All language subtitles for Unsolved.Mysteries.S06E11.480p.AMZN.WEB-DL.DD 2.0.x264-AJP69_track3_[eng]

NARRATOR: This program is
about unsolved mysteries.

Whenever possible, the
actual family members

and police officials
have participated

in recreating the events.

What you are about to see
is not a news broadcast.

NARRATOR: In San Francisco, the
murder of a wealthy businessman

has baffled police
for over a year.

The investigation stalled,
the lead detective

tried a novel approach.

He opened his case
files to a handful

of volunteers sloops enrolled
in a course called Murder 101.

Tonight you'll see
whether the students

came up with new
clues that might

actually help solve the case.

In Rhode Island, a fiery car
crash leaves a young mother

paralyzed and unconscious.

Now, she needs your help to
find the two anonymous heroes

who saved her life.

In 1984, seven-year-old
Gary Grant Jr.,

the son of a police
officer, was found murdered

in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Incredibly, the prime
suspect was just two boys

himself, who confessed to the
crime, and then recanted it.

Joining me tonight.

You may be able to
help solve a mystery.

[theme music]

NARRATOR: San Francisco,
California, December 1993,

a prosperous
business who supplied

noodles to dozens of
Chinatown restaurants

is stabbed to death.

Case file number 93186131,
current status: unsolved.

The Chinatown case is
just one of thousands

of unsolved murders
that plague police

departments across the country.

With no immediate solution in
sight, the detective in charge

tried an unconventional
approach.

He opened his case files to a
college class called Murder We

Solve, created by a woman
named Brooke Stewart.

The class had already
helped close one case,

the slaying of a
taxi driver in 1992.

Tonight, we invite you to
join another group of students

as they try to unravel the
peculiar case of the murdered

Chinatown businessman.

How many of you ever thought
that you would be sitting here

today for the actual murder?

NARRATOR: When Brooke Stewart's
class met in December of 1994,

the would be detectives included
a ballet teacher, a housewife,

and several writers.

San Francisco police inspector
Prentice Sanders briefed

the students on the case.

Good morning.

So, all you want to be a
homicide detective, huh?

Well, first, you've got to
buy yourself a hat like this.

I've been working on this
case now, almost a year.

And certainly, I have believed
that once you became stymied,

you're to take the case and
look at it from an entirely

different angle, open it up,
and start all over again,

and the class gave me an
opportunity to do that.

Let me introduce
you to your victim.

NARRATOR: Jin Frang was a
42-year-old businessman,

owner of two factories.

On December 18th, 1993,
he and an employee

were attacked by a
pair of assailants.

Jin Fang was stabbed to death.

Inspector Sanders was called
to the scene around 1:30 AM.

We have to uh, here--

Trying to get some
fingerprint off the--

NARRATOR: The rear
window of Mr. Fang's van

was broken, the van's
interior ransacked.

No fingerprints were
found, but the murder

weapon had been left behind.

PRENTICE SANDERS: In the
van, we found the knife.

The knife turned out to be a
regular, cheap, kitchen steak

knife.

One that you would pay 99
cents for at the 99 cent store.

And it was very
worn, as if it had

been washed 100 times or more.

NARRATOR: Authorities also
recovered this BB gun,

however they weren't certain
it had been used in the assault

until they interview the
only witness to the crime.

The evening of the
murder, Jin Fang

offered a ride home to one of
his supervisors, Mrs. Yi Sung.

PRENTICE SANDERS: Shortly
after midnight, they

exited the building, left and
went outside, just outside,

and got into Mr. Fang's van.

The window was broken out
and Mr. Fang did not notice

that his window was broken.

He and his passenger
entered the van

and he drove about 100 feet.

[speaking cantonese]

Let me out!

[speaking cantonese]

[screaming]

PRENTICE SANDERS:
According to Mrs. Yi,

the two young men spoke
in fluent Cantonese.

They demanded the money.

Where is the money?

The man with the gun struck Mrs.
Yi along the side of the head

with the gun, demanding that
she not turn around nor look.

[speaking cantonese]

NARRATOR: Mrs. Yi said
the terrifying episode

lasted more than half an hour,
far longer than most robberies.

During that time, the
two men ripped apart

the van's interior, repeating
over and over their demand

for the money, the money.

The killer struck
with brutal accuracy.

A single plunge of
the knife sliced

directly into Mr. Fang's heart.

Either the stabber is very
lucky to hit such a vital spot,

or he is very
experienced in knowing

where the vital spot is.

Before

NARRATOR: Fleeing, the
assailants threatened to kill

Mrs. Yi if she called for help.

She stayed there
about two hours,

afraid to move
because of the threat.

