All language subtitles for Unsolved.Mysteries.S02E05.480p.WEB-DL.AAC2.0.H.264-PLAYREADY_track3_[und]

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.

HOST: For over 100 years,
residents of a tiny Texas town

have witnessed mysterious
lights hovering in the distance.

They call them ghost lights.

And tonight for
the first time, we

present evidence that these
ghost lights are real.

A quarter of a million
dollars of platinum

vanished from a
Pennsylvania factory.

And so did security
guard, Dale Kerstetter.

Video cameras
recorded the robbery.

Was Kerstetter abducted
or was he an accomplice?

We'll ask you to
join the war on drugs

with a profile of Salvatore
Caruana, the head of a drug

smuggling ring who
allegedly possesses

information that could
put major organized

crime figures behind bars.

On a previous broadcast, we told
how during the 1920s hundreds

of orphans from the streets
of New York were put on trains

and taken to the
Midwest to begin

new lives with new families.

In many cases, brothers
and sisters were separated.

Tonight, thanks to our viewers,
the heartwarming reunion

of two orphan train
children who haven't

seen each other for 60 years.

Join me.

You may be able to
help solve a mystery.

[THEME MUSIC - "UNSOLVED
MYSTERIES"]

HOST: Saturday,
September 12th, 1987,

began as a typical work
day for Dale Kerstetter.

The 50-year-old security
guard and maintenance man

had worked for 27 years at
the Corning Glass works plant

in Bradford, Pennsylvania.

At 11:00 PM, Kerstetter
began his shift

as a weekend security guard.

That night, a quarter
of a million dollars

worth of platinum pipe
vanished from the plant,

and Dale Kerstetter
was never seen again.

Pound for pound,
platinum is one

of the most precious
commodities in the world.

It is even more
expensive than gold.

In addition to it's
beauty as jewelry,

platinum was widely
used in manufacturing.

After Dale Kerstetter and
a fortune in platinum pipe

disappeared from
the Corning factory,

authorities were mystified.

Was Kerstetter the unwitting
victim of a robbery

or had he engineered
the heist himself?

Dale Kerstetter
grew up in Bradford.

And except for his
years in the Air Force,

lived there all his life.

Kerstetter had been
divorced for 10 years,

and his teenage son
still lived with him.

Four of his five daughters
also lived in Pennsylvania.

PENNY BAPTISTE: He was
very compassionate, honest.

He liked to have fun.

He loved the outdoors.

He was very
faithful to everybody.

And he hated a lie.

He never believed in lying.

He's just a great father.

I mean, there wasn't a kid
in the world that wouldn't

want to have him as their dad.

C. DALE PARRY: Dale was
a marginal employee.

Yeah, he was a slow worker.

And yeah, we had some problems
with him occasionally.

But at the same time, we're
looking at an employee who

at the risk of his
own life, probably

saved half a dozen lives
and hundreds of thousands

of dollars of property value.

We had an incident
several years ago

where a forklift
that accidentally

rolled underneath a stream
of hot molten glass.

And the glass was
actually pouring

down onto the propane tank
in the back of the forklift.

Dale immediately jumped
onto the forklift

and drove it out from underneath
the hot stream of glass.

So you can look at
him one side and see

where he might get involved
in something like this.

At the same time,
maybe he wouldn't.

HOST: Sunday morning,
September 13th.

When security guard, John
Linquist arrived at 7:00 AM,

he expected to find
Dale Kerstetter

waiting to be relieved.

JOHN LINQUIST: He is usually
sitting right inside the door.

And he wasn't there.

So I walked to the cafeteria,
and I see his lunch

pail sitting on the table.

I happened to pick
up the newspaper,

and there the keys was.

So I looked in his lunch
pail, and I see it was all--

everything was there.

He hadn't ate.

HOST: Later Sunday morning,
Kerstetter's new pick up truck

was discovered in
the parking lot,

and the police were
called to investigate.

Yeah, they keys
are still in it.

HOST: The truck yielded
a number of clues

that suggested Kerstetter had
not disappeared voluntarily.

His keys were in the ignition.

He had left behind a full
carton of cigarettes,

an empty holster from
his 22 caliber pistol,

and his day pack.

[dog barking]

HOST: On Sunday afternoon,
the Sheriff's canine

was brought in to track
Kerstetter in the 12,000

square foot factory.

Police were concerned that
Kerstetter might have suffered

a heart attack or fallen
and injured himself

somewhere in the vast building.

[dog barking]

The dog lead police
to the second floor.

This was a site of
the plant's glass

kiln, also known as the tank.

