Beyond Belief - Season 1, Episode 2 - Full Episode | Forensic Files

every day we are faced with the challenge of separating fact from fiction beyond belief fact or fiction
[Music] hosted by james brolin [Music] we live in a world where the real and the unreal
live side by side where substance is disguised as illusion and the only explanations
are unexplainable will you be able to separate stories of truth from fantasy tonight
to do so you must break through the web of your experience and open your mind to things beyond
belief [Music] what appears to be one thing like this carving of a duck might really be another like a carving
of a rabbit it's all a matter of perception tonight we present several stories for your
entertainment but we ask you to test your perception as you watch them unfold are these stories constructed from whole
cloth or are they inspired by real events you have until the program's end to decide and by the way
we reserve the right to change the names and details so let's begin our little game of cat
and mouse or should we say duck and rabbit [Music] a disturbing piece of furniture isn't it
the last bed we will ever sleep in to even view it empty like this sends shivers down many people's spines
but for others it has no effect at all adam foster was not shaken by the sight of a coffin
his family ran the foster funeral home there are always several of these in their downstairs parlor
usually with occupants no big deal until the night of march 18th right ready you in here
come on brent if you're in here just come out now all right i'm not gonna waste my time looking for you
i don't have to [Music] that's not funny it was just a joke you know you're not supposed to be fooling
around in the coffins oh come on dobby says you're stiff all right let's go come on
has anyone seen my keys it won't be funny when they bury you alive yeah yeah there you are we're gonna
leave without you now you don't want to be late for billy's do you get going uh he was
flown around in the coffins well i was not adam's lost his sense of humor does anyone see my keys brent i've told
you before stay out of the caskets they're for sale we are never gonna get out of here
foster funeral home um i'm sorry we're closed mr foster i was wondering can we possibly postpone
my husband's funeral tomorrow postpone it i know this is the not request but you
see before reginald died he made me promise to bury him with his war medals now i can't find
them any place is there any possible way we could just postpone the funeral well it is getting very late and
i'm not sure that i can contact everyone you just don't understand if reginald wanted something done in a
certain way come hell or high water he made sure it was done that way i'm not going to let him down with it i
know how important this is to you but if you keep looking for them i'm sure that you will find them
and we can talk about this again in the morning in the morning good night let's go bye honey
bye mom i used to get the creeps when they left me alone especially when there was a body in the
chapel but i guess i was kind of used to it by now i'm coming i'm coming i'm sorry we're closed need to see
reginald hannon i'm sorry sir viewing hours ended at 7 30. i can't come to the funeral tomorrow
i must see him tonight please it's very important i have these these are the medals his wife's been
looking for he's supposed to be buried with them tomorrow please let me see him for just a moment
i can't let him be buried without all right come on through here i appreciate it
[Music] it was way after hours and dad would be furious with me for letting him in
but he did have the medals and so i figured he must know the guy do you mind signing the registry
this guy was starting to get to me i couldn't wait for him to leave may i go in now please yeah it's right
through here this was the part i hated the most getting anywhere near those dead bodies
would you mind if i had a moment alone yeah thank you my boy thank you it was okay with me to get away from the
casket i guess my nerves were getting the best of me the sooner that guy came out the happier
i'd be [Music] was this guy ever gonna come out i mean how close was he to reginald
hannan what was he doing in there for so long anyhow [Music] hey i missed her i'm gonna need to cut
it short all my dad's not gonna like the fact that i let somebody in after hours
okay hello come on mister i was nice enough to let you in the first place how about
sir [Music] hello i couldn't find him anywhere what was going on here that's when i found the bag that the
metals were in [Music] what really happened here how could the stranger at the door have disappeared
from sight did adam miss the stranger's exit while he was tying a shoe if so why did the stranger appear to be
the same man who was in the casket was there an identical twin involved that nobody knew about
if that was the case why did he sign in as the deceased or was this the story of a restless
spirit who couldn't find peace until his mission was completed complete fiction or a strange truth
was this story true or false we'll tell you at the end of our show next a frightening subway ride to a
world beyond belief how many times do your plans work out not just the big plans like career
