All language subtitles for Unsolved.Mysteries.S11E13.AMZN.WEB-DL.DD+2.0.H.264_track3_[eng]

ANNOUNCER: Tonight on
"Unsolved Mysteries."

NARRATOR: Bizarre
clues to a murder

are left for the
police, a woman's

skull, and an anonymous note.

Was young Linda Sherman
killed by her husband?

Hey!

NARRATOR: Or did her tragic fate
lie in someone else's hands?

From the moment John Fuget
began dating Erika Richardson,

it seemed like they were
destined to be together.

But Erika soon found out that
Fuget was a ticking time bomb

and the fuse was burning.

Donna Tyson claims
her digital clock

suddenly began to
blink the exact time

of her son's fatal car crash.

Sharon Troop believes her
deceased daughter appears

to her in ghostly visions.

Is it possible these mothers
are receiving messages

from their dead children?

It seems that she
had the perfect life.

But in truth, Donna Morrow
was suffering silently

in a troubled marriage.

Six days before Christmas,
Donna mysteriously disappeared,

leaving behind four children.

Did she voluntarily walk away,
escaping her unhappy life?

Or was Donna Morrow a
victim of foul play?

Join me for this fascinating
edition of Unsolved Mysteries.

[music playing]

NARRATOR: Bridgeton, Missouri,
the Casa Gayado restaurant.

Do you notice that over there?

Look, right over there.

NARRATOR: Two women having
lunch notice something

strange outside the window.

Is there a--

sir?

NARRATOR: A shocking
piece of evidence

that would turn an
unsolved missing person

case into a murder mystery.

There in the bushes
was a human skull.

CHIEF WALTER MUTERT: It's a
very well manicured area, plants

and gravel and what have you.

And the way it was situated, it
would give one the impression

that, you know, somebody had put
it there so you would see it.

NARRATOR: The skull
was determined

to be that of an adult female.

Thorough examination
revealed little else.

CHIEF WALTER MUTERT: Well,
during that time period,

there was relocating of a
cemetery that was in the area.

And a lot of bodies
were being exhumed,

graves were being moved.

So it gives you the impression,
now, that this may be a prank.

And there'd be no
reason to suspect

that there were any foul play.

NARRATOR: The skull
was cataloged, stowed

in the evidence room at the
Bridgeton county morgue,

and forgotten.

One year later, 25 miles away at
the Venita Park police station,

a mysterious letter arrived.

It stated that the Bridgeton
police had L Sherman's skull.

Yeah, give me the Bridgeton,
uh, police department.

NARRATOR: Dental records confirm
that the anonymous skull was

the remains of Linda Sherman,
a 26-year-old wife and mother

who was last seen
April 22nd, 1985.

Her disappearance is
clouded with intrigue,

involving an allegedly jealous
husband and an unknown lover.

Years later, troubling
questions still remain.

Who killed Linda Sherman?

Why was her skull left
outside a local restaurant?

And where is the
rest of her body?

At 16, Linda Sherman
was a typical teenager.

She grew up in the St.
Louis suburb of Anita

park, the youngest of four.

With siblings more
than 10 years older,

she was sheltered,
quiet, and reserved.

DENNIS LUTZ: Linda was kind of
a shy girl, I guess, growing up.

She wanted to be more outgoing
and more athletic, I think.

But she was more at home
type of a girl, I guess.

NARRATOR: Linda
was a junior when

she fell for her high school
sweetheart, 17-year-old

Don Sherman, and got married.

Hi, momma.

Hi.

NARRATOR: When their
daughter, Patty, was born,

the young mother was
determined to finish school.

Linda's mom would watch
the baby while she

completed her senior year.

Don, get out here.

NARRATOR: To support
his new family,

Don took a job at a
local gas station.

DON SHERMAN: It was hard,
but it was rewarding.

We were very happy together.

The relationship was rocky
later on in our marriage,

several times, but not
in the early years.

We're going to put
this plant in here.

NARRATOR: Working opposite
shifts and money troubles

strained their relationship.

In their nine year marriage,
Linda had taken Patty

and moved out several times.

But the couple
always reconciled.

When will you be home?

I'll call you later.

[phone ringing]

Hello?

