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Post by pakman on Jan 24, 2022 11:10:52 GMT -5
Well, fellow AMW fans, after literally years of delays (I was still living in Iowa the last time I did an analysis!) I've finally gone back and re-started my complete look at America's Most Wanted episodes that aired in 2005! I'm kicking myself because I had notes on the first episode for almost two years, but for some reason I just didn't bother organizing those notes or watching the other episodes. But I'm happy to say I'm back for analyzing episodes, and I'm happy to present my look at the episodes that aired in June 2005!
You'll notice I made a few really changes to the guide. First of all, instead of saying "Fugitive recap," I now call it the "Case recap," since not only is every case recapped not necessarily a fugitive, but it also goes along with John Walsh saying, "Now here's a quick review of tonight's cases." Secondly, I modified the "Next month on AMW" feature I do. I realized the way I was doing it was too wordy, and as I was preparing this last night, I thought I sounded too cheesy in my preview. But I didn't want to get rid of it, so instead I simplified it and hopefully made it more cohesive.
But you're here for the analysis, so let's get going!
Episode #807 – June 4, 2005
Unknown Casey Jo Pipestem Killer (Full segment) – In Grapevine, Texas, a Jane Doe was found dumped off of a highway bridge. The victim had tattoos that were consistent with being a Seminole Native American. Detective Larry Hallmark traveled to Oklahoma, where he found a man that identified the Jane Doe as his niece, Casey Jo Pipestem. Detective Hallmark discovered that Casey lived a good life until she moved from Oklahoma City to Seminole, Oklahoma. She eventually got suspended from high school and returned to Oklahoma City, where she lived on the streets. Eventually, Casey became a “lot lizard;” a prostitute who works at truck spots and specifically caters to truck drivers. Detective Hallmark believed Casey was picked up by a truck driver who eventually killed her and dumped her body in Texas. The possibility of Casey having been murdered by a serial killer was also explored, as there were a number of other murders of prostitutes along Interstate 40. Turns out, that was the most likely scenario; in 2013, truck driver serial killer John Robert Williams, who was already in police custody, was charged with Casey’s murder.
(commercial break)
John Lockhart (All-Points Bulletin) – A law school graduate with a seemingly happy life was hiding a dark secret. Investigators found photos of Lockhart on his computer of him raping a 4-month-old baby. Lockhart fled before the investigation concluded, but thanks to AMW tips, he was the day after this profile, making him Capture #846.
Artur Martirosyan (All-Points Bulletin) – In 1998, he allegedly took part in a shooting spree in Aurora, Colorado, where he and two accomplices allegedly gunned down five people in a single afternoon. He and another accomplice then allegedly shot and killed another accomplice. Martirosyan was the only suspect who got away. Still at large
Anibal Mustelier (All-Points Bulletin) – An accused hitman in South Florida, he’s alleged to have tried to kill a man by blowing up the victim’s car. But the plan ended up failing as the bomb was placed under the car incorrectly, leaving nobody dead. Mustelier was captured in 2016 running a jewelry theft ring, and later died in prison.
(commercial break)
Juan Nieto Capture (Full segment) – In a horrendously violent attack, Nieto was wanted for violently raping a woman in Wisconsin and then setting her on fire; she miraculously survived the assault. With the help of his boss, police identified Nieto and his accomplice and charged them. Nieto fled, but after his profile in November 2004, AMW tips pointed to Atlanta. While they didn’t lead to him, police kept looking and eventually found Nieto hiding out in his brother’s apartment.
(commercial break)
Malaika Griffin (Full segment) – Tom Morris reports on a studious woman from Denver who was hiding a dark secret. Investigators said, after several arguments with her neighbors, Griffin shot and killed one of them before fleeing. When police searched her house, they found weapons and journals filled with racist rants against white people and evidence that Griffin was preparing for a race war. This ended up being Griffin’s last profile; as a result of this airing, tips led police to California where she was nabbed, making her Capture #845.
(commercial break)
Natalee Holloway (Break Four Tease) – Alabama high school student who went missing while her class was on a senior trip to Aruba. Still missing
(commercial break continues)
Daniel San Diego (Full segment) – The FBI is seeking Daniel San Diego for bombing a bio-tech firm that he believed was testing their products on animals. San Diego is alleged to be a member of an eco-terrorist group that targets facilities that participate in animal testing. Still at large
After the profile, John Walsh reveals that, since the last airing of the case, the FBI has received information that San Diego has gotten more tattoos on his body. Artist renderings of those tattoos are shown in the hopes of finding the fugitive.
In the Line of Duty – Detective Lavern Brann (Battle Creek Police Department, Michigan)
(commercial break)
Next week on AMW (Brief, approx. 10 seconds) – AMW has been following the case of missing woman Brooke Wilberger for a year. But now, a mysterious phone call could lead to a break in the case. More information will be revealed next week.
Case recap – John Lockhart, Artur Martirosyan, Malaika Griffin, Daniel San Diego
John Walsh says next week’s show will feature an update on the Lake Pontchartrain Jane Doe murder investigation. After AMW aired the case, a tipster called in and said she thinks she knows who Jane Doe is. Did the case get solved? We’ll find out next week.
Episode notes:
- This episode was filmed in the AMW Studio.
- If my analysis of the Casey Jo Pipestem murder seems really wordy, that's because the story took up nearly half the episode. Oddly, it's told in one segment which comes to almost 17 minutes of story. You know if this were AMW's later years, the story would have been divided up with a commercial in the middle.
- The AMW Forums are mentioned by Don LaFontaine, who invites viewers to visit and discuss the Casey Jo Pipestem murder, as well as the other murders along Interstate 40.
- John Lockhart’s profile does not mention that he was one of the U.S. Marshals’ 15 Most Wanted.
- Anibal Mustelier’s profile only mentions the bombing he was accused of. The previous attempt on the man’s life and the jewelry heist from 1996 are not mentioned.
- When John Walsh introduces Juan Nieto’s capture report, a graphic showing TV screens is in the background. The one AMW shows a closeup if is a news report on the case, but as the camera pulls back, you can see other screens that show not only other newscasts, but clips from AMW as well. I saw a clip from Final Justice on one screen, Dimitros Androutsopoulos on another, and Damar Pink on another, among several clips I can’t identify.
- Despite Juan Nieto being marked as indirect, his capture report makes it seem like it was a direct capture.
- Additionally, it’s never mentioned that Nieto was considered a potential suspect in the murder of Katie Sepich, likely because he’d been ruled out by this point.
- While Malaika Griffin’s profile is listed as a full airing, it has new narration and a new script from Tom Morris and is considerably shorter than her normal full profile. Quite a bit from the original airing was cut out.
- Daniel San Diego’s profile is also not only abbreviated, it only mentions the Chiron bombing, and the company’s name isn’t mentioned at all (although it’s identified in the on-screen credit when the spokesman talks about the bombing). Additionally, John never directly says Chiron is involved in animal testing, only saying “The bomber must have believed the company was involved in animal testing.” Given the headache this case gave AMW with them incorrectly stating Shaklee tested their products on animals when they don’t, I’m not surprised at these edits. This was actually San Diego's first profile since AMW had to retract their statement that Shaklee tested on animals.
- During Detective Lavern Brann’s Line of Duty feature, it’s mentioned that he had helped AMW in the past, specifically with apprehending Capture #660 (Robert Mitchell III). After his passing, I remember Mitchell’s profile was added to the site.
- Although AMW says an update on Brooke Wilberger will be featured the following week, it ended up not appearing for two weeks.
Episode #808 – June 11, 2005
James “Rick” Johnson Capture (Full segment) – Ed Miller reports that a longtime AMW fugitive has finally been foiled, and it was completely his fault. James “Rick” Johnson was accused of masterminding a jewelry store heist in Alameda, California, owned by an older couple he knew and who thought Johnson was a friend. The heist was a bust after the crew panicked when they learned a cop was in the area. After eight years on the run, Johnson was in Seattle, where, for some unknown reason, he stole the tip jar at a drive-through coffee stand. Cops chased him on foot for 45 minutes before finally catching up to him, and found $2,000 in cash on him. Johnson soon admitted his identity and was sent back to California.
Capture Update (Brief, approx. 10 seconds) – Don LaFontaine announces, as four fugitives flash on the screen, that tipsters nabbed two fugitives off of last week’s show. He says to tune in next week to find out who, but if you can’t wait, log in to amw.com to find out who they were.
(commercial break)
Elby Hars (15 Seconds of Shame) – Convicted pedophile who is accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl in South Carolina. Still at large
Domingo Valdez (15 Seconds of Shame) – Wanted out of Cottonwood, Arizona for killing a man, then leaving the victim’s body inside of his own car and abandoning it. Still at large
Rogelio Deaquino (15 Seconds of Shame) – Accused of luring a mentally handicapped woman into his apartment and raping her. Deaquino fled during his trial. Still at large
Douglas Holler (15 Seconds of Shame) – Ohio fugitive wanted for blowing through a stop sign while drunk and crashing into the car in front of him, killing its driver. Thanks to AMW tips, Holler was discovered to have never left the state and was caught trying to rent an apartment, making him Capture #866.
Unknown Lake Pontchartrain Jane Doe Killer (Full segment, Part 1) – Four months after AMW aired the case of a Jane Doe found floating in Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana, new clues are heating up the cold case. The victim’s body was found in 1986, and thus far, police had no luck figuring out who she was. In 2003, retired Detective Marco Demma began investigating the case after he received information that it might be a missing woman from Ohio named Lisa Sexton. However, after exhuming Jane Doe’s body, she was ruled out as being Lisa. He brought the case to AMW, and the night the case aired, Detective Demma got several tips naming possible missing persons, but all became dead ends. Until a few days later when he received a call from a woman who said she thought Lake Pontchartrain Jane Doe might have been a woman she knew in the ‘80s that worked at a restaurant she frequented.
(commercial break)
Unknown Lake Pontchartrain Jane Doe Killer (Full segment, Part 2) – Following the tip, Detective Marco Demma traveled to Slidell, Louisiana to talk to Brenda Hoover, the tipster who thought she knew who Lake Pontchartrain Jane Doe was. She said back in the ‘80s, she befriended a waitress at a Waffle House restaurant named Jennifer who looked similar to Jane Doe. Not only that, but the woman had once had a hip injury from a car accident, which matched what investigators found when they examined Jane Doe's body. Jennifer moved to Florida in 1985, but kept in touch with Brenda and her husband. In 1986, Jennifer said she was coming for a visit to Louisiana, but Brenda and her husband never heard from her again after that letter. This was around the time Lake Pontchartrain Jane Doe was found. Detective Demma investigated and was able to track down Jennifer. She was alive and well in Florida. While Brenda and her husband were relieved that Jennifer was not Jane Doe, it meant that mystery was still unsolved. Lake Pontchartrain Jane Doe remains unidentified to this day.
John Walsh also reminds viewers that Lisa Sexton, the woman initially thought to be Lake Pontchartrain Jane Doe, also hadn’t been found. Lisa remains a missing person.
(commercial break)
Andre Neverson (Full segment) – Wanted out of Brooklyn for the murders of his ex-girlfriend and his own sister. AMW has profiled Neverson multiple times since 2002 and received multiple tips. One tip placed him in Nevada, which turned out to be one of Mike Tyson’s sparring partners, and another placed him in upstate New York, but that didn’t pan out. Through the years cops have uncovered new photos of Neverson in a dreadlock wig and he’s been added to the U.S. Marshals’ 15 Most Wanted List. Neverson was finally captured in 2018 following a routine traffic stop.
(commercial break)
Ana Acevedo and Victor Hernandez (Break Four Tease) – Ana Acevedo went missing from her home in North Carolina. She may have been in the company of Victor Hernandez. Ana was recovered alive a short time after this profile. Victor Hernandez, as far as I know, remains a fugitive.
(commercial break continues)
Mark Everett (Full segment) – A former child actor, Mark Everett is wanted for the murder of his girlfriend. Police believe he killed her after she caught him sneaking out of the house with their son, Benjamin. He’s accused of beating her to death with a dumbbell before taking his son on the run with him. In 2008, Everett was killed by police after he held his son hostage in a restaurant bathroom. Benjamin was injured, but survived.
In the Line of Duty – Officer Larry Lasater (Pittsburg Police Department, California)
(commercial break)
Case recap – Domingo Valdez, Rogelio Deaquino, Elby Hars, Unknown Lake Pontchartrain Jane Doe Killer, Andre Neverson, Mark Everett
Episode notes:
- This episode was filmed in the AMW Studio.
- AMW says that James “Rick” Johnson was profiled five times, and for once AMW was close; he was profiled six times. One of those profiles was in 1998, but the rest were in 2002 and later, so perhaps the first airing was just a brief.
- Unbelievably, John Walsh says that Johnson was granted bail, despite being a fugitive for eight years. Given that AMW never aired him again, I think it’s safe to say he actually made all his court appearances.
- The four fugitives shown on screen during Don LaFontaine’s capture announcement are Malaika Griffin, Daniel San Diego, Anibal Mustelier and John Lockhart.
- Curiously, Douglas Holler’s 15 Seconds of Shame profile does not mention that he was driving drunk at the time of the crash.
- The name of the woman police thought was Lake Pontchartrain Jane Doe was stated numerous times in the segment (first and last). But they blur her photo out when they show it, and John says that AMW spoke to her and she asked that her face not be shown. Given this, I’ve chosen not to mention her full name in my analysis.
- Andre Neverson’s profile is a combination of his June 2003 airing and his March 2004 airing, and would become his default airing, with only a few minor tweaks in the future.
- During the Break Four Tease, Victor Hernandez’s photo is shown, but his name isn’t mentioned. John Walsh simply says “She may be traveling with this man.”
- Ana Acevedo and Victor Hernandez appear on a black background as opposed to either a green background (for fugitives) or blue (for missing persons).
- John Walsh introduces Mark Everett’s profile with the generic, “The police are really stumped on this next case and they need your tips to help them solve it tonight,” leading me to believe Everett wasn’t originally going to be profiled on this episode and was a last-minute addition.
- During In the Line of Duty, the text on the graphic stating “It is not how these officers died that made them heroes, it is how they live” is so over-exposed, you can’t even read it. I know this was a problem for many, many of these features that would lead the show to eventually just replace it with on-screen text.
Episode #809 – June 18, 2005
John Lockhart Capture (Full segment) – Teamwork between law enforcement and AMW tipsters led to the arrest of a vile accused pedophile. John Lockhart, a family man from Ohio, had photos on his computer of him raping a four-month-old child. After AMW aired his case, dozens of tips came in from Venice Beach in California, stating he was working as a bartender and going by the name Dallas Locke. One tipster even emailed photos of the suspect to the hotline. Cops left the AMW hotline immediately for California and began staking out his apartment. After 14 hours of surveillance with nothing to show, finally, Lockhart left his apartment and was arrested, making him Capture #846.
Unknown Gretchen Perham Killer / Unknown Albany School Girl Attacker (Full segment) – John Turchin travels to Albany, New York, where two violent crimes against teenage girls may be connected. In May, police found the body of 14-year-old Gretchen Perham. She had been stabbed to death. Her body was found on the other side of town, and police believe she was killed elsewhere. Almost a month to the day of Gretchen’s murder, another 14-year-old girl was attacked in Albany while walking to school. She put up a fight, and even tried holding the knife away from her, cutting her in the process. The suspect got scared off by two witnesses who came running after they heard the teen yelling for help. They helped police develop a composite sketch. Police were unsure if the crimes were related, but said it was possible. A short time after this profile, the man who attacked the second girl was identified as Darius Ashley. Apparently, he had nothing to do with Gretchen Perham’s murder, as that case is still unsolved.
(commercial break)
Natalee Holloway (Update, approx. 2 minutes) – Tom Morris gives viewers the latest information in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, the teen who vanished in Aruba while on a class trip. Police have zeroed in on three men, Joran van Der Sloot and Satish and Deepak Kalpoe, who Natalee was last seen with. The three men were questioned, and their stories don’t match, with the brothers saying they left van Der Sloot with Natalee, and van Der Sloot saying the brothers left with her. Other persons of interest have been arrested and released. Tom specifically asks for any visitors to Aruba to call the hotline. Natalee is still missing.
John Walsh hopes for the best in the Natalee Holloway case, and said it reminds the team at AMW of another young woman who went missing, and whose case AMW has been following.
Brooke Wilberger (Full segment) – Ed Miller returns with an update on the missing persons case of Brooke Wilberger. Brooke went missing just over a year ago in Corvallis, Oregon, while she was doing odd jobs at an apartment complex owned by her sister and brother-in-law. Brooke was home after her first semester of college at Brigham Young University. In the latest development, police have said they’re seeking a green minivan. The day Brooke disappeared, a man named Brian called 911 to report a green minivan driving recklessly in a neighboring town a half an hour after she vanished. The call got dropped and police couldn’t get any more information. That green minivan ended up breaking the case wide open, as it eventually led to Joel Courtney, the man who would be charged with Brooke’s abduction and murder. He later pleaded guilty and gave up the location of Brooke’s body.
(commercial break)
Stanley Obas (All-Points Bulletin) – Police in Easton, Pennsylvania are looking for Stanley Obas for his part in the torture and murder of a 13-year-old runaway girl. It’s alleged that they killed her because they thought she stole her drugs and money. Still at large
Victor Rodas (All-Points Bulletin) – Accused of slashing his housemate to death because the victim refused to give him money for alcohol. Rodas was last known to be in Delaware. Still at large
Kenneth Cofer (All-Points Bulletin) – Wanted out of Oklahoma City for the shooting death of a Vietnam War veteran. The two friends had a conflict that spun out of control. Still at large
(commercial break)
Antonio Delacruz (Full segment) – Houston police were looking for Antonio Delacruz for the murder of a drug dealer. When police cornered Delacruz, he poured gasoline on himself then set himself on fire, but he survived with severe burns. Delacruz bonded out and disappeared while awaiting trial. He was captured in 2006.
(commercial break)
Alexis Patterson (Break Four Tease) – In 2002, Alexis Patterson went missing while walking to school in Wisconsin. Still missing
(commercial break continues)
The Safety Chick: Prevent Stalking by Stalking Yourself – Kathleen Beatty returns to give some pointers on how to avoid becoming a stalking victim. A stalking survivor herself, Kathleen hires an actor to stalk a woman to show how easy it is to become a victim. After revealing herself to the woman, Kathleen says you can avoid stalking by switching up your daily routine, becoming more aware of your surroundings and essentially stalking yourself.
In the Line of Duty – Deputy Roger Lynch (Livingston County Sheriff’s Department, Kentucky)
(commercial break)
Case recap – Unknown Albany School Girl Attacker, Natalee Holloway, Brooke Wilberger, Stanley Obas, Victor Rodas, Kenneth Cofer, Antonio Delacruz
Episode notes:
- This episode was filmed in the AMW Studio.
- During John Lockhart’s capture report, John Walsh mentions that Lockhart was on the U.S. Marshals’ Most Wanted List, but oddly doesn’t specifically say it was the 15 Most Wanted List.
- The Albany School Girl Attacker and Gretchen Perham Killer are one of the few non-Florida cases John Turchin has reported on.
- The cases in Albany appear on fugitive card that has a black background, as opposed to the green background the show generally uses.
- At the time, the green minivan clue in the Brooke Wilberger case seemed innocuous, since they don’t really explain why a recklessly-driven minivan would have any connection to her disappearance. It was later revealed that the green minivan had been spotted in the parking lot of the apartment complex where Brooke vanished from, which is where police made the possible connection. Once again, this shows that what the public knows in a police investigation is usually drastically different than what the police know.
- After Brooke Wilberger’s story, John Walsh reveals that her page on amw.com is one of the most visited on the website.
- John plugs the AMW.com Forums, saying viewers can participate in a discussion on the Brooke Wilberger case.
- Why was Kenneth Cofer profiled so soon after his previous profile? Well, remember last time I mentioned AMW called the 2002 photo of Cofer an age-enhanced photo? This time around they aired the correct age-enhanced photo. I suspect that’s why they did this.
- Fans of Cold Justice on Oxygen might recognize the investigator on the Antonio Delacruz case; it’s none other than Abbey Abbondandolo. Here he’s credited under his real name of Clement Abbondandolo.
- Once again, Kathleen Beatty’s name is misspelled as “Kathleen Baty.”
- I’m fairly certain this is the last time The Safety Chick appeared on AMW. While she does a tremendous public service, and The Safety Chick is still around today, I wonder if her methods were a little too much for the show. I’ve mentioned before that, while she’s only trying to educate, I think her methods were a little unorthodox.
- I didn't mention this in my analysis, but the stalking "victim" in The Safety Chick story was a friend of a friend of one of the producers. The friend was concerned that the woman's routine would make her susceptible to stalking.
- I only recently found this out, but Kathleen’s story of being a stalking victim was actually featured on Rescue 911. The story was called "Stalker Save," and I've linked to it in case you'd like to watch it. The Rescue 911 reenactment is actually quite accurate, since Kathleen says her stalker confronted her while she was checking her phone messages - this is exactly what is shown in the story.
Episode #810 – June 25, 2005Malaika Griffin Capture (Full segment) – After six years on the run and eight profiles on America’s Most Wanted, Malaika Griffin has finally been arrested. Griffin was accused of shooting and killing her neighbor in Denver. Police believe the quiet, studious Griffin harbored a secret hatred of white people and was planning for a race war. On the night of her final profile, a woman who was watching thought Griffin looked like one of her coworkers at a bio-tech firm in California, a woman who called herself Lake Griffin. She wasn’t quite sure, so she called another coworker to look at amw.com, and when that coworker dropped the phone in shock, the woman knew it was her, and called in the tip. The very next day, police arrested Griffin at her apartment, making her AMW Capture #845. Griffin was reportedly a very kind person and a hard-worker, with everyone saying they were stunned when they saw her on AMW. (commercial break) Marlon Winters (Full segment) – Wanted out of a small town in Texas for molesting two little girls in the late ‘90s. Police say he befriended the girls and would play games with them and take them out to gain their trust, then sexually assault them. He’d previously been accused of molesting his own children and nieces, but was never charged. Winters bonded out after paying just $9,000 and vanished. Still at large Dean Schwartzmiller Capture (Brief, approx. 15 seconds) – Don LaFontaine mentions the man who could be the worst pedophile ever known. Dean Schwartzmiller was just arrested for child molestation, but was an unregistered sex offender with convictions in multiple states, and had lists of children in his home. Don says to visit the AMW Forums to discuss the case. (commercial break) Tamika Huston (Full segment) – Tom Morris is back with an update on a mysterious disappearance AMW has been following. Tamika Huston went missing in Spartanburg, South Carolina around the same time as a mysterious phone call where an anonymous man said his brother killed his girlfriend and dumped her body in a lake. Police didn’t find a body, but they did find an apartment where traces of Tamika’s blood were on the floor. The previous tenant, who admitted dating Tamika, said he was cleaning up a ketchup stain on the floor. The night AMW aired the case, a tipster called in and said she was with that same man and he told her it was a Kool-Aid stain, making cops even more suspicious of the unnamed man. Tips also came in on where Tamika’s body might be found, but they didn’t pan out. A few months after this profile, Tamika’s ex, Christopher Hampton, was arrested for her murder and would lead police to her body. (commercial break) Dennis Ervin (15 Seconds of Shame) – Back in the 1970s, he sexually assaulted an elderly woman in Wisconsin. He was placed in a mental health facility but escaped. Still at large Donald Lynch (15 Seconds of Shame) – Tennessee police say Lynch was supposed to be babysitting two young girls, but ended up raping both of them. He was indirectly captured in 2007. Frederico Pimienta (15 Seconds of Shame) – Marine accused of shooting and killing another Marine. He fled during his court martial. Pimienta surrendered in early 2006. Andre Harris (15 Seconds of Shame) – Wanted out of New York City for shooting and killing a man during a home invasion robbery. Still at large William Plemons (Full segment) – Rick Segall has the latest on one of John Walsh’s most wanted fugitives. William Plemons is accused of killing his wife after police believe she discovered Plemons was embezzling money from her and draining her bank accounts. After AMW aired him in February 2004, tips led to Coral Gables, Florida, where he was having drinks at the Moose Lodge and trying to steal the waitress’ tips. Phoenix detectives traveled to New York to track down another wife of Plemons’ and they learned that she cut him off and has had nothing to do with him since prior to him becoming a fugitive. Plemons is still at large. (commercial break) Shania Supanich (Break Four Tease) – Eight-year-old girl has gone missing from her home in Washington state. She was safely recovered in Montana a year after this profile. (commercial break continues) Rufino Castaneda (Full segment) – Indiana police were seeking Rufino Castaneda for the kidnapping and rape of a woman from a bar. The victim was able to fight back against her attacker and hide until she was able to call for help. Following AMW’s initial airing of the case in May 2003, “Tiffany,” the victim held a live chat on its website with her and she’s since been in contact with many people, including fellow rape survivors. This ended up being Castaneda’s final profile; he was indirectly captured in Mexico in 2007. In the Line of Duty – Officer Peter Resch (Wadena Police Department, Minnesota) (commercial break) Case recap – Marlon Winters, Dennis Ervin, Frederico Pimienta, Andre Harris, William Plemons, Rufino Castaneda, Shania Supanich Episode notes:
- This episode was filmed in the AMW Studio.
