Original subtitles

Fact or fiction?

Where do you draw the line between them?

"Beyond Belief Fact or Fiction."

Hosted by Jonathan Frakes.

We live in a world where the real and the unreal

live side by side, where substance

is disguised as illusion, and the only explanations

are unexplainable.

Can you separate truth from fantasy?

To do so, you must break through the web of your experience

and open your mind to things beyond belief.

What makes something true,

and what makes it false?

It's often difficult to tell.

Each week, we explore the ambiguity of truth.

The dictionary defines ambiguity as open

to multiple interpretation.

And even when you factor in all of those various possibilities

and look at it from all angles, it's still the same.

Tonight, you will see stories that walk the border

between fact and fiction.

At one point, they may seem true to you, and the next moment,

false.

We'll tell you which is which at the end of our show.

Of course, there is one thing they will all have in common--

ambiguity.

To a museum, a true archaeological find

is like winning the lottery.

It boosts your ranking to the top of the world's collections

and attracts visitors to your facility

from all over the world.

That's why every great discovery must

be painstakingly authenticated.

And when an exhibit like this passes the strongest tests

of experts, it's both an historical and financially

rewarding experience.

It can also be frightening one, as we are about to find out.

As the head curator for the museum,

I was asked to accompany our director to the private studio

of Marseilles Duqua.

Duqua had an esteemed reputation as a collector

of rare and valuable discoveries,

but if his claim was correct this time,

we would be looking at his greatest discovery of all.

This, of course, did not stop Emile, our director,

from being his brusque, rude self.

The appointment was for 3 o'clock, Monsieur Duqua.

I am sorry to have kept you waiting, gentlemen.

I was asleep, but I haven't been feeling well lately.

But there she is, the Princess Ferrantiti,

untouched since she was wrapped 300 years before Christ.

When you have been doing this work

for as long as I have, you learn to contain

your emotions when confronted by something momentous.

Yet my heart was racing with anticipation.

This was the prize that had eluded discovery

for over two centuries.

I spent the next several hours checking and rechecking

the elaborate mummy case, the wrappings, and the paperwork.

And finally, I

knew Emile would ask me the most important question of all,

and I would have to commit.

Well, Daniel, what do you think?

It's authentic.

Of course it's authentic.

If I may ask, how did this priceless relic

come into your possession?

I am unable to divulge that.

You must trust that it is mine to do as I wish.

You can see that the paperwork is in order.

It would be a great addition to the museum's collection

of Egyptian artifacts.

Well, Monsieur Duqua, it would appear you are

going to be a very wealthy man.

How can one put a price on the head Princess Ferrantiti?

There was still final checks to be done,

and we had to wait for the availability

of embalming experts.

In the meantime, the museum took possession of the princess,

and then one evening, according to the cleaning lady who

was working her nightly shift, something very strange

occurred.

Excuse me, m--

Oh, my God.

Sir, I swear I'm telling you the truth.

I don't imagine things.

I saw this woman, this beautiful woman,

and she was floating off the floor.

Sir, It was the strangest thing I ever saw.

Mandy, I appreciate your sincerity and concern.

But this story is completely ridiculous.

Sir, I swear on my children, I saw that woman.

Calm down.

Sometimes the dim lighting in the museum--

No, no, sir.

I saw what I saw, and I know I saw her.

And if you don't believe me, then I'm not working

here anymore, you understand?

I quit.

I was sure Mandy would return.

I could only guess she had been working too hard.

Yet I decided to keep a special eye on our new exhibit.

A week went by with no incident, and then,

late one night, a security guard witnessed the same vision

of the floating woman.

I'm just saying it's very coincidental

that Mandy and the security guard both had the same vision.

Believe, Daniel, it's nothing.

Most likely the power of suggestion.

Mandy probably planted it in that guard's head.

She talked about what she saw, and now he saw it.

That's how these rumors get started.

Yes, Mandy, I could understand.

But the security guard, he has been with the museum

for 15 years.

He is very reliable.

So, you're saying you believe in this talk of a ghost?

I'm not saying that at all, Emile.

I'm just saying-- it's a little--

odd, that's all.

Yes, it's odd.

They're probably watching too much television

and reading too many tabloids.

If you'll excuse me Daniel, I have a dinner engagement.

So typical .

