Fellow AMW fans! I have returned to update the 2003 episode guide, and I guess you could say that I'm back with a vengeance! I have not one, but TWO months worth of episodes for all of you to enjoy!
As a side note before I begin, these are among my favorite episodes I've ever seen of AMW. Despite being reruns, the episodes from July 12 and August 9 are ones I've seen countless times. For whatever reason, AMW profiled a ton of cold cases this summer, and as someone who loves cold cases, you can see why these episodes hold a special place in my heart.
With that out of the way, on with the episodes!
Episode #726 - July 12, 2003David Kemp (COPS Credits) - Escaped from an Oklahoma jail where he was being held for killing his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend. After more than a decade on the run, out of nowhere he surrendered in 2013.
Unknown Ronald Bridges Killer (Full segment) - Houston police seek information on a man who robbed a video game store and then killed a man whose house he was hiding out in. Still at large.
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Richard Bare (Full segment) - Wanted out of North Carolina for killing a woman by throwing her off of a cliff. The victim had apparently rebuffed Bare's sexual advances, which enraged him. He escaped from a jail cell while awaiting trial. Still at large.
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Scott Woodring (Breaking news, approx. 2 minutes) - Militia man who barricaded himself inside his home when officers came to question him about a child molestation case. Woodring shot and killed a police officer who responded, and somehow escaped from the house. He was killed in a shootout with police days later.
Malaika Griffin (Full segment) - Colorado woman wanted for shooting and killing her neighbor in what initially seemed like a dispute between neighbors. It turns out Griffin had a secret hatred of white people that nobody, not even her best friends, knew about. After eight profiles, an AMW tip led to her capture in the summer of 2005 (Capture #845). She's now serving life in prison.
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William Fischer (Full segment) - Wanted out of New York for shooting and killing his own terminally ill son and his son's female friend. Police believe Fischer killed his son because of mounting medical bills. Still at large.
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Dominique Wright (Break Four Tease) - Wanted for committing a double murder in California, allegedly over a drug deal. The victims bodies were found in a burned-out car. Wright was captured thanks to an AMW tip two months later, making him Capture #762.
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Vuthy Sok (Full segment) - Former police officer turned armored truck driver who stole several money bags during his shift. After years on the run, he was finally captured in 2012.
Episode notes: This was a rerun of the August 21, 2001 episode. It would be reaired once more the following year. In addition, William Fischer's profile in this episode is the last one to show the scene of Billy Fischer smoking a cigarette while fishing with his father in a boat. All other airings cut that scene out. I suspect AMW removed that scene because they worried it would make Billy (who was suffering from cystic fibrosis, which affects the lungs) look less sympathetic. I know I did a double-take when I first saw that scene (though it didn't change my opinion of what happened). Also, not long after this episode aired, I remember reading an article that said investigators in the Dominique Wright case wanted another airing because when the story aired on the West Coast, the audio cut out. Apparently they didn't need the second airing, since Wright was caught directly in September.
Episode #727 - July 19, 2003Patrick Dennehy (Full segment) - Tom Morris reports from Texas about the mysterious disappearance of Baylor University basketball star Patrick Dennehy. The night this episode aired, Dennehy's roommate called police and confessed to killing him. His body was found about a week later.
Brian Jones (Full segment) - Wanted out of Las Vegas for kidnapping a woman and raping her for multiple hours in his home. He disappeared on bail and spent several years on the run before being captured in Thailand.
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Greisy Valencia (Full segment) - John Walsh names accused child torturer Greisy Valencia his Public Enemy #1, and gives an update on the case. Tips from AMW viewers led investigators to Columbia, California, where she had been visiting fast food restaurants and asking about where to find bus tickets. Police even tracked down a waitress who remembered serving Valencia a glass of water. Still at large
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Unknown Denise Mansfield Killer (Full segment) - When AMW first aired this case, they believed three women had killed a CPA in her home in the Washington DC suburbs. As it turns out, the women were completely innocent; due to an error with the surveillance video's time stamp, police erroneously believed the women were using Denise Mansfield's credit card. As for the actual suspect, he is still at large.