[dog barking]

Although the tank contained
valuable platinum pipe,

it was not normally an
Kerstetter's security rounds.

Kerstetter's scent
was found at the tank,

but he was nowhere
in the building.

There's nothing here.

[dog barking]

HOST: The investigation
next focused

on the three security
cameras that monitor

the factory around the clock.

Personnel manager,
Patrick Foley,

was surprised and disturbed by
what the cameras had recorded.

We have recreated the key
sequences found on the tapes.

PATRICK FOLEY: The
first thing I saw

was a masked man in the back
of the plant in the one area.

When I saw the masked man on
the tape, I was very alarmed.

At first, I thought, well,
obviously this person--

there's been some foul play.

Dale was involved in foul play,
and he probably is missing.

And then Dale Kerstetter came
back and met this masked person

in the back of the plant.

I guess I would
say, I had a very

empty feeling in my stomach.

I said, what on earth?

And then as I continued
to review the tapes,

and I saw the masked
person come back out,

and go up to the tank area.

Then I was extremely
anxious, because at that time

I realized that not only do
we have a missing employee,

we also-- there was a good
possibility that we had

missing platinum in the plant.

Whoever removed the
platinum from the tank

was extremely familiar
with the plant.

Everything in the plant they
knew exactly where to go.

You have to remember that
this transpired late at night.

There were very few
lights on in the plant,

but yet this person knew
exactly where to go.

Where to find bags
that they needed,

tools that they needed, how
to go up to the tank, and move

back out of the tank area.

HOST: The most perplexing
moment in the tapes

is this interaction between
the guard and the intruder.

Is Kerstetter being
coerced or simply

pretending to be coerced?

At one point, he looks
directly into the camera.

Was Kerstetter secretly
signaling for help or was he

coolly flaunting his crime?

PENNY BAPTISTE: If
he was involved,

why would he willingly
walk in front of a camera?

Knowing that it was there--
he knew the camera was there.

Why wouldn't an attempt have
been made to cover the camera?

It just doesn't make sense.

I think the fact that
he did everything in front

of the cameras was
once again, just Dale

Kerstetter to say to us, look.

Hey, here I am.

I'm taking your
platinum, and there isn't

a thing you can do about it.

If he had planned on
taking off anywhere,

why would he bother
packing lunch?

I mean, just little
little things like that.

And a whole carton of
cigarettes-- and he

smoked all the time.

I mean, he would have
taken his cigarettes.

HOST: Kerstetter's
daughters believe

he was an innocent victim.

According to their
theory, Kerstetter

heard or saw the masked intruder
and went to investigate.

The intruder, fearing discovery
and intent on his robbery,

may have murdered
Dale Kerstetter.

One camera showed the intruder
wheeling out a heavy bag

on a manual forklift.

INVESTIGATOR BIZZAK: There's
a very good possibility

that bag could
contain the platinum,

or there's a very
good possibility

that that bag could contain
the body of Dale Kerstetter.

Everybody says,
oh, keep up hope.

But if he was ever in on any of
this, this thing that happened,

he's out of his mind.

HOST: A second theory
places Kerstetter

at the center of a bold
and premeditated robbery.

INVESTIGATOR BIZZAK: Dale
was happy as a trades worker.

Unfortunately, prior
to this incident,

he had just been cut
out of the trade shop.

Which entailed about a probably
$5,000 to $7,000 cut for him.

He was not a happy person
at the time of this theft.

Through our investigation, we
determined that Dale Kerstetter

was approximately
$30,000 to $40,000

in arrears on various payments.

Trailer payments,
vehicle payments,

and different bills which he
had owed throughout the area.

PENNY BAPTISTE: He had children
that could take care of him.

I was in a financial
position to take care of him.

He had stock in Corning.

He had money invested.

If it got to the point where
he really needed money,

there was too many ways he
could have obtained the money

legally.

I think that Dale Kerstetter
was a very intelligent

man in a crafty sort of way.

I think that if he did not
plan this thing by himself

and do it with an
accomplice, I think

he was indirectly involved.

HOST: Dale
Kerstetter's family is

anxious to know if he is alive.

Whether he committed
the crime or not,

his family wants
to know the truth.

PENNY BAPTISTE: Hey, I don't
care whether he was involved.

That's not going to make
me think any less of him

or love him any less.

What I want to know
is what happened.

Was he involved?

Did he get away with it?

Is he dead somewhere?

Was he abducted?

AL KERSTETTER: I don't
think he'd do it unless he

planned on coming back someday.

If he's alive, which I think
is, he's either in Canada

or I'd say in Australia.

And I figure in seven years
when his statute of limitations

is up, he'll come
back scott-free,

and they won't be
able to touch him.