marriage family but the simple plans like getting from point a to point b that's all al and ann
larkin wanted to do they were going to take the subway from their apartment to a dance club
they had no idea that this simple plan would take them for the ride of their lives
al and i were finally getting a night out together something we both really needed
it was al's first night off in a month and he really wanted to stay home and sleep
but i insisted we go out we live near a new subway stop in downtown los angeles and we decided to try it out it was a
decision neither one of us would ever forget i was so excited to be out for the evening that i didn't even notice that
we were the only ones standing on the subway platform i was hoping for one of those romantic
nights filled with spontaneous excitement but i was tired and it was all i could
do to keep his spirits up besides we were about to get all of the excitement we could handle
oh we won't be out late okay dinner a movie that's all then we'll go home yeah after midnight oh come on
hey band leader oh undertaker [Music] the man in the tuxedo was just the start of the strange things that we would
experience that night and as our subway pulled into the first stop things just didn't seem right
there was a weird energy going on and i was feeling it more than i was uh are we on the right train i don't know
um excuse me does this train go to melrose this train goes nowhere hey where'd he go i don't know
you know it's saturday night this car should be packed i know and then where decides to tell
you which line you're on right now a station look is that melrose i couldn't tell great
we're on a train has been taken out of service are you sure about that oh no well then what do we do now we find a
conductor of course there was no conductor anywhere every car was empty and then without any warning the train
began to speed up and then it didn't feel like a speeding train anymore it felt like a nightmare
that was out of control my heart was beating out of my chest and no matter how hard i would breathe
i couldn't get enough air inside my lungs i was in a total panic and the train seemed to be going
faster and faster i can't stop i'll do something go go i don't care what station this is we are
getting off come on stop come on i couldn't believe it the train seemed to actually be coming to a stop
i was just praying with all of my heart that the doors would open right back where we started we're good
let's go home come on unbelievably we had only been gone for 30 minutes but you're okay right yeah i am i smell
gas [Music] it's coming from you viewing it was our next door neighbor's apartment
this is you and it's me anne i got this what's the viewing mrs ewing okay maybe we should call a soup there
isn't time and then i remembered the key wait wait wait the key oh the key [Music]
it's a chain this is al raced over to mrs ewing while i turned off the gas if it weren't for
that train ride that scared us into coming back early mrs ewing would have surely died
i should have gone into the other room to help al but something caught my eye come on you got to get out of here come
on get out of here baby come on i must turn the heater on again and i forgot to light it
we should take it to the emergency room no no no i'm all right i'm just lucky you two smell the gas oh
this is ewing who is this why that's edward my husband he passed away 29 years ago
he said he'd always watch over me we were looking at the same man we saw on the train
he said he'd never leave me [Music] is this story possible there are subway service trains the test equipment they
don't stop at any stations they don't pick up any passengers and they go at higher speeds than normal
trains could ann and al have gotten aboard one of those trains by mistake but then where did that other mysterious
passenger come from and was he really a double for mrs ewing's late husband or were the shadows of the subway playing
tricks on their minds or are we playing tricks on yours was this story real we'll find out at
the end of our show next a boy lives in fear of a monster in his closet on beyond belief fact or fiction
[Music] what were your childhood fears the boogeyman the monster under the bed or simply being afraid of the dark
most of us outgrow these fears in an early age but for some the fears hang on longer take danny
johnson he's 10 now but ever since he was two he's been afraid of something in his closet
and now that the other kids have found out he really has something to fear this is a very difficult story for a
mother to tell but years have passed now so i'll try my youngest son danny was 10 years old
and living in constant terror his days were filled with threats and taunts from the kids at school
his nights were filled with terrible dreams about a monster inside the closet in his room
my older children had no sympathy for dany either and that's a memory i can't lose
could i have done something to change things it's a question i ask myself over and over but
what could i have possibly done [Music] i found dany sleeping downstairs in the middle of the night
that was a common occurrence in our house hey danny honey wake up hey you can't keep sleeping out here
i want to go up there how long is this going to go on huh you have nothing to be frightened of