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Dennis Lilly (Full segment) - Rick Segall visits a small village in Mexico to try and find escape artist Dennis Lilly, who escaped from prison four times. Despite excellent tips, including several confirmed sightings of him teaching paragliding on the beach, Lilly wasn't able to be found. In 2012, it was confirmed that Lilly had died of cancer.
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Dennis Hargrove (Break-Four Tease) - North Carolina fugitive wanted for a multiple shooting due to a drug debt. A 23-year-old woman was killed, and three others, including a two-year-old child, were shot. Hargrove was capture indirectly a couple weeks later.
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Jan Jablonski (Full segment) - Florida police work to track down the last remaining member of a gang of jewelry thieves who targeted wealthy homes in Palm Beach Gardens. Jan Jablonski was the getaway driver. He was captured indirectly sometime in 2003; his capture report was never uploaded to AMW.
Episode notes: The Denise Mansfield case is one of only two cases I can think of where AMW had to issue an on-air retraction, and the only one where John Walsh actually said he felt sorry for what happened (though he stopped short of saying he was sorry for anything AMW did). His tone here was very different then his appearance on Larry King Live a few weeks earlier, where he basically said something to the effect of, "It was a misunderstanding. Leave it alone and move on." Interestingly, while I was doing research on this case a few years ago, I came across an article that sharply criticized the detective in this case and called him incompetent; apparently this wasn't the only investigation he had botched up. In my personal opinion, I do think he should have dug a bit deeper when he noticed the actual suspect's credit card transaction never showed up in the bank's log, yet all three women's credit cards were logged as being used.Episode #728 - July 26, 2003Jesse James Hollywood (Full segment) - Wealthy teenage drug kingpin Jesse James Hollywood is wanted out of California for allegedly ordering the kidnapping and murder of a teenager as a way of getting back at the teen's brother, who owed Hollywood money. After five years on the run, Hollywood was captured in Brazil. He was convicted and is now serving life in prison.
Unknown Ohio State University Arsonist (Full segment) - AMW gives an in-depth look at a case in Ohio where five undergraduates at Ohio State University were killed in a fire that was deemed to be arson. One of the victims had just celebrated his birthday hours earlier. Although police had a suspect in late-2003/early-2004 who apparently confessed to the crime, I can't find anything that says he was actually charged in the case. Still at large
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Patrick Dennehy Update (Brief, approx. 1 minute) - The case of missing Baylor University basketball star Patrick Dennehy is updated to include the confession and arrest of Dennehy's roommate, Carlton Dotson, for murder, though at this point Dennehy's body hadn't been found. Investigators soon discovered the body a few days later based on information provided by Dotson, who pleaded guilty to murder in 2006.
Jerry Robinson (Full segment) - Compulsive cleaner and organizer Jerry Robinson is wanted out of Virginia for trying to kill his girlfriend during a domestic argument. Robinson allegedly shot and choked her, then pretended to call an ambulance before leaving the house. She survived, and Robinson was eventually captured indirectly in 2012.
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Unknown Evelyn Hernandez Killer and Alex Hernandez (Full segment) - In a case eerily similar to Laci Peterson, Evelyn Hernandez, a pregnant woman from California, mysteriously disappeared. Her body was found in a body of water, also like Peterson, but shockingly both her unborn baby and her son Alex were missing. Hernandez's boyfriend, Herman Aguilera, was named a person of interest, but he has never been charged in the case. Still unsolved
Ann and Samantha Kibalo (Brief, approx. 1 minute) - Police in Upstate New York are seeking information on the abduction of Samantha Kibalo, who was taken by her non-custodial mother Ann during an unsupervised visitation. Court-appointed officials called Ann Kibalo unstable and believed her daughter could be in danger. Still at large/missing
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Natan Gozman (Full segment) - Wanted out of New York for killing an up-and-coming Russian boxer after the man broke up a fight between Gozman and the band at a nightclub. Investigators believed Gozman had connections to the KGB. He was captured on fraud charges (I believe) in Ukraine in 2004, and after his release he went to Poland where INTERPOL caught him and extradited him back to the U.S.
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Gary Culp (Break-Four Tease) - West Virginia police were seeking Gary Culp for the murder of his wife, who was a high-ranking hospital official in Kentucky. Just two days after this profile, U.S. Marshals found Culp dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at a Missouri motel.