She didn't hear a
car leave, and then

she didn't hear anyone running.

We're now open for questions.

Just before I go in--

NARRATOR: The case
review provoked a number

of insightful questions.

One of the things
that keeps bothering me

is the murder weapon.

That's a cheesy little kitchen
knife, looks all worn out,

and if I was going to go
get serious with somebody,

I wouldn't take a beat
up old kitchen knife.

Have you checked to see if
that kind of cheap knife that

was used, is used, at
any of the restaurants

where he has clients?

Mrs. Yi kept saying they
kept asking where the money is.

PRENTICE SANDERS: Right.

They were looking for a
large quantity of money.

They thought he had a
large amount of money.

What do his personal and
business bank records show,

any recent, large money
that went in and out,

that might be what the question,
where is the money referred to?

PRENTICE SANDERS: That's
an excellent question,

and I'll tell you why.

Remember I told--

NARRATOR: Inspector
Sanders told the class

what he knew about Mr.
Fang's daily activities.

--was becoming--

Hello, Chen Tai.

Hello!

How are you?

NARRATOR: At times
accompanied by his wife,

Fang had personally collected
money from his customers.

A typical day would add
up to $1,000 in cash.

$300?

Good price!

Best price in the city.

NARRATOR: Every time you
come in here, price goes up.

Here's your $300.

I have a hard time
with the thought

that Mr. Fang made
the routes himself,

collecting the
receipts, and collect

the money if there
wasn't something else

involved for him doing this.

This is a successful
businessman,

why would he have
somebody do it?

Well, that's a good question.

But he routinely did it himself.

Now, you may be--

that thought has
crossed my mind.

Maybe he is frugal.

Is it that he is frugal,
or is it that there

is something else going on?

That's what we--

NARRATOR: In fact, there
was evidence that the case

had another dimension.

Three weeks after the slaying,
Sanders received a call

from a mysterious tipster.

Who's this?

Oh, OK.

OK, no.

I don't care who you are, OK.

An informant advised me that
I should look into the gambling

angle with Mr. Fang, that
Mr. Fang was, in fact,

an avid gambler,
and had connections

in the Chinese
community for gambling,

and that that was likely
the motive for his murder,

rather than petty robbery.

If the caller was
to be believed,

Jin Hang had been a key
figure in the shadowy world

of illegal gambling, both as
a better and as a bookmaker.

This week should
be even better.

I want to put $20,000
on the Dallas game.

That's four times
what you did last week.

I know that, but I'm
good for it, you know.

NARRATOR: The informant claimed
that on the day of his death,

Mr. Fang had collected an
eye opening $25,000 in cash.

At $25,000?

How do you know that?

NARRATOR: It was an
extremely promising lead.

However, none of the information
could be corroborated

and Sanders found himself
back at square one.

By the end of the class, each
student heard the baffling mix

of evidence, leads, and rumors
in the case of Jin Fang,

and each student came
back with a theory.

We do have some
evidence that--

My scenario of the thing was
that somebody that on his route

he had a bet with.

He won the money from
the person on the route.

The person on the route
was very ticked off

that he lost the
money, sent somebody

out there to get the money back,
and in the process, killed him.

I think maybe somebody
overheard something.

It seems like maybe a
crime of opportunity,

or possibly, it could
have been planned and made

to look like a robbery.

I think there may
be a link with Mrs. Yi

because we don't have as
much information from her.

So, it looks to me like,
with them moving their arms

and things around to
kill him in the front,

that she would have
been able to identify

something more about them.

I think what's
really exciting for me

with this class is it was
a completely unique idea.

It's never been tried
anywhere, to my knowledge,

and it's actually
become successful.

We're finding that this
class is actually coming up

with ideas with leads that
are helping to facilitate

the investigation.

NARRATOR: The students
were given a week

to submit a written analysis.

Some like Nick Dolby, took their
investigation to the streets.

But what about
the gun that they--

NARRATOR: Another
student, Cara Llewellyn

questioned a friend
of hers who had lived

in Chinatown for many years.

--an amateur job.

NARRATOR: Cara and
Nick later went

to police headquarters
to try out their theories

on Inspector Sanders.

I was thinking that this
was more of an amateurish job.

I sort of think it's some gang
wannabes from a new immigrants

to the country.

Doesn't seem to fit, to
me, the traditional sort

of signature, if you will, of
the Chinese gangs in Chinatown.

But what about your dad?
I know he lives in--

NARRATOR: Cara's
friend had told her

about a different network
of gangs that operated

within the Chinese community.

I think the Vietnamese
gangs are very different.

They're different?