I can't believe that.

I can't believe that he
was in on that at all.

No way, shape, or form.

WENDY KERSTETTER: He had
six kids and two grandkids.

And to do something
like that and take

off and not call any of them.

You know, just take off and
never talk to your kids again.

I just-- no, I just
can't believe it.

Kerstetter

HOST: In the months
that followed the theft,

Corning sold it's
Bradford operation.

And the new owners have
informed us that platinum is

no longer used at the facility.

Dale Kerstetter's
family continues

to hope that he is safe.

And if he is alive,
Pennsylvania State Police

want to question him about
his involvement in the events

of September 12th, 1987.

HOST: Last August, we featured
a story about New York City

orphans who between 1854
and 1929 were put on trains

and taken to the
South and Midwest

in search of adoptive families.

One of the orphan train
riders profiled in our story

was Sylvia Wemhoff.

In 1921, at the age of three,
Sylvia got off an orphan train

in Columbus, Nebraska,
where she was adopted

by the John Mick family.

SYLVIA WEMHOFF: When I was
about 17, 18 years old,

then I began to
question my mother Mick.

Whether I had any
brothers or sisters.

And if so, I wonder if we
could ever get together.

HOST: When Sylvia located
her birth certificate,

she read that she was
born, Stephanie Wolk,

and that she had
an older sibling.

For the next 52 years, she
searched for the brother

or sister she never knew.

The day after our broadcast,
Sylvia's search came to an end

when she learned
that her brother,

72-year-old Joseph Wolk,
was living in New York City.

Wolk's step-daughter
had seen our broadcast

and recognized the names on
Sylvia's birth certificate.

On September 25th,
Sylvia flew to New York

and met her brother
Joseph for the first time.

Joseph?

Your sister, Sylvia, is here.

- Are you Joseph?
- I am.

I'm Sylvia.

Oh, Sylvia.

Yeah.

I'm so glad.

I'm so happy.

Oh, I'm so happy to see you.

SYLVIA WEMHOFF: We
hugged each other.

And we were just really
thrilled and happy that we

finally, finally got together.

I had heard I had a sister.

And I was awfully pleased
when I saw her and thankful.

Thankful to God.

Yes.

That's me on there.

HOST: Most brothers
and sisters grow up

sharing their lives together.

But for Sylvia and
Joseph, love and memories

are just beginning.

HOST (VOICEOVER): The next man
we will meet is Frances Murphy.

In 1928, when he was 11, he,
too, rode the orphan train.

His baby sister,
Margaret, and his mother,

who was too poor to take care
of him, were both left behind.

FRANCIS MURPHY: When
I got on the train,

I didn't really feel
that I was being

wrenched away from somebody.

I didn't know that
much about my mother.

So that it wasn't a matter
of tearing me away from her,

because I was away from
her all the time anyway.

It was a big adventure
more than anything else.

As a kid in New York,
you have to remember

that we didn't know the west.

And what we knew
was from the picture

shows we saw of cowboys, and
Indians, and maybe engineers.

And going that
direction, well, that

was the biggest thrill
that a kid in my time

could really expect.

HOST: Francis' excitement
soon turned to sadness.

[inaudible]

Hello, I'm Mel Mitchell of
the Children's Aid Society.

I've brought your boys.

HOST: At stop after stop,
potential adoptive parents

would be waiting to pick
their child from the crowd.

But not all the children
found new parents.

Signature, please.

HOST: Francis, who had
boarded the train in New York

with such high hopes,
began to realize

that none of the families alone
the train's route wanted him.

WOMAN: This is your son, Luke.

Hi, Luke.

Welcome to our family.
- Thank you.

FRANCIS MURPHY: 14 or 15
children that were leaving,

and they got off the train
with their belongings.

And they told me, Francis,
you just stay on the train.

CHRISTINE MURPHY (VOICEOVER):
And he would see the crowd

would get smaller and smaller.

Until finally, he was the
only child left on the train.

Bye-bye.

Bye.

All aboard.

Next ride, son.

HOST: Francis never was adopted.

He went from family to
family as a foster child.

In spite of his early hardships,
Francis' life turned out well.

He became a high school teacher,
married, and had five children,

and six grandchildren.

Francis Murphy, who rode
the orphan train 60 years ago,

developed heart disease in 1987.

Sadly, he died soon
after we filmed

his interview in November.

Francis' wife and family
have continued his search.

They asked that we present
his story despite the fact

that he is gone.

They hope to unite the family
who still loves Francis.

The family he never knew and
wanted so desperately to find.

It was extremely
important to Francis

to go ahead with this interview.

