Unsolved Mysteries with Dennis Farina - Season 1, Episode 15 - Full Episode | Forensic Files

[Music] next on Unsolved Mysteries in the Persian Gulf a tragic mistake the US Navy Downs an Iranian
airliner hundreds perish was this car bombing months later an act of Revenge in the rugged mountains of the
Sierra Nevada a man's mysterious Vision guides Rescuers to a missile woman a Small Town Hero disappears but
not before he scams $3 million out of unsuspecting neighbors a family searches for their
missing son who was sent to America after World War Two join me for these five stories of
crime deceit and Foul Play I'm Dennis finina and this is Unsolved Mysteries [Music]
he the Persian golf summer 1988 the Persian golf swarms with US Naval vessels and
aircraft just 3 months earlier an American ship had been badly damaged by an Iranian
mine the Navy's goal is to protect us oil tankers from increasingly hostile Iranian
forces the centerpiece of the naval presence was the USS Vincent a cruiser fully armed with surface to- a missiles
the captain was Will Rogers the date July 3rd started out in a benign fashion I received a radio call
that the USS Montgomery was uh having some difficulty with Iranian revolutionary guard small craft uh we
were directed by higher authority uh to uh develop a tactical picture and relay this information
back to Bahrain a Navy film crew happened to be aboard the Vincent and recorded the events of the
day the vinc sense dispatched a reconnaissance helicopter it is immediately attacked by Iranian gun
bolts Captain Rogers sought and received permission to return fire what ensued was a rather violent
service engagement between myself USS Montgomery and about seven small high-speed craft
at almost the same moment an unidentified aircraft showed up on the ship's radar screen the plane appeared
to be gathering speed and coming straight toward the Vincent we commenced to issue radio
warnings asking it to divert from its course heading directly at us received no response in the meantime the surface
engagement continued when the aircraft had closed to about 12 nautical miles the decision had to be made and I chose
to uh to engage it with missiles the plane was destroyed but then news came in over the radio about
an Iranian passenger plane which had yet to arrive at its destination it became obvious to us that
something was badly wrong what the uh pieces of the puzzle begin to add up to was this overdue airliner uh was the uh
the result of the missile engagement that we in fact had destroyed a civilian airlin the men aboard the Vincent had to
face the difficult fact that they were responsible for the death of innocent civilians
290 passengers aboard a commercial Iranian Airlines flight were dead their baggage and personal effects
created an eerie wake in the Blue Waters of the gulf the Downing of Iranian airflight
655 was a tragic error the flight was not running at its scheduled time and its pilot ignored calls to identify
itself but some in Iran said the nation would not forgive and claimed the right to
revenge in San Diego California Captain Roger wife Sharon was awakened by a phone call at 1: in the
morning there was a man on the other end of the phone with a Mid Eastern accent hello yes yes yes it is he wanted to
know if this was the home of Captain Rogers who is this and then he said are you the wife of the
murderer who is this my worst nightmare was coming true at this point with someone calling
me I thought possibly they know where our home is they know where I live um and possibly someone's in the
city needless to say I didn't sleep the rest of the night the naval investigative service
was called in to secure the Rogers home agents checked the mail and monitored incoming calls there were no more phone
threats but but agents advised Sharon to always keep her car locked in the garage
when she was at home 10 weeks later in October the USS vincens came home Sharon Rogers was at
the dock to welcome her husband even after his return safety precautions such as keeping both cars in the garage
continued until one night months later they arrived home late from a Navy meeting we were very very tired we
decided not to put the cars in the garage it was the first night since July 3rd that we had not parked the cars in
the garage and the only night the only time at 7:00 the next morning Captain Rogers used his wife's van to run an
errand will came back uh to the house we exchanged a few words um it was time for
me to go uh to work got into the van pulled out of the driveway took my normal route to school everything seemed
fine pulled up at a red light and it was then that I heard the [Music] explosion I knew that if if I'd ever do
anything right I'd better do this one right because I realized I didn't have many seconds left before I could get out
of that van alive Sharon threw open the driver's side door but forgot she had her seat
belt [Music] on I jumped from the cab of the van then I ran to the curb where a construction
worker placed me in the cab of his truck put his ret around me about that time a
policewoman approached me I told her who I was that I was the wife of the captain
of the vincin she immediately called a halt to everything and uh told everyone to move
away get away she then began calling in the naval investigative service the FBI everyone
else an FBI investigation revealed that a large pipe bomb had been strapped underneath the