Yeah, they act
like Chinese but--

NARRATOR: Cara learned that
many Vietnamese immigrants are

well-versed in Cantonese
and some of the newcomers

might be eager to
prove themselves

to a long time gang members.

Hello Chen Tai!

Hello!

How are you?

We're OK!

CARA LLEWELLYN: Maybe
some young wannabes

thought this guy has money, they
noticed that he has jewelry,

he's kind of a high roller
by the clothes that he wears,

and that they thought
he would be a good mark.

Um, give me a hundred pounds.

A hundred pounds?

PRENTICE SANDERS: Nick,
why do you jump in--

NARRATOR: Nick Dolby
proposed a scenario that was

totally at odds with Cara's.

I think Mr. Fang's
assailants knew Mr. Fang,

knew his routine.

I think Mr. Fang was into
gambling in a very high level.

I think it was one of the
fun things he liked to do.

They overheard Mr. Fang, either
taking or making a large bet.

They knew that he was going to
collect a large sum of money,

they expected that he
had that money that day.

And they were
disappointed and surprised

when they found out that
there was nothing in the van.

He didn't have it on him.

And I don't think they
killed Mr. Fang deliberately.

When he started struggling,
that's when they killed him.

So Nick, you feel that
the robbers expected

to find more money
than they actually

found on Mr. Fang's person.

PRENTICE SANDERS:
Talking to Cara and Nick,

and the other students
too, it's very stimulating.

It caused me to think,
and rethink some ideas

that I had entertained during
the course of the last year

that I've been
working on this case.

So, which scenario lies at
the heart of Jin Fang's murder?

Soon after briefing
the students,

Inspector Sanders was
contacted by a second anonymous

informant, who argued
that the murderer

was tied to illicit betting.

Inspector Sanders believes
the tip to be credible,

but only time and
further investigation

will enable the police to
close in on the elusive

killers of Jin Fang.

NARRATOR: Next, an accident
victim is searching for the two

men who save her life.

[music playing]

Hi Colleen!

Welcome to our club.

NARRATOR: This is
Colleen Frangioni.

She's 41 years old, the
mother of two grown sons.

She has been
paralyzed since 1978.

Colleen is a very special woman
with a very simple message.

--very simple.

Buckle up.

I didn't.

It's my slogan, My motto.

NARRATOR: Over
the last 15 years,

Colleen has spoken to more
than 10,000 high school and

junior high school students.

Working in both Rhode
Island and Florida,

she has erected billboards
and distributed pamphlets in

a tireless one woman crusade.

Colleen Frangioni has earned
high praise for her efforts

from several citizens groups.

But seat belt safety is
not her only mission.

Colleen is also
searching for two heroes,

the men who saved her life.

On the night she
was paralyzed, they

snatched her from a burning
car and from certain death.

Colleen herself
remembers nothing.

NARRATOR: In 1978,
Colleen was 26 years

old, recently divorced,
and struggling

to support two young sons.

On September 23 of
that year, Colleen

drove home from a rare
night out, dancing

at the Naval officers club
in Newport, Rhode Island.

Just before 1:00 AM, Colleen
was turning on to Rogers Road.

She came to a full
stop, but tragically,

a carload of teenagers
behind her did not.

[screeching wheels]

[cars crashing]

The hit of that
second car just twisted

me beyond the normal range.

And that twist was
so forceful that it

broke two lower vertebrae,
and severed my spinal cord.

And I'm glad I
don't remember it.

NARRATOR: Colleen
lay unconscious

as flames engulfed her car.

Patty and Joe Trifero, who
lived across the street,

rushed to help.

No!

The door's-- the door's locked!

The door's jammed Joey!

It won't open!

Joey it's stuck!

I am!

It's stuck!
We've got to get her help!

I can't get this
one open, either!

CARA LLEWELLYN: The fire
spreading really fast.

The whole back of
the car was on fire.

The backseat was on fire.

And as we were trying
to pull open the doors,

they wouldn't open
because of the crash.

They were jammed.

And I heard in the
background, get a crowbar.

Get a crowbar!

JOE TRIFERO: I glanced
over to my right

and there were two
men standing there.

My wife and I ran to our
garage to get a crowbar.

In the time while
we were gone, I

believe either one, or
both of those gentlemen,

pulled Colleen from
the car and brought

her up onto the sidewalk.

They were the only
two I felt that were

physically able
to have gotten her

out of the car at that point.

NARRATOR: By now, a third
rescuer had appeared.

She apparently took
charge of the situation.

She's in shock.

Guys, call 911
and get a blanket.

Hurry.

It's OK.

JOE TRIFERO: When we returned,
there was a woman there.