He had been looking forward
to it for literally months.

And just the hope that
he would find somebody,

particularly his sister.

It was important.

He didn't know much
about love growing up.

And he found out as he got older
and had a family of his own.

I think his finding
Margaret would

be an extension of that love.

It's still very
important to us that we

finish what he tried to do.

HOST: 1883, the plains
of central Texas

near the town of Marfa.

100 years ago, cattle
by the thousands

were herded by cowboys
across this arid country.

One evening during a roundup, a
cowhand named Robert Ellison--

What's that over there?

HOST: Noticed a strange
glow off in the distance.

It could be Apaches.

Yeah, it looks
like Apache campfire.

Let's go on way.

HOST: He saw a ghostly light
shimmering in the darkness.

It appeared to be
a few miles away,

and it hovered just a few
feet above the ground.

JULIA PLUMBLEY: they thought
they were probably a camp fire.

Indians or other travelers.

But they just kept seeing them.

The next night, they were there.

And the next night, the
next week, and year.

And I'm sure they began
to wonder, what on earth

were those lights?

HOST: In 1916, Halley Stillwell
was 18 years old when she

witnessed the same phenomenon.

HALLIE STILLWELL (VOICEOVER):
We had decided to come to Marfa

to attend to a little business.

We were just visiting, and
talking, and all of a sudden

we saw lights over on
the Chinati Mountains.

Look, Hallie.

HALLIE STILLWELL: It couldn't
be any kind of car lights.

And we first thought probably
it was a campfire of Indians,

or Mexicans, or ranchers.

But it didn't act like
a campfire at all.

Do you think
they're campfires?

It can't be a fire.

It's moving.

HALLIE STILLWELL:
They were peculiar

and I'd never seen
anything like them before.

And of course, none of us
knew anything about it.

We were not scientists
or anything like that.

So we said, well, it couldn't
be anything but a ghost.

It's just ghost lights.

And from then on, we mentioned
them as ghost lights.

HOST: In 1943, the mysterious
lights were seen again

near Marfa's army airbase.

Yeah.

He won't be back for
at least 30 minutes.

FRITZ KAHL: When we saw the
Marfa lights the first time,

there was no vehicular
traffic at night.

Fuel was rationed.

Lights were a phenomena in
themselves in those days,

because there were no lights.

And when the moon is
out, it's beautiful.

When the moon is not out,
it's so dark it's awesome.

What's that?

FRITZ KAHL: Well,
we saw something

that was totally
foreign to anything

in and around the airbase.

When we did see the lights,
we were very curious,

and we inquired in
the village of Marfa

about these strange things.

And they said, yeah.

Sure.

We've got little lights.

So what else?

HOST: Over the
years, explanations

for these mysterious lights
have ranged from ball lightning,

to St. Elmo's fire, to jack
rabbits with glow worms

attached to their tails.

Many of the
superstitions even has

it that the lights of the
ghost of an Apache chief

who refuses to give
up his desert home.

The lights have been
continually seen

near the small town of Marfa.

But surprisingly, the
witnesses aren't frightened

of these ghost lights.

In fact, most seem to
regard them with affection.

I know they exist.

I've seen them several times.

Two of the four of
us saw the lights.

Two did not, and we were looking
in exactly the same spot.

Now, I can't explain that.

I know they're there.

There's no doubt about it.

Some night's, I see them better
than other nights though.

When I was a child,
of course, you have

a lot of childlike curiosity.

And my first thing was I want
to find out what those are.

I mean, this is my
Loch Ness monster.

I'm going to catch it,
and find out what it is.

And so I just from
that moment on,

decided I was going to
try to solve the mystery.

Looks like we need to head
southeast toward the Chinati.

KIRBY WARNOCK: A few years ago,
my brother and I got the idea

that the reason no one had
ever gotten close to the lights

was because they were
using motor vehicles.

Like airplanes,
or jeeps, or cars.

So we thought if we took out
on foot across the desert,

we could sneak up on them.

So we got our gear
together and a camera,

and just took out walking
across the desert.

And tried for about four hours
to walk up close to them.

And we never could get
real close to them.

It was almost like a mirage.

It just kept moving a little
further and further away

from you.

It's almost like they
knew what we were doing,

and they were just going
to tease us and stay

a little bit ahead of us.

But distance is so
deceiving out here.

We couldn't tell if we were
looking at a light as big

as a tire or if we
were seeing a light

as big as just a cantaloupe.

And so we couldn't
get close enough

to really get a good idea
of how big they were.

The point is there's a--

HOST: In July of 1989,
we asked three scientists

from the local
observatory and university

to conduct a formal
investigation into the lights.

