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Post by walshfan on May 4, 2017 5:48:09 GMT -5
Hello everyone,
I recently obtained a large swath of America's Most Wanted on dvd, with some episodes/segments dating back to the 80's. I'm going to start the process of going through these and seeing what's on them and posting the descriptions of contents here. I'm a long-time devoted fan of true crime shows, and have a very extensive collection of true crime shows on dvd. I'm just now starting to get into America's Most Wanted, though I've been following the Hunt since it debuted and am quite familiar with the Walshes. (though I need to catch up a bit on the Hunt). I'm also a long-time amateur sleuth who has managed to obtain a lot of rare info on multiple cases, and have contributed in various ways to several missing persons organizations.
My question is, are there any rare segments that are considered a "Holy Grail" for diehard fans/collectors? Having followed Unsolved Mysteries since the 80's, I know there were dozens of rare segments that weren't rerun for various reasons and I, over the years, managed to painstakingly track down every single one of these segments, most in exceptional quality. Although the series recently surfaced through streaming, for awhile I was one of only a few people on Planet Earth with these cases, though I did share through trading and such.
Also, what is the opinion on episodes versus segments? Are full episodes considered more desirable? I think the dvd's I obtained might be more of a collection of segments, like a set of Rescue 911 I obtained, but again, I have to go through them to see for sure what is on them.
I don't mean to come off as just in the show for entertainment value. I'm a devoted fighter for victims rights.
It doesn't appear there is too much of this show out there, so I'm interested in hearing from you folks on this matter.
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Post by Scumhunter on May 4, 2017 6:07:02 GMT -5
Hello walshfan,
Welcome to the forum and thanks so much in advance! I am really looking forward to seeing/hearing about old episodes/segments.
I also may email you privately about specific requests I've been asked about once I have some free time (they're all over other parts of this forum and I never got a chance to move them to this section.)
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Post by Scumhunter on May 4, 2017 6:08:25 GMT -5
P.S. I personally would be interested in episodes and segments but a lot of people join this forum because of one specific case.
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Post by HeadMarshal on May 4, 2017 7:35:17 GMT -5
Hello everyone,
I recently obtained a large swath of America's Most Wanted on dvd, with some episodes/segments dating back to the 80's. I'm going to start the process of going through these and seeing what's on them and posting the descriptions of contents here. I'm a long-time devoted fan of true crime shows, and have a very extensive collection of true crime shows on dvd. I'm just now starting to get into America's Most Wanted, though I've been following the Hunt since it debuted and am quite familiar with the Walshes. (though I need to catch up a bit on the Hunt). I'm also a long-time amateur sleuth who has managed to obtain a lot of rare info on multiple cases, and have contributed in various ways to several missing persons organizations.
My question is, are there any rare segments that are considered a "Holy Grail" for diehard fans/collectors? Having followed Unsolved Mysteries since the 80's, I know there were dozens of rare segments that weren't rerun for various reasons and I, over the years, managed to painstakingly track down every single one of these segments, most in exceptional quality. Although the series recently surfaced through streaming, for awhile I was one of only a few people on Planet Earth with these cases, though I did share through trading and such.
Also, what is the opinion on episodes versus segments? Are full episodes considered more desirable? I think the dvd's I obtained might be more of a collection of segments, like a set of Rescue 911 I obtained, but again, I have to go through them to see for sure what is on them.
I don't mean to come off as just in the show for entertainment value. I'm a devoted fighter for victims rights.
It doesn't appear there is too much of this show out there, so I'm interested in hearing from you folks on this matter.
