Beyond Belief - Season 3, Episode 5 - Full Episode | Forensic Files

beyond belief fact or fiction [Music] hosted by jonathan frakes tonight your challenge is to separate
what is true from what is false five stories some real some fake can you judge which are fact
and which are fiction to find out you must enter a world of both truth and deception
a world that is beyond belief a curious illusion to the naked eye this appears to be
a perfect triangle yet here's the truth a disconnected shape the two sides separated by a significant space
so it is with our stories tonight at first glance they may seem connected to the truth
but viewed from the proper perspective your opinion might change we'll tell you which are real and what
you're fake at the end of our show judge carefully because as always there are two sides to every story
or in some cases there might be three do you believe that dreams foretell the future millions do walk into
any library it's easy to find books on the subject some cultures believe in the power of dream catchers
nightmares get caught in the webbing while you sleep and only the good dreams filter through
debra wilkins could use a dream catcher these days she's having a dream that's most disturbing the nightmare
returns night after night and it's more than just frightening it's the kind of dream that can scare one to
death [Music] stop stop [Music] morning sir did you have a good workout i felt comfortable and accepted by
everyone i hated to spoil our idyllic lifestyle with my erotic dreams but i had to share
my fears with brian it was too upsetting to envision the man i loved being murdered night after night
i just couldn't keep it to myself morning andy morning mr wilkins garden looks beautiful
morning [Music] you're right i had the nightmare again the same man attacked you from behind
with the long bladed knife i still can't see his face debra it's just a dream nothing more i'm so afraid of losing you
you're not gonna lose me i'm yours forever forever i love you brian [Applause] no no please
no don't don't can you help me brian brian brian i saw him this time i saw his face calm
down honey call me no no i saw him it was andy the groundskeeper he murdered you with a long knife you
have to get rid of him he has to go please brian honey let's try to be rational here
andy's been with the family for 20 years i i admit he's a little strange but he'd
never hurt me can you be absolutely sure can you andy i have to talk to you yeah look uh this isn't easy for me
i've been having some financial problems financial problems you what i'm trying to say is
i'm gonna have to let you go i'm sorry what it's nothing personal it really isn't i just have to make some changes
here well how come i'm the one that's got to go i've been here longer than anybody
your daddy hired me 20 years ago i know i told you i don't feel good about it you ought to feel good about it it ain't
right it just ain't right look i always done a good job for you and your wife hadn't i
well hadn't i okay take it easy i'll give you six months severance and references
you can't afford to keep me on you can afford six months pay for no work that's the way it is i want you to leave
today fine i don't need your stinking [Music] references you look so beautiful today
have a good ride a little bit more skittish than usual here let me have a look he's the easy one he's easy easy boy
it's me just not easy one easy easy easy easy no no oh no [Music] not brian died of the wound inflicted by the
hedge trimmer it had been left in the bushes by andy when he was dismissed my husband died just as in my dream
stabbed in the back by our groundskeeper debra wilkins never recovered completely
from her husband's death she continued to blame herself of course logic would tell us that her husband's
death was just accidental a terrible coincidence but then how do you explain the recurring dream that
identified the gardener as her husband's murderer doesn't this go past coincidence even
past irony is this story based on an actual happening or are we simply leading you down the
garden path a story based on fact or a work of fiction we'll tell you at the end of our show
next another premonition and a deadly stalker sometimes the simplest of objects can
get us through periods of emotional pain take this compact fifteen-year-old rina newland is never
without it it was a gift given to her by her father before his untimely death this small uncomplicated little gift has
sustained her through the most terrifying years of her life but rina's terror is far from over and
the mysteries of what's contained inside this compact are about to come to light
[Music] it had been almost three years since the death of my husband he was an air force pilot who died in a
training mission over the persian gulf the loss devastated both my daughter and me but that wasn't the reason we moved
cross country from new york to oregon my husband's death had left me extremely vulnerable
that's when i met another man named jeffrey walker to my [ __ ] jeffrey turned out to be a
violent and abusive man when i tried to get rid of him my life became a living hell
he stalked me day and night finally jeffrey was arrested and sent to prison for assaulting me
ah don't you just love this place the fresh air and all the trees it's okay the experience with jeffrey