- Leading up to Malaika Griffin’s capture report, clips from her previous eight profiles are shown.
- Before the Marlon Winters story, the background shows a bunch of photos, which John Walsh says are all accused pedophiles AMW has caught. Using the slow-motion tool, here’s who I was able to identify; David Saracino (Capture #833), Mark Younglove (indirect), Delvin Groat (Capture #603); Robert Johnson (Capture #684), Richard Gilliland (Capture #683), Timothy Groves (indirect), Barry White (Capture #661), Jennifer White (Capture #662), Kenneth Lovci (Capture #245), Roger Lee Jones (indirect), John Lockhart (Capture #846), Patricia Kelley (Capture #782), Frank Whitman (Capture #459), Kevin Quinn (Capture #785), Scott Hayden (Capture #779), Eric Rosser (Capture #680), Richard David Pease (indirect), Elizabeth Stone (Capture #209), Richard Stickney (indirect) and Danny Vanek (Capture #578).
- K.C. Breshears, the investigator with the Orange County D.A.'s office - the agency looking for Marlon Winters - was previously featured during Randolph Dial's capture report.
- The soundtrack playing while John Walsh is describing the clues to catch Marlon Winters is the same piece of music that will play over the capture montage of John Walsh’s #1 fugitives from 2001-2004.
- In Don LaFontaine’s preview of the Tamika Huston case, he says, “Tonight, you can close the case of another missing woman.” That seems to imply AMW aired another missing woman on the show, but they didn’t. Tamika Huston was the only missing adult aired on this episode.
- I’m unsure as to what Frederico Pimienta’s actual first name is. It was listed on amw.com as both “Frederico” and “Federico,” and there are newspaper articles that spell it both ways as well. I call him “Frederico” because that’s what he was called in 15 Seconds of Shame.
- During Andre Harris’ profile, it’s mentioned that he may be calling himself Derrick Witter. Not only is that the name New York State’s 100 Most Wanted called him, but amw.com had him listed under that name until the week the episode aired.
- William Plemons’ story in this episode would become his default airing. It combines his February 2004 profile with his May 2004 profile, along with the addition of investigators talking to his ex-wife.
- Rick Segall’s narration says “Last year” when referring to Plemons and Ermalinda’s relationship, but that’s impossible; she was killed in 2003. It appears to be an editing oversight that nobody caught.
- For some reason, it’s not mentioned that Shania Supanich was abducted by her father. As a result, his photo is not shown, even though it may have helped find her.
- I previously mentioned that the AMW graphics introduced during the "John Walsh Investigates" era were retired in April 2005, but I was wrong, as they're used to introduce the Rufino Castaneda case.
- AMW calls the Rufino Castaneda profile an update, but it’s not; it’s actually the exact same profile that aired in June 2003. No new information is presented.
Next month on AMW: In July, AMW will air five episodes; two reruns and three first-run episodes. Among the episodes featured will be:
July 2, 2005 - The final rerun of the Ladies' Night edition, which originally aired in November 2002. Unlike most reruns, AMW actually went back and heavily edited the episode, so it actually didn't feel like a rerun. This particular episode featured the final airing of Heather Tallchief before her surrender and the last airing of the Jennifer Servo murder.
July 9, 2005 - The rerun of the Left for Dead edition that originally aired in May 2003. Despite being a rerun, the show completely re-did Scott Hornick's profile and added an update to Chaka Raysor's case, which didn't originally air on that episode. This also happened to be the last time Raysor was profiled before his surrender.
July 16, 2005 - The first original episode of the month, gives some fugitives who had previously been aired longer profiles. 15 Seconds of Shamer George Saravanos gets an APB airing, complete with an artist's rendering of what one of his tattoos might look like, and Jean-Marie Jean-Francois, a 2003 Break Four Tease, gets a full profile.
July 23, 2005 - In addition to the capture of Christian Rodriguez, AMW has plenty of new and recurring fugitives to air on this episode. They include Adam Zachs, a fugitive AMW first aired way back in 1989, and the first fugitive to be aired under the banner of "Cold Case," a segment meant to breathe new life into old cases AMW hasn't aired in years.
July 30, 2005 - John Walsh continues his fight for legislation aimed at stopping sex offenders, and tonight's show is all about tracking down dangerous accused pedophiles. Besides four fugitives accused of harming children, AMW also goes after another Cold Case fugitive - an accused hitman wanted since the mid-80s for killing a woman in Florida that AMW first aired in 1990.
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Post by Scumhunter on Jan 24, 2022 12:54:35 GMT -5
Alright, the wait was well worth it! A couple of thoughts-
-Hard to believe we're at the Mailaka Griffin final profile stage already. I remember seeing it so many times and was so shocked when she was finally caught.
-While the best result is an AMW direct capture, it is always amusing and great when fugitives get caught because of idiotic mistakes like in the James "Rick" Johnson case.
-The safety chick I know her heart was in the first place as a stalking victim herself but the segments didn't age well into thos new decade. "Hey there would you like some work where you willingly let a guy stalk you, he's not really a stalker and you can totally trust him since this is 15 years before the Me Too movement so you won't find out about all the guys who were secret creeps just yet" lol.
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Post by pakman on Jan 24, 2022 13:31:54 GMT -5
Yeah, I get that The Safety Chick's heart is in the right place, and she truly does want to keep women safe. But I feel like there's a better way to get that point across than having an actor stalk a woman or breaking into a woman's house or hiring actors to pretend to slip date rape drugs into their drinks.
What shocked me about Malaika Griffin's capture was how she was pretty much living right out in the open, and honestly it didn't even seem like she was hiding! She was literally going by "Lake Griffin," and honestly it wouldn't surprise me if all her legal documents still had her real name on them. I can't believe it took eight profiles to finally nab her. She was definitely one of the fugitives I wanted caught the most and I was thrilled that she was caught.
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Post by pakman on Jan 31, 2022 11:50:33 GMT -5
I've returned with the next batch of AMW episodes from 2005, and the second half of the episodes for the year! July was a bit notable for having a couple reruns (as was typical for the summer months) and the official introduction of a couple new features, neither of which would stick around for long. But, here are the episodes!
Episode #811 – July 2, 2005 (Ladies’ Night Special Edition)Patty Carrion (COPS Credits) - Connecticut fugitive who was wanted for walking up to a man and randomly shooting him. At the time, police were unsure of a motive. Carrion was arrested indirectly in 2010. Leonard Harper (Full segment) - Texas playboy wanted for killing a man who had beaten up his girlfriend, then forcing her to go on the run with him. Harper bonded out and disappeared until early 2010, when he was arrested in Brazil after applying for a passport under his real name. Heather Tallchief & Roberto Solis (Full segment, part one) - In the 1960s, Roberto Solis was convicted of murder after the botched robbery of a Loomis Armored Car driver. Solis shot and killed the driver after he claimed to not have any money. After being paroled in the early '90s, Solis met Heather Tallchief at a Christmas party, and the two of them soon became involved romantically. Solis convinced Tallchief to get a job at Loomis as an armored car driver as part of a plan he had to steal $3 million from the company. (commercial break) Heather Tallchief & Roberto Solis (Full segment, Part 2) – After Heather Tallchief secured a job as an armored car driver for Loomis, Roberto Solis began to put his plan into motion. In October 1993, while two other employees were emptying an ATM, Tallchief drove off to where she and Solis had rented a warehouse. They took $3 million from the armored car, and two hours later the pair flew from Las Vegas to Denver and then vanished. In 2005, out of nowhere, Tallchief surrendered to police in Las Vegas after living in Europe for the past decade, saying she was tired of running and that she had been brainwashed by Solis. She also said she left Solis in the mid-90s and hadn't seen him since. Solis is still at large. (commercial break) Cesar Lira & Manuel Ayala (Breaking news, approx. 3 minutes) – Police in two states are on the lookout for a dangerous prison escapee. Cesar Lira escaped from a jail in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and days later was spotted in Oklahoma. But he got into a high-speed pursuit that ended in a crash that killed his girlfriend. After getting convicted of murder, Lira demanded to be sent back to Milwaukee to face his escape charge. But due to a paperwork error, the judge allowed Lira to bond out, not realizing he was supposed to go back to Oklahoma. Lira fled, and police believed he was on the run with Manuel Ayala, accused of parole violation. Lira and Ayala were indirectly captured in December 2005. Unknown New York/New Jersey Serial Rapist (Full segment) – Tom Morris reports on a violent serial rapist targeting women in New York and New Jersey. He last struck just a week earlier when he abducted a woman walking home from a club in Manhattan. The victim said the suspect held her at knifepoint and drove for more than a half hour before raping her twice in his car, throwing her in the trunk, and then abandoning her in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Detectives believed the victim from Manhattan was his eighth victim. Although the suspect went out of his way not to leave DNA, the same MO was used in all his crimes. In October 2006, a suspect, Elmo Rivadeniera, was charged with being the serial rapist. (commercial break) Randy Rencher (Breaking news, approx. 1 minute, 30 seconds) – Rick Segall has an alert for yet another escapee. Randy Rencher broke out of the Cook County Jail in Chicago by stealing a correctional officer’s uniform and then simply walking out. Within an hour of the escape, and still wearing the uniform, Rencher robbed a bank of $2,000. Rencher was caught in early November after four months on the run. Jenny Liang (Full segment) – Ed Miller reports from Las Vegas on fugitive Jenny Liang, wanted for shooting and killing her boyfriend while he slept. Liang, a blackjack dealer, was long gone by the time police discovered her boyfriend's body, because she had called his company and told them her boyfriend wouldn't be coming in for a few days because of a family emergency. Still at large. (commercial break) Gabriella Mercedes (Break Four Tease) – Disappeared from her high school in Washington state. Just weeks after this profile, she called her family from a local restaurant and said she wanted to come home. She had ran away but decided to return. (commercial break continues) Unknown Jennifer Servo Killer (Full segment) – Texas police are seeking information in the unsolved murder of TV news reporter Jennifer Servo. After not hearing from her for several days, Jennifer's landlord discovered her body inside her apartment. There was no forced entry, but she was injured and despite being fully clothed, evidence suggested she was sexually assaulted. Several items from her apartment were missing, but they haven't led to answers. Still at large In the Line of Duty – Corporal Steve Gaughan (Prince George’s County Police Department, Maryland) (commercial break) BTK Update (Brief, approx. 30 seconds) – Don LaFontaine says Dennis Rader has pleaded guilty to 10 counts of murder in connection with the BTK case. He invites viewers to visit amw.com where they can read the court transcripts, examine the BTK case file, and join the AMW Forums to talk about the case. Case recap – Leonard Harper, Heather Tallchief & Roberto Solis, Randy Rencher, Cesar Lira & Manuel Ayala, Unknown New York/New Jersey Serial Rapist, Gabriella Mercedes Episode notes:
- This episode was filmed in Las Vegas.
- This was the third, and final, rerun of the episode that originally aired on Nov. 23, 2002. Although this was a rerun, it honestly didn’t feel like it since so many new cases were added. Also, John Walsh’s closing was re-shot against a green screen where a Las Vegas background was added.
- One obvious tell this is a rerun? The AMW theme is used as the bumper music when going into commercial. In April 2004, they switched up the music so now something different plays. Here, the only time unique music plays is when a new case was added.
- As of this episode, co-executive producer Philip Lerman is no longer working at AMW. His last episode was the previous week’s. The credits now list John Walsh as host, Lance Heflin as executive producer, and Steve Katz as supervising producer. I’m not entirely sure what he left AMW for, but it appears he now works in publishing (he has a biography on Simon & Schuster’s website).
- In every other airing of their case from 2002-2004, “Aquarius (Let the Sunshine In)” by The Fifth Dimension plays during the first part of Tallchief and Solis’ story (the part where they talk about the murder Solis committed in the ‘60s). However, they must have ran into some copyright issues because this time, it’s replaced with what sounds like a public domain vocal song. John Walsh even had to redo his narration for this part of the story, although once it gets to Solis’ release from prison, it slips back into John’s old narration. You can tell because the quality of the voice drops.
- Heather Tallchief was featured in the premiere episode of the Netflix series "Heist," which features robbers and how they committed their crimes. I highly recommend watching her episode, because she provides some really interesting insight into what happened, and it shows AMW actually got quite a bit right in their reenactment.
- John Walsh introduces the New York/New Jersey Serial Rapist case with a generic, “The police are really stumped on this next case and they need your tips to help them solve it tonight.”
- Detective John Savino, with the NYPD’s Special Victims Unit, has been featured several times on AMW, usually when an accused rapist is profiled out of New York. I believe he’ll next appear later this year when Peter Braunstein is profiled.
- When the rapist’s sketch appears on its profile card, the image is over-exposed, and you can’t see the mouth and barely see the eyes and other facial features.
- On a personal note, I remember when Randy Rencher escaped. They don’t mention it here, but I believe he had been the first escapee from the Cook County Jail in over 10 years.
- During Jenny Liang’s profile, it’s mentioned that she may be using the alias “Zhen Yu Liang.” However, I think that may actually be her real name, not an alias, as I’ve seen her listed under that name on law enforcement websites.
- John Walsh says Gabriella Mercedes is 18. However, according to a newspaper article I read, she was 16 when she disappeared in May and 17 when she was found a couple weeks after this profile, meaning she was more than a year away from turning 18.
- The font for the closing credits reverts back to an Arial-type font after going back to its regular font for a few weeks.
Episode #812 – July 9, 2005 (Left for Dead Special Edition)
Unknown Appleton Attacker (Full segment) – A woman was violently attacked early one morning in Appleton, Wisconsin, just after she arrived at her mother’s house. The unidentified man pulled her into a park and stabbed her 23 times, and then simply vanished, leaving many unanswered questions as to why she was attacked, as he never attempted to rape or rob her. She survived, and under hypnosis, gave police a composite of what the suspect looked like. The case was never solved, and around 2011, the statute of limitations expired, meaning nobody can ever be charged.
Olivera Hernandez (Full segment) – Wanted out of Arizona for killing a teenage boy who was working for him as a painter. Police say the boy, who apparently never knew Hernandez's real name, had been fired by Hernandez, but returned and ended up getting chased through a housing development that was under construction before being shot to death and buried in a shallow grave. Still at large
(commercial break)
Joseph Duncan Capture, Shasta Groene Recovery and Dylan Groene Body Discovery (Brief, approx. 3 minutes) – Seven weeks after an Idaho family was murdered and their two children abducted, there is a bittersweet ending to the story. Eight-year-old Shasta Groene was recovered alive, but sadly, the body of her nine-year-old brother Dylan was also found. Police arrested convicted sex offender Joseph Duncan for the children’s abductions and for the triple murder, as well as Dylan’s murder. John Walsh expresses outrage that Duncan, who was wanted for parole violation, was allowed to be out of prison to commit more crimes. He encourages viewers to log on to amw.com to find out how they can put an end to this.
Chaka Raysor and Derrick Henderson (Full segment) – Throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s, Chaka Raysor and his captured brother led a violent gang that dealt in crack cocaine and brutal violence. Among the crimes the gang has been connected to include holding the homeless hostage as cocaine dealers, gunning down multiple people, and burning down an entire apartment complex to get back at a landlord they had a disagreement with. Cops were also looking for Derrick Henderson, one of the gang’s lieutenants. In the latest developments, police believed Raysor was working in the rap industry as a promoter, and always had a chauffeur with him. A new age-enhanced photo of Raysor was also released. This ended up being the last profile of the Raysor gang; just a year after this profile, Raysor surrendered because he couldn’t stand the pressure of being on AMW anymore, making him Capture #899. Henderson was indirectly captured just two months later after selling drugs to an undercover cop on the NYC subway.
(commercial break)
Scott Hornick and Sasha Ingardi (Full segment) – A serial burglar, Scott Hornick is wanted for breaking out of a New Jersey prison in 2001. Cops almost arrested him a year later, but he jumped out of a second story window at a hotel and somehow got away. Unbelievably, despite being a wanted prison escapee, cops say Hornick has continued his crime spree, leading a burglary gang that’s been targeting electronics stores, including one in Virginia that was caught on tape. In addition to Hornick, cops were also looking for the last remaining member of Hornick’s gang that hadn’t been caught, a woman named Sasha Ingardi. Both Hornick and Ingardi were indirectly captured in the summer of 2007 after they tried scamming an elderly man.
(commercial break)
Eduardo “Limpy” Rodriguez (Full segment) – Ed Miller heads to Los Angeles where multiple agencies are looking for the last member of the TVR street gang. Once led by Timothy McGhee, the gang has been connected to drugs, illegal weapons sales and multiple murders. McGhee was captured in early 2003 thanks to great police work, but they were still looking for one of his lieutenants, Eduardo “Limpy” Rodriguez. He was wanted for his part in a shooting where McGhee thought they were targeting a gang member, but ended up killing an innocent woman that had nothing to do with the gang. Rodriguez was arrested back in 2014 after a detective spotted a photo of Rodriguez on Facebook, leading to his capture.
In the Line of Duty – Deputy Jerry Ortiz (Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, California)
(commercial break)
Kevin Johnson (Break Four Tease) – Accused of killing a police officer in Missouri. Johnson actually surrendered before the show even aired, turning himself in Friday night.
(commercial break continues)
Edward Myers Capture (Full segment) – AMW goes back into the archives to share an amazing story of how a dog saved a woman from death. Edward Myers, the woman’s ex, stabbed her multiple times and abandoned her in the woods after holding her hostage for days. The woman woke to a stray dog licking her face. She followed the dog until she reached the edge of the woods and was able to get help from a letter carrier. The woman adopted the dog and a short time later AMW tips located Myers, making him Capture #468.
John Walsh introduces a new feature, a partnership with AMW and OnStar. When faced with an emergency situation, OnStar can often times mean the difference between life and death.
(commercial break)
Call to Action (Brief, approx. 3 minutes) – In the first Call to Action feature, a couple was traveling on Red Mountain Pass in Utah when a sudden snowstorm caused the SUV in front of them to slide down a 400-foot mountainside. They pulled over and were stunned to see people moving around in the car. Using OnStar, they reported the incident, and rescuers arrived within 30 minutes, saving everybody in the vehicle.
Case recap – Unknown Appleton Attacker, Olivera Hernandez, Chaka Raysor, Derrick Henderson, Scott Hornick, Eduardo “Limpy” Rodriguez, Kevin Johnson
Episode notes:
- This episode was filmed in the AMW Studio.
- This was a rerun of the May 17, 2003 episode. Much like the previous week’s show, it’s hard to tell that this was a rerun, mostly because not only did the Chaka Raysor case replace Roger Holbrook (who had been captured), but they actually completely re-did Scott Hornick’s story. He’d been profiled on the original airing of this episode, but John Walsh has a new narration and the story includes the fact that they’re looking for his accomplices.
- Despite this, it’s still very obvious it’s a rerun for one major reason; the original episode aired after John Walsh had broken his ankle (the result of a segment from The John Walsh Show featuring talented kids and John tried riding a skateboard after a child skateboarder said he didn’t think John could do it). So for most of the episode, John’s sitting in a chair.
- I don’t really like calling out bad acting in the reenactments, but the actor playing the victim’s father in the Olivera Hernandez reenactment is just so cheesy. It’s hard to explain unless you’ve seen it, but he’s just got this corny grin on his face the whole time.
- John Walsh said this was Chaka Raysor’s 13th profile, and he was hoping that it ended up being lucky for AMW. Turns out, he was exactly right, as this was Raysor’s last profile before he surrendered.
- Chaka Raysor's profile is exactly the same as his recent full profiles, but once the profile reaches the part where the gang was taken down, John Walsh takes over with new narration and the case update. Interestingly, the case update creates an inconsistency, because John pronounces the name of Umeme Raysor - Chaka Raysor's brother - differently in the update than earlier in the reenactment.
- Despite being a wanted fugitive, Sasha Ingardi never got her own profile on amw.com for unknown reasons.
- Shortly after this episode aired, Eduardo “Limpy” Rodriguez was removed from amw.com without any explanation. I don’t even think his archived profile works anymore (the last time I looked, I couldn’t find it). He was also never profiled on the show again.
- It’s never stated by AMW, but Edward Myers died not long after he was captured. He had a heart attack as cops busted in to arrest him, but a second heart attack killed him just six months after his capture.
- Call to Action was a short-lived feature on both AMW and the website that featured times when OnStar saved someone’s life. I don’t know why this happened (it’s not as bad as the Solve a Mystery feature sponsored by Burger King from 2004) but over the next month or so, AMW featured these stories. One of them actually would end up being repeated on AMW for a couple years, but I’ll get to that one shortly.
- One of the families that was rescued during the Call to Action story is credited as the Holman family, but I swear John’s narration calls them the Holma family. It could be that my copy of the episode skips, too, so I can’t say for certain it’s an error.
- The credits again return to their normal font.
Episode #813 – July 16, 2005
Leonardo Cisneros (Full segment) – Florida fugitive wanted for arranging the murder of a local pediatrician. The doctor’s wife, Denise Davidson, was cheating on him with Cisneros, and he was in the process of divorcing her. Worried she’d never see her daughter again, she asked Cisneros to kill her husband, and he allegedly found two hitmen to carry out the task. The doctor was killed in his own home. A bloody shoe print found at the scene started a chain reaction that led to all the suspects being identified and everyone but Cisneros getting arrested. Still at large
Randy Rencher (Full segment) – Two weeks after AMW aired the case of a Chicago jail escapee, investigators are hot on Randy Rencher’s trail. An AMW camera crew went along with the U.S. Marshals as they followed up on a tip that Rencher was spotted at a motel on the South Side of Chicago, but while they confirmed he had been staying there, he was long gone. Police also revealed more about how Rencher escaped; he’d been a trustee (inmate with special privileges) at the jail, which is how he was able to sneak into an unauthorized area and steal a correctional officer’s uniform before simply walking out and robbing a bank. More surveillance was uncovered of Rencher buying new clothes at a clothing store, giving clues as to what he may be wearing now. Rencher was indirectly captured in early November.
(commercial break)
Jennifer & Bryan Cervantes and Rodrigo Cervantes-Zavala (Missing child alert, approx. 1 minute) – Ed Miller has a breaking story out of Phoenix, Arizona. After a triple murder outside of the city, two children were missing; Jennifer and Bryan Cervantes, the grandchildren and niece/nephew of the victims. Police believed the children could have been traveling with their father, Rodrigo Cervantes-Zavala, who was involved in a bitter divorce with his wife (the daughter and sister of the victims). Thankfully, the kids were safely recovered within 48 hours of this profile, and Cervantes-Zavala was captured, although the resolution had nothing to do with AMW.
Robert DeSimone, Ralph Smith, Michael and Matthew Taylor Capture (Full segment) – Rick Segall has the amazing story of how four fugitives were nabbed by an AMW tipster without ever appearing on AMW. In October 2004, the Helzberg Diamonds store in Hobart, Indiana, was robbed by a gang of four men, who tied up the employees and another customer and forced them to the back of the store before making off with thousands of dollars of jewelry. Unbeknownst to the gang, surveillance video caught all four of them, unmasked, and provided clear images. But the case was ice cold, so Hobart police asked AMW for help. Rick and the AMW crew went to Hobart to work on the story, which attracted the attention of a local reporter, who wrote a story for the local newspaper about AMW coming to town to feature the case. Just three days before the case was set to appear on AMW, the lead detective got a phone call saying he saw the case was going to appear on the show and gave up the name of one of the suspects; Robert DeSimone, an Illinois pawn shop owner. That, in turn led to the arrest of Ralph Smith, another suspected robber, and days later, the arrests of brothers Matthew and Michael Taylor. DeSimone was Capture #818, while Smith and the Taylor brothers were Capture #s 847-849.
