no means of support, 366 00:19:04,120 --> 00:19:09,120 Loreen and her three young children returned to Texas and an uncertain future. 367 00:19:09,120 --> 00:19:12,120 I'm tired. Who are we going to go home with? 368 00:19:14,120 --> 00:19:16,120 Am I at the sweetheart? 369 00:19:16,120 --> 00:19:18,120 Would you put this on for me? That other one's dirty. 370 00:19:18,120 --> 00:19:20,120 Come here, put this on for mommy. 371 00:19:20,120 --> 00:19:22,120 I'm hungry. Who's going to feed us? 372 00:19:22,120 --> 00:19:24,120 This is the kitchen. 373 00:19:24,120 --> 00:19:26,120 I need you to help me out. 374 00:19:26,120 --> 00:19:27,120 Mother! 375 00:19:27,120 --> 00:19:28,120 Can you do that? 376 00:19:28,120 --> 00:19:30,120 But who's going to take care of us? 377 00:19:30,120 --> 00:19:32,120 You. I need you to be the man while I'm gone. 378 00:19:32,120 --> 00:19:34,120 Can you do that? Will you be in charge for mommy? 379 00:19:34,120 --> 00:19:36,120 Will you do that for me? 380 00:19:36,120 --> 00:19:38,120 I gotta go now. 381 00:19:38,120 --> 00:19:39,120 Okay. 382 00:19:39,120 --> 00:19:40,120 Okay. 383 00:19:40,120 --> 00:19:41,120 Bye. 384 00:19:45,120 --> 00:19:51,120 Loreen tried. She worked and she tried to handle, you know, her situations. 385 00:19:51,120 --> 00:19:54,120 And she loved her children very much. 386 00:19:54,120 --> 00:19:59,120 But that was just something she couldn't handle and she's seen she couldn't handle it. 387 00:20:00,120 --> 00:20:04,120 And she tried to get help from her husband, but no help. 388 00:20:04,120 --> 00:20:06,120 She got no help. 389 00:20:07,120 --> 00:20:12,120 She decided the best thing to do was to just give them up and let them be adopted out 390 00:20:12,120 --> 00:20:15,120 where they would be taken care of. 391 00:20:15,120 --> 00:20:18,120 Come along. Now, just get into the car. 392 00:20:18,120 --> 00:20:20,120 Now, don't fuss. 393 00:20:20,120 --> 00:20:22,120 We'll get you some food. 394 00:20:22,120 --> 00:20:24,120 Now, don't fuss. I want you to sit there quietly. 395 00:20:24,120 --> 00:20:26,120 Yes. Yes, you. 396 00:20:26,120 --> 00:20:31,120 After the children were adopted, Loreen's emotional state grew increasingly fragile. 397 00:20:32,120 --> 00:20:41,120 She came to me and she admitted that she was sick to me and said she needed help, said she needed a doctor. 398 00:20:41,120 --> 00:20:45,120 And my dad said, would you take her to the psychiatrist? 399 00:20:45,120 --> 00:20:47,120 And I did. 400 00:20:47,120 --> 00:20:51,120 And he gave her admittance to the state hospital. 401 00:20:51,120 --> 00:21:00,120 So I took her out there and she cried and everything when she hugged my neck and loved me and everything. 402 00:21:00,120 --> 00:21:03,120 And it was so hard to seek to have to leave her there. 403 00:21:05,120 --> 00:21:12,120 Between 1957 and 1961, Loreen was admitted to the state mental hospital on five separate occasions. 404 00:21:15,120 --> 00:21:18,120 Each time she was released, she found work as a waitress. 405 00:21:18,120 --> 00:21:24,120 But each time when the pressure became too great, Loreen would check herself back into the hospital. 406 00:21:25,120 --> 00:21:29,120 In 1959, on one of her furloughs from the state hospital, 407 00:21:29,120 --> 00:21:32,120 Loreen showed up at Ruby's house, unannounced. 408 00:21:33,120 --> 00:21:35,120 Loreen! 409 00:21:35,120 --> 00:21:41,120 Honey, it's so good to see you. Get up here and let me give you a big old hug. 410 00:21:41,120 --> 00:21:45,120 Oh. How are you doing? 411 00:21:45,120 --> 00:21:47,120 Oh, I'm just fine, Ruby. 412 00:21:47,120 --> 00:21:49,120 Well, you look thin. Can I fix you something to eat? 413 00:21:49,120 --> 00:21:51,120 Oh, no, no, no. 414 00:21:51,120 --> 00:21:53,120 Nothing. I can only stay a few minutes. 415 00:21:53,120 --> 00:21:56,120 Well, then sit down here and tell me what's been going on. 416 00:21:56,120 --> 00:21:58,120 Well, I'm getting married. 417 00:21:58,120 --> 00:21:59,120 Married? 418 00:21:59,120 --> 00:22:00,120 Uh-huh. 419 00:22:00,120 --> 00:22:02,120 That's great. Who, too? 420 00:22:02,120 --> 00:22:03,120 College professor. 421 00:22:03,120 --> 00:22:05,120 A college professor. 422 00:22:05,120 --> 00:22:07,120 Well, that's great. 423 00:22:07,120 --> 00:22:09,120 I came to show you, Loreen. 424 00:22:09,120 --> 00:22:13,120 Well, that's mighty pretty, honey. Where'd you meet a college professor? 425 00:22:14,120 --> 00:22:16,120 It's pretty, isn't it? 426 00:22:16,120 --> 00:22:17,120 Loreen? 427 00:22:17,120 --> 00:22:18,120 Mm-hmm. 428 00:22:18,120 --> 00:22:20,120 Where'd you meet a college professor? 429 00:22:20,120 --> 00:22:22,120 The college. 430 00:22:22,120 --> 00:22:25,120 At that time, I was just hoping the best for her. 431 00:22:25,120 --> 00:22:27,120 So I didn't question too much or anything. 432 00:22:27,120 --> 00:22:30,120 I just hoped the best, you know. 433 00:22:30,120 --> 00:22:32,120 And that's the last time I've saw Loreen, 434 00:22:32,120 --> 00:22:35,120 and I haven't heard from her or anything since. 435 00:22:35,120 --> 00:22:37,120 Well, I got to get going. 