All language subtitles for Unsolved.Mysteries.S06E12.480p.AMZN.WEB-DL.DD 2.0.x264-AJP69_track3_[eng]

ANNOUNCER: 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.

ROBERT STACK: 30 year old
Army Staff Sergeant Billy Ray

Hargrove wanted to spend
his life in the military,

but in February of
1992 Hargrove was

found dead, hung by the
neck in his own backyard.

Incredibly, just six weeks
later Hargrove's best friend,

Sgt. Mike Carmichael,
was also found dead,

hung from a barracks locker.

What happened to Billy Ray
Hargrove and Mike Carmichael?

Congress is currently
looking into these deaths,

and several other cases
where American servicemen

have died under
questionable circumstances.

In each case the military has
ruled suicide or accident,

but some family members and
friends are crying murder--

perhaps not without reason.

Join us for this intriguing
investigation, and more,

on "Unsolved Mysteries."

[theme music]

In the early 1980s, the
resort mecca of Miami, Florida

found itself in the
midst of an urban crisis.

First the city was deluged
by more than 120,000 refugees

from Cuba.

Among them were 30,000
hardcore criminals.

Simultaneously, racial tensions
were polarizing the populace,

and in the summer of
1980 six days of rioting

convulsed the city.

In response, Miami doubled
the size of its police force

between 1980 and 1983.

It was an unprecedented
expansion,

but the accelerated
pace exacted a price.

According to some, a handful
of questionable applicants

slipped through the
screening process,

and soon Miami had
yet another problem--

corrupt officers at the heart
of its police department.

It began almost quietly.

The early abuses were
minor shakedowns,

and the targets small
time drug dealers.

[non-english speech]

A number of the early
ripoffs were simple car stops,

where the police officers would
see small amounts of drugs

and money, and would proceed
to take those drugs and money,

believing that the people
who they were stopping

weren't going to
report those incidents

to the police department.

They felt that
they were invincible

as long as they stood together.

As long as no one talked, it was
their word against common thugs

on the street.

These police officers
succumbed to greed,

and they would go out
and say they were not

harming law-abiding citizens.

And that's how they
rationalized and justified

a lot of their crimes
that they committed.

[non-english speech]

ROBERT STACK (VOICEOVER): One of
the most notorious of the rogue

officers was Armando Garcia.

In high school he was
associated with a group

of drug users, ties he
had been able to hide when

he joined the police force.

Garcia was not content with
nickel and dime shakedowns.

He grew bold enough to
confiscate literally

boatloads of drugs in
bogus police operations

that were totally
off the record--

raids which eventually
escalated into violence.

In July of 1985, Garcia
learned that some 400 kilos

of pure cocaine would
soon arrive in Miami.

He had allegedly intercepted
a similar shipment

two weeks before,
and it seemed as easy

as taking candy from a baby.

Police!

Miami police!

Drop it and go!

ROBERT STACK (VOICEOVER):
But this time

Garcia's plans went south.

[non-english speech]

Get out of here, or
face the consequences!

CLYDE RIMES: Six of the
dopers jumped in the water

to escape the police
officer, thinking

it was an official raid.

Three of them drowned.

The officers left with
400 kilos of cocaine.

Metro Dade Police Department
began the investigation

immediately after the
three bodies were found,

and they thought it
was a routine homicide.

I need you to tell me
exactly what it was you saw.

Sure.

I saw police cars
come into the yard.

How many?

There were three of them.

What department?

The City of Miami
police department.

ROBERT STACK
(VOICEOVER): Detectives

were stunned when
a harbor security

guard said the three
men had drowned

while fleeing a police raid.

Official police logs had
no record of such a raid.

Further investigation
blew the lid off Armando

Garcia's secret life.

Ultimately, he and 34
other Miami police officers

were arrested on
corruption charges.

[non-english speech]

We have no choice.

[spanish]

We must eliminate our problem.

ROBERT STACK (VOICEOVER):
While in prison,

Garcia and several other
officers allegedly hatched

a secret plot to kill a
number of the witnesses

scheduled to testify
against them.

[non-english speech]

ROBERT STACK
(VOICEOVER): In January

of 1986, after four
months in jail,

Garcia and several
associates made bail.

According to investigators,
they lost no time

putting their murder
plans into action

against one of the
prosecution's top witnesses.

They supplied $50,000 to
one hit man for that hit,

but it did not take place.

He took their money, and
did not commit the hit.

And they attempted--
even themselves-- they

hid in the bushes
waiting for one

of the government witnesses,
but never could find him.