(commercial break)
George Saravanos (All Points Bulletin) – Wanted out of New York City for shooting an off-duty correctional officer at a New Year’s party. When Saravanos pulled out his gun and demanded money from the victim, he showed his credentials as a New York City correctional officer. But instead of backing off, Saravanos shot the man, killing him. Surveillance video showed Saravanos calmly walking out of the party despite just shooting someone. Thanks to AMW tips, Saravanos was located in Ecuador, making him Capture #969.
David Creamer (All Points Bulletin) – In the ‘90s, Creamer allegedly distributed discs that contained graphic images of child pornography. When police raided storage facilities Creamer was renting, they also found illegal weapons. He was arrested, but bonded out and disappeared before his trial. Still at large
Raymond Ross (All Points Bulletin) – Tennessee gang member wanted for violently beating a high school senior so severely, the victim had no memory of the assault. Police believe the motive for the crime was theft; Ross was identified after he was spotted driving the victim’s truck. AMW tipsters busted Ross just a day after this profile, making him Capture #850.
(commercial break)
Raheem Edward (Full segment) – Police were seeking Raheem Edwards, a suspect that police call the Luckiest Fugitive in America. In 2000, police said Edwards was an accomplice to a California convenience store robbery where the clerk was killed. Four years later, Edwards was in New York City when he allegedly shot and killed a man over the Fourth of July weekend. The victim was an innocent man who was killed, police say, because Edwards couldn’t find the man he actually wanted to shoot, so he just picked someone random to kill. Three months after the New York murder, Edwards was arrested in Scranton on a misdemeanor charge. While waiting to be fingerprinted, Edwards was chewing his fingers – trying to destroy his fingerprints. But the fingerprints came back clean, so officers released him. It turned out that Edwards’ warrant on the Anaheim murder hadn’t been uploaded into the system yet. Edwards was captured in October, though his arrest had nothing to do with his AMW profiles.
(commercial break)
Ricky Holland (Break Four Tease) – Police say seven-year-old Ricky Holland went missing from his home in Lansing, Michigan. In January 2006, Ricky’s father led police to his son’s remains, and both Ricky’s parents were charged with killing the boy.
(commercial break continues)
Jean-Marie Jean-Francois (Full segment) – John Turchin reports on a case from Miami involving a man who had everyone fooled. Jean-Marie Jean-Francois seemed like a good Christian man, even befriending a local priest. But police say he actually practiced Voodoo, and would use it to carry out revenge on his ex-girlfriend after she got a restraining order against him. He allegedly beat her to death, and after she was dead, he then allegedly tied up her 12-year-old daughter and left her alone for 20 hours. Police also say he took his four-year-old daughter with him, but thankfully she was soon recovered after Jean-Francois dropped her off at the priest’s house. Jean-Francois is still at large.
In the Line of Duty – Deputy George Griffin (White County Sheriff’s Department, Arkansas)
(commercial break)
Ricky Holland Update (Brief, approx. 30 seconds) – The search for runaway child Ricky Holland continues after police say he stormed off from his house after a family argument. But there are nearly 70 registered sex offenders living nearby, and police worry one of them might have gotten to him. He tells viewers to visit amw.com to see the latest on the investigation.
Case recap – Randy Rencher, Raymond Ross, Raheem Edwards, Jennifer & Bryan Cervantes and Rodrigo Cervantes-Zavala, Ricky Holland, Jean-Marie Jean-Francois
Next week on AMW – John Walsh says next week the show will feature a real CSI investigator who got involved in a case that changed her life forever; the murder of someone she knew and loved dearly.
Episode notes:
- This episode was filmed in the AMW Studio.
- The murder of Dr. Louis Davidson, the crime Leonardo Cisneros is charged with, has also been featured on Forensic Files, and Denise Davidson was recently featured on an episode of Snapped (although I’ve yet to see it).
- During the Randy Rencher update, Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force members John Ambrose and Ed Farrell, who have been featured several times on AMW, can be seen going over surveillance video along with other deputy marshals.
- In the intro to the Hobart Jewelry Robbers capture report, John Walsh says AMW has had some strange captures over the years, and specifically highlights Amy DeChant (driven out of a nudist camp by AMW tips) and Asgar Ali (cooked John Walsh’s dinner).
- As many of you know, the capture counter got really screwy with the Hobart Jewelry Robbers, with Robert DeSimone being counted immediately but the other three not being marked as direct captures until the week this episode aired. I suspect they counted DeSimone because the AMW tip led directly to him, and it was through DeSimone and investigative work that the other three were nabbed. But they probably realized how weird it looked if they just counted one out of four, so they decided to count the other three as directs a full seven months after they were caught. Unfortunately, as has been discussed in other threads, AMW’s capture counter would continue to get really screwy as the years went by, but I’m getting ahead of myself.
- This is the first profile of George Saravanos to call him by his real name. When he was first profiled in 15 Seconds of Shame earlier in the year, he was called Victor Vargas.
- AMW didn’t have a photo of Saravanos’ “Blaze” tattoo at the time of this airing, so they showed an artist’s rendering of what it might look like. Eventually they did get a photo of the real tattoo, and in an awkward moment, it really didn’t look anything like the rendering. Not surprisingly, AMW removed all traces of the rendering once an actual photo was obtained.
- David Creamer’s profile never mentions that he’s one of the U.S. Marshals’ 15 Most Wanted. I’m starting to sense an odd pattern here…
- Clips from the Voodoo ceremony that was recorded for Esnel Jean’s story are used during Jean-Marie Jean-Francois’ profile. They even play the same interview clip with the Voodoo priestess they talked to for Jean’s case. When you think about it, it’s pretty interesting how similar the two cases are.
- An unidentified man reads from Jean-Francois’ Voodoo book. They literally show him on screen, but they don’t give him any credit.
- While the 12-year-old daughter of Jean-Francois’ victim is interviewed in silhouette, they bizarrely air a clip of her interview with detectives where her face is uncensored.
- Glenn Bukata, the detective on the Jean-Francois case, was also the lead detective on the Damar Pink case. He’ll later appear again when AMW airs Devon Russell in 2008.
- This is the only profile of Jean-Francois to mention that he briefly took his four-year-old daughter on the run with him. Given that the daughter was never in any immediate danger, and how it really doesn’t add anything to the case, I’m not surprised that it was later edited out.
- On a personal note, I remember being really freaked out after I saw Jean-Francois’ profile, because he happens to bare a strong resemblance to a security guard at my high school. I wanted to send in a tip, but then I realized that the security guard was working at my high school at the time of Jean-Francois’ crime. He also doesn’t have a Haitian accent.
Episode #814 – July 23, 2005
Alfredo Lopez-Cruz (Full segment) – Ohio police were on the hunt for an accused child rapist. Just a month earlier, Alfredo Lopez-Cruz allegedly abducted his nine-year-old neighbor and raped her for three hours in his house. The little girl escaped and told her dad, but when he went to confront him, Lopez-Cruz tried assaulting him with a baseball bat. In the commotion, he got away, and days later, vigilantes torched Lopez-Cruz’s house. Lopez-Cruz was indirectly captured in early 2011.
Omar Maldonado (Full segment) – Ed Miller reports on a five-year-old murder case from California. A college freshman was at a party when Omar Maldonado began pointing a shotgun at some of the guests. When the college student, Leah Tadeo, told Maldonado to stop, he allegedly shot her in the head after she turned away from him. Leah’s sister, Tami Ballard, was an intern with the San Diego Police Crime Lab at the time and almost saw her sister’s crime scene photos, but got distracted by a coworker. When Tami’s mom called and said the medical examiner’s office was looking for her, Tami put two and two together and realized her sister had been murdered. Tami and her mother took an active role in the investigation and learned Maldonado was in Mexico where he was allegedly bragging about getting away with murder. But thanks to AMW tips, he didn’t get away; he was caught in 2007, making him Capture #963.
(commercial break)
Julian Jones (15 Seconds of Shame) – Rialto, California police were seeking Jones for the murder of a man during a robbery. It’s alleged he was teaching his nephew to rob people when the murder happened. Jones was indirectly captured in April 2006.
Scott King (15 Seconds of Shame) – A former college football star, King allegedly used an auto business in South Carolina as a front for a drug ring. He was indirectly captured in 2006.
Robert Ellison (15 Seconds of Shame) – Wanted out of Houston for abducting and raping a 12-year-old girl. Thanks to this profile, Ellison was caught in early August, making him Capture #852.
Warren Price (15 Seconds of Shame) – While trying to settle a drug debt, Price allegedly broke into the wrong house and killed two innocent people. Price was indirectly captured in November 2006.
Randy Rencher (Full segment, but classified as breaking news) – The most wanted man in Chicago is believed to have continued his crime spree. Randy Rencher, who broke out of the Cook County Jail in June, was caught on surveillance robbing a bank just over a week ago in the Windy City. He got away with $20,000 and allegedly told the teller he wasn’t afraid to die. Rencher was indirectly captured in early November.
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Christian Rodriguez Capture (Full segment) – John Turchin has great news regarding a fugitive AMW has been profiling since 2003; Christian Rodriguez has finally been captured. The accused serial rapist spent six years on the run before a tip came in off of Rodriguez’s last profile in April 2005 saying he was in Puerto Rico. FBI agents went in and nabbed him as he was trying to hide out on the roof of his house. It didn’t work. AMW goes back and talks to the two women he targeted as they explain what life’s been like for them the past six years – one of them said she wanted to make herself look so unattractive, she cut her hair very short – and why they decided, unlike most rape victims, to show their faces and reveal their real names. They also explain how they began to lose hope that Rodriguez would ever be captured, but are now thrilled that he’s finally been apprehended and named AMW Capture #840.
(commercial break)
Jean Seraphin (All Points Bulletin) – New York fugitive wanted for a violent crime in a nightclub. Seraphin approached a woman he wanted to dance with, and when she rebuffed him, a man came to her aid and told off Seraphin. He allegedly returned with a gun and killed the man who defended the woman, then fired at random, injuring three other people. Still at large
Joe East (All Points Bulletin) – Wanted out of Philadelphia for killing his ex-girlfriend. Police say he stalked her, showed up at her house and gunned her down in front of her family. Still at large.
Kevin Vermette (All Points Bulletin) – One of Canada’s most wanted fugitives, Vermette allegedly shot four young men, killing three of them. The victims previously had a number of conflicts with Vermette, starting when Vermette demanded the men stop listening to rap music at the gym they all attended. Police believe he blamed the victims for slashing his tires, triggering his anger. Still at large
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John Tuggle (Break Four Tease) – Idaho cops were looking for Tuggle after he allegedly sexually assaulted and tried to kill his own daughter. He was indirectly captured days after this profile.
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John Walsh says that over the years, AMW has profiled thousands and thousands of cases, and while not all of them have been solved, they’ve never been forgotten. With that in mind, John introduces a brand new feature – Cold Case. The aim of this segment is to profile fugitives that haven’t been aired in awhile, updating the stories with new interviews, and for the first time, using amw.com to try and find these fugitives. The first case is about a cold-blooded murder.
Adam Zachs (Full segment) – In 1987, a Connecticut man named Adam Zachs met another man named Peter Carone at a bar. The two seemed to be getting alone, but after Peter told a joke that involved him spitting on the bar, Zachs got offended and stormed off. He later returned and he and Peter were talking in the parking lot, and it seemed like a normal conversation. But when Peter left, Zachs pulled out a gun and fired one shot into Peter’s back, killing him. Zachs was convicted, but allowed to bail out while awaiting appeal, and in 1989 he fled to Mexico and disappeared. Peter’s family successfully passed a law in Connecticut that meant, upon conviction, the defendant is immediately taken into custody and held without bond, but they were still seeking justice. In early 2011, Zachs was indirectly nabbed in Mexico after an anonymous source tipped off police.
In the Line of Duty – Officer Paris Williams (Philadelphia Police Department, Pennsylvania)
(commercial break)
Omar Maldonado Update (Brief, approx. 45 seconds) – Don LaFontaine says Tami Ballard continues to fight for justice for her sister, who was allegedly shot and killed by Omar Maldonado. Viewers are invited to visit amw.com to not only see the latest on the case, but also to join the forums, where Tami was participating in a live chat.
Case recap – Alfredo Lopez-Cruz, Omar Maldonado, Randy Rencher, John Tuggle, Robert Ellison, Julian Jones, Jean Seraphin
Episode notes:
- This episode was filmed in the AMW Studio.
- I remember the AMW Insider email stated that, because of great tips in recent weeks, the AMW Hotline decided to stay open an hour later than usual. Additionally, after this episode aired, a feature story appeared showing photos of what was going on at the Hotline that night.
- A couple of the stories tonight were told in very unique ways. Omar Maldonado's case mostly focused on Tami Ballard and her work as a lab analyst in San Diego (she even had her own page on amw.com), while Christian Rodriguez's capture report almost entirely focuses on the two victims. I couldn't figure out how to summarize these in my analysis, so I thought I'd mention it here.
- The detective on the Alfredo Lopez-Cruz case said he didn’t think the fugitive’s home being torched was racially-motivated, but I definitely remember seeing on amw.com that racial slurs were being shouted at the house as it burned. Given that Lopez-Cruz was undocumented, I’m certain that race played at least a small role in public's reaction.
- I also recall reading how disappointed cops were that the house was torched because it destroyed evidence that could have been used at trial.
- For some reason, an older photo of Omar Maldonado is used on his profile card, despite the fact that a more recent photo is shown throughout the reenactment. My guess is because the older photo has Maldonado with hair and it was believed he’d grown his hair out.
- There’s quite a bit of recycled AMW reenactment footage on tonight’s show. This includes the Appleton Attacker reenactment being used for Robert Ellison, a clip from Cassandra Woods’ reenactment used for Adam Zachs, and, perhaps the most eerie, Dudley Forbes’ reenactment being utilized almost in its entirety for Jean Seraphin. The two men were basically wanted for identical crimes (shooting up a nightclub after being told to back off by a woman) so it’s no surprise that the reenactment was recycled.
- During Randy Rencher’s story, John Walsh said the U.S. Marshals searched the motel two weeks prior. It would actually have been three weeks prior at this point.
- There’s a few oddities about Christian Rodriguez’s capture report; first of all, John Turchin said Rodriguez was first profiled on Sept. 23, 2003. That’s wrong; it was Sept. 20, 2003. Secondly, after saying tips pointed to Rodriguez in Puerto Rico, John says, “91 times before, we’d taken down fugitives outside the U.S.” I know I’ve said this to death, but Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, and anyone caught in Puerto Rico should not be counted as an international capture.
- As John Turchin talks about the international captures, photos of some of those fugitives appear on screen. I can’t identify all of them, but I do know the following; Eric Quesada (Capture #664, Mexico); John Stoneman (Capture #783, Canada); Gregory Moyer (Capture #790, Mexico); Martha Gomez (Capture #794, Mexico) and Orlando Maisonet (Capture #120, Puerto Rico).
- While capture reports are usually the last time an AMW fugitive is mentioned, this won’t be the last time we see the Christian Rodriguez case. He’ll have a Final Justice segment in 2008.
- While John Walsh says that the Cold Case fugitives will feature new interviews, I can tell you right now that none of the fugitives featured had new interviews; all of them had aired previously.
- Based on Adam Zachs’ profile, and the fact the law banning convicts from bonding out post-conviction was signed into law that year, I think Zachs’ last profile was in 1998.
Episode #815 – July 30, 2005
Ernest Gallegos Capture (Full segment) – In Albuquerque, New Mexico, police were seeking Ernest Gallegos, a contractor, for a violent home invasion at a home he once worked at. Police believe he tied up the couple who lived there and bound them with tape, forcing them to open the safe. When the combination didn’t work, Gallegos allegedly beat the man to death before fleeing. A foot chase ensued and he got away, but thanks to an informant, investigators were able to track him down to Mexico. Gallegos was arrested at the candy store where he was working and was soon sent back to Albuqerque.
Manuel Aguero (Tacked on profile) – Also wanted out of Albuqerque, Aguero was wanted for stabbing a man to death. He was arrested in December 2020.
(commercial break)
Fernando Ayala and Lydia Rupp (All Points Bulletin) – Eight days ago, Fernando Ayala disappeared from California with eight-year-old Lydia Rupp, the daughter of his girlfriend. She’d met Ayala at church several months earlier, but was unaware that he was a convicted sex offender. The day before this profile, Ayala was arrested and Lydia was recovered and returned to her mother.
William Lightner (All Points Bulletin) – After serving 10 years in an Idaho prison for molesting a child, Lightner was released, but had to wear a GPS tracking bracelet. A week before this profile, police were notified that something was wrong with the monitor, and when they showed up at Lightner’s apartment, it had been cut off and Lightner was on the run. Nearly three months after this profile, Lighter was indirectly captured.
Carl Evans (All Points Bulletin) – Maryland cops said that when a fire broke out at Carl Evans’ home, he panicked, saying his children were dead inside. But after firefighters showed up, Evans vanished. His seven-month-old daughter was found safe, but Evans’ 13-year-old stepdaughter was found dead. Police say she died before the fire and believed Evans, a convicted sex offender, had killed her and set the fire to cover up the crime. Evans was captured almost a week after this profile, but his arrest had nothing to do with AMW.
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Frederick Edmond (15 Seconds of Shame) – Indiana fugitive who police say tried to shoot his ex-girlfriend, but killed her pregnant friend instead. Tips to AMW led to Edmond’s arrest a month after this profile, making him Capture #857.
Jaime Castro (15 Seconds of Shame) – In Texas, Castro was convicted of molesting an eight-year-old girl, but he fled before he could be sentenced. He was indirectly captured in early 2011.
Binak Gjergjaj (15 Seconds of Shame) – Police in Michigan say Gjergjaj had violently beaten his wife, but she disappeared not long after and they feared he’d killed her. He was captured in Kosovo in early 2011, but according to an article I read, he was released mere months later.
James Malave (15 Seconds of Shame) – Wanted for murder in two states; one in Pennsylvania and one in New York. In 2007, AMW gave him a full profile and mere days later, tipsters led to his capture, making him Capture #956.
Donald Santini (Full segment) – In AMW’s second official Cold Case segment, the show takes another look at a Florida murder from the mid-80s. Donald Santini asked a woman out on a date, but in actuality police say he was planning to kill her. After driving the woman to a remote area, police say Santini killed the woman and dumped her body in an area where a serial killer had left his victims. Santini later confessed to his girlfriend that he’d been hired to kill the woman. Santini is still at large
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Lovekesh “Bobby” Kumar (Full segment) – Wanted out of Clovis, California, for the murder of his estranged wife and his mother-in-law. Police say he violently slashed both women, leaving behind a bloody crime scene. His wife had previously accused him of being violent and abusive towards her. The day after the crime, Kumar tried committing suicide by jumping into oncoming traffic, but when he was unsuccessful, he got in his car and drove off. Kumar was arrested in the United Kingdom in 2014, but while in custody, he committed suicide for real.
(commercial break)
LaToyia Figueroa (Break Four Tease) – In Philadelphia, a five-months pregnant woman has disappeared. A month after her disappearance, her remains were found and her boyfriend was charged with her murder.
(commercial break continues)
Protecting Our Children (Full segment) – Over the past few months, several high-profile sex offender cases have been in the news. Joseph Duncan has been charged with a triple murder in Idaho, as well as molesting two other children from the home, killing one of them. In Florida, 13-year-old Sarah Lunde was raped and murdered by David Onstott, another convicted sex offender. Also in Florida, Jessica Lunsford was kidnapped from her own home and killed by John Couey, another unregistered sex offender. Then, in June, convicted sex offender Dean Schwartzmiller was arrested. In his home, police found dozens of notebooks filled with personal information about children.
The Child Protection and Safety Act of 2005 (Brief, approx. 2 minutes) – This week, the U.S. House of Representatives introduced a bill to allow for a national sex offender registry and to put teeth into the existing laws. John Walsh says now is the time to act, and asks everyone watching to write to their senators and congressional representatives and encourage them to support the bill.
In the Line of Duty – Sgt. William McEntee (Kirkwood Police Department, Missouri)
(commercial break)
Call to Action (Brief, approx. 1 minute, 30 seconds) – When a little girl wandered away from her daycare in Prescott, Arizona, a complete stranger came to her aid. After realizing the little girl was lost, the man used OnStar to report that he’d found the child, and police soon arrived to bring the girl back to her daycare.
Case recap – Manuel Aguero, Lovekesh “Bobby” Kumar, Frederick Edmond, Jaime Castro, Binak Gjergjaj, James Malave, Donald Santini, Lydia Rupp and Fernando Ayala, William Lightner, Carl Evans
Episode notes:
- This episode was filmed in the AMW Studio.
- Other than In the Line of Duty, Don LaFontaine does not narrate this episode. My guess is that he was on vacation, and I’m certain In the Line of Duty was a pre-recorded segment.
- I’ve decided to start a new portion of my notes where I highlight known recycled or repurposed AMW footage. This episode includes a clip from the Costa Rica Child Prostitute Killer being used in Fernando Ayala’s case; Marcus Head’s reenactment being used for Frederick Edmond in 15 Seconds of Shame; and a clip from Jose Quinones’ reenactment being used for Jaime Castro in 15 Seconds of Shame.
- I’m unsure why Ernest Gallegos, who was never profiled on AMW and didn’t appear on amw.com, was given a capture report. It’s likely that he was going to be profiled, since AMW reenacted the case, but Gallegos was captured in May, a full month and a half before his capture report aired. It’s not like he was caught the week before the profile, so it’s really confusing as to why they decided to air his capture report. Especially since they actually went down to Mexico to interview the Mexican police officer who helped track him down, so they clearly aired this with the intent of it being a capture report.
- The 15 Seconds of Shame music plays during Ernest Gallegos’ reenactment.
- Shawn Vinson, the detective on the Carl Evans case, had previously appeared on AMW as the investigator on the Tracey Gardner-Tetso disappearance.
- If you’ve never seen Donald Santini’s profile, I have one word to describe it; weird. Not in an obvious way, but the story features very little narration from John Walsh (he has maybe 4 or 5 lines) and it’s told mostly through the actors. Literally, in the first 2 minutes of the story, it’s just the actors playing Santini and his girlfriend talking to each other. It’s actually kind of jarring and off-putting.
- The investigator in Santini’s case said that they believe they know who put the hit out on the woman he killed, but it’s unclear as to whether or not they’ve ever charged that person. I’m hoping it’s not like a Richard Bare situation where they released the accomplice pending Bare’s capture and then the accomplice died.
- During Lovekesh Kumar’s reenactment, John Walsh says the suicide attempt happened “last January.” That happened in January 2003, so this is an error. My guess is that this was the original script (Kumar’s first profile was September 2003) and it just hadn’t been updated.
- The accused killer of Sgt. William McEntee, featured in this show’s In the Line of Duty, was Kevin Johnson, who had been the Break Four Tease three weeks earlier.
Next month on AMW:
AMW winds down the summer with four episodes, including:
Aug. 6, 2005 – AMW re-airs the manhunt for an armed robber wanted for starting a shootout at an Indiana bank, provides an update on the search for a missing pregnant woman from Philadelphia, and features a breaking news alert for a fugitive who started a chase with police that led to the death of an officer who lost control of his squad car and crashed.
Aug. 13, 2005 – A rerun of an episode from April which featured accused killer Jason Brown, other cases include the manhunt for the last remaining suspect in a San Francisco jewelry store heist, a cold case about a teenage killer who escaped from prison, and a somber anniversary; 10 years since a little girl disappeared from a park in Arkansas.
Aug. 20, 2005 – The family of a woman who disappeared while on her way to a concert meets the band, who vow to do everything they can to find her. Meanwhile, a Mexican drug kingpin gets another airing while Ray Farkas returns to tell the story of a 10-year-old unsolved murder of an Oregon cowboy.