436 00:22:37,120 --> 00:22:39,120 Well, can I take you somewhere? 437 00:22:39,120 --> 00:22:42,120 Oh, no, no. I came in a cab and I'm going to leave in a cab. 438 00:22:42,120 --> 00:22:43,120 Take care, now. 439 00:22:43,120 --> 00:22:45,120 Okay, you too. 440 00:22:45,120 --> 00:22:48,120 Two weeks later, Ruby received a big hug. 441 00:22:48,120 --> 00:22:52,120 Two weeks later, Ruby received a bill for Loreen's engagement ring. 442 00:22:52,120 --> 00:22:56,120 Loreen had bought the ring herself and failed to make the payments. 443 00:23:02,120 --> 00:23:05,120 We have searched everything looking for Loreen. 444 00:23:05,120 --> 00:23:08,120 All the public records have been searched. 445 00:23:08,120 --> 00:23:13,120 No one has any records of Loreen being alive for the last 25 years. 446 00:23:13,120 --> 00:23:20,120 Her mother died in 1988, and her will provided for the distribution of her estate, 447 00:23:20,120 --> 00:23:23,120 which was valued at about a million dollars to her children. 448 00:23:23,120 --> 00:23:25,120 And Loreen was one of the children. 449 00:23:25,120 --> 00:23:27,120 And so since no one knew where she was, 450 00:23:27,120 --> 00:23:31,120 the court appointed me to represent her and to try to locate her. 451 00:23:31,120 --> 00:23:35,120 I don't think it's going to be easy to find Loreen, 452 00:23:35,120 --> 00:23:38,120 but I also don't think she's disappeared off the face of the earth. 453 00:23:38,120 --> 00:23:40,120 I think she's out there somewhere. 454 00:23:40,120 --> 00:23:44,120 She's either on the street or in a hospital or under some new identity, 455 00:23:44,120 --> 00:23:46,120 but I think she's out there. 456 00:23:48,120 --> 00:23:52,120 There's a big void in our life without her. 457 00:23:52,120 --> 00:23:56,120 And not knowing whether she's alive or dead, 458 00:23:56,120 --> 00:23:59,120 then we want that filled. 459 00:23:59,120 --> 00:24:05,120 I would share her children that have found us and her grandchildren. 460 00:24:05,120 --> 00:24:08,120 That would be the first thing I'd want her to know about. 461 00:24:08,120 --> 00:24:10,120 She would be so happy. 462 00:24:11,120 --> 00:24:13,120 When we aired this story, 463 00:24:13,120 --> 00:24:17,120 we never imagined that Loreen would call our telecenter and solve her own mystery. 464 00:24:17,120 --> 00:24:21,120 Loreen's family was overjoyed to learn that she was alive and well. 465 00:24:21,120 --> 00:24:25,120 Her sister Ruby immediately flew to Little Rock, Arkansas, 466 00:24:25,120 --> 00:24:29,120 where Loreen had been working as a housekeeper for just room and board. 467 00:24:32,120 --> 00:24:34,120 A few days later, 468 00:24:34,120 --> 00:24:37,120 she brought Loreen back home to Austin, Texas, 469 00:24:37,120 --> 00:24:40,120 for a poignant reunion with the rest of her family. 470 00:24:50,120 --> 00:24:52,120 It was unbelievable. 471 00:24:52,120 --> 00:24:54,120 I could hardly believe it, 472 00:24:54,120 --> 00:24:58,120 because I guess for so long we had searched and searched for her, 473 00:24:58,120 --> 00:25:01,120 and we couldn't find a lead. 474 00:25:01,120 --> 00:25:03,120 I was so enthused. 475 00:25:03,120 --> 00:25:07,120 I just cried. I laughed. 476 00:25:07,120 --> 00:25:09,120 I did everything. 477 00:25:14,120 --> 00:25:17,120 Yes, it's getting nice to be back. 478 00:25:17,120 --> 00:25:20,120 They're real nice. They've always been. 479 00:25:21,120 --> 00:25:26,120 They're original people that are very darling people. 480 00:25:27,120 --> 00:25:30,120 After we filmed this reunion, 481 00:25:30,120 --> 00:25:33,120 Loreen remained in Austin for three months. 482 00:25:33,120 --> 00:25:36,120 She received her $105,000 inheritance 483 00:25:36,120 --> 00:25:39,120 and has since returned to her home in Arkansas. 484 00:25:44,120 --> 00:25:47,120 This is the wonderful person we looked for for 30 years. 485 00:25:48,120 --> 00:25:52,120 We're going to try to be happy and just do all the things we can 486 00:25:52,120 --> 00:25:55,120 to be together and love each other. 487 00:25:56,120 --> 00:25:59,120 And include her children and her grandchildren, 488 00:26:00,120 --> 00:26:03,120 in which I think will be real good for Loreen 489 00:26:03,120 --> 00:26:05,120 and all of us. 490 00:26:17,120 --> 00:26:21,120 August 29, 1990, the Hawaiian island of Maui. 491 00:26:21,120 --> 00:26:23,120 A man arrived at a local bank 492 00:26:23,120 --> 00:26:26,120 and introduced himself as Pepito de Bayon. 493 00:26:26,120 --> 00:26:29,120 I've been named representative to my aunt's estate. 494 00:26:30,120 --> 00:26:33,120 And what I'd like to do is take the funds from her account 495 00:26:33,120 --> 00:26:35,120 and open up a new account. 496 00:26:35,120 --> 00:26:37,120 In addition to the $52,000 from her account, 497 00:26:37,120 --> 00:26:40,120 I'd like to deposit this check also. 498 00:26:40,120 --> 00:26:42,120 Do you have some identification? 499 00:26:42,120 --> 00:26:46,120 And also I'd like to transfer $20,000 to my associate in Honolulu, 500 00:26:46,120 --> 00:26:48,120 Julian Bellamont. 501 00:26:48,120 --> 00:26:52,120 I see. That's $20,000 to Julian Bellamont. 