Come on, Don.

NARRATOR: According to
Linda's older brother, Dennis,

Don was obsessed with
knowing Linda's every move.

Tonight, Don, all right?

No, she's not here.

DENNIS LUTZ: Don was
very possessive of her.

She said, when I
get off of work,

if I'm not home within five
minutes, he wants to know

what's going on,
who are you seeing?

What are you doing
out that late.

He was always hitting her and
things just weren't right.

I go to work every
day and I come home.

I don't run around on you.

NARRATOR: Linda told
her family that she

feared Don's violent temper.

Once she even got
a restraining order

to keep him at a distance.

Some family members
claim by April of 1985,

she had had enough.

Linda was making final plans
to take Patty and leave.

SAM MILLER: She'd and made
a decision to move out.

She had filed for divorce.

And she had definitely made
plans to start a new life.

We can't do this anymore.

I'm leaving.

She was going
to do it this time

and she really
meant that she was

going to leave Don for good.

NARRATOR: On April 22,
Linda left her night

job at 2:16 in the morning.

What are you doing up?

It's after 3:00
o'clock in the morning.

Where have you been?

I know it's after 3:00
o'clock in the morning.

I've been working.

DON SHERMAN: She didn't
come home from work

until about 3:00
o'clock in the morning.

We got into an
argument about the fact

that she wouldn't tell
me where she'd been.

And we stayed up until at least
4:00 o'clock in the morning

discussing that.

NARRATOR: Linda was
still on the sofa

later that morning when
Patty left for school.

PATTY SHERMAN: She
always took me to school,

but my dad took me
to school that day.

And I remember her laying
on the couch with her face

to the back of the couch.

And she didn't get up.

She didn't get up
to kiss me goodbye.

She didn't say anything to me.

She was just laying there.

NARRATOR: That would be the
last time Patty saw her mother.

Don claims that when he returned
to the house that afternoon,

Linda was on edge.

I came back home,
Linda was still there.

She should have been
at work by then.

I gotta go.
I'm late.

Well, hold on.
I just got home.

I overslept.
I'm late.

I've got to go.

DON SHERMAN: She was mad
because she was running late.

NARRATOR: Don says Linda
drove off at about 6:00 PM.

But there are no witnesses
that saw her leave.

Linda never arrived at
work and never came home.

DON SHERMAN: When
she didn't come back,

I assumed it was typical
of the previous times

that she had left and
I thought that she

took off with somebody.

NARRATOR: Although Linda's
family suspected she was having

an affair, they had reason
to believe something

terrible had happened to her.

SAM MILLER: We knew
that if she left,

there's no way she's leaving
without the daughter.

And the daughter
was still at home.

And so there was
definitely foul play.

I was coming home
from a meeting.

NARRATOR: According to the
Millers, at their insistence,

Don went to the Vanita
Park police station

and filed a missing
persons report.

And that's the
last time I seen her.

That was Monday.

NARRATOR: Meanwhile,
Sam and Fran

frantically search for Linda.

On a hunch, they headed
to the local airport.

SAM MILLER: As we pulled in to
the short term parking, well,

there's Linda's car
sitting right there.

Is that her car?

I know my sister's car.

I know.

SAM MILLER: We could
see inside the car

and we could see her school
books her hat and everything.

So we contacted
the airport police.

And they come and
the car was locked,

but they tried the trunk
and the trunk was open.

And when they opened the
trunk, hate to say it,

but we fully expected
Linda to be in there.

And she wasn't.

NARRATOR: Could it be
possible that Linda

had abandoned her daughter
and run off with another man?

Don claims he saw Linda
with another man, days

after her disappearance.

She drove past him in a van and
quickly ducked out of sight.

Hey.

NARRATOR: Five years later,
when Linda's skull appeared,

suspicion fell on Don.

In a bizarre
coincidence, her skull

was found outside the
Casa Gayardo restaurant.

A woman was
sitting there eating

and she looked out and saw a
skull looking right at her.

NARRATOR: One of Don's
favorite hangouts.

- A human skull?
- Yeah.

Cops came in and
they took pictures.

DON SHERMAN: I was
at the restaurant

that evening after the
skull had been found.

I had heard about it that
day, when it happened.