Aug. 27, 2005 – AMW revisits an unsolved murder they aired in 2001 where a Miami restauranteur was gunned down while sitting in his car. Additional cases include the manhunt for the fugitive accused of killing a U.S. soldier on leave to see his daughter’s birth and a cold case fugitive wanted for the murders of both his male and female lovers.
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Post by HeadMarshal on Jan 31, 2022 12:09:21 GMT -5
I'll never understand as to why Eduardo "Limpy" Rodriguez was removed from amw.com. He was actually arrested in Riverside County which is near Los Angeles County, California. I feel that he could actually have been arrested sooner than 2014 if there was more online publicity about the case.
EDIT: In regards to the Alfredo Lopez-Cruz case, I agree that part of the community's reaction was because of Alfredo's undocumented status.
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Post by Scumhunter on Jan 31, 2022 12:57:55 GMT -5
I can swear I've seen that Dudley Forbes nightclub shooting scene used in multiple 15 seconds of shame segments, but maybe it was just Seraphin after all.
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Post by pakman on Jan 31, 2022 13:43:08 GMT -5
^ I think that scene's been featured several times, so your mind isn't playing tricks on you. 15 Seconds of Shame was really well-known for repurposing old AMW reenactments. I know Adam Zachs' reenactment was recycled a few times, and I specifically remember a scene from Donald Santini's case being used again.
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Post by pakman on Feb 6, 2022 14:23:48 GMT -5
So, I was going to post this tomorrow, but I figured since I finished my analysis this morning, why wait? Here's my look at the AMW episodes from August 2005!
Episode #816 – Aug. 6, 2005
Unknown Indiana Bank Shooter (Full segment) – Ray Novak, a police officer in Anderson, Indiana, found himself in the middle of a bizarre robbery while off-duty in August 2003. When he went into a credit union to conduct business, an armed robber entered and began demanding money. Ray pulled out his gun and a shootout between him and the suspect ensued, which included the suspect getting hit, leaving his blood behind. When Ray left the bank to get more bullets, the suspect followed him and continued firing. Ray was able to call for help, but the suspect had already disappeared. The suspect getting shot ended up being his downfall; in 2011, the DNA from the suspect’s blood led to him being identified as Pascal Sylla, a local man who, ironically, was already behind bars in connection with a 2005 robbery.
(commercial break)
Gerald Estes (15 Seconds of Shame) – Accused of molesting two boys out of North Carolina and taking pictures of the crimes. In 2009, a serial killer confessed to police that he’d killed Estes within a week of him bonding out of jail. Police have closed the case, although Estes’ body has never been found.
Sucha Singh (15 Seconds of Shame) – Dallas police were looking for Singh for stabbing his wife to death after she asked for a divorce. He was indirectly captured in India in 2011.
Clansie Banner (15 Seconds of Shame) – Police say, after he got into a minor traffic accident with a man, he shot the man to death. After two more profiles, tips led to Banner’s arrest in April 2006, making him Capture #885.
Tommy James (15 Seconds of Shame) – Wanted out of Louisiana for sexually assaulting a teenage girl nearly four months ago. Within hours of this airing, a tip led to James’ arrest in Missouri as he was trying to board a bus to Tennessee. He was Capture #853.
Mark Wood (Full segment, but classified as breaking news) – Rick Segall reports on a tragic case involving a rookie police officer out of Michigan. On July 25, Officer Scot Beyerstedt with the Mattawan, Michigan, Police Department, got involved in a pursuit where the driver was going over 90 miles per hour. During the pursuit, Officer Beyerstedt lost control of the squad car and it spun out of control, killing him and severely injuring the other officer in the car. Officer Beyerstedt had only been with the department for 11 days. The suspect’s vehicle was found abandoned and police learned it belonged to career criminal Mark Wood, who had a failure to appear warrant on drug charges. Wood was indirectly captured two days after this profile.
(commercial break)
LaToyia Figueroa (Missing Person Alert, approx. 2 minutes) – The search for a missing Philadelphia woman who is five months pregnant continues. Police say LaToyia Figueroa was last reported seen by her boyfriend, who said they went to an obstetrician appointment then had lunch together before saying goodbye. There had been no activity on her credit cards or cell phone, both of which were highly unusual. Later in August, that same boyfriend, Stephen Poaches, would lead police to LaToyia’s body. He was eventually convicted of her murder.
Operation: Black Biscuit (Full segment) – Tom Morris reports on an unprecedented undercover operation; the infiltration of the Arizona Hell’s Angels by the ATF. Led by an ATF agent going by the codename “Scorpion,” the agents posed as members of a Mexican motorcycle gang and were successfully recruited as Hell’s Angels members. The investigation began after an April 2002 incident at the Harrah’s Casino in Laughlin, Nevada, where a massive fight between the Hell’s Angels and the Mongols broke out, leading to deaths and injuries. In 2003, the undercover operation ended with more than 50 Hell’s Angels being indicted on a variety of charges.
Paul Eischeid (Tacked-on profile) – The one Hell’s Angel who got away was Paul Eischeid, wanted for the brutal murder of a woman named Cynthia Garcia who attended a party at one of the clubhouses and was later found dead and mutilated in the desert. Eischeid was indirectly captured in Argentina in early 2011.
(commercial break)
William Lane (All Points Bulletin) – Texas fugitive wanted for molesting an eight-year-old relative whose family he’d been living with. Lane was no stranger to AMW; the show previously profiled him in 1991 after he pulled off a daring escape from a maximum-security prison in Puerto Rico. Two accomplices hijacked a helicopter and landed it in the prison’s basketball court. Fending off guards with guns, Lane and two others escaped, but was caught in 1992. Lane was indirectly nabbed just a few weeks after this profile.
Calvin Sinclair (All Points Bulletin) – Wanted out of New Orleans for killing his teenage girlfriend and her mother. Police say Sinclair shot his girlfriend because she owed him money and then shot her mother when she tried to intervene. Still at large.
Richard Sanchez Sr. (All Points Bulletin) – After his marriage fell apart, New Mexico cops say Sanchez violently raped his sister-in-law in front of her five-year-old son. Although Sanchez surrendered, he later disappeared while out on bail, taking his sons – Richard Jr., Daniel and Christopher – with him. In 2009, police in New Mexico found the bodies of all four inside of a submerged car. It’s believed Sanchez committed suicide and took his sons with him.
(commercial break)
LaToyia Figueroa (Break Four Tease) – In Philadelphia, a five-months pregnant woman has disappeared. A month after her disappearance, her remains were found and her boyfriend was charged with her murder.
(commercial break continues)
Inside the World of the Hitman (Full segment) – Ed Miller examines the seedy world of the hitman. Not only does he interview a convicted hitman, but he also speaks with a detective who spent years undercover as a hitman. The detective shares videos of some of the people who tried hiring him to kill people, showing exactly how people react when they want someone dead.
Unknown Mickey & Trudy Thompson Hitmen (Tacked-on profile) – Ed asks for help in identifying two suspects who gunned down race car legend Mickey Thompson and his wife Trudy over a decade ago. Police say it was a hit, and the man who allegedly ordered the hit, Mickey’s former business partner Michael Goodwin, is about to stand trial. The suspects are still unidentified and at large.
In the Line of Duty – Deputy John Sanford (Northumberland County Sheriff’s Office, Virginia)
(commercial break)
Carl Evans Update (Brief, approx. 45 seconds) – The narrator shares that last week, AMW aired suspected killer Carl Evans, accused of killing his stepdaughter and setting the house on fire. Tips came rolling in on the case. Viewers are encouraged to visit amw.com to see what investigators found out from those tips.
Case recap – Unknown Indiana Bank Shooter, Gerald Estes, Sucha Singh, Clansie Banner, Tommy James, Paul Eischeid, LaToyia Figueroa, Mark Wood, William Lane, Calvin Sinclair, Hugo Lopez, Unknown Mickey & Trudy Thompson Hitmen
Episode notes:
- This episode was filmed in the AMW Studio.
- Once again, outside of In the Line of Duty, Don LaFontaine does not narrate this episode.
- Recycled footage includes a portion of the Brad Bishop reenactment being used for Gerald Estes; Edward Santana’s reenactment being used for Sucha Singh; and a quick clip of Richard Vallee’s reenactment being used for Operation: Black Biscuit.
- When the Indiana Bank Shooter was first profiled in 2004, AMW mentioned that it may have been connected to a similar bank robbery in Muncie, Indiana, which included a similar MO (jumping over the counter, saying “You know what this is” when the robbery started). However, the Muncie robbery is not mentioned at all, although the case was on amw.com. To my knowledge, Pascal Sylla was never charged with the Muncie robbery, so that case is a mystery.
- According to a newspaper article, Ray Novak, the officer involved in the Indiana shootout, was the assistant chief of the Anderson Police Department at the time of the incident. His specific rank is never mentioned during the story.
- John Walsh introduces the Mark Wood case with a generic, “Now, we’ve got a late-breaking case we need your help on tonight.”
- At one point during Mark Wood’s case, generic police scanner audio can be heard. In fact, it’s the same bit of audio that played during the COPS closing credits.
- Although Operation: Black Biscuit started after April 2002, some of the footage shown has a time stamp of November 2001. This tells me this was confiscated footage and not actual undercover footage.
- “Scorpion,” the undercover ATF agent interviewed for Operation: Black Biscuit, later revealed his true identity, Jay Dobyns, and has since written a number of books about his experiences. He’s now retired from the ATF. I suggest looking him up, because he’s had a really fascinating career.
- During Richard Sanchez’s story, John Walsh mentions the first name of the fugitive's sister-in-law (the woman he was accused of raping) and oddly, the investigator refers to her by her full name.
- No, my notes on the Break Four Tease aren’t an error; LaToyia Figueroa was profiled twice on the same episode. The AMW Insider revealed that this was a mistake and that Hugo Lopez, who was featured during the case recap, was supposed to be profiled as the Break Four Tease instead. Something odd like this will happen again in 2006.
- The Hitman feature previously aired in August 2003, with minor alterations.
- The image of the National Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial during In the Line of Duty is fixed so that it’s not over-exposed. It’s still bright, but you can actually read the inscription now.
- Carl Evans was captured the day before this story aired, and because the update is so brief and doesn't really say anything, I don't know whether to classify it as a fugitive or a capture, which is why I'm calling it an update.
Episode #817 – Aug. 13, 2005
Jason Brown (Full segment) – Investigators in Phoenix, Arizona are looking for accused killer Jason Brown. He’s wanted for shooting and killing an armored car guard outside a movie theater as the guard was carrying receipts from the busy Thanksgiving weekend box office haul. Brown fled the scene on a bike, which gave police a fingerprint that they were able to use to identify him as the suspect. It turned out that Brown was a bit of a playboy and party animal who couldn’t afford his lifestyle anymore, which police believe is why he targeted the armored car guard. By the time police figured out where Brown was staying, he was already gone. In the latest developments, police say that Brown may be bisexual. Still at large
(commercial break)
Dino Smith Capture and Troy Smith (Full segment) – Rick Segall provides an update on two brothers wanted out of California for committing a $7 million jewelry heist. Dino and Troy Smith were known for their elaborate robbery schemes. In their latest heist, police say they broke into a restaurant next door to the jewelry store, then used tools to break down a between the two stores and steal the jewels. AMW got a number of tips after profiling the brothers in 2003, including several saying they believe they saw the jewelry on the “Antiques Roadshow.” It turned out that, while looking similar, it wasn’t the actual jewelry. Shortly after the brothers' last update in February 2004, Dino Smith was indirectly arrested in New York, but Troy Smith remained a fugitive. In 2006, Troy Smith surrendered to investigators, though it had nothing to do with his AMW profiles.
(commercial break)
Morgan Nick (Missing Child Alert, approx. 2 minutes) – It’s now been 10 years since Morgan Nick went missing from Alma, Arkansas. Morgan, who was 5 years old at the time, disappeared during a baseball game. Her mother, Colleen, says she won’t ever give up on Morgan, and says she’ll keep looking for her. A brand-new age-enhanced photo of Morgan is debuted, along with another airing of the sketch of the man police believe abducted her. Morgan is still missing.
Howard “Skip” Godfrey Capture (Full segment) – A couple in Vermont played an indirect, but major role in getting their daughter’s murder solved. In 1991, 28-year-old Patricia Scoville was raped and murdered after she decided to spend a day going for a hike in the woods. The only clue was DNA, but in 1991, that didn’t mean very much. Patricia’s parents, over the years, became lobbyists for a DNA database, and with their efforts, a law was passed that meant all felons, upon their release from prison, had to give a DNA sample. And in March 2005, their efforts paid off when a DNA hit came back; Howard “Skip” Godfrey, a local handyman, had been linked to the crime. Godfrey had spent six years in prison for violently assaulting a woman in an attack eerily similar to the way Patricia was killed. Godfrey was convicted of Patricia’s murder in 2008, and in 2013 he died in prison.
(commercial break)
Hugo Lopez (Breaking news, approx. 1 minute, 30 seconds) – Police in Staten Island were urgently looking for a man wanted for a horrible crime. It’s alleged that Hugo Lopez burned his own son by submerging him in a sink filled with scalding hot water. The child had burns over two thirds of his body. Lopez was jailed, but demanded an interpreter, and when one couldn’t be found, a judge allowed him to bond out. Lopez vanished. Still at large.
John Walsh introduces the next segment by saying, while AMW can’t catch every fugitive they go after, they never stop trying. With that in mind, AMW has decided to go back through its archives and profile some cases that they haven’t aired in some time with the hope of bringing in more tips on these cold cases. The first one is a case that AMW first profiled during its third season in August 1990.
Teddy Ellis (Full segment) – Oklahoma police are seeking Teddy Ellis for a murder he committed when he was just a teenager. In 1982, the 17-year-old Ellis and two friends picked up a hitchhiker. While stopped to get gas, Ellis noticed the man had a wallet filled with money, and decided he wanted it. On the guise of going target practice shooting, Ellis had the man pull over on a bridge. But investigators said Ellis instead shot and killed the hitchhiker, took the man’s wallet and then dumped his body in the river. Ellis only found $20 in the man’s pocket. While serving time for killing the hitchhiker, Ellis escaped from prison. Still at large
(commercial break)
Alex Buckman (Break Four Tease) – An 18-year-old football player from Spartanburg, South Carolina, has gone missing. In November, his remains were found in a landfill and three people were charged with his murder.
(commercial break continues)
Joel Urena (Full segment) – California fugitive wanted for committing a violent home invasion. During the home invasion, a young man was shot. Though he survived, the victim’s parents were forced to see their son bleeding out on the floor. Urena is believed to be involved in more home invasions and is wanted for questioning in a murder in California. Still at large
In the Line of Duty – Officer Dwayne Reeves (Newark School District Police, New Jersey)
(commercial break)
Capture Update (Brief, approx. 30 seconds) – Don LaFontaine says recent viewer tips have been on a roll with captures lately, including Tommy James, who was captured within 24 hours of his profile on the previous week’s show. He tells viewers to visit amw.com to learn about how James went down, and to learn the details of other recent captures.
Case recap – Jason Brown, Troy Smith, Morgan Nick and Unknown Morgan Nick Abductor, Hugo Lopez, Teddy Ellis, Alex Buckman, Joel Urena
Episode notes:
- This episode was filmed in the AMW Studio.
- This episode was a rerun of the April 9, 2005 show.
- After two weeks off, Don LaFontaine returns to narrating.
- Jason Brown’s profile is pretty much exactly the same as the one that aired on the April 2 episode. This includes the random card that comes up showing Keith Palomares’ photo and saying the year he was born and the date of his death. It’s more obvious here that it was used as a scene transition since John’s interview with witness Tracy Brookins is cut out.
- The investigator interviewed for the Morgan Nick update says they’ve developed a better sketch, but the sketch that is shown is exactly the same that has been featured ever since Morgan went missing. The sketch appears on a background reminiscent of AMW's episodes from 2001, when Morgan was last profiled, so I'm assuming this interview is an old one from around that time.
- While she was referred to as “Patricia Scoville” during the case’s 2002 profile, here John Walsh consistently refers to her as “Patty Scoville.”
- I love the way the Patricia Scoville case is told. It basically starts off at the time she was murdered, then jumps ahead to a specific point in the '90s or 2000s that shows what was going on in the Scoville's lives, as well as what was going on in Godfrey's life at the same time, plus speculation as to where Patricia might have been in her life.
- During Skip Godfrey’s capture report, at one point a police officer is shown taking a DNA sample from a man whose face is blurred out. The man is Edward Raifsnider, an indirect capture from 2004, and the clip is actually from his capture report where he offered to take a DNA test to rule him out as a suspect in the Ali Kemp murder.
- Richmond County District Attorney Dan Donovan, who was prominently featured in the Hugo Lopez story, would later be elected to Congress. He served from 2015-2019.
- The missing teen featured during the Break Four Tease is referred to by John Walsh as “Alex Buckman,” but according to his profile on the website, his family called him by his middle name, Davon Buckman. Interestingly, amw.com classified him as a missing adult, even though he was 17 when he went missing, and should have been a missing child (although he was less than three months away from his 18th birthday when he disappeared).
- In addition to Tommy James, during the capture update, photos of Crystal Vigil, Raymond Ross, John Lockhart and Robert Ellison also flash on screen.
Episode #818 – Aug. 20, 2005
Ismael Zambada-Garcia (Full segment) – Ed Miller reports on the hunt for the most prominent drug kingpin in Mexico. Ismael Zambada-Garcia worked his way up to the top of the ranks to become a multi-millionaire drug lord, bringing in millions of dollars of cocaine into the United States. He’s also reportedly linked to the 1985 kidnapping, torture and murder of DEA Agent Kiki Camarena. Investigators say he’s undergone plastic surgery to change his appearance, and the latest information is that he’s diabetic and may be seeking medical attention. Still at large
(commercial break)
Patrick Brown (15 Seconds of Shame) – Police in Boston say Brown stabbed a man to death with a hunting knife. Thanks to an AMW tipster, Brown was captured in Belize in early 2010, making him Capture #1,103.
Frederick Russell (15 Seconds of Shame) – Washington state police were seeking Russell for driving drunk and slamming into another car, killing three college students. Two months after this profile, Russell was indirectly captured in Ireland.
Saul Pena (15 Seconds of Shame) – When police in south Florida tried to pull him over, they say Saul Pena began driving erratically and ran a red light, crashing into a car and killing the driver. Still at large
Anthony Quick (15 Seconds of Shame) – Scam artist wanted for targeting elderly women in Florida. In 2007, an AMW tip led to Quick’s arrest, making him Capture #937.
Christopher Hampton Capture and Tamika Huston Discovery (Full segment) – Tom Morris returns to tell the final chapter in the case of Tamika Huston, the South Carolina woman who vanished under mysterious circumstances. A thorough investigation led to an apartment where Tamika’s blood was found. The tenant, Christopher Hampton, tried passing it off as both a ketchup stain and a Kool-Aid stain. Hampton also admitted he’d dated Tamika. On the day Hampton was to be released from prison on unrelated charges, investigators charged him with Tamika’s murder. Shortly thereafter, he led police to where he’d buried her in the woods. Afterward, Hampton gave an interview to a local reporter where he tried saying that Tamika’s death was an accident and happened after he threw an iron at her during an argument. Hamilton eventually pleaded guilty and is now serving life in prison.
(commercial break)
Tracey Gardner-Tetso (Full segment) – When a woman went missing while on her way to a Motley Crue concert, the band new they had to get involved. Tracey Gardner-Tetso was planning on going to the band’s concert in Washington, D.C. in March, but she never showed up and her car was found abandoned at a motel a short time later. Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee got personally involved in the case, offering a $10,000 reward and meeting with Tracey’s family the next time they came to the D.C. area. Nikki Sixx also said he made sure every press interview he did, he mentioned Tracey. While Tracey’s body has never been found, her husband, Dennis Tetso, was convicted of her murder.
(commercial break)
Marco Camacho (All Points Bulletin) – Wanted out of Napa, California for killing a man at his girlfriend’s Quinceanera. Police say the victim was trying to crash the party, and when he refused to leave, Camacho stabbed him. The man stumbled inside the party where despite the best efforts of witnesses, he died. Still at large
Richard Goldberg (All Points Bulletin) – Babysitter wanted out of Long Beach, California, for sexually assaulting six children who were in his care. Police say he was discovered when two girls discovered naked photos of their friends on his computer. Goldberg fled, but in 2007, he was indirectly captured in Canada after he admitted to someone he was a fugitive.
Rashawn Capers (All Points Bulletin) – Paterson, New Jersey investigators were looking for Capers for killing the son of a police officer. The victim was stabbed outside of a nightclub, and his father just happened to be the first officer on scene. The victim died at the hospital. To help catch Capers, AMW unveiled a billboard in northern New Jersey, where they believed he was hiding out. It may have helped; thanks to an AMW tip, Capers was captured just two months after this profile in New York, making him Capture #867.
(commercial break)
Amanda Jones (Break Four Tease) – In Missouri, police were urgently looking for a 26-year-old woman who disappeared while nine months pregnant. Still missing
(commercial break continues)
Unknown James Phillip Brooks Killer (Full segment) – Ray Farkas brings his camera to rural Wheeler County, Oregon, where for the past decade an unsolved murder has baffled everybody in town. In September 1994, James Phillip Brooks was found dead from a bullet wound in the middle of his chest, fired from a rifle about 400 feet away. Some people wonder if it was a murder or a horrible accident, and if it was an accident, why hasn't the person involved come forward? Featured people include the victim’s parents, investigators, a woman who served on the grand jury and a local man who has put up reward money. The case is still unsolved.
In the Line of Duty – Officer Wayne Morgan (Tennessee Department of Corrections)
(commercial break)
William Komlo (Brief, approx. 15 seconds) – Don LaFontaine asks what would you do if you spotted yourself on AMW? Former NFL quarterback William “Jeff” Komlo was so outraged he appeared on amw.com for failing to appear for sentencing, he called a reporter to complain about it. As Komlo's profile card appears on screen, Don invites viewers to visit amw.com to find out what he’s wanted for. In 2009, Komlo was killed in a car accident in Greece.
Case recap – Ismael Zambada-Garcia, Patrick Brown, Frederick Russell, Saul Pena, Anthony Quick, Tracey Gardner-Tetso, Richard Goldberg, Rashawn Capers, Marco Camacho, Unknown James Phillip Brooks Killer
Episode notes:
- I honestly have no idea where this episode was filmed. John Walsh is outside standing near a large body of water, but it’s unclear as to where this is.
- Recycled reenactments include Dudley Forbes being used for Saul Pena and Russell Winstead being used for Anthony Quick.
- Not only is this the first time Ismael Zambada-Garcia is called “El Mayo,” but this is also the last time he was profiled on AMW. I wonder if AMW maybe thought he was uncatchable via viewer tips.
- Frederick Russell is said to be on the U.S. Marshals’ Most Wanted List, but they oddly don’t call it the 15 Most Wanted List.
- Tom Morris said the hotline received a tip about Christopher Hampton’s inconsistent story regarding the blood stains on his floor in June. However, June was when the case was updated and this tip was discussed. That tip would have had to come in from the March 2005 broadcast.
- John Walsh makes a statement after the Tamika Huston case saying that when it comes to profiling missing persons, AMW doesn’t consider race, sex or age and only cares about bringing people home. His comments reflect a discussion about Missing White Woman Syndrome that was going on in the media at the time, specifically in reference to LaToyia Figueroa and how she was barely getting any media attention. His comments imply that AMW was being called out, but I don’t ever recall that happening.
- Once again, John refers to Tracey Gardner-Tetso as Tracey Tetso, although her full name appears on her profile card and she’s referred to by her full name during the recap.
- Unlike the May 2005 profile, Tracey’s husband, Dennis Tetso, is not interviewed, and he’s not even mentioned. Given that he was eventually convicted of her murder, I think it’s safe to say the family had their suspicions about him even early on.
- James Phillip Brooks is referred to as Phillip Brooks throughout the story.
- The suspected killers of Officer Wayne Morgan, Jennifer and George Hyatte, were featured on amw.com, and had they not been caught, it’s likely they would have been profiled on the show. I know their story has also been told on other true crime shows, since I've seen this case on a show that aired on ID.
