All language subtitles for Children.Of.The.Snow.S01E01.WEBRip.x264-ION10.English

ALL DETROITERS KNOW THIS STORY.

- THESE TWO ARE ROLLING.
- OKAY, ROLLING.

YOU TALK TO ANYBODY
ON THE STREET OF A CERTAIN AGE,

THEY KNOW THIS STORY.

I'M A DETROITER.
I KNOW THIS STORY.

DETROITER OVER THERE KNOWS
THIS STORY,

AND DETROITER OVER THERE KNOWS
THIS STORY,

AND WE ALL BOND OVER THIS STORY
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT IT --

"HEY, YOU REMEMBER THE OAKLAND
COUNTY CHILD KILLER?"

"**** YEAH."

MURDER IN DETROIT
SUBURBS IS UNCOMMON,

BUT RESIDENTS ARE PANICKING OVER
THE RECENT MURDERS OF CHILDREN.

FOR MORE THAN FOUR DECADES...

I JUST CAN'T IMAGINE
FOUR PARENTS

GOING THROUGH WHAT
THEY WENT THROUGH.

...SOMEONE HAS GOTTEN
AWAY WITH MURDERING CHILDREN.

I TRUSTED THE COPS.

I TRUSTED THEM
FOR 30 PLUS YEARS.

OTHERS HAVE GOTTEN AWAY

WITH A MASSIVE CHILD-ABUSE RING.

YOUR AVERAGE JOE DON'T COME
TO THIS ISLAND,

HAVE SEX WITH A CHILD.

I COULD RIP THIS ****
CABIN DOWN.

I CAN JUST...
I COULD DESTROY THIS ****

**** CABIN JUST TO PUT
THE PAIN AWAY,

MAKE THE MEMORIES GO AWAY.

BUT WHAT IF SOME OF
THE SAME PEOPLE WERE INVOLVED?

THERE WERE HUNDREDS
OF MEN,

MEN IN THE GOVERNMENT,
MEN WITH POWER.

A BRAND-NEW TWO-PART
INVESTIGATION STARTED BY ONE KID

WHO GOT AWAY...

WHEN I WAS 7 YEARS OLD,

SOMEBODY TRIED TO ABDUCT ME.

ALL OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED
TO THOSE KIDS

COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO ME.

...WILL UNPACK
SHOCKING NEW DETAILS...

I CAME ACROSS THIS
CATALOGUING OF EVIDENCE,

AND IT STOPPED ME IN MY TRACKS.

...WHERE COVER-UPS
ARE EXPOSED...

THIS CASE COULD HAVE
BEEN SOLVED THREE DECADES AGO.

IN FACT, THIS CASE MAYBE
WAS SOLVED THREE DECADES AGO.

...AND DECADES OF
SILENCE ARE FINALLY BROKEN.

WE DEFINITELY FELT THAT WE HAD

THE OAKLAND COUNTY
CHILD KILLERS.

-- Captions by VITAC--
www.vitac.com

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY
DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

IN THE SUBURBS OF DETROIT,

ANOTHER FRUSTRATING SEARCH
FOR A SEX KILLER

HAS BEEN PRESSED
FOR THE PAST 16 MONTHS.

FOUR CHILDREN HAVE BEEN
MURDERED, THE LAST IN MARCH.

A LOT OF CHILDREN IN THIS AREA.

THE LUCKY ONES HAVE DECIDED
NOT TO GO WITH HIM.

WHEN I WAS 7 YEARS OLD,

SOMEBODY TRIED TO ABDUCT ME.

J. REUBEN APPELMAN WAS
A KID IN THE SUBURBS OF DETROIT

IN THE LATE 1970s
WHEN HE ENCOUNTERED A STRANGER.

HE HAD SIDEBURNS.
HIS HAIR WAS THINNING.

HE HAD DARK EYES, DARK HAIR.

THIS GUY PULLED UP
IN A LITTLE CAR,

AND HE OPENED THE DOOR,
AND HE REACHED OVER,

AND HE TRIED TO GRAB MY ARM,
AND HE SAID, "GET INTO THE CAR."

I JUST TOOK OFF, AND I REALIZED
THAT I HAD ALMOST FALLEN VICTIM

TO THE OAKLAND COUNTY
CHILD KILLER.

I COULD HAVE BEEN A VICTIM.

ALL THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED
TO THOSE KIDS

COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO ME.

THE INCIDENT STUCK
WITH HIM FOR DECADES.

IT NEVER REALLY
OCCURRED TO ME

UNTIL I WAS RAISING MY OWN KIDS,

THE GRAVITY
OF THAT MOMENT FOR ME,

AND I GOT OUT OF BED,
CHECKED ON MY KIDS,

AND I JUST STARTED GOOGLING
THE OAKLAND COUNTY CHILD KILLER.

IT TRIGGERED
AN INVESTIGATIVE OBSESSION.

IN 2005,

WHEN I STARTED
DIGGING INTO THIS CASE,

THE INTERNET
WAS SORT OF AFLAME.

YOU COULD FINALLY GET ONLINE
AND SEARCH

FOR EVERYTHING YOU WANTED,
PRACTICALLY.

I THOUGHT, "ANYBODY COULD SOLVE
A MURDER CASE.

YOU'VE JUST GOT TO BURY YOURSELF
IN THE EVIDENCE FOR LONG ENOUGH,

AND YOU'LL FIGURE IT OUT."

I WANT TO KNOW WHO KILLED
THOSE FOUR KIDS.

I JUST DECIDED, "I HAVE TO SOLVE
THIS CRIME SOMEHOW."

HIS AMATEUR INVESTIGATION

HAS CONSUMED 13 YEARS
OF HIS LIFE.

THE DEEPER HE DUG, THE MORE
AND MORE VIOLENT THE STORY GOT.

THE OAKLAND COUNTY
CHILD KILLER CASE

IS A NIGHTMARE,

BUT ONCE YOU ACCEPT THAT,

THERE'S NOTHING ELSE TO DO
BUT UNRAVEL IT.

TODAY, APPELMAN

AND THE FAMILY
OF ONE OF THE VICTIMS

THINK THEY KNOW WHAT HAPPENED.

FOR 30 YEARS,
THE COPS WERE SITTING ON

WHAT CONTINUE TO BE
THE PRIMARY SUSPECTS.

NOT ONLY DID WE NOT CATCH
THE KILLER,

WE CAUGHT THE KILLER,
LET HIM GO KILL MORE KIDS.

I THINK THERE'S ABSOLUTELY
A POSSIBILITY

THAT THERE'S A COVER-UP HERE.

AND LONGTIME DETECTIVE
CORY WILLIAMS

IS DETERMINED TO MAKE THE CASE.

AS OF NOW, I AM THE
LONGEST-SERVING DETECTIVE

ON THE CASE AND PROUD TO BE.

OUR GOAL IS TO SOLVE THE CASE

AND TO BE ABLE TO TELL THE
VICTIMS' FAMILIES AFTER SO LONG.

THAT WOULD BE AMAZING.

I'M SORRY.

I NEED ONE SECOND HERE.

IT ALL STARTED ON THIS STREET

IN FERNDALE, MICHIGAN, IN 1976.

RIGHT HERE IS WHERE
MARK STEBBINS

STARTED HIS JOURNEY HOME
AFTER VISITING WITH HIS MOTHER

AT THE AMERICAN LEGION HALL.

MARK WANTED TO LEAVE

BECAUSE THERE WAS A WAR MOVIE
COMING ON.

MARK IS A QUIET, LIKABLE KID.

HE COLLECTS TOY SOLDIERS
AND LOVES ALL THINGS MILITARY.

HE WANTED TO GROW UP
AND GO INTO THE MARINE CORPS.

HE'S LIKE, "THAT'S WHAT
I WANT TO DO."

IT'S A 3-BLOCK WALK
HOME FROM THE LEGION,

AND IT'S BROAD DAYLIGHT.

YOU KNOW, THIS ISN'T A
BUSTLING CITY FULL OF STRANGERS.

THIS IS A TINY, LITTLE
MIDDLE-AMERICA INTERSECTION.

I LEFT PROBABLY ABOUT AN HOUR
OR SO LATER,

AND WHEN I GOT HOME,
MARK WASN'T THERE.

THEN MY MOTHER CALLED ME,
AND SHE ASKED ME,

"WHERE IS MARK?"

I SAYS, "I DON'T KNOW, MOM.
HE'S NOT HERE."

AND I TRIED TO CALL A FEW
OF MARK'S FRIENDS.

NOBODY HAD SEEN HIM.

10 HOURS LATER, STILL NO MARK.

HIS MOTHER, RUTH,
CALLS THE POLICE.

"THERE HASN'T BEEN A KIDNAPPING
IN FERNDALE IN 10 YEARS,"

THEY ASSURED HER.

MARK'S DESCRIPTION GOES OUT
TO THE POLICE RADIOS --

JUST UNDER 5 FEET TALL,
RED-BLOND HAIR AND BLUE EYES.

THEY LAUNCH A DOOR-TO-DOOR
SEARCH.

NO ONE HAS SEEN A THING.

429 EAST SARATOGA, FERNDALE,
WAS FOUND IN THE REAR

OF A PARKING LOT
OF AN OFFICE PLAZA.

I HATE TO USE THE WORD.
HIS BODY WAS DUMPED.

IT WAS ON 10 MILE ABOUT
100 YARDS WEST OF GREENFIELD.

HE WAS 3/4 OF A MILE FROM HOME.

AND THERE WAS A WALL
BETWEEN A SHOPPING CENTER

AND SOME BUILDINGS,

AND HE WAS PLACED
IN A SNOWBANK NEXT TO THIS WALL.

HE WAS FULLY CLOTHED, WEARING
A BLUE PARKA AND BLUE JEANS.

THE AUTOPSY FOUND MARK
WAS SMOTHERED TO DEATH.

THERE WERE ROPE BURNS
ON HIS NECK, WRIST AND ANKLES,

AND HE'D BEEN SODOMIZED.

SO WE KNEW THIS WAS
A LITTLE MORE

THAN JUST AN ABDUCTION KILLING.

JUST A FEW WEEKS EARLIER,

LOURN DOAN HAD BEEN PROMOTED

FROM PATROL OFFICER
TO DETECTIVE.

I WAS STILL A NEW
DETECTIVE, AND, YOU KNOW,

I WAS LEARNING AS I WAS GOING.

DETECTIVE DOAN GETS A TIP

FROM A LOCAL PAROLE OFFICER

TO CHECK OUT A RECENTLY
RELEASED PRISONER,

34-YEAR-OLD ARCH SLOAN.

CONVICTED OF SODOMY
IN PENNSYLVANIA,

SLOAN WAS NOW
LIVING IN SOUTHFIELD

AND WORKING AS A TOW-TRUCK
DRIVER AND MECHANIC

IN NEARBY FARMINGTON HILLS.

THEY TOOK TAPINGS OF HIS CAR
TO GET FIBER EVIDENCE

AND ANY HAIRS THAT THEY HAD,
AND THEY STORED IT AWAY.

BUT NO PHYSICAL EVIDENCE

TIES SLOAN TO MARK'S MURDER.

AFTER MONTHS,
THE POLICE HAVE NO CLUES,

NO WITNESSES AND NO SUSPECTS.

HIS MURDER SEEMS UTTERLY RANDOM.

WE HAD NO INFORMATION

BEYOND THE FACT THAT A CHILD

WAS WALKING DOWN
THE STREET, DISAPPEARED,

AND THEN HIS BODY WAS FOUND.

THE WHOLE FAMILY FELL
APART AT THE TIME --

MYSELF, MY MOTHER.

WELL, I KIND OF PUT THAT OUT
OF MY MIND,

BUT IT STILL HURTS.

IT IMPACTED HER PRETTY HARD,

AND SHE FELL INTO BAD HEALTH.

I TOTALLY KICKED MYSELF
IN THE BUTT.

IF I WOULD HAVE WALKED HOME
WITH HIM,

HE MAY HAVE MADE IT HOME SAFE.

EVERYBODY WANTED TO SOLVE
THIS REALLY BAD.

AT THAT TIME, OF COURSE,
WE DIDN'T KNOW

THAT THIS WAS GOING
TO BLOSSOM LIKE IT DID.

FIVE MONTHS AFTER MARK'S MURDER,

ANOTHER STORY WAS UNRAVELING

ONE HOUR NORTH OF DETROIT
IN PORT HURON.

AN 8-YEAR-OLD BOY IS SEXUALLY
MOLESTED SO BADLY

HE'S TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL.

EDDIE'S MOTHER CALLS THE POLICE.

THE MAN ARRESTED
IS A GYM TEACHER

AND THE DIRECTOR
OF A BOYS' CAMP

FOR TROUBLED TEENS
ON AN ISOLATED ISLAND

IN LAKE MICHIGAN --
NORTH FOX ISLAND.

WHAT STATE POLICE LEARN
OPENS A PANDORA'S BOX.

IT WAS A SPIDER'S WEB.

AND REALLY, IT WAS A FRONT.

IT WAS A FRONT FOR PEDOPHILES,
AND IT WAS A FRONT

FOR PEDOPHILES
TO FILM CHILD PORNOGRAPHY.

ONE SMALL MICHIGAN
NEWSPAPER REPORTER GOT THE TIP,

BUT IT WOULD TAKE YEARS
TO UNRAVEL.

IT WAS ONE OF THOSE THINGS
WHERE THE DEEPER SHE DUG,

THE MORE DIRT SHE FOUND.

THESE WERE BAD GUYS.

THESE WERE BAD PEOPLE.