The director goes at dinner while the curator

is left behind to work late into the night.

I sat there, poring over my notes.

Suddenly, I felt a cold chill go through me.

I was relieved to see it was nothing but the fire going out.

But then-- I couldn't believe my eyes.

Who are you?

What do you want of me?

There was a deep gash on her forehead.

What happened to you?

She seemed to be

beckoning me to follow her.

I approached the coffin of the princess carefully,

but I could not be prepared for what I was about to see.

There, in the coffin, was the woman whose

ghost was haunting the museum.

It cannot be.

I contacted the police that same evening.

Within a week, they arrested Marseilles Duqua

for the murder of a beautiful young woman

he had met in a local cafe.

He had hit her over the head with a blunt object,

causing a gash on her forehead.

He then wrapped her body and placed his in the coffin.

Under interrogation, Duqua answered

every question except one.

Where was the real body of Princess Ferrantiti?

That still remains a mystery.

Was it really the spirit of the murdered woman who

was haunting the museum at night,

simply the imaginations of an overstressed staff?

The exhibit turned out to be an elaborate hoax designed

to hide a horrible crime.

And didn't the physical description of the ghost

match the woman in the coffin?

Did this story of the mummy really happen, or are we

keeping the truth under wraps?

We'll find out whether this story is true or false

at the end of our show.

Next, a security guard is forced to look terror in the face

on "Beyond Belief Fact or Fiction."

It takes a lot to get into an office building these days.

ID cards, security passes, code boxes, special keys.

But the most reliable security device of all

is a dedicated human being, someone like Vick Pernelle.

He had a perfect record at Dexter Industries.

No incident had ever occurred on his watch.

And when Vick wasn't actually involved in a security check,

he was reading about things that would make him a more

effective person and employee.

Yes, Vick Pernelle takes pride in his work.

But what is that old saying?

Oh, yes.

Pride goeth before a fall.

It's late Tuesday afternoon, and Vick Pernelle is

training a new security guard.

Sometimes it's not enough just

to check the doorknob.

You've got to throw your whole weight against the door,

make sure it's secure, like this.

Know what I'm saying?

And there's no shortcuts in the security business, Wes.

There's so much I can learn from a man

like you, Mr. Pernelle.

I like your attitude, Wes.

You're going to do real well around here.

New company, health care benefits,

lots of room for advancement.

Even though we're still under construction,

that vault there is fully operational.

It contains computer secrets that are worth a lot of money

on the open market.

Looks real secure to me.

Yeah, well, we've got three cameras, state-of-the-art

laser alarm system.

Here's the control box.

This key disarms the alarm if the system should misfire,

not that that is ever going to happen.

I designed the system myself.

Really?

You must be some kind of genius.

No, it's not that.

I just know a few things.

It's amazing what you can find in books.

I I don't believe it.

You've really got a perfect record?

15 years in the business.

Not a single break-in or act of vandalism.

Wow, that's something to shoot for.

You can do it, kid.

Later that night, Vick Pernelle

ran his last monitor check and was ready for a cup

of coffee and his latest book.

That kid's a little green but I don't know,

I think he'll work out OK.

Southwest quadrant doors are secure, sir.

Good job.

Did you use your shoulders?

Don't move or I'll blow your brains out.

I guess I didn't use my shoulder, Vick.

Perfect record?

Oh, bye-bye.

Thanks for the keys, Vick.

Very helpful in disabling the alarm.

All set.

Hey,

Vick.

What's behind door number one?

Oh, what a score.

Oh, yeah.

This stuff's going to bring us a ton of cash.

In a few days, we'll be sitting on a beach in the Bahamas.

Mucho babes, man.

Mucho babes.

Hey Vick, just look at it this way.

Records are made to be broken.

I just broke yours.

A good security guard never would have hired me.

Maybe you're just getting old, lazy, fat.

Vick Pernelle, the security

guard whose hobby was reading, was watching

his final chapter play out.

Bound and gagged, he couldn't move out of his chair

to protect his watch.

But then--

What happened?

Just a bulb blew, man.

It's no big deal.

Come one.

Geeze.

I don't like this.

Let's get out of here.

Come on, this way.

What is it?

I don't know.

Come on, you crooks.

Hey, I got cut, man.

You know, if it weren't for the lights

in the building going on and off,

we would have just passed right by.