Episode #819 – Aug. 27, 2005
Unknown Gus Boulis Killers (Full segment) – John Turchin has an intriguing update in the murder investigation of a Florida businessman with possible connections to Washington, D.C. Gus Boulis, the multi-millionaire owner of the Miami Subs chain, was killed in February 2001 after two cars surrounded him and someone fired five shots into his vehicle. Detectives believed that Gus’ murder may have had something to do with the sale of the scandal-plagued SunCruz Casino line, which Gus had sold to Adam Kidan, a New York investor, and his partner, lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Over the past few weeks, Kidan and Abramoff were indicted by a federal grand jury on charges they lied to banks to get a loan for the SunCruz sale, and Abramoff was in the middle of a Congressional ethics investigation. Reportedly, Gus and Kidan had a tense relationship, and investigators wondered if he or Abramoff had something to do with Gus’ murder. Just a month after this update, three men – Anthony Moscatiello, James Fiorillo and Anthony Ferrari – were all charged with Gus’ murder.
(commercial break)
Patricia Yoshikawa (15 Seconds of Shame) – New Hampshire police alleged that Yoshikawa helped her boyfriend steal a car, then rob a bank. I can’t find corroborating documents, but I’m fairly certain the charges against her were dropped, since she was removed from amw.com not terribly long after this profile.
Roberto Ramirez (15 Seconds of Shame) – Wanted out of Chicago for killing a woman who lived in his apartment building. He was indirectly captured in January 2006.
Frantz Dieudonne (15 Seconds of Shame) – Police say he met a 15-year-old girl on line, traveled across the country to sexually assault her, then tried taking her home with him. Still at large
Robert Walker (15 Seconds of Shame) – Accused of being part of a Miami drug ring that brought more than 100 kilos of cocaine into the U.S. Still at large
Fabian Urrea (Full segment) – Ed Miller reports from California on a soldier who lost his life in his own backyard. Jorge Estrada was a California National Guard member serving in Iraq while his wife, National Guard Reservist Diana Estrada, was pregnant. While the baby’s father was her ex-boyfriend, Fabian Urrea, Jorge vowed to raise the child as his own. Jorge returned home on leave to see his daughter’s birth, but Urrea demanded to see the child. When Jorge and Diana went to see Urrea, he allegedly pulled out a gun and shot Jorge in the parking lot of his apartment, then nearly ran over his body as he pulled out. Jorge died before help arrived. After more than a year on the run, Urrea was indirectly captured in January 2007.
(commercial break)
John Walsh says the summer is winding down and hopes viewers got a chance to get away on vacation. Some recent fugitives tried getting away but thanks to tips, they weren’t able to.
Mark Wood (Capture Roundup) – In Mattawan, Michigan, a police officer who had only been on the job 11 days died during a high-speed chase with Mark Wood. The officer lost control of his vehicle and spun out, causing fatal injuries. Tips that came in the night of Wood’s profile didn’t lead right to him, but the investigator wasn’t giving up. Right after he landed in Michigan, a tip came in giving Wood’s specific location. Cops immediately followed up and took Wood into custody.
Tommy James (Capture Roundup) – Accused child rapist Tommy James’ life on the run ended thanks to an AMW tipster. When AMW aired his profile, one of his friends was so disgusted, they immediately gave up James’ travel plans; boarding a bus in Joplin, Missouri headed for Tennessee. Police sprang into action and nabbed James before he could even get on the bus. James was arrested within hours of his profile, making him Capture #853.
(commercial break)
John Gentry (Full segment) – Heading back into the show’s archives, AMW takes another look at the case of John Gentry. While serving time in an Ohio prison for assault, Gentry met a prison worker named Barbara Gerber and the two formed a relationship once he was released. However, what she didn’t realize is that Gentry was also in a relationship with William Veith, who lived across the state line in Michigan. Police aren’t entirely sure why, but in April 1983 Gentry stabbed Barbara to death, then beat William to death with a hatchet, then disappeared. Still at large
(commercial break)
Tony Luzio (Break Four Tease) – Missing man who disappeared from Columbus, Ohio. In 2014, police found his body in a retention pond.
(commercial break continues)
Allen & Linda Andrews (Brief, approx. 30 seconds) – Don LaFontaine says Allen and Linda Andrews have been fugitives for seven years, but their time on the run may be coming to an end. Their suspicious behavior led tipsters to visit amw.com and discover who they really were. Thanks to those tipsters, AMW has new photos of the couple as well as their aliases. Don encourages a visit to amw.com to find out more information. The Andrews were indirectly captured in 2012, shortly after they were profiled on the Couples on the Run special on Lifetime.
The Safety Chick’s Home Improvement Makeover (Full segment) – Kathleen Beatty returns to help out a homeowner in need. When a Southern California woman became a victim of multiple home invasion robberies and a peeping tom, The Safety Chick decided to take action. She hired a landscape architect to improve the woman’s home exterior, eliminating overgrown branches, adding motion sensor lights, and putting in gravel and shrubs designed to keep people away.
In the Line of Duty – Officer Timothy Webster (Crystal Springs Police Department, Mississippi)
(commercial break)
Call to Action (Full segment) – A Maine pharmacist went above and beyond to catch an armed robber. When it was noticed a serial pharmacy robber only hit on a specific day each month, one pharmacist in Unity, Maine came up with a plan. He packed fake medicine into bottles, and when the robber struck that very day, they were ready. After handing the robber the fake medicine, the pharmacist then followed the robber, locked the pharmacy, and pursued the suspect, all while on the phone with OnStar. Eventually he lost the suspect but thanks to his detailed description of the suspect and vehicle, cops caught up with him just moments later.
Case recap – Unknown Gus Boulis Killers, Patricia Yoshikawa, Roberto Ramirez, Frantz Dieudonne, Robert Walker, Fabian Urrea, John Gentry, Tony Luzio
Episode notes:
- Once again, the filming location for this episode is unclear, but I can tell you it’s the same place last week’s show was filmed.
- Recycled reenactments for this episode include Angel Tello being used for Patricia Yoshikawa.
- While Adam Kidan and Jack Abramoff were never charged in connection with Gus Boulis’ murder, Kidan had hired Anthony Moscatiello as a business adviser and in 2006 told authorities that Moscatiello and Anthony Ferrari once told him details about the murder.
- It’s not mentioned during her 15 Seconds of Shame profile, but Patricia Yoshikawa’s boyfriend, who used a police car to commit an armed robbery, was a former cop.
- Robert Walker’s real name is Ralph Newman, and I know I’ve seen wanted posters for him under that name.
- Jorge Estrada’s first name is pronounced “George.”
- It’s really, really hard to watch the Fabian Urrea case knowing what happened after this profile. Diana Estrada, the wife of victim Jorge Estrada and the mother of the baby, is currently serving 14 years to life for torturing that same little girl. She was convicted of putting the child’s legs in scalding water as punishment for a toilet training accident. And apparently, not long after this profile, she was convicted of abusing her older daughter, but never served time for it. Knowing this, I think I know why AMW never profiled Urrea again after 2005, even though John was clearly angered by the crime and Urrea wasn’t caught until 2007.
- The capture roundup contains two captures, which is pretty unusual, as most of them feature three.
- When Tommy James was profiled, it was said his victim was 13. Here, John Walsh says she was 11. If you look into the case, the victim reported the crime when she was 13 and said the abuse started when she was 11, so technically, both are right.
- John Gentry’s full profile from 1992 is on YouTube, and this airing is noticeably shorter than his 1992 profile.
- John Gentry was the last official Cold Case fugitive AMW profiled. While there’d be other cold cases the show would continue to feature (in fact, one will be profiled next week) none of them were referred to as being part of this feature. If I were to guess, I’d say maybe the show discontinued the feature because they weren’t happy with the tips they were getting. But it’s also clear AMW didn’t put forth much effort into the segment, given that we were promised new interviews and none of the cases featured them.
- The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children created Gentry’s age-enhanced photo. While fairly common today (probably most notably with Lester Eubanks) at the time this was pretty uncommon.
- AMW calls the missing man profiled during the Break Four Tease "Anthony Luzio," despite the fact his amw.com profile calls him "Tony," and his 2006 Break Four Tease profile will also call him "Tony."
- Okay, THIS I promise is the last Safety Chick segment, and you can actually kind of tell. It’s significantly shorter than the previous segments, and instead of doing something like breaking into someone’s house or stalking someone, someone actually sought out Kathleen’s help and she teamed up with someone to make it happen. I actually really like this segment, and it shows that there are other ways of getting your message across than borderline committing a crime.
- I probably don’t need to say this but Kathleen Beatty’s name is once again misspelled as “Kathleen Baty.” Although part of me wonders if she did this on purpose given that she’d been a stalking victim and maybe was taking a precaution to throw him off in case he tried to come back. Either way, she goes by a different name now so it’s kind of a moot point.
- The Crystal Springs Police Department patch is missing from In the Line of Duty.
- During the recap, 1-800-CRIME-TV is missing when the Gus Boulis killer’s sketch appears on screen.
Next month on AMW:
AMW heads into the fall with a full month of episodes and cases ready to be solved, including:
Sept. 3, 2005 – This rerun of the April 16, 2005 episode continues the hunt for accused killers Kenneth Cofer, David & Ruben Lopez, as well as the unsolved murder case of man who wanted to be a reporter for ESPN.
Sept. 10, 2005 – It’s a bittersweet day for AMW, because while it’s the 19th Season Premiere, John Walsh and the crew are on the ground in New Orleans after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Not only is the show looking to reunite families and grab possible scammers, but the hunt is also on for a convicted killer who was let go from prison due to a paperwork error.
Sept. 17, 2005 – Two years ago, the city of Erie, Pennsylvania made national headlines when a man with a bomb strapped to his chest robbed a bank. The bomb detonated before police could get answers, killing the man. Now, AMW takes an in-depth look into the case to try and get answers in the mystery of the Collar Bomber.
Sept. 24, 2005 – AMW asks viewers for their help in solving two unrelated, but tragic, New York murders. One involves a young man whose dismembered body parts were found in the New York City subway, and the other involves a woman who was killed the day before her son’s wedding in what police believe was a robbery gone wrong.
Oct. 1, 2005 – It’s AMW’s last show before baseball playoffs lead to its annual hiatus, and the final fugitives until November are getting their air time. In addition to a mystery man who lived a real-life fantasy while also allegedly abusing children, the case of a Miami businessman gunned down four years ago has a shocking update.
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Post by Scumhunter on Feb 6, 2022 16:43:46 GMT -5
Ah the Dudley Forbes redux again, I was right lol.
Only correction I'd make is Joel Urena is "possibly dead, but technically still at large." Lol
Nice work again!
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Post by pakman on Feb 6, 2022 18:57:57 GMT -5
Thanks! Yeah I honestly just copy and pasted that from my original analysis and was too lazy to look for updates. 
EDIT: Although this time the part of the reenactment that was recycled was from the Anthony Patterson/Vincent Dixon portion where he fled the cops in downtown Providence, not the nightclub shootout portion.
I've just had this recent reignited interest in AMW and I think I want to go through as many episodes as I can before the interest fades again. I think this is because my 20th anniversary of watching AMW is coming up on March 30 and I'm planning quite a bit for my personal blog in celebration of that milestone. Maybe even some things on this forum too. |
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Post by pakman on Oct 1, 2022 15:56:27 GMT -5
Who wants to see more episode analysis from AMW's episodes that aired in 2005? Apologies for the long absence, but I'm happy to say that I've come up with a plan to wrap up the remaining episodes of the year, and I'm starting today with my look at the episodes that aired in September and October 2005!
Let's take a look!
Episode #820 – Sept. 3, 2005 (18th Season Finale)
Kenneth Cofer (Full segment) – Tom Morris travels to Oklahoma City to help out a cop who helped out on April 19, 1995, the day of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building bombing. Investigator Randy Kirby, who was about five blocks away from the bombing, helped to look for survivors and investigate the case. Today, Detective Kirby is investigating a case he needs help on. On Sept. 11, 2002, during a barbecue remembering the one-year anniversary of 9/11, a man named Kenneth Cofer got into an argument with his friend, Larry “Buffalo” Buchanan, a Vietnam War veteran. While things seemed to calm down, they only got worse in the following days. The following night, the two of them continued their argument in a bar, which resulted in Cofer getting kicked out. As Larry was walking back to his car, police believe Cofer ran out of the shadows and knocked the veteran over. The very next day, at the home of a mutual friend, both Cofer and Larry happened to show up. Cofer shoved Larry over again, and then Cofer allegedly pulled out a pistol, shooting Larry in the chest before jumping into his pickup and fleeing. Larry “Buffalo” Buchanan died from the shooting. Cofer is still at large.
(commercial break)
Fabian Smart Final Justice (Full segment) – Retired Investigator Joe Matthews returns to AMW to deliver the final chapter in a case he spent three years investigating for the show. In 1999, 21-year-old Jason McMann was found dead in the woods in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. Investigators called it an “unexplained death,” but his mother suspected he’d been murdered. She got ahold of AMW for help, and Joe went down to investigate the murder himself. Using his resources, he discovered that Jason had gone to a place known as the Football House, where all the college football players lived, to collect on a drug debt. Joe learned Jason had been chased from the party, through an alley and disappeared. A confidential witness soon came forward and told Joe that Jason had been murdered by Fabian Smart, the football team’s quarterback. She also identified Jermaine Ballard, another football player, as being involved, as well as Smart’s out-of-town friend Willie “Diggy” Williams. Joe spoke to Ballard, who eventually confessed to police that he was present during the fight. Williams also told police that he was present when Smart beat Jason to death with a gun. With AMW’s help, Smart was arrested in Atlanta, making him Capture #712. In October 2004, Smart was convicted of Jason’s murder, and he was sentenced to life in prison. Williams, Ballard and a third accomplice were convicted as accessories and have all since been released.
(commercial break)
Ruben and David Lopez (Full segment) – Out in California, two brothers involved in the lowrider business are accused of ordering the murder of a competitor. Steve Miller and his family owned a lowrider business and were in competition with the Lopez brothers. The Millers believed the Lopez brothers had an unfair advantage because they had big money behind them, whereas the Millers were more on the amateur side. The Millers backed a successful rule change that would put sponsored and amateur lowriders in different categories. The Lopez brothers felt slighted and allegedly hired three hitmen to kill Steve Miller. But due to a mix-up, they ended up killing Leonard Miller, Steve’s father. Leonard’s murder led the Millers to close their business. The Lopez brothers were eventually linked to the crime, but while the hitmen were caught, the brothers went on the run. Ruben Lopez was captured in Mexico back in 2015, but David Lopez remains a fugitive.
(commercial break)
William Fischer (Full segment) – Wanted out of New York for the murder of his terminally ill son and his son’s friend. Fischer’s son, Billy, suffered from cystic fibrosis, and police believe Fischer, who had never been a part of his children’s lives, didn’t want to pay for his son’s ever-mounting medical bills. Police believe Billy’s friend Nancy was killed so Fischer could tell police that the two of them disappeared together. Investigators said Billy Fischer was shot 18 times. By the time a grand jury indicted Fischer, he had fled with $160,000 in cash. Still at large.
(commercial break)
Brianna Maitland (Break Four Tease) – Vermont teenager who went missing after she finished her shift at a fast-food restaurant. Still missing.
(commercial break continues)
Unknown Chris Mader Killer (Full segment) – Police in Maryland are hoping to solve a baffling and seemingly random murder case. Chris Mader, an aspiring broadcast sports journalist, was coming home from his bartending job at 3 a.m. on Thanksgiving 2004 when he was randomly shot in the head while driving. It’s believed the suspect was either standing in the median of the road or off the side of the road. Chris died instantly. A witness came forward to help create a sketch of a suspicious person they’d seen standing in the area of the shooting on the morning of Chris’ death. Police were also hoping to figure out who made a mysterious 911 call hours after the shooting by a person who seemed to be trying to get information on the case. In 2010, Matthew Correl was arrested and charged with Chris’ murder, in what police revealed was a botched robbery. A year later, a second man, Shawn Myers, was charged with attempted robbery in connection to Chris’ case.
In the Line of Duty – Officer Roy Nelson (New Smyrna Beach, Florida, Police Department)
(commercial break)
Case recap – Kenneth Cofer, Ruben & David Lopez, William Fischer, Brianna Maitland, Unknown Chris Mader Killer
Next week on AMW – John Walsh invites viewers to tune in to the show’s 19th season premiere.
Episode notes:
- This episode was filmed in the AMW Studio.
- This episode was a rerun of the April 16, 2005 episode. Unusually for a rerun, they didn’t replace the Final Justice segment with a more recent capture. The only case that was replaced was the unsolved murder of Angelo Ravella…a case that is still unsolved to this day. Why an unsolved case was replaced with another unsolved case confuses me.
- When Don LaFontaine says the capture number, he says, “To date, you have captured (number) fugitives.” Usually he says, “To date, your tips have led to the capture of (number) fugitives.” He may have actually changed the wording before this point, but I’m too lazy to check.
- John Walsh re-recorded his intro to Kenneth Cofer’s story to remove all mention of the episode airing on the anniversary of the Murrah Building bombing. Given that this rerun did not air on the anniversary, this isn't a surprising change at all.
- Kenneth Cofer’s profile corrects an error that was present in the initial airing. Originally, when Tom Morris said the last photo of Cofer was taken in 1996 and an age-enhanced photo has been created, a photo from the ‘80s was shown first, followed by the 1996 photo. The correct photos air in their correct places this time.
- In the previous airing of this episode, I mentioned that the Lopez brothers’ profile card was on a black background. In this episode, it’s on a normal green background.
- John Walsh also re-recorded his intro to William Fischer. Whereas the original airing of this episode had him use a generic “The police are really stumped on this next case and they need your tips to help them solve it tonight,” this airing has him do an intro specific to Fischer. John mentions that the show has received hundreds of tips on Fischer over the years and apparently some near-misses.
- Perhaps the intro was replaced because John introduces the Chris Mader murder case with the generic one.
- Fischer’s reenactment continues to get chopped up. This version reinstates the scene where Fischer shoves his son Jayson’s face into a plate of food (which marks the first time that scene was included in any of his profiles I’ve seen), but it also deletes the scene where Fischer tells his son, “You know why you’re here, so you know I can get rid of you too,” despite the fact that scene appears in the commercial bumper. And once again, the scene with Billy smoking a cigarette is also cut.
- This was William Fischer’s last profile. According to the AMW Inside, Fischer was first profiled on one of the very first episodes of AMW, meaning he is one of the fugitives from the show’s first year who has never been caught.
- Tom Morris narrates the Break Four Tease.
- For some reason, when the Unknown Chris Mader Killer’s profile card goes up, it shows a picture of the victim and not of the composite sketch. The sketch is shown during the recap, however.
Episode #821 – Sept. 10, 2005 (19th Season Premiere)
Reuniting the Lost After Hurricane Katrina (Full segment) – Following Hurricane Katrina, AMW travels to Houston, one of the areas where evacuees were flown, to do whatever they could to help reunite families that had gotten separated in the chaos. One man, Eric Beal, has been looking for his father, while another woman, who had been looking for her son, learns while speaking with AMW that he was just a few hundred yards from her. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children also mobilized to help reunite families. And Eric Beal learned his father had been located, but was flown to Atlanta. With AMW’s help, Eric was able to fly to Atlanta to reunite with is father. To help reunite families, AMW has created the Katrina Victims Network, a website where people could post information about their loved ones, or they could post their information for their loved ones to find.
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Gerald Estes (15 Seconds of Shame) – North Carolina police were seeking Estes for molesting two young boys and photographing his crimes. In 2009, a serial killer confessed to killing Estes shortly after he bonded out of jail. While no body has ever been found, police consider the case closed.
Vincente Soto (15 Seconds of Shame) – Wanted out of Alabama for killing a man that his girlfriend had been cheating on him with. Soto was indirectly captured in Mexico back in 2017.
Roman Saldarriaga (15 Seconds of Shame) – Police in Naples, Florida, are seeking Saldarriaga for a drunk driving incident where he crashed his car, killing a mother of two. Still at large, and reportedly he is living openly in Colombia.
Edgardo Rodriguez (15 Seconds of Shame) – “Teen terror” wanted out of Chicago for the murder of a rival gang member. Police suspect Rodriguez may also be connected to another murder. Still at large.
Cesar Lira and Manuel Ayala (Full segment) – Police in two states are looking for an escape artist who should be serving time for serious crimes. In April 2004, Cesar Lira fled police custody in Wisconsin after being released from a hospital, jumping into a car being driven by his girlfriend, with his 6-year-old daughter in the back seat. The next day, Lira was in Oklahoma when a state trooper tried pulling him over for a minor traffic infraction. A chase ensued, which ended with Lira flipping his car and ejecting all three inside. He and his daughter survived, but Lira’s girlfriend was killed. Lira was convicted of murder in Oklahoma and sentenced to 40 years, but when he was sent back to Wisconsin, the proper paperwork had not been filed. Not knowing he was a convicted killer and should have been sent back to Oklahoma, a judge let Lira bond out, and he vanished. Police believe he may have been traveling with his friend, Manuel Ayala, wanted for parole violation. The two were indirectly captured about two months after this profile.
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Scammers Who Follow the Storm (Full segment) – John Turchin reports on how lessons learned from Hurricane Andrew in 1992 can benefit the people impacted by Hurricane Katrina. Following Andrew, scammers descended on Florida to take advantage of those displaced by the storm. Some of them overcharged people for necessary commodities, but others were crooked contractors promising to fix houses, but instead left more damage behind than the hurricane. One woman was scammed out of $14,000, while another man had $50,000 stolen. Tips are offered to prevent people from becoming a victim, including asking for permits from companies and refusing to pay up front.
Mark Cerino and Enrique Molina (Tacked on profiles) – Viewers are asked to be on the lookout for two scammers who may target Katrina victims. Mark Cerino is accused of ripping off elderly Florida residents following the 2004 hurricane season, and Enrique Molina allegedly scammed more than a dozen people in Miami. Cerino was recognized by viewers from this broadcast and tracked down within hours, making him Capture #759. Molina, as far as I can tell, is still at large.
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Stanley Osbourne (All-Points Bulletin) – Police in upstate New York were looking for Osbourne for two horrible crimes. He allegedly raped his 15-year-old stepdaughter, and was kicked out of the house. Months later, his estranged wife agreed to marriage counseling, but on their way to the office, Osbourne tried to shoot his wife. The gun jammed, and she was able to flee, but Osbourne vanished. Thanks to this profile, Osbourne was recognized by friends in Canada, who called in the tip and he was arrested the very next day, making him Capture #760.
Gary Irving (All-Points Bulletin) – In 1978, Irving was a serial rapist targeting 16-year-old girls in Boston. With the help of the victims, Irving was identified and arrested. He was convicted of rape, but a judge allowed him to remain free on bond prior to sentencing. Irving never showed up to hear his sentence. After more than 30 years on the run, Irving was arrested in Maine in 2013, where he’d been living a quiet life with his family.
Rigoberto Aguilar, Roger Mendez-Lopez & Eberto Ulloa-Vallecillos (All-Points Bulletin) – Virginia police are seeking this trio for a violent murder. According to investigators, the victim met Mendez-Lopez and Ulloa-Vallecillos at a restaurant and paid for their drinks. After they left the restaurant, they met up with Aguilar, then went on a spending spree with the victim’s credit card. Investigators believe that after they couldn’t get any more money, the trio beat the victim to death. As far as I know, all three are still at large.
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Heroes Helping Heroes (Full segment) – Rick Segall heads to Gulfport, Mississippi to see how local law enforcement has been dealing with the hurricane. Despite the fact that many of their own homes have been destroyed or devastated, the officers refuse to take time off. Instead, they continue to help their fellow officers, even when they’re not on duty. To assist, hundreds of officers from states across the nation have come down to Gulfport to provide relief for the officers, both in terms of law enforcement and in terms of helping them with their own homes.
Steven Kirkley and Curtis Dickson (Tacked-on profiles) – Rick asks viewers to lend a hand to Gulfport officers by helping to find two fugitives who broke out of the Marion County Jail earlier in the week. Steven Kirkley allegedly robbed and killed a real estate agent and buried her body in Louisiana, while Curtis Dickson is accused of killing two people in Mississippi, and also wanted for crimes in New Orleans. Dickson had actually been captured the day before this episode even aired, while Kirkley was caught two and a half weeks after this profile. Both were indirect captures.