One investigator was a
professor of chemistry,

another a geologist, and
the third an astronomer.

I wonder if we're not
pushing just troughs of hot air

up on either side of
Chinati down here.

And there's the camera.

HOST: With them were 11 other
technicians and observers.

Almost actually you're
calling three, is that correct?

WALKIE TALKIE: We
have the one at 325.

HOST: The lights have
been seen near the Chinati

Mountain range.

The radio beacon is also
visible in front of the peaks.

A highway winds it's way
through these mountains.

And in order to prevent
the misidentification

of headlights, two
marker lights were placed

at the borders of the road.

If any lights are spotted
outside these markers,

and scientists cannot
explain their source,

then investigators can be
certain that they are observing

the ghostly phenomenon.

MAN: Well, there was a
light on the horizon.

HOST: The investigators are
using special nighttime viewing

equipment.

MAN: I don't know what it is.

WALKIE TALKIE: They are
approaching the beacon now.

HOST: In this instance, a
camera films two headlights

moving slowly from left to right
past the radio beacon light.

[interposing voices]
- It would be off this.

Well, there's no
question when we're

looking at this stuff which ones
are the cars and lights are.

HOST: At 11:59 PM, an
unknown light appears.

Doctor, look up
there on the hill.

To the right of marker 3.

I see it.

It's off to the right.

It's about the same distance.

HOST: The camera pans
past the radio beacon.

MAN: The center
light is from three.

MAN 2: Camera three,
can you verify

if you have any traffic lights
off to the west or northwest?

WALKIE TALKIE: I do
not see any lights.

HOST: It continues past
the right marker light.

In the middle of an empty plane,
a ghostly glow can be seen.

A video camera also
recorded the same lighting.

MAN: Do see this?

Can you verify the light
we're seeing off to the west?

HOST: Observers were certain
that the light did not

come from a man made source.

MAN: It's beginning
to fade, isn't it?

MAN 2: It's going way down.

It's gone completely out now.

It's almost like it imploded.

WALKIE TALKIE: Negative.

We do not have any light.

MAN: Unit one, can
you also verify that?

MAN 2: Here it comes.

Can you see it?

Yeah, it's coming back just
as bright as it was before.

OK.
Same place.

MAN: It's beginning
to fade out again.

There it goes.

MAN 2: It's extremely
bright though

when it was showing there.

HOST: What was it that
the cameras recorded?

We know the lights there.

We know it is something
of natural origin.

It is not man made.

Well, the next question is
how do you explain them?

There is something in
addition to car lights.

People are seeing real
activity in the atmosphere.

HOST: One scientists thought
the lights might be refracted

starlight and other
luminous gases

produced by small earthquakes.

But they are not sure.

And all they could
say for certain

is that it was a
natural phenomenon

as yet unexplained by science.

What's that over there?

I don't know.
Could be Apaches.

HOST: Most of the
people in Marfa

who've grown up and
lived with with lights

don't really need
any explanation as

to what they are.

The fact they exist at all,
bringing a touch of magic

into their day to day lives,
is all they need to know.

It's a phenomena
that's not explained.

And so let's play that game.

All I know is there there.

Let's don't find
out what they are.

Let's just leave them a mystery.

I'm not going to
try to solve it.

I'm going-- I'm going to
be content with ghost,

and let the ghost
take care of them.

HOST: Next, the story of an
innocent young couple who's

romantic weekend was shattered
by a sadistic and elusive

killer.

HOST: November 18th, 1987,
Jay Cook and his high school

sweetheart, Tanya
Van Cuylenborg,

took the ferry from Victoria,
Canada to Washington state.

Jay was 20 years old.

Tanya was 17.

They were in love.

This was to be their
first trip together,

and they had planned
on a romantic weekend.

LEONA COOK: Jay and Tanya
had been going out together

for about six months, I think.

And he was either
there or she was here.

I think she was
quite special to him.

They certainly seemed
to be good for each other

from everything
that I could gather.

I certainly had no apprehension
about Tanya being with Jay.

I felt very
comfortable with that.

Oh, it's getting windy.

Are you cold?

A little bit.

HOST: At some time
during their journey,

Jay and Tanya's
peaceful vacation

turned into a violent nightmare.

The couple's trip began
in Victoria, Canada

where they took the
4:00 PM car ferry

to Port Angeles, Washington.

Jay had borrowed
his father's van.

And after they disembarked
from the ferry,

they were seen twice heading
south on Highway 101.

Once in the Washington town of
Hoodsport at approximately 8:00

PM, and an hour later, at Allyn.

It is believed they were headed
towards a second car ferry

from Bremerton to Seattle.