It must have been a power surge, or maybe

they just short circuited something

when they disabled the alarm.

Yeah, maybe it was something.

Whatever it was, my record is still perfect.

What really happened?

Was there some sort of electrical

short behind those exploding lights?

Perhaps the crooks caused the short when they tampered

with the security system.

Then the building had never experienced any sort

of wiring problems in the past.

Is it logical to assume such a coincidence could

happen at the exact same time Vick was

experimenting with telekinesis?

Do you believe the story of top security,

or are we trying to sneak one past you?

We'll find out whether this story is true or false

at the end of our show.

Next, a student spends a night of horror in a cemetery

on "Beyond Belief Fact or Fiction."

How much money would it take to make you

spend a night in a cemetery?

$50?

$100?

It's a lot of money to some people,

for example, a struggling high school student.

But what is it about a graveyard that makes most of us

hesitate at the offer?

Do we actually believe that there are spirits and ghosts

that haunt a burial ground?

Melissa doesn't believe in ghosts or spirits.

She believes in picking up some easy money.

And she is about to earn every penny.

Dustin, would you turn it down?

I told you I hate this song.

What'd you do that for?

It's a stupid song.

You're just pissed because Glen stood you up again.

He didn't stand me up.

He's got the flu.

I just wish he'd quit getting sick on Friday nights.

Whatever.

I hate this town.

It's so boring.

There's never anything to do.

Cemetery.

I can't believe you guys.

You're so superstitious.

You gotta know who's buried in that cemetery, don't you?

Yeah.

Dead people.

Lots of them.

Well, one of those dead people just

happens to be Wilbur Lister.

Who's he?

He was a serial killer.

Murdered 22 teenage girls and buried them under his house.

And he was caught, executed, and buried in that cemetery

right there.

Row eight, grave number 14.

So the story goes, but it--

I know, I know the story.

Oh, what, and you don't believe it?

No, I don't believe it.

It's just some stupid, scary story

made up by a stupid, scary-looking person like you.

OK.

I'll give you $100 if you go sit out there on Lister's

grave for two hours.

Huh?

How about it, Melissa?

You Got the guts, or are you chicken?

I wouldn't do it for a thousand.

You're on.

But you'd better have $100.

All right.

We shall see.

OK.

Here's what you got to do.

After the two hours are up, you take the knife

and you stab it into Lister's grave.

That's how we'll know you were there.

And take your phone and keep in touch, OK?

Stop worrying, Crystal.

There's nothing in there but bones.

Ooo.

I'm Wilbur Lister, and I'm hungry for blood.

Shut up, Dustin.

Bye.

OK, Wilbur.

They say your grave is towards the big oak tree.

It should be easy to find since those kids carved

that skull on your headstone.

I'm not afraid of your curse, Wilbur.

I'm going to leave here tonight $100 richer.

Tell Dustin that I'm still alive, and they're still dead.

I'm Lister.

And I want you.

So lame.

She hung up.

You made her hang up.

I hate you.

Come here, come here, come here.

Oh, that's cute.

Serial killer they put to death on Valentine's day.

Are you in there, Wilbur?

Because I'm going to be spending a couple of hours here with you

whether you like it or not.

Well, Wilbur.

Looks like our date's almost over.

Another 15 minutes and I'll be $100 richer.

You're never going to leave here.

Real cute, Dustin.

All right, where are you?

Nobody leaves here unless I let them.

It's not going to work.

You're not going to scare me out of that $100,

so you may as well come out now.

Where's Dustin?

He's right here next to me.

I swear.

Ow, ow, ow.

Would you stop?

See, I told you he was here.

Tell him I'm leaving because my two hours are up.

She's leaving.

Hey, tell her not to forget to stab the knife in the grave

so we know you were there.

You're not going anywhere.

I told you--

I wouldn't let you leave.

Did you hear the phone ring?

No.

Must have been the radio.

Now, come here.

Why won't they answer?

No more calls, Melissa.

No, please.

No more anything.

No marks on her.

Looks like she died of fright.

Why didn't she run away?

She couldn't.

That knife is stuck right through her coat.

She pinned herself to the grave.

Poor Melissa.

Was it the ghosts of the graveyard that did her in?

