Anybody want to know what happened in May 2002 with AMW? Good, because I've summarized all those episodes for you
Episode #674 - May 4, 2002 (700th Capture Special Edition)TJ Weber Capture (Full segment) - Ed Miller has breaking news out of Las Vegas; accused killer TJ Weber has been captured. Weber allegedly raped his girlfriend's 14-year-old daughter and killed his girlfriend and her son during one incident, then brutally beat her other son and a family friend during another incident. Weber was hiding out in a trailer park not far from the Las Vegas strip, and of all the places he could hide, he picked the trailer owned by the parents of his murdered girlfriend. A neighbor, who knew Weber was featured on AMW, saw black trash bags on the window and got suspicious. She called the police and Weber was arrested, making him Capture #701.
Michael Bliss Capture (Full segment) - One of the nation's most wanted fugitives is AMW's 700th capture; Michael Bliss was one of the FBI's Ten Most Wanted fugitives for allegedly sexually assaulting a nine-year-old girl in Vermont and videotaping his crimes. Bliss had previously served prison time for beating three boys with a baseball bat. After his profile, AMW got a tip that he had fled to California. Police investigated and discovered that Bliss had showed up at a motel seeking a job as a maintenance man. Working with the motel manager, the FBI was able to arrest Bliss without incident, making him Capture #700.
Armando Garcia (Breaking news, approx. 30 seconds) - Los Angeles police are on a desperate manhunt for a fugitive who took the life of one of their own; LA Sheriff's Deputy David March was shot and killed after a routine traffic stop. It was believed Armando Garcia, a fugitive running from an attempted murder charge, allegedly shot and killed the deputy after being pulled over. Garcia was indirectly caught in Mexico in February 2006.
(commercial break)
James Sullivan (Full segment) - Rick Segall updates viewers on a case AMW has been following for years. Millionaire James Sullivan is wanted out of Atlanta for arranging the murder of his wife. On the day their divorce was to be finalized, his wife was shot and killed at her own home. A decade after the murder, police finally obtained enough evidence to charge Sullivan, but he'd long since disappeared. Rick travels to Costa Rica, where Sullivan had been hiding out and apparently still owned a house there. However, Sullivan's current whereabouts were not known. But thanks to this profile, AMW received tips that placed Sullivan in Thailand. Sure enough, Thai police found him living in a resort town and arrested him once the extradition warrant was approved. Sullivan was Capture #715.
(commercial break)
DeAndre Wilson (Full segment) - Detroit police were on the hunt for a madman with a hair-trigger temper. During the summer of 2000, DeAndre Wilson allegedly went on a violent crime spree. First he shot and killed an elderly man simply because the man honked his car horn, then accidentally drove into Wilson's mother's car when he tried to get away. Weeks later, Wilson, along with an unidentified accomplice, tracked down the only witness to the shooting in an attempt to get rid of him. The witness survived, but his 16-year-old daughter was killed because Wilson thought she was calling police. Wilson was actually captured two days before this profile even aired; he was located in Des Moines, Iowa, and arrested without incident. His unidentified accomplice is still at large.
(commercial break)
Rilya Wilson (Brief, approx. 30 seconds) - A five-year-old girl has been reported missing in Florida. Two people reportedly took Rilya Wilson from her grandmother's home, claiming to be workers with Child Protective Services. However, this happened in April 2001, and the apparent abduction wasn't discovered until April 2002. Though her body has never been found, Rilya has been declared deceased and her caretaker, Geralyn Graham, was later convicted of her murder.
Behind the Scenes of an AMW Capture (Full segment) - To celebrate AMW's 700th capture, the show gives a behind the scenes look at what happens when a capture actually happens. Specifically, the show focuses on Richard Burdick, AMW Capture #570. Multiple tipsters reported seeing the accused child rapist in Maine, and when officers went to investigate, Burdick pulled out a gun and shot at the officers. Nobody was injured, and after the SWAT team responded to the scene, Burdick surrendered without further incident.
A Look at AMW's Family (Full segment) - An interesting feature that takes a look at some of the non-AMW staffers that have helped the show over the years. They include law enforcement, crime victims, tipsters and even a couple actors who have been in AMW's stories. Perhaps the most interesting person featured is Edie Falco, famous for her roles on "The Sopranos" and "Nurse Jackie." One of her first acting roles was during an AMW reenactment.