But never any connection
to it until later on.

NARRATOR: No one connected
it, until a year later,

when the anonymous letter
arrived at the Vanita

park police station.

LT MICHAEL WEBB: I
was rather astounded.

It was obvious to
me that someone

wanted us to know that we had
obviously missed something

and was trying to
tell us that Linda

remains had been recovered.

DON SHERMAN: It was scary.

Somebody that put those remains
there at the restaurant,

obviously knew me and knew
that I hung out there.

I mean it wasn't--

we're not talking about a
place that I casually visited.

We're talking about a
place that I would visit

two or three times a week.

NARRATOR: Did Don have
reason to be frightened?

Or did he have a secret
motivation for placing

the skull there himself?

Some speculate Don was
making plans to remarry

and needed proof Linda was dead.

For Don, the skull provided
the perfect evidence

of Linda's demise.

But for Patty, the
find was devastating.

PATTY SHERMAN: When
the skull was found,

I just kind of lost
all hope in life.

They didn't know
that she was dead.

I guess there was always some
hope that she had just left.

NARRATOR: 16 years
after the murder,

Lieutenant Webb still hopes
to find Linda's killer.

LT MICHAEL WEBB:
The only suspect

that I've been unable to
eliminate is Don Sherman.

At this point in
time, he has never

been ruled out as a suspect.

PATTY SHERMAN: In
my heart, I think

that he might have done it.

I can't think of anybody
else who would have.

DON SHERMAN: I had nothing
to do with Linda Sherman's

disappearance, nor her death.

I still think that
she left with someone

and obviously met
with foul play.

And died.

PATTY SHERMAN: I would really
like to find the rest of her,

wherever it's at, so that we
can have a proper burial for.

She can rest in peace.

And I'd like to know what
happened to her and who did it.

And they should serve the
agony we have for 15 years.

NARRATOR: Linda Sherman, a young
mother's life tragically taken

and shrouded with uncertainty.

Today, police hope new
technology and soil sampling

will someday lead
them to Linda's body

and eventually her killer.

[music playing]

Hi.

How are you?

Good.

NARRATOR: In a quiet
neighborhood in Tampa, Florida,

Erika Richardson was excited
and a bit apprehensive

about her first date
with John Fuget.

Erica was shy and dated
infrequently, while Fuget had

a reputation as a ladies' man.

But they hit it off right away.

And as a relationship developed,
they seem more and more

like the perfect fit.

Erika's family found Fuget
likeable and charming.

IMOGENE RICHARDSON: When
I first saw them together,

they looked nice and
I thought that they

would make a nice couple.

NARRATOR: A couple that
soon became inseparable.

Erika was literally
swept off her feet

by Fuget, who held
down a steady job

as an electrical technician.

Erika who was convinced
John Fuget was Mr. Right.

Apparently she was
wrong, dead wrong.

Family and friends first became
concerned when Erika invited

Fuget to move in with her.

The decision seemed
out of character.

Erika was a smart,
successful woman

who held a degree
in microbiology,

managed a large pharmacy,
and valued her independence.

However, despite a good job,
great friends, and a close knit

family, Erika was missing
a special man in her life,

a void she hoped John
Fuget would fill.

OK, honey, I am
off to the mall

and I'll be back in
about a couple of hours.

The mall?
With who?

To the mall.

NARRATOR: The trouble
started not long

after Fuget moved into
their comfortable home

Erika had recently purchased.

Look, don't be paranoid.

IMOGENE RICHARDSON: I could
see that he was wearing a mask.

I discovered him
to be a jealous,

mean, controlling person.

He was just too possessive.

He wanted Erika all to himself.

Don't be so
paranoid and jealous.

I am not being jealous.

Yes, you are.

SAMUEL RICHARDSON: Not
only was he possessive,

he wanted to isolate her,
not only from her family,

but from friends too.

NARRATOR: Over the
next several months,

the relationship
continued to unravel.

According to police, Fuget
was on a downward spiral.

A friend and lover turned
abuser and stalker.

[phone ringing]

Pharmacy.

What took you so long
to get to the phone, girl?

John, you cannot continue to
call me here at work like this.

We talked about this.