Must have had some type of
nursing background, that

said that she was in shock.

To get her feet up.

And shortly after that, the
entire car was in flames.

NARRATOR: Amazingly, no one
else was seriously injured.

But during the intense
effort to put out the fire,

both of the men who had pulled
Colleen to safety vanished.

For 10 days, Colleen hovered
between life and death.

She awoke to the
terrifying reality

that she was paralyzed
from the waist down.

CARA LLEWELLYN: Once
I had to deal with not

being able to walk, I was hurt.

It was like I was heartbroken.

That was my first
feeling inside.

You know, and then
it went from that,

to how am I going to do
everything that I never

even thought about,
sitting up, putting

a shoe on, getting dressed.

NARRATOR: But Colleen's
spirit was indomitable.

She was discharged from the
hospital after four months.

Colleen went on to raise her
two sons as a single parent,

and in 1985, she married again.

Yet not a day goes
by that Colleen

doesn't think about the
accident and the men that

saved her life.

[music playing]

CARA LLEWELLYN: How lucky
only to be paralyzed.

And now I'm saving lives because
they pulled me from the car.

I just believe we're
all meant to meet.

I would have been killed,
if it wasn't for you guys.

And I want to thank you both, or
just one of you, whichever one.

So, and even if you can
just give me a call,

I would really appreciate it.

NARRATOR: When Colleen's appeal
aired, luck was with her.

Both men called
our phone center,

Their names are Ray
Meyers and Mike Kane,

though they both live in the
Providence, Rhode Island area,

they have seen each other
only once in the aftermath

of Colleen's accident.

Colleen was thrilled to learn
that her rescuers had been

found after more than 15 years.

CARA LLEWELLYN: What
Unsolved Mysteries did,

was the tip lady called
me and told me, you know,

that she had heard from one of
them, and gave me his number

because, of course, they didn't
want to give out my number.

So I called him, I said who I
was, and it was just so nice.

In fact, we talked so long that
night, my husband fell asleep.

We were in bed, and my
husband fell sound asleep

while him and I was
just talking about,

you know, he was telling me
things that I had no idea.

NARRATOR: On December 27,
1993 Colleen, finally,

was able to meet her
heroes in person.

Ray Meyers was the
first to arrive.

CARA LLEWELLYN:
Oh, I can't believe

that I can really touch you.

I really didn't think
that you exited.

Thank you!

RAYMOND MEYERS: I was in shock.

I couldn't believe it was me.

You know, I mean,
I knew it was me.

But it's like, it's incredible.

That's how I feel
about this whole thing.

I think it's incredible.

NARRATOR: Half an hour later,
it was Mike Kane's turn.

CARA LLEWELLYN: Hi.

Mike?
- Mike.

Oh, gosh.

How nice to meet you.

Thank you so much.

Oh, gosh.

You know, I tried to imagine
what you'd look like.

And-- and I can't do that
when I don't know the person

MICHAEL KANE: I was
surprised, you know.

Why, 15 years later,
why, why, you know, why.

But when she said she
wanted to thank the people,

after I spoke to
her on the phone,

it was like, this lady
is really sincere.

And that's what she wanted.

She wanted to thank us.

CARA LLEWELLYN: I feel the whole
circle, it's all completed.

All the pieces of the puzzle
are all put together now.

And it's a real
peaceful feeling inside.

That's, to me, in fact,
how many times have

I said in the last three
weeks, how many people get

to meet their guardian angels?

And this is how I feel.

NARRATOR: When we return,
a police officer's

painful search for
answers in the murder

of his own 7-year-old son.

[music playing]

Thursday, January 12th, 1984,
Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Morning, Gar.

You must have been really
tired last night, you slept--

NARRATOR: It was a rare midweek
holiday for seven-year-old Gary

Grant Jr. There was
no school because

of a teacher's conference.

Gary lived with his mother, May.

She and Gary's father, an
Atlantic City police detective,

had been separated
for nearly a year.

And after breakfast,
are you going to go

out and play with your friends?

No, mom.

Not today.

Why not?

I have an appoint
this afternoon at 2:30.

Wow!

Sounds important.

What kind of appointment is it?

Nothing. just an appointment.

Who's this appointment with?

MAY GRANT: I was
asking him, with who,

and he said it was a secret.

So, I thought, you
know, it's silly.

You know, he's a little boy.

Something to do, maybe,
with his little girlfriend

around the corner or something.

So I kind of left it at that.

And he wanted to go out
and play, so he got dressed

and he went out to play.

NARRATOR: Around
noon, Gary left home.

He said he would be back by
4:00 PM, before it got dark.

It got to be like,
4:30, and he still

hadn't showed up for dinner.