Jay and Tanya were expected
home the following day.

But when they hadn't returned
or called by the next evening,

their families began to worry.

WILLIAM VAN CUYLENBORG: If
Tanya was late for anything,

which was not unusual,
but she would phone.

She would always phone.

So when Tanya did not
phone the next evening

when they were supposed
to be returning,

my wife became apprehensive.

So I tried to downplay
it for my wife's sake,

and probably to reassure myself
that everything would be OK.

However, on the following
day when she didn't call,

we knew there was
something wrong.

CHIEF DEPUTY
PANZERO: Tanya's body

was found partially clothed.

She had been raped and murdered.

We found some wire ties that
you would bundle wires together

with laying alongside the road.

We assumed that they were used
to secure Tanya in the van.

Well, we didn't know
what to think then

because they hadn't found Jay.

And for a while, it looked like
Jay might even be a suspect.

They told us to be
prepared for that.

HOST: The next day, Jay's
van was found 90 miles

away in the city of Bellingham.

There we go.

There's one of the ties.

It looks just like with
Tanya down at the scene.

There it is.

Here's another one.

Uh-oh.

We've got some blood
over here it looks like.

SGT. BART: At the time,
nobody was certain exactly

what had happened.

But our concern was
heightened a couple more

notches once the van was found.

We've got
something here, Fred.

HOST: Two blocks
away from the van,

under the porch of a tavern,
police found more plastic ties.

The keys to Jay's van, Tanya's
driver's license, and a half

empty box of ammunition.

Significantly, they
also found a pair

of plastic surgical gloves.

He leaves those behind as
basically a sign to the police

that you needn't to
look for fingerprints,

because I wore these gloves.

And he has confidence
that there's

nothing that's going to
connect him with these crimes.

GORDON COOK: Even
after they found Tanya,

we hoped against hope that maybe
they were going to find Jay--

I mean, alive.

I guess you know
it's not very likely,

but you have to keep hoping.

CHIEF DEPUTY PANZERO: Jay's body
was found on Thanksgiving Day.

He been definitely murdered.

It was very obvious.

We found that Jay had
died due to strangulation.

He'd been beaten.

His hands had been bound with
some electrical tie wraps,

plastic ties wraps.

We think the way that Jay
died was indicative of things

that we've seen before
inside the prison walls.

And the things we found on
Jay certainly raises suspicion

that the person or
people who did this

have been in the
prison system before.

Without telling
you anything else,

that's definitely a possibility.

HOST: Police believe
it most likely

that Jay and Tanya made
their fatal rendezvous

with a killer on
the 10:20 PM ferry

from Bremerton to Seattle.

CHIEF DEPUTY
PANZERO (VOICEOVER):

We don't know the
killer's intentions

when he first met these two.

We feel that he was
out to do some harm,

and certainly to assault
both Jay and Tanya.

And from what we
have found, I think

we can say that he had
set his sights on Tanya,

and Jay was in the way.

Lights.

It's getting late.

- How are you doing?
- Hi.

Hey, what's up.

Not much.

You guys going to Seattle?
- Yeah.

How about you?

CHIEF DEPUTY PANZERO
(VOICEOVER): The were friendly.

Is that where
you live, Seattle?

They were young.

And on their first trip.

And I think easily fooled.

An easy mark.

CRIMINAL: Hey, I wonder if
you could do me a favor.

It's pretty cold out there,
and I only live a couple

of miles from the ferry deck.

Can you give me a ride?

SGT. BART: A person could
make contact with them

in the lounge on the ferry
boat just asking for a ride

across the Puget Sound.

I think it's safe to
say that by the time

they exited the ferry
in downtown Seattle,

they probably were
in the company

of the man that killed them.

It would seem to me
that it's logical

that the person has committed
crimes like this in the past.

And been successful at them.

And having been
successful, I would

certainly say that it's
likely that they'll

continue to do them.

He does not want to be caught.

He uses gloves, for
example, to not leave

obvious forensic fingerprints.

That makes him very
dangerous, in my view.

But the killer might
have made one mistake.

He may have taken Jay's
black waist-length ski

jacket with red
piping on a sleeves,

and Tanya's olive drab day pack.

And there is a chance that
someone may have noticed him

with these incriminating items.
- Hi, Mrs. Cook.

How's the holidays?
- Great, thanks.

Good.
See you tomorrow.

Yup.

Bye-bye.

HOST: One final note
on this sad story.

Over the Christmas
holidays, just four weeks

after the murder
of their children,

Jay and Tanya's
families each received

a morbid greeting card.

These cards were filled
with taunting descriptions

of the murders, and their
author claimed responsibility

for the killings.