ROBERT STACK (VOICEOVER): In
the end, none of the witnesses

were harmed.

But in spite of their
testimony, the corruption

case against Garcia
and his co-defendants

ended in a mistrial.

By then, however, evidence
of the assassination plots

had come to light.

The former officers
were indicted

on a second set of
charges, including

conspiracy to commit murder.

Several of the officers,
after the indictment,

decided that they
would cooperate.

The other officers realized
then that the case had reached

a point where it was
almost a sure conviction

if they went to court.

At that point, they made
a decision to take flight.

ROBERT STACK (VOICEOVER):
Armando Garcia

disappeared in May of 1987.

He is 5'8 tall, weighs
185 lbs, and has

brown hair and brown eyes.

Garcia was born in Cuba, and
police now fear he may have

slipped away to South America.

He is married, and is known to
have two young daughters, ages

three and four.

Authorities are also
seeking Garcia's father,

Toribio Dagoberto Garcia.

He is 55 years old,
balding, and has brown eyes.

He stands 5'6 tall,
and weighs 170 lbs.

A third suspect
wanted in this case

is Victor Zapata,
another former officer.

Zapata is 5'9 tall,
weighs 175 lbs, and has

brown hair and brown eyes.

Next, two friends turn out
to be brother and sister.

Perhaps you can help find
the rest of the family.

It was just three days
before Christmas in 1964.

A young woman from
Flint, Michigan,

named Faith Marie Brown, stole
out for a late night joyride

with two friends.

Faster than that?

You can go faster than that.

Come on.

Whoa, watch out!

ROBERT STACK: Miraculously,
the driver survived the crash,

but both passengers
were killed instantly.

Faith Brown was dead
at the age of 26.

In addition to her
parents and four brothers,

Faith left behind seven
children under the age of 10.

The untimely death
of Faith Marie Browne

added one final, tragic
twist to the already

complicated lives of her four
sons and three daughters.

Two divorces, and now
the fatal car crash

had scattered the children
to five different families.

It seemed they would
be separated forever,

until a young woman
named April Kersjes, who

had been adopted
as a child, set out

to find her biological parents.

In 1992, April was diagnosed
with rheumatoid arthritis,

a hereditary disease.

Concerned about her
own childrens' health,

April began her search--

one with more than a
share of surprises.

It all started in
the records office

of Shiawassee County, Michigan.

I told them that I knew
my name was Michelle Brown

at birth, and that my birthday
was September 18, 1961,

and I was adopted, and
I'd like any information

available on my adoption.

There's another
child named Brown.

I kind of glanced over,
and I'd seen the name

Michael Brown right
underneath mine,

and so I knew I had a brother.

May I take a look at that?

ROBERT STACK (VOICEOVER):
April was not permitted

to examine the records.

Strict regulations govern the
release of adoption files,

but April petitioned
a county judge

for access to the information.

Three days later, she
received this letter.

It contained the astonishing
revelation that April had

four brothers and two sisters.

However, the key details that
would allow her to find them

had been omitted.

April Kersjes was trapped
in a bureaucratic catch-22.

I was a little
bit upset that there

wasn't more information
released on the other brothers

and sisters.

We were all over
the legal age, and

we're all mature adults now, and
we should be able to handle it.

And I was a little bit upset
that they wouldn't give us

anymore than they did,
but yet thankful that they

at least gave me that much.

I never even knew
you were adopted.

Yeah.

ROBERT STACK (VOICEOVER):
Mike Galloway,

the husband of April's
best friend, Deb,

had also been adopted.

He was especially curious
about April's investigation.

--while later.

I mean, I knew that my
birth name was Brown,

but they weren't willing
to divulge any other names.

Your birth name is Brown?

Yeah.

That's funny.

My adoptive parents told
me my birth name was Brown.

Oh, you're kidding?

Could I see the letter?

Sure.

When I showed Mike the
letter, he looked at,

and the paragraph where
it said I had a brother

born in Owasso in 1960.

He kind of looked over the
top of the letter and said,

I was born in Owasso in 1960,
and my last name was Brown.

We thought it would be funny
if we were brother and sister,

but we really didn't think
that was a possibility.

Brown's a common name,
and when it was brought up,

it's just like Smith, or
Jones, or any other common name

like that.

So I'm the type of person that
likes to see things in writing,

or in my face before
I actually settle

down to believe that it's true.

Remember when our
daughter, Amber, was born?

ROBERT STACK (VOICEOVER):
The next morning, April met

Mike and Deb at their house.

Mike's adoptive parents
had often told him that he

had a sister named Michelle.

Try to find Michelle.