(commercial break)
Jahi Turner (Break-Four Tease) - Two-year-old reported missing in San Diego. The boy's stepfather has been considered a person of interest in his disappearance, but no conclusive evidence has ever been found. Jahi is still missing, but law enforcement believes he is deceased.
(commercial break continues)
Presidential Thanks (Brief, approx. 1 minute) - Clips of Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush are played thanking either John or AMW for their work in hunting fugitives.
A Chat with Tom Ridge (Brief, approx. 2 minutes) - John Walsh sits down with Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge to discuss how average Americans can help hunt terrorists.
Episode notes:
- This episode was filmed on the White House lawn.
- This episode features a special opening showing clips of some of AMW's 700 captures. Highlights include David James Roberts, John List, Garrett & Elizabeth Stone and the Texas Seven.
- AMW's website claimed that missing woman Stacey Balas was profiled on this episode. However, unless she was profiled during the COPS Credits (which I did not record for my copy of the episode) this is inaccurate. Given that AMW never profiled a missing person during the COPS Credits (to my knowledge) I'm going to say this was a website error.
- I don't know everybody featured in the AMW family feature, but here are the ones that I either know or I'm pretty sure I know; Ellie and Bessie Bennett (James Bennett's daughters and victims), retired FBI Agent Ralph DiFonzo (he mentions John Riccardi, Reginald DePalma, Gerald Reeves and Mario Marro as cases he's brought to AMW), Fred and Sylvia Weinstein (parents of Bruce Weinstein, Amy DeChant's victim), Edie Falco (actress who was in an AMW reenactment), the 13-year-old boy who helped catch Raymond Pin, Sonia Paine (jewelry store owner who "beat the crap out of" Nick Montos with a baseball bat after he tried robbing her), the actors who played Scott Smithson (whose performance alone led to the capture of the fugitive) and Sophie David (whose performance was so good, SHE was arrested TWICE because tipsters thought she was the fugitive), and Dickie & Lourdes Simmons (her family was attacked by Jesse Morrison and Michael Berry; he was the lead detective. They eventually got married)
- Because this was nearly eight months after 9/11, AMW still had a small focus on hunting terrorism suspects, which explains the last segment of the show. As the show went on, you'll notice the focus on terrorism became less and less (the best example is the show that aired closest to the 9/11 anniversary didn't even mention terrorists as the years went by).
Episode #675 - May 11, 2002 (Cops Under Fire Special Edition)Frederick Russell (COPS Credits) - Fugitive wanted out of Washington state for driving drunk and crashing his car, killing three Washington State University students. He was indirectly captured in Ireland in 2005 shortly after being added to the U.S. Marshals' 15 Most Wanted List.
Jesus Maldonado (Full segment) - Wanted for his role in a violent home invasion in Orange County. Maldonado and an accomplice posed as police officers to gain entry into the house and hold the family inside hostage. During the situation, an sheriff's deputy was shot by one of the suspects, but he wasn't seriously hurt (he actually didn't even realize he'd been shot!). The accomplice was arrested and convicted, but Maldonado got away. He was indirectly captured in August 2002.
Margaret DeFrancisco Capture and Regina DeFrancisco (Full segment) - After a year of dead-ends, police have finally made significant progress on the hunt for two Chicago sisters wanted for murder. Regina and Margaret DeFrancisco are wanted for killing Regina's boyfriend then burning his body. Thanks to an AMW tipster, Margaret was nabbed in the Chicago suburbs, living with relatives. She was Capture #703. Regina DeFrancisco was still at large, but she was indirectly captured in October 2002 after her new boyfriend was arrested in Texas.
(commercial break)
Calvin Sinclair (Brief, approx. 1 minute) - New Orleans fugitive wanted for killing his girlfriend and her mother during an argument. Police believe Sinclair may have fled to his homeland of Guyana. Sinclair is only 4'7" tall. Still at large
Armando Garcia (Full segment) - AMW follows the Los Angeles Police Department as they try and track down Armando Garcia, wanted for shooting and killing Deputy David March during a routine traffic stop. Garcia, a drug-runner and attempted murder suspect, had repeatedly said he'd never go back to prison alive. Garcia was later indirectly captured in February 2006.