502 00:26:53,120 --> 00:26:55,120 Although the documents appeared in order, 503 00:26:55,120 --> 00:26:58,120 something about the smooth talking customer 504 00:26:58,120 --> 00:27:00,120 put the bank manager on guard. 505 00:27:00,120 --> 00:27:03,120 I tell you what, all this is going to take some time. 506 00:27:03,120 --> 00:27:05,120 If you could come back in an hour, 507 00:27:05,120 --> 00:27:07,120 we'll be all ready for you to go when you come back. 508 00:27:07,120 --> 00:27:09,120 OK. Great. 509 00:27:09,120 --> 00:27:11,120 I guess I'll see you in around an hour. 510 00:27:11,120 --> 00:27:12,120 Yes, thank you, Mr. de Bayon. 511 00:27:12,120 --> 00:27:13,120 Thank you. 512 00:27:17,120 --> 00:27:20,120 An hour later, Pepito de Bayon returned to schedule. 513 00:27:23,120 --> 00:27:24,120 Hi. 514 00:27:31,120 --> 00:27:33,120 Are you Pepito de Bayon? 515 00:27:33,120 --> 00:27:34,120 Yes, ma'am. 516 00:27:34,120 --> 00:27:36,120 We believe this check is a forgery. 517 00:27:36,120 --> 00:27:39,120 De Bayon was arrested on the spot for suspicion of forgery. 518 00:27:44,120 --> 00:27:47,120 Turn to your right. 519 00:27:47,120 --> 00:27:51,120 At first, Maui police had no idea who they had in custody. 520 00:27:51,120 --> 00:27:54,120 The suspect carried 15 identification cards, 521 00:27:54,120 --> 00:27:56,120 each with a different alias. 522 00:27:56,120 --> 00:27:59,120 Eventually, authorities identified their prisoner 523 00:27:59,120 --> 00:28:01,120 as an elusive con man named Todd Mueller. 524 00:28:05,120 --> 00:28:08,120 Todd Mueller is not your run-of-the-mill criminal. 525 00:28:08,120 --> 00:28:10,120 He specializes in forging court documents, 526 00:28:10,120 --> 00:28:12,120 which give him free reign to plunder the estates 527 00:28:12,120 --> 00:28:14,120 of the recently deceased. 528 00:28:14,120 --> 00:28:18,120 His many escapades of confused and frustrated authorities, 529 00:28:18,120 --> 00:28:21,120 often leaving them shaking their heads in disbelief. 530 00:28:21,120 --> 00:28:25,120 As it turns out, Todd Mueller is something of a practical joker 531 00:28:25,120 --> 00:28:27,120 who delights in taunting those who are trying 532 00:28:27,120 --> 00:28:29,120 to keep him behind bars. 533 00:28:32,120 --> 00:28:35,120 December 3, 1991, Honolulu, Hawaii. 534 00:28:35,120 --> 00:28:36,120 Hi, my name is Clara. 535 00:28:36,120 --> 00:28:38,120 Hi, Clara. How are you? I'm Arthur Iona. 536 00:28:38,120 --> 00:28:40,120 Three months after his arrest in Maui, 537 00:28:40,120 --> 00:28:43,120 Todd Mueller was out on bail and back on the scam, 538 00:28:43,120 --> 00:28:46,120 calling himself Arthur Iona. 539 00:28:46,120 --> 00:28:48,120 What may I do for you today? 540 00:28:48,120 --> 00:28:50,120 Well, Clara, I've been named personal representative 541 00:28:50,120 --> 00:28:52,120 to the estate of George McLaughlin. 542 00:28:52,120 --> 00:28:55,120 And what I'd like to do is take the funds from this account 543 00:28:55,120 --> 00:28:57,120 and open a checking account in my name. 544 00:28:57,120 --> 00:28:59,120 May I see some ID? Absolutely. 545 00:28:59,120 --> 00:29:02,120 We think Todd Mueller looked at a newspaper 546 00:29:02,120 --> 00:29:04,120 in the obituary section. 547 00:29:04,120 --> 00:29:07,120 From there, he would get names of deceased persons, 548 00:29:07,120 --> 00:29:10,120 their accounts being in probate court. 549 00:29:10,120 --> 00:29:13,120 He would then go over to the copying machines 550 00:29:13,120 --> 00:29:15,120 located right in circuit court, 551 00:29:15,120 --> 00:29:17,120 take these photocopies home, 552 00:29:17,120 --> 00:29:20,120 and he would make up letters of administration, 553 00:29:20,120 --> 00:29:23,120 naming him the trustee for the account. 554 00:29:28,120 --> 00:29:31,120 The fictitious documents and phony checks 555 00:29:31,120 --> 00:29:33,120 enable Mueller to steal thousands of dollars 556 00:29:33,120 --> 00:29:35,120 from banks throughout Hawaii. 557 00:29:35,120 --> 00:29:38,120 He had created a lucrative cottage industry 558 00:29:38,120 --> 00:29:40,120 right in his own apartment, 559 00:29:40,120 --> 00:29:43,120 but his work was sometimes less than perfect. 560 00:29:44,120 --> 00:29:47,120 One particular check the bank listed on the check 561 00:29:47,120 --> 00:29:50,120 was the bank of Iowa, Boise, Iowa. 562 00:29:50,120 --> 00:29:52,120 There is no Boise, Iowa. 563 00:29:52,120 --> 00:29:54,120 Instead, it should be Boise, Idaho. 564 00:29:54,120 --> 00:29:56,120 And we thought that was pretty hilarious with him, 565 00:29:56,120 --> 00:29:58,120 you know, just making up any name. 566 00:29:58,120 --> 00:30:01,120 I guess he didn't realize it was Boise, Idaho. 567 00:30:04,120 --> 00:30:07,120 Todd Mueller was not only a bit sloppy, he was greedy. 568 00:30:07,120 --> 00:30:09,120 During the next three days, 569 00:30:09,120 --> 00:30:11,120 he returned to the bank in Honolulu 570 00:30:11,120 --> 00:30:13,120 with Drew more than $31,000, 571 00:30:13,120 --> 00:30:17,120 arousing the suspicions of yet another bank manager. 