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Case recap – Cesar Lira, Stanley Osbourne, Gary Irving, Vincente Soto, Roger Mendez-Lopez/Eberto Ulloa-Vallecillos/Rigoberto Aguilar, Mark Cerino & Enrique Molina, Steven Kirkley, Curtis Dickson
Episode notes:
- This episode was filmed in New Orleans.
- Recycled and Repurposed Reenactments: William Bradford Bishop (the scene showing him sneaking into his sons’ room is used for Gerald Estes) and Rudolfo Negrete (a part showing him shooting one of the victims is used for Edgardo Rodriguez).
- There is no break four tease or In the Line of Duty for this episode.
- Much like AMW did after the Oklahoma City Bombing and 9/11, John Walsh traveled to the site of a major disaster – in this case, Hurricane Katrina – and had AMW work to help out in any way that they could. Here, their primary goal was reuniting families who had been separated during the storm.
- I didn’t include this in my recap, but between segments John Walsh works with rescuers as they patrol throughout New Orleans by foot and by boat. John interviews the rescuers as they go about their work.
- Don LaFontaine does not say, “Now, join the manhunt with John Walsh!” during the intro. Given how the show itself was more somber than usual, this really isn’t all that surprising of an edit.
- Heading into every commercial break, AMW featured videos of people speaking to the camera and detailing who they were looking for and had gotten separated from during the evacuation chaos. I’m unsure if AMW directly led to anybody being located but I seem to recall John Walsh speaking on Larry King Live about how nearly everybody was able to be reunited with their loved ones.
- Likewise, I want to say the Katrina Victims Network stayed online for about a month (maybe a month and a half) before being shut down.
- Gerald Estes is the first 15 Seconds of Shame fugitive to get a repeated profile. I really don’t know why they gave him a second airing just a month after his first one. The only difference between the two profiles is how John Walsh pronounces Estes’ last name (he said “Es-teas” in the August profile, but “Es-tiss” in the second profile).
- While not officially classified as such, I consider Gary Irving the final Cold Case fugitive that AMW profiled as part of that feature in 2005. There’s still one big cold case AMW will profile in November, but I consider this the official end of that short-lived segment. It had a good run, but I really wish AMW had actually done more with it.
- Fugitive Roger Mendez-Lopez, who was profiled during the All-Points Bulletin, is referred to as Alex Mendez-Lopez by John Walsh.
- Introducing the recap, John Walsh says, “Here’s a quick review of some of tonight’s cases,” but 11 of the 15 fugitives profiled in the show are mentioned in the recap. I don’t know why they had him say “some” when 70% of the fugitives profiled in the show were reviewed.
- The AMW theme does not play over the closing credits, being replaced with a more somber instrumental piece.
Episode #822 – Sept. 17, 2005 (Erie Collar Bomber Special Edition)
Unknown Erie Collar Bomber, Part 1 (Full segment) – In August 2003, a normal, quiet day in Erie, Pennsylvania would change with a bizarre crime that kept law enforcement guessing for years. That afternoon, pizza deliveryman Brian Wells was last seen heading out to deliver two pizzas. The next time anyone saw him, he was robbing a bank, handing a note to the teller demanding $250,000. After receiving only $7,000, Brian then went to a McDonald’s, where he picked up something near the entrance, then continued on. Police caught up with him and learned Brian had a bomb wrapped around his neck. As the bomb squad was called, Brian sat on the asphalt, handcuffed and telling police information about how three people held him down and put the bomb on his neck, while also begging for them to do something. Minutes later, the bomb detonated, killing Brian instantly. When police searched Brian’s car, they found a nine-page note with detailed instructions on what he needed to do to get the bomb turned off and removed from his neck. Nobody could ever imagine the twists and turns this mystery was going to take.
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Elby Hars (15 Seconds of Shame) – Convicted pedophile who is accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl in South Carolina. Still at large
Domingo Valdez (15 Seconds of Shame) – Wanted out of Cottonwood, Arizona for killing a man, then leaving the victim’s body inside of his own car and abandoning it. Still at large
Rogelio Deaquino (15 Seconds of Shame) – Accused of luring a mentally handicapped woman into his apartment and raping her. Deaquino fled during his trial. Still at large
Douglas Holler (15 Seconds of Shame) – Ohio fugitive wanted for blowing through a stop sign while drunk and crashing into the car in front of him, killing its driver. Thanks to AMW tips, Holler was discovered to have never left the state and was caught trying to rent an apartment, making him Capture #866.
Unknown Erie Collar Bomber, Part 2 (Full segment) – When the FBI began its investigation into the Collar Bomber case, they started with their biggest clue; Brian Wells, the man with the bomb around his neck. They dug into his background to learn more about him. Brian’s brother and sister explain they came from a poor family, and Brian was the third-oldest of seven children. Brian was a music lover who lived a very humble life, worked part-time at a pizza place, and loved scavenger hunts. Prior to his death, he had plans to move to Arizona with his brother, John. Based on what Brian told investigators at the scene, he delivered two pizzas to an address that turned out to be a transmission tower for a TV station. He told police he struggled with them, but they strapped the bomb around his neck before handing him the nine pages of instructions. He was supposed to complete four tasks before getting the key to turn off the bomb, but he only had an hour to do it. The biggest question for investigators: was this actually about a bank robbery, or was Brian just a pawn in a game for his life?
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Unknown Erie Collar Bomber, Part 3 (Full segment) – Besides Brian Wells, other big clues the investigators had were what he had with him, and by examining them, the FBI learned that the Collar Bomber was all about deceit and deception. The bomb itself looked more elaborate than it was, and contained a lot of parts that looked dangerous but didn’t do anything. The cane Brian carried into the bank was an actual gun, capable of firing a single 12-gauge shotgun shell. In examining the letter, there are clues to suggest that it was written by more than one person, since the same letter looks like it was written in different handwriting on different pages, and at some points it looks like someone went back and tried to alter letters and words to disguise who wrote it. Police also discovered that the note handed to the teller included a copy of the instructions that were given to Brian, which has investigators confused and makes them wonder if the Collar Bomber was trying to embarrass the police in some way, since the note was meant for them. No key was ever found to detonate the bomb. The FBI believes that Brian may have been hand-picked to participate in the robbery, but retired investigator Joe Matthews believes the evidence suggests Brian was a victim, not a participant. In a final examination of the cane gun, it appears homemade and may have been built years before the robbery, and could have been shown off to someone.
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Graciano Lopez & Pedro Rodriguez (All-Points Bulletin) – Wanted for questioning out of Naples, Florida, in connection with the hit-and-run death of a 12-year-old boy. The boy had left his house to go bike riding, possibly to the corner gas station. But while he was out, a Silver Nissan pickup truck hit him from behind and dragged him 140 feet before speeding off, killing the boy. Witnesses identified Lopez and Rodriguez as being in the car, and police want to talk to them. Still at large.
Larry Burns (All-Points Bulletin) – Indiana police say Burns is accused of shooting and killing his ex-wife, Vicky, during a violent confrontation. Burns allegedly showed up at his former mother-in-law’s house with guns, intending to kill Vicky. Her mother fought back, shooting Burns in the shoulder, but while she got away, Vicky wasn’t able to. When police arrived, they found her body in her room. In 2010, a visitor to amw.com recognized Burns as someone they knew in California and he was arrested after 24 years on the run, making him Capture #1,124.
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Taylor Behl (Break Four Tease) – A 17-year-old college student who went missing from her campus in Richmond, Virginia. A month after this airing, her remains were found. A 38-year-old male acquaintance was later charged with her murder.
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Unknown Erie Collar Bomber, Part 4 (Full segment) – After the FBI looked into Brian Wells’ past and the weapons involved, they began looking for potential suspects. Their investigation only made this case even more bizarre. Three days after Brian’s death, a coworker at the pizza place died of a drug overdose. Then, a month before the bombing, police discovered the body of a man, Jim Roden, inside a freezer in a garage owned by an eccentric shop teacher named Bill Rothstein. Rothstein claimed he hid the body as a favor to Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, a friend who said she killed Roden in a panic. Diehl-Armstrong claimed Rothstein was lying, and told anyone who would listen that Rothstein should be charged in Brian’s death, and also made allegations that Rothstein was harboring a fugitive. Police investigated and found fugitive rapist Jay Stockton living in the home, who was promptly arrested. Investigators believe Rothstein was involved in the Collar Bomb case, but he died of leukemia 10 months after the bombing. Some also believe that Diehl-Armstrong is the mastermind, an assessment AMW investigator Joe Matthews, who interviewed her behind bars, disagrees with. But it turned out, that was right on the money. In the summer of 2007, nearly four years after the bombing, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong and a friend of hers, Kenneth Barnes, were both charged in connection with the Collar Bomber case. She had arranged the plot so she could get money to pay a hitman to kill her father. Both were sentenced to prison, but Diehl-Armstrong eventually died while serving her sentence.
In the Line of Duty – Officer Daniel Golden (Huntsville Police Department, Alabama)
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Call to Action (Brief, approx. 2 minutes) – A woman in West Virginia was driving through a mountainous highway late at night when she saw a massive fireball. A tanker truck carrying hazardous materials had crashed. She immediately called OnStar, who sent rescuers to the scene within minutes. It’s believed that she may have saved hundreds of lives, because if the chemicals had gotten into the water, it could have been catastrophic.
Case recap – Elby Hars, Graciano Lopez & Pedro Rodriguez, Larry Burns
Next week on AMW – Viewers will be asked to solve another mysterious case. In the New York City subway, bags of dismembered body parts were discovered. The hunt is on for this unknown suspect.
Episode notes:
- This episode was filmed in the AMW Studio.
- Recycled/Repurposed Reenactments: Jerry Robinson (the scene where Robinson is choking his ex-girlfriend on the floor is used for Larry Burns’ reenactment; what makes this odd is that Burns has his own reenactment, so why this clip was used is a mystery. My guess is, since this was an abbreviated version from his full profile, they may not have had a scene of Vicky being abused so they used this one as a replacement).
- This episode was the first time AMW went in-depth into the Collar Bomber case, and through the show, the investigating agencies revealed several details that were not previously known to the public. This includes almost the entire ransom note (previously the FBI had released only a heavily-redacted version) and surveillance photos of Brian Wells robbing the bank. This was also the first time AMW used the name “Erie Collar Bomber” to describe the case, which was the name the FBI was using. Previously the case was called both the Unknown Brian Wells Killer and the Erie Robbery Bombing.
- While last week’s show featured the first repeat profile of a 15 Seconds of Shame fugitive, this was the first time an entire 15 Seconds of Shame segment was re-aired (the one in this episode first aired on June 11, 2005). AMW will re-air other 15 Seconds of Shame segments in the future, including ones that will replace a couple fugitives that had been caught from the original airing.
- During the second segment of the Collar Bomber case, Brian’s brother John says Brian left high school during his sophomore year, the same year Peter Jennings did. This may seem like a random reference to make, unless you understand when this segment was produced. Peter Jennings had died in August 2005, a month before this profile, and his death had been all over the news, including the fact he dropped out of high school. My guess is the interview with John Wells happened shortly after Peter Jennings’ death.
- For the first time, AMW actually shows the news footage of the bomb going off. They blur out Brian’s body, but it’s still really odd that they chose to air real video of a man being blown up.
- The breakdown of the bomb, the cane gun and the note is probably my favorite part of the episode, and it’s interesting to see how much of what the FBI believed ended up being true. From the start it seems like they believed Brian would have been in on it, and it’s interesting to see how AMW believed Brian was a victim. John Walsh even says, “What a strange case,” at the end of the segment. Can’t argue with that.
- One of the clues about the cane gun is that the handle appeared to have been created by two wooden letter “Js,” like the kind that would be found at a craft store. Believe it or not, this ended up being a major clue that may have played a role in solving the case. But I’ll touch on this more when the case gets updated in November.
- Knowing the results of the Collar Bomber investigation, it’s really fascinating to see how steadfastly Joe Matthews defends Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong. He’s convinced that she had nothing to do with it. But as we know, she was the mastermind of the whole incident. It really shows you how much of a master manipulator she was.
- While Larry Burns’ previous profile in January 2004 was also an All-Points Bulletin, this airing cuts out about 30 seconds worth of content. A scene of Burns walking up the staircase and shooting, plus some reaction shots of Vicky’s mother standing outside with a neighbor, along with Burns calmly walking out of the house with only one shoe on, are all removed.
- The Line of Duty segment has an audible jump cut in the music. Where Don LaFontaine would normally list the officer’s survivors, none are listed for Officer Golden, so they simply cut out that portion of the feature. It’s really obvious, and I wonder why they couldn’t do a more subtle edit.
- I know I shouldn’t keep harping on John Walsh’s poor pronunciation of Spanish names, but he really egregiously butchers Graciano Lopez’s first name during the fugitive recap. He calls him something to the effect of “grah-sin-e-oh.”
- This episode would be rerun on Jan. 6, 2007.
Episode #823 – Sept. 24, 2005
Unknown Rashawn Brazell Killer (Full segment) – In February 2005, a New York City subway worker made a gruesome discovery; a bag full of dismembered body parts. Days later a second bag containing more body parts was found at a recycling center. Investigators identified the victim as 19-year-old Rashawn Brazell. Police were baffled by the crime, since Rashawn had no enemies, and even more baffled by the fact that his head hadn’t been found. The detective’s theory was that Rashawn, a gay man, had met up with someone, as he was spotted talking to an unidentified man days before his remains were found. Evidence suggested that Rashawn had been kept alive, possibly held prisoner, prior to his body being dismembered with a chain saw. The murder was solved in 2017 after Rashawn’s own cousin, Kwauhuru Govan, was charged with the crime.
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Edward Green (15 Seconds of Shame) – Convicted murderer wanted for raping and beating his wife and her sister in North Carolina. As a direct result of this profile, Green was tracked down to Florida, but as cops were moving in to arrest him, he shot himself in the stomach, dying from his injuries. He was Capture #862.
Charles Brunson (15 Seconds of Shame) – Brunson was convicted of molesting his own four-year-old daughter, but when he was released from prison, he cut off his ankle monitor and vanished. A couple visiting amw.com recognized him as an acquaintance and he was captured a month after this profile, making him Capture #864.
Clansie Banner (15 Seconds of Shame) – Police say, after he got into a minor traffic accident with a man, Banner shot the man to death. Following his April 2006 profile, a tip led to Banner’s arrest, making him Capture #885.
Guillermo Castaneda (15 Seconds of Shame) – Wanted out of Georgia for killing his ex-girlfriend by stabbing her more than 50 times, then stuffing her body in a closet. Castaneda is also wanted for a murder out of Mexico. Still at large.
Daniel Campbell and Todd Mulder Capture (Full segment) – Ed Miller reports on how a tragic case AMW aired last year was solved thanks to another tragic story. In November 2003, Utah coin shop owner Jordan Allgood was killed during an armed robbery. While police didn’t know the suspect, the store’s surveillance video provided a grainy look at him. Despite dozens of tips, none of them panned out. But nobody knew at that moment that a dying man watching the profile with his parents held all the clues to solving the murder. Too weak to get ahold of police himself, but wanting to clear his conscience, the man told his parents that when he was serving time in prison for theft, he met another inmate who called himself “Slim” that bragged about killing a coin shop owner. After the man died, his parents went to the police and told them everything their son had said. Their information led to the arrest of career thief Daniel Campbell, who confessed to the crime, and identified his accomplice, Todd Mulder. Campbell became Capture #823, while Mulder was Capture #861.
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Melvin Keeling (Breaking news, approx. 1 minute, 30 seconds) – Earlier in the week, police in Ohio say Keeling shot and killed a 13-year-old girl. Keeling allegedly raped the girl’s best friend, and she was set to testify against him at trial. Four hours later, Keeling allegedly continued his crime spree, showing up at an Indiana convenience store and shooting the two clerks to death. His car was found abandoned in Gary, Indiana on Tuesday. His body was found not far from where his car was located about a month later.
Steven Kirkley (Full segment) – In Mississippi, investigators are looking for an escaped murder suspect. Kirkley broke out of the Marion County Jail in the chaos of Hurricane Katrina, sneaking out through an air vent and running into the woods. He was awaiting trial for a violent murder. Police believe Kirkley shot and killed a well-known real estate agent because he owed her months of back rent. Since his escape, police believe Kirkley is posing as a Katrina survivor and breaking into businesses. Kirkley was arrested days after this profile in Texas after police recognized a stolen car he'd been driving.
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Taylor Behl (Missing Child Alert, approx. 1 minute) – Virginia police are continuing their search for 17-year-old college freshman Taylor Behl. She was last spotted on Sept. 5 walking out of her dorm with her skateboard. Last Saturday, her missing car was found with the license plates replaced, but no sign of Taylor. Her body was found a short time after this profile, and 38-year-old Benjamin Fawley, an acquaintance of Taylor’s, later pleaded no contest in connection to the case.
Unknown Usha Taneja Killer (Full segment) – Police in Queens, New York, are trying to identify the suspect responsible for a senseless crime. The day before her son’s wedding, a woman named Usha Taneja was walking to the grocery store to buy food for the dozens of guests in her house. While walking, she encountered a man in a white van and began talking with him. But when the conversation ended, police say the driver jumped out of the van, shoved Usha to the ground and grabbed her purse. Inside was $3,000 in cash, meant to pay the vendors for her son’s wedding the following day. Usha died from her injuries. Witnesses helped create a composite of the driver and a facsimile of what the logo on his van may have looked like. Still unsolved.
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Erin Nembhard (Break Four Tease) – Port St. Lucie, Florida police were looking for 15-year-old Erin after she disappeared from her home. The Monday after this airing, Erin walked into the police station, safe and sound. It turned out she had been in the company of several men she met online, including a sex offender, all of whom were arrested.
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The Massachusetts Insurance Scams (Full segment) – Tom Morris reports on a widespread insurance scam that’s costing the average driver millions. In Lawrence, Massachusetts, investigators are seeing an increase in car accidents linked to insurance fraud. Recruited by a crooked chiropractor, one car purposefully crashes into another car that’s also behind the scam, and they fake injuries to get a large cash payout from the insurance company. Tom even tries this for himself with a hidden camera attached, and despite not having any ID, a referral form or even medical records, he was approved for physical therapy. Lawrence police cracked down on the scam, arresting 16 in connection with the fraud cases, including the supervisor of the doctor’s office Tom visited.
Jacinto & Andres Maldonado (Tacked on profile) – One insurance scammer who got away is Jacinto Maldonado. During an attempted phony crash, Jacinto’s car got into an accident for real, killing his grandmother, who was a passenger in the vehicle. Police were also seeking his brother, Andres Maldonado, on an unrelated murder charge. Four months after this profile, the brothers were indirectly captured in the Dominican Republic.
In the Line of Duty – Sgt. Ruben Orozco (El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, Texas)
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Case recap – Steven Kirkley, Taylor Behl, Jacinto Maldonado, Melvin Keeling
Episode notes:
- This episode was filmed in New York City.
- Recycled/Repurposed Reenactments: Steven Peppaceno (a clip of a woman being assaulted was used for Guillermo Castaneda), Alvaro Alvarado (a shot of Alvarado firing a gun is used in the Campbell/Mulder capture report), and Douglas Aigen, Daniel Perez, Terrence Washington & James “Rick” Johnson (car crash footage from these reenactments and others I can’t confirm were used for various shots in the insurance fraud feature).
- It’s mentioned in the Rashawn Brazell case that Detective Anthony Baker was nearing retirement. By the time the Brazell case was profiled a second time, Detective Baker had indeed retired, which was acknowledged in the updated narration.
- John Walsh has this really awkward monologue after the Rashawn Brazell profile. He’s talking about the theories about the crime and says that one of the theories it that because Rashawn was a gay Black man, the killer might have been gay too. Then he adds, “But we really don’t know the race…of the murderer so we’ve got to keep an open mind.” John wasn’t talking about race, he was talking about sexual identity. I don’t know if that was just really poor script-writing or what but I really wish they’d re-shot that part.
- Taylor Behl’s Missing Child Alert is referred to as a Missing Person Alert, despite the fact that, at 17, she was still legally considered a child.
- Even though there was a composite sketch of the suspect, for some reason, the amw.com profile of Usha Taneja’s killer had a generic “Unknown” face as the primary image. I’ve never been able to figure out why they didn’t post the composite as the first image people would see.
Episode #824 – Oct. 1, 2005
Melvin Keeling (Full segment) – Rick Segall picks up the trail of a fugitive wanted for committing three murders in two states. First, Keeling allegedly shot and killed a 13-year-old girl in Ohio. Keeling allegedly raped one of the victim’s friends and encouraged her to report the crime to police. Hours later, Keeling was at a convenience store in Indiana, where he allegedly shot and killed the two women who were working behind the counter. The crime had been caught on surveillance video. Keeling’s car and ID had been found abandoned in Gary, Indiana, but the suspect himself hadn’t been found. Police were suspected he was either hiding, someone had picked him up and got him out of town, he hitched a ride on a train, or he was dead. Turns out, the last one was true. Weeks after this profile, Keeling’s remains were found just a few hundred yards from where his car was abandoned.
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Bruno Arreola (15 Seconds of Shame) – An alleged member of a drug ring responsible for bringing over 1,000 kilos of marijuana into the U.S. Arreola was indirectly captured in Mexico in 2011.
Christopher Smith (15 Seconds of Shame) – Accused of killing three people at a bar in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Smith allegedly shot two men in the bathroom during a fight and a third man outside of the bar. Smith was caught two weeks after this profile, but AMW had nothing to do with it.
Jesus Dominguez (15 Seconds of Shame) – Former priest accused molesting four boys in the 1980s in California. Still at large.
Kendall Alexander (15 Seconds of Shame) – Wanted out of Baltimore for committing an armed robbery while using bullets that could pierce Kevlar vests. Alexander previously served time for trying to kill a police officer in the ‘80s. Thanks to this profile, Alexander was arrested in Maryland, making him Capture #863.
Anthony Ferrari, James Fiorillo and Anthony Moscatiello Capture (Full segment) – John Turchin has a stunning update in a four-year-old murder case AMW has been profiling for years. In February 2001, Gus Boulis, a multi-millionaire Florida businessman, was gunned down in Fort Lauderdale. Investigators believed the murder was connected to the recent sale of SunCruz casinos, which Gus had sold to investor Adam Kidan and lobbyist Jack Abramoff. With both men’s recent arrests for financial crimes, police hoped it would lead to a break, and it did; earlier in the week, three men – Anthony Moscatiello, Anthony Ferrari, and James Fiorillo – were charged in connection with Gus’ murder. Moscatiello and Ferrari had connections to Kidan, as they were on his payroll, but it’s unclear exactly what they’d done for him. Although arrests have been made, John says investigators would appreciate more information, and asks anyone who may know anything about the case to come forward.
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Daniel Chafe (Full segment) – Oregon police are looking for a man who used the fantasy world to harm children. A man calling himself Stryder Styarfyr claimed to be descended from Celtic royalty and used his charm and tales of castles and horses to convince his friends and family to live the lifestyle of a clan. But police say he was using it as a cover to sexually assault children, claiming he was preparing them to be wives. When two of the victims came forward in 1998, Styarfyr, whose real name is Daniel Chafe, fled and disappeared. In 2014, Chafe was arrested in Montana, and eventually pleaded guilty to sexual abuse. He ended up dying of cancer in 2015.
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Unknown New York/New Jersey Serial Rapist (Full segment) – Tom Morris returns with an update on a serial rapist first profiled over the summer. The suspect uses the same MO in all his attacks; pulling women off the street, raping them in his vehicle, and dumping them in parking lots. Since his last profile in July, the rapist has struck two more times. In his latest attack, a 16-year-old girl caught the suspect trying to steal her mom’s car, but when she confronted him, he grabbed her and drove off with her. After the assault, she came forward to police, and provided a major clue; the suspect was driving a white SUV, possibly a Jeep Cherokee. What’s significant is that, in all the previous attacks, he used a stolen vehicle, but investigators believe that this may be his actual vehicle, since he was intending to steal the car that belonged to his latest victim’s mother before he was caught. A year after this profile, police arrested Elmo Rivadeneira in connection with the serial rapes.
(commercial break)
Stephen Cooper (Break Four Tease) – A man from California has gone missing, and was last seen driving a Maroon Chevy S10. Four months after this profile, Stephen’s remains were found.