van Sharon Rogers was extremely lucky the blast from the bomb went up just behind her seat through the roof of the
van and out to the right side of the van uh the bomb was uh definitely designed to kill someone it was not a prank was
placed underneath the vehicle located just behind where the driver's seat [Music]
was the FB I learned that 2 months before the bombing a stranger had been asking questions on the Rogers Street
Excuse me yes would you happen to know which house the captain lives I'm sorry I don't think I can help you with
that thank you very much you b a second man waited for him in the passenger seat
of a BMW that had California license plates the BMW was an unusual color known as bronet beige
I think we both fervently hope in the arrest and conviction and ultimate imprisonment of the people responsible
for the attempt on Sharon's life they need to be imprisoned and we have to send a very strong message to
terrorism that you're just not going to win here in the United States the FBI has produced this
composite sketch of the man who spoke to the neighbors he was thin 5'9 in tall with dark eyes and hair and a receding
hairline if you have any information about this case please log on to our website at uno.com
[Music] next she is lost alone and facing death in the high Siera then A cowboy rides to
the rescue Guided by a mysterious vision the Sierra Nevada mountains its Wild Beauty attracts many
people to its rugged Trails like Millie McGregor despite a mild heart condition she wouldn't think
twice about an all day 10mile Trek but when milie McGregor set out one Labor Day weekend she never expected
that she would take a wrong turn and her hike would become a life or death [Music]
ordeal it seemed like it started off good had a good trail and a ways back that trail split off to two places and
I'd picked out the one I thought I should go on I was probably several hours maybe
more like 3 hours beginning to climb and I got chest pain perhaps it was the altitude perhaps the
exertion but for some reason Millie's heart medication made her disorient before she knew it she was
lost the beautiful scenery was now a terrifying maze as the sun went down Millie
realized that she would be spending the night alone in the wild I was kind of relieved
knowing that I didn't have to hike anymore I was worried that my husband would be worried that first night it it
was terrible I didn't get get sleep at all that first night I walked the floor and watch try to watch the TV and I
couldn't do that search and rescue team sprang into action early the next morning but after an entire day in the
wilderness there was not one single clue Millie faced a second night in the bitter cold
I know the first night I spend a lot of time praying that my husband wouldn't worry the next night when I was still
there and I was cold and I was thirsty and I started praying for myself that I would get out of
there the next day additional search teams were recruited from neighboring counties helicopters equipped with
infrared sensors searched from the sky by the end of the second day we still have no clue no Footprints no drop
clothing no hits from the dog there was no sign of mild with an army of Searchers at work
no one counted on a softspoken cowboy named Randy Spears to ride to the rescue Randy lived in the area however Randy
was so busy that week that he didn't know that a woman was lost in the mountains
until the evening of the second day of searching there's a lady that's lost yeah Randy told us that he never ever
had any kind of psychic or ESP experience but then somehow in his Mind's Eye he saw a silhouette of a
Sierra Peak located 50 mi from his Ranch he just knew with absolute certainty that he would find Millie on
the Mountain's Southern Slope I don't know where she's at yeah just flashed like big screen TV was like I
got this picture of a mountain with my hand in front of it and I said I know right where she's at it was something
you didn't mess with you know you didn't doubt him there was a real strong feeling around
him it was past midnight when Randy and his friend Frank Smith headed for the mountains Randy just looks up there and
he goes she's right up there he put his hand up there and just pointed go to her
exactly in a certain area on the side of that mountain he goes she's right there she's
right there at about that same time Millie was stealing herself for a third night of withering
cold that night I gathered up pine needles and just kind of uh put them all around when I couldn't I even put some
in my hat helped keep my head warm I had an extra pair of socks so I put those on
my hands course the night was very very long was like minute by minute you know the moon come up and you watch and watch
and pretty soon the moon goes down and then it gets colder when the moon goes down it got
dampish and uh it was cold real [Music] cold the next day Randy and Frank were up at the crack of dawn their first stop
the Search Command Center it was a little strange because they all kind of looked at us like who
are these guys because we didn't have the orange vests and all the Fancy Search gear that they had just a couple
scruffy looking Cowboys with lonee mules it was a job and it was just an something that uh we were going to do
there was absolutely no no guessing or anything he he knew where she was at and going to go get
her by now Millie hadn't seen food or water for 3 days I was not real strong at that time