572 00:30:17,120 --> 00:30:19,120 She called me to tell me that 573 00:30:19,120 --> 00:30:22,120 she thought these probate documents were false. 574 00:30:22,120 --> 00:30:25,120 She described the individual to me. 575 00:30:25,120 --> 00:30:28,120 I immediately thought Todd Mueller. 576 00:30:28,120 --> 00:30:30,120 Mr. Mueller? 577 00:30:30,120 --> 00:30:32,120 Todd Mueller? 578 00:30:32,120 --> 00:30:34,120 Detective Nobriga. Yeah, finally to meet you. 579 00:30:34,120 --> 00:30:36,120 All right, you're under arrest for forgery. 580 00:30:36,120 --> 00:30:38,120 Chance be on your back. 581 00:30:38,120 --> 00:30:40,120 After the arrest, Detective Nobriga 582 00:30:40,120 --> 00:30:43,120 proceeded to an address given him by Mueller. 583 00:30:43,120 --> 00:30:46,120 Once he determined that Mueller did live there, 584 00:30:46,120 --> 00:30:48,120 Nobriga left to obtain a search warrant. 585 00:30:48,120 --> 00:30:53,120 Meanwhile, Todd Mueller posted bail and was released. 586 00:30:53,120 --> 00:30:55,120 Todd Mueller calls me at my office. 587 00:30:55,120 --> 00:30:58,120 He invites me over to his house. 588 00:30:58,120 --> 00:31:01,120 He tells me, you don't have to make any search warrants. 589 00:31:01,120 --> 00:31:05,120 Just come over to my house and I'll let you look around. 590 00:31:05,120 --> 00:31:07,120 Hello? 591 00:31:20,120 --> 00:31:22,120 I just kind of smiled and thought, 592 00:31:22,120 --> 00:31:26,120 well, he's leading me on a wild goose chase. 593 00:31:26,120 --> 00:31:29,120 I walked over and checked with some of the neighbors 594 00:31:29,120 --> 00:31:32,120 and they had told me just about an hour before I arrived there. 595 00:31:32,120 --> 00:31:35,120 There was a flurry of activity where guys were moving stuff 596 00:31:35,120 --> 00:31:38,120 out of the house, thrown it onto a truck, 597 00:31:38,120 --> 00:31:40,120 and they took off and left. 598 00:31:43,120 --> 00:31:46,120 One week later, at the Oahu Correctional Facility, 599 00:31:46,120 --> 00:31:49,120 a former cellmate of Todd Mueller's Roy Hartsock 600 00:31:49,120 --> 00:31:51,120 received a welcome surprise. 601 00:31:51,120 --> 00:31:53,120 Pack your stuff up, man. 602 00:31:53,120 --> 00:31:54,120 Today's your lucky day. 603 00:31:54,120 --> 00:31:55,120 Be paroled. 604 00:31:55,120 --> 00:31:56,120 What? 605 00:31:56,120 --> 00:31:57,120 Be paroled. 606 00:31:57,120 --> 00:31:59,120 Pack your stuff up. 607 00:31:59,120 --> 00:32:02,120 Nah, I don't get paroled until February. 608 00:32:02,120 --> 00:32:07,120 A court order had been issued for Hartsock's immediate release. 609 00:32:07,120 --> 00:32:11,120 Roy Hartsock left the out-in for parts unknown. 610 00:32:11,120 --> 00:32:13,120 Three weeks later, authorities discovered 611 00:32:13,120 --> 00:32:16,120 that Hartsock's release documents had been forged. 612 00:32:16,120 --> 00:32:19,120 Todd Mueller had apparently struck again. 613 00:32:22,120 --> 00:32:24,120 At about the time we're looking for Todd Mueller, 614 00:32:24,120 --> 00:32:28,120 I got a phone call from a New York police sergeant 615 00:32:28,120 --> 00:32:32,120 saying that they had arrested Todd Mueller in New York. 616 00:32:32,120 --> 00:32:35,120 When I tried to call this New York sergeant back, 617 00:32:35,120 --> 00:32:37,120 we learned that there was no such person, 618 00:32:37,120 --> 00:32:40,120 no such department there in New York. 619 00:32:40,120 --> 00:32:43,120 And where was Todd Mueller? 620 00:32:43,120 --> 00:32:47,120 Living it up at an exclusive hotel in Chicago, Illinois. 621 00:32:47,120 --> 00:32:48,120 Hi. 622 00:32:48,120 --> 00:32:50,120 It's 1720. 623 00:32:50,120 --> 00:32:52,120 I want to pay for tonight, tomorrow. 624 00:32:52,120 --> 00:32:54,120 I'm not sure when I'll be checking out. 625 00:32:54,120 --> 00:32:55,120 Mr. Mueller? 626 00:32:55,120 --> 00:32:58,120 I'm suspicious of Mr. Mueller because of the activity 627 00:32:58,120 --> 00:33:01,120 that was taking place in the lobby. 628 00:33:01,120 --> 00:33:04,120 He had very suspicious looking people coming to the hotel, 629 00:33:04,120 --> 00:33:08,120 and he was giving large sums of money to them. 630 00:33:08,120 --> 00:33:11,120 And I informed the front office manager 631 00:33:11,120 --> 00:33:13,120 that we should not extend this day. 632 00:33:13,120 --> 00:33:14,120 The hotel's booked? 633 00:33:14,120 --> 00:33:16,120 That's correct. 634 00:33:16,120 --> 00:33:18,120 Are you sure there isn't some mistake? 635 00:33:18,120 --> 00:33:19,120 I've been here all week. 636 00:33:19,120 --> 00:33:21,120 I'm afraid not. 637 00:33:21,120 --> 00:33:23,120 We have a convention coming in. 638 00:33:23,120 --> 00:33:25,120 The entire floor is booked. 639 00:33:25,120 --> 00:33:26,120 I see. 640 00:33:26,120 --> 00:33:28,120 Mueller, however, wasn't quite ready to leave. 641 00:33:28,120 --> 00:33:30,120 I guess in that case, I'll be checking in. 642 00:33:30,120 --> 00:33:33,120 He simply called the hotel's two free reservation service 643 00:33:33,120 --> 00:33:37,120 and booked another room across the hall. 644 00:33:37,120 --> 00:33:41,120 That irked me, to say the least. 