Wait a minute--

did you say your sister's
name was Michelle?

Yeah.

Michael-- my real
name is Michelle Brown.

We knew it had to be that
we were brother and sister.

Don't try and tell me that
this is another coincidence.

We jumped up, and we hugged
each other, and Deb, and said,

I can't believe I've
known you for eight years,

and now I find out
you're my brother.

This is-- this is too wild.

I'm kind of glad that April
and I didn't meet first,

and then start dating, you know?

And end up getting married,
or something, because then

that would have been--

kind of shocking to have
kids with your own sister,

I suppose.

Michaeli pretty much information
from the county files

was recollections primarily
from Mike's adoptive parents.

Soon a picture began to
emerge of their birth

mother, Faith Marie brown.

[coughing]

Come on, we really need
to talk about this now.

Not in here.

When she was
just 16 years old,

Faith had dropped out of
high school to be married.

By the time she was 20
she already had four

children, including twin boys.

Faith would lose them all
when her young marriage

ended in divorce.

What are you talking about?

They're coming with me,
and if you try to fight me,

Faith, I will take you to court.

At the heart of
the conflict was

her husband's belief
that another man

had fathered the twins.

I don't want you
raising them, either.

Why are you doing this?

Because I want to do
what's best for the kids.

Mike and April
would later learn

that their father was
yet another man, 25

years older than their mother.

- I'm going out for a while, OK?
- OK.

From what we know, our
mother had a very hard time

at anything she'd ever done.

She had kids one
right after the other,

and like she wasn't
responsible for them.

She would give them
up for adoption,

or they would eventually
be taken away.

I don't think she could really
handle the responsibilities

of having the kids.

ROBERT STACK
(VOICEOVER): In 1962,

Michigan social services took
custody of April and Michael.

Three months later
their father and Faith

had another daughter, Shannon.

After Faith died, Shannon
was put up for adoption,

and the records sealed
in county files.

OK.

We can see "My Fair Lady" again.

We believe that a gentleman
by the name of Mr. Dennis

is our father, and as far as we
know, or have been able to find

out, he is still alive.

We'd like to be able to
get in touch with him,

more or less to say hi, and
see what kind of a person

he's like.

But if he doesn't want--

even if he doesn't want
a relationship with us,

we would still at least
like a chance to say hello.

It's pretty frustrating,
because we have

a lot of little
pieces of information,

and it's like a puzzle that's
missing half the pieces.

I think it was fate that
brought April and I together.

I hope it's fate
that brings April

and I, and our other brothers
and sisters together.

To live in a small
town like we do,

we've wondered if some
of the people we've met

may be related to us,
and we never knew it.

We've had people say, you
know, do you have a sister

that lives in St. John?

Because you sure
remind me of somebody.

Well, before I'd say
no, not that I know of.

Well, now I can't say that.

I may have.

ROBERT STACK: Together, April
and Mike tried to locate

their five lost siblings--

William, Wanda, Shannon, and
twins Keith and Kenneth--

but none of their
leads paid off--

until the night
of our broadcast.

That evening, four of Faith
Brown's missing children

were watching.

All five contacted our phone
center within 24 hours.

April and Michael quickly
made plans to host

a remarkable family reunion.

They would soon be face
to face with two sisters

and three brothers
who, until recently,

they didn't even know existed.

The first to arrive were
William, Shannon, and Wanda.

Woo!

All right.

What are you up to?

How are you doing?

When we started hugging,
we didn't want to stop.

And it was, like, seeing
old friends, or something.

It was overwhelming,
joyous, happy.

A whole bunch of emotions
all wrapped up in one.

When I hugged April,
it was something--

I don't know what it was.

It was just--

I felt something inside.

And I noticed she
keeps looking at me,

and I keep looking at her, and--

you know, it's just strange
to look like somebody.

ROBERT STACK (VOICEOVER): When
Kenneth and Keith showed up,

the reunion was complete.

For Mike Galloway,
it was a moment

he thought might never arrive.

Hey.

How you doing?

All right.

When you're adopted,
and you know that there's

other brothers and
sisters out there,

you don't really feel like
you're a whole person.

And with finding
all the rest of 'em,

it just-- it kind of
makes you feel like you're

a whole person.

Like your whole life
is back in order.

Look at the hair.

Aw, jeez.

ROBERT STACK (VOICEOVER):
The party exceeded everyone's

wildest expectations.

With a total of 33
family members present,

it was one of "Unsolved
Mysteries'" largest

reunions ever.

Just knowing that
there's family out there,

it means a lot.