coming right on top of the loss of her father had left reno with emotional scars i
hoped we could start over far away from the past despite all my optimism there was a
strained relationship between reyna and me and i couldn't help but feel guilty about what my terrible relationship with
jeffrey had put her through it was about then that i noticed the odd light on the cabinet
what's that sweetheart the compact daddy gave me he told me we'd always be together
if i just looked inside he was right what what's wrong i just get these bad feelings sometimes
like jeffrey's going to come back reina i told you he's never going to bother us
again i'm sorry i'm sorry that jeffrey ever happened baby i really am i felt so sorry for rena she would go
from periods of quiet isolation to being an exposed nerve ending and i never knew when the next explosion
was coming [Music] it's right outside my window i don't see anyone i don't see him are you sure he was he
was him he looked he looked horrible i i saw him in my compact mirror he was staring at me
no remake he knows where we are no honey no no you're sure yes you're absolutely
sure okay okay yes thank you for your time marina the man at the prison says that
jeffrey is still locked up but i saw him i saw him no honey but sometimes the mind plays tricks and
and jeffrey couldn't possibly have been here i know what i saw i i i okay i know i think at any age two days
later reena saw jeffrey's reflection in the compact mirror again and just like the time
before she became hysterical i called the psychologist dr david blauschel jeffrey
obviously created some sort of trauma in her mind she has a great fear of him oh i'll just
never forgive myself for bringing him into our lives well irina said that her father gave her
the compact before he died yes he did and it means so much to her yeah you know it could be a contributing
factor maybe you should put it away for a while [Music] it's important that we try to break the
cycle i'll do anything i just i can't stand to see him go through this let's set up a session for next week
honey you didn't get the compact out of my drawer did you oh why nothing how's your homework coming
fine well if you need any help let me know i'm gonna go jump in the shower okay mom
reena seemed to be feeling uneasy but that was nothing compared to what we were both about to experience
[Music] it was that light again the same one i've been seeing for the last few days
it seemed to be coming from rena's compact but that didn't seem possible [Music]
hi there jeffrey you surprised i thought we could try to remind somebody did you get out i was easy just like
finding you i called your mother and told her i was an old friend from high school
here i am in the flesh jeffrey you don't want to do this no no please stop it look at us back together again
just one big happy family [Applause] [Music] [Music] oh the police extradited jeffrey back to
the same new york state prison he had escaped from three days before rena and i moved to another location and
have felt safe ever since and now when reina looks in the compact the only thing she sees is her face next
to her father's [Music] how could rina have possibly seen the stalker's reflection while he was still
thousands of miles away was it only her imagination if so how do you explain his
appearance so soon afterwards was it a premonition of impending danger or was it a warning sent by the spirit
of a dead father still trying to protect his daughter is this story of the strange mirror a
series of lies or does it reflect the truth a story based on fact or a work of fiction
we'll tell you at the end of our show next we continue our theme of dreams and revenge have you thought about buying a
used car lately there's lots of ways to do it everything from visiting the used car lots in
person to surfing the internet but most people still rely on the hundreds of listings in the classifieds
and handout publications ronnie mercer has been combing through these of late for a bargain
he's getting ready to start college and his parents have promised him a car of his own
but ronnie's dream is about to unravel and it may just turn out to be more than he ever bargained for
bob mercer was an honest hard-working accountant employed by john cutler a dishonest devious boss well i
certainly couldn't ask for anything more except a smarter accountant for each of
the last three quarters i asked you to write off those research costs look mr cutler
as i indicated before those costs can't be claimed as research isn't your son going off to college soon
yes next month you have another chance to make it right bob the fourth quarter report can be a happy
ending for everybody but those expenditures netted an asset which is a taxable event and how's this for an event you
pathetic bean counter you're fired and so bob mercer's career at john cutler and associates was ended
by john cutler himself that night bob broke the news to his wife susan i think it'd be best if i talked to him
okay but the hardest part would be to tell his son ronnie who had been counting on
a new car paid for by dad in fact it seemed that a car was the only thing on ronnie's mind
[Music] nice work how many does this make stop counting at 200. 200. wow what's wrong dad
i was fired today mr cutler fired me you'll get something better dad i know it we'll see