ALL OF THAT IS IN THE UNRAVELING

OF THE OAKLAND COUNTY
CHILD KILLER CASE.

IT IS EXACTLY THE WORST
THAT YOU CAN IMAGINE.

FIVE HOURS SOUTH
IN OAKLAND COUNTY,

THE POLICE INVESTIGATING
MARK'S MURDER HAVE NO IDEA

THERE IS ANY CONNECTION
TO NORTH FOX ISLAND.

I WAS NOT AWARE OF THAT.

I MEAN, I WAS COMPLETELY
TUNED IN

TO WHAT WAS HAPPENING
RIGHT HERE IN OAKLAND COUNTY.

AS POLICE IN OAKLAND COUNTY

CONTINUE TO HUNT
FOR MARK STEBBINS' KILLER,

MICHIGAN STATE POLICE
IN ST. CLAIR COUNTY

BEGIN TO UNCOVER THE GROTESQUE
GOINGS-ON AT NORTH FOX ISLAND,

THE BOYS' CAMP
FOR TROUBLED TEENS.

ON THAT ISLAND,

THOSE BOYS
WOULD BE ROUTINELY MOLESTED,

PHOTOGRAPHED
WHILE BEING MOLESTED

AND KEPT BASICALLY
IN A SORT OF CAPTIVITY

UNTIL THEIR CAMP SESSION
WAS OVER.

THE ISLAND WAS OWNED
BY PHILANTHROPIST

AND LIFELONG BACHELOR
FRANCIS SHELDEN.

FRANCIS SHELDEN WAS
FROM A VERY WEALTHY

AND PROMINENT
EAST-SIDE-OF-DETROIT FAMILY,

AND IN 1959,
HE BOUGHT FOX ISLAND.

AND HE SAID HE WAS GOING
TO BUILD VACATION HOMES THERE,

BUT INSTEAD,
HE TURNED THE CABINS

AND ALL THE BUILDINGS
HE BOUGHT THERE

INTO A PLACE
WHERE HE COULD BRING KIDS

AND FILM THEM AND MOLEST THEM.

THE CAMP OPERATED FOR
TWO SUMMERS IN 1975 AND '76.

EVENTUALLY, AN ARREST WARRANT
GOES OUT FOR SHELDEN

FOR TWO COUNTS
OF SEXUAL ABUSE,

BUT BY THEN, HE'S CLEANED
OUT HIS ANN ARBOR HOME

AND FLED IN HIS PRIVATE PLANE.

THE BOYS ON NORTH FOX ISLAND

WERE ROUGHLY THE SAME AGE
AS MARK STEBBINS.

WE KNOW THAT THE MEN
THAT TRAVELED UP TO FOX

ALSO OPERATED IN DETROIT

AND THROUGHOUT THE SUBURBS
SURROUNDING DETROIT.

AND WE CAN SAY NOBODY MADE
ANY CONNECTION

BETWEEN THE ABDUCTION
OF MARK STEBBINS

AND NORTH FOX ISLAND.

I THINK IT IS NOT NECESSARILY
BELIEVABLE.

THEY ALL KNEW EACH OTHER.
THEY ALL DEPENDED ON EACH OTHER

BECAUSE IT'S A COMMUNITY
OF PEOPLE

OPERATING TO INDUSTRIALIZE

THE MOLESTATION
AND PHOTOGRAPHY OF CHILDREN.

POLICE CONTINUE TO
INVESTIGATE NORTH FOX ISLAND

WHILE THE MYSTERY IN OAKLAND
COUNTY IS ABOUT TO GROW WORSE.

THREE NIGHTS BEFORE CHRISTMAS

IN A SUBURB
JUST NORTH OF FERNDALE,

KAROL ROBINSON AND HER
12-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER, JILL,

GET INTO AN ARGUMENT.

I HAD ASKED HER
TO HELP WITH DINNER,

AND SHE REFUSED AND SAID
SHE DIDN'T WANT TO BE HERE

AND JUST MADE
A SNOTTY REMARK AGAIN,

AND I JUST...
I JUST THINK I HAD IT,

AND I JUST SAID, "WELL, JILL,
IF YOU DON'T LIKE BEING HERE,

WHY DON'T YOU JUST GET
YOUR COAT ON

AND STAND OUT IN THE FRONT YARD
AND THINK ABOUT IT?

AND WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE TALKING
ABOUT IT, COME ON BACK IN."

JILL PACKED HER BAG

AND PUT HER LITTLE BOOK
IN HER BACKPACK

AND RODE OFF INTO THE NIGHT
TO GO AND SEE HER DAD.

SHE DIDN'T COME BACK IN.

HER DAD, TOM,
AN ENGLISH TEACHER,

LIVES A FEW MILES AWAY
IN BIRMINGHAM,

BUT JILL NEVER ARRIVES,

AND SHORTLY BEFORE MIDNIGHT,
TOM CALLS THE POLICE.

A FAMILY FRIEND
SAYS THEY SAW JILL

PEDALING NORTHWARD
ON WOODWARD AVENUE

AROUND 7:30, ABOUT AN HOUR
AFTER SHE LEFT HOME.

OTHER THAN THAT,
THE POLICE HAVE NOTHING,

AND LIKE MARK STEBBINS,

JILL ROBINSON JUST SEEMED
TO HAVE VANISHED.

IT'S THE DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS.

A MOTORIST ON THE I-75
NEAR TROY SPOTS

SOMETHING IN THE SNOW
ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD --

THE BODY OF SIXTH GRADER
JILL ROBINSON.

JILL WAS LAYING ON HER BACK,
FULLY CLOTHED

AND WEARING HER BLUE KNAPSACK.

THERE WAS A GUNSHOT WOUND
TO HER FACE.

UNLIKE MARK STEBBINS,
THE AUTOPSY REVEALS

JILL HADN'T BEEN
SEXUALLY MOLESTED.

SHE HAD BEEN SHOT AT CLOSE RANGE
AT THE SPOT

WHERE HER BODY WAS FOUND.

SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE THIS MEANS
SHE WASN'T ASPHYXIATED.

SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE THIS MEANS
THAT SHE WASN'T VICTIM

TO THE ALLEGED
OAKLAND COUNTY CHILD KILLER.

OTHER PEOPLE, LIKE RETIRED COP
JACK KALBFLEISCH,

AN ORIGINAL TASK FORCE MEMBER,

BELIEVES NO,
SHE PROBABLY WAS ASPHYXIATED.

WHEN A PERSON IS SUFFOCATED,

THERE'S STILL A CERTAIN AMOUNT
OF OXYGEN IN THE LUNGS.

I BELIEVE WHEN SHE WAS DROPPED,
THE PRESSURE ON THE BACKPACK

CAUSED HER TO MAKE A MOANING
SOUND AS THE OXYGEN ESCAPED.

AT THAT POINT, HE SHOT HER...

...TO MAKE SURE SHE WAS DEAD.

THE AUTOPSY ALSO REVEALS

THAT WHEREVER JILL HAD BEEN HELD
FOR THE PAST THREE DAYS,

SOMEONE HAD WASHED HER CLOTHES
AND FED HER.

YEAH, IT WAS...

THIS WAS A BAD PERIOD.

IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS
THAT NEVER GOES AWAY,

SO I'M STUCK THINKING ABOUT IT
EVERY MORNING AND EVERY EVENING.

BOTH THE TROY AND
ROYAL OAK POLICE TALK

TO HER FAMILY AND FRIENDS.

NO ONE KNOWS WHERE SHE'D BEEN
OR WHO MIGHT HAVE DONE THIS.

THE ONLY LEAD -- A WITNESS
REPORTS SEEING A LIGHT BLUE

PONTIAC LE MANS
STOPPED ON THE SIDE OF I-75

WHERE JILL'S BODY WAS FOUND.

AS THEY APPROACHED,

THE CAR PULLED OUT
FROM THE SIDE OF THE ROAD,

AND AFTER THEY PASSED,
THEY NOTICED THE CAR PULL BACK

INTO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD
ON 16 AND I-75.

YOU TALK TO JACK KALBFLEISCH,

AND HE'LL TELL YOU TIME
AND AGAIN

THAT HE TRIED TO GET
THIS LEAD LOOKED AT.

THERE'S PLENTY OF DOCUMENTATION
THAT SAYS THIS LEAD

INTO THE LE MANS
IS A CREDIBLE LEAD,

AND SO YOU WONDER WHY IT WASN'T
LOOKED AT AT GREATER LENGTHS.

THE SECOND DAY OF JANUARY, 1977.

KRISTINE MIHELICH WANTED TO GO
TO A PARTY STORE

JUST A FEW BLOCKS
FROM HER HOME IN BERKLEY.

KRIS HAD HELPED MY MOM

TAKE THE CHRISTMAS
DECORATIONS DOWN,

AND KRIS HAD ASKED
IF SHE COULD WALK TO 7-ELEVEN

TO BUY A TEEN MAGAZINE OF SORTS.

AND I TOLD HER NO BECAUSE
SHE HAD TO CROSS TWELVE MILE,

AND THAT'S A BUSY STREET,

AND I REMEMBER SAYING TO ME
"WELL, I DID YOU A FAVOR,"

AND SHE'S, YOU KNOW,
"WON'T YOU DO THIS FOR ME?"

I SAID, "IF YOU GO TO THE LIGHT
AND PROMISE ME

YOU'LL CROSS AT THE LIGHT,"
I SAID, "I'LL LET YOU GO."

THE STORE IS JUST A
FEW BLOCKS FROM THE HOUSE.

DEBBIE FIGURES KRIS WILL
BE HOME WITHIN HALF AN HOUR.

AFTER AN HOUR, THOUGH,
THERE'S NO SIGN OF KRISTINE.

AND I THOUGHT, "WELL, MAYBE
SHE RAN INTO HER DAD,

AND HE PICKED HER UP,

AND THEY JUST FORGOT
TO GIVE ME A CALL."

IT WAS GETTING DARK, AND THAT'S
WHEN I REALLY BECAME CONCERNED.

DEBBIE REPORTS
HER DAUGHTER MISSING

TO THE BERKLEY POLICE.

THEY JUST TOOK THE INFORMATION,

AND THEY TOLD ME THEY WERE GOING
TO PUT IT ON THE 11:00 NEWS,

AND THAT ALWAYS STRUCK ME
KIND OF ODD

THAT THEY WERE SO QUICK
TO GET THAT OUT ON THE NEWS.

IT NEVER ENTERED MY MIND,
REALLY, THAT SHE WAS KIDNAPPED.

YOU KNOW, YOU JUST DON'T THINK
IN THOSE TERMS.

THE POLICE RETRACE
HER LAST-KNOWN STEPS.

WE KNOW THAT SHE MADE IT
TO THE 7-ELEVEN STORE

BECAUSE THE CLERK
DID GIVE A STATEMENT

THAT SHE MADE IT THERE.

AND THAT WAS THE LAST
SHE WAS SEEN.

I NEVER CONNECTED IT WITH JILL

AND NEVER WITH MARK.

I WAS FRANTIC, BUT I...
SHE WAS GONNA SHOW UP.

BUT AFTER THE FIRST 24 HOURS,
THEN, YOU KNOW,

YOUR IMAGINATION JUST GOES WILD,

AND THEN YOU'RE OBVIOUSLY
THINKING OF, YOU KNOW,

SOMETHING TRAGIC HAS HAPPENED.

THE POLICE ARE
THINKING THE SAME THING.

KRISTINE WAS THE THIRD CHILD
TO GO MISSING IN OAKLAND COUNTY

IN ALMOST 11 MONTHS,
AND THE FIRST TWO WERE MURDERED.

MY BOSS AND I,

WE STARTED THINKING MAYBE
WE'VE GOT A SERIAL KILLER.

SOUTHFIELD
POLICE FORM A TASK FORCE

INCLUDING ALL LOCAL FORCES
AROUND OAKLAND COUNTY.

LIEUTENANT JACK KALBFLEISCH
FROM THE BIRMINGHAM POLICE

WAS AT THAT FIRST MEETING.

AND THAT WAS THE
START OF MY INVESTIGATING

THE CHILD KILLINGS.

THE TASK FORCE WAS 50 TO 60 MEN
FROM VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS

WHO VOLUNTEERED THEIR PEOPLE
TO COME OVER

WHETHER THEY WERE ONE OF
THE VICTIMS' CITIES OR NOT.

THEY SAID, "LET'S
GET THIS PERSON."

THE PUBLIC IS NOW TAKING NOTICE.

IF YOUR YOUNGSTERS MAY HAVE BEEN
HERE, MAY HAVE SEEN SOMETHING,

IF THEY MAY HAVE BEEN APPROACHED
BY A STRANGER,

ASK THEM ABOUT IT.

WE HAD A NUMBER THAT YOU COULD
CALL TO THE TASK FORCE,

AND WE HAD SEVERAL PEOPLE
THAT WOULD WRITE OUT THE TIPS,

AND WE'D GO FROM THERE.

19 DAYS
AFTER SHE WENT MISSING,

ABOUT 7 MILES FROM BERKLEY

ON A DEAD-END STREET
IN FRANKLIN VILLAGE,

A MAILMAN SPOTS
SOMETHING IN THE DITCH.

AND HE SAW SOMETHING RED
STICKING OUT OF THE SNOW.

TURNED OUT IT WAS
KRISTINE'S HAND.

WHEN I WENT
TO THE CRIME SCENE,

THE BODY WAS STILL
AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.

SHE WAS LAYING PARTIALLY
COVERED IN SNOW

WITH HER ARMS STICKING OUT,
YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY DEAD.

IT'S 1977,
AND MICHIGAN POLICE CONTINUE

INVESTIGATING A CHILD ABUSE RING
WHICH OPERATED

FROM AN ISOLATED ISLAND
IN LAKE MICHIGAN.