And he liked his dinner.

He never missed.

And he's still hadn't showed up,
so I started getting worried.

And I went down to where two
girls that Gary played with,

they were friends
of his, and asked

them if they had seen Gary.

Do you want to come in?

No, I'm just looking for Gary.

Well, he was here
in the afternoon,

but he left around
4:30 to go home.

Oh, OK, well if
you see him, will you

please tell Gary to come home?

OK, Mrs. Grant, I'll tell him.

Thanks.

Bye.

NARRATOR: When another two hours
passed with no sign of Gary,

May telephoned her husband.

GARY GRANT SR.: I
searched until well

after midnight,
probably around 1:00

or 2:00 o'clock in the morning.

I walked around.

As a matter of fact, I called
out from work that night.

I was due to go into
work at midnight,

and I called my
sergeant and advised him

that I wouldn't be coming in.

By the next morning, Friday, the
Atlantic City Police Department

was engaged in an
all out search.

Regulations prevent a Detective
Grant from taking part

in the official investigation.

But as a father, he
was unwilling to stand

by and do nothing.

GARY GRANT SR.: I started
searching every possible place

I could think of.

I started searching
abandoned houses.

I started searching
underneath the boardwalk.

I started searching arcades,
and questioning people who

were working in the arcades.
- I'm Officer Gary Grant.

Have you seen this boy?
He's been missing.

Take a good look, please.

GARY GRANT SR.: There was a
couple of people that worked

in one of the arcades who
had said that they had seen

him on Friday, early on Friday.

So I'm thinking well
then he's still somewhere

around on the streets.

By Friday night, it started
getting dark again, and still

no signs or no word of Gary.

I started looking out in
alleyways, and trash cans,

and dumpsters.

The streets can be pretty
mean now, for an adult,

let alone for a
7-year-old child.

And by that time, I
was fearing the worst.

NARRATOR: At 3:30
the next afternoon,

the body of Gary
Grant Jr. Was found

in a vacant weed
infested lot, less

than two blocks from his home.

He had been bludgeoned to death.

Nearby, lay a short
length of heavy pipe,

probably the murder weapon.

The police immediately imposed
a radio silence until the boy's

family could be notified.

At virtually the same
moment, Detective Grant,

exhausted and on the
verge of collapse,

happened upon the scene.

GARY GRANT SR.: I really
didn't know what was going on,

but I got a knot in my stomach
and then something just

told me that it is a
very good possibility

that they've found Gary.

Hey Sarg, what's happening?

Hey Gary, did
you get radio call?

No, I saw the patrol cars.

I wanted to see
what's happening.

What'd you find out?

Gary, you don't want to know.

I've been driving around
for three days, no sleep,

looking for my son.
I want to know something.

Gary, we found your son.

He's dead.

I want to see my son.

I want to see my son!

GARY GRANT SR.: I didn't want
to believe that it was him.

In my mind, I knew that
they-- that they- I

mean, why would they lie to
me about something like that?

But at the same
time, being a father,

you don't want to believe it.

You don't to believe that
your kid is lying back

there somewhere,
you know, and he's

never going to get up again.

MAY GRANT: When they told
me that Gary was dead,

I just went totally
numb, my whole body.

I didn't want to believe it.

I just can't imagine
why someone would

do that to a 7-year-old
boy, any 7-year-old boy.

NARRATOR: The investigation
began like all others,

with detectives tracing
the victim's final hours

and talking to those
who knew him best.

Do you know Gary Grant?

Sure he lived around here.

Over on Arctic.

When was the last
time you saw him?

A couple days ago.

That would be Thursday.

Where was that?

He was down by junior high.

Who was he with?

He was with Boo.

Would that be Boo Mason?

Carl Mason, nicknamed Boo, was
a mildly retarded 12-year-old,

with an IQ of 65.

Though Boo who was five
years older than Gary,

he was smaller in
height and weight.

The two boys were good friends
and often played together.

Hello, young man.

We're with the Atlantic
City Police Department.

We need to ask you
a few questions.

Did you know this
Gary Grant kid?

Sure, I knew Gary.

When did you last see him?

Uhh, Wednesday, after school.

What did you two do?

We were at the
park over on Texas.

You sure you didn't
see him on Thursday?

Nope.

Are you sure it was Wednesday?

Yeah, we were supposed
to meet on Thursday,

but Gary never showed up.

OK, kid.

Thanks.

RICK MURRAY: Boo he said
he hadn't been with Gary,

but detectives canvassing
the neighborhood

kept coming back
with stories that he

had, in fact, been with Gary.

So they didn't know what to do.

There was this conflict.