NARRATOR: He exhibited
a wild mood swings

and repeatedly called
Erika at the pharmacy,

accusing her of being
unfaithful and making

unreasonable demands.

OK.

All right, thank
you very much.

NARRATOR: Fuget moved
out of the house,

but his erratic
behavior persisted.

Who was that?

NARRATOR: Reportedly,
he began showing up

at Erika's workplace
unannounced,

harassing her and
threatening physical harm.

What are you doing here?

Don't try to
get smart with me.

Answer my question, girl.

IMOGENE RICHARDSON:
Erika was really afraid

of John because of
the threats, what

he said he would do to her.

NARRATOR: Erika was forced
to file a restraining order.

Still, Fuget would show up
at the house at all hours.

Finally, with the
help of her father,

she found the courage
to call the police

and have him arrested.

Don't want any trouble.
Let's go.

NARRATOR: Undeterred
by the threat of jail

time, Fuget continue
to pursue Erica.

Watch your head.

So I'm just going
to go home tonight.

NARRATOR: A few weeks
before Christmas,

she met her mother at a local
mall to do some shopping.

They bought some
gifts and a comforter.

IMOGENE RICHARDSON: It was
too big for us to carry,

so they said that we could
pick it up in the back.

When we came to the car, we
heard somebody say, hey there.

Hey, babe.

Come here.

Don't worry, mom,
I can handle it.

OK?

- What is it?
- I miss you.

You miss me.

And?
- I just want to talk.

That's all.

NARRATOR: Erika's mother heard
little of the conversation.

But she says she
wasn't surprised

when her daughter agreed
to Fuget's request to meet.

I don't know.

IMOGENE RICHARDSON: Well,
John was the type of person

that he could sweet talk a lady.

And he made promises that
things were going to get better.

He was going to do better.

And of course, she
took him at his word.

NARRATOR: Fuget's
behavior followed

an all too familiar pattern.

And the sight of him following
Erika out of the parking lot

was alarming to her mother.

Still, Imogene
Richardson believed

there was little she could do.

Sunday came and went.

Imogene heard nothing
from her daughter.

IMOGENE RICHARDSON:
I didn't hardly sleep

that night thinking about it.

Monday morning, I
called Erika's house

and I didn't get an answer.

So I called her job.

NARRATOR: The conversation
was short and chilling.

Erika had not shown
up at the pharmacy,

nor had she called in.

Frightened, Imogene went
over to her daughter's home.

IMOGENE RICHARDSON:
John's pickup

truck was in the driveway.

I went to the door.

And that's when I
looked in the window.

Erika.

IMOGENE RICHARDSON: And nothing
seemed to have been disturbed.

I started to my car and
something told me to go back.

Erika?

IMOGENE RICHARDSON:
And I went back,

and I looked through
another window.

And that's what I saw
the knife and blood.

And I knew then, something
had happened to my daughter.

NARRATOR: Minutes later,
police confirmed Imogene's

worst fears, Erika
had been stabbed

repeatedly in the upper body.

The shock and grief
was overwhelming.

IMOGENE RICHARDSON: Erika
was my daughter, my friend.

She was successful.

She was bright.

She was caring, loving.

She was just a daughter that
any mother would love to have.

When I lost Erika,
I lost part of me.

NARRATOR: While
Erika's parents tried

to make sense of
a senseless act,

police cordoned off
the crime scene.

Inside, detectives and members
of the CSI unit went to work.

SGT JR BURTON: There
were some articles

that were strewn
about the home, which

were indicative of a struggle.

There were no items
of value that were--

appeared to us at that point
in time, missing from the home,

indicating to us that
someone maybe she knew

might have been in the home.

We found, of course,
Erika Richardson's blood.

But we also found the
blood of a second party

mixed in with her blood.

NARRATOR: Detectives suspected
the blood of the second party

belong to John Fuget.

But they couldn't prove it
without a sample of his DNA.

Fuget's fingerprints are
all over the crime scene,

but that didn't implicate
him either since he

had lived in the same house.

However, there was one
solid lead to pursue.

An eyewitness
reported seeing Fuget

driving Erika's 1992 Honda a
short time after she had died.

SGT JR BURTON: We issued
the warrant for his arrest

based on those facts.