ALMOST 300 MILES SOUTH,
A THIRD CHILD HAS BEEN MURDERED

AND PLACED IN THE SNOW
IN SUBURBAN DETROIT.

THERE WAS A KNOCK AT THE DOOR,

AND THERE WAS LAW ENFORCEMENT
AND A MINISTER,

AND I KNEW RIGHT THEN
THAT IT WAS,

YOU KNOW...
WHAT HAD HAPPENED.

AFTER 19 AGONIZING DAYS,

12-YEAR-OLD KRISTINE MIHELICH
OF ROYAL OAK

IS NOW THE THIRD CHILD
TO BE ABDUCTED,

MURDERED AND DUMPED IN THE SNOW
AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.

KRISTINE'S AUTOPSY
REVEALS SIMILARITIES

TO THOSE OF JILL ROBINSON
AND MARK STEBBINS.

LIKE JILL, SHE HAD NOT BEEN
SEXUALLY ASSAULTED,

BUT LIKE MARK,
SHE WAS SUFFOCATED.

ALL WERE FULLY CLOTHED,
WASHED, WELL-FED,

AND ALL THREE KILLED HOURS

BEFORE THEY WERE DUMPED
IN THE SNOW.

AND THAT'S WHEN WE SAID,
"WE ARE FULL SCALE.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
THE SAME PERSON OR PERSONS."

AFTER THE ABDUCTION
OF KRISTINE MIHELICH,

WHICH WAS VICTIM NUMBER THREE,

THE PAPERS STARTED FILLING UP
WITH ARTICLES ABOUT THESE KIDS.

IT STARTED TO BECOME
ON THE RADAR OF PARENTS

AND SCHOOLTEACHERS

THAT WE'RE PROBABLY LOOKING
FOR A SERIAL KILLER

OR KILLERS OR SOME ENTITY.

WHERE THE VICTIMS LIVED
ARE TAKING SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS.

THEY'RE WITH ME
ALL THE TIME NOW.

PEOPLE DIDN'T EVEN LET
THEIR CHILDREN

GO IN THE BACKYARD
WITHOUT A PARENT BEING THERE.

THE VERY THINGS YOU HAD MOVED
TO ESCAPE

WHEN YOU CAME FROM DETROIT
HAD LANDED THERE.

BY NOW, HUNDREDS OF TIPS

ARE POURING IN
TO THE FLEDGLING TASK FORCE.

ONE STANDS OUT --
TIP NUMBER 370.

THOMAS WALDER FROM
THE FLINT POLICE DEPARTMENT

CALLED MY BOSS IN SOUTHFIELD

AND RELAYED TO HIM THAT THEY HAD
A SUSPECT IN CUSTODY

FOR ONE OF THEIR CASES
THAT SAID HE KNEW

WHO THE OAKLAND COUNTY
CHILD KILLER WAS.

THAT SUSPECT IS
27-YEAR-OLD GREGORY GREENE,

A PEDOPHILE ARRESTED
FOR MOLESTING A YOUNG BOY

IN FLINT, MICHIGAN.

AND IT WAS OBVIOUS THIS IS
WHAT WERE LOOKING FOR,

SO MY BOSS
AND I WENT UP THERE.

DETECTIVE DOAN HAS
NEVER SPOKEN PUBLICLY

ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED.

UNDER QUESTIONING,
GREENE TELLS DOAN

THAT HIS FRIEND
AND FREQUENT PARTNER IN CRIME

KILLED THE FIRST VICTIM,
MARK STEBBINS.

HE SAID IT WAS
CHRISTOPHER BUSCH.

25-YEAR-OLD
CHRISTOPHER BUSCH

LIVES IN ALMA, MICHIGAN,

WHERE HE RUNS A RESTAURANT,
THE SCOTSMAN.

HE AND GREENE ARE ACCUSED
OF FORCING BOYS

INTO SEX ACTS
AND LEWD PHOTOGRAPHY.

APART FROM THESE CHARGES,
BUSCH HAS NO PREVIOUS RECORD.

HIS FATHER, H. LEE BUSCH,

IS A HIGHLY PLACED
GENERAL MOTORS EXECUTIVE.

WE WENT UP TO ALMA WHERE HE WAS
STAYING, AND WE ARRESTED HIM.

HE WANTED TO GO BACK
AND GET A TOOTHBRUSH,

AND WE THOUGHT MAYBE
THIS WOULD GET US IN HIS HOUSE

AND SEE WHAT WAS THERE,
AND IT DID.

HE SAID, "I'VE GOT NOTHING TO
HIDE. YOU CAN GO THROUGH IT."

WHAT THEY FIND IS CHILLING.

WE FOUND A SUITCASE FULL OF...

I THINK IT WAS MAGAZINES
OR CUTOUTS OF YOUNG KIDS.

THEY ALSO FIND
CHILD-PORN FILMS

ON 8-MILLIMETER REELS,

ROPES AND LIGATURES
AND TWO SHOTGUNS.

HE ADMITTED TO BEING
A PEDOPHILE, TO PICKING UP KIDS,

AND TWO OF THEM WERE DEFINITELY
IN THE AREAS OF TWO OF OUR KIDS

THAT WERE ABDUCTED AND KILLED,

ONE BEING MARK STEBBINS
AT NINE AND WOODWARD

AND THE OTHER,
KRISTINE MIHELICH,

AT THE 7-ELEVEN.

BUSCH DIDN'T HOLD BACK
ABOUT HIS FANTASIES.

HE WAS OBSESSED WITH BOYS.

IT SOUNDED LIKE HE AND GREENE
HAD WORKED TOGETHER

AND TALKED ABOUT
ABDUCTING YOUNG BOYS

AND HOW THEY WOULD
KEEP THEM DURING THE DAY.

ONE WOULD WORK DAYS,
AND THE OTHER WOULD WORK NIGHTS,

AND THEN THEY'D ALWAYS
HAVE SOMEBODY THERE.

IT'S DAMNING.

DETECTIVE DOAN ASKS BUSCH
TO TAKE A POLYGRAPH.

HE SAYS, "I'VE GOT NOTHING TO
HIDE, AND I WANT TO TAKE IT."

THE OAKLAND COUNTY
ASSISTANT CHIEF PROSECUTOR

FLIES UP TO FLINT
TO WITNESS THE POLYGRAPH.

THEY HAVE A GLASS WINDOW
THAT YOU CAN SEE IN,

BUT THEY CAN'T SEE OUT,

AND YOU COULD STAND THERE
AND LISTEN TO THE POLYGRAPH.

BUSCH DENIES
ANY KNOWLEDGE

OR INVOLVEMENT IN THE KILLINGS.

THE EXAMINER SHOCKS THE POLICE
AND SAYS BUSCH

WAS BEING TRUTHFUL.

WE THOUGHT FOR SURE HE
WOULD FLUNK IT OR CONFESS,

AND CHARGES
WOULD BE MADE AGAINST HIM.

WE WERE ALL KIND
OF FLABBERGASTED

WHEN HE PASSED THE POLYGRAPH
BECAUSE WE DEFINITELY FELT

THAT WE HAD THE
OAKLAND COUNTY CHILD KILLERS.

BUSCH STILL FACES
CRIMINAL SEXUAL CONDUCT CHARGES,

BUT WITH NO PREVIOUS RECORD,
HIS FAMILY POST BOND,

AND BUSCH IS SET FREE.

YOU KNOW, THE BOTTOM LINE WAS,
"LOOK, HE WAS A SUSPECT,

AND WE DID POLYGRAPH HIM,
AND HE PASSED THE POLYGRAPH,"

AND POLYGRAPHS BACK IN THE DAY
WERE THE BE-ALL AND END-ALL.

POLYGRAPH RESULTS
WEREN'T ADMISSIBLE IN COURT,

BUT BACK THEN, THE POLICE
USED THEM AS A KEY TOOL

IN ELIMINATING
POTENTIAL SUSPECTS.

GREENE ALSO PASSES THE POLYGRAPH
BUT ISN'T FROM A WEALTHY FAMILY

AND CAN'T POST BOND
AND REMAINS IN CUSTODY.

THE TWO ARE NO LONGER SUSPECTS.

ROUGHLY A WEEK AFTER
CHRISTOPHER BUSCH

IS RELEASED ON BOND FROM THE
CRIMINAL SEXUAL CONDUCT CHARGES,

TIMOTHY KING GOES MISSING,

AND I DON'T FIND THAT
TO BE COINCIDENTAL.

HAS BEEN KIDNAPPED
BY A PSYCHOTIC

WHO HAS KILLED SEVERAL
YOUNGSTERS IN THE LAST YEAR.

SEVEN DAYS AFTER THE
COPS' MOST PROMISING SUSPECT,

CHRISTOPHER BUSCH,
WAS RELEASED FROM CUSTODY,

11-YEAR-OLD TIM KING
BORROWS 30 CENTS FROM HIS SISTER

TO BUY A CANDY BAR AT
THE PHARMACY A FEW BLOCKS AWAY.

SO TIMOTHY KING WAS
TAKEN FROM THIS PARKING LOT.

HE HAD GONE TO THE PHARMACY,
AND HE'D COME OUT THE BACK.

TIM WOULD HAVE WALKED HERE
OFF AND ON HIS WHOLE CHILDHOOD,

JUST LIKE THE OTHER KIDS,
JUST LIKE I WOULD HAVE.

WE WENT UP TO PEABODY'S
AND HAD DINNER.

MARION AND I GOT HOME ABOUT
8:30 OR 9:00,

AND TIM WAS NOT HERE.

CAME HOME AND THERE WERE
POLICE CARS IN DRIVEWAY.

MOM RAN OUT AND SAID,
"HAVE YOU SEEN TIM?"

AND I SAID,
"WELL, WHAT DO YOU MEAN?"

AND SHE SAID, "HE'S MISSING."

AND THEN I GRABBED
TIM'S BASEBALL BAT

AND JUST RAN AROUND,
LOOKING FOR HIM

BECAUSE WE KNEW
THIS HAD TO BE SOMETHING BAD.

TIM HAS BEEN MISSING
ONLY A FEW HOURS,

BUT THIS TIME, THE POLICE
KNOW TO ACT IMMEDIATELY.

INVESTIGATORS WILL CONTINUE TO
WORK INTO THE NIGHT,

HOPING TO FIND A LEAD
ON TIMOTHY KING'S WHEREABOUTS.

THE POSSIBILITY
OF CATCHING THE PERSON

WITH TIMOTHY STILL ALIVE
AND IN THE TRUNK OF A CAR

BEING TRANSPORTED
WAS VERY MUCH THE HOPE.

EVERY AVAILABLE POLICE
OFFICER IN BIRMINGHAM

WAS PRESSED INTO THE SEARCH
FOR TIMOTHY KING,

HOPING, PRAYING THAT THE
YOUNGSTER WOULD BE FOUND ALIVE.

THERE WERE HELICOPTERS
ALL OVER OAKLAND COUNTY

SEARCHING FOR TIM.

EVERYWHERE YOU WENT,
THERE WAS LOCKDOWN.

POLICE CARS WERE IN FORCE,
EN MASSE, EVERYWHERE,

CHECKING CARS, DRIVING AROUND.

THE CITIES WENT BONKERS.

PLAYGROUNDS EMPTIED,
DOORS LOCKED,

PANIC SETTLES IN.

THE UNKNOWN KILLER THAT KEEPS
KILLING EVERY LITTLE KID.

HAVE GOOD LUCK.

I AM A 9-YEAR-OLD GIRL
FROM TECUMSEH, MICHIGAN.

I AM A LITTLE GIRL
THAT HAS NIGHTMARES AT NIGHT

WHEN I TRY TO GO TO SLEEP."

THE STORY GOES NATIONAL.

THE MICHIGAN STATE POLICE
TAKE CHARGE OF THE TASK FORCE

INTO WHAT IS NOW BEING CALLED
THE OAKLAND COUNTY CHILD KILLER.

TWO DAYS LATER,
POLICE GET THEIR FIRST LEAD.

SOMEONE THINKS THEY'VE CAUGHT
A GLIMPSE OF THE KILLER.

A WITNESS SAID THAT SHE HAD SEEN
TIM TALKING TO A MAN,

AND HE WAS STANDING
NEXT TO A BLUE GREMLIN.

ALL OF THEM LOOKING
FOR THIS MAN.

WITH THAT FLYER EVERYWHERE,
EVERYBODY KNEW

ABOUT THE OAKLAND COUNTY
CHILD KILLER.

IT WAS ON THE NEWS.

IT WAS ON THE RADIO.

IT WAS IN THE PAPERS CONSTANTLY.

ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE.

EVERY BLUE GREMLIN
IN THIS COUNTY

AND SURROUNDING COUNTIES
WAS A SUSPECT,

AND POLICE WERE RELUCTANT TO,
YOU KNOW, PUT OUT A...

YOU KNOW, HAVE A STOP,
AND,

YOU CAN'T JUST DO THAT
ON SUSPICION.

YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE
PROBABLE CAUSE.

I SAID, "FORGET IT.
I'LL TAKE THE HEAT.

YOU STOP THE GREMLINS
WHEN YOU SEE THEM."

NOBODY COMPLAINED.

EVERY GREMLIN OWNER UNDERSTOOD.

THE BLUE GREMLIN BECAME
THE ICONIC FIGURE OF THIS CASE.

EVERYBODY IN THE CITY OF DETROIT
WAS LOOKING FOR A BLUE GREMLIN.

IN DESPERATION, MARION AND BARRY

PLEADED WITH
THEIR SON'S KIDNAPPER.