Because it's a part
of Mom, and now,

with all the brothers and
sisters being together,

she'll live on with
us forever now.

And today I think she's
gonna rest in peace.

ROBERT STACK: This is
the National Cemetery

in Little Rock, Arkansas,
the final resting place

for hundreds of soldiers,
sailors, and pilots.

Veterans of every major conflict
in the history of this country.

Also buried here
are two men who are

at the center of one of the
most intriguing mysteries

we have ever encountered.

Recently we came
across this article

in the Philadelphia Inquirer,
in which investigative reporter

David Zucchino
outlined the cases

of 40 US servicemen
who died under

questionable circumstances.

Every case has been ruled either
a suicide or a self-inflicted

accident by the military--

yet in each instance there
seems to be evidence that

defies the official ruling.

In May of 1993, the
families of 14 soldiers

said to have taken
their own lives

testified before the House
Armed Services Committee.

Each family claimed their
son did not commit suicide.

Tonight we will
be looking at two

of the most baffling cases--

the cases of Sergeant
Billy Ray Hargrove

and Sergeant Mike Carmichael.

The army has refused to
participate in our broadcast,

and stands by the
judgment that the two

soldiers killed themselves.

Both families say the
army is dead wrong.

Mike didn't have
nothing to die for, no

more than Billy had to die for.

Neither one of them
committed suicide.

They didn't do it.

Billy Ray Hargrove and Mike
Carmichael had similar lives,

and suffered similar deaths.

Both had planned careers in
the military since childhood.

Both had joined the
army in their teens,

and become the best of friends
as they climbed the ranks.

Both had married Korean
women while stationed

in the Far East.

Tragically, Billy Ray
Hargrove and Mike Carmichael

died within six
weeks of each other,

and according to the
army, they committed

suicide in a similar manner.

During Operation Desert Storm,
Billy Ray Hargrove and his wife

were sent from their base
in Germany to Saudi Arabia.

However, the conflict
ended before the platoon

saw active duty.

When Billy finished Desert
Storm and went back to Germany,

he was disappointed because his
men did not get a merit award--

a medal that he felt
like they deserved.

And he set about
trying to get the medal

for 'em, and every
direction he went in,

he couldn't accomplish it.

We were wondering when you'd
recommend us for the Desert

Storm decoration.

Billy Ray, I appreciate
everything you and the men

did during the campaign--

but since the unit did
not go into combat,

I'm refusing the application.

Sir, I understand your point,
but the men were just as--

I've decided to
refuse the application.

ROBERT STACK
(VOICEOVER): Billy Ray

could not accept
the army's decision,

and made a questionable
decision of his own.

He forged his
superior's signature

on the appropriate documents.

A short time later, his
men received their medals.

A few months passed.

In June of 1991, Billy
Ray arrived in Korea

for another tour of duty.

How are you doing?

ROBERT STACK (VOICEOVER): At the
airport he met his wife, Kim--

and unexpected trouble.

Sergeant Hargrove?

Yes, sir.

I'm here to place you
under arrest for treason.

Willis, remove the Desert
Storm commendation.

Sir-- what's this about?

Take him into custody, Jim.

Just come with me.

What is it?

I'll call you.

I'll call you.

Billy Ray called
me January the 28th.

He told me, Dad,
I think I'm going

to get out of the military.

I've had all of it I can stand.

And he said, I'll
probably be home by June.

ROBERT STACK (VOICEOVER):
Billy Ray's court martial

was not his only problem.

In particular, his marriage to
Kim had begun to fall apart,

and Billy Ray began making
plans to divorce her.

I had visited their house,
and they were fighting a lot,

and there was a lot of jealousy.

She was constantly accusing
him of having a girlfriend,

and having a child
somewhere that she

didn't know anything about.

And it wasn't true at all.

Well, I don't think
they're going to kick me out.

I may lose some rank,
but I'm gonna re-up.

I think it's the
right call, man.

I've been telling you that.
- Yeah, you're right.

ROBERT STACK (VOICEOVER):
Another eight months passed.

According to Billy Ray's family,
the controversy surrounding

the forged documents
began to subside,

and Billy Ray told his best
friend, Mike Carmichael,

that he had re-enlisted.

Hey, Hargrove!

ROBERT STACK (VOICEOVER):
February 20, 1992.

The day of Billy Ray
Hargrove's death.

Billy Ray had missed a
summons to report to duty,

and at 9:20 AM, one of
his fellow sergeants

showed up at his doorstep.

Hey, Billy.

Where you been?

Oh, I was just
having breakfast.

Did you not hear the siren?

Uh, no.

Are we having a drill?