Or did she scare herself to death

by unknowingly plunging the knife into the hem of her coat,

trapping her in place and causing her imagination

to take over in the dark?

Do you think this story of terror in the cemetery is real,

or do you have grave doubts?

We'll find out whether this story is true or false

at the end of our show.

Next, eyewitnesses claim to see a giant

commit murder on "Beyond Belief Fact or Fiction."

Can you remember the tallest man you've ever seen?

I stand six foot four.

This life-size cutout of Harlem Globetrotter Pascal Frenchy

Fleury is 7 foot, 3 inches.

The "Guinness Book of World Records"

lists Robert Pershing Wadlow as the world's tallest man

at 8 foot, 11 and 1/10 inch.

Yet when you read the writings of history,

you can't help wonder if some men were even taller.

How tall was Goliath?

Paul Bunyan?

And how about all those giants that

populate ancient fairy tales?

In this story, there may be a man

that doubles the size of the tallest

man in the world-- that is, if you

can believe the eyewitnesses.

When you're a cop,

you have to investigate everyone's murder--

even if the murder victim is a man you may personally despise.

The morning I was called to this particular crime scene,

I didn't know who the dead man was yet.

I was just given an address.

But I was about to be reminded that the victim was a creep,

a liar, and a wife beater.

And in my opinion, he also murdered his wife Maria

a couple of years ago.

He got off due to an expensive legal team, a weak judge,

and an incompetent prosecutor.

He liked to brag about how he was found not guilty.

But 8 o'clock this morning, he was found dead.

What do we got?

Victim is a white male about 35 years old.

No sign of forced entry or robbery.

The weird thing is though, the apartment

was deadbolted from the inside.

Maybe the victim deadbolted it after the killer

left just to be safe.

Sir?

It was a bad joke, Marcus.

Where did he die?

Balcony, sir.

All right, Mac, let me handle it, all right?

You got a cause of death, Felix?

Yeah.

Somebody broke his neck.

I'd say the time of death was around 6 a.m.

Whoever did it had to be a very powerful man.

Yeah.

Got an ID on the deceased?

George Delarus.

He owned a couple of restaurants out in the valley.

George Delarus.

That's the guy who was tried for murdering

his wife about a year ago.

I remember.

He beat that.

Yeah, best defense money can buy.

spousal abuse and his wife

turns up brutally murdered.

And the husband just happens to have a perfect alibi.

When have we heard that before?

So he's sitting here enjoying his morning

coffee and his newspaper.

Somebody grabs him from behind.

No forced entry.

So that means somebody climbed two stories,

broke this guy's neck, and then climbed back down again.

You got any witnesses?

Three of them.

And you wouldn't believe with they have to say.

I was getting ready for work this morning--

it was about 6:00 a.m.-- when I heard this terrible noise.

It sounded like a man screaming.

And I looked out my window, and--

I'll never forget what I saw.

It was a giant man, as tall as the balcony.

And he had on a dark overcoat and

this long, flowing black hair.

And he was shaking something on the balcony like a rag doll.

And then I realized what it was.

It was a man.

So terrible.

I've never seen anyone murdered before.

Mrs. Denby, the murderer you saw,

if he was as tall as the balcony,

do you realize he'd be 18 feet tall?

I know It sounds crazy, but that's what I saw.

All right, look.

Detective Marquez will take you down and get you a cup of tea.

OK.

I'll talk to you in a little bit, all right?

I interrogated two other eyewitnesses.

All three accounts were identical--

a giant man about 18 feet tall dressed in dark clothing

with long, unruly hair was seen standing

in front of a balcony just before sunup, about 6:00 a.m.

All right, I'll tell you what, why

don't you guys go over there and talk

to Detective Donnie over there.

His name's Don Gonzalez.

It's OK.

An 18-foot killer on the loose?

Pretty weird, huh, Felix?

Want to hear something weirder?

Whoever made this print weighed at least 500 pounds.

Pretty big guy.

I struggled with the case for several days.

The witnesses all checked out.

But a giant 18-foot murderer?

How can that be possible?

And where did he go?

18-foot men don't just disappear into thin air.

I decided to check out George Delarus's apartment again.

I took my time, and I tried to imagine

what happened that morning.

This was the strangest case I ever had.

The death of George Delarus didn't bother me that much.

As far as I was concerned, Delarus got

away with murdering his wife.