(commercial break continues)
Call to Action (Full segment) – The Sunday morning after Thanksgiving, a family was traveling from Florida to Georgia. Suddenly, a bird flew right at their car, and they swerved to avoid it, but it sent them careening off the road, landing upside-down in a water-filled ditch. Witnesses pulled over and started helping, including a former nurse. When one of the babies in the car was trapped underwater, the nurse sprang into action, performing CPR and helping the baby breathe again. The baby soon made a full recovery, thanks to the former nurse who pulled over to lend a hand.
In the Line of Duty – Officer David Romero (California Highway Patrol)
(commercial break)
My Story (Brief, approx. 15 seconds) – Don LaFontaine tells viewers that justice is just a letter away. Those who have been impacted by crime can now reach out to amw.com and submit their story in a brand-new feature called My Story.
Case recap – Melvin Keeling, Unknown New York/New Jersey Serial Rapist, Daniel Chafe, Jesus Dominguez
John Walsh says that AMW will be off the air for the next few weeks to make room for the Major League Baseball playoffs. But don’t worry, because amw.com will still be operating, where there will be case updates as well as fugitives and missing person profiles.
Episode notes: - This episode was filmed in Miami Beach.
- Recycled/Repurposed Reenactments: William Bradford Bishop (the scene of Bishop opening the door to his son’s room was used for Jesus Dominguez; it’s actually a different clip than was used for Gerald Estes), and Armando “Chato” Garcia (the clip of Garcia shooting Deputy March was used for Kendall Alexander).
- In his introduction to Melvin Keeling, John Walsh says cops in three states were looking for the fugitive. This is incorrect; he was wanted out of Ohio and Indiana. Where John got three states from, I have no idea.
- One of Keeling’s victims, 13-year-old Katie Caudill, had her own profile page on amw.com, which went into more detail about her story. This was something AMW briefly did in 2005 with some crime victims.
- When the Gus Boulis murder case was profiled in August, two detectives were interviewed and prominently featured. Here, both detectives are listed as retired and in the upper left-hand corner of the screen, text saying “August 2001” appears, indicating these are old interviews. I’m wondering why they weren’t listed as retired in the August airing, because it’s highly unlikely both retired that soon after the profile.
- In his profile, AMW refers to Daniel Chafe as Stryder Styarfyr until the very end of the segment, where they say authorities “recently discovered” his real name was Chafe, although I think they’d known his real name for several years. Interestingly, I'm pretty sure Unsolved Mysteries profiled him under the name of Stryder Styarfyr, as he was listed under that name on their old website.
- You know how sometimes the show gives clues that are right on the money? That happened in Daniel Chafe’s case. John Walsh mentions that Chafe is into computers and could be using them. Turns out, he owned a computer company while he was a fugitive.
- Chafe would be profiled just three months after this profile, but it wasn’t an update. Shortly after this airing, amw.com updated their photo of Chafe with the caption, “Authorities say this is the best photo of Chafe.” That photo was his mugshot, taken before he went on the run, but in this airing, AMW only airs photos of him from the early ‘90s, despite the fact a more recent photo existed.
- For the first time in a long time, AMW lists their phone number as 1-800-274-6388 after Chafe’s profile. They'll continue to do this periodically over the years.
- When the New York/New Jersey Rapist was last profiled, I mentioned that the sketch looked really whited out, and you could barely see the face on his profile card. That’s been corrected as of this episode, and now the sketch can be seen clearly.
- Stephen Cooper, profiled as the Break Four Tease, is the cousin of AMW producer Paula Simpson, who was able to get the show to profile the case. A year after this episode aired, AMW would profile Stephen’s unsolved murder, thanks to her efforts as well.
- I’m fairly certain this is the last time Call to Action aired, but this last story is notable for a couple reasons. One is that OnStar isn’t even mentioned in this story, despite the fact the purpose of the segment was to share how OnStar helped in an emergency (they were the sponsor). But one other reason this story is notable is that it’s going to be repeated again in future episodes. This Call to Action piece will be rebranded as a feature story and re-aired in a December 2006 episode about heroes that will end up being rebroadcast two more times over the years. It’s also the longest story told on Call to Action, taking up an entire segment – and the future version will be even longer, adding in some more details that weren’t in this broadcast.
- I shouldn’t bash the special effects on AMW, since they clearly didn’t have a big budget for them, but the scene in the Call to Action piece where the bird almost hits the windshield is almost comical in how cheesy it is. First there’s a random shot from the backseat of the car, and the passenger, who is already leaning over, yelling, “Watch out!” as stock footage of a bird flying is superimposed over the windshield. I might have to share this segment sometime because it really takes you out of the scene.
- This is also the first time My Story is mentioned. A feature on amw.com for several years, it allowed viewers to submit their own cases to the website. While several My Story cases were added to amw.com, the actual show never really did anything with the segment. Probably less than five My Story cases were actually profiled on the show itself. I suspect part of this is because the vast majority of My Story submissions were unknown cases where little information was known. In 2009, it would be rebranded as an exclusively missing persons feature, but I'm getting ahead of myself with that.
- Three voices can be heard reading My Story letters in the promo. I am certain the three people are Angeline Hartmann, Jon Lieberman and Michelle Sigona.
Next month on AMW:
Nov. 5, 2005
- When a bar worker in Texas kicked out some obnoxious patrons, it seemed to be the end of the story. Little did anyone know that the lives of that bar worker and three of his friends were going to change forever. Now, AMW needs your help to find the man who destroyed so many lives that night.
- It’s been six months since Natalee Holloway disappeared, and nobody really knows what’s going on. The Alabama teen disappeared while on a school trip to Aruba, and since then, there have been many rumors, but not much truth. Rick Segall travels to Aruba himself to see what he can uncover.
- Two months ago, AMW dedicated an entire episode to the mysterious case of the Erie Collar Bomber. Tips came in, and there have been some stunning new developments. AMW breaks down the tips, including one big one that might reveal the involvement of one potential suspect.
Nov. 12, 2005
- A popular teacher in small-town Georgia has gone missing, and police are left with more questions than answers. In her first on-air piece for AMW, Angeline Hartmann travels to the Peach State to see if the teacher’s background as a beauty queen might have played a role in her disappearance.
- When a young karate student befriended a police officer, her mother didn’t think too much of it. After all, he’s an upstanding member of the community. But when that officer violates that little girl’s trust, he upends not only her own life, but the life of the woman who stood by his side as well.
- We all have coworkers that we don’t get along with. But for one woman in Kentucky, her coworker’s behavior was borderline criminal. And one night, with her husband out of town, his behavior turned criminal for real, and now that coworker is on the run, while his victim lives in fear of his return.
Nov. 19, 2005
- AMW takes a deep dive into cold cases, and looks into the coldest case of them all; the only three men to successfully break out of Alcatraz in the 1960s. Long thought to be dead, AMW tipsters have breathed new life into the investigation, and now one man has been tasked with finding out what happened to them.
- Nearly a decade ago, a Colorado man was killed by a violent car bomb. Nobody knows who might have done it, but there’s one man who police believe has answers. Join the manhunt for a man accused of financial crimes, but who investigators say could know much, much more.
- New York police are hoping to find one man before he becomes a cold case. In the biggest manhunt in the Big Apple, a writer is on the run, accused of raping a woman on Halloween night. AMW goes inside the investigation, and tries to track down a fugitive before he can strike again.
Nov. 26, 2005
- All bets are off when AMW travels to Las Vegas and tries to solve some of Sin City’s biggest mysteries. They include the newest member of the U.S. Marshals’ 15 Most Wanted List, a prison escapee who pulled off armed robberies while claiming that he needed the money for his cancer-stricken son. The only problem? He doesn’t have a son.
- When a young woman from upstate New York traveled to Las Vegas to start a new life, her family says she got mixed up with the wrong crowd. Now, she’s missing, and her family is desperate for answers. AMW Investigator Joe Matthews is on the case, hoping to bring her home.
- One woman hit it big in Vegas in the early ‘90s, but not at the casinos. Police say she stole it after driving off with an armored car. Now, she’s suddenly turned herself in after a decade on the run. Find out where she was, and what happened to her partner, who is still at large.
I'm planning on having the November 2005 episodes done by next week!
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Post by Scumhunter on Oct 2, 2022 5:14:07 GMT -5
Welcome back to guiding! Having a bit of a busy weekend but will definitely look through it.
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Post by Scumhunter on Oct 2, 2022 6:27:04 GMT -5
Ok now that I skimmed it a few thoughts:
-It is a shame that AMW is no longer on the air considering yet another historic hurricane (albeit this one in Florida and the Carolinas). It may have been short lived with that network but the show was good at dealing with breaking news tragedies disasters etc...
-Joe Matthews did finally solve the Adam Walsh case. TBH, growing up I always made fun of him as the guy who AMW kept bringing on the show to solve cases that never solved anything. Seeing now there were cases besides Adam's makes me eat crow even more than before. You're never going to have a perfect batting average as a detective but all in all Matthews did pretty well.
-A couple of cases aren't on our forum yet, can't promise anything but I'll look into them (I think probably not on because I couldn't compile enough for a profile).
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Post by pakman on Oct 2, 2022 7:56:40 GMT -5
I always enjoyed Joe Matthews' investigations - he certainly had the best screen presence and voice for broadcasting (and he was used a lot more than Ron Antoci, AMW's other investigator who kind of disappeared without explanation). I will admit, though, like you, I wasn't a big fan of his cases when I was growing up. It wasn't anything personal, but most of his cases were missing person investigations that took up full segments, and as a young, dumb kid, I just wanted the show to go after fugitives and only fugitives. I'm older and wiser now.  But it's still really interesting in retrospect to see that Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong somehow convinced him she was innocent. After this point, he won't be used very often anymore by AMW. The case I mentioned in the preview for next month is Lindsay Harris, which I think was actually his last big story for the show (given what we later learned about John Walsh's connection to that case, it makes much more sense that he asked Joe to look into it). I know AMW will bring him back in 2010, not as a correspondent, but to examine the show's unaired interview with Ron Jabalee Jr. after he was arrested (and subsequently acquitted) for killing his parents.
As for next month's episodes, I'm really looking forward to analyzing them. You can't really tell from my summaries, but there are a couple weird anomalies and head-scratching moments that are coming up (including John previewing a case that didn't air until a month after he said it would and that really weird Cold Case edition that turned out...well, not being much of a Cold Case edition, but I'll get to that when I get to it). There's also an amusing 15 Seconds of Shame error that I'll explain after I analyze that episode. My plan now is to re-watch the four episodes this week and post the summaries on Saturday.
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Post by pakman on Feb 16, 2023 16:03:04 GMT -5
Well, it's four months later than I intended to, but at long last I have all four episodes from November 2005 ready to go for the Complete AMW Episode Guide! Like most Novembers, this one is a really interesting month filled with unique episodes and stories (because November is also sweeps month for network TV, so AMW isn't alone in running interesting shows). Enough of my talk, though - here are the episodes!
Episode #825 – Nov. 5, 2005
Israel Barretero (Full segment)
Produced by: Jonathan Winfrey / Edited by: Jim Robinson
Police in Dallas are looking for a violent fugitive with a hair-trigger temper. In March, Bernardo “Lalo” Andrade, a new father to twin girls, went out for a night on the town with three of his friends. While at a bar, their group got into a fight with Israel Barretero and two of his friends. Police were called, and Barretero left to take his friend to the hospital. Later that night, after the bar closed, Lalo and his friends headed home, unaware that Barretero and one of his friends were following them. When they stopped at a light, Barretero allegedly climbed out of the car and began firing an assault rifle into Lalo’s car. Even though they sped off, police say Barretero kept shooting, not stopping until after Lalo’s car crashed. Police arrived seconds later and found Lalo and two of his friends dead, while another friend was hurt, but survived. While Barretero’s accomplice was captured, he managed to slip away. Weeks after being named John Walsh’s #2 Most Wanted Fugitive of 2005, a tip led to Barretero’s capture in Dallas, the same city he was wanted out of. He was Capture #873.
Gary Lasher Capture (Full segment)
Produced by: Louie Maggioto and Sarah Kosem / Edited by: Lee Cobb
John Turchin has great news on a story AMW first profiled exactly one year earlier. Gary Lasher was wanted out of two states for a series of horrible crimes. Not only did his wife say he raped her at their home in Arizona, but she also found a video of Lasher molesting one of her students. After his arrest, Lasher bonded out and allegedly kidnapped his mother-in-law in southern California, throwing her in the back of his trunk. She was able to open it up and get out, saving herself. After AMW aired the case, a tip came in saying Lasher was in Mexico, working as some type of water sports instructor. However, despite their best efforts, investigators couldn’t find him. Months later, the FBI received another tip with an exact location for Lasher, who was now working in Playa del Carmen as a kite-surfing instructor. Investigators set up a sting and arrested Lasher without incident. During his walk of shame, Lasher blamed drugs for the crimes he was accused of and claimed to have no memory of what happened.
(commercial break)
Arthur Lopez Jr. (15 Seconds of Shame) – Wisconsin drug kingpin who is not only accused of smuggling more than 1,000 kilos of cocaine into Milwaukee, but he allegedly shot a man to death after mistaking him for a rival gang member. In 2010, thanks to an amw.com tipster, Lopez was captured in Mexico, making him Capture #1,136.
Andrew Edwards (15 Seconds of Shame) – Wanted out of Brooklyn for being a drug dealer and for intimidating witnesses who were set to testify against him. Edwards was indirectly captured three months after this profile.
Marco Garcia (15 Seconds of Shame) – Nashville police are looking for Garcia after he allegedly ambushed and killed his neighbor. Police say Garcia’s girlfriend had gotten into an argument with the man. Still at large
Morris Jackson (15 Seconds of Shame) – Jackson is wanted out of Florida for allegedly shooting a police officer back in 1976. Still at large
The Erie Collar Bomber, Part 1 (Full segment)
Produced by: Donna Brant / Edited by: Steve Kobren
More than a month after AMW dedicated an entire show to the Erie Collar Bomber, new information has come in. The case started in August 2003 when pizza delivery driver Brian Wells robbed a bank in Erie, Pennsylvania with a bomb around his neck. He claimed the bomb was put on his neck by three unknown men, but it went off and killed him before he could reveal more information. Brian had been given a nine-page note filled with scavenger hunt-style instructions on how to deactivate the bomb. The FBI also found Brian was carrying a cane that was actually a gun, which he used in the robbery. Following Brian’s death, strange things continued happening in Erie. First a coworker of Brian’s died of a drug overdose, then a man’s body was found in a freezer that had been in a home Brian passed on his way to deliver his pizzas. The home was owned by Bill Rothstein, who alleged his friend, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, killed the man. She, in turn, accused Rothstein of harboring a fugitive accused of rape, Jay Stockton, in his own home. And it could very well be that Stockton is the key to linking everything together.
(commercial break)
Charles Thompson (Breaking news, approx. 30 seconds) – Tom Morris reports on an urgent case out of Texas. Death row inmate and convicted killer Charles Thompson has escaped from the Houston County Jail. Thompson was captured indirectly two days after this profile in Louisiana.
The Erie Collar Bomber, Part 2 (Full segment) – AMW investigator Joe Matthews has an intriguing update on the Collar Bomber case. He starts by asking if the Collar Bomber may have left something of himself behind on either the bomb or the cane gun or even both? While Joe believes that Bill Rothstein is the mastermind of the Collar Bomb case, he also thinks that Jay Stockton is involved. He interviews Stockton’s ex-wife, Janet, who reveals some troubling information about him. According to her, Stockton and his old friend Rothstein used to hang out in the same place where Brian Wells said he was assaulted. She said Stockton also used to make pipe bombs and blow them up in the woods, and is convinced that he was the one who wrote the nine-page instructions for Brian. Included in the letter is language that Stockton would use (“act now, think later”) and equal signs, which his ex-wife said he loved to draw. She also said he loved choking people, which fits in line with the collar bomb. But after watching AMW, Janet realized something else; as John Walsh mentioned, investigators believed that the handle of the cane gun was made by two letter J’s that would be found in a hardware store. Janet said the two J’s stood for “Jay” and “Janet,” and that Stockton would often use the double-J motif to describe their relationship. This made her more convinced than ever that Jay Stockton was involved. He was never charged, though; in 2007, the FBI charged Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong and her friend, Kenneth Barnes, with the Collar Bomber case.
(commercial break)
Natalee Holloway (Full segment)
Produced by: Fred Peabody / Edited by: Joan Perry
Rick Segall heads to Aruba for the latest information on the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. The Alabama high school senior disappeared while on a trip with her classmates. She was last seen with three young men who have since been released. Rumors have plagued the investigation, though many of the rumors involve a burglarized beach hut. Another rumor is that someone used a boat to dump a body into the sea. Natalee’s father, Dave Holloway, went to Aruba to look for himself. He was joined by Tim Miller, with Texas EquuSearch, and a Florida team specializing in underwater investigations. As they searched the shallow waters, they discovered a large cement block. Nobody could figure out if it was a boat mooring or if it was something else. But as they were getting ready to bring in more sophisticated equipment, the deputy police chief said he didn’t have time to approve it, effectively ending the investigation Dave and Tim were undertaking. Though she was legally declared dead in 2011, Natalee remains missing, although one of the suspects in her presumed murder, Joran Van der Sloot, is serving a 28-year sentence for killing another woman.
In the Line of Duty – Officer Stanley Reaves (Norfolk Police Department, Virginia)
(commercial break)
Tara Grinstead (Break Four Tease) – Police in Georgia are looking for a 30-year-old high school teacher who went missing last month. A former student at the high school and his friend were later charged in connection with Tara’s disappearance, though no body has ever been found.
(commercial break continues)
Next week on AMW – John Walsh says the show will be in Savannah, Georgia to investigate a “troubling murder.”
Episode notes
- This episode was filmed in the AMW Studio.
- Recycled/Repurposed Reenactments: Jahbir and Alfonso Fowle (clips of rival gang members sitting around and of them yelling at the Fowle brothers are used for Andrew Edwards); Timothy McGhee (the scene showing McGhee gunning down a man walking down the street is used for Marco Garcia); Armando “Chato” Garcia (the clip of Garcia shooting Deputy March is used to illustrate Morris Jackson’s alleged crime); and Cassandra Woods (a scene showing Woods’ racist gang getting up off a couch was used to illustrate Charles Thompson’s ties to the Aryan Nation).
- As you may have noticed in my summary, this episode marks a subtle change for AMW, but it's one that I absolutely love. Starting with this episode (and lasting up until the show's cancellation in 2011), AMW now credits the producers and editors for every full segment. I'm a writer by profession, and I'm so happy that AMW finally decided to give the crew who worked on these stories the credit they deserve. Because of this, I had to reformat my summaries, so let me know what you think of them!
- AMW reenacts the moment Gary Lasher was arrested. Strangely, the video style looks more like AMW's reenactments from the late-80s and early-90s than what modern-day reenactments looked like. It's hard to describe, but if you look up Toru Sakai or Lance Bedgood's reenactments on YouTube, you'll get an idea of what I mean.
- Sarah, Lasher’s ex-wife, is one of a number of victims who had their reaction to the fugitive’s capture caught on camera. John Turchin explained they played it off like they were just filming a new interview for Lasher, and Sarah had no idea what they were going to tell her.
- Although Lasher was an indirect capture, it sounds like AMW at least pointed cops in the right direction, in that the show did get a tip saying he was on a beach in Mexico.
- The first segment of the Collar Bomber two-parter is essentially the abbreviated first part of the Sept. 17, 2005 episode with some other details added in.
- AMW doesn’t mention it, but Charles Thompson was on death row for a 1998 double-murder. He also was apparently in a jail, and not a prison, because he was being sentenced for a second time. They also didn’t say that he escaped by using a forged ID badge and posing as someone with the attorney general’s office. He’s still on death row today.
- For some reason, amw.com listed Charles Thompson as a direct capture, but they never assigned him a capture number. He was caught after making a drunken phone call to someone, which certainly seemed to have nothing to do with his AMW profile.
- Although Jay Stockton was never charged with the Collar Bomber case, there are many people that believe he was the catalyst to solving the crime. I’ve heard a lot of people speculate that he turned informant and agreed to talk to the FBI in exchange for immunity. I think it’s quite obvious that he had knowledge of the Collar Bomb case, and the fact he was never charged makes me agree with this theory.
- While the following week’s show did take place in Georgia, the case that John Walsh mentions (Jason Howard) was not actually profiled on that episode. Instead, he would be profiled in December.
Episode #826 – Nov. 12, 2005
Daniel Hiers (Full segment)
Produced by: Angeline Hartmann / Edited by: Ozana Halik
Investigators in Charleston, South Carolina say that former police officer Daniel Hiers is wanted for child molestation and murder. In late 2004, a young girl, whom Hiers had met in a karate class both belonged to, told her mother that Hiers had been molesting her. He had befriended the girl and her family, while also lying to them about his wife, Mila, leaving him. She hadn’t, and he’d also kept his relationship with the victim and her mother a secret from his wife, whom Hiers married when she was only 16. Hiers tried fleeing, but ultimately turned himself in and resigned as a police officer due to the allegations. Following a romantic weekend getaway, Hiers allegedly shot and killed his wife for reasons that weren’t entirely clear. Hiers’ car was found abandoned in Laredo, Texas, but nobody knew where he was. In 2018, Hiers was located in China, but bureaucratic red tape and limited information, plus lack of an extradition treaty, means that nobody truly knows what’s going on, or even if he’s still in custody.
(commercial break)
Peter Braunstein (15 Seconds of Shame) – New York City fugitive who is accused of posing as a firefighter to break into a woman’s apartment, then repeatedly raping her for 13 hours. AMW would stay on Braunstein’s trail for several weeks before a college student in Tennessee recognized him and led to his arrest, making him Capture #871.
Oscar Lopez (15 Seconds of Shame) – Wanted out of Massachusetts for stabbing his wife to death. Lopez has a deformed right eye and two gold front teeth. Still at large
Danny Gordon (15 Seconds of Shame) – Accused violent drug dealer who police say shot a woman to death in Columbus, Ohio. Still at large
Miguel Sanchez (15 Seconds of Shame) – California police say that Sanchez shot a man in the back during a fight. He could be hiding in Mexico or Washington state. Still at large
Tara Grinstead (Full segment)
Produced by: Karen Daborowski / Edited by: Rudy Blyden and Tim Miller
Angeline Hartmann has the story of a mysterious disappearance in rural Georgia. Tara Grinstead, a high school teacher and former beauty queen, disappeared after hanging out with friends in late October. There were very few clues left behind. Her car was found unlocked, while her front door to her home was locked, and some items were knocked over. It was speculated that maybe her beauty queen past had something to do with her disappearance. Some thought maybe her ex-boyfriend did something, or that a former student – who had been stalking her – was involved. In 2017, Ryan Duke, a former student at the school where Tara worked at, was arrested and charged with Tara’s murder (though he did not attend at the same time as Tara). Police alleged she came home and interrupted a burglary, and he had killed her. Last year, however, he was acquitted of her murder. The only part of Tara’s body that was recovered were some bone fragments.
(commercial break)
Amber McEntire & Darrell Yates (Breaking news, approx. 30 seconds) – Police in Nacogdoches, Texas are looking for Amber McEntire in connection with the murder of her own toddler son, whose body was found a week earlier. Investigators also allege her boyfriend, Darrell Yates, is involved. The pair was indirectly captured less than a month after this profile.
Jose Garcia (Full segment)
Produced by: Jonathan Winfrey / Edited by: Gary Meyers
Investigators in Kentucky are looking for Jose “Joey” Garcia after he allegedly raped a coworker. The coworker, Christy, said Garcia was obsessed with her and she believes that he had stolen her house keys and logged into her work computer. Some time later, a masked man unlocked her door and went into her house while her husband was away on business. Over the next few hours, the man raped Christy repeatedly, eventually leaving and dropping off cash behind him. Christy noted that the rapist never spoke to her, and then realized it might have been Garcia. Police got Garcia to submit a DNA sample, and the results matched the rapist, but by then, he had fled. Still at large
(commercial break)
Natalee Holloway (Update, approx. 1 minute, 30 seconds) – Rick Segall is back with an update in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. Following last week’s show, where volunteer searchers were forced to return to the United States after Aruban authorities refused to continue helping them, Natalee’s mother and Alabama’s governor announced a boycott of the island, and encouraged others to participate. Meanwhile, Texas EquuSearch, which was handling the deep water investigation, is looking for private funding to see if they can continue looking for Natalee without the Aruban government’s cooperation. Natalee is still missing, though she’s been declared legally deceased.