645 00:33:41,120 --> 00:33:45,120 And at that point, that's when I felt that we should take 646 00:33:45,120 --> 00:33:49,120 some sort of action as to at least check on his identity 647 00:33:49,120 --> 00:33:51,120 of who Mr. Mueller actually was. 648 00:33:54,120 --> 00:33:57,120 Pat Amiano searched Mueller's vacated room. 649 00:33:57,120 --> 00:33:59,120 He found several discarded checks, 650 00:33:59,120 --> 00:34:01,120 which later proved to be forgeries. 651 00:34:01,120 --> 00:34:05,120 Amiano also discovered that Mueller had placed several calls 652 00:34:05,120 --> 00:34:09,120 to Honolulu, Hawaii. 653 00:34:09,120 --> 00:34:11,120 On the off chance, he called one of the phone numbers, 654 00:34:11,120 --> 00:34:14,120 and it happened to be my office. 655 00:34:14,120 --> 00:34:17,120 I think he just has a dispension for making everyone 656 00:34:17,120 --> 00:34:19,120 chase him around. 657 00:34:19,120 --> 00:34:24,120 I guess he's sort of like cops and robbers kind of thing. 658 00:34:24,120 --> 00:34:27,120 When Chicago police arrived to arrest Mueller, 659 00:34:27,120 --> 00:34:31,120 they were met by his former cellmate from Hawaii, Roy Hartsock. 660 00:34:31,120 --> 00:34:32,120 We're looking for Todd Mueller. 661 00:34:32,120 --> 00:34:33,120 He's not here. 662 00:34:33,120 --> 00:34:34,120 And you are? 663 00:34:34,120 --> 00:34:35,120 Roy Hartsock. 664 00:34:35,120 --> 00:34:38,120 Hartsock was surprised to learn that his early release 665 00:34:38,120 --> 00:34:41,120 from prison had been secured with forged documents. 666 00:34:41,120 --> 00:34:42,120 Do you have any identification? 667 00:34:42,120 --> 00:34:45,120 Yeah. 668 00:34:45,120 --> 00:34:46,120 Todd Mueller? 669 00:34:49,120 --> 00:34:51,120 Chicago PD, you're under arrest. 670 00:34:51,120 --> 00:34:54,120 Once again, Todd Mueller was in custody. 671 00:34:54,120 --> 00:34:56,120 But this time, there would be no bail. 672 00:34:56,120 --> 00:34:58,120 You have the right to remain silent. 673 00:34:58,120 --> 00:35:00,120 Anything you say or do can be used against you 674 00:35:00,120 --> 00:35:01,120 in a court of law. 675 00:35:01,120 --> 00:35:02,120 Do you understand that? 676 00:35:02,120 --> 00:35:03,120 Yes, I do. 677 00:35:03,120 --> 00:35:05,120 Todd was parading around town prior to his arrest, 678 00:35:05,120 --> 00:35:07,120 pretending to be someone other than what he was, 679 00:35:07,120 --> 00:35:10,120 committed several burglaries, stole mail, 680 00:35:10,120 --> 00:35:13,120 federal mail theft charges, opened bank accounts, 681 00:35:13,120 --> 00:35:18,120 and attempted to withdraw some of $204,000 from my account. 682 00:35:19,120 --> 00:35:24,120 Roy Hartsock was returned to Hawaii to complete his sentence. 683 00:35:24,120 --> 00:35:28,120 Todd Mueller was booked on charges of forgery, fraud, and robbery. 684 00:35:28,120 --> 00:35:31,120 He was held in the Cook County Jail pending trial. 685 00:35:35,120 --> 00:35:38,120 But Mueller had one more trick up his sleeve. 686 00:35:38,120 --> 00:35:41,120 After six months behind bars, he was rushed to a hospital 687 00:35:41,120 --> 00:35:43,120 emergency room after telling guards 688 00:35:43,120 --> 00:35:47,120 he had swallowed a razor blade. 689 00:35:47,120 --> 00:35:50,120 Mueller was handcuffed to his hospital bed. 690 00:35:50,120 --> 00:35:53,120 A guard was posted outside the door. 691 00:35:53,120 --> 00:35:55,120 It didn't do a bit of good. 692 00:35:55,120 --> 00:36:00,120 Authorities still cannot explain how Todd Mueller got away. 693 00:36:00,120 --> 00:36:04,120 Dr. Kravitz, a visitor at the main hall. 694 00:36:09,120 --> 00:36:12,120 Since Todd Mueller escaped, he would call me 695 00:36:12,120 --> 00:36:16,120 just to say that he wanted to turn himself into me. 696 00:36:16,120 --> 00:36:19,120 Some of his phone calls claim to be on the plane itself, 697 00:36:19,120 --> 00:36:22,120 coming into Hawaii, saying that I'm on my way in, 698 00:36:22,120 --> 00:36:24,120 I'm on so-and-so flight. 699 00:36:24,120 --> 00:36:27,120 Why don't you meet me at the airport? 700 00:36:27,120 --> 00:36:30,120 Go down there. He's never there. 701 00:36:30,120 --> 00:36:35,120 I don't think my sense of humor is any worse for it. 702 00:36:35,120 --> 00:36:38,120 I don't particularly enjoy what he's doing, 703 00:36:38,120 --> 00:36:42,120 but I just think what he's doing is silly. 704 00:36:42,120 --> 00:36:45,120 Eventually he's going to get caught. 705 00:36:46,120 --> 00:36:49,120 Next, a woman's poignant search for her brothers and sisters 706 00:36:49,120 --> 00:36:52,120 torn apart by tragedy. 707 00:37:17,120 --> 00:37:21,120 James and Juan De Vest were married in 1956. 708 00:37:21,120 --> 00:37:24,120 17 years later, they had nine children, 709 00:37:24,120 --> 00:37:26,120 six sons and three daughters. 710 00:37:26,120 --> 00:37:30,120 The oldest child was 16, the youngest just 10 months. 711 00:37:30,120 --> 00:37:32,120 James worked in the construction business, 712 00:37:32,120 --> 00:37:37,120 and for the Vest children, life at home seems safe and secure. 713 00:37:37,120 --> 00:37:40,120 came home safe and secure. 