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Tabitha Tuders (Brief, approx. 1 minute) - A missing 12-year-old out of Tennessee, Tabitha Tuders never showed up at her bus stop after leaving home. A recent article in the case indicates the new detective is looking at one man who is serving time on other charges, but not much information besides that is known. Still missing
Jamie Edwards Capture (Full segment) - As a "follow-up" to the Gozman case, Tom Morris reports on the capture of Jamie Edwards, who killed an amateur boxer because the man was interfering with Edwards' drug operation. Tips placed Edwards in Antigua, and thanks to a new extradition treaty, the fugitive was brought back to Connecticut in 2003, making him AMW Capture #753.
Episode notes: This was the last time Jesse James Hollywood's "regular" profile aired. As you'll see in the next episode, this airing set off a chain reaction that resulted in Hollywood getting a remade profile which became his default airing until his capture. Also, although the Patrick Dennehy case was just an update without asking viewers for more information, amw.com listed it as a regular profile. Additionally, amw.com also claimed Richard Sanchez was going to be profiled on this episode, but his Break-Four Tease airing was likely delayed due to the breaking Gary Culp case. Sanchez was profiled a week later.
And now, here are the August 2003 episodes!
Episode #729 - August 2, 2003Nashville Top Cop (Feature) - AMW profiles the case of Nashville Police Officer Robert Butler, who successfully stopped a suspected killer after the man not only carjacked and kidnapped a man but also held two women hostage in his attempt to get away from police. Thanks to Butler's actions, the only person who was hurt was the suspect, who died after getting shot in the brainstem by the officer.
John Walsh also "tacked on" the profile of a fugitive wanted out of Nashville.
Flavio Salazar - Wanted for the murder of his wife and the abduction of their two daughters, Yasmin and Tanya. Salazar is also known as "Juan Perez." Still at large
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James Singleton - Texas police continue to hunt James Singleton, wanted for slashing his adoptive parents to death with a Chinese militia sword. Police had no idea that Singleton was already in jail in Arkansas under an alias when this profile aired, but discovered it in September.
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Steven Aitken (Breaking, approx. 1 minute, 30 seconds) - Convicted pedophile Steven Aitken was wanted out of Florida on a new charge; bank robbery. He was suspected of robbing several banks in Pinellas County with the same motive; he'd visit a car dealership, take a car on a test drive, then use it as a getaway car before abandoning it. AMW tips led to Aitken's capture in September, making him Capture #760.
John Walsh reports that last week's show saw a number of great tips come in on several cases, and asks Tom Morris to update viewers with the latest information.
Jerry Robinson (Hotline Update) - Investigators believed the attempted murder suspect was almost captured the night he was profiled after receiving a great tip from a man that said he worked with a guy named Jerry Robinson. The problem? The tipster's coworker was about 20 years older than Robinson and had lived in the area nearly all his life. Though this was a case of mistaken identity, Robinson himself was captured in 2012.
Jesse James Hollywood (Hotline Update) - AMW's new Public Enemy #1, the hotline received several credible tips on Jesse James Hollywood placing him in Vancouver Island, Canada. Though none of the tips led to Hollywood, investigators stayed on his trail and eventually nabbed him in Brazil.
Unknown Evelyn Hernandez Killer and Alex Hernandez (Hotline Update) - A tip came into the hotline with information that suggested Evelyn Hernandez's boyfriend, Herman Aguilera, was acting strangely around the time she disappeared. According to the tipster, Aguilera initially didn't act concerned when his girlfriend went missing, but began worrying once the media began paying attention to the case. However, that's really just circumstantial evidence and doesn't prove anything. Still unsolved
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Stanley Obas (Full segment) - In 1996, Pennsylvania police investigated a shocking crime where a 13-year-old girl, using a fake name and age, was tortured and murdered. The teen was killed by three men who believed she had stolen their drug money and had her body dumped in a cemetery. A chewed-up piece of gum helped identify the suspects; two were captured, but Stanley Obas, the third suspect, was never found. Still at large
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Richard Sanchez (Break-Four Tease) - Wanted for raping his sister-in-law and abducting his three sons while he was released on bail. In 2009, a truck was found submerged in a lake with four bodies in it. It turns out those bodies were Sanchez and his sons; police believe he committed suicide right after he went on the run.