I was shaky and it was like every step I prayed and I kept picturing in my mind a
glass of cold water and a bathtub Randy said that after writing for 45 minutes he sensed he and Frank
were getting close to Millie they separated to cover a wider area Randy just kept going and I watched
him go up man he was just on a light beam just straight I was kind of thinking now what
do I do and I saw Randy coming up on the [Music] mule help help and it was spectacular must be the
lady the it was just like he appeared there like magic just unbelievable oh I really needed that thanks a lot
good to see you I was amazed that she was after 3 days up there in that cold weather to see her standing up I know 3
days out with myself out there would have darn sure have been tough and for a lady she has she has a a lot of
spirit thanks to ry's Vision Millie was now headed down the mountain to safety at the command center the site of
Millie created quite a reaction most of the guys kind of stood around speechless thinking that that
can't be mild we're still looking for her we have a million dolls with her equipment out there and resources and
she's coming back to camp on the back of a mule I probably looked like I was hundred years
old but it felt great I don't know why it happened and why Randy was picked or and Frank too and I
pray for them because I think God used them I don't know any other way of explaining it I'm not even going to try
cuz that's that to me feels right coming up a young woman brings her boyfriend home for the holidays a week
later she's found dead and the boyfriend has vanished Dallas Texas we recently told you the story of
Dennis Dew who murdered his ex-wife in Michigan and [Music] fled at around 8:30 on the night of our
broadcast a woman we'll call Mary arrived at her home outside Dallas Texas her boyfriend Hank Queen was at home
watching the show Mary still can't believe what happened next his van was parked in the driveway
which was out of the ordinary because he usually kept it inside the garage hi hi it's good you got there he
told me that his mother was very ill and then he needed to make an emergency trip
home I was sure that something else must really be going on but I didn't know what a man suspected the brutal murder
of his ex aren't you going to give me a hug he just gave me a little peck of a kiss and
I gave him a big hug and said goodbye to him I realized that something was troubling him and I knew I would never
see him again later that night Mary was shocked to learn that her boyfriend's name was
not Hank Queen it was really Dennis Dew and he had just been featured on Unsolved
Mysteries the broadcast described how Dennis De Pew arrived at his ex-wife Marilyn's home to pick up their children
for a scheduled visit Dennis erupted into a violent rage he accused Marilyn of destroying his
life and turning their children against him M we're going to the hospital you kids
stay here the next day Marilyn's body was discovered in a roadside ditch only 9 miles from her home she had been shot
once in the back of the head it was so brutal and premeditated that it makes you so angry if she hadd been killed in
an automobile accident you could get over that but not this there was no sign of Dennis Dew for
over a year alone until the night of our broadcast looking back on it now I'm sure he was
watching I think that he was deliberately keeping my uh attention distracted in the kitchen so that I
wouldn't see the segment and so that he could leave after the broadcast a viewer who
knew Hank Queen and Mary provided the plate number of the van police then spot at the puke
Crossing into Louisiana he led police on a 15m highspeed chase breaking through two
barricades before he was stopped I told the deid if the van refused to stop to shoot a tire off over
the front tire and they missed the front tire but they got both back on he traveled about half a mile and
just wouldn't go any further and he stopped thew fired two shots through his windshield and another through his open
window then he turned the gun on himself and took his own life it was a funny feeling to realize
that uh the night before that you had been watching this man that he was wounded uh for murder someplace and then
uh you walk up to the van and you recognize him as being the person that was on onav mistress it's a funny
feeling but I think he intended to die whether he had to do it by his own hands or where he can get us to kill
him Kissam Florida a Lakeside Resort town about 10 Mi south of Orlando One Summer 22-year-old Paula
ASC and her boyfriend Jerry gervasoni arrived from New Jersey to visit Paula's mother
Barbara they stayed there about one week Paula was as happy as a l the two of them were I mean they were very happy
gol lucky during the visit Paula and Jerry slept in Barbara's bedroom while she slept on a couch so do you guys have any
plans four nights after they arrived Paula and Jerry decided to leave for a short Excursion to another part of
Florida okay sweetie well I got up the next morning and I thought I heard them up and I didn't know whether they were
or not so I didn't bother to say [Music] goodbye maybe if I had you know things would have been different
how long's it been this way you know but when over the next 5 days an odd disturbing smell began to spread through
Barbara's mobile home I made sure to took out all the trash and the garbage well on Saturday morning I got up and by