My job was to see nobody got away with murdering him.

There were a lot of people who hated George, especially

after he got off at the trial.

I remembered that Marie actually lived in this apartment

with him for a brief time.

I recalled from the newspaper articles

that she had a colorful history.

In fact, she and George first met when she

was a performer in Las Vegas.

Obviously, a memoir Maria Marie had left behind.

I didn't know what I was looking for,

but I began to flip through the album.

It was filled with old newspaper clippings and photos.

One of the photos was of Marie Garibaldi and her brothers,

the flying Garibaldis, a well-known circus

act from Milan, Italy.

With each flip of the page I learned more about Marie

and her three brothers.

They were a family of acrobats who traveled

extensively throughout Europe.

Marie Garibaldi left the act because she fell in love

and married George Delarus.

Reports of the abuse she suffered at his hands

filtered back to her brothers.

through letters she wrote.

She continued to write to them up until the time

of her tragic murder.

The blank pages that followed were her obituary.

I felt sorry for this woman, trapped away from her homeland

in an abusive marriage.

But what did it all have to do with the murder

of George Delarus?

And how did it add up to an 18-foot giant

at George's balcony?

Obviously she knew lots of circus performers.

Did one of them kill George?

The answer was in the poster on the wall.

Marie's three brothers balanced one

on top of the other and measured close to 18 feet.

The brother at the top was certainly strong enough

to strangle a man while standing on the shoulders

of his brothers.

I could have filed extradition papers to call the Garibaldi

brothers back from Milan.

But like I said, I didn't care much for George Delarus,

and Italy is out of my jurisdiction.

Is this story possible?

Did three acrobats really choose to avenge

their sister's death using the skills they

had perfected over the years?

If that explanation seems far fetched to you,

then how do you explain the witnesses

who claimed to see a giant?

Were they experiencing mass hallucination?

Is this story of familial revenge a true one?

Or is it just another one of our tall tales?

We'll find out if this story is true or false

at the end of our show.

Next, a river holds the secret of a mysterious stranger

on "Beyond Belief Fact or Fiction."

Have you ever walked out of a mall into a huge parking area

and realized you'd forgotten where you parked your car?

You could literally wander for hours trying to find it,

or you could wait till dark when your car will probably be

the only one left in the lot.

Now, here's a modern solution.

By pushing the button on this remote key,

you can send a signal to your car.

But what happens when your car is nowhere to be found,

when it's been towed away?

Then what do you do?

The story

of the man in the designer suit is a famous one in Beauville

county, and it all started in the waters

of the Beauville River.

They towed my car.

They-- they towed--

they towed my car.

His ripped clothing

caked with Spanish moss and bayou mud, this man--

- Edward Decateur,

was a kind of sight never seen before

by the citizens of Beauville.

Dang fool.

My car.

They-- towed my car.

Hey, check this boy out.

Beauville county.

Population 304-- plus one.

They towed my car.

He looks to be having himself a real bad day.

He's from the city, I can tell you that.

Now, how can you tell?

What makes you such an authority?

Well, see his suit.

May look tore up, but it don't come cheap.

Uh-oh.

He's coming our way.

They towed my car.

You don't need us.

We're retired.

They towed my car.

Well, that's a doggone shame, son, but we can't help you.

And like my friend says, we're retired.

Now, go on, just move on along.

We don't want no trouble. Do we, Daryl?

Huh?

No, no, we don't.

I have to find my car.

Boy looks like he'd been attacked by a pack of dogs.

They still

talk about the man in the fancy suit who wandered through town

looking for his car, talking to himself,

and looking like he had just seen something terrible.

And when they tell the story, they always

point out that nobody in Beauville

took the time to show him any kindness.

Nobody except little Reese.

Hey, mister.

Are you crying?

They towed my car.

Well, you ain't got to cry about it.

I'll help you find it.

Towed my car.

I heard you.

What happened to you?

Why are you so dirty and beat up?

I've got to get something out of the trunk.

You sure are strange.

Come on.

I'll take you to Wally.

He does all the towing around here.

I'll take you there.

Come on.

Ma says I'm real nosy.

What's your name?

My name's Reese, and I'm 11.

I'm Edward--

and they towed my car.

That must be some kind of car.