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David Creamer (Brief, approx. 1 minute, 30 seconds) - The U.S. Marshals are seeking David Creamer for distributing CDs that contained child pornography as well as hoarding hundreds of illegal guns in a warehouse he was renting. Still at large
Edward Santana Capture (Full segment) - Ed Miller reports on the capture of salsa-dancing killer Edward Santana, who was profiled in June and captured less than a week after his profile. Santana allegedly stabbed his girlfriend multiple times in the face with a screwdriver. He was apparently arrested the day after his birthday.
Episode notes: This episode is the last time Stanley Obas' full profile aired. His remaining profiles were All-Points Bulletin airings.
Episode #730 - August 9, 2003Pinkney "Chip" Carter (Full segment) - Police in Florida seek Pinkney "Chip" Carter for a triple homicide; he allegedly killed his ex-girlfriend, her new boyfriend and her 16-year-old daughter. His ex-girlfriend's son was sleeping in another room and survived. Carter was eventually captured in Kentucky and is now on death row.
Donald Kueck (Breaking news, approx. 2 minutes) - Suspected meth producer Donald Kueck is wanted out of New Mexico for killing a sheriff's deputy. It's believed the deputy stumbled across a meth-producing operation when Kueck killed him. Kueck himself had been located by the time the episode aired and was killed in a shootout after barricading himself in his hideout.
Unknown Hector Perez Killers (Full segment) - A group of teens talk about their friend, nine-year-old Hector Perez, who was killed in a drive-by shooting in Nevada. As of this airing, police were still trying to determine a motive, but they didn't believe any of the teenagers were targets. Still unsolved
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Unknown New Orleans Robbers (Full segment) - Three unidentified men are wanted for committing at least two violent robberies in New Orleans. They first hit a truck stop casino where they shot a woman and dragged her in order to get to the money. The men also hit an AutoZone store where they almost shot a truck driver because they thought he was a police officer. Still at large, and it's entirely possible the statute of limitations has expired on this case.
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Edward Mathis (All-Points Bulletin) - A member of the U.S. Marshals' 15 Most Wanted, Mathis was wanted for the machine gun murders of a Staten Island couple in the early 90s. Police believe the murders may have been drug-motivated. The night this profile aired, AMW got a solid tip saying Mathis was working at a car dealership in Detroit. Exactly a week later, the Marshals tracked down Mathis to a motel room where he was killed in a shootout with investigators, making him Capture #758.
Unknown Jana Eyster Killer (All-Points Bulletin) - In 1999, police in Ohio responded to an apartment fire and found the dead body of a woman inside. It turns out the victim, Jana Eyster, was dead before the fire even started. Police wanted to question a man caught on surveillance hours earlier at a hardware store buying a gas can. Years later, police linked Kenneth Tucker to the murder. What's weird is that Tucker himself was profiled on AMW back in 1999 for an unrelated crime.
Shelden Daniel (All-Points Bulletin) - Wanted out of Pennsylvania for being a part of a robbery crew that struck an Office Max store. Due to poor planning, the gang didn't realize the store was open later than it was supposed to be and instead of being empty the store was filled with customers. A manager was grazed by a bullet but survived. Shelden Daniel was the only one who got away, but an AMW tip led to his arrest in January 2004, making him Capture #774.
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Eugene Linder (Full segment) - Playboy wanted out of Las Vegas for killing his girlfriend and burying her body in the desert. Linder was captured indirectly in 2005 during a routine traffic stop.
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David Zuccolotto (Break-Four Tease) - Wanted out of Wisconsin for raping a young girl. He was captured indirectly in 2011.
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Inside the World of the Hitman (Feature) - Ed Miller profiles a police officer who used to work undercover as a hitman and all of his experiences. Included is a "tacked-on" profile of an unsolved hitman case.