714 00:37:53,120 --> 00:37:56,120 We would eat dinner every night together at the table. 715 00:37:56,120 --> 00:38:04,120 My mother would have everything done before my father got off work. 716 00:38:04,120 --> 00:38:07,120 My mother sat at one end, my father sat at the other end, 717 00:38:07,120 --> 00:38:09,120 and the kids sat on the sides. 718 00:38:09,120 --> 00:38:12,120 And I think that was something that was really important 719 00:38:12,120 --> 00:38:15,120 to my father, you know, that the family be together 720 00:38:15,120 --> 00:38:17,120 at dinner time and sit there and eat. 721 00:38:17,120 --> 00:38:19,120 Yeah. 722 00:38:19,120 --> 00:38:22,120 Okay. Again. 723 00:38:22,120 --> 00:38:24,120 We had an ideal life. 724 00:38:24,120 --> 00:38:26,120 We would go to church on Sundays. 725 00:38:26,120 --> 00:38:29,120 We would get up on the stage of the church and sing with my mother 726 00:38:29,120 --> 00:38:31,120 because she played the accordion. 727 00:38:31,120 --> 00:38:33,120 We would sing at home together. 728 00:38:33,120 --> 00:38:35,120 Okay. 729 00:38:35,120 --> 00:38:37,120 We would have fun. 730 00:38:37,120 --> 00:38:42,120 It was typical American family life that you see on Liberty Beaver. 731 00:38:52,120 --> 00:38:55,120 The Lord is my shepherd. 732 00:38:55,120 --> 00:38:57,120 I shall not want. 733 00:38:57,120 --> 00:39:00,120 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. 734 00:39:00,120 --> 00:39:04,120 In May of 1974, the Vest family was ripped apart by tragedy. 735 00:39:04,120 --> 00:39:07,120 He restored my soul. 736 00:39:07,120 --> 00:39:10,120 He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 737 00:39:10,120 --> 00:39:13,120 Wanda Vest had died on her 34th birthday. 738 00:39:13,120 --> 00:39:15,120 I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. 739 00:39:15,120 --> 00:39:19,120 I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. 740 00:39:19,120 --> 00:39:22,120 Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. 741 00:39:22,120 --> 00:39:25,120 I think I felt more cheated than anything. 742 00:39:25,120 --> 00:39:28,120 I remember my little sister try to touch my mother, 743 00:39:28,120 --> 00:39:30,120 and I pulled her hand back. 744 00:39:30,120 --> 00:39:32,120 And then she went up there, and I guess she touched her 745 00:39:32,120 --> 00:39:34,120 because she came back, and she goes, 746 00:39:34,120 --> 00:39:37,120 Sissy, why is mama so cold? 747 00:39:37,120 --> 00:39:39,120 And I couldn't answer her. 748 00:39:39,120 --> 00:39:41,120 I didn't know what to say, so I just sat her down on my lap 749 00:39:41,120 --> 00:39:43,120 and just held her there. 750 00:39:43,120 --> 00:39:45,120 Now prepare us the table before me. 751 00:39:45,120 --> 00:39:48,120 James Vest did not attend the funeral. 752 00:39:48,120 --> 00:39:53,120 He was in jail, charged with the murder of his wife. 753 00:39:53,120 --> 00:39:56,120 My cup overflowed. 754 00:39:56,120 --> 00:39:59,120 What could bring a man to kill his own wife 755 00:39:59,120 --> 00:40:01,120 and leave his children as orphans? 756 00:40:01,120 --> 00:40:05,120 The answer in this isolated case may be hauntingly simple. 757 00:40:05,120 --> 00:40:07,120 James Vest was an alcoholic. 758 00:40:07,120 --> 00:40:10,120 The nine Vest children not only lost both of their parents 759 00:40:10,120 --> 00:40:12,120 to this devastating disease. 760 00:40:12,120 --> 00:40:15,120 They also lost each other for 17 years. 761 00:40:15,120 --> 00:40:17,120 This is a story of one woman's determination 762 00:40:17,120 --> 00:40:19,120 to find her brothers and sisters, 763 00:40:19,120 --> 00:40:21,120 and one family's resilience 764 00:40:21,120 --> 00:40:24,120 in the face of overwhelming tragedy. 765 00:40:27,120 --> 00:40:30,120 By 1973, years of drinking binges 766 00:40:30,120 --> 00:40:34,120 has steadily eroded James and Wanda Vest's marriage. 767 00:40:34,120 --> 00:40:37,120 James is often too drunk to work. 768 00:40:37,120 --> 00:40:41,120 He also became increasingly violent towards his wife. 769 00:40:51,120 --> 00:40:52,120 Wanda? 770 00:40:52,120 --> 00:40:53,120 Yeah. 771 00:40:53,120 --> 00:40:55,120 Hey, Wanda, where's that bottle? 772 00:40:55,120 --> 00:40:58,120 I remember on one occasion, my father coming home 773 00:40:58,120 --> 00:41:00,120 looking for his bottle of liquor, 774 00:41:00,120 --> 00:41:03,120 and my mother had hit it, so he couldn't find it. 775 00:41:03,120 --> 00:41:04,120 No, I didn't. 776 00:41:04,120 --> 00:41:05,120 You hid that bottle, Wanda? 777 00:41:05,120 --> 00:41:06,120 You probably drank it. 778 00:41:06,120 --> 00:41:07,120 I didn't drink the bottle. 779 00:41:07,120 --> 00:41:08,120 It was a full bottle this morning. 780 00:41:08,120 --> 00:41:09,120 Where the hell is it? 781 00:41:09,120 --> 00:41:12,120 And he got really upset and wanted his liquor, 782 00:41:12,120 --> 00:41:14,120 and when my mother went and gave it to him, 783 00:41:14,120 --> 00:41:16,120 he was beating her up. 784 00:41:16,120 --> 00:41:19,120 And he was hitting her and choking her. 785 00:41:19,120 --> 00:41:22,120 And so my brothers would fight. 