The vehicle was
ultimately located

on December 23rd in
Lafayette, Louisiana,

where Mr. Fuget is from.

That's where he has a lot
of family and friends.

NARRATOR: Detectives
question Fuget's

relatives who
claimed they hadn't

seen him in several weeks.

Today, John Fuget
is still on the Lam.

He is wanted for Grand theft
auto and unlawful flight

to avoid prosecution.

Fuget remains the number
one suspect in the murder

of Erika Richardson.

SGT JR BURTON: The only way
we feel John Fuget would be

able to stay hidden for
this amount of time,

would be to disappear
to a new location,

not tell anyone of
his whereabouts,

and start a new identity
or a new life from there.

Due to the fact that John Fuget
is a mechanic or mechanically

inclined, that he very well
may be employed on an oil

rig, or something of
that nature of the coast

of Louisiana or Texas.

NARRATOR: Meanwhile,
a loving family

continues to mourn the loss
of their only daughter,

while maintaining
hope that justice will

be served before it's too late.

IMOGENE RICHARDSON: There is
some young lady, I'm sure,

that he's involved
with at this time who

doesn't know what he has done.

And I just pray that it
doesn't happen again.

And I wish that someone
would come forward and help

us get him brought to justice.

[music playing]

NARRATOR: The loss
of a loved one

is a traumatic experience,
especially in the case

of a parent losing a child.

Donna Theisen and Sharon
Throop are two mothers

who believe they have
received messages

from their deceased children.

Can those who've
passed away communicate

from beyond the grave?

Or should the events
you're about to see

be considered pure coincidence?

DONNA THEISEN:
Mothers are supposed

to protect their children.

And this continues even
when they're adults.

It's worse, though, because you
have no control over them when

you--

as you do when they're small.

NARRATOR: At 34,
Michael [inaudible]

was a recovering alcoholic.

His mother, Donna, and
family were grateful

that he was
attending AA meetings

and holding down a steady
job as a boat mechanic.

But in late January, Michael
gave in to temptation.

DONNA THEISEN: Michael
had partied the night

before with some friends.

He was two blocks
from his home, going

approximately 65
miles an hour when he

hit a parked recycling truck.

[tires screeching]

He basically died instantly.

It's like a part of you is gone.

It's like there's a
big hole in your heart.

NARRATOR: It was just two
months later in a gift shop

that Donna believes she
felt an emotional connection

to Michael.

DONNA THEISEN: In the
middle was a huge rack

of the little porcelain cups
that have your names on them

from A to Z. Sitting off
to one side were two cups.

And one said, I love you mom.

And the other one said, Michael.

And I felt like Michael
was there with me

and he was telling me it was OK.

NARRATOR: Weeks later,
while in the market,

another unusual
incident occurred.

Donna was surprised
when she happened

upon an out of place book
that seemed destined for her.

DONNA THEISEN: And I thought,
this is strange, this book.

Why is it sitting here?

And there was no
writing on the cover.

And I opened it up.

NARRATOR: What Donna found
was a message she feels

was meant specifically for her.

I am the Ancient
Mariner, who had a tale

in his heart to be told to all.

To someone, I am
always saying, someday

you must meet my mother.

DONNA THEISEN: It mentioned
the Ancient Mariner.

And Michael was a boat mechanic.

And he often used to refer to
himself as the Ancient Mariner.

I started crying when I read it.

And I said, I have
to have this book.

Michael is sending this to me.

NARRATOR: Donna says the most
convincing communications

involve both the time of
Michael's accident, 6:20,

and his time of death, 6:33.

While working at
her home office,

Donna claims something
happened to the digital clock.

DONNA THEISEN: Michael's
clock was flashing 6:20.

And it was not 6:20.

I know you're here.

You don't have to do that.

DONNA THEISEN: That was
the time of the accident.

And all the other digital
clocks in the house were fine.

He was just letting me
know that he was there.

NARRATOR: What happened
next was very unsettling.

14 months after his death,
Donna says she heard Michael's

voice on her answering machine.

The message was supposedly
recorded at 6:33.

DONNA THEISEN:
The operator voice

that is on your voicemail
said, Saturday, 6:33, which

is the time that Michael died.