SHE HAD SAID
ONE OF HIS FAVORITE MEALS

WAS KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN,

AND SHE WOULD GET THAT FOR HIM
WHEN HE CAME HOME.

WE LOVE YOU, TIM.
GOD BLESS YOU.

STAY TOUGH.

SAY YOUR PRAYERS,
AND WE'RE WITH YOU, BUDDY,

AND CATHY AND CHRIS AND MARK

SAY TO TREAT HIM
JUST LIKE YOU WOULD A BROTHER,

AND WE ALL WANT HIM BACK,
AND PLEASE SEND HIM.

- HEY, DAD!
- HI, GANG! WELCOME.

- HEY! HOW ARE YOU?
- DOING WELL.

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME
TIM'S SIBLINGS

HAVE TALKED TOGETHER ON CAMERA.

HI, GUYS.

THEY TRIED TO HIDE THINGS
FROM US.

THEY WOULDN'T LET US WATCH TV.

THEY HID THESE PAPERS
WE HAVE FROM THAT TIME.

AS MUCH AS THEY TRIED
TO TAKE OUR MIND

OFF OF THINGS
AND CHEER US UP,

YOU COULD TELL DEEP
IN THEIR FACE

THAT IT WAS BLEAK.

I DIDN'T THINK HE WAS EVER
GONNA COME BACK

BECAUSE OF THAT OTHER...

THE OTHER KIDS
THAT WERE MISSING.

BARRY WAS RIGHT.

HOPING AGAINST HOPE,

THE PARENTS OF 11-YEAR-OLD
TIMOTHY KING OF BIRMINGHAM

WERE TODAY CONFRONTED
WITH THEIR WORST FEARS.

I WAS IN BED WITH THE RADIO ON,

AND THE ANNOUNCEMENT CAME

THAT THEY'D FOUND
A BOY'S BODY IN LIVONIA,

AND I WAS 99% SURE IT WAS TIM.

I DROVE DOWN THERE, AND THERE
WAS NOTHING MORE WE COULD DO

EXCEPT POSSIBLY IDENTIFY TIM.

I STILL FEEL THE MOST IMPORTANT
ASPECT IS THE INVESTIGATION

AND GET THIS ANIMAL
OFF THE STREET.

IT'S HEAVY.

IT'S THE WORST JOB YOU'VE GOT.

WAS FOUND LAST NIGHT.

HE'D BEEN SUFFOCATED
AND SEXUALLY MOLESTED.

LIKE THE FIRST VICTIM,
MARK STEBBINS,

TIM'S WRISTS SHOWED EVIDENCE
OF BEING BOUND,

AND LIKE ALL THREE VICTIMS,
HIS BODY WAS DESCRIBED

AS BEING
METICULOUSLY CLEANED.

THE MEDICAL EXAMINER SAID

THAT THE COMPOUND CALLED
PHILAHEX

WAS FOUND ON THE BODY.

IT'S A CLEANING SOLUTION

THAT WAS USED
IN THE MEDICAL PROFESSION.

ARE WE LOOKING FOR SOMEBODY
IN THE MEDICAL PROFESSION?

ARE WE LOOKING FOR SOMEBODY
THAT HAS A SKIN DISORDER

AND USES THAT SOAP?

THE AUTOPSY FINDS

ABOUT 6 HOURS
BEFORE HIS BODY WAS DISCOVERED,

TIM HAD EATEN HIS FAVORITE
MEAL -- FRIED CHICKEN.

TIM WAS KIDNAPPED,
SEXUALLY ABUSED AND SUFFOCATED.

I CAN'T THINK OF A MORE
HIDEOUS DEATH,

AND I'VE ALWAYS BELIEVED

THAT TIM KNEW
WHAT WAS GONNA HAPPEN

BECAUSE OF WHAT WE TOLD HIM...

ABOUT NOT GETTING IN CARS.

THERE WAS NO INDICATION

THAT OUR VICTIMS FOUGHT BACK,

AND I HAVE WONDERED
IF THEY WERE BATHED

THINKING THEY WERE GOING
TO BE RETURNED HOME

WRAPPED IN A LARGE TOWEL

AND THEN FROM BEHIND
WERE SUFFOCATED.

UNLIKE THE OTHER THREE VICTIMS,

THE KILLER DUMPED TIM'S BODY
IN NEIGHBORING WAYNE COUNTY.

THIS IS GILL ROAD.

THIS IS JUST OVER THE BORDER
TO LIVONIA,

ABOUT 40 MINUTES
FROM WHERE TIM WAS ABDUCTED,

AND IT'S INTERESTING
THAT HE WAS PLACED HERE

BECAUSE IT'S JUST OVER
THE BORDER OF NOT

JUST A NEW CITY
BUT A NEW COUNTY.

6:30 THE EVENING
HE WAS DROPPED,

IT WAS ON THE NEWS
THAT WAYNE COUNTY

WAS GOING TO JOIN OAKLAND COUNTY
IN CAR STOPS

STARTING
WITH THEIR MIDNIGHT SHIFT,

AND HE WAS DROPPED
AT APPROXIMATELY 10:30.

I'M SAYING THAT SOMEBODY
WATCHED THE NEWS.

THE TASK FORCE WAS STARTING
TO BREATHE DOWN THEIR NECKS,

AND THEY GOT RID OF HIM.

THE TASK FORCE IS NOW CONVINCED

IT IS ONE KILLER ABDUCTING
CHILDREN IN THE SAME AREA,

ALONG THE WOODWARD CORRIDOR
BETWEEN FERNDALE AND BIRMINGHAM,

PICKING HIS VICTIMS
AT RANDOM.

SAY THE KILLER
IS ATTRACTED TO CHILDREN

BETWEEN 10 AND 12 YEARS OLD,

THAT HE SEXUALLY ASSAULTS
THE BOYS BUT NOT THE GIRLS.

THE ONLY DISSIMILARITY
WAS THE FACT

THAT WE HAD TWO BOYS
AND TWO GIRLS.

THE WAY THE CRIMES
WERE COMMITTED,

THE WAY THE KIDS
WERE ABDUCTED IN PLAIN SIGHT,

THE FACT THAT THEY WERE HELD
FOR A PERIOD OF DAYS,

THE FACT THAT THEIR BODIES CAME
BACK CLEAN,

THEY WERE WELL-FED --

THEY KNEW THEY WERE ALL
CONNECTED FOR THOSE REASONS.

THE POLICE ALSO KNOW
THAT IN THE 1970s,

BEFORE THE INTERNET,
PEDOPHILES RAN IN GROUPS.

THERE WAS HUNDREDS
OF THEM,

THESE PEDOPHILE RINGS,

AND THEY ALL KNEW EACH OTHER.

THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE LUXURY
OF CELLPHONES

AND COMPUTERS TO COMMUNICATE
WITH EACH OTHER,

BUT THEY KNEW WHERE TO MEET,
AND IF THEY TRAVELED,

THEY KNEW HOW TO CONNECT WITH
PEDOPHILES IN DIFFERENT CITIES,

AND SO THE RINGS WERE JUST
UNBELIEVABLY ORGANIZED.

THERE WAS AN ATMOSPHERE OF FEAR.

THE WANTED POSTERS
FOR THE ALLEGED

OAKLAND COUNTY CHILD KILLER
WERE EVERYWHERE.

THEY WERE SCOTCH-TAPED
TO LIGHT POSTS.

THEY WERE PLASTERED
IN THE WINDOWS

OF THE DRY-CLEANING STORES.

EVERY KID WAS TERRIFIED.

IT WAS WHAT WE WERE TOLD TO BE.

HAVE BEEN REPORTING
SUSPICIOUS BEHAVIOR.

POLICE LINES HAVE BEEN
JAMMED FOR DAYS.

CALLERS HAVE BEEN TURNING
IN THEIR PRIESTS,

THEIR BARBERS, THEIR CHILDREN'S
TEACHERS, THEIR EX-HUSBANDS.

IS THIS REGARDING
TIMOTHY KING?

HERE IS THIS
ALL-AMERICAN FAMILY

WALKING INTO A CATHOLIC CHURCH
TO BURY TIM

AND THEN A LITTLE CASKET.

I MEAN, IT'S JUST UNBELIEVABLY
HEART-WRENCHING.

HALLOWED BE THY NAME.

THY KINGDOM COME.

THY WILL BE DONE...

I HAVEN'T BEEN TO CHURCH
IN 35, 39 YEARS.

AND NONE OF MY FAMILY
GOES TO CHURCH ANYMORE.

I MADE A DEAL WITH GOD,
AND HE DIDN'T LIVE UP TO IT.

WHEN DID YOU MAKE
THAT DEAL WITH GOD?

WHEN TIM WAS MISSING.

CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT
WHAT THAT IT IS?

I DON'T WANT TO.

6:45 A. M. ON 6/14/77,

MELINDA McLEAN,
M- C-L-E...

IN THE DAYS
AND WEEKS THAT FOLLOW,

AN ARMY OF COPS
FROM 12 DIFFERENT AGENCIES

WORK DAY-IN, DAY-OUT,
VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME,

SIFT THROUGH
ALMOST 20,000 TIPS.

AFTER ALMOST A YEAR,
DETECTIVES CLEAR 7,400 SUSPECTS,

79 OF THEM THROUGH
POLYGRAPH TESTS,

TRACK SOME 3,000 BLUE GREMLINS,

SCREEN SCORES OF
CHILD-PORNOGRAPHY FILMS

AND REVIEW FILES ON MORE THAN
10,000 KNOWN SEX DEVIANTS.

THAT YOU WILL CATCH HIM?

AFTER ALL THIS TIME,
DOESN'T IT MAKE IT

MORE DIFFICULT
TO CATCH HIM?

I THINK IT MAKES IT MORE
DIFFICULT THE LONGER IT GOES,

BUT EVERY INVESTIGATOR HERE
IS CONFIDENT IN HIS OWN MIND

THAT THERE WILL BE
AN APPREHENSION.

HE WAS WRONG.

A YEAR AFTER THE FOURTH VICTIM,
TIM KING, WENT MISSING,

THE LARGEST TASK FORCE
IN U. S. HISTORY SHUTS DOWN.

WE DIDN'T HAVE
ANY VIABLE SUSPECTS.

WE DIDN'T HAVE MONEY.

WE DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING.

I THINK EVERY MEMBER OF THAT
TASK FORCE THAT WENT BACK,

THAT CASE WAS WITH HIM UNTIL
THE DAY AT LEAST THEY RETIRED.

THE CASE LANGUISHES
IN A BLACK HOLE FOR YEARS.

THE POLICE NEVER PHONED
TO SAY THAT THEY HAD SUSPECTS

THAT THEY WERE WORKING ON
AND PERSONS OF INTEREST.

THERE WAS NOT THAT
DIALOGUE THERE, NONE.

WHAT WOULD YOU THINK,
WHEN YOU GO TO BED AT NIGHT...

YOUR DAUGHTER WAS
WITH SOMEONE FOR 19 DAYS.

YOU HAD THAT THOUGHT IN YOUR
HEAD 24 HOURS,

7 DAYS, 365.

IT DOESN'T LEAVE.

IT'S A DARK, DARK
WORLD YOU ENTER

WHEN YOU ENTER THE CASE OF THE
OAKLAND COUNTY CHILD KILLER

BECAUSE YOU KNOW THERE'S
SOMETHING BIGGER OUT THERE

THAT HASN'T BEEN FINISHED YET.

I LOOKED THROUGH HUNDREDS
OF ARTICLES

WHEN I FIRST DUG INTO THIS CASE

BECAUSE IT WAS
THE EASIEST STUFF TO ACCESS,

AND MOST OF THE ARTICLES
WERE ABOUT NO LEADS, NO LEADS,

NO LEADS, NO LEADS, NO SUSPECTS,
NO SUSPECTS, NO SUSPECTS,

BUT OCCASIONALLY I WOULD ALSO
STUMBLE ONTO AN ARTICLE

ABOUT FOX ISLAND.

NORTH FOX ISLAND
IN LAKE MICHIGAN,

OWNED BY MILLIONAIRE
FRANK SHELDON.

FOUR MONTHS
AFTER MARK STEBBINS' MURDER,

THE ISLAND,
SET UP AS A BOYS' CAMP,

WAS EXPOSED AS A HAVEN
WHERE PEDOPHILES

FROM ALL OVER MICHIGAN
MOLESTED YOUNG BOYS, FILMED IT,

AND SOLD THE FILMS WORLDWIDE.

SHORTLY AFTER
THE STEBBINS MURDER,

FOX ISLAND GETS BROKEN UP,
AND THERE REALLY WASN'T MUCH

MADE OF WHAT WAS GOING ON UP
NORTH IN THE BIG PAPERS,

BUT THEN I FOUND
OTHER ARTICLES.

LITTLE BURIED LINES
WOULD MENTION

THAT INVESTIGATORS UP NORTH
ARE LOOKING INTO THE POSSIBILITY

THAT THE OAKLAND COUNTY
CHILD KILLINGS

MAY HAVE BEEN RELATED
TO THE PORNOGRAPHY MILL

ON NORTH FOX ISLAND.

HERE IS A SMOKING GUN.

FOR **** SAKE, IT'S A SMOKING
GUN IF THERE EVER WAS ONE.

YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S
REALLY HAPPENING TONIGHT?

IT'S A SERIES OF UNANSWERED
TERRIFYING QUESTIONS,

AND THEY ARE,
WHO MURDERED TIMMY KING?

WHO STRANGLED KRISTINE MIHELICH?

WHO SHOT JILL ROBINSON IN
THE FACE, ENDING HER YOUNG LIFE?