Unknown Mickey & Trudy Thompson Hitmen - Police in California seek two men who shot and killed race car legend Mickey Thompson and his wife Trudy. A former business partner, Michael Goodwin, was convicted of ordering the hit on the Thompsons, but the hitmen themselves were never identified. Still at large
Episode notes: Around the time this episode aired, a woman from Indiana was in the news for calling the family of a missing child and claiming that she was the girl. Turns out the woman was a pathological liar who, for some reason, thought she was doing something good. One of the articles I read around this time claimed the missing children hoax wasn't the first time the woman struck; she apparently also called in a false tip to AMW regarding Chip Carter. When John Walsh says they had a tipster call in and say Carter was still in Mexico riding his purple motorcycle, I can't help but think that might have been the false tip that was called in; when Carter was captured, he was in Kentucky and apparently didn't have his motorcycle with him.
Episode #731 - August 16, 2003Brigitte Hartwig (COPS Credits) - Accused drunk driver from Boca Raton who t-boned another car, killing a little girl who was inside. Hartwig was arrested, but bonded out and disappeared. Sometime around 2005, she was found living in Germany, her homeland, but because the process of extradition was too complicated, the charges against her were dropped.
Nova Guthrie and Craig Pritchert (Full segment) - A modern-day Bonnie and Clyde, Guthrie and Pritchert were wanted for robbing a series of banks throughout the western United States. Pritchert originally went solo, but after he met Guthrie she became his partner in crime. The duo was indirectly captured about a week after this profile. They were living in South Africa and working at a successful nightclub. They've both been convicted and sentenced, but I think they're both out by now.
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Vernon Henry (Full segment) - Idaho man wanted for killing his wife and his own daughter after a family dispute. Henry was very controlling and paranoid about his family, and believed everybody was out to get him. His oldest son, Justin, had actually left home in order to get away from Henry's jealous grasp. Still at large
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Unknown Amy Quinton Killer (Full segment) - Police were seeking an unknown person wanted for assaulting three college coeds, killing one of them by stabbing her in the heart. One of the victims actually called 911 but the suspect forced her to hang up. When dispatch called back, the suspect picked up and told them "We're okay, you don't need to come here." In 2006, a suspect was arrested, but the charges were dropped a couple years ago because prosecutors worried their evidence wasn't strong enough.
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Phokham Keomanivong (Full segment) - Gang member wanted out of Utah for killing a man who accused Keomanivong and the gang of stealing his car stereo. When the man confronted Keomanivong, he pulled out a gun and shot the victim in the chest, killing him almost instantly. In January 2004, police found Keomanivong's body inside of a car. He apparently thought police were closing in on him, so he killed himself.
Unknown Rick DeVecchi Killer (Full segment) - Warehouse worker who was killed in a hit-and-run incident outside of his family business. Rick and his brother had seen a suspicious man rummaging through the garbage, and when they investigated a car came speeding out and hit Rick, killing him. Still unsolved
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Karl Muench (Break-Four Tease) - Sex offender wanted for raping a 19-year-old woman in New York. The night of the broadcast, AMW tips led to his arrest in South Carolina, making him Capture #759.
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Michel Barrera (Full segment) - Florida fugitive wanted for committing home invasion robberies, car thefts and bank robberies. He also shot at police officers who were pursuing him while he fled from a bank robbery. Still at large
Episode notes: This was a rerun of the July 7, 2001 episode. Also, I'm pretty sure Karl Muench was supposed to be profiled a couple weeks earlier, but I'm not sure what episode it was going to be.
Episode #732 - August 23, 2003 (Murder in Bayou Blue Special Edition)Unknown Ray Guidry Killer (Full-case episode) - AMW investigators Joe Matthews and Ron Antoci travel to Slidell, Louisiana, where they investigate the cold case 1987 murder of Ray Guidry. Known as the Hugh Hefner of Slidell, Guidry was found stabbed to death in his own home. There were many suspects, from ex-girlfriends to Guidry's own children, but despite law enforcement's best efforts nobody was ever charged. Matthews and Antoci made several key discoveries in the investigation, including circumstantial evidence that investigators may have focused on the wrong Guidry child and that greed, not revenge, may have been the motive. Yet even though AMW helped focus the investigation, they never found enough evidence to have anyone charged. Still unsolved
Roberto Ollervidez (Break-Four Tease) - Wanted for raping his seven-year-old stepdaughter in Texas. Still at large
Episode notes: This was a rerun of the August 18, 2001 episode, and the last time the Ray Guidry case was profiled on AMW. Interestingly, when amw.com was revamped in 2004, a feature story about this case claimed that an update was going to happen sometime that summer. As we all know, that never happened.