Thank you for joining walshfan! I also want to thank you for the work you have done on finding missing people, it's amazing what organizations and the general public have done together to bring them safely home, especially for missing children. I am excited to see which segments you have so that we might be able to make threads on cases where we never had the information on before. You never know, that just could be the thing needed to arrest a longtime fugitive. I really wish I was older and was able to see AMW back in the day, based on the segments I've seen online I really enjoyed what they did during the earlier seasons. |
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Post by HeadMarshal on May 4, 2017 8:49:57 GMT -5
Also I'm glad you mentioned "rare segments". There are several cases that were not profiled after AMW made their first major website easily accessible by web.archive.org, which was in November 1998. There was a website starting in December 1996 but only a few saved links exist of that. So any segments on those old cases would be gems to finally see. Here's a few. Paul Wong: New York Ghost Shadows Chinatown gang member who harassed a couple on a motorcycle. When Paul confronted the driver, he shot the driver to death. Was first aired in Late 1989. Norma Mae Baker: Convicted of hiring a hitman to kill her husband and brother-in-law in Detroit. While in prison she was given trustee status and used it to walk away to an awaiting car. Was first aired in early 1990. amwfans.com/thread/1030/norma-mae-baker-michigan-1981Joseph Dudley Ashley: Convicted of poisoning his wife to death in Santa Fe, New Mexico so he could run off with a country music singer. He was sent to Oklahoma to serve time for unrelated fraud charges. Due to a paperwork error, Oklahoma let him go after the sentence instead of returning him to New Mexico. Joseph took the opportunity to become a fugitive. I believe he was first aired in early 1992. amwfans.com/thread/428/joseph-dudley-ashley-oklahoma-mexicoHeriberto Luciano Zepeda: Very early case first profiled in April 1988. Heriberto murdered a minister because he thought the minister was in a relationship with his ex-wife. Guido Osorio: Gang member who was looking for a gang party to commit a drive-by shooting. When he came across a child's birthday party, Guido fired several shots into the home, killing a 12-year old girl. The crime happened in 1991 so he was probably first aired in circa. 1992. amwfans.com/thread/1941/guido-osorio-texas-1991 |
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Post by walshfan on May 4, 2017 13:55:23 GMT -5
Alright, here we go:
January 9, 1999 (539 fugitives caught to date)
Kenneth Williams - gang leader wanted.
Chad Armstrong - Oklahoma man is wanted for the murder of his sister Farrah and Frank Williams. Police believe he is traveling with Roxie Medina and her 3 children.
Captured: Bertha Keene - Woman who murdered bouncer Melvin Lockhart in Maryland in 1969 after he refused her entry into a club. Shockingly, she managed to escape from prison four times (?!), the latest in 1979. She was arrested in 1982 in Alabama on a lesser crime, however she was using an alias and her true identity wasn't discovered until after her release. She was eventually found in Florida living in less than desirable conditions. She got nervous after she kept running into the same man in the woods, so she warned him her case was going to be profiled on AMW, although ironically the guy didn't own a t.v.
David Skull - Beloved Nashville bar owner was stabbed 6 times during an apparent attempted robbery, he hit his head on a bar stool while collapsing. Country music legends Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn, Tanya Tucker and The Oak Ridge Boys are interviewed. (Tanya visited him and sang to him on his death bead). He operated Skull's Rainbow Room in the usually low-crime Printer's Alley section of Nashville.
Charles Bracket - Is wanted for murder and drug dealing.
Mikelle Biggs - Uh, yeah, you may have heard of this one. Girl from Mesa, AZ disappeared in 1998 while going to the ice cream truck with her sister. Her sister left to get a coat and when she returned, Mikelle was gone. It is thought there never was an ice cream truck to begin with, rather someone playing its music to lure children. (I have a full 20/20 episode on this case).
Travis Crouch - 20 month old boy kidnapped by his child molesting father Roger Crouch, who is believed to be traveling with his new wife. She is wanted for aiding and abetting.
Illinois restaurant massacre - Another famous one. 7 people gunned down in Palantine, IL in 1993 during closing time at a family chicken restaurant. John Walsh mentions they recently discovered the perp's fingerprints and are awaiting to match it to someone. 100k reward offered. (I swore this was featured on another crime show and if anyone has it, please contact me as I'm dying to see it again. I seem to recall two of the victims were a middle aged husband and wife and their daughter was supposed to work that night, but didn't. She later discovered the bodies).