Boo seemed like such
a harmless character.

He was educably retarded.

He was known as a scaredy
cat in the neighborhood.

But they just couldn't
reconcile the conflict.

They're like, we'd like
to ask you some questions.

And I came outside and--

NARRATOR: Carl Mason
is now 21 years old.

--ask you some questions.

They're like, have
I seen at all today.

I said no, I'd seen the day
before, and that was it.

And then they just said OK.

And they were asking me
some other questions,

but I don't remember.

And later on that night, they
came back and they took me.

NARRATOR: At
midnight on Saturday,

accompanied by his
grandmother, was

driven to police headquarters.

Once there, Boo was separated
from his grandmother

and led into a small room.

Look, just tell us the
truth and we can all go home.

What happened when you and
Gary left the school gym?

We went to the
park over Texas,

but that was on Wednesday.

What did you do at the park?

We play on the swings.

Wait, those swings were taken
down for cleaning last week.

I didn't see Gary on Thursday.

He didn't show up.

RICK MURRAY: In questioning Boo,
his stories were inconsistent,

and the detectives rustled
around with it until finally

around 3:00 o'clock.

One version of the
story, he acknowledged

being with the victim at the
crime scene, and that he had,

in fact, hit him with the pipe.

I hit him in the leg,
but he threw a rock at me.

This was in the
playground on Thursday.

I didn't see him on Thursday.

And what did you
do after you hit him?

Well, once he fell, and he
didn't get up, so I just left.

RICK MURRAY: He was telling
police what they felt

were details that only the
killer could have known,

and that sort of got
everything into high gear,

because they realized that
Boo was now the suspect.

CARL MASON: Everybody
knew what happened.

They found the body.

Then like, that day, they were
like, they found the weapon.

There was all different
stories, what happened to him,

I guess, you might say.

We're bringing
your grandmom in.

It will just be another minute.

NARRATOR: After
three grueling hours,

police believed they had
an admission of guilt.

When we did is have
your confession typed up.

We need you to read it and sign
it, both you, and your grandma.

NARRATOR: A confession was drawn
up based on the interrogation.

Boo signed the document,
even as he was insisting

he had not murdered his friend.

Have you told
us the truth now?

Yes, but I didn't do it.

NARRATOR: Boo Mason
was charged with murder

and remanded to a
juvenile detention center.

I was not with Gary Grant
that day when he was missing,

and I did not having anything
to do with his murder.

The one cop said that if
you admit that you did it,

we'll let you go.

So, me, at the age of 12,
I was so tired, I said

if you say so, but I didn't.

And then the next thing I
know I winded up at home.

Do you live in Atlantic City?

Yes.

NARRATOR: On Sunday,
January 15th boy

was given a polygraph exam.

The results were inconclusive.

Three days later, a second
test was administered.

Did you hurt Gary Grant?

No.

RICK MURRAY: In both the first
and second lie detector tests,

it was determined
that Boo had answered

truthfully when he said that
he did not kill Gary Grant.

Did you see Gary
Grant get killed?

No.

RICK MURRAY: There was
some doubt as to whether he

had been at the scene, however.

Have you now told
the entire truth

about Gary Grant's murder?

Yes.

GARY GRANT SR.: I feel that he,
very easily, could have been

intimidated by the
person who did it,

or who was there
when it was done,

could have told him that, hey
if you say anything to anybody,

you're next.

Now I have completed 3
and 1/2 days of testimony.

NARRATOR: A month after
Mason was arrested,

a hearing was held to determine
whether his confession was

admissible in court.

And this court cannot find
beyond a reasonable doubt that

any of the statements
made by the juvenile

were voluntary statements.

NARRATOR: The charges against
Boo Mason were dropped

and police never came up
with another viable suspect.

But two years later, it became
obvious that someone had not

forgotten Gary Grant Jr.
At approximately 3:00 AM om

January 4th, 1986,
a vandal painted

a chilling message on the side
of an Atlantic City patrol car.

Gary Grant's dead.

I am living.

Another will die on the
1/12/86 if all goes right.

January 12th would have
been the second anniversary

of Gary Grant's murder.

GARY GRANT SR.: I was
called by a police radio

to come over there and take
a look at the car, and I did.

And from what I
observed on the car,

it appeared to me that it was
written on there by an adult.

However, as far as ever finding
out who did that, no one ever--

we've never found that out.

NARRATOR: A few weeks later,
a second cryptic message

was scratched on a sidewalk.

Gary Grant Jr. lives.

I still killed him,
son of a pig officer.

Payback is a M.F. This second
message led to speculation

that Gary had been murdered
as retribution, possibly

for an arrest his
father had made.