WHO KIDNAPPED MARK STEBBINS
AND THEN STRANGLED HIM

AFTER SEXUALLY ASSAULTING
THAT FERNDALE BOY?

THE CHILDREN OF
OAKLAND COUNTY HAVE BEEN WARNED,

"STAY AWAY FROM STRANGERS."

THE KILLER COULD STRIKE AGAIN.

IN 2005, JASON APPLEMAN'S
OBSESSION WITH SOLVING

THE OAKLAND COUNTY CHILD KILLER
CASE WENT INTO OVERDRIVE.

WHEN I REALLY
COMMITTED TO THE INVESTIGATION,

I KNEW THAT I HAD
TO GO BACK TO DETROIT.

I HAD BEEN GONE
FOR ABOUT 15 YEARS.

I KNEW I HAD TO GET
REALLY DEEP INTO IT

BY TALKING TO THE PEOPLE
THAT WERE TOUCHED BY THE CASE,

WALKING THOSE STREETS
WHERE THE KIDS WERE ABDUCTED.

A YEAR LATER, ONE OF
THE VICTIM'S FAMILY MEMBERS

HERE'S HIM TALKING
ABOUT THE CASE ON THE RADIO.

IT'S ONE OF THE MANY STRANGE
COINCIDENCE'S IN THIS CASE.

APPLEMAN REMEMBERS
THE COMPOSITE SKETCHES

POSTED AROUND HIS NEIGHBORHOOD.

DURING THIS TIME,
WHEN I WAS VERGING ON 8,

SOMEBODY TRIED TO ABDUCT ME.

I WAS LISTENING TO NPR,
AND I HEARD THE PERSONS

TALK ABOUT HOW, YOU KNOW,
"MY NEXT GUEST HAD AN NEAR BRUSH

WITH AN ABDUCTOR DURING A TIME
WHEN A SERIAL KILLER

WAS RUNNING LOOSE
IN OAKLAND COUNTY, MICHIGAN."

CATHY IS THE OLDER
SISTER OF THE FOURTH VICTIM,

TIM KING.

CATHY GAVE HER BROTHER
THE 30 CENTS

TO BUY CANDY AT THE STORE
WHERE HE DISAPPEARED.

SHE'S NOW A LAWYER
AND LIVING IN CHICAGO.

SHE AND HER FAMILY HAVE SPENT
DECADES SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS.

CATHY ACTUALLY
REACHED OUT TO ME,

WHICH WAS A STROKE OF LUCK

OR DIVINE INTERVENTION
OR SOMETHING.

SHE SAID, "I'D LIKE TO HELP YOU
SOLVE THIS CRIME SOMEHOW."

AND I JUST SAID, "YOU'RE NOT
GOING TO GET ANYWHERE

IN DETROIT.

YOU'D BETTER STOP IN CHICAGO
AND SEE WHAT I'VE GOT."

SHE HANDS HIM MORE THAN 3,000
DOCUMENTS HER FATHER, BARRY,

GATHERED THROUGH THE
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT.

THE DOCUMENTS INCLUDE
FBI TRANSCRIPTS OF STATEMENTS,

STATE POLICE TRANSCRIPTS
OF STATEMENTS,

DAILY LOGS AND AUTOPSIES
AND CRIME-SCENE REPORTS.

THERE IS SO MUCH INFORMATION
THAT WE DIDN'T KNOW 30 YEARS,

THAT WE KNOW NOW.

THE COPS KNEW IT 30 YEARS AGO,
BUT WE DIDN'T KNOW IT.

I NOTICED THAT ONE
OF THE INVESTIGATORS,

DETECTIVE CORY WILLIAMS, HAD
AN ACTIVE PRESENCE IN THE CASE.

A PRESENCE
THAT GOES BACK 40 YEARS.

WELL, I GREW UP IN BERKLEY
IN A LAW ENFORCEMENT FAMILY,

AND MY DAD WAS A DETECTIVE
IN THE '50s,

'60s AND '70s IN BERKLEY,

AND HIS BEST FRIEND
WAS A MAN NAMED BOB BELL,

AND BOB HAD A DAUGHTER
AND THEN A GRANDDAUGHTER,

NAMED KRISTINE MIHELICH.

IN JANUARY OF 1977,
10-YEAR-OLD KRISTINE MIHELICH

BECAME THE THIRD VICTIM OF
THE OAKLAND COUNTY CHILD KILLER.

I WAS 15.

SHE WAS LAST SEEN
AT THE 7-ELEVEN

THAT WAS RIGHT DOWN THE STREET
FROM MY HOUSE

AND THE BOWLING ALLEY.
I USED TO BOWL THERE AS A KID.

THE NIGHT THAT KRISTINE
WAS ABDUCTED,

BOB BELL CALLED
MY DAD AT HOME,

AND I WAS THE ONE THAT
ACTUALLY ANSWERED THE PHONE.

SO I PUT MY DAD ON THE PHONE
IN THE KITCHEN,

AND HE SAID, "MY GRANDDAUGHTER
IS MISSING, LEE.

WHAT DO WE DO?"

A 10-YEAR-OLD GIRL
MISSING 18 DAYS,

FOUND LYING IN A SNOWBANK,
SUFFOCATED.

IT WAS HORRIBLE.

LIFE CHANGED IN THE SUBURBS
FOR KIDS.

OFFICERS ARE STILL CONVINCED
THAT SOMEONE, SOMEWHERE,

KNOWS SOMETHING THAT WILL LEAD
THEM TO A SICK, SICK INDIVIDUAL.

FAST FORWARD 30 YEARS.

IN 2005, WILLIAMS, FOLLOWING
IN HIS FATHER'S FOOTSTEPS,

IS NOW A DETECTIVE WORKING
FOR THE LIVONIA POLICE

IN WAYNE COUNTY.

WHILE WORKING ON
AN UNRELATED CASE,

DETECTIVE WILLIAMS
READS A TRANSCRIPT

OF A SUSPECT
NAMED RICHARD LAWSON,

A KNOWN PEDOPHILE
FROM DETROIT.

BURIED IN THAT REPORT
ARE EIGHT TINY WORDS

THAT CHANGED THE COURSE
OF WILLIAMS' CAREER.

WHEN LAWSON WAS ARRESTED,

HE MADE A STATEMENT
TO THE DORMONT DETECTIVES,

"I KNOW WHO DID
THE MICHIGAN SNOW KILLINGS."

WELL, THAT DIDN'T MEAN
ANYTHING TO THEM.

BUT WHEN I READ IT IN THE
REPORTS THEY FAXED TO ME,

IT MEANT EVERYTHING TO ME.

I KNEW IT MEANT THE
OAKLAND COUNTY CHILD KILLINGS.

A CASE HE KNEW ALL TOO WELL,
GROWING UP IN OAKLAND COUNTY.

I SAID, "I READ
THE STATEMENT, RICHARD,

WHERE YOU ACTUALLY SAID,

'I KNOW WHO DID
THE SNOW KILLINGS.'"

HE SAID,
"THAT'S NOT WHAT I SAID.

I SAID, 'I THINK I MIGHT KNOW
WHO WAS INVOLVED.'"

DETECTIVE WILLIAMS
LEARNS THAT IN THE '70s,

LAWSON WAS ACTUALLY HELPING
THE POLICE

IDENTIFY POTENTIAL SUSPECTS

IN THE OAKLAND COUNTY
CHILD KILLER CASE.

LAWSON WAS A BIG BRAGGER,

BRAGGED ABOUT
HOW THEY USED HIM ON TV.

HE WAS THE PEDOPHILE
THE NEWS TALKED TO ABOUT

HOW PEDOPHILES OPERATE,
BECAUSE IN THE 1970s,

PEOPLE DIDN'T REALLY KNOW
WHAT PEDOPHILES EVEN WERE.

EVEN WENT AS FAR AS TO SAY

THAT THE DETROIT POLICE
AUTHORIZED HIM TO MOLEST KIDS,

AS LONG AS HE GOT INFORMATION
ABOUT THE CHILD KILLINGS,

WHICH WE KNOW IS FAR-FETCHED
AND DETERMINED LATER

NOT EVEN TO BE
CLOSE TO THE TRUTH.

LAWSON TELLS WILLIAMS
HE AND OTHER PEDOPHILES

HUNG OUT IN
DETROIT'S CASS CORRIDOR.

BACK IN THE '70s,
IT WAS A 10-BLOCK CESSPOOL

OF DOPE DEALERS, HOOKERS, BARS,
AND A MECCA FOR PREDATORS.

THE KIDS WERE SO READILY
AVAILABLE.

THEY WERE POOR KIDS,

LIVING IN SINGLE-PARENT
APARTMENT BUILDINGS,

AND SOME OF THESE HAD 200,
300 KIDS LIVING IN THEM,

AND THE PEDOPHILES
TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THAT.

AND THESE WERE THE GUYS LAWSON
BELIEVED MAY HAVE BEEN INVOLVED.

ONE OF THEM WAS A GUY
NAMED BOB MOORE,

AND MOORE WAS
A VERY VIOLENT GUY.

BAD-EYED BOB, AS HE WAS KNOWN,

OWNED A BIKE REPAIR SHOP
IN THE CASS CORRIDOR.

SO OBSESSED,
HE LIKED TO FILM THEM.

THEY'D HAVE PARTIES
WHERE THEY WOULD BRING CHILDREN

AND SWAP CHILDREN
AND SWAP POLAROID FILMS,

AND THEY ALL KNEW EACH OTHER.

THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE LUXURY
OF CELLPHONES AND COMPUTERS

TO COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER,
BUT THEY KNEW WHERE TO MEET.

THESE KIDS WERE POOR,
AND THEY'D GIVE THEM MONEY,

OR THEY'D GIVE THEM DRUGS,
OR THEY'D GIVE THEM ALCOHOL,

AND, YOU KNOW,
THE KIDS WANTED TO BE PAID.

AND SO THEY'D TAKE THEM
TO THESE PARTIES,

AND THE KIDS WOULD TELL
EACH OTHER,

"THIS IS ALL YOU HAVE TO DO."

IT WAS BIG BUSINESS IN THE '70s,

AND BAD-EYED BOB
HAD HIGH-PAYING CUSTOMERS.

WHEN WE REALIZED AND STARTED
IDENTIFYING

THESE PEDOPHILE RINGS
DOWN IN THE CORRIDOR,

WE OBSERVED THAT THERE WAS
A SUBJECT NAMED FRANCIS SHELDEN.

THAT IS A NAME
DETECTIVE WILLIAMS RECOGNIZES,

THE 48-YEAR-OLD MILLIONAIRE
BACHELOR FROM ANNE ARBOR,

AN OWNER OF NORTH FOX ISLAND
IN LAKE MICHIGAN.

BOB MOORE WAS GIVING THESE FILMS
TO SHELDEN TO SHIP TO AMSTERDAM.

SHELDEN, THE MAN
WANTED FOR SEXUALLY ABUSING

AN 8-YEAR-OLD BOY

AND RUNNING THE BOYS' CAMP
ON NORTH FOX ISLAND.

THAT STORY WAS UNFOLDING
AT THE SAME TIME

AS THE OAKLAND COUNTY
CHILD KILLINGS WERE OCCURRING.

FRANK SHELDEN ABSCONDED.

SO WE WANTED TO TAKE
A LOOK AT HIM,

AND WE WERE LOOKING
AT THE CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

AS A MOTIVE IN THIS CASE,

JUST BECAUSE IT HADN'T
REALLY BEEN RESEARCHED BEFORE.

IN THE DETECTIVES' REPORTS,
THERE WAS DRAWINGS OF THE ISLAND

AND HOW HE WOULD FLY KIDS
TO THE ISLAND,

AND HE AND HIS OTHER PEDOPHILE
ASSOCIATES FROM PORT HURON

WOULD MOLEST THESE BOYS
THAT ARE ON THE ISLAND.

MR. RICHARDS,
WOULD YOU PLEASE STAND?

ONE OF THOSE MOLESTERS
WAS A 48-YEAR-OLD MARRIED MAN,

FATHER AND CATHOLIC SCHOOL
GYM TEACHER FROM PORT HURON.

THIS GUY, GERALD RICHARDS,

WAS A MAGICIAN
FOR CHILDREN'S PARTIES,

WHO WAS ALSO
A CONVICTED PEDOPHILE.

HE EVENTUALLY BLEW THE LID

OF THE NORTH FOX ISLAND
PORNOGRAPHY SYNDICATE.

THERE WAS A 12-YEAR-OLD BOY

WHO RICHARDS WAS
ONE OF HIS NEIGHBORS,

WHO HE TOOK UP TO
NORTH FOX ISLAND WITH HIM

AND MADE PORNOGRAPHIC
FILMS WITH.

YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMEBODY
WHO YOU COULD GET

A LOT OF INFORMATION OUT OF,
IF HE WAS WILLING TO TALK.

HIS NAME IS MICHAEL FARQUHAR,

AND HE SPEAKS HERE
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 40 YEARS.

IT'S TIME TO LET GO
OF A LOT OF THINGS,

AND IT'S TIME TO GET A LOT
OF THINGS RIGHT AND STRAIGHT.

THE FACT THAT
YOU'RE SITTING HERE TODAY,

DID YOU EVER THINK
THIS WOULD HAPPEN?

I THINK DEEP DOWN INSIDE,
THE LORD HAS BEEN GIVING ME

A SIGN THAT I KNOW
I HAD TO DO THIS.

54-YEAR-OLD MICHAEL FARQUHAR

IS ABOUT TO BREAK HIS SILENCE

ABOUT HOW ONE MAN,
GYM TEACHER GERALD RICHARDS,

LURED HIM INTO A WORLD
OF PORNOGRAPHY AND ABUSE.