(commercial break)
Alabama Top Cop Feature (Full segment) - Ed Miller profiles the case of Lt. Sam Peacock, a member of an Alabama Drug Task Force who was nearly killed while on duty. In 1999, Peacock, posing as a drug dealer during an undercover operation, got into a struggle while inside of his car. He had no backup because the officers that were reenforcing him lost track of where he was after the audio on the officer's microphone cut out. Peacock survived and the suspect who shot at him was arrested.
Richard Bell ("Tacked-on" profile) - The Alabama Drug Task Force is seeking Richard Bell, who is wanted for drug dealing. Still at large, as far as I can tell.
(commercial break)
Rilya Wilson and Unknown Precious Doe Killer (Full segment) - Tom Morris travels to Florida to get to the bottom of a mysterious missing child case. Five-year-old Rilya Wilson was reported missing to Florida police in April 2002, a year after she was reportedly taken by two Child Protective Services workers. Tom interviews Geralyn Graham, who said she is Rilya's grandmother, and discovers that Child Protective Services in Florida may have lost the child. As it turns out, Graham may have lied about much of what happened; although Rilya's body has never been found, Graham was later charged with her murder, and in early 2013 she was convicted of killing the little girl. Tom also investigated the possibility that Rilya was Precious Doe, a decapitated little girl found in Kansas City, Missouri, a year earlier. DNA proved Rilya was not Precious Doe, who herself was later identified as Erica Green. Harrell and Michelle Johnson were later charged with Erica's murder.
(commercial break)
Robert Williams (Break-Four Tease) - Auto mechanic wanted out of Montana for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl. Still at large, as far as I can tell.
Alexis Patterson (Brief, approx. 1 minute) - Milwaukee Police have issued an urgent alert for a missing seven-year-old girl. Alexis Patterson disappeared while on her way to school the week before. Still missing
Episode notes:
- This episode was filmed in Broward County, Florida. John Walsh teamed up with the Broward County Fugitive Task Force with a ride-along as they hunted fugitives.
- Several clips from the ride-along were later used in AMW's intros starting in November 2007 (most notably, John Walsh running and saying "Now, these guys are going in after a convicted rapist" and high-fiving a deputy saying, "Great takedown!")
- The charges against Jesus Maldonado were eventually dropped because the informant who identified him refused to cooperate with investigators. Maldonado was later accused of kidnapping a young girl, but it turned out the entire story was a hoax.
- The Rilya Wilson case is one of the most bizarre missing child investigations I've ever seen. Interestingly, it's suggested at one point during Tom's story that Geralyn Graham may not be telling the whole story when it comes to her "granddaughter" (according to what I've read, Graham was actually the little girl's foster mother and has no biological relation to her).Episode #676 - May 18, 2002 (Drug Lords Special Edition)Michael Gospel (COPS Credits) - Shot and killed his ex-girlfriend in front of her children and tried to kill her teenage daughter. She survived and was able to get help. Gospel was captured a couple weeks after this profile, but his capture report was never published on amw.com.
James Springette, Juan Lema-Ortega and Hector Zapata (Full segment) - The newest member of the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List is revealed to be James Springette, a drug lord and the head of the Island Boys. Springette was wanted throughout the U.S. and the Caribbean for smuggling cocaine. Springette also got into a violent shootout with police in the Virgin Islands. Though he was arrested, Springette broke out of jail by being smuggled out inside a mattress. An alert was also issued for two Island Boys associates, Juan Lema-Ortega and Hector Zapata. Springette was indirectly captured in November 2002. I don't know whatever happened to his two associates.
U.S. Customs Feature (Full segment) - A documentary about U.S. Customs describes what agents do to help track down drug smugglers. Agents have jets and helicopters to cover the air, infrared for night searches, and boats for water chases. At one point, it shows U.S. Customs blowing up a drug smuggling boat and sinking it into the sea. John Walsh later explains they do this to help create a new environment for the aquatic wildlife.