Yeah.

And the captain's
going ballistic.

I'll bet he is.

Tell him I'm on my way.

OK, good deal.

See you later.

ROBERT STACK (VOICEOVER):
Inexplicably, Billy Ray

never reported for duty.

Instead, he took
his dog for a walk.

[dog barking]

ROBERT STACK (VOICEOVER):
20 minutes later,

Kim heard the dog barking.

Hey, there.

What's wrong with you, huh?

Where's Bill?

Huh?

Where's Bill?

Bill?

Bill?

ROBERT STACK
(VOICEOVER): Kim found

Billy Ray hanging by the
neck from a nearby trail.

Bill!

What are you doing?

ROBERT STACK (VOICEOVER): An
alleged suicide note was found

in Billy Ray's pants pocket.

It read in part, "My life
is really screwed up now,

and I just don't
know how to fix it.

I've been thinking a lot about
taking my life for a long time

now.
Goodbye.

Signed, William R. Hargrove."

However, Billy Ray's
mother questions

whether he wrote the note.

SUE NUNNALLY: I
looked at the writing,

and I did not believe
it was his writing.

It did not look to
me like his writing.

ROBERT STACK (VOICEOVER): The
army acknowledges a possibility

that the suicide note
might not have been

in Billy Ray's handwriting.

Even so, they ruled that he
had killed himself, speculating

that he had been driven to
suicide by his upcoming court

martial and divorce.

He was not the type
of person to commit

suicide, no matter what.

Especially putting a
rope around his neck.

I just could not believe it,
and I still don't believe it.

Something happened to him,
but he did not commit suicide.

ROBERT STACK (VOICEOVER):
The autopsy report

yielded another piece
of mysterious evidence

that seemed to bolster
Sue Nunnally's claim.

Billy Ray had unexplained
abrasions and lacerations

on his face and hands.

That would indicate
to me that someone had

been in a scrape, or a fight.

But the military,
in their report,

didn't question anyone, or ask
where the scratches came from.

They just ignored them.

Billy Ray Hargrove was laid
to rest on March 4, 1992.

One of the mourners
at his funeral

was his old friend,
Mike Carmichael.

I do know that there was
one part of the scripture--

When I finally
did meet Mike, it

was at Billy's funeral, when he
brought Billy's body back home.

Fear no evil.

And he told me-- he said
Harv said, we'll give 'em hell.

We're going to make 'em pay, the
SOBs pay, for what they'd done.

ROBERT STACK (VOICEOVER):
After the service,

Mike returned to the Hargroves'
house with Billy Ray's family.

He looked at me, and he
promised, and he told me

that if it was the
last thing he ever did,

he was going to find out
what happened to Billy Ray.

Just don't do anything
until you hear from me.

OK.

Bye.

ROBERT STACK (VOICEOVER): Mike
Carmichael's uncle, Oscar,

served in the
Marines for 20 years.

He is now suffering
from emphysema,

and told us that Mike
believed there was

a larger conspiracy involved.

And there had been
three other army

personnel there
in Korea that had

supposedly committed suicide.

And my nephew told his birth
mother-- he says, don't

be surprised if I'm not next.

ROBERT STACK (VOICEOVER):
On March 22, 1992,

Mike Carmichael
returned to Korea

and immediately began
his own investigation.

He and his wife, Sun Hui,
visited Billy Ray's widow, Kim,

and collected Billy
Ray's personal papers.

Included was a letter Billy
Ray had written to his father

a few days before the
hanging, but Harvey Hargrove

says he never received
the correspondence.

Do you remember
what the letter said?

He was supposed to have
written me a letter, sometimes

in February.

I don't know when,
but he was supposed

to have written me a letter.

I'm sure if I could
find that letter,

it would explain everything.

ROBERT STACK (VOICEOVER):
Mike continued collecting

Billy Ray's papers, and stored
them with his own papers

in a metal box.

Mike instructed his uncle
Oscar that if anything were

to happen to him, Oscar
should immediately

obtain possession of the box.

But Mike never
revealed its contents.

I'll see you at the club
tomorrow night, all right?

ROBERT STACK (VOICEOVER):
April 3, 1992.

Mike Carmichael's 38th birthday.

At 10:00 PM he received
an unexpected phone call

ordering him back to the base.

By the next morning, Mike
had still not returned home.

INTERPRETER: On Sunday morning
I called the army base to find

out where my husband was.

I talked to a security guard.

I was told that he did
not see my husband,

so I asked him to try
to knock on the door

of his barracks room.

He said that there
was no response,

and the door was locked.

Where are you at?