Alan Golder - "Dinnertime Bandit" is wanted for burglarizing homes and stealing jewelry. (Also featured on Unsolved Mysteries).
Eugene Linder - Man who used to work for boxing champion Thomas Hearns is wanted for killing his girlfriend Debbie Ives.
Puerto Rico sting - several fugitives in Puerto Rico are nabbed and others wanted.
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Post by HeadMarshal on May 4, 2017 14:00:38 GMT -5
Alright, here we go: January 9, 1999 (539 fugitives caught to date)
Kenneth Williams - gang leader wanted. Chad Armstrong - Oklahoma man is wanted for the murder of his sister Farrah and Frank Williams. Police believe he is traveling with Roxie Medina and her 3 children. Captured: Bertha Keene - Woman who murdered bouncer Melvin Lockhart in Maryland in 1969 after he refused her entry into a club. Shockingly, she managed to escape from prison four times (?!), the latest in 1979. She was arrested in 1982 in Alabama on a lesser crime, however she was using an alias and her true identity wasn't discovered until after her release. She was eventually found in Florida living in less than desirable conditions. She got nervous after she kept running into the same man in the woods, so she warned him her case was going to be profiled on AMW, although ironically the guy didn't own a t.v.
David Skull - Beloved Nashville bar owner was stabbed 6 times during an apparent attempted robbery, he hit his head on a bar stool while collapsing. Country music legends Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn, Tanya Tucker and The Oak Ridge Boys are interviewed. (Tanya visited him and sang to him on his death bead). He operated Skull's Rainbow Room in the usually low-crime Printer's Alley section of Nashville. Charles Bracket - Is wanted for murder and drug dealing. Mikelle Biggs - Uh, yeah, you may have heard of this one. Girl from Mesa, AZ disappeared in 1998 while going to the ice cream truck with her sister. Her sister left to get a coat and when she returned, Mikelle was gone. It is thought there never was an ice cream truck to begin with, rather someone playing its music to lure children. (I have a full 20/20 episode on this case). Travis Crouch - 20 month old boy kidnapped by his child molesting father Roger Crouch, who is believed to be traveling with his new wife. She is wanted for aiding and abetting. Illinois restaurant massacre - Another famous one. 7 people gunned down in Palantine, IL in 1993 during closing time at a family chicken restaurant. John Walsh mentions they recently discovered the perp's fingerprints and are awaiting to match it to someone. 100k reward offered. (I swore this was featured on another crime show and if anyone has it, please contact me as I'm dying to see it again. I seem to recall two of the victims were a middle aged husband and wife and their daughter was supposed to work that night, but didn't. She later discovered the bodies). Alan Golder - "Dinnertime Bandit" is wanted for burglarizing homes and stealing jewelry. (Also featured on Unsolved Mysteries). Eugene Linder - Man who used to work for boxing champion Thomas Hearns is wanted for killing his girlfriend Debbie Ives. Puerto Rico sting - several fugitives in Puerto Rico are nabbed and others wanted.
Charles Brackett was also profiled first in 1993 so he's a longtime fugitive. Seeing that case, along with the Bertha Keene capture (not every day AMW caught someone on the run for over 15 years), and the Mikelle Briggs missing person report would be good to see (Mikelle's case needs to finally be solved). Also I think the David Skull murder report is on Youtube already. |
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Post by walshfan on May 4, 2017 14:06:00 GMT -5
Yeah, John mentioned that Bertha was one of the oldest cases solved to that point. Authorities had just missed her in Hawaii I believe sometime in the 90's. She was definitely mobile.