(commercial break)
Guillermo Del Prado (Full segment) - John Turchin tells the story of a group of drug smugglers who led U.S. Customs agents on a high-speed boat chase in South Florida. An infrared camera captured the entire chase, which shows the smugglers cutting off the Customs boat and their attempts to make the agents crash into a larger boat. Eventually the chase went on land, with Customs agents chasing the three through downtown Miami. Agents caught two of the smugglers, but one, Guillermo Del Prado, got away. Del Prado eventually surrendered after seeing himself on AMW, making him Capture #739.
(commercial break)
William Severs (Full segment) - Police in Vineland, New Jersey, were seeking William Severs for a brutal murder. After years of abuse, Severs' girlfriend, Tina Labriola, left him, but Severs refused to take no for an answer. Eventually, Severs tracked Tina and her fiancee down, and one night, while hiding in the woods, Severs shot her with a high-powered rifle. The bullet actually went through Tina's body and shattered the window of the SUV behind her. Severs disappeared after the murder, but thanks to both AMW tips and Severs reactions to seeing himself on the show, police in Maryland caught him in November 2002. He was Capture #725.
(commercial break)
Nelson Yester Capture (Full segment) - While AMW is hunting drug lords, one of them is in jail thanks to an AMW tipster. Nelson Yester and two others who had been captured, came up with a plan to smuggle drugs inside of a Russian sub. Yester was one of the key players in the smuggling operation, but he fled in 1997. AMW aired him, but tips were elusive, until April 2002 when someone looking through an old copy of the AMW Magazine recognized Yester's face; he was arrested in South Africa. Though he became Capture #707, Yester apparently was released because a translator could not be located.
(commercial break)
Bert Mercer (Break Four Tease) - Wanted out of Louisiana for committing three murders over Mother's Day weekend. Mercer surrendered about a month after this profile. His surrender had nothing to do with his appearances on AMW.
(commercial break continues)
National Police Week 2002 (Full segment) - Tom Morris meets up with a family from New York as they travel to Washington DC for National Police Week 2002. The Vigiano family was remembering both of their sons, who were killed on 9/11. One of their sons was an NYPD detective and the other was a New York firefighter. Because of 9/11 alone, 72 names were added to the memorial wall in DC.
Armando Garcia ("Tacked on" profile) - Wanted out of Los Angeles for killing a sheriff's deputy during a routine traffic stop. Garcia was arrested in Mexico in 2006.
Episode notes:
- This episode was filmed in Miami. John Walsh rode along with U.S. Customs agents on a boat as they rode around trying to nab drug smugglers.
- John Walsh appears to be suffering from a cold during this episode. His voice is very scratchy.Episode #677 - May 25, 2002 (Missing Childrens' Day Special Edition)Elaine Parent Capture (Full segment) - John Turchin reports from Florida on shocking new developments in a case AMW had been following for years. Elaine Parent, known as "The Chameleon," was a serial identity thief wanted for questioning in the murder of a woman whose identity she stole. The night of her profile in April 2002, a woman watching the show didn't recognize Parent's face, but she thought her interests and hobbies sounded like her friend Darlene, so she called police. When officers arrived, they were skeptical that it was Parent, but after they heard a gunshot, they ran to find the woman dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Fingerprints confirmed it was Parent, and a search of her room found she was up to her old tricks. She had stolen the personal information of two elderly people she knew (male and female). Police also located her entire set of tools, including makeup kits, fake beards and even a special phone that was able to disguise her voice.
Samantha and Ann Kibalo (Brief, approx. 30 seconds) - Four-year-old Samantha Kibalo was abducted from upstate New York by her mother, Ann Kibalo, who did not have custody of her. Court officials are worried that Samantha could be in danger because Ann is allegedly unstable. Still missing/at large.
(commercial break)
Unknown Chandra Levy Killer (Full segment) - 13 months after she went missing, congressional intern Chandra Levy was found dead in Rock Creek Park, not far from where she was last known to be. Police had very little information and speculated that the case may have been connected to the disappearances and murders of Joyce Chiang and Christine Mirzayan. In 2011, police arrested Ingmar Guandique and charged him with Chandra's murder, officially ruling out that the three murders were connected. However, Guandique was later granted a new trial and authorities ended up deciding to dismiss the charges. He was later deported to his native El Salvador.