okay okay let's go to bed i'll tuck in yeah [Music] okay oh danny look let's see here nana
no let's check up this sleeve here nothing see down here did you see anything yeah no there's
nothing in here let's get in bed and i want you to stay there okay all right you had a boy
okay comfortable yeah good please stay with me mom oh honey you have gotta get over this but i'm
afraid to i know nothing's gonna get you there's nothing in the closet okay all right oh and um
if you don't stay in bed i'm gonna get yeah [Applause] shut the door love you honey
brian honey will you get the juice out of the fridge for me no mom i can't what i'm afraid
there's a monster in the refrigerator i would just stop it you should be thankful you don't have an
imagination like your brother danny if you ask me nobody has danny is just seeking attention mom
everybody's laughing at him at school all right all right all right that's enough
i want you to leave your brother alone understood yes mom danny come on you're gonna miss the bus
let's go you guys you're gonna be late bye i love you love you you're good come here come here
don't let him get you down i won't mother okay i love you bye bye sweetheart have fun
danny continued to live his life as the outsider he wanted desperately to fit in
and be a part of things but he was labeled as a coward the kid who was still afraid of monsters
but as painful as these memories were for dany he always knew there were worse moments to come
my older son brian was part of that group that was tormenting dany this particular day
a day that would change all of our lives forever [Music] you guys get them tomorrow let's go come
on you guys you walked anywhere you almost got him he's got to go i paddle with you bugs
hey what are you gonna do with that bat oh we're so scared hey danny you better watch out
the monster will go i'm afraid of any of you i'll take you all one come on danny we're going upstairs
hey danny is that the closet is that where the monster lives oh i bet the monster's really hungry
hey what do you say we open the door what are you guys doing danny's about to meet his little monster
mom's not gonna like that mom's not gonna know is she debbie you know this could have a lasting
psychological effect on danny shut up debbie if you're so brave won't you go in the closet
okay baby yeah brian shaw but you're [Applause] next all right what's going on in here
huh [Music] what no way what's this that's brian's shirt where'd he go who brian he went into the
closet [Music] he's gone [Music] i told you there's a monster in there [Music] there's no way the kid could have gotten
out of this closet except through the door mrs johnson let me ask you again is there any reason why your son would
want to run away from home [Music] excuse me mrs johnson i need to speak to my partner i couldn't hear exactly what
the police were saying to each other but i guessed what the report would read my son brian would be
officially listed as a missing person another young boy who ran away from home it's really weird
the kid just seems to have vanished into thin air what do you want me to write in the
report that the kid was eaten by a monster [Music] danny's brother was never seen or heard
from again what really happened here did danny's brother run away from home was it really a way out of that closet
that nobody ever found or maybe this was a tragic lesson about being kind to other human beings
taught by a spirit hidden deep in a boy's closet or maybe it came from the deep recesses
of our writer's imagination the truth about this story will be revealed in our final act
next a surprise witness makes an appearance at a trial that's beyond belief [Music]
after countless movies and television dramas live cameras in the courtroom and extensive news coverage
we sort of know what to expect in a court of law these days at least that's what the defense lawyer
in this next murder trial thought until he defended robert miller and experienced
the strangest day in court he had ever seen there he was my client the manicure the
fancy jewelry why would a man like robert miller commit murder no client of mine had ever been found
guilty but this one was going to be tougher than most the lady d.a was making her case now and
i had to advise miller to keep calm mr o'neal what is your position at the yacht club i am the head custodian at
the calabash yacht club and on the day in question what were the weather conditions
there was a storm coming in i tried to warn mr miller but he wouldn't listen that was his way so mr miller took a
boat out knowing the storm was coming yeah he said they'd be back in a couple hours and not to worry
they being mr robert miller and elizabeth warren the deceased yes what was their demeanor
uh pardon um were they getting along oh they were happy like they were celebrating how could you tell
oh lady had a big bottle of champagne and she was drinking and the defendant no he was sober uh mr miller never drank
did mr miller come back within a couple of hours oh yeah was elizabeth warren with him uh
no ma'am what did he tell you what happened uh he said that ms warren had fallen overboard
he was pretty upset uh but mr miller said he went in after her and he couldn't find