Miguel Torres (Full segment)
Produced by: Sarah Kosem / Edited by: Lee Cobb
Pennsylvania authorities say that Miguel Torres killed his wife after the two of them had only been married a year. His wife, Barbara, had left him after accusing him of domestic violence. He tried getting her back, but when she continued to refuse to see him, police say he showed up in the parking lot of her workplace and shot her as she was preparing to get into her car with a friend. While the friend was not injured, Barbara was killed. Torres was captured in Italy in 2013, not long after he was added to the U.S. Marshals’ 15 Most Wanted List.
In the Line of Duty: Sgt. Jonathan Dragus (Oklahoma City Police Department, Oklahoma)
(commercial break)
Leslie Adams (Break-Four Tease) – Atlanta woman who went missing in late October, with foul play being suspected in her disappearance. Her remains were found three years later in October 2008, and eventually an ex-boyfriend was charged with her murder.
(commercial break continues)
Upcoming on AMW (Brief, approx. 40 seconds) – Don LaFontaine says that recently, a 9-year-old boy swam from Alcatraz to San Francisco. So if he could do it, how come people think three adult men couldn’t have? Next week, AMW will dive into the case of the three Alcatraz escapees and find out how tipsters may be helping investigators get closer to closing the case once and for all.
Unknown Virginia Cell Phone Bandit (Breaking news, approx. 30 seconds) – An unidentified woman has been robbing banks in northern Virginia over the past month. What makes her unique is that, during the robbery, she’s talking on her cell phone the entire time, though nobody knows who she’s talking to. In every robbery, she passes a note demanding money. Within a week of this profile, Candice Martinez was arrested in connection with the robberies.
Recap – Daniel Hiers, Miguel Torres, Peter Braunstein, Tara Grinstead, Amber McEntire & Darrell Yates, Jose Garcia
Next week on AMW – John Walsh says he’ll be in Aspen, Colorado to head up some cold cases. This will include the three men who escaped from Alcatraz back in the '60s. John reveals their case has been reopened thanks to AMW tipsters.
Episode notes:
- This episode was filmed in Savannah, Georgia. The specific theme of the episode was “good and evil,” which is why John Walsh’s segments were filmed in the Garden of Good and Evil.
- Recycled/Repurposed Reenactments: Antonio Delacruz (the scene showing Delacruz stabbing his victim was used for Oscar Lopez); Marcus Head (the part of the reenactment that showed Head shooting his victims was used for Danny Gordon); Leonardo Cisneros (the scene with the victim looking at his wife in a concerned way is used in Miguel Torres’ story to show how he was getting abusive towards his wife); William Fischer (a scene in the reenactment showing Nancy Hyer, one of the victims, falling backward, was used to show that Torres was abusive).
- Despite stating on the previous week’s show that Jason Howard was going to be profiled on this episode, this ended up not happening. Given that he was wanted out of Georgia, it would have made sense to profile him here, but I suspect Daniel Hiers’ profile took up too much time (see my next note for more information). Howard would eventually be profiled in early December.
- Daniel Hiers’ profile is considerably longer in this episode than any of his other airings. Here, it took up 14 minutes of the episode. All of Hiers’ future airings cut the profile down to less than half of that time. Among the parts of the story that were cut out: an interview with Mila’s sister; going more in-depth with all Hiers did for victim Angela and her mother, including the fact that Angela’s mother wanted to go to the courts to make Hiers her daughter’s legal guardian; more details about Hiers’ attempt to flee his initial arrest; more details about the vacation Hiers and Mila took the weekend before she was killed; and an interview with a brothel owner about how Hiers had visited there days before Mila’s murder.
- As we all know by now, Hiers’ victim, Angela, publicly identified herself when Hiers was profiled on The Hunt with John Walsh, and was revealed to be mixed-race. However, the reenactment portrays her as a blonde white girl. There has been much debate on this forum as to whether or not AMW did the right thing in portraying the victim as a different race than she actually is, and while I won’t share what I think about this personally, I will say that I can see reasons in support of this decision and against.
- This episode marks the first appearance of Angeline Hartmann as a correspondent. I think she’d been with AMW since 2004, but only as a producer. Most of Angeline’s cases were out of Georgia, including Nacole Smith’s murder and the Mamadou Barry case. While this is her first credited on-air appearance, her voice had been heard in the Phillip Williams’ profile where she recited a letter written by his alleged victim.
- John Walsh introduces Miguel Torres’ segment with a generic, “We’re at a dead end on this next case and we need your tips to help us solve it tonight.”
- Although I have Torres’ profile classified as a full segment, it was only about 2 and a half to 3 minutes long, a length usually reserved for All-Points Bulletin profiles.
- John Walsh introduces the Unknown Virginia Cell Phone Bandit segment with a generic, “Now, we’ve got a late-breaking case we need your help on tonight.”
Episode #827 – Nov. 19, 2005 (Cold Case Special Edition)
Ronald Young (Full segment)
Edited by: Ozana Halik & Ryan Stone
Police in multiple states are looking for Ronald Young on a variety of cases. Aspen, Colorado authorities say Young is a conman who scammed money from multiple people, including a former girlfriend, a former business partner, and a woman named Pam Phillips, whom Young had dated while she was getting divorced from her husband, Gary Triano. Triano himself had a shady past and made a lot of enemies during his career as a prominent developer who made lots of money, but also lost it. He and Phillips had a very contentious divorce, and in 1996, he was killed when a bomb exploded inside of his car at a Tucson, Arizona golf course. Police wanted to question Young about Triano’s death after finding divorce papers, a map of Tucson and a sawed-off shotgun in his abandoned car, while Aspen police wanted Young for financial crimes. Within 48 hours of this profile, AMW tips found Young in Florida, where he was arrested after nine years on the run. Young was Capture #868.
(commercial break)
Peter Braunstein (Full segment)
Produced by: Jon Leiberman / Edited by: Joan Perry & Ozana Halik
A prominent New York City writer is on the run, accused of committing a horrible crime. Peter Braunstein is alleged to have dressed up as a firefighter on Halloween to get himself into a woman’s apartment, where he then tied her up and raped her for 13 hours. Investigators say Braunstein actually knew the victim; they were former coworkers. Braunstein has a long history of disturbing behavior towards women; he pleaded down to lesser charges after his ex-girlfriend said he was stalking her, and he once wrote a story about his obsession with supermodel Kate Moss. Police believe that Braunstein is living out a fantasy and may actually have been enjoying the publicity. AMW stayed on Braunstein’s trail and two weeks after this profile, he was caught in Tennessee, making him Capture #871.
(commercial break)
Kevin Donner (15 Seconds of Shame) – Wanted out of Florida for sexually assaulting a young boy. He had been arrested, but bonded out and disappeared before his trial. Still at large
Leobardo Villarreal (15 Seconds of Shame) – Accused of shooting a federal agent during a drug stakeout in Texas. Although he was arrested, he escaped from prison. Villarreal was indirectly captured in March 2006.
Jason Nedobity (15 Seconds of Shame) – Connecticut police say that Nedobity gave a 16-year-old girl drugs, which subsequently killed her. He surrendered in early 2012.
Darlin Fajardo (15 Seconds of Shame) – Wanted out of New York for stabbing his boss to death. He may have fled to Honduras. Still at large
Clarence Anglin, John Anglin and Frank Morris, Part 1 (Full segment)
Produced by: Margaret Parker / Edited by: Joan Perry
Deputy U.S. Marshal Michael Dyke has been assigned as the lead investigating agent on the infamous escape from the prison on Alcatraz Island. On June 11, 1962, three inmates – Frank Morris and brothers John and Clarence Anglin – escaped from Alcatraz by cutting out of their cells and utilizing a life raft made from raincoats. For years, speculation has been that they died, but after America’s Most Wanted aired the case in May 2003, several tips came in that were so convincing, the U.S. Marshals reopened the case. One of them is from a historian who claims that the Anglin brothers were in attendance at their mother’s funeral dressed as women. Prior to investigating, Deputy Dyke visits Alcatraz to learn exactly how these three men made their escape, and talks to experts on their thoughts as to whether or not they may have survived the choppy waters, and finds a variety of opinions. He also recruits forensic artist Lee Hammond to create age-enhanced sketches of what Morris and the Anglin brothers might look like today. With the new sketches in hand, Deputy Dyke heads out to interview the AMW tipsters about what they know.
(commercial break)
Clarence Anglin, John Anglin and Frank Morris, Part 2 (Full segment) – Deputy U.S. Marshal Michael Dyke heads out to interview some of the tipsters who called in to AMW following the May 2003 airing of the three Alcatraz escapees – Frank Morris and brothers John and Clarence Anglin. One tipster, a retired San Francisco police officer, said a body washed up on the shore not long after the escape, and he’s convinced it was one of the men. Another tipster from Madera, California claimed to have met a man in the mid-80s who confessed to him that he had escaped from Alcatraz. The man said they’d thrown off three life jackets as decoys before heading out themselves on a raft. He said the man resembled the age-enhanced sketch of John Anglin, and what stood out to him the most was the man’s “jailhouse shuffle” walk. Deputy Dyke then heads to Reno, Nevada to speak with a retired nurse’s aide who said she treated a patient named Clarence Anglin that claimed not only that he escaped, but that he and the others took shelter in the caves near the San Francisco bridge. This tipster correctly identified Anglin’s age-enhanced sketch, and was so shaken she asked that it be put away. The fourth tipster, an anonymous man living in rural Georgia, said that he’s overheard relatives of the Anglin brothers say that the men are still alive, and that they had help from a local sheriff in staying under the radar. The last this tipster heard, the Anglin brothers were still alive and living in Florida. If the three men are still alive, they’d be in their 90s. As of 2023, they are still at large.
In the Line of Duty – Lt. Robert Cabral (Swansea Police Department, Massachusetts)
(commercial break)
Pamela Waldher (Break Four Tease) – North Carolina police say 17-year-old Pamela Waldher is missing and does not have medication that she needs. Her remains were found in September 2007 near Fort Bragg, not far from where her backpack had been abandoned, and nobody has ever been charged in the case.
(commercial break continues)
Rakeem Baskerville Capture (Brief, approx. 10 seconds) – John Walsh encourages viewers to check out amw.com to see the takedown of one of the U.S. Marshals’ 15 Most Wanted.
Recap – Ronald Young; John Anglin, Clarence Anglin & Frank Morris; Kevin Donner; Leobardo Villarreal; Jason Nedobity; Darlin Fajardo; Pamela Walder
Episode notes:
- This episode was filmed in Aspen, Colorado.
- Recycled/Repurposed Reenactments: Brian Jones (the scene showing Jones assaulting his victim was used for Peter Braunstein); Unknown OC Smith Attacker (the scene with a man in shadow on a computer is used to illustrate Peter Braunstein’s work as a writer); William Bradford Bishop (the part where Bishop sneaks into his son’s room is used to illustrate Kevin Donner’s case); Timothy McGhee (the scene where the TVR gang got into a shootout with police is used for Leobardo Villarreal); and Antonio Delacruz (the part where Delacruz stabs his victim is used in Darlin Fajardo’s profile).
- For some reason, no producer is credited with the Ronald Young case, but two editors were.
- I can’t prove this, but I’m fairly certain Ronald Young was profiled sometime in 1997 or 1998. The way the reenactment is filmed makes it look like a ‘90s-style reenactment, and unusually for a reenactment in the mid-2000s, the story is told with a LOT of talking from the actors. Not to mention, the lack of a producer credit makes me think it was done by someone who, at that point, was no longer working for AMW.
- I highly suggest looking up the Ronald Young case, because it’s an incredibly complicated one. I didn’t even mention the fact that an associate of Young’s was killed by another car bomb in the mid-80s and that Young was a possible person of interest in that case (though to my knowledge he was never actually charged with it).
- Both Ronald Young and Pamela Phillips would eventually be charged with Gary Triano’s murder. Phillips herself would get her own AMW profile in 2008, shortly after both were charged.
- The murder of Gary Triano is perhaps one of the most frequently featured stories on true crime shows. I've seen at least three that have profiled the case.
- There is a really amusing error in 15 Seconds of Shame. After all four fugitives are profiled, their photos are shown on screen with their names next to them. But in this episode, "Villarreal" is the only accurate name to be next to his photo. The other three are “Gale” (next to Donner), “Halligan” (next to Nedobity) and “Gomez” (next to Fajardo). These three names are in reference to Jacqueline Gale, Sherry Halligan and Maria Gomez, all of whom will be profiled on the following week’s 15 Seconds of Shame. I remember seeing this when I was watching the episode off its original airing and being really, really confused.
- This was the last time the Alcatraz escapees were profiled on AMW, although they would get a very brief mention in 2009 during an Escapes special edition.
- John Walsh inexplicably refers to sketch artist Lee Hammond as “Agent Hammond” in his recap of the case when the second part of the Alcatraz escape begins.
- During the recap, John Walsh says “Here’s a quick review of some of tonight’s cases,” but the only case missing is Peter Braunstein.
Episode #828 – Nov. 26, 2005 (Bad Girls Special Edition)
Jody Thompson (Full segment)
Produced by: Craig H. Shepherd / Edited by: Ryan Stone
Federal and Las Vegas investigators are looking for Jody Thompson, who may only be 25 years old, but he’s a career criminal. At 16 years old, he escaped from juvenile detention, where he was in custody for stealing cars. After being sent to an adult prison and serving time, Thompson then began robbing bars under the rouse of needing money for his son’s cancer treatments (though he had no children). Police eventually caught up to Thompson, who was sentenced to 50 years in prison, but even that didn’t stop him. He charmed a prison dental assistant into giving him a cell phone, then using tools from the prison’s workshop, snuck into a truck delivering furniture and cut his way out of the trailer. Rather than keeping a low profile, investigators say Thompson went right back to committing bar robberies, and they were afraid he would become more violent and desperate. Thanks to AMW tips, Thompson was located in Las Vegas within 48 hours of this profile. Despite taking hostages, he was able to be arrested without anyone getting hurt. He was Capture #870.
(commercial break)
Jacqueline Gale (15 Seconds of Shame) – Iowa police are looking for Gale in connection with a 2002 incident where she was allegedly driving drunk and slammed into a car, killing a mother of two. Gale had actually been captured the day before her case was aired, although it apparently had nothing to do with her impending profile.
Patty Kenley (15 Seconds of Shame) – Wanted out of Texas for allegedly molesting an 11-year-old boy. She may be traveling with her husband, Philip Kenley, who is also wanted for the same crime. Still at large
Sherry Halligan (15 Seconds of Shame) – Accused of shooting her boyfriend to death in Illinois. Halligan would be profiled several times on 15 Seconds of Shame before she was indirectly capture in July 2010.
Maria Gomez (15 Seconds of Shame) – Illinois police say Gomez allegedly used a lottery scam to bilk elderly victims out of thousands of dollars in cash. Gomez was indirectly captured five months after this profile.
Amber McEntire & Darrell Yates (Full segment)
Produced by: Evan Marshall / Edited by: Dani Froelich
Rick Segall has the latest on a sad, senseless case out of Texas. A 22-month-old boy named Harold “Doc” Harris was loved by his grandparents, who "practically raised him." Doc's mother, Amber McEntire, began hanging out frequently with her new boyfriend, Darrell Yates. Soon, she pulled Doc out of her parents' care and moved in with Yates. Around this time, Doc was also pulled out of daycare and was reportedly seen with a black eye. When McEntire wouldn’t let her parents speak with her son, they went to investigate and found a note on McEntire’s door stating that she, Yates and Doc had decided to start a new life. They also found a revolting home filled with garbage and broken items. Police were called, and eventually found Doc’s body thrown into the woods not far behind the home. McEntire and Yates were suspected of killing the boy, and had been charged with abusing him. Within two weeks of this profile, McEntire and Yates were indirectly captured.
(commercial break) Heather Tallchief Capture & Roberto Solis (Full segment) Correspondent: Ed Miller / Edited by: Jim RobinsonEd Miller has an update on one of the strangest heists in Las Vegas history. In 1993, Heather Tallchief, who was working as an armored car driver for Loomis, drove off during her shift with more than $3 million. Police say she met up with her boyfriend, Roberto Solis, and the two of them fled. Over the years, the pair was profiled nine times on AMW, but none of the viewer tips ever panned out. Then in September, out of the blue, Tallchief surrendered to federal authorities in Las Vegas. She told them that she had been living in Europe pretty much ever since the robbery and decided to turn herself in because it was the right thing to do, and because of her son – whom she’d had with Solis, someone she said she hasn’t seen in over a decade. She also claimed that she had been brainwashed by Solis and manipulated her into thinking that the FBI would shoot her dead the second they cornered her. As of this profile, Tallchief was set to plead guilty to charges related to the heist. However, as John Walsh points out, there’s still one major piece of this puzzle that’s missing. Roberto Solis still hasn’t been caught, and now viewers are being asked once again to help find him. Solis is still at large. (commercial break) Lindsay Harris (Full segment) Produced by: Donna Brant / Edited by: Steve KobrenRetired Detective Joe Matthews heads to Las Vegas to investigate the disappearance of a young woman. Lindsay Harris grew up in upstate New York with a loving family. When she turned 18, she met a hip hop promoter named Solomon Barron, and unbeknownst to her parents, started dating him. She moved out to Las Vegas and began secretly working for an escort service. Her parents knew none of this, and only learned what Lindsay was doing in early 2005. Months later, they received a call from Solomon stating Lindsay had gone missing. She was last seen on surveillance video depositing money into her bank account on May 4, the day before she went missing. Dozens of theories abound, with some thinking Lindsay was stalked, others thinking it was a random attack, and some thinking that she just disappeared willingly. Solomon tells Joe that he was not involved in Lindsay’s disappearance that she was special to him. Unknown to all involved, Lindsay’s body had already been discovered in Illinois, but it wouldn’t be identified until 2008. Lindsay’s killer is still unidentified. In the Line of Duty – Officer Brian Jackson (Dallas Police Department, Texas) (commercial break) Ashley Martinez (Break Four Tease) – 15-year-old went missing from St. Joseph, Missouri. Ashley has piercings on her tongue and naval. Still missing (commercial break continues) Next week on AMW – Don LaFontaine says that, after last week’s show, a man wanted for questioning for a bombing death in Colorado has been captured. The full story of Ronald Young’s capture will be told next week, but if you can’t wait, check out amw.com for all the details. Recap – Jody Thompson; Lindsay Harris; Amber McEntire & Darrell Yates; Sherry Halligan; Jacqueline Gale; Roberto Solis Episode notes:- This episode was filmed in Las Vegas.
- Recycled/Repurposed Reenactments: William Bradford Bishop (once again, the scene of him sneaking into his son’s room is utilized for an accused pedophile – this time it’s Patty Kenley); Anthony Lee (the scene with the victim’s wife shooting at Lee is used for Sherry Halligan); Unknown Vancouver Serial Killer (non-reenactment footage of prostitutes shot for this story is used to highlight that Sherry Halligan has been arrested for prostitution); and Desiree Lingo-Perkins (the scene with police dogs searching the woods is used for Amber McEntire & Darrell Yates)
- Once again, despite Jody Thompson being a member of the U.S. Marshals’ 15 Most Wanted List, AMW never mentions this. Truly, I have no idea what their aversion was to mentioning these fugitives’ status when they were being profiled.
- John Walsh actually segues Thompson’s case into the show’s theme of Bad Girls in a really clever way. Though Thompson is male, he used women to help him commit his crimes, like the dental assistant who was charged with aiding his escape. He actually says, “Well, that’s one bad girl who’s behind bars,” then says when they return, they’ll be profiling female fugitives who need to be caught.
- A special introduction is used for 15 Seconds of Shame, with John Walsh stating, “Now, four bad girls who’ve earned their 15 Seconds of Shame.”
- When Rick Segall is breaking down the clues for Amber McEntire, the blue background that was frequently show behind profile cards from late 2001-October 2003 is used.
- During the credits for the Heather Tallchief/Roberto Solis case, no producer credit is given, but Ed Miller is credited as a “correspondent.” I’m about 100% certain he was also the producer of the segment, since there have been other cases with correspondents that did not list them in the credits.
- There is so much I have to say about Heather Tallchief’s capture report. Firstly, looking at the profile through modern eyes, it’s kind of hard to see Ed Miller essentially call Tallchief a liar for claiming that Roberto Solis brainwashed her into committing the robbery, especially after seeing her story on the Netflix show “Heist.” Secondly, I remember in the AMW Insider email that AMW claimed they would not be airing the interview that Tallchief did with Dateline – which offered its footage to AMW – because they didn’t want to give her more attention. Yet they ended up airing portions of that interview. Finally, John Walsh acts really tough too, saying, “Well, that’s Tallchief’s story, and she’s sticking to it. At least for now.” But there’s a behind the scenes clip online from the 2009 Bad Girls show, where this case was aired again, in which John says, “I’m going to give her the benefit of the doubt.” So, I don’t know if his views changed over time, or if he realized that maybe he shouldn’t be so hard on her since she did end up surrendering.
- Speaking of Tallchief’s surrender, she admitted on “Heist” that one major reason she turned herself in was because her fake passport was about to expire and she had no idea how she would end up with a new one without getting caught (Solis was the one who got it for her). As for Solis, “Heist” producers asked her about him and she’s convinced he’s dead. She also said that, when she told him she wanted to leave, he surprisingly just let her. He didn’t argue with her at all, basically just saying, “Okay, that’s fine.”
- At this point, it was not known that John Walsh had a personal connection to Lindsay Harris and her family. And he also never outright accuses Solomon Barron of being involved like he would several years later, but when he’s recapping the case, he says, “Lindsay’s boyfriend CLAIMED he spoke to her as she was leaving the casino.” I didn’t pick up on that at the time, or at least it didn’t seem out of the ordinary for John to say that.
- A brief shot of Officer Brian Jackson’s funeral is shown during In the Line of Duty.Next month on AMW:Dec. 3, 2005- The hunt for an accused rapist in New York City continues. AMW tracks down some people from Peter Braunstein's past to learn more about him and why he is the way he is.
- In Pennsylvania, there's another rapist on the loose. But not only is this rapist's identity not known, he's also wanted for murder after one of his victims fought back.
- When Roger Kemp’s daughter was brutally murdered, he could have let the grief consume him. Instead, he used his anger and sadness to make a difference.
Dec. 10, 2005
- When a Georgia woman received a mysterious letter, she thought something bad might have happened to an elderly couple she know. After their bodies were found, police have put the word out for their son, who may be a danger to both the community and himself.
- Nobody thought anything was odd when a man in Arizona offered to help single women watch their sons. But what they didn't know was that this man had bad intentions which would cause these boys much harm.
- Five years ago, police in New York responded to a stabbing and found a little girl and her mother injured. Since that day, police have been on the hunt for the man accused of this violent attack.
Dec. 17, 2005
- It’s time for John Walsh to reveal his 10 Most Wanted Fugitives of 2005. The worst of the worst are wanted for crimes ranging from sexual assault of a child to murder.
- What should have been a relaxing night on the town for a new father and his friends turned tragic after he tried breaking up a fight. The suspect, out for revenge, allegedly gunned down the group of friends as they were returning home.
- The worst of them all committed the ultimate betrayal. Once a beloved protector of his community, a former police officer is accused of two unthinkable crimes – molesting a child who trusted him, and killing the woman who stood by his side.
I won't make promises as to when I get December finally completed (especially since I'm working on another recapping project too) but I will say it won't be as long of a wait as it was to get this analysis done. |
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But it's still really interesting in retrospect to see that Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong somehow convinced him she was innocent. After this point, he won't be used very often anymore by AMW. The case I mentioned in the preview for next month is Lindsay Harris, which I think was actually his last big story for the show (given what we later learned about John Walsh's connection to that case, it makes much more sense that he asked Joe to look into it). I know AMW will bring him back in 2010, not as a correspondent, but to examine the show's unaired interview with Ron Jabalee Jr. after he was arrested (and subsequently acquitted) for killing his parents.