ROBERT STACK
(VOICEOVER): An hour

later, Sun Hui
found her husband's

body in his barracks office.

Mike?

ROBERT STACK (VOICEOVER): He
was hanging from a locker,

and had been dead
for several hours.

The army investigation was
completed within a few days.

They concluded that Mike
Carmichael had taken

his own life because he was
despondent over financial

matters and Billy Ray's death.

Mike's wife has
accepted the ruling,

however his mother and
uncle Oscar have not.

I think he was angry, and I
think he was going to direct

his anger towards
finding out the reason

why or who caused his
friend-- or killed his friend.

He was happier than I had
seen him in a long time,

due to the fact
that him and Sun Hui

had just gotten married in July.

They were just like a couple
of overgrown kids, really.

And he had that, he had his
retirement to look forward to.

There was no way that
Mike would take his life,

and take the chicken way out.

ROBERT STACK (VOICEOVER): Oscar
Carmichael soon joined forces

with the Hargrove family.

They launched a letter
writing campaign

asking for the official
reports from the military.

Unsatisfied with
the army's response,

they contacted the Office of
US Congressman Jay Dickey.

Greg Stein is Congressman
Dickey's legislative assistant,

who was assigned to the case.

But even the reports
that I could get

were lacking in the
photos of the crimes,

and other things
were withheld, or or

whited out for certain reasons.

And after looking at it, I
don't think that they took

into account all of the
different aspects of the case,

and they maybe kinda
just closed the door,

without a thorough
investigation.

I think the signs
are there that there

is a cover up of some sort.

And I don't want to accuse
anything, or anybody

at this time of that, but
the reason why there would

be a cover up, I don't know.

That's one of the things
we want to find out.

But I happen to think that
if we open this thing up,

that we will find an answer.

I want you men to clear out,
but stay close, because I may

want to ask you some questions.

Move it.

ROBERT STACK (VOICEOVER):
The two families

are especially disturbed
by the eerie and suspicious

similarities in the deaths.

Both Billy Ray and Mike had been
summoned to the army barracks.

Both men were found hanging
just inches from the ground,

and both had been
tied with parachute

cord, which is highly elastic.

This is the official crime
scene sketch from the US

military investigation.

Mike Carmichael's body was shown
hanging from a row of lockers,

a cord wrapped around his neck.

The question marks that come
up about Sergeant Carmichael

start with the fact that
he's in a sitting position

some 3 inches from the
floor, with his body

dangling like that.

Even the natural
instincts of a person

would have your hands falling
down, or pushing against it.

There's not any way that--

our self-preservation
rites are such that we

will do something like that.

ROBERT STACK
(VOICEOVER): Also noted

in the drawing was a metal box
that contained Mike and Billy

Ray's personal papers.

It was sitting on a desk across
the room from Mike's body.

Curiously, the box of letters
would later disappear,

and no one knows
what happened to it.

Mike Carmichael's
family learned of yet

another disturbing similarity
between the two cases.

Just as Billy Ray had abrasions
on his face and hands,

Sergeant Carmichael
had welts on his face,

and what appeared to be
a gash on his forehead.

His uncle Oscar is
convinced that Mike

was struck before he died.

You take a pipe, it'll be
about an inch, or 5/8 inch,

and hit him over the head with
it, that's the kind of valley

that you'd find,
or crevice, however

way you want to describe it.

So that's why I say that
my nephew, in my opinion,

was dead before he was
placed in that position.

I believe in
Billy Ray's case--

and in Mike's case, too--

that something had to be
going on that wasn't right.

Something that they found out
about, or knew about, or maybe

was going to expose.

And they were gotten rid of.

ROBERT STACK: When we return,
the intriguing disappearance

of Charles Horvath.

Did the young hitchhiker
choose to drop from sight,

or did he meet with foul play?

Imagine your 20 year old son
is traveling in a foreign land.

Suddenly his phone calls
and postcards stop.

Weeks pass with no news, and
you begin to fear your child

will never come home.

This is exactly what happened
to Denise Horvath-Allan.

In 1989 her son,
Charles, disappeared

in Canada, halfway
around the world

from their home in England.

Ever since, Denise has been
trying to find out exactly

what happened to her son.

In the spring of
1989, Charles Horvath

was in the midst of a
hitchhiking trip across Canada.

In August, he planned
to fly to Hong Kong

to celebrate his 21st birthday
with his mother, Denise,

and his stepfather.

The birthday
festivities promised

to be a high point
in what had always

been a close relationship.

Denise was just 19
when Charles was born,

20 when she divorced his father.