WHEN I SHOW YOU THIS...

YEP, THAT'S HIM.

THAT'S HIM.

IT STARTS OUT INNOCENTLY.

I MET HIM IN THE
NEIGHBORHOOD,

SHOVELING HIS SIDEWALK.

I WAS 12 YEARS OLD AND TRYING
TO HUSTLE SOME MONEY.

YOU KNOW, I WAS INTO MINIBIKES
AND MOTORCYCLES AND STUFF

AND, YOU KNOW,
I WAS DETERMINED

AND COME ACROSS
A LITTLE GREEN HOUSE,

AND THERE WAS
AN UNUSUAL MAN THERE,

WHOSE NAME
WAS GERALD RICHARDS.

BACK IN 1975, GERALD RICHARDS
WAS A FAMILY MAN, MARRIED,

WITH A KID, TEACHING GYM
AT AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

AND DOING MAGIC SHOWS
AND PHOTOGRAPHY ON THE SIDE.

HE WAS QUITE AN INTERESTING GUY
FOR A 12-YEAR-OLD KID.

MYSELF AND ANYBODY
ELSE INTERESTED

IN GETTING MODELS
AND, IF YOU WOULD LOOK FOR IT,

IT WOULD BE SOMEONE THAT HAD
A POOR FAMILY BACKGROUND,

AS FAR AS A FATHER IMAGE
IN THE HOME

BECAUSE THE YOUNG MODEL
LOOKS TOWARDS THAT MAN

WHO IS HIS FRIEND
AND PHOTOGRAPHER, TOO,

AS A FATHER SUBSTITUTE,
MANY TIMES.

WITHIN A WEEK'S
PERIOD, HE CONTACTED MY PARENTS

AND GOT ME SET UP AT THE YMCA,

AND EVENTUALLY
I BECAME HIS ASSISTANT,

YOU KNOW, ON MAGIC,

AND WE WOULD TRAVEL AROUND QUITE
A BIT AND DO SOME MAGIC SHOWS.

I WOULD GET PAID, LIKE,
$50 FOR THAT.

IT'S BIG MONEY
FOR A 12-YEAR-OLD BOY,

BUT IT CAME WITH A PRICE.

AND HE WAS TELLING ME
ABOUT, YOU KNOW,

PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE ART OF IT.

- I REALLY ONLY HAD ONE WHO WAS
- A FELLOW THAT I HAD MET,

A YOUNG FELLOW, ACTUALLY,

WHO AGREED TO POSE,

AND I SOLD --
- HOW OLD WAS HE, MR. RICHARDS?

AT THE TIME, HE WAS,
I BELIEVE, 14.

HE SLOWLY WORKED HIS WAY IN TO,
YOU KNOW, TAKING PICTURES OF ME,

GETTING ME MORE COMFORTABLE WITH
LESS CLOTHES AND EVENTUALLY,

IT GOT DOWN TO WHERE I WAS,
YOU KNOW, COMPLETELY NAKED.

NOW, THESE WERE NOT
PARTICULARLY OFFENSIVE

TYPE OF POSING AT THAT TIME.

THEY WERE GENERALLY
WHAT YOU WOULD CONSIDER,

A PHYSIQUE-TYPE OF POSING.
OKAY?

WITHIN 2 MONTHS,
MICHAEL MOVES FROM MAGIC SHOW

ASSISTANT TO MODEL,
TO SOMETHING MUCH DARKER.

THERE WERE PLACES,
LIKE, YOU KNOW,

THERE WAS A COUPLE CHURCHES
IN THE DETROIT AREA

WHERE WE WOULD GO,
AND WE WOULD DO THE MAGIC SHOW,

AND WHEN IT CLEARED OUT,
IT BECAME QUITE A BIT UGLIER.

MORE OFTEN,
IT WAS A TRIP TO A MOTEL.

THEY'D BE WANTING
TO TAKE PICTURES OF ME,

AND THEY'D BE WANTING TO,

YOU KNOW,
PERFORM IMMORAL ACTS ON ME

AND HAD ME TO DO
THAT TO THEM, TOO.

THE FIRST TIME, IT WAS LIKE
MY SOUL LEFT MY BODY.

IT WAS LIKE I WAS LOOKING DOWN,
WATCHING US,

AND TODAY,
THAT'S THE WAY I STILL SEE IT.

I SEE MYSELF LOOKING DOWN.

THERE WAS A REVEREND INVOLVED.

THERE WAS SEVERAL TIMES
WITH SEVERAL WELL-TO-DO MEN

FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY.

BASICALLY WHAT IT WAS
WAS PROSTITUTION.

YOU KNOW?

I WAS BEING SOLD,
BY GERRY RICHARDS,

TO ELITE PEOPLE.

THESE PEDOPHILES
DON'T CARE ABOUT THESE KIDS.

THEY'RE JUST OBJECTS TO THEM.

IT WASN'T JUST LURING
AND GROOMING.

THERE WERE THREATS
INVOLVED, TOO,

AND THESE PEDOPHILES
WILL GO TO ANY AND ALL EXTREMES

TO GET WHAT THEY'RE AFTER.

I COULDN'T TELL MY MOM
WHAT WAS REALLY GOING ON.

SHE WAS SO PROUD OF ME.

I KNEW IT WAS WRONG.

KIDS JUST DON'T.

THEY DON'T.

YOU KNOW?

HE DID ALL
HIS DEVELOPING OF THE FILMS

IN HIS DARKROOM
IN HIS BASEMENT.

THERE WAS A BOOKSTORE
IN PORT HURON,

AND I REMEMBER
I WOULD SIT IN THE CAR

WHILE HE WOULD GO IN THERE
WITH THE FILMS,

AND THEN HE WOULD TAKE THE FILMS
TO THE POST OFFICE,

AND HE WAS USING
THE POST OFFICE

TO MAIL THEM OUT
TO OTHER PEOPLE.

THE MAIN ORGANIZATION
IN THE UNITED STATES

IS AN ORGANIZATION
CALLED BETTER LIFE,

WHICH IS A PHILOSOPHICAL GROUP.

ACCESSED ONLY THROUGH
THE MAIL, "BETTER LIFE MONTHLY"

BILLED ITSELF AS AMERICA'S
NUMBER-ONE BOY-LOVE MAGAZINE.

IT'S MASTHEAD PROMISES
GUIDANCE AND FRIENDSHIP,

SERVING THE INTERESTS
OF PEDOPHILES WORLDWIDE.

AND AS IT PROGRESSED,
I RAN INTO A MAN,

ALSO THROUGH AN AD,

WHO ASSISTED IN MAKING
PLACES AVAILABLE

WHERE I COULD FILM THE MODELS.

FRANCIS DUFFIELD SHELDEN,
YEAH, THAT'S HIM.

BACK THEN,
FRANCIS SHELDEN, YOU KNOW,

HE WAS, LIKE,
A JOLLY OLD GUY.

HE WAS GREAT WITH PEOPLE,
YOU KNOW, GREAT WITH THE KIDS,

YOU KNOW, REALLY FRIENDLY.

BUT, YOU KNOW,
IN THE BACK OF MY MIND,

I KNEW WHAT
HIS ULTIMATE GOAL WAS.

HE WAS ALSO GREAT IN BUSINESS.

IN 1975, SHELDEN, RICHARDS
AND ANOTHER WEALTHY PEDOPHILE,

DYER GROSSMAN,
SET UP BROTHER PAUL'S

CHILDREN'S MISSION
ON NORTH FOX ISLAND,

A CHARITY TO HELP TROUBLED
TEENAGE BOYS.

I'VE BEEN THE ISLAND
SEVERAL TIMES.

THERE WAS TIMES WHEN I WENT
ON THE ISLAND WITH JUST FRANK,

JUST ME AND FRANK SHELDEN.

ONE TIME, HE PUT HIS AIRPLANE
IN AUTOPILOT

AND GAVE ME ORAL SEX,

WHILE THE PLANE
WAS IN AUTOPILOT.

THE CAMP CLAIMED TO
OFFER TUTORING, COUNSELING,

LODGING AND EMERGENCY CARE
FOR RUNAWAYS.

THEY DIDN'T CHARGE FOR THE BOYS,

BUT SPONSORS WERE ASKED
TO MAKE DONATIONS.

THIS CAMP RECEIVED FEDERAL
AND STATE FUNDING, SUBSIDIZING.

FRANK SHELDEN'S WORK
WITH THESE TROUBLED TEENS,

WHO WOULD COME IN FOR THE SUMMER
FOR VARIOUS AMOUNTS OF TIME,

GET DROPPED OFF BY THEIR PARENTS
ON THE SHORE OF LAKE MICHIGAN,

AND THEN WERE FLOWN
OVER TO FOX ISLAND.

IT WASN'T REALLY
A CAMP AT ALL FOR --

NO, IT WAS NOT A CAMP.

IT WAS FOR
UNDERPRIVILEGED YOUTH,

BUT IT WAS NO CAMP
OF ANY KIND OF GOODNESS.

IT WAS A CAMP OF PURE...

PERVERSION.

A LITTLE ROUGH
CLIMBING OUT OF HERE.

IT'S BEEN 40 YEARS SINCE MICHAEL
LAST SET FOOT ON THE ISLAND.

GOT TO BE CAREFUL WHO YOU PUT
YOUR CHILDREN'S HANDS IN.

YOU KNOW?

BECAUSE OF THIS, MY DAUGHTERS
WEREN'T ALLOWED TO GO TO CAMPS.

THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS
THEY WEREN'T ALLOWED TO DO

BECAUSE OF THIS.

****

NEVER MORE THAN FIVE OR SIX BOYS

ON THE ISLAND
AT ANY ONE TIME,

THEY'RE FREE TO DO
WHATEVER THEY WANT.

WE WOULD HIKE THE ISLAND.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT
OF TRAILS ALL THROUGH HERE.

WE WOULD GO SWIMMING,
AND WE'D PLAY FOOTBALL,

YOU KNOW, PLAY CATCH.

THERE WAS NOTHING ORGANIZED
OR COORDINATED

ABOUT WHAT US KIDS WERE DOING.

IT WAS, "YOU GUYS HAVE FUN,
YOU KNOW, GO FOR A HIKE."

YEAH, WE HAD WINE.
WE HAD WEED.

WE BROUGHT THE WEED, YOU KNOW.

I BROUGHT THE WEED.

THERE WAS ONE ORGANIZED EVENT

THAT NO ONE COULD ESCAPE.

WE CALLED IT PICTURE TIME.

"IT'S PICTURE TIME."

YEAH, THEY'D BE FOLLOWING US
WITH THE CAMERAS.

SEEMS TO ME LIKE THEY GET
EXCITED ABOUT TAKING PICTURES,

HUNDREDS WERE TAKEN, HUNDREDS.

ONE TIME, THEY HAD ME TIED TO
A TREE AND WAS TAKING PICTURES,

HAD US KIDS TIED TOGETHER,
YOU KNOW,

AND THEY WERE SETTING IT UP LIKE
IT WAS A FUN THING TO DO.

NONE OF US WERE REALLY HAPPY
ABOUT THAT,

BUT WE FELT THAT IT WAS
OUR DUTY,

OUR OBLIGATION, YOU KNOW,
TO DO WHAT THEY WANTED.

IT WAS A PEDOPHILE'S PARADISE.

SOME OF THE PICTURES WERE SOLD
TO ACTIVE SPONSORS.

FOR A CHARITABLE DONATION,

THEY COULD ACCESS THE ISLAND
AND THE BOYS.

THE MEN ON THE ISLAND,
THEY WERE LAWYERS.

THEY WERE DOCTORS.
THEY WERE POLITICIANS.

YOU KNOW, YOU HAD TO HAVE
BIG MONEY TO PLAY IN THIS GAME.

YES.

MEMORIES.

IF THE MEN WANTED
TO TAKE PICTURES, YOU KNOW,

PICTURES WERE GOING TO BE TAKEN.

IF THEY WANTED TO HAVE SEX
WITH ME,

THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE SEX
WITH ME,

AND THEY DID, YOU KNOW,
SEVERAL TIMES.

THOSE ARE MEMORIES THAT YOU LIKE
TO KEEP, PUT FAR, FAR DEEP AWAY.

I WAS MOLESTED IN THIS ROOM.

YEAH, IT WAS --

A LOT OF BAD THINGS
HAPPENED HERE.

YEAH, THERE WAS A TIME THAT
I'D HAVE BURNT THIS WHOLE ISLAND

RIGHT TO THE GROUND,

JUST TO PUT THE PAIN AWAY,
MAKE THE MEMORIES GO AWAY.

AND WHY IN THE **** AM I
TRYING TO REMEMBER THIS ****?

WHAT THE ****
THEY'D JUST DO TO ME.

WE NEED TO TAKE A BREAK, GUYS.
- YES, SIR, SURE.

I'M **** STARTING
TO HALLUCINATE ****

FOR TWO SEASONS,
BROTHER PAUL'S CHILDREN'S CAMP

OPERATED HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT.

NOBODY WOULD TALK.
NOBODY WOULD STEP UP.

I WASN'T SMART ENOUGH
TO TELL MY PARENTS,

AND TO THIS VERY DAY,
I DON'T KNOW WHY I WAS DOING IT,

WHY I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING.

IN JULY OF 1976,
ONE KID BROKE THE SILENCE,

AND 15-YEAR-OLD MICHAEL FARQUHAR

FINDS HIMSELF IN THE BACK
OF A POLICE CAR.