(commercial break)
Bert Mercer (Full segment) - Rick Segall travels to Louisiana to follow up on the case of Bert Mercer, who killed three women over Mother's Day weekend. The victims were his estranged wife, an older woman whom he wanted to have a relationship with and a female acquaintance. Mercer had been caught on surveillance at a casino using one of his victim's credit cards, which was the last time he had been spotted. A month after this profile, Mercer surrendered to police in Texas, literally steps from the U.S./Mexico border.
(commercial break)
Loren Key (Breaking news, approx. 30 seconds) - Detroit fugitive wanted for a violent crime spree. First he shot at two officers that pulled him over for a routine traffic stop. Then he carjacked two people, shooting one of them before fleeing the area. He was captured in March 2003 after he tried boarding a bus without a bus pass.
Laura Ayala (Missing Child Alert) - Houston 13-year-old who disappeared after she walked 100 feet from her house to pick up a newspaper for a school project. Police believed that she may have been taken to Mexico. Still missing
Diamond and Tionda Bradley (Missing Child Alert) - Almost a year after their disappearance, Chicago police were still seeking missing sisters Diamond and Tionda Bradley. They went missing after they left for school while their mother was at work. Still missing
Tristan "Buddy" Myers (Missing Child Alert) - North Carolina police were looking for four-year-old Buddy Myers, who went missing after he went for a walk with his two dogs. Police had very few clues in Buddy's disappearance. Still missing
(commercial break)
Hector Rosas (Break Four Tease) - Wanted for stabbing and strangling his ex-girlfriend to death. Still at large
(commercial break continues)
Bizzy Bone Says Thanks (Full segment) - Tom Morris sits down with Bryon McCane, also known as Bizzy Bone, a member of hip hop group Bone Thugs N Harmony. Bizzy Bone was abducted by his stepfather in the early 80s when he was five years old. Thanks to the made-for-TV movie "Adam," Bizzy Bone was recovered alive and he was able to get his life on track to where he is today. As a thank you to John Walsh, Bizzy Bone debuts a song called "A.M.W.," where he talks about how the show helped him out and encourages all abuse survivors to come forward.
Episode notes:
- This episode was filmed at Concord Motor Sports Park in North Carolina. John was there to show off a new car that features a photo of a missing child on its side.
- Although 90% of this episode is filmed in North Carolina, John Walsh briefly travels to Washington DC to discuss the discovery of Chandra Levy's body. The discovery happened earlier in the week, so it's safe to say this could be treated as a partial breaking news segment.
- While Elaine Parent's elderly identity theft victim is interviewed in silhouette and her name isn't even mentioned, if you look closely, when they show the woman's birth certificate they don't blur out her name. The silhouette effect also isn't that great; you can actually see about a quarter of the woman's face.
- Investigator Nora Pfeiffer implies that she was happy Parent was stopped before she could steal anybody else's identity. However, on Court TV's "The Investigators," the detective made it very clear that she was really disappointed in the outcome. Investigators really wanted to question Parent about Beverly McGowan's murder. Because of Parent's suicide, Beverly's murder remains unsolved, though Parent remains the prime suspect.
- John Walsh at one point refers to Bert Mercer's crimes as a triple murder. By definition, a triple murder is three murders that occur in the same place at the same time, so Mercer's crime is not a triple murder. He's also referred to as a serial killer, which I also think is an inaccurate description as serial killers commit their murders over a length of time and fit a pattern. This was simply a crime spree.
- During Laura Ayala's story, you can see volunteers with Texas EquuSearch helping out. AMW would later do an extensive story about Texas EquuSearch, which was founded by Tim Miller after his daughter, Laura Miller, was abducted and murdered in Texas. She was one of four women found dead in League City back in the 80s. AMW aired that unsolved case in 2001 and 2007.Next month on AMW:June 1, 2002- From Washington, DC, John Walsh brings viewers the latest on the Chandra Levy case and how they can help solve this mysterious investigation. Clues featured include Chandra's ring, which had never been found, and what her remains can tell investigators about how she died.
- Back in the 70s, Vietnam veteran Allen Adams disappeared without any notice. The Army believed he'd gone AWOL, until 1996 when his body was found in a building that was being demolished in downtown Washington DC. Now, Rick Segall follows up on viewer tips to find out who killed this American soldier.