In some respects, mother and
son had grown up together.

But before Denise could
make final arrangements for

the trip, Charles disappeared.

I telephoned the Aussie
MP, repeatedly begging them

to look for Charles
because I was so

concerned something was wrong.

I then asked them
if they could give

me the name of the
local newspapers,

to enable me to place an ad.

So we'd started planning my trip
to come and search for my child

myself.

ROBERT STACK (VOICEOVER):
Kelowna, British Columbia.

For thousands of
vacationers each year

it is a favorite spot,
but for Denise Allan

it had the somber
distinction of being

the last place on Earth her son
was known to have been alive.

It was from here that Charles
faxed his final letter

on May 11, 1989.

And it was here
that Denise search

for clues to his son's
fate during two extended

trips between 1990 and 1992.

During the first trip, Denise
blanketed the town with flyers.

She soon heard
from a woman named

Joanne Zebroff,
who had met Charles

during his stay in Kelowna.

When I first met
Charles, it was

of this charming,
good looking guy

who was obviously new to
Canada, and I really liked him.

I thought, oh, here's
a unique person.

- That's my mom.
- She's gorgeous.

Yeah.

He loved his family.

He showed me pictures.

He-- he was so proud of
all these photographs

of his mother.

They were very close.

It was obvious they were close.

ROBERT STACK (VOICEOVER):
The last time

Charles dropped by the apartment
Joanne shared with her mother,

he arrived uninvited.

JOANNE: Hello?

Is it Joanne?

JOANNE: Yes, it is.

ROBERT STACK
(VOICEOVER): At the time,

Joanne's brother was in town
for a special family reunion,

and the Zebroffs
politely refused Charles'

request to come up and visit.

JOANNE: Actually, it isn't
a very good time right now.

There was this momentary
silence, and what

stays in our mind, fresh
forever, is how he went,

but it's Charles.

And, like, of course
you're going to let me up.

And we just couldn't.

We're-- we're having
a family dinner.

I'm sorry.

ROBERT STACK
(VOICEOVER): Joanne told

Denise that the brief chat was
her last contact with Charles.

To Joanne's best
recollection, the episode had

taken place in May of 1989--

the same month Denise had
last heard from Charles.

You keep telling me that
you're afraid for your safety.

Why?

Leads began streaming in.

Denise soon learned that
while he was in Kelowna,

Charles had stayed at
a campground located

in a rough part of town.

Who else was there?

Can you remember anybody house?

ROBERT STACK (VOICEOVER):
In spite of the campground's

unsavory reputation,
Denise knew that she

had no choice but to go
there and investigate.

DENISE: I wanted to go over
to the campsite to inquire,

but I was very
apprehensive of going.

Eventually I got the courage,
and went across to see them,

to see if they
remembered Charles.

[knocking]

Excuse me?

I'm looking for my lost
son, Charles Horvath.

He disappeared a
year ago in Kelowna.

I wonder if you remember
him staying here?

Yeah, I remember him.

ROBERT STACK (VOICEOVER):
The campground manager

said that Charles left
abruptly in May of 1989,

abandoning his tent,
and all his possessions.

Most had been disposed of,
but the few that remained

were close at hand.

I was just numb.

I went down to the
police station,

and I was told that they were
going to inform Interpol to get

his dental records,
and the file was

being passed on to homicide.

I was also told that they
believed my son to be dead.

That we may never find his
body, or what happened to him.

It's very unfortunate
that a comment like that

would be made, and I would
have to say that that would be

that member's personal
opinion, and certainly not

the view of the police force.

I don't know upon what he based
that, other than the fact items

were left at a campsite,
and in my opinion that

does not substantiate that.

ROBERT STACK (VOICEOVER):
But on March 17, 1992,

the case took a
sudden, ominous turn.

Denise came back
to her hotel room

to find an unsigned letter
scrawled in a rough hand.

MALE VOICE: I've seen
your ad in the paper,

looking for your son.

I've seen him May 26.

We were partying, and two
people knocked him out.

But he died.

His body is in the
lake, by the bridge.

ROBERT STACK (VOICEOVER):
Lake Okanagan,

just outside of Kelowna,
is one of the deepest

lakes in the world.

Local divers
immediately volunteered

to look for the body
of Charles Horvath.

For five days a search
yielded nothing,

but the mysterious informant
was apparently watching

the divers' every move.

Denise received a
second note saying

they were looking on the
wrong side of the bridge.

We're stopping
every 10, 15 feet.

ROBERT STACK
(VOICEOVER): Equipped

with a submersible
camera, the divers began

to search at the new location.