786 00:41:22,120 --> 00:41:26,120 My brothers would go over there and try to get him off of her. 787 00:41:26,120 --> 00:41:31,120 I was always more quiet and afraid. 788 00:41:31,120 --> 00:41:34,120 Wanda Vest had finally had enough. 789 00:41:34,120 --> 00:41:36,120 James soon moved out of the house, 790 00:41:36,120 --> 00:41:38,120 and Wanda filed for divorce. 791 00:41:38,120 --> 00:41:40,120 She was determined to make a new life for herself 792 00:41:40,120 --> 00:41:42,120 and the nine children. 793 00:41:42,120 --> 00:41:45,120 But with no formal training and little work experience, 794 00:41:45,120 --> 00:41:50,120 Wanda was forced to wait tables and ten bar at a local tavern. 795 00:41:50,120 --> 00:41:55,120 May 27, 1974, at around 1 a.m., 796 00:41:55,120 --> 00:41:58,120 James Vest wandered into the tavern where his wife worked. 797 00:41:58,120 --> 00:42:00,120 It was Wanda's 34th birthday. 798 00:42:00,120 --> 00:42:03,120 I just came to buy you a drink for your birthday, babe. 799 00:42:03,120 --> 00:42:04,120 I don't want anything from you. 800 00:42:04,120 --> 00:42:05,120 Get out. 801 00:42:05,120 --> 00:42:06,120 Come on. 802 00:42:06,120 --> 00:42:07,120 We do this every year. 803 00:42:07,120 --> 00:42:08,120 Get out. 804 00:42:08,120 --> 00:42:11,120 According to witnesses, James had been drinking heavily. 805 00:42:11,120 --> 00:42:12,120 OK. 806 00:42:21,120 --> 00:42:23,120 Get out of here. 807 00:42:23,120 --> 00:42:25,120 Get out of here! 808 00:42:25,120 --> 00:42:28,120 What are you doing? 809 00:42:28,120 --> 00:42:30,120 Put the thing down. 810 00:42:30,120 --> 00:42:32,120 Put the gun down, Jim. 811 00:42:32,120 --> 00:42:34,120 Put it down! 812 00:42:34,120 --> 00:42:36,120 Put the gun down! 813 00:42:36,120 --> 00:42:38,120 What are you doing? 814 00:42:38,120 --> 00:42:41,120 Put the thing down. 815 00:42:41,120 --> 00:42:43,120 Put the gun down, Jim. 816 00:42:43,120 --> 00:42:45,120 Put it down! 817 00:42:45,120 --> 00:42:47,120 Put the gun down! 818 00:42:58,120 --> 00:43:01,120 I love you, Wanda. 819 00:43:06,120 --> 00:43:09,120 Approximately an hour later, James Vest was arrested 820 00:43:09,120 --> 00:43:11,120 at a nearby tavern. 821 00:43:11,120 --> 00:43:14,120 Minutes after killing Wanda, James had swaggered into the bar 822 00:43:14,120 --> 00:43:18,120 and openly boasted that he had just shot his wife. 823 00:43:18,120 --> 00:43:21,120 He said he needed a drink. 824 00:43:21,120 --> 00:43:24,120 Vest later pled guilty to first-degree murder 825 00:43:24,120 --> 00:43:28,120 and was sentenced to life in prison where he died in 1983. 826 00:43:28,120 --> 00:43:30,120 In one senseless and violent moment, 827 00:43:30,120 --> 00:43:33,120 James Vest had shattered his entire family. 828 00:43:33,120 --> 00:43:35,120 Within days of their mother's funeral, 829 00:43:35,120 --> 00:43:39,120 the Vest children were sent to live in separate homes. 830 00:43:39,120 --> 00:43:42,120 I think for some reason I felt we had enough family 831 00:43:42,120 --> 00:43:44,120 that some kind of way we would all be kept together, 832 00:43:44,120 --> 00:43:46,120 but I was wrong. 833 00:43:46,120 --> 00:43:48,120 It was like nobody wanted us. 834 00:43:48,120 --> 00:43:50,120 We were taboo, you know. 835 00:43:50,120 --> 00:43:52,120 To be around us would be to remember what happened, 836 00:43:52,120 --> 00:43:55,120 to have to accept it, and they didn't want that. 837 00:43:55,120 --> 00:43:59,120 So to me, we were punished for what my father did 838 00:43:59,120 --> 00:44:03,120 because we weren't even allowed to have each other. 839 00:44:03,120 --> 00:44:07,120 The oldest boy, James Jr., was taken in by his grandmother. 840 00:44:07,120 --> 00:44:10,120 Shereen and three brothers, Russell, Kenneth, and Wayne, 841 00:44:10,120 --> 00:44:12,120 were placed in foster homes. 842 00:44:12,120 --> 00:44:14,120 Her sister, Kendra, and the three youngest children, 843 00:44:14,120 --> 00:44:17,120 Heath, Dawn, and Kevin, were put up for adoption. 844 00:44:21,120 --> 00:44:22,120 Excuse me. 845 00:44:22,120 --> 00:44:24,120 Do you have any spare change? 846 00:44:24,120 --> 00:44:28,120 For 14-year-old Shereen, the tragic loss of her entire family 847 00:44:28,120 --> 00:44:31,120 marked the beginning of a cycle of despair. 848 00:44:31,120 --> 00:44:34,120 Just three months after her mother was murdered, 849 00:44:34,120 --> 00:44:37,120 Shereen ran away from her foster home and took to the streets. 850 00:44:40,120 --> 00:44:45,120 In the very beginning, sometimes I would sleep 851 00:44:45,120 --> 00:44:48,120 in the apartment building hallway, 852 00:44:48,120 --> 00:44:51,120 and a couple times I slept outside. 853 00:44:51,120 --> 00:44:52,120 It was cold. 854 00:44:52,120 --> 00:44:54,120 I was scared. 855 00:44:54,120 --> 00:44:56,120 I had a backpack that had some clothes in it. 856 00:44:56,120 --> 00:44:58,120 I had a backpack for a pillow. 857 00:44:58,120 --> 00:45:02,120 You lay there and halfway sleep and hope that no one comes around. 858 00:45:09,120 --> 00:45:12,120 Remarkably, Shereen managed to escape the streets. 