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Post by HeadMarshal on May 4, 2017 14:38:34 GMT -5
I'm pretty certain that aside from fugitive Charles Brackett and missing child Michelle Briggs, all of those other cases have since been solved as you would say. Kenneth Williams was Capture #566, also Rusette Medina and Shad Armstrong became Capture $543 & 544 respectively. The rest of the cases were solved thanks to good work by law enforcement. Something interesting that they probably didn't mention in the Alan Golder segment, was that in the early 1990s, AMW aired Boonlert Thanarakol and Surjit Sae Sow. They were the accomplices to Golder in the 1978 murder of Lawrence Lever that got Golder sent to prison. Boonlert and Surjit were never arrested and it's believed they've long since fled to Thailand. amwfans.com/thread/985/boonlert-thanarakol-surjit-york-1978 |
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Post by walshfan on May 4, 2017 15:47:33 GMT -5
Oh wow, I never knew that about Golder. They didn't mention he murdered anyone, just that he was a prolific jewel thief on the East and West coast.
January 16, 1999 (540 fugitives caught to date)
Timothy Young - Is wanted for molesting boys.
Catpured: Jeff Durham - Captured thanks in part to none other than Jerry Springer. Durham was a bank robber who actually appeared on the Jerry Springer program on an episode about men who love transvestites. His downfall came when he suffered burns after attempting to build an explosive device. A nurse became suspicious when she discovered he had $2,100 on his person and contacted authorities.
Kyle Dovchinsky - Broke out of prison in Midland County, Michigan with 3 other inmates. He has committed over 100 crimes. Searching for all 4 of them. It is believed Kyle (a loner) has since separated from the pack, and the others are traveling together.
Update: Christina Williams - Missing 13 year old girl has been found deceased. Searching for two unknown men last seen with her. Celebrities such as Mariah Carey assisted in getting the public to help. John makes a heartfelt call to the father.
Captured: Edwin Smith - Gang member who murdered an innocent teenage boy who was attending school while spreading gunfire at a rival gang. Located in Lancaster, CA.
Judy Smith - This is an extremely bizarre case for those who are unfamiliar with it. It's almost too weird to recap. Massachussetts woman who was visiting Philadelphia with her husband abruptly vanishes. It was later discovered she voluntarily traveled to Asheville, NC and spent some time sightseeing there, although nobody knows how she got there. Her body later discovered in the most remote section of the area. Suspects and motive unknown. Lots more weird angles to this case. (Incidentally, this is the same town Zebb Quinn disappeared from, so maybe this place is just home to strange disappearances).
The Boy in the Box - Famous case of boy who was found nude, battered and dead in a box in 1957. Attempting to find his identity and killer.
Unknown Midwest bank robber - Has robbed multiple banks in Missouri and has not attempted to disguise his identity.
(ending segment is not here, but it's a silly segment about wild horses and inmates).
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Post by HeadMarshal on May 4, 2017 15:54:48 GMT -5
Oh wow, I never knew that about Golder. They didn't mention he murdered anyone, just that he was a prolific jewel thief on the East and West coast. January 16, 1999 (540 fugitives caught to date)
Timothy Young - Is wanted for molesting boys.