Episode #733 - August 30, 2003James Bulger (Full segment) - The saga of James "Whitey" Bulger continues as his brother, Billy Bulger, is called to testify in front of Congress about how much he knows about the fugitive's whereabouts. Despite numerous sightings overseas, Bulger was captured in California in 2011 and was recently convicted of various racketeering and murder charges.
Genero Dorantes and Martha Patlan (Full segment) - Five months after going on the run, Genero Dorantes is added to the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List for the murder of his girlfriend's son. Dorantes' girlfriend, Martha Patlan, was also wanted for murder. Both were captured in February 2006 after Patlan surrendered; both are now serving time.
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Unknown West Virginia Sniper (Full segment) - John Turchin reports on the hunt for an unidentified sniper, wanted for killing three people seemingly at random. All police had to go on was a sketch of a person of interest. In 2011, police arrested Shawn Lester and charged him with all three murders. He later accepted a plea agreement and is now serving life in prison.
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Carmen Cabrera (All-Points Bulletin) - Los Angeles Police seek Carmen Cabrera, who is wanted for shooting and killing her boss at the textile factory where they both worked. Police believe Cabrera killed the man because he was going to break off their relationship. Still at large
Gordon Weaver (All-Points Bulletin) - Wanted out of Minnesota for killing his wife and then setting her and their house on fire to cover his tracks. He bonded out and disappeared until 2004, when a suspicious friend contacted AMW and said Weaver was living in Oregon. Weaver was AMW Capture #796.
Victor Rodas (All-Points Bulletin) - During a drunken rage, Rodas allegedly slashed his housemate to death with a machete. The victim had apparently refused to buy Rodas any more beer. Rodas fled New Jersey and hasn't been seen since. Still at large
Heaven Ross (Brief, approx. 1 minute) - Alabama police issued an urgent alert for missing child Heaven Ross. Police later tried to connect her disappearance with those of Teresa Dean in 1999 and Shannon Paulk in 2001, but they never found a connection. Her body was found in December 2006, but no killer has been found.
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The Oyxcontin Epidemic (Feature) - AMW travels to Massachusetts where a former Oxycontin addict talks about the dangers of the drug which is meant as a pain reliever. The crime associated with Oxycontin addiction is also profiled. At the tail end of the airing, three photos of unknown Oxycontin robbers are broadcast, but to my knowledge none were ever identified, and I'm certain the statute of limitations is now expired.
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Elio Benavente (Break-Four Tease) - Wanted for stabbing two men to death in the parking lot of a bar in the late 80s. Benavente was finally captured in 2016.
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Raymond Scoville (Full segment) - Once a prominent Chicago record store owner, Scoville is now wanted for killing his mistress/business partner. Police say he killed her after she shut down one of his stores because he was stealing from it and running it poorly. He jumped bail but was convicted in absentia. Still at large.
Notes: The profile of Whitey Bulger that aired in this episode became his default airing for the next several years. Later versions edit out the part where investigators discuss the time Bulger extorted a liquor store from the owner by allowing the man's daughter to play with a gun (most likely for time constraints). Interestingly, that man was supposed to testify at Bulger's trial but was found dead just a week before his testimony. I don't know if police could link Bulger to the man's death or not. Also, during the Dorantes/Patlan case, one of the investigators flat-out says he believes that Patlan tried to get help for Luis Cisneros and that Dorantes was the one responsible for the boy's death. This almost makes you wonder if investigators considered giving her immunity. Finally, the West Virginia Sniper case is the first one I'm aware of where AMW conducted their interviews in front of a green screen, which allowed them to show a reenactment or footage in the background while the subject is talking. This would become standard practice starting in the 17th season, which started two weeks after this episode aired.
I hope to have the September/October episodes up sometime in early February!