but until i do school's starting and now this i'm sorry but i think we're gonna have to wait on the car
well it'll just give me more time to shop around that night ronnie would have the
strangest dream of his life just one dollar guys that's right one dollar drives this car off no down
payment no finance terms just one dollar one dollar one now one dollar one now one now
one dollar this can be yours [Music] by this beauty that's right one dollar drives this car off
no down payment no finance terms just one dollar one dollar one dollar the next morning ronnie couldn't get the
dream out of his mind i had a dream about the classifieds last night wow it was so weird i was in front of
this huge house and uh there was this car that was for sale out front and the most awesome part
about it was it only cost a dollar no one sells a car for a dollar stop dreaming
but dad it was so real i'll be in the den i'll take the help wanted ads with me [Music]
mom mom look at look at this it's here look at this oh come on honey your dad's right nobody sells a car
what for one night we gotta go right now let's go no it's a mistake ronnie it's either a
misprint or it's a joke there isn't even a phone number this was exactly like my dream would you
do me a favor and not mention this again okay your dad's got a lot mom we have to
go right now all right okay i will drive you it's gonna be a big waste of time come
on when ronnie and his mother arrived at the address ronnie couldn't believe his
eyes the house was just like the one in his dream susan mercer decided not to try
and calm her son down you would learn soon enough the dreams don't come true very often
especially impossible car dreams the mother braced herself for the inevitable disappointment that her son
was about to experience it didn't seem to make any sense the woman at the door had invited ronnie
inside susan was beginning to feel very strange about the entire incident [Music]
mom come on come see my new car it was the same shiny sports car that ronnie had described in his dream
and from the way he was acting he had actually bought it for one dollar ronnie ran off to use the car phone to
tell his dad while susan stayed behind to learn exactly what was going on your son is a
delight thank you i'm just not sure i understand what's going on here i mean surely you're not
selling this for one dollar why you think it's too much no i i just don't get it that's a story
i'm sure you've heard before after 30 years of marriage my husband is trading me in on a newer model
he was always afraid some creditor would come after his beloved car so it's in my name selling it is gonna
break his heart in fact he should be home from work any time now i hope your son enjoys this car as much
as my husband did oh oh he will he will and who was the man who lost his most precious possession for one dollar
where's my car where is my car it was john cutler your precious car traded you in john cutler and for a much
younger model i should add but don't worry i drove a very hard bargain the same john cutler
who had fired ronnie's father [Music] was this just an astounding coincidence or did young ronnie want his dream
car so badly that he made it happen can people control their own future by sheer force of will
and what about the irony of his father's boss becoming the victim of ronnie's dream
is this story of the impossible used car deal based on reality or have we traded in the truth for
another lie a story based on fact or a work of fiction will tell you at the end of our show
next another firing results in terror one of the pleasures of life for many people is window shopping
mannequins like these in creative poses provide hours of eye candy along some of the
most famous streets of the world gerald stanley has been dressing mannequins for over 25 years
he treats them with respect and takes pride in his every display lately gerald has been a mentor for an
eager assistant craig vinton but some have noticed the assistant is a little too eager lately
his next move may put his mentor in a financial crisis but before it's over it will cost much more than an arm and a
leg something's not right what do you think craig yeah i agree there's something off
i mean it just doesn't look right i loved my job and part of it was teaching the ropes to green young kids
like craig that's it that's exactly what it needed you're a genius when it comes to the
little touches gerald that's what it's all about little touches that make up the big
picture i know i've told you this before but working for you has really been a great
education for me well someday you'll be a chief decorator somewhere and then you can put
all you've learned to good use yeah i'll definitely put it to good use of course i didn't know that craig did
his best work behind my back mr duncan yes gerald's making the window look like jurassic park
it's prehistoric not to mention it's taking him forever i hate to say it but he's so far behind
schedule he'll never be ready for the spring fling opening what wait a minute what are you telling me
spring fling starts the day after tomorrow and gerald is not ready i thought you
should know sir i can't delay that opening or cost us a fortune i don't want to start trouble but i
could redo the entire window tonight and it would be more like the times we live in you know edgier
edger edger okay i don't believe this you want to give craig vinton the spring fling display