ONE OF THEM LOOKED AT ME
AND SAID,

"IF YOU DON'T TELL US
WHAT'S GOING ON,

JULY 15, 1976,
AFTER TWO SEASONS IN OPERATION,

ONE BOY TELLS HIS MOTHER
THE SECRET OF NORTH FOX ISLAND.

EDDIE WAS ONE
OF THE YOUNGER KIDS.

HE WAS ONLY 8 OR 9
DURING THE TIME.

EDDIE TELLS THE POLICE
HE WAS SEXUALLY ABUSED

BY BOTH GERALD RICHARDS
AND FRANK SHELDEN

NUMEROUS TIMES.

IT'S AN ALLEGATION
THEY CAN'T IGNORE,

AND WHEN THE POLICE COME LOOKING
FOR MICHAEL, THEY WANT ANSWERS.

I CLAMMED RIGHT UP.

I HAD NOTHING TO SAY, NOTHING.

I WAS SCARED TO DEATH.

THEY RELEASED ME,
AND I WENT HOME.

THERE'S SO MUCH INFORMATION
I COULD HAVE GAVE THEM.

IF YOU WANT TO TALK TO A KID,
DON'T EVER THREATEN THEM,

BIGGEST MISTAKE
THEY EVER MADE IN THIS CASE.

I GOT ON THE PHONE,
AND I CALLED GERRY RICHARDS.

I TOLD HIM,
"THE POLICE JUST TALKED TO ME.

THEY WANT TO KNOW
WHAT YOU'RE DOING."

AT THAT POINT, GERRY RICHARDS
STARTED HIDING STUFF,

ALL THE PICTURES AND STUFF.

HE TOLD ME THAT HE BURIED THEM
IN HIS BACKYARD.

THE DETECTIVES, THEY EVENTUALLY
GOT TO MY MOM AND DAD

AND TOLD THEM WHAT WAS GOING ON,
AND MY DAD EXPLAINED TO ME

I HAD TO TELL THE TRUTH.

I THINK IT KILLED MY MOM.

I DO.

I THINK THE GUILT KILLED MY DAD.

WHEN I WAS A CHILD,
I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND

WHAT MY PARENTS
WERE GOING THROUGH.

TODAY, YEAH, I SEE IT.

BASTARDS.

AND I REMEMBER SEEING EDDIE,
AND I ASKED HIM,

"WHY DID YOU TELL EVERYBODY?"

AND HE TOLD ME,
"BECAUSE THEY HURT ME."

I UNDERSTOOD THEN, YOU KNOW.

THEY HURT HIM.

NO ONE UNDERSTOOD
THE SECRET WORLD HE'D EXPOSED.

TWO WEEKS LATER,
RICHARDS IS CHARGED

WITH CRIMINAL
SEXUAL CONDUCT WITH A MINOR.

IN EXCHANGE FOR
A LESSER SENTENCE,

GERALD RICHARDS HANDED
OVER THE CLIENT LIST.

HE RATS OUT
HIS WEALTHY ACCOMPLICES

IN BROTHER PAUL'S
CHILDREN'S MISSION,

MULTIMILLIONAIRE DYER GROSSMAN
AND FRANCIS SHELDEN.

AS SOON AS
GERALD RICHARDS WAS ARRESTED,

SHELDEN WAS TIPPED OFF,
AND HE WENT TO ANN ARBOR

AND CLEANED OUT EVERYTHING
IN HIS APARTMENT

AND FLED THE COUNTRY.

FRANK SHELDEN WAS
VERY POLITICALLY CONNECTED.

HE WAS ONE OF THE WEALTHIEST
PEOPLE IN THE STATE.

YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET
THE JUMP ON THAT GUY.

MONEY OR WEALTH AND POWER

CAN MAKE A LOT OF THINGS
GO AWAY.

AFTER MONTHS
OF LEGAL FOOT-DRAGGING,

THE POLICE ISSUE ARREST WARRANTS
ON BOTH SHELDEN AND GROSSMAN

ON TWO COUNTS OF CHILD ABUSE,
BUT THEY'RE LONG GONE.

SHELDEN HAS ESCAPED
TO AMSTERDAM.

GROSSMAN IS SOMEWHERE
IN CALIFORNIA.

RICHARDS PLEADS GUILTY AND IS
SENTENCED TO 2 TO 20 YEARS

IN JACKSON PRISON.

NONE OF THE OTHERS EVER PAYS FOR
THEIR CRIMES AGAINST THOSE BOYS.

WELL, AFTER, YOU KNOW,
'76 WHEN RICHARDS WENT TO JAIL,

IT ALL JUST
KIND OF WENT AWAY.

THEY KIND OF JUST LEFT ME
HANGING OUT THERE,

DEALING WITH
ALL THE HUMILIATION

AND ALL THE CONSEQUENCES
FOR MY SINS.

THE CAMP ON
NORTH FOX ISLAND WAS BUSTED,

BUT THE PEDOPHILES SCATTERED
THROUGHOUT MICHIGAN.

280 MILES SOUTH
AND 4 MONTHS LATER,

THE OAKLAND COUNTY CHILD KILLER
STRIKES AGAIN,

ABDUCTING AND KILLING
JILL ROBINSON,

KRISTINE MIHELICH, AND TIM KING
OVER A SPAN OF 4 MONTHS.

THE POLICE ARE PREPARED
TO PURSUE THIS CASE

ON A MASSIVE SCALE,
FOR 6 MONTHS, IF NECESSARY.

THEY HOPE AND PRAY
THEY FIND THE KILLER QUICKLY.

EVERY HOUR THEY LIVE WITH THE
FEAR THAT HE COULD STRIKE AGAIN.

WHEN DETECTIVE WILLIAMS REOPENS
THE CHILD MURDER CASE IN 2005,

HE EMPLOYS A MODERN
INVESTIGATIVE TOOL -- DNA.

A NEWLY-ASSEMBLED TASK FORCE
HAS SET UP A NEW COMMAND CENTER

TO HOUSE ALL THE EVIDENCE IN
THE 30-YEAR-OLD MURDER MYSTERY.

THEY BEGIN RE-ANALYZING
THE PHYSICAL EVIDENCE

FROM 1976 AND 1977.

DETECTIVE WILLIAMS,
NOW PART OF THAT TASK FORCE,

LOOKS FOR A CONNECTION
BETWEEN THE PHOTOS

AND THE FILMS MADE IN DETROIT
AND NORTH FOX ISLAND

AND THE OAKLAND COUNTY
CHILD KILLER.

WE REALIZED
FRANCIS SHELDEN WOULD DEVELOP,

THROUGH OTHER PEDOPHILES,
CHILD PORNOGRAPHY,

AND HE WAS SHIPPING IT
TO AMSTERDAM

TO BE PROCESSED AND SOLD AT
A WORLDWIDE DISTRIBUTOR THERE.

WE LOOKED AT A POSSIBILITY
OF WERE THE KIDS

SNATCHED FOR SNUFF PORN FILMS,

WHERE THE KIDS ARE MOLESTED
AND KILLED ON CAMERA,

AND THEN THE FILMS ARE SOLD.

DETECTIVE WILLIAMS
LEARNS THAT IN 1993,

MOUNTAINS OF ILLICIT MATERIAL

WERE CEASED FROM FRANK SHELDEN'S
DISTRIBUTOR IN AMSTERDAM.

THEY HAD HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS
OF PHOTOS AND VIDEOS OF KIDS,

AND WE SENT PHOTOS
OF OUR KIDS, OUR VICTIMS,

AND WE WANTED TO SEE
IF THEY COULD DO A COMPARISON.

COULD THIS BE THE
BREAK THEY WERE LOOKING FOR?

IT WAS MONTHS LATER
WE GOT A RESULT BACK FROM THEM

THAT THEY DIDN'T SEE OUR KIDS

INVOLVED IN ANY OF
THE FILMS OR PICTURES.

DURING THIS COLD-CASE
INVESTIGATION IN 2005,

POLICE INFORMANT
AND PEDOPHILE RICHARD LAWSON

GIVES DETECTIVE WILLIAMS

THE NAME OF ANOTHER
SEXUAL PREDATOR

IN THE CASS CORRIDOR
WHERE HE HUNG OUT.

IT WAS A NAME HE HAD MENTIONED
TO THE TASK FORCE 30 YEARS AGO.

HE SAID,
"CORY, THERE'S A PEDOPHILE

THAT WAS IN THE CASS CORRIDOR
AREA NAMED TED ORR.

HE WENT BY THE NAME TED ORR."

AND HE SAID, "CORY,
I THINK, IF I REMEMBER RIGHT,

ORR HAD A --

THAT WAS JUST HIS NAME
HE USED IN CASS CORRIDOR --

BUT HIS REAL LAST NAME WAS,
LIKE, L-A-M SOMETHING."

SO I WENT THROUGH THE OLD 18,000
TIPS AT THE STATE POLICE POST

AND FOUND A THEODORE LAMBORGINE.

TIPS NUMBER 278 AND 279.

LAWSON TOLD ME ONE TIME,

HE AND LAMBORGINE
WERE AT BOB MOORE'S HOUSE,

WHILE TIM KING
WAS EITHER MISSING

OR RIGHT AFTER HE WAS MISSING.

AND BOB MOORE HAD A PHOTO ALBUM
THAT HAD CHILD PICTURES IN IT,

AND THAT LAMBORGINE
SAID TO LAWSON,

"DOES THAT NOT LOOK
LIKE THE KING KID,"

AND KIND OF SNICKERED.

IN 2005, DETECTIVE
WILLIAMS TRACKS LAMBORGINE DOWN

IN OHIO, WHERE HE WORKS
AT THE FORD PLANT.

AT THAT TIME,
HE DENIED ANY INVOLVEMENT

IN THE CHILD KILLINGS,

ADMITTED THAT, YES,
HE'S A PEDOPHILE,

LIKES YOUNG BOYS,
LIVED IN DETROIT IN THE '70s.

THE 64-YEAR-OLD
EVEN AGREES TO TAKE A POLYGRAPH.

AFTER 30 YEARS AND HUNDREDS OF
COPS CHASING THOUSANDS OF LEADS,

DETECTIVE WILLIAMS
ISN'T HOLDING HIS BREATH.

WOULD THIS BE ANY DIFFERENT?

THIS CASE HAS BEEN
A ROLLER-COASTER RIDE

FROM DAY ONE, AS FAR AS,

YOU KNOW,
YOU GET EXCITED ABOUT A LEAD.

YOU FOLLOW IT THROUGH
UNTIL IT'S EXHAUSTED.

WHEN THE POLYGRAPH
RESULTS COME IN,

LAMBORGINE HAS FAILED IT
SO MISERABLY

THAT THE COPS MAY CRACK THE CASE
THAT'S ELUDED THEM FOR SO LONG.

HEY, TED,
CAN YOU TELL ME WHY THE POLICE

AND THE FBI
ARE INTERESTED IN YOU?

NO.

NEWS OF A NEW PLAYER
IN THE ALMOST-30-YEAR-OLD

UNSOLVED CASE
LEAKS OUT TO THE MEDIA.

DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING
ABOUT THOSE MURDERS?

CAN YOU TELL ME WHY
YOU FLUNKED THE POLYGRAPH?

SCARED.

BUT A FAILED POLYGRAPH IS NOT
ENOUGH TO ARREST TED LAMBORGINE.

IF YOU DON'T KNOW
ANYTHING AT ALL,

WHY WOULD THEY BOTHER
TO COME DOWN AND TALK TO YOU?

THAT'S WHAT
I DON'T UNDERSTAND.

HE'S THE MOST PROMISING
LEAD IN DECADES.

THE TASK FORCE BEGINS
TRACKING DOWN

SOME OF HIS PEDOPHILIA
VICTIMS FROM THE '70s.

IT MIGHT GIVE THEM THE LEVERAGE
THEY NEED FOR A CONFESSION.

THE VICTIMS THAT I INTERVIEWED
OF LAMBORGINE,

MOST OF THEM WERE
EITHER TAKEN ON TRIPS,

GROOMED WITH DRUGS
OR ALCOHOL, OFFERED MONEY.

ONE OF THE VICTIMS
WAS AS YOUNG AS 9 YEARS OLD,

AND TED MOLESTED HIM
ON THE FRONT SEAT OF HIS CAR,

OVER BY THE TRAIN STATION
HERE IN DETROIT.

THE MORE VICTIMS THEY TALKED TO,

THE MORE LAMBORGINE
FITS THE PROFILE.

SOME OF THE VICTIMS
THAT WE INTERVIEWED

ABOUT WHAT LAMBORGINE
HAD DONE TO THEM

WAS NOT ONLY MOLESTED THEM
FORCEFULLY AND VIOLENTLY,

BUT LAMBORGINE WOULD FORCE
THESE KIDS INTO A TUB AFTER

TO MAKE SURE
THEY GOT RID OF ANY DNA.

AT LEAST THE ONE SUBJECT WHOSE
FACE WAS PUSHED IN A PILLOW

AND THOUGHT HE WAS
GOING TO SUFFOCATE,

OBVIOUSLY OUR VICTIMS
WERE SUFFOCATED.

SO THAT WAS SOMETHING
THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT.

WE DID A SEARCH WARRANT
ON HIS APARTMENT TO SEE

IF WE COULD FIND ANY CONNECTION
TO THE CHILD KILLING CASE.

HIS APARTMENT, I CAN SAY,
WAS A VERY ODD PLACE,

THE CLEANLINESS OF IT.

HIS FURNITURE WAS ALL COVERED,
WITH TAGS ON IT,

SUPER CLEAN AND NEAT.