859 00:45:12,120 --> 00:45:14,120 Eventually, she enrolled in business school 860 00:45:14,120 --> 00:45:17,120 and later got a job as an office manager. 861 00:45:17,120 --> 00:45:20,120 Today, Shereen lives in San Diego, California, 862 00:45:20,120 --> 00:45:22,120 with her husband and two daughters. 863 00:45:22,120 --> 00:45:25,120 Four years ago, with the love and encouragement 864 00:45:25,120 --> 00:45:28,120 of her family, Shereen began searching for her missing brothers 865 00:45:28,120 --> 00:45:31,120 and sisters whom she had not seen in 11 years. 866 00:45:33,120 --> 00:45:36,120 Incredibly, it took Shereen less than two months 867 00:45:36,120 --> 00:45:38,120 to find four of her brothers. 868 00:45:38,120 --> 00:45:41,120 Two years later, she was reunited with her oldest sister 869 00:45:41,120 --> 00:45:44,120 and just last Christmas, Shereen finally made contact 870 00:45:44,120 --> 00:45:47,120 with her youngest sister and brother. 871 00:45:47,120 --> 00:45:51,120 But one of the best children still remains unaccounted for. 872 00:45:51,120 --> 00:45:54,120 Shereen's brother Heath, who was six years old 873 00:45:54,120 --> 00:45:56,120 when they were separated. 874 00:45:56,120 --> 00:46:00,120 I actually had a dream one night that there was all nine of us in a room 875 00:46:00,120 --> 00:46:04,120 and I was actually going to count them all down the line 876 00:46:04,120 --> 00:46:07,120 and I couldn't believe it. 877 00:46:07,120 --> 00:46:09,120 It's like something that you want, 878 00:46:09,120 --> 00:46:13,120 but it's just out of reach, you'll never get it. 879 00:46:13,120 --> 00:46:16,120 But I believe enough and I bet 880 00:46:16,120 --> 00:46:19,120 because I will not take no for an answer. 881 00:46:19,120 --> 00:46:22,120 I just know that I'm going to get them all together. 882 00:46:25,120 --> 00:46:27,120 The night of our broadcast, Shereen's dream 883 00:46:27,120 --> 00:46:29,120 of finding her brother Heath came true 884 00:46:29,120 --> 00:46:31,120 when he called our telecenter. 885 00:46:31,120 --> 00:46:33,120 Heath, who was now married and living in Ohio, 886 00:46:33,120 --> 00:46:36,120 was shocked to learn he'd been featured on national television. 887 00:46:36,120 --> 00:46:39,120 The next day, Heath spoke with his sister 888 00:46:39,120 --> 00:46:42,120 for the first time in more than 17 years. 889 00:46:45,120 --> 00:46:48,120 Four weeks later, Heath, accompanied by his wife, Robin, 890 00:46:48,120 --> 00:46:51,120 arrived in Los Angeles for a special reunion 891 00:46:51,120 --> 00:46:54,120 with five of his brothers and sisters. 892 00:47:01,120 --> 00:47:04,120 I was really excited. I just wanted to get out of the car. 893 00:47:04,120 --> 00:47:07,120 I was thinking, who am I going to hug first? 894 00:47:07,120 --> 00:47:10,120 I didn't want anybody to start bawling or anything. 895 00:47:10,120 --> 00:47:14,120 I just wanted to get out and hug everybody at once, basically. 896 00:47:15,120 --> 00:47:19,120 When I heard Heath was found, I was actually kind of numb. 897 00:47:21,120 --> 00:47:24,120 I thought it would take months. 898 00:47:24,120 --> 00:47:26,120 I didn't know that people would just call in 899 00:47:26,120 --> 00:47:28,120 and it would be that easy. 900 00:47:28,120 --> 00:47:33,120 I'm glad it was because it's been a long wait. 901 00:47:35,120 --> 00:47:38,120 Meeting everybody, it's changed my attitude a lot. 902 00:47:38,120 --> 00:47:41,120 It's picked up my attitude because, you know, 903 00:47:41,120 --> 00:47:43,120 I've had a lot of feelings. 904 00:47:43,120 --> 00:47:47,120 I had that unwanted feeling and I never really knew why. 905 00:47:47,120 --> 00:47:50,120 But now, since they've found me, 906 00:47:50,120 --> 00:47:53,120 I have that wanted feeling now. 907 00:47:57,120 --> 00:48:01,120 It's a good feeling because I never really knew. 908 00:48:03,120 --> 00:48:07,120 Finding Heath and this reunion is the first day of a new beginning. 909 00:48:08,120 --> 00:48:11,120 I know when we all leave here that we're all going to leave her differently. 910 00:48:11,120 --> 00:48:13,120 It's going to be better for all of us. 911 00:48:25,120 --> 00:48:29,120 On our next Unsolved Mysteries, the final appeal of Larry Race. 912 00:48:29,120 --> 00:48:34,120 In 1982, Race took his wife from Moonlight Boat Ride on Lake Superior. 913 00:48:35,120 --> 00:48:38,120 The next morning, Debbie Race's lifeless body washed ashore. 914 00:48:38,120 --> 00:48:42,120 Larry Race was convicted of murder and sent to prison. 915 00:48:42,120 --> 00:48:45,120 To this day, Race maintains his innocence 916 00:48:45,120 --> 00:48:49,120 and the family of his dead wife believes he is telling the truth. 917 00:48:49,120 --> 00:48:52,120 At the outbreak of World War II, 918 00:48:52,120 --> 00:48:55,120 a young woman of the Ojibwe Indian Nation was banished by her father 919 00:48:55,120 --> 00:48:58,120 when she joined the Royal Canadian Air Force. 920 00:48:58,120 --> 00:49:02,120 Her brothers and sisters have not seen her in nearly 50 years. 921 00:49:02,120 --> 00:49:09,120 Join me next time for another intriguing edition of Unsolved Mysteries.