he's just an assistant listen gerald you're falling farther and farther behind in your work and quite frankly
your displays are somewhat old-fashioned old-fashioned management wants something
a little younger hip you know edgier and they don't think you could give us that anymore you're firing me
i really don't have a choice after 25 years sorry gerald it's business i took one last look at the figures in
my shop they were almost like real people to me craig wasted no time he dismantled my
display before i even had the chance to clean out my desk what are you doing to my troops
these aren't your troops gerald they're just plastic dummies they're just tools for my art i'm
creating something new different something you wouldn't understand you know what you are craig you're a
miserable two-faced little suck-up yeah but i got your job old man you back off geraldo i'll call security
[Music] there was so much i wanted to do and say but i had to maintain my dignity if not
for craig then at least in front of my figures the only true friends i had you'll be sorry you did this yeah right
i feel real bad he was trying to hurt me by hurting them it was almost as if i felt their pain at
craig's abusive treatment craig couldn't wait to reveal his edgy new concept a wild display of disembodied body parts
scattered around the floor in eye-catching poses what's going on like craig himself his
ideas were imaginative and creative and sick where's the display i i don't understand i worked on it all
night it was here when i left it was beautiful i had pieces of mannequin everywhere
with clothes draped over them it's gerald i mean it has to be him look i don't know what your game is but
either i get a spring fling display by tonight or you're out of here yes sir i'll
recreate it at once [Music] craig thought i had sabotaged his display but i was out of town i don't believe
this that maniac put them all back together [Music] again we may never know the truth but this is
what craig claims happened to him that night in a completely empty store [Music]
did that happen [Music] gerald gerald where are you come out and face me [Applause]
gerald where are you i know you're doing this to me i know you are [Music] [Applause]
[Music] [Applause] [Music] gerald gerald i know you're in here come out and face me
gerald where are you i know you're doing this to me i know you are [Music] craig quit the next morning and i was
reinstated who could have possibly attacked craig that night it couldn't have been me i was out of
town were craig's problems with the mannequins just a result of his own clumsiness
if not what could have possibly caused the mannequin's assault on craig was the deposed gerald controlling
things from behind the scenes or is the explanation more mystical could it be the mannequins actually had human
feelings of hatred for their new dresser do you think this story puts the truth on display
or is it merely window dressing a story based on fact or a work of fiction we'll tell you at the end of our show
next a mysterious tale of the old south southern hospitality a genteel refined way of life
of course like all regions of our country the south has endured political social and sometimes violent change yet
a quick visit to any southern city reminds us that the concept of southern hospitality
is alive and well our story tonight takes place before the time of scarlet and red
it evokes memories of warm southern breezes weeping willows and things beyond belief
i write these words in my journal it is the year 1806 and i'm looking back on a life honored by my service to the united
states of america i've been a calvary commander held a seat in congress finally i attained the governorship of
virginia but the best thing that has ever happened to me is my beautiful young wife ann
she's barely 26 years old and she's already given me three beautiful children you must stop working and see what i
bought today this moment darling i'm almost finished there now you can see everything you are
incarnate all right you have my full attention oh harry it's all so beautiful it's all the
latest fashions from paris look at this one this is my favorite there what do you think do i look
parisian i think that that hat is lucky to have your pretty head to sit up on oh harry why are you so good to me well
that's quite simple my darling i love you [Music] my evenings on our plantation were most
comfortable there were many pleasant dinners with good friends and all political allies
i really wish you would consider writing for my newspaper harry i know you're a busy man but your views
on federalism should be read by the people you compliment me alexander i agree you're a fine author harry your
description of george washington is first in war first in peace and first in the hearts
of his countrymen we'll go down in history thank you thomas of course i esteem your opinion
alexander and i will consider your offer i'm sorry to interrupt gentlemen but i'm suddenly feeling unwell
what is it then i'm sure it's nothing there perhaps you should retire for the evening
excuse me gentlemen i'd never seen annie take an ill before i was shaken by it and extremely
[Music] concerned [Laughter] what's the matter what's wrong with her she has a very high fever and is in and
out of consciousness i'll be honest with you sir i don't know what the malady is