NO FOOD IN
THE REFRIGERATOR WHATSOEVER,

HE ATE OUT THREE MEALS A DAY.

YEAH, HE WAS
A OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE.

I MEAN, HIS CLOSET,
EVERYTHING WAS, LIKE,

THIS FAR APART
AND HANGING IN HIS CLOSET.

IT WAS CRAZY.

HE WAS NUTTIER
THAN A JUNKYARD RAT.

I CONFRONTED HIM AND SAID,
"YOU DIDN'T FAIL THAT POLYGRAPH

BECAUSE YOU WERE AFRAID.

YOU FAILED THAT POLYGRAPH
BECAUSE YOU KILLED THOSE KIDS,"

AND HIS RESPONSE TO ME WAS,
"GOD HAS FORGIVEN ME."

TODAY LAMBORGINE WAS CHARGED
WITH MOLESTING EIGHT BOYS

IN METRO DETROIT.

BUT MANY ARE EAGER TO KNOW

IF HE IS ALSO THE OAKLAND
COUNTY CHILD KILLER,

A MAN WHO HAS ELUDED POLICE
FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS.

WHEN IT WAS ALL SAID
AND DONE, WE HAD 17 COUNTS,

THREE LIFE FELONY COUNTS
ON LAMBORGINE,

FOR CHILD MOLESTATION,

FROM BOYS THAT HE HAD RAPED HERE
IN DETROIT BACK IN THE '70s.

THEY OFFER HIM THE POSSIBILITY

OF A LIGHTER SENTENCE
AND WITNESS PROTECTION

IF HE AGREES
TO A SECOND POLYGRAPH.

HE NOT ONLY TURNED DOWN
THE OFFER,

BUT INSTEAD
OF TRYING TO NEGOTIATE

SOME SORT OF A PLEA
FOR HIMSELF IN ANY WAY,

HE PLEAD STRAIGHT-UP
ON THE NOSE ALL 17 COUNTS,

INCLUDING LIFE FELONIES,
WHICH TO US WAS VERY TELLING.

IT APPEARED TO US HE DIDN'T WANT
TO IMPLICATE HIMSELF

IN SOMETHING THAT MAY BE
LARGER OR MORE MASSIVE.

HE WOULDN'T TALK.
HE WENT AWAY QUIETLY.

WITH NO PROOF
THAT LAMBORGINE IS INVOLVED

IN THE OAKLAND COUNTY
CHILD KILLINGS,

THAT DOOR CLOSES,
BUT ANOTHER ONE OPENS.

I WAS AT MY OFFICE IN LIVONIA

AND GOT A CALL OUT
OF THE BLUE ONE AFTERNOON,

AND IT WAS CATHY KING,
TIM KING'S OLDER SISTER.

I HAD NEVER SPOKEN
WITH HER BEFORE,

AND SHE HAD SOME INFORMATION
THAT THEY HAD GLEANED

FROM A FRIEND OF THEIRS,
A FRIEND NAMED PATRICK COFFEY.

PATRICK COFFEY LIVED
ACROSS THE STREET

FROM THE KING FAMILY,
IN BIRMINGHAM, BACK IN 1977.

HE WAS BEST FRIENDS
WITH TIM'S OLDER BROTHER, CHRIS.

WE KNEW THAT WHOLE FAMILY.
WE WERE FRIENDS.

THE KING BOYS
AND ALL THE COFFEY BOYS,

WE COULD PLAY HOCKEY
IN MY UNCLE'S FROZEN BACKYARD.

AS A MATTER OF FACT,
IF YOU WERE LOOKING

FOR ONE OF THE KING BOYS
OR THE COFFEY BOYS,

THAT'S THE FIRST PLACE
THAT FAMILIES WOULD CALL.

POLICE, AND THE PUBLIC
WERE HOPING, PRAYING,

THAT THE 11-YEAR-OLD YOUNGSTER
WOULD BE FOUND ALIVE.

LATE LAST NIGHT,
THOSE DESPERATE HOPES WOUND UP

IN A DITCH BESIDE A DIRT ROAD
IN WESTERN WAYNE COUNTY,

WHERE TIMMY KING'S BODY
HAD BEEN DUMPED.

I REMEMBER WHEN TIMMY WAS TAKEN
AND ULTIMATELY FOUND DEAD,

IT WAS LIKE A SHOCK
TO THE SYSTEM.

YOU JUST CAN'T PROCESS IT
OR ACCEPT IT.

I REMEMBER LEAVING OUT
THE BACK DOOR.

I DIDN'T WANT MY BROTHERS
TO SEE ME CRY,

AND I REMEMBER
POUNDING MY FISTS...

AGAINST A BRICK WALL

AND THINKING, "THIS CAN'T BE."

PATRICK NOW WORKS
AS A POLYGRAPHER

AND EXPERT WITNESS NATIONWIDE.

I'VE BEEN DOING
POLYGRAPH EXAMS FOR 30 YEARS,

AND I DO THEM
IN THREE LANGUAGES.

I COULD NEVER HAVE ENVISIONED
THAT I PERSONALLY COULD HAVE

MADE ANY CONTRIBUTION
TO THIS CASE.

UNTIL JULY 2006, IN LAS VEGAS,
WHERE A ONE-IN-A-MILLION CHANCE

ENCOUNTER BREAKS
DECADES OF SILENCE.

I THOUGHT, "THIS HAS GOT
TO BE PROVIDENCE.

THIS HAS GOT TO BE
GOD'S HAND IN THIS."

AT A POLYGRAPHERS' CONVENTION

IN VEGAS IN 2006,

PATRICK COFFEY LEARNS
THAT WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS

DOESN'T ALWAYS STAY IN VEGAS.

I WAS ASKED TO BE
A GUEST SPEAKER.

I HAD GOTTEN DONE DOING
MY PRESENTATION

OF ABOUT A HALF AN HOUR,

AND AN INDIVIDUAL
WALKED UP TO ME,

AND THEY SAID, "THAT WAS
A VERY DYNAMIC PRESENTATION."

AND FROM THAT SENTENCE ALONE,

I HEARD THE UNIQUE
MICHIGAN NASAL ACCENT,

IF YOU WILL, AND I SAID,

"THE REASON I CAME
INTO THIS PROFESSION

WAS BECAUSE OF WHAT HAPPENED
TO MY NEIGHBOR BOY.

MAYBE YOU'VE HEARD OF THE CASE.
MOST PEOPLE WOULD CALL IT

THE OAKLAND COUNTY
CHILD KILLER CASE,"

AND I NOTICED A PHYSICAL
CHANGE IN HIS FACE.

HE SAID, "I TESTED THE GUY
WHO CONFESSED

TO KILLING YOUR NEIGHBOR BOY."

QUEUE AN INSTANT
PRIMAL COLD SWEAT.

HE WENT ON TO TELL ME
THAT THEY WERE TESTING SOMEONE

ON A COMPLETELY
UNRELATED CASE,

THE MOLESTATION
OF A LITTLE GIRL,

AND THAT THIS ATTORNEY
HAD SENT THEIR CLIENT

TO HIM TO BE TESTED.

AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF ALL
THE QUESTIONS IN THE POLYGRAPH,

HE WAS GETTING SOME RESISTANCE
TO CERTAIN QUESTIONS,

AND FINALLY IN FRUSTRATION
HE SAID TO THE INDIVIDUAL,

"WELL, WHY CAN'T YOU ANSWER
NO TO THAT QUESTION?"

TO WHICH THE INDIVIDUAL REPLIED,
"BECAUSE I DIDN'T DO THIS ONE,

BUT I DID THE KING BOY
IN BIRMINGHAM."

AS SOON AS THE POLYGRAPHER
SAYS IT,

HE REALIZES HE SHOULDN'T HAVE
AND REFUSES TO SAY THE NAME.

HE DOES GIVE PATRICK COFFEY
TWO CLUES.

THE INDIVIDUAL WHO CONFESSED
IS DEAD, AND SO IS HIS ATTORNEY.

LIKE, MIDNIGHT OR 1:00
IN THE MORNING,

YOU KNOW, A PHONE RINGS.

IT'S PATRICK COFFEY, WHO
I'VE TALKED TO ONCE IN 30 YEARS,

WHO TELLS ME THIS STORY,
AND HE SAID,

"AND I AM TELLING YOU THIS NOW
BECAUSE I HAD

A STROKE LAST YEAR,
AND I KNOW LIFE CAN BE SHORT.

BUT I WANT YOU TO HAVE THIS BIT
OF INFORMATION IN CASE,

GOD FORBID,
SOMETHING SHOULD HAPPEN TO ME."

AFTER 30 YEARS,
A LEAD IN TIM'S MURDER,

BUT NOT FROM THE POLICE,
FROM A FAMILY FRIEND.

BUT WHAT TO DO
WITH THIS INFORMATION?

MY FEELING WAS,
"OKAY, I'M AN ATTORNEY.

IT WAS AN ATTORNEY-CLIENT
PRIVILEGED POLYGRAPH,

AND IF I TAKE IT
TO THE STATE POLICE,

THEY'RE GOING TO DEEP-SIX IT."

AND I DIDN'T TELL MY DAD
BECAUSE, AT THE TIME,

HE TOLD THE STATE POLICE
EVERYTHING.

I KNEW IT WOULD GO IN
A CIRCULAR FILE

AND NEVER SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY.

SO I SAID TO MY SISTER,
OFFHANDEDLY, I SAID,

"YOU KNOW, CORY WILLIAMS,
HE PUT TED LAMBORGINE AWAY.

HE'S A HUSTLER.
I'M IMPRESSED WITH HIM,"

AND SO SHE HAD SAID,

"WELL, LET'S BRING THIS
PAT COFFEY LEAD TO CORY."

I HAD NEVER MET HIM.
I CALLED HIM.

I SAID, "I WOULD LIKE
TO TELL YOU SOMETHING,

BUT I WILL ONLY TELL YOU IF YOU
WON'T TELL THE STATE POLICE."

AND HE SAID, "WELL,
WE CAN DO THAT UP TO A POINT."

I ENDED MY CALL WITH CATHY

AND CALLED MY PROSECUTOR
RIGHT AWAY AND SAID,

"LISTEN, WE MIGHT HAVE
SOMETHING INTERESTING HERE."

CORY WILLIAMS STARTED
INVESTIGATING THAT LEAD.

THAT WAS ONE OF THE REASONS
THAT THIS CASE KIND OF

STARTED TO SPARK
A LITTLE BIT AGAIN.

OVER THE NEXT YEAR, THE TASK
FORCE PORES THROUGH POLYGRAPHS

THAT TOOK PLACE
IN FLINT IN 1977.

ALL THEY HAVE IS THE CLUES
PATRICK COFFEY GAVE THEM.

THE INDIVIDUAL IS DEAD,
AND SO IS THE ATTORNEY.

WE FOUND 40 OR 50 POLYGRAPHS,
BUT ONLY TWO PERTAINING

TO THE OAKLAND COUNTY
CHILD KILLINGS.

ONE WE WERE ABLE
TO EXCLUDE RIGHT AWAY

AS NOT BEING CONNECTED
TO OUR CASE.

THE OTHER ONE WAS CHRIS BUSCH
AND GREG GREEN.

THOSE NAMES SOUND
FAMILIAR TO DETECTIVE WILLIAMS.

IN FEBRUARY OF 1977,
CHRISTOPHER BUSCH

WAS THE 25-YEAR-OLD SUSPECT
OBSESSED WITH BOYS, ARRESTED,

QUESTIONED, AND POLYGRAPHED
WITH HIS FELLOW ACCOMPLICE,

GREGORY GREEN, IN THE MURDERS
OF THE FIRST THREE VICTIMS.

WE STARTED PULLING
THESE RECORDS AND POLICE REPORTS

MEANING NOT ONLY WAS
HE MOLESTING IN OAKLAND COUNTY

AND ALL OVER THE PLACE,
WHEN THEY ARRESTED HIM,

HE HAD A SUITCASE
WITH ROPES IN THE CAR,

CHILD PORNOGRAPHY,
POUNDS OF WEED AND A SHOTGUN.

HE WAS RELEASED ON BOND,
AFTER BEING QUESTIONED

RELATED TO THE CHILD KILLINGS,

AND ROUGHLY A WEEK LATER,
TIMOTHY KING GOES MISSING.

IN 2010, AS HE DIGS
THROUGH THE FILES,

APPLEMAN DISCOVERS
ONE SENTENCE BURIED

IN A SMALL-TOWN
NORTHERN MICHIGAN NEWSPAPER,

A SENTENCE THAT MAY UNLOCK
A DARK CONNECTION.

THIS ARTICLE TALKS
ABOUT PORNOGRAPHY

CONFISCATED FROM
NORTH FOX ISLAND,

AND PORNOGRAPHY CONFISCATED
FROM CHRISTOPHER BUSCH.

HIS NAME WAS FOUND
AMONG THE LIST

OF FRANCIS SHELDEN'S
CLIENTS AND SUBSCRIBERS.

DID THE COPS HAVE
THE KILLER AND LET HIM GO?

NEXT TIME ON
"CHILDREN OF THE SNOW"...

THERE'S JUST TOO MUCH STUFF
THERE THAT MADE IT LOOK LIKE,

"I'M THE MAN. THIS IS IT.
EVERYTHING IS OVER."

"THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE TIME,

THE KILLER'S NAME
IS ALREADY IN THE BOX."

DID THE POLICE MISS
CRUCIAL EVIDENCE

OR DELIBERATELY HIDE IT?

AND WAS NEVER SEEN AGAIN.

WILL SCIENCE UNLOCK
A 40-YEAR-OLD MYSTERY

FROM A SINGLE STRAND OF HAIR?