That thought has gone through
my mind 1,000, million times.

But there's not one thing that
stands out that I could think

of because I've never had
anybody look at me in the face

and say to me, I'm going to
get even with you for this.

NARRATOR: Nine years
have passed since Gary

Grant Jr. was murdered.

His father is still looking
for information, still passing

out flyers, and still
barred from officially

working on the case.

Somebody knows something.

There's no doubt in my mind.

It's-- it's just not possible
that something like that could

happen without somebody
seeing or hearing something,

or even within the last
nine years somebody saying

something to somebody about it.

I would like to see
the person, or persons,

who are out there and they know
who they are, to come forward.

So, I could have a little
peace to my mind, in my heart.

[music playing]

Morro Bay, California
is a kind of small town

Alfred Hitchcock
might have loved.

On the surface, a
picture postcard

seaside fishing village.

Peel back a layer, though, and
a quirky cast of characters

emerges.

So does a murder
mystery, or maybe two.

Fishing is Morro
Bay's main industry.

In the 70s and 80s, work
was irregular at best.

That suited Hugh
Harlin just fine.

He had pared his life
down to the basics.

Hugh thought you should work
for the sheer joy of working,

if and when the
spirit moved you.

That makes 16,000.

CATHERINE CORDERO: There
were a number of times

that Hugh would stop
by our business,

and we'd be unloading
fish and we'd

have been at it for quite awhile
and he'd roll up his sleeves

and pitch in.

And six or seven to 10 hours
later, when we're finally done,

you know, Hugh wouldn't
take any money for his help.

He wasn't just a weirdo.

He might have been weird at
times, but he wasn't a weirdo.

NARRATOR: Hugh Harlin's high
minded notions about work

and money were
all well and good,

but he hit a roadblock when
it came to his wife Diane.

Diane Harlin was
generous to a fault.

She squandered what
little money Hugh

gave her on beggars, on her
friends, and on her dogs.

Well, I'm going
down the docks.

Yeah, leave me
some money, Hugh.

NARRATOR: It led to more
than one bitter argument.

Groceries food.

What'd you do with the
money I gave you yesterday?

I spent it, OK?

CATHERINE CORDERO: They weren't
getting along very well,

and Diane would
do bizarre things,

including opening a can
dog food and serving

it to Hugh for dinner.

Lisa, Jimmy, the dogs, I
can't support the entire county!

Hugh, you want dinner or not.

It's as simple as that, OK?

- Don't walk away from--
- Hey!

Don't you touch me.

NARRATOR: Rumor had it that
Diane not only serve dog food

in the can, but that once she
even baked it into a casserole

for her unsuspecting husband.

It seemed Diane cared more for
her dogs than she did for Hugh.

In fact, around Morro Bay,
Diane was known as the dog lady.

[seagulls chirping]

[police scanner sounds]

October 13th, 1982, the badly
decomposed body of a woman

was found just off the
beach at Morro Bay.

A jade bracelet, and a
silver bracelet lay nearby.

Police could not
identify the woman,

but they could identify
the murder weapon.

The victim had been
strangled with a dog leash.

MANNY SILVA: The investigators
immediately put out a news

media release with
a description,

asking for the
public's assistance

identifying this individual.

Later in the evening,
the department

was contacted by Hugh Harlin.

Hugh, you recognize this?

MANNY SILVA: Hugh Harlin was
shown several pieces of jewelry

and he identified that jewelry
as belonging to his wife Diane.

Yeah, that silver
one was hers.

That was hers for sure, yeah.

When was the last time
you saw Diane, Hugh?

NARRATOR: Hugh Harlin told
police that Diane had been

away from home for 12 days.

He said he wasn't or he was
until he heard about the body.

She was there.

I came home by 7
o'clock, she wasn't home.

Why did you wait almost two
weeks to report her missing?

Didn't seem unusual to me
for her not to come home.

She'd done it occasionally.

She's done this before?

Every now and then, yeah.

Do you remember what time
the dogs came home that night?

Yeah, it was about 11:30.

Can you remember if they were
wearing their leashes or not?

Yeah, uh, yeah they had
their leashes on that night.

What's this, Hugh?

I don't know, what is it?

Found this tied
around Diane's neck.

Looks like a dog
leash, doesn't it?

That's right.

Uh, dogs came home, they
didn't have their leashes.

Well which way is it, Hugh?

Did they come home
with their leashes

or without their leashes?

MANNY SILVA: When Hugh
Harlin changed his story,

I'd like to see a lawyer.

MANNY SILVA: The investigators
began to look more closely

at him as a possible suspect.

Can I go now?