her so his clothes were wet yes they were oh the cause of death was not from drowning how do you know
we found no water in her lungs what was the cause of death then dr harding blunt trauma to the head as if someone
had hit her i object the prosecution is asking the coroner to make a conclusion sustained i'll ask it another way
is it your testimony dr harding that elizabeth warren was dead before she hit the water
yes order order proceed mr montgomery your honor i call mr robert miller to the stand
how long had you and elizabeth warren been business partners uh nearly 20 years we were just out of
college and you were close inseparable we were not only business partners we were best friends and why on the day
of september 23rd did you and the deceased go out on the boat i got rid of that mr miller uh pardon
why were you and elizabeth warren on the boat mr miller ah we were uh celebrating the
acquisition of quintel the computer software company and uh how would you describe your feelings on that
day it was the happiest day of our lives [Music] mr miller are you all right uh i'm sorry this has just uh been a
very difficult time for me i understand sir mr miller the prosecution is trying to make the
case that you killed your friend and business partner did you i could never do that
mr miller i think we've covered all we need to cover right now i can understand how upsetting it is to
be accused of murdering your partner and friend of 20 years i have no more questions
your witness mr miller you say that elizabeth warren was your best friend but yet it was widely reported that she
was going to start a new company get out from under your shadow no that's ridiculous
she needed me more than i needed her they're not going to buy it robert they all know you're lying why are you
lying robert i'm not lying you would have been nothing without me what do you mean she would have been
nothing without you mr miller i'm sorry uh i meant we were a team elizabeth was the idea person and i was
the sales guy sounds to me like you would have been nothing without her it's all starting to
unravel robert no it's not i won't let it who are you talking to mr miller your honor i request a recess i must
confer with my client this is it robert no one believes you they all know you killed me
and your next stop is the gas challenge stay away from me i'm not going to the gas chair you
always the people rest your honor so easy i got you elizabeth [Music] will the defendant please rise
in the case of the people versus robert elgin miller what find you we find the defendant robert elgin
miller not guilty by reason of insanity robert miller i'm releasing you to the custody of the state psychiatric
hospital in north point you will remain there until such time as you are deemed mentally
competent bailiff [Music] was he really insane that's not my call no client of mine has ever been found
guilty was it strained nerves or a guilty conscience that trapped the killer or did robert actually see the woman he
murdered now prior to taking the stand he seemed perfectly calm and collected yet moments
later he was carrying on bizarre conversations with an unseen presence or perhaps it was all just a
clever ploy to avoid the death penalty fiction or inspired by actual events you'd be the judge fact or fiction
we'll find out at the conclusion of tonight's show next a visit to the country turns into an experience that's
beyond belief [Music] you ever long for life in the country to leave the city behind for the fresh air
the open space and the sounds of nature julia randall was lucky to have experienced that life as a youngster
when she visited her grandfather's farm those were happy carefree times but things change julia's grown up now
listen to her story of a visit to the childhood memories memories that would soon turn to terror
[Music] on the ride from the airport to the farm i thought about how loving grandpa buck used to be but the
stroke had left him without the use of his legs and he had too much time to sit around and
think about dreams that would never come true i knew i used to be his favorite and i
was looking forward to returning some of the love and attention he showed me when
i was a child grandpa grandpa it's me you don't have to yell i can hear you i'm not
jeff i had a stroke he scared me don't you knock you're lucky i i recognize how to shot you
[Applause] i'm gonna go get my stuff just stay out of my way i want you to know i don't need you here
i don't want you here i get along just fine by myself i have for longer and you've been alive
he completely ignored me until the next morning it hurt but grandpa had always taught me to be a fighter
i was gonna give this my best shot how'd you sleep grandpa i slept great there's nothing like fresh
air i can't wait to get outside do you still have the chickens what about the cows what was the name of the
one you taught me to milk was it susie that's the worst coffee i ever tasted and crippled like make better coffee
than you well maybe it's too strong for you buck too strong i'll show you too strong
here you clean it up what grandpa didn't know what i couldn't tell him was that the bank was about to
foreclose on the farm without his knowledge i found a buyer for the back parcel a deal that would allow grandpa to stay