- One of the biggest questions AMW gets from fans is how the show's reenactments are filmed. In this episode, that question is answered. AMW's cameras go behind the scenes of a reenactment for Anthony Carter, a convicted killer who broke out of a Texas prison. Among the highlights include the audition process for the actor playing Carter, a look at the on-location filming at the exact same location where the escape occurred, and what a director has to do when the place they're filming won't let them do something vital to telling the story.
June 8, 2002- It's time for John Walsh to name his new Public Enemy #1, and the fugitive with that dubious distinction has more than earned it; Robert Fisher has been on the run for more than a year, charged with killing his wife and two children and then blowing up the house they lived in to destroy all the evidence.
- Last week, AMW took viewers behind the scenes and showed how one of the show's reenactments was filmed. The fugitive in that case, Anthony Carter, was described as a unique fugitive with a lot of interesting traits. But one AMW viewer, who didn't know Carter, would prove key to finding the escaped killer.
- In 2000, AMW first aired the story of Linda Lebrane, a woman from Idaho who was savagely beaten by a group of four people on a lonely highway. Though her injuries were severed, she somehow survived and was able to give police enough information to develop sketches of her attackers. Nearly two years after the assault, all four suspects are in custody. Hear the amazing story of how they all went down!
June 15, 2002- AMW focuses its searchlight on Elizabeth Smart, the 14-year-old Salt Lake City girl who was kidnapped from her own bedroom last week. Join Rick Segall as he breaks down the clues and tries to bring Elizabeth home safely to her family while also hunting for the man who changed her family's life forever.
- When Alan Finer's jewelry store was robbed at gunpoint, he realized he needed to invest in a better security system to prevent another incident from happening again. So he spent money on a new video surveillance system hoping to deter any robbers from taking his jewels. But just days before his new system was installed, the unthinkable happened again. Now police want to identify the man who robbed Finer Diamonds before he strikes again.
- In an AMW exclusive, producers head down to Costa Rica to tell a horrible story; on the streets, girls as young as nine years old are out working as prostitutes. What's behind this epidemic? How can it be stopped? And as AMW takes close look at this case, they also ask for help in catching an American who traveled to Costa Rica just so he could rape children. Hear the clues that could bring Arthur Kanev to justice.
June 22, 2002- Memphis police are on a desperate search to identify and catch the man responsible for a horrible assault on a public official. Dr. OC Smith, the Shelby County medical examiner, was found one night tied up with barbed wire and a bomb strapped to his chest. Who was this mysterious assailant, and did threats against Dr. Smith prior to the attack have anything to do with what happened?
- The manhunt continues for Bert Mecer, who killed three women during a Mother's Day weekend crime spree. After AMW aired his case in May, tips came in that said Mercer was spotted in Texas. It appeared the Louisiana fugitive was heading to Mexico. Can Mercer be nabbed before he flees the country?
- Jon Du Pre comes to AMW with a special report on police dogs and the dangers they face every day. That's something one Idaho sheriff's deputy knows all too well; his partner, Kai, was killed in the line of duty while trying to stop a man with a gun as he walked down a highway. Find out how children from across the country are stepping up to keep police dogs safe.
June 29, 2002- Thanks to AMW tips, there is a new update in a case the show profiled last week; the murder of Janette Piro and the disappearance of her husband, Chris Benedetto. Until last week, police kept the possibility of Chris being the killer open, but then several solid tips came in to suggest that Chris may actually have been a victim. This week, police in Florida announce that Chris Benedetto is no longer a suspect in his wife's murder and they are treating him as a victim.
- Earlier this month, John Walsh named Robert Fisher his Public Enemy #1 for the murders of his entire family. Now, John is getting some help from the FBI, who have just named Fisher one of their Ten Most Wanted fugitives. See this important update and hear the clues that will bring Fisher down once and for all.
- AMW profiles the story of two fathers; one who experienced one of life's greatest joys when his baby girl was born. The other experienced the unthinkable when his daughter was beaten to death while out in the park. Police believe Victor Garcia, while celebrating the birth of his daughter, killed a teenager in a drunken rage, and now they want to find Garcia and bring him to justice.