And I heard Michael's voice.

He only says two words.

He says, follow me.

Saturday, 6:33 PM.

Follow me.

End of message.

DONNA THEISEN: And
I was dumbfounded.

I had friends come
over and listen to it.

His sisters listened to it.

And it is Michael's voice.

NARRATOR: Donna is convinced
the messages from Michael

are designed to
bring her comfort.

But others have a
different explanation

for encounters like these.

MICHAEL SHERMER, PHD:
There is no greater

loss than the loss of a child.

And that is exactly
what the explanation is,

is that emotionally driven
people in a state of grief

tend to see things in their
environment that connect

them to their lost loved ones.

NARRATOR: Donna's experience
resonates with thousands

of other parents who believe
their deceased children are

in contact with them.

Sharon Throop believes
her daughter, Wendy, has

appeared to her several times.

Wendy was a freshman
in college when she

became a victim of a date rape.

Shortly thereafter, Wendy
became depressed and tragically

committed suicide.

Wendy was only 19 years old.

Sharon, Wendy's
mother, was devastated

and spent the days after
her daughter's death

in an emotional fog.

SHARON THROOP: I
was sitting there

and I had been
sobbing off and on.

I was just a mess.

And I leaned my head
back and I saw--

it's like a movie
picture came on.

NARRATOR: It was then
that Sharon claims

Wendy came to her in a vision.

SHARON THROOP: I was
looking down a hallway

and it was very bright.

And she looked at me as
if to say, I am so sorry.

I made the hugest mistake.

And I can't take it back.

And she turned around and
she walked through the door.

And that was it.

It was gone.

And I just bawled,
because I wanted her back.

And she was gone.

NARRATOR: Sharon's
second sighting

came a few months later when
Owen, a friend of Wendy's,

rented a movie to try and
bolster Sharon and her husband,

Bill's, spirits.

SHARON THROOP:
Something caught my eye.

I looked over by the door.

And Wendy was standing there.

She was dressed in a real
comfortable, girl-type

flannel shirt.

And she smiled at me and
she looked over at Owen.

And then she was gone.

This time I didn't cry.

This time I was like, wow.

I know I saw her.

I mean, I wasn't even thinking
about her in that instant

and she's there.

So I honestly felt that she was
letting me know that she was so

pleased that Owen was
spending time with us,

and we were together.

So that we could
help one another.

NARRATOR: It was
Christmas, a year later,

when Sharon received
what she calls

undeniable
confirmation of Wendy's

continued presence in her life.

Doing OK?

I just really miss her.

I know, sweetie.
We all do.

We all miss her so much.

NARRATOR: At a holiday
party across the street

from their home, Sharon and
Bill were visiting with friends

they hadn't seen in over a
year, when Sharon became upset

and went home.

I'm fine.

I'm fine.

SHARON THROOP: I wasn't
home about 10 minutes

and Bill called me
from across the street

and he said I have
something to tell you.

And it's really important.

And I want you to stay up.

NARRATOR: When
Bill returned home,

he told Sharon that Pam, a
friend of their neighbors,

claimed to have had an unusual
experience involving Wendy

just weeks after she died.

She saw Wendy.

She just saw her face.

And there weren't any words.

But she was absolutely
positive that it was Wendy.

And the way she described
it was exactly the same way

that you've told me.

It was probably about a
month after Wendy had died.

I went to bed, I think, before
everyone else that night.

I saw a girl, and it was
kind of just a head shot.

It just kind of zoomed in on me.

And I felt this
tremendous energy,

kind of like if you've ever been
shocked by electrical fence,

you know, the little warm
surge of current that you

feel through your body.

But I could just sense that
she wanted to tell her parents

that she was OK now.

And she was finally at peace.

And it happened that quickly.

And then it was gone.

It seemed obvious to
me, you know, who it was

and what the purpose
of that visit was.

She saw her.

SHARON THROOP: I think it
was a gift from God to let

her come back for us to see.

Because somebody
could tell you that,

you wouldn't believe them.

Seeing something is
totally different.

MICHAEL SHERMER PHD: The
real question here, I think,

that touches us deeply is, is
there actually an afterlife

that people who die go to and
that they're actually not gone?