on his land but it also set off a chain of events that would haunt my dreams for the rest
of my life i asked russ johnson to come over this morning he's got someone who's
interested in the back parcel i thought you should at least hear him out hello you're going to listen this time
you have to please thanks for coming over can i get you some coffee or something no no thanks
that's okay you're wasting your time ross i'm not selling anything russ has worked really hard do not take
this out on him i'm sorry uh please sit down [Applause] buck i know how hard this is
we had to do the same thing for my dad your dad died i'm not dead yet just some people think
i am so what do you have for us russ well i got an offer on the back parcel he says he'll give you what you're
asking real nice guy from the next county uh his folks have been farming these parts as long as you have buck
and the best thing is you get to stay in the house and keep the rest of the land that
sounds really great what do you think grandpa doesn't matter what i think well i'll bring the uh paperwork by in
the morning i'm really sorry julia i wish there was an easier way no no thank you for everything
you're happy now got what you want what makes you so bitter why do you think you can come here and mess up my
life you think i want to be here you don't even like me grandpa you have been nothing but mean to me since i
walked through that door well then leave go on get out i'm not gonna miss you i'm gonna go put the tractor in the barn
i wasn't sure i could still drive a tractor and i could feel his eyes on me just like he watched me so many times
when i was growing up start it up sorry that's it get the clutch out no julia so
[Music] uh ah oh [Music] julia there julia [Music] a final act of love by a man who seemed
to have no love left could buck's paralyzed legs have found the power to walk again to save his
granddaughter there are stories of mothers who've summoned superhuman strength to lift heavy boulders even cars off
their children did buck experience that kind of miracle or maybe his paralysis was only in his mind
and he could walk all along or perhaps this story never happened next we'll find out which stories were
inspired by actual events and which are fabrications on beyond belief fact or fiction
[Music] if you're like me you've been forming an opinion about our stories tonight
trying to guess which stories are inspired by actual events and which stories are simply a counterfeit reality
well now comes the moment when we reveal the answers our first story was about the young man
who was put in charge of his family's funeral home and encountered the shock of his young life
[Music] is true stranger than fiction did a story like this really take place yes it did and what about the runaway
subway train um excuse me does this train go to melrose this train goes nowhere would it surprise you to learn that this
story was inspired by an actual experience it was and what's your guess on the story about the boy who feared
the monster in his closet what's this that's brian's shirt where'd he go who brian he went into the closet
he's gone i told you there's a monster in there could the idea for a story like this
have come from a real life event yes it did and what's your verdict on the defendant
and the ghost he confronted in the courtroom what was the cause of death then doctor
all starting to unravel robert no it's not i won't let it who are you talking to mr miller this is
it robert no one believes you did this seem like a clever tale crafted by the mind of a writer ought to
fool you that's what it was complete fiction our last story tonight was about the stroke victim who left his
wheelchair to save his granddaughter's life if you thought that story really happened we got you
it was fictional so were you able to tell fact from fiction tonight our first three stories were inspired by
fact the last two were designed to fool you well that's the end of tonight's show
we'll see you next week when we attempt to demonstrate that truth can be stranger than fiction
especially strange truth goodnight join us next time on beyond belief fact or fiction this is don lafontaine
[Music] you

This episode features the following cases: The Viewing; The Subway; Kid in the Closet; Justice is Served; The Tractor.

Brief Summary

This episode features eerie stories of a funeral home, a runaway subway, childhood fears, courtroom hauntings, and miraculous acts of love.

Key points

The Challenge of Perception. Can you separate fact from fiction? Join us for a night of mind-bending stories.
A Disturbing Encounter. Adam Foster's night takes a turn when he encounters a mysterious stranger at the funeral home.
A Subway Nightmare. Al and Ann's simple subway ride spirals into a terrifying experience beyond belief.
Childhood Fears. Danny Johnson's fear of a monster in his closet leads to a chilling encounter.
A Mysterious Disappearance. Brian Johnson vanishes into thin air, leaving behind a haunting mystery.
Not Guilty Verdict. Robert Elgin Miller is found not guilty by reason of insanity, leading to his release to psychiatric care.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

It's all a matter of perception tonight.

1:02WatchJan 7, 2021

Tension

75/ 100High tension

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