she's young strong she will recover i truly hope so i'm going to prescribe sulfates perhaps they'll help
all we can do is keep an eye on her thank you doctor thank you for coming to [Music]
us [Music] but anne's condition did not improve it only continued to worsen dr bradley used everything at his
disposal but she did not respond [Music] eric [Music] i've given you three fine children
maybe my time here is done you mustn't say that don't give up and fight on i love you i love you harry
huh don't leave me please and never regained consciousness after that dr bradley pronounced her dead
later that day i found myself frozen in place unable to move that weathered so many battles and seen
so much death in my time but nothing had ever left me so devastated grave diggers were to start their work
that evening i wanted the moment of annie's actual burial to be a private one it was shared by the two of us how can i
put you in the ground my beautiful darling what's going crazy help me [Music] oh my
what god in hindsight dr bradley guessed that annie must have been in a living death once the illness had run its
course she revived one year later my wife ann lee gave me another child he was a boy my dreams were that
he would follow in my footsteps and become a leader of men we named him robert e lee
there are many recorded incidents of premature burials in the early 1800s medical science was still growing and
diagnosis were often wrong is that what happened here or did fate step in was ann lee brought back to life because
history had plans for her yet unborn son robert e is this story that takes place in the
antebellum era inspired by an actual event or have our writers gone south on us next you'll find out which of our
stories are fact and which are fiction when beyond belief fact or fiction returns
[Music] and now it's time to see which of our stories are inspired by actual events
and which are totally made up let's look back at the story of the premonition dream that resulted in death
true or false no no please no don't cut it please [Music] if you guessed this one was based on
fact we played a trick on you it never happened how did you judge the one about the
young girl who saw the stalker in her compact mirror real or unreal hi there oh jeffrey surprised
i thought we could try to remind somebody did you get out it was easy just like finding you i called your
mother and told her i was an old friend from high school here i am in the field jeffrey you don't
want to do this no no please stop it look at us back together again just one big happy family
if you thought this tale was fiction we fooled you our research shows this happened to a
family in the washington dc area in the early 80s in fact [Music] how did you judge the one about the
college student whose dream of buying a car for one dollar came true is this real or fake looking for a used
car my friend well just one dollar by the disability that's right one dollar drives this car off no down
payment no finance terms just one dollar one now one now one now one knowledge one now
certainly no one doubt this what does our research show on this one absolutely nothing we made it up
it's false let's look at the story of the ambitious window dresser who meets his match in
mannequins true or false gerald gerald where are you come out and face me gerald where are you i know you're doing
this to me i know you are [Music] did you think this one was based on reality not this time
it's a fake how about the tale of the old south the premature burial and the birth of
general robert e lee history or hogwash how can i put you in the ground my beautiful darling
that must be going crazy help me help me [Music] if you thought we made this story up
you're wrong it's based on actual published stories about robert e lee and his father
light horse harry how did you do it separating fact from fiction tonight we've tried to demonstrate that it's not
an easy task for sometimes truth and falsehood live in the same world a world that's beyond belief i'm
jonathan franks the story entitled the stalker is based on first-hand research conducted by
author robert treylands for beyond belief fact or fiction this is don lafontaine
[Music] you

This episode features the following cases: The Nightmare, The Stalker, The Impossible Car Dream, The Dresser, The Burial.

Brief Summary

This episode features stories of dreams, premonitions, and eerie coincidences, questioning the line between fact and fiction.

Key points

Dreams and Reality. Debra's recurring nightmare leads to a tragic coincidence involving her husband.
The Compact's Mystery. Rina's compact holds secrets that may connect her to her father's spirit.
A Dream Car for a Dollar. Ronnie's dream about a dollar car turns into a shocking reality.
The Mannequin Mystery. Craig believes he was sabotaged by Gerald, leading to a tense confrontation.
A Heartbreaking Farewell. Harry faces the devastating loss of his wife, Ann, after a sudden illness.
Fact or Fiction Revealed. The stories are revealed to be based on actual events or completely fabricated.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

You’re not gonna lose me, I’m yours forever.

Debra reassures Brian about their love amidst nightmares.

3:46WatchJan 20, 2021

Tension

65/ 100Some tension

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