One day later, they told police
that they had found a body.

The fear in the
young officer's eyes

told me that he
thought it was Charles.

The total panic on their faces--

I-- I was hysterical,
in the bathroom crying.

Which, I assume, is quite
normal of any parent.

I just couldn't believe
that he was dead.

ROBERT STACK (VOICEOVER):
Even before authorities

had identified the
corpse, local papers

were trumpeting the
news that the body

was that of Charles Horvath.

The coroner came to
see me at the motel.

I asked him if it was Charles.

Was it-- no--

I asked him if it
was good news or bad,

and he said it wasn't Charles.

ROBERT STACK
(VOICEOVER): The dead man

was later identified as
a 64 year old Kelowna

resident-- a probable suicide.

Police now believe that
the anonymous notes

were hoaxes, and the discovery
of a body just a coincidence.

Once again it seemed that
Charles must be alive.

Then a man named
Gino Bourdin came

forward, claiming
to have seen Charles

just before he disappeared.

Gino and his son had pitched
their tent near Charles

while he was at the campground.

GINO: He was a nice guy.

He was a good friend.

He used to always come
over to our camp--

our little camp, and have
coffee in the morning,

and play Frisbee and
catch with my son,

and just sit and chat with us.

What should I do with him?

You should take him
to Hong Kong with you.

That's it.
Pack him in my suitcase.

There you go.
- Here's some coffee.

Some sugar and
that at the table.

He was a friendly guy.

A real friendly guy.

Probably too friendly.

He seemed-- I don't
know, naive about--

like, he wasn't--
he'd talk to anybody.

He'd make friends with anybody.

ROBERT STACK (VOICEOVER): Gino's
recollections added details

to the campground
manager's account.

Gino had last seen Charles
during a raucous, all night

party at the campground.

The next morning, Gino had
awakened to find Charles gone,

and his things left behind.

When I first established
that Charles had abandoned

his belongings at
the campsite, it

was assumed that something
terrible had happened to him

which caused him to
leave his belongings,

because it was so
unlike him to have

left his photographs
behind, which

were very important to him.

ROBERT STACK
(VOICEOVER): Gino's story

seemed to confirm the
theory that Charles had met

with foul play, but continued
investigation revealed

that Charles was
very much alive long

after he left the campground.

JOANNE: Hello?

Is it Joanne?

ROBERT STACK (VOICEOVER):
Charles supposed

called at Joanne Zebroff's
apartment in May of 1989,

but police later discovered
that Joanne was mistaken.

Charles had actually come
by in July, two full months

after he had last
contacted his mother.

This revelation has
led some to conclude

that for unknown
personal reasons,

Charles intentionally severed
contact with his family.

During our
investigation we contacted

two of Charles' relatives
back in eastern Canada.

They related to us that during
his time there with them,

he did advise both relatives
that it was his intention, when

discussing his family
situation, to disappear off

the face of the Earth,
and that his mother would

never find him,
and that he wanted

to carry on with his own life.

It is totally out
of character for him

to have gone out intentionally
to break away from his family,

because he wasn't
that kind of boy.

He may have tried to imply to
people who he wanted to impress

that he didn't need his mom.

What 20 year old
does need their mom,

or would admit to needing them?

It's not very macho.

ROBERT STACK (VOICEOVER): Four
years have passed without word

from Charles Horvath,
but police have received

tips from nearly 200 people.

Some claim to have seen
Charles hitchhiking in Canada

as recently as April of 1992.

Others are equally certain
that Charles Horvath never

made it out of Kelowna alive.

If Charles is
out in this world--

you know, in a
gutter somewhere--

he needs picking up
and bringing home,

and getting medical help,
or whatever kind of help

is required.

If not, if he is dead,
and he's been murdered,

he needs burying.

I've been asking for help for so
many years, because of my fear

that something's
happened to him.

And it'll only be if he's found
dead that I'll be proven right.

What a way to be proven right.

ROBERT STACK: Charles Horvath
would now be 25 years old.

He is six feet tall, with dark
brown hair, dark brown eyes,

and a tattoo on his left arm.

When last seen, Charles
weighed 165 lbs.

On our next "Unsolved
Mysteries," when a 17 year old

girl disappeared
in 1974, her family

became convinced that she
had been abducted by members

of a renegade motorcycle gang.

The girl's mother soon
embarked on a dark journey

into the biker subculture.

Nearly 20 years
later, she believes

her daughter is still alive--

still, perhaps, being
held against her will.

Join me next time
for an all new show.

Perhaps you may be able
to solve a mystery.

[theme music]