And if we're going to
look at this question

objectively and scientifically,
and not emotionally, then we

have to answer, nobody knows.

NARRATOR: Sharon and Donna
will continue could find solace

in the messages they
believe are left

for them by their children.

SHARON THROOP: I
believe that there

is something more out there.

They don't just go away.

Some people say to me, do
you believe in the afterlife?

Do you believe that there
is something beyond?

Yes, I do.

If you choose not to believe
that, that is your privilege.

Me, I'm going to believe it.

NARRATOR: With only five
days left to Christmas,

37-year-old Donna
Morrow had just finished

her last minute shopping.

She looked forward to
spending the holidays

with her four young children.

Where you been?

Honey, I've been
Christmas shopping.

I've been waiting for
you for a long time.

NARRATOR: But her relationship
with her husband, Joe,

was rapidly disintegrating.

We interviewed several
of Donna's friends

who asked not to be
identified by name.

She had told me that
Joe was very controlling.

And she didn't indicate to me
that he was physically abusive.

But I got the impression
that she was afraid of him.

I'm not taking this.

Listen, I want-- get in here.

We're going to talk right now.

NARRATOR: It hadn't
always been this way.

When Donna first met Joe,
he seemed the ideal partner,

charming, wealthy, and kind.

Donna's family, however,
had a different impression.

LINDA KEY HAYES:
He was arrogant.

And he thought he was
better than everybody else.

And he was condescending.

He was just, basically,
a jerk with money.

NARRATOR: Within
months of meeting,

the couple married and
began the large family

both had always wanted.

They moved into a luxurious
home in upscale Menlo Park,

California.

And Donna settled in
to be a full time mom.

For 13 years, Donna appeared
happy with her life.

Then one Thanksgiving, Donna
revealed the truth about

her seemingly perfect marriage.

I'm not that good, mom.

I don't want to talk about me.

Why, what's the matter?

SHIRLEY RUBIO: She told me that
she did not love Joe anymore,

that she wanted a divorce.

And she said, but mom,
until after the holidays,

I won't do anything because
I don't want to ruin

Christmas for the children.

Do you want a cookie?

NARRATOR: That
Christmas, Donna's mother

and her relatives gathered
in White Plains, Missouri

to celebrate.

Donna could not make it, so her
stepfather called California

to wish her a happy holiday.

[phone ringing]

Hello?

Hey, Joe, Merry Christmas.

Hey, Frank.

Merry Christmas to you, too.

Hey, I want to talk to Donna.

She's not here right now.

Well, where is she?

You know, I don't know.

We had an argument on the 19th.

And she walked out.

And I haven't heard
from her since.

SHIRLEY RUBIO: Joe didn't bother
to give us any kind of a story,

just that she was gone.

- What's happening?
- I don't know.

He says she's not there.

It's like the whole
atmosphere over Christmas

just died right there.

It was terrible because
we were so far away

and there was nothing
that we could do.

NARRATOR: Joe Morrow
maintains that his wife

Donna voluntarily left
him and their children

to start life anew.

But Donna's friends and
family are convinced that she

fell victim to foul play.

There's no compelling
physical evidence

to support either conclusion.

No body has ever been found.

There's also no sign that
Donna Morrow is still alive.

Without your help, Donna's
fate may never be known.

What happened the night
your wife disappeared?

NARRATOR: In an interview
with Menlo Park police

shortly after Donna's
disappearance,

Joe Morrow stated that he last
saw his wife on December 19

at approximately 10:00 PM.

Well, we had somewhat
of a heated argument.

And she got very upset.

NARRATOR: Following
an argument, Donna

stormed out the front door
taking her purse and keys.

Did she take her car?

No.

She didn't take her car?

SGT JIM SIMPSON:
We asked him if he

had any explanation as to why
she had not taken the car.

He didn't have an
explanation other

than that she is known to go
out for walks from time to time.

I thought that she
was seeing another man.

NARRATOR: Morrow also
suggest that his wife

was having an affair.

Further police
investigation established

that Donna had indeed
formed a close friendship

with another man.

I think he was kind
and understanding,

and was giving her a shoulder
to cry on, so to speak.

But due to her marital status,
it was not going beyond that,

other than seeking friendship.