People say that Reese was

taking a dangerous chance that day

in befriending the stranger.

But Reese wasn't afraid, and the stranger was gentle with him.

Reese knew that if anybody had towed the man's car,

Wally would be the one who would know.

Hey, Wally, my friend needs

to talk to you about his car.

Man, what the hell happened to you, mister?

Somebody towed my car.

Come over here for a minute, son.

Son, I want to talk to you for a minute.

Son, what are you doing with that awful looking man?

That's my friend.

And I wanted to help him find his car.

Did you tow it?

Well, I pulled a car out of the river earlier today.

A lot of water damage.

Water damage?

Hey, where'd my friend go?

Hey, Edward, is that your car?

It was towed.

I found it.

Well, you know, there's towing charges.

I had to pull it out of the river.

Broke two chains doing it.

I have to get something out of the trunk.

Well, you got a key?

I have to get something out of the trunk.

Well, that means I'm going to have to put the crowbar to it.

I may bust in the lock.

Is that all right with you?

I have to get something-- - I know you've got--

out of the trunk.

to get something out of the trunk.

Yeah.

Step back.

It's going to get a little wet around here.

Wow.

It's like a dam burst.

It was

what Wally saw next that has made this story live

forever in Beauville.

Stay back, son.

Stay back.

What's wrong, Wally?

Where's my friend?

Wally thought

about just walking Reese away.

But he had to have another witness.

Thus ends the saga of the wandering spirit

in the designer suit.

Is there a logical explanation for this story?

Was it somebody else in the trunk?

Someone who looked like Edward?

An identical twin, perhaps?

But then where did Edward disappear to?

Did the young boy imagine the whole thing?

And how did Edward end up in the trunk of his car anyway?

Maybe the answer lies in the gambling debts

he had built up with organized crime.

Whatever the explanation, is this story of a stranger

in a car pulled out of the water inspired by an actual incident,

or are we pulling your chain?

Coming up, we'll find out which of our stories

tonight were fact--

and which were fiction went "Beyond Belief" returns.

Now, let's take a look at tonight's stories

and see which ones were inspired by actual events

and which were total works of fiction.

The story at the money that turned out

to be a coverup for a murder.

Did you think that was true or false?

It cannot be.

If you guessed this story had the ring of truth,

you're right.

A story similar to this one did take place.

Let's review the story of the security guard

who used his mind to protect his building.

Truth or falsehood?

Even though we're still under construction,

that vault there is fully operational.

It contains computer secrets that are worth a lot of money

on the open market.

I like this .

Come on.

This way.

Do you think this story was a figment

of a writer's imagination?

Not this time.

It happened-- according to firsthand interviews conducted

by author Robert Tralins.

Our story of the girl who had the courage to spend the night

on the killer's grave--

is this one true?

It's not going to work.

You're not going to scare me out of that $100,

so you may as well come out now.

Where's Dustin?

He's right here next to me.

I swear.

Ow, ow, ow.

Would you stop?

See, I told you he was here.

Tell him I'm leaving because my two hours are up.

She's leaving.

Hey, tell her not to forget the stab the knife in the grave

so we know you were there.

Did you guess that a girl did die this way?

If you did, you're wrong.

This one's an urban legend.

It's fiction.

And how about the story of the giant

that turned out to be a human tower formed by three acrobats?

Real or unreal?

An 18-foot killer on the loose?

Pretty weird, huh, Felix?

Want to hear something weirder?

Whoever made this print weighed at least 500 pounds.

So he's sitting here enjoying his morning

coffee and his newspaper.

Somebody grabs him from behind.

No forced entry.

So that means somebody climbed two stories,

broke this guy's neck, and then climbed back down again.

Was this story of a revenge taken by three brothers

inspired by an actual event?

Yes.

Let's take another look at the tale

of the man whose car was towed, only to be

recovered with him inside.

Step back.

It's going to get a little wet around here.

Wow.

It's like a dam burst.

Stay back, son.

Stay back.

What's wrong, Wally?

Where's my friend?

Did you think this one was a work of fiction?

You're right again.

We made up this one.

Once again, we've challenged you to separate fact from fantasy.

Were you successful tonight, or did you find our explanations

to be ultimately beyond belief?

I'm Jonathan Frakes.

Join us for more stories on "Beyond Belief Fact

or Fiction."