Catpured: Jeff Durham - Captured thanks in part to none other than Jerry Springer. Durham was a bank robber who actually appeared on the Jerry Springer program on an episode about men who love transvestites. His downfall came when he suffered burns after attempting to build an explosive device. A nurse became suspicious when she discovered he had $2,100 on his person and contacted authorities. Kyle Dovchinsky - Broke out of prison in Midland County, Michigan with 3 other inmates. He has committed over 100 crimes. Searching for all 4 of them. It is believed Kyle has since separated from the pack, and the others are traveling together. Update: Christina Williams - Missing 13 year old girl has been found deceased. Searching for two unknown men last seen with her. Celebrities such as Mariah Carey assisted in getting the public to help. John makes a heartfelt call to the father. Captured: Edwin Smith - Gang member who murdered an innocent teenage boy who was attending school while spreading gunfire at a rival gang. Located in Lancaster, CA. Judy Smith - This is an extremely bizarre case for those who are unfamiliar with it. It's almost too weird to recap. Massachussetts woman who was visiting Philadelphia with her husband abruptly vanishes. It was later discovered she voluntarily traveled to Asheville, NC and spend some time sightseeing there. Her body later discovered in the most remote section of the area. Suspects and motive unknown. Lots more weird angles to this case. (Incidentally, this is the same town Zebb Quinn disappeared from, so maybe this place is just home to strange disappearances). The Boy in the Box - Famous case of boy who was found nude, battered and dead in a box in 1957. Attempting to find his identity and killer. Unknown Midwest bank robber - Has robbed multiple banks in Missouri and has not attempted to disguise his identity. (ending segment is not here, but it's a silly segment about wild horses and inmates). Interesting episode. The Boy In The Box case is sadly still unsolved and the Judy Smith case is as well. I checked and the Smith case was on Unsolved Mysteries so you probably saw it profiled on there at some point. We still don't have an arrest in Christina Smith's murder and Kyle Dovchinsky was most likely caught right after his escape. The good news is that on January 28, 1999, Timothy Young became Capture #546 and a 13-year old boy he had been harboring was safely recovered. Edit: How are you also liking AMW compared to Unsolved Mysteries and other crime shows? |
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Post by walshfan on May 5, 2017 0:02:08 GMT -5
I like how AMW was able to get more cases on there, although it's a bit of a two-way street. With more cases covered, it means less information is conveyed. Having more info (as with UM) it kind of reads like a story. These AMW cases are so rapid-fire I was struggling to keep up with writing the descriptions. |
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Post by HeadMarshal on May 5, 2017 0:30:54 GMT -5
I like how AMW was able to get more cases on there, although it's a bit of a two-way street. With more cases covered, it means less information is conveyed. Having more info (as with UM) it kind of reads like a story. These AMW cases are so rapid-fire I was struggling to keep up with writing the descriptions. That was also mentioned when John Walsh was starting up The Hunt. That according to him, AMW was trying to do too many cases per episode and he wanted to tell a larger story with The Hunt's one or two cases per episode. You are completely correct in that it's a two-way street, more cases equals more chances for a capture or missing child recovery, but more information could be crucial in solving the case. |
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Post by HeadMarshal on May 5, 2017 7:33:25 GMT -5
Also when you get to the episodes from 1988-1991, for the most part they were half-hour broadcasts featuring two to three fugitive cases. So they could put more information in the cases shown. Here's an example from when someone uploaded the January 14, 1990 episode featuring Tony Playboy (who AMW caught shortly afterwards) and Lance Bedgood (who is still a fugitive). www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3-nJPNsnJ8 |
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Post by walshfan on May 5, 2017 16:00:58 GMT -5
January 23, 1999
Juarez, Mexico crime spree - Dozens upon dozens of females murdered in this border town near El Paso, TX.
Captured: Shad Armstrong - Murderer profiled two weeks previously captured.
Update: Kyle Dovchinksy - Turns out, Kyle was not separated from the pack and he and two of the other escapees went on a huge crime spree in the south. They led police on a 100 mph chase, driving the wrong way on the expressway with their lights off (!!!) Still looking for them.
Paul Carpenter - Is wanted for murdering a German tourist in Santa Monica. He has also committed many other crimes.
Chester Todd - Is wanted for killing a mother of 3. He previously murdered someone in 1967 and served 15 years in prison.
Joyce Chiang - Disappeared from Washington, D.C. (not mentioned, but this case is thought to possibly be connected to many other disappearances, including Chandra Levy).
Reuben and David Lopez - Low riders are wanted for murdering someone in a mistake hit.
Timothy Young - Lengthened segment on the continued need to capture child molester Timothy Young, who is traveling with child Jerrod Love.
Isabella Bravo - California girl was abducted by her alcoholic and drug addicted mother, who kidnapped her from a public restroom.
John Pinder - Is wanted for murdering two people in Duchesne, UT and blowing up their remains. Eccentric guy who would ride around with a fully grown male lion in the back of his pick-up truck. (I have a full-length episode of City Confidential on this)
ending cut off.
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