To date, 19 of
these greeting cards

have been mailed over
three different holidays.

The writer remains
a complete mystery.

Postmarked from New York,
Los Angeles, and Seattle,

all of these cars were
written by the same author.

The handwriting in these
letters and the cards

is very distinctive.

And there are some phrases
that are very distinctive also.

"Hallelujah, bloody Jesus,"
is a favorite phrase of his.

We have not found
something as of yet

in these greeting
cards that would

tell us absolutely for sure
that the person who sent them--

is sending them-- is the killer.

We don't know

He just continues to make
life miserable for these parents

who've lost their children.

It's important that this
individual be caught.

HOST: Next, the search for
Salvatore Michael Caruana,

a career criminal who
masterminded a multimillion

dollar drug smuggling ring.

OK, guys.

Let's move in.

HOST: May 23rd, 1987.

Groton, Connecticut.

Agents from the FBI, the Drug
Enforcement Administration,

and the US Marshal
Service tracked a fugitive

to a local Motor Inn.

Federal agents with a warrant.

HOST: When they
entered the room,

the man they were
looking for had vanished.

Salvatore Michael
Caruana is a suspected

narcotics smuggler who allegedly
has ties to organized crime.

Since 1984, he's been
the object of one

of the most intensive
manhunts in the history

of US law enforcement.

Caruana is currently
on the US Marshal's

top 15 fugitives list.

They also believe he is being
sought by the New England mob.

When the federal agents found
Caruana's room at the Motor Inn

empty, they had first suspected
that he might have been

the victim of a contract hit.

However, the authorities
also believe it is possible

that Caruana staged his
own disappearance to look

like a contract killing
so he could throw

law enforcement off his trail.

Caruana's criminal history
dates back to 1954,

when he was charged
with armed robbery

and possession of fire arms.

By the late 70s, he had moved
into narcotics as a mob soldier

with the Raymond Patriarca
family in New England.

Mr. Caruana was involved
in the distribution

of approximately $40
million worth of marijuana.

We have testimony from
just one distributor

that in one particular
operation in 1979, he,

himself brought $4
million to Mr. Caruana.

Hey, Sparky.

Let me see what
we've got going here.

All right.
AGT.

KEEFE (VOICEOVER):
In these marijuana

operations with
Caruana was involved,

he was with a supervisor.

Caruana would show
up on the scene

himself at the stash house
before the marijuana was sent

out, and talk to his people.

Make sure it was
weighed correctly.

Make sure the quality was good.

He would then tell
his distributor

that I want x amount of dollars
for each pound of marijuana

that's here.

I think it will be good.

What do you think?

$250 a pound.

All right?

Freddy, don't keep me waiting.

I'll be there.
AGT.

KEEFE: He carried guns.

He was big with guns.

He was big with threats.

He would threaten to
kill, there's no question.

If you messed up, he would
threaten to kill you.

HOST: Caruana was
finally arrested

on November 27th, 1983.

The smuggling
operation had begun

to collapse with the arrest of
several key associates whose

testimony led to an 11
count secret grand jury

indictment against him.

COP: Back against the wall.

Face the camera.

HOST: Caruana was charged
with drug trafficking

under the Kingpin statute.

A federal law which could
have meant life in prison.

Look straight ahead.

HOST: Bail was set at $500,000.

Caruana easily raised
$50,000 to post

bond in at least the same day.

Caruana, you've posted
bond just in time.

HOST: On April
2nd, 1984, two days

before his trial was
to begin, Salvatore

Michael Caruana disappeared.

AGT.

KEEFE: Two of his
close associates

signed agreements
with the government

to cooperate and testify.

I think he felt that our
case was much stronger

with these two witnesses
coming into the case

to testify against him.

And I believe he just didn't
want to come in and face them.

Because I think he
felt that he would

face some serious time in jail.

What do we have
on this guy so far?

HOST: In 1985, a
multi-agency task force

was established by the Drug
Enforcement Administration,

the IRS, the FBI, and
the US Marshals service

exclusively to investigate
the Caruana case.

They confirmed that smuggling
drugs was only the facade

for a vast criminal labyrinth.

Caruana was laundering
enormous amounts of money

and was himself a
multimillionaire.

Checking on the
medical update.

HOST: On February 6th, 1987,
federal agents and local police

raided Caruana's home in
Peabody, Massachusetts.

The house was like a fortress
with elaborate security systems

of several hidden vaults
crammed full of weapons

and financial papers.

Agents found evidence that
Caruana was using the alias

of John Michael Hurley.

Armed with this
information, investigators

were able within days to track
Caruana to an East Hampton,

Connecticut condominium.