CATHERINE CORDERO: I asked him.

I said, Hugh, you know, a
lot of people suspect you.

Did you killer?

You know, I know she's
bizarre, and I know

she tried to push your buttons.

Did you do it?

And I knew when he
answered that question,

he was telling the truth,
that he didn't do it.

I mean, he said he didn't do it.

NARRATOR: Diane
Harlin was 43 years

old when she was murdered.

No charges against Hugh, or
anyone else were ever filed.

To this day, the case
remains unsolved.

Four years past.

Hugh Harlin's life went on much
as it had before Diana's death,

until November 1st, 1986.

That day, Hugh went
to a friend's house

to borrow some tools for a
two day construction job,

up the road in San Siemian.

You'll probably
need these hand tools.

Yeah, throw them up in there.

Let me get the gate for you.

Yeah, thanks.

NARRATOR: Hugh Harlin set off
for San Siemian, 27 miles north

of Morro Bay, before dark.

You're all set set, Hughy.

What it is, bro.

What it were.

Have a good one.

NARRATOR: But soon, the mystery
would take yet another twist,

near the town of Cambria.

STEVE MATHIEU: The
next thing we knew,

I'd gotten a call from a
mutual friend in Cambria,

wondering why Hugh's
truck was setting

off the side of the road,
and had been for a day or so.

NARRATOR: Steve Mathieu
and a friend, Eddie Grimes,

drove to Cambria to check
out Hugh's abandoned truck.

What a wheelbarrow, there.

No keys in the truck.

STEVE MATHIEU: I got curious
as to what was going on.

I took a look inside.

I saw Hugh's
glasses on the dash.

I saw a couple of tins on
the dash, one with tobacco,

and one with some ragweed pot
that he smoked quite regularly.

All of these things weren't
really adding up to me,

since three days or
so had transpired

since the last
time I'd seen him,

and this is basically
the way he had left.

NARRATOR: The mystery
did not end there.

Before Steve and Eddie
left to look for Hugh,

Steve walked over to make a pit
stop at the edge of the woods.

Hey Eddie, here's the keys.

What the hell are
they doing there?

STEVE MATHIEU: It
was at that point

that I decided that there
were just too many elements

involved here to be a
straight up situation.

I think we ought
to call the cops.

I think you're right.

Let me lock it up.

NARRATOR: What could have
happened to Hugh Harlin?

Did he meet with
foul play, or did

he simply decide to disappear?

There are several
possibilities as to what could

have happened to Mr. Harlin.

Number one, he simply
could have possibly

staged his disappearance.

He knows he had
been, at one time,

questioned regarding the
homicide of his wife.

STEVE MATHIEU: I totally believe
that Hugh was smart enough

and crafty enough to engineer
his own disappearance, and just

in exactly this manner.

if he so wanted to.

The thing that I've
never been able to decide

is if that's
actually what he did,

or if there was
some foul play here.

CATHERINE CORDERO: If
he wanted to disappear,

Hugh's kind of person
that would have

left his truck with somebody
he wanted to have it.

He wouldn't have left it by the
side of the road, like that.

NARRATOR: Indeed, why would
Hugh Harlin want to disappear?

After four years, police
no longer considered him

a suspect in his wife's murder.

Authorities now
fear that Hugh might

have had a deadly encounter
with the same person,

or persons, who killed Diane.

MANNY SILVA: Hugh
Harlin knew, I believe,

and I think the investigators
at the time believed,

knew more about the case
than he was telling them.

And my concern is
is possibly, he

was harmed by some
individual who may very

well have harmed Diane Harlin.

NARRATOR: The case of Diane and
Hugh Harlin is multi-layered:

Mystery on top of mystery,
disappearance top of dead.

Years after the fact,
people around Morro Bay

still talk about Diane's
murder and Hugh's disappearance

as if they happened
only yesterday.

The key to the mystery lies
is in finding Hugh Harlin,

if he is alive.

At the time of his disappearance
in 1986, Hugh was 51 years old

and weighed between
130 and 150 pounds.

He is 5 feet 6
inches tall, and is

missing the thumb and
forefinger and his left hand.

[music playing]

NARRATOR: Next week
on Unsolved Mysteries,

a controversial story of
two American servicemen

whose untimely deaths are under
investigation by Congress.

Army Sergeants Billy Ray
Hargrove and Mike Carmichael,

were the best of friends, and
both wanted to spend the rest

of their lives in the military.

But in 1992, just six weeks
apart, Hargrove and Carmichael

were both found hung to death.

The army ruled that the two
men had committed suicide,

but their families are
convinced they were murdered.

Joining me next time
this intriguing case

and more on song.

[music playing]