Hey, it's me.

NARRATOR: Police
discover that Donna

called this man on the night
she disappeared at 7:30 PM.

SGT JIM SIMPSON: So
we knew that she was

alive and well at that point.

Donna had wanted to
get together with him.

And he declined the invitation.

NARRATOR: Donna's
friend provided

authorities with an alibi and
passed a lie detector test.

He has been ruled
out as a suspect.

[interposing voices]

NARRATOR: Police
then found a witness

who could tell them what
happened next, Donna and Joe's

own 8-year-old daughter.

Come here.

You're going to listen to me.

NARRATOR: She told
detectives that at 9:30 PM,

she awoke to her parents
screaming at each other.

According to the daughter, the
yelling got quieter and quieter

and then stopped altogether.

SGT JIM SIMPSON: And
shortly thereafter, she

ended up hearing
one set of footsteps

leading to the front door area.

She didn't see whether it was
her father or her mom who was

walking to the front doorstep.

She just heard them.

NARRATOR: Was this the sound of
Donna Morrow leaving the house

just as Joe Morrow claimed?

Donna's daughter seemed to
confirm that scenario with what

she next told investigators.

A few hours later, she went
into her parents' bedroom,

only Joe Morrow
was there, asleep.

Did Donna Morrow, trapped in
an allegedly abusive marriage,

simply walk out the front
door to start a new life?

Donna would never
just walk out.

She lived for her children.

She would never
just go and leave

them with the man
that she planned

to leave in a couple of weeks.

NARRATOR: But there was
no compelling evidence

to contradict Donna
leaving voluntarily.

Then police discovered
the first potential clue.

On the side of bucket, a
small splatter of blood.

Hey, Simpson, you want to
come take a look at this?

SGT JIM SIMPSON: We don't have
Donna's blood to compare it to.

But we were able to exclude
the children and Joe as being

the donors of that blood.

The fact that Donna is not
here, the question remains,

could it be Donna's?

NARRATOR: But without
a body, crime scene,

or any compelling forensic
evidence, the police

investigation ground to a halt.

OK.

Housekeeping.

Hello?

NARRATOR: Three weeks
later, in a motel room 95

miles from the Morrow's home.

Hello?

Sir?

Are you OK?

NARRATOR: Joe
Morrow was sprawled

on the bed, semi-conscious.

He had taken an overdose
of barbiturates.

The other thing
that was odd was

that they found a large
number of suicide notes

to various people,
none addressed

to his allegedly missing wife.

And she was not mentioned
in any of those letters.

Yes, I'm the
maid in the hotel.

NARRATOR: Joe Morrow recovered
from the suicide attempt

and continued to
deny any involvement

in Donna's disappearance.

But two years later, Morrow
was sued in civil court

for wrongful death
by Donna's parents

on behalf of her children.

At the same time,
Morrow pled guilty

to an unrelated fraud
charge and was scheduled

to surrender on June 24.

He never showed up.

ROSS T HITE: I think that
Joe Morrow was shrewd enough

that he knew if he could
stagger around us for as long

as he did, that he could
build an exit strategy.

And that's what he did.

NARRATOR: After
Joe's disappearance,

his estate settled the
wrongful death suit

and agreed to pay $2 million.

Guardianship of
his four children

was given to his brother
and sister-in-law.

Ultimately, an arrest
warrant citing probable cause

was issued for Joseph Morrow
for the murder of his wife.

Family, friends, and
the police are now

convinced that he killed her.

My impression is
that, perhaps, Joe

found out about this other
person, this young man.

And in a fit of rage,
just threw Donna down

or she hit her
head or something.

I just feel like it
was a crime of passion.

I think that she probably
left the residence dead,

and was dragged to
the garage, where

she was placed in a vehicle.

The location of where the
blood was found on the bucket

speaks for itself, that it
was probably during a cleanup

process in the garage.

I would like to see Joe put
behind bars or put to death.

It wouldn't bother me.

And I want my daughter found.

I want to at least know
what he did with her,

so I can put her to rest.

[music playing]

NARRATOR: Join me next time, for
four more intriguing stories,

cases where you may
have that one vital clue

that can help solve a mystery.

[music playing]