By the time they
arrived, Caruana had t

cleaned the place out and.

Vanished For the
next three months,

he continued to elude the law.

He's a very smart guy.

He's probably one of the most
cunning and sly fugitives

that we've come across
in a very long time.

He knows what he's doing.

He keeps himself up to
date on all the new things

that are coming out.

He's a very smart individual.

Look at those numbers jump up.

HOST: Agents discovered that
while Caruana was in hiding,

he used computer
technology to launder

money, and communicate with
his business associates,

and his wife.

INSPECTOR RODERICK (VOICEOVER):
He used things like computer

bulletin board systems
that he knew it was very

difficult for us to get into.

He would talk to his wife up in
Massachusetts from Connecticut,

and they would go
through these computer

bulletin board systems.

And she would take the
message, decode it,

and then it would be wiped off
that bulletin board system.

HOST: Finally in May of
1987, an anonymous tip

led authorities to the Motor
Inn in Groton, Connecticut.

INSPECTOR RODERICK: We had
determined he was using

the alias, Vincent Spirito.

And based upon the information
we received from the manager,

and the fact that the alias
name was registered there

at that Motor Inn,
we used that as

probable cause to get a search
warrant to enter the apartment.

WALKIE TALKIE: Yeah,
I want to get a 4.

We're a go.

WALKIE TALKIE: 40 on
the best position.

What do you think?

What do you think?

Still nothing.

Nothing's going on.
WALKIE TALKIE: OK.

We've given enough time.

Let's-- let's move in, guys.

[music playing]

When we first
got into the room,

it appeared like, jeez, he
just got up to get a newspaper,

that he could be
coming back any minute.

OK.

We're secure, right?

All secure.
OK.

INSPECTOR RODERICK (VOICEOVER):
But once we started looking

at specific items in the
room such as the newspaper

and spoiled food, it
looked like he hadn't been

there for a couple of weeks.

POLICE: Look at this newspaper.

It's dated May 9.

INSPECTOR RODERICK (VOICEOVER):
We found clothes in the closet.

We found the John Michael
Hurley identification.

We also found a sawed off
shotgun with four shells up

in the barrel.

So it was ready to be what
we call, combat loaded.

We also located a briefcase.

Hey, guys.
Got a gun here.

INSPECTOR RODERICK (VOICEOVER):
In the briefcase was

a semiautomatic 22 and cash.

From what we found
at the Motor Inn,

you could assume that
he had been killed

by organized crime people who
thought that if he was caught,

he might talk.

Or he had all these
records that could

implicate them in different
illegal transactions.

But we don't have the body.

And if it was an
organized crime hit,

I would think that they would
want to leave the body behind

so that we wouldn't
keep poking our noses

into his business,
which eventually

would lead back to them.

Who's got the paperwork?

I've got it.

HOST: Caruana's van was missing.

So were the keys to the van,
his wallet, and a camera

case he was known to carry
with him at all times.

In the camera case,
reportedly, he

carried an Uzi sub-machine gun.

A month later, Caruana's
van turned up at a police

and impoundment lot.

It had been abandoned at
a Connecticut truck stop.

When Marshals dusted
for fingerprints,

they found the van
had been wiped clean.

INSPECTOR RODERICK
(VOICEOVER): He could very well

have been killed in May
of 87, but we really don't

have anything to point to that.

We don't have anybody
coming forward and saying,

yes, I saw him abducted
from the truck stop.

When you chase fugitives
that are this complex,

one of the things
they like to do

is leak the word out to you
that, hey, this guy is dead.

So that you don't continue
looking for him as hard as you

were if you knew he was alive.

It appears that he's done
the very smart thing.

He hasn't maintain
contact with the people

that he knew before
we were chasing him.

What we're looking
for is somebody

to come forward and tell us
that they have seen Salvatore

Caruana after May of '87.

HOST: Salvatore Michael Caruana
is 51 years old, 6' tall,

and 175 pounds.

He has brown eyes, and
graying black hair,

and has been treated for
a hyperthyroid condition.

He has used the aliases
John Michael Hurley,

Vincent Spirito, and Face.

Caruana is a licensed
airplane pilot and a computer

and electronics expert.

He should be considered armed
and extremely dangerous.

Caruana allegedly holds
damaging information

about many highly placed
organized crime figures,

and the federal
authorities hope they

get to him before the mob does.

Tonight, we have seen four
stories without endings.

Four stories in
which ordinary people

have been thrust into the
center of an Unsolved Mystery.

Perhaps someone
tonight can help them.

Perhaps they were watching.

Perhaps it's you.