now the odor had really become strong to the point where I had to search around to see what was causing this she
searched the entire trailer and found nothing the last place she looked was in her own
bedroom hidden under the bed wrapped in a bamboo curtain was Paula's body at first
I I wasn't sure of what I seen and just didn't expect it I I had to stop and think is this real
or am I seeing things Paula had been strangled to death and left under the bed for nearly a
week the prime suspect was Jerry gervon but he had dropped from sight less than a month later
authorities got their first break when they questioned a friend of Jerry's just 3 days after the murder he
picked up Jerry at the Newark New Jersey airport he claimed that Jerry practically confessed to killing Paula I
don't know what happened I just freaked out I lost it over what I need some quick cash so I swipe the old lady's
paycheck what are you doing nothing are you trying to rip her off no then let me
see what's in your pocket no let me see what's in your pocket get out show me you liar shut
I believe that Jerry has decided that we're no longer looking for him he's able to roam the streets freely without
uh worry of being arrested update Jerry gervon was arrested in Canada where he had been living under
the assumed name Gordon McIntyre when our program aired his former landlord recognized him and immediately called
authorities I come home and sit down to dinner about 9:30 qu to 10: and uh flip on the TV and there was his black and
white photo of gord McIntyre my tenant gervon was extradited to the United States and later tried in
Florida he was convicted of second deegree murder and was given a 177e sentence he was released after serving 6
years [Music] next two men vanish after cheating friends and neighbors out of nearly $3
million Medford Oregon Lorraine Rondo who was recently widowed invested the $100,000 left by her husband it was all
the money she had and she trusted it to a man named Steven Cox a drunk driver left Michelle wit
disabled for Life the insurance company awarded her $75,000 Michelle invested her money with
the same man Steven Cox and there were others 200 others and I am one of the investors who invested with Steve Cox in
excess of $100,000 together they gave Cox over $35 million now Steven Cox is gone and so is
all that M so we can get our money back Steven was a local boy captain of his high school football team Letterman
on the basketball team and named to Oregon's All State baseball team he went to college in Oregon and after he
graduated married his college sweetheart Deborah they settled in Medford I didn't
believe it no Cox started his own company SD Cox Investments when he first began he had
had some luck uh with commodities with other Investments gold and silver and other things and he really wanted to
make money for other people at the same time he made money for himself look at it right now good morning Michelle Hi
how are you fine St Cox attracted clients by offering a rate of return as high as
25% for their cash investors received an IOU in the form of a promissary note a the
$75,000 was invested and for 3 and 1/2 years I got a monthly payment of $1,250 he seemed to know what he was
doing and I'm sure he did know what he was doing hey hey good to see you business
doubled then tripled Cox brought in a partner Eugene Richmond who was an old friend well you know i' had known Steve
since you know we were in grade school together I mean he was always somebody I looked up to you know the high school
quarterback of the football team and you know just just that typical guy that everybody wanted to know and be around
basically whatever Steve Cox asked me to do it's a nice house she here oh thank you Eugene Richmond was the one that
went out and got people to invest their money I'm confident that I told every investor that their money is at risk I
would have investors ask me what happens if es Cox goes belly up and I would sit
right in my chair and look them straight in the face and I'd say you're going to
lose your money well Eugene Richmond is a liar then because he never did never told us that not me never told
me that if she was not aware that her money was at risk then either I failed in my job to tell her that or like a lot
of people they didn't want to hear it Eugene Richmond never told me that that my money was unsafe in any way that
everything was secured they had money laid aside that they could pay off any one of us definitely the cracks first
after only a year in business SD Cox Investments seem to be a big success yeah I can do it the firm bought a
restaurant a neighborhood bar a video arcade two jewelry stores and an inventory of gems worth hundreds of
thousands of dollars when you have a situation where a local businessman looks successful and
other people are going to the bank with the checks they're making the deposits that will get around that facade Works
people see the Porsche drive by and their heads turn people see the Mercedes drive by and they think that guy's
successful they don't realize that maybe that guy is is not making 's meat and he's two payments behind on the
Porsche what happened is is Steve Cox had some luck at the very beginning he had some Good Fortune he made some money
and as he continued to pay 22 or 25% interest he had to get more and more people involved at the bottom in order
to be able to do that it's like a pyramid scheme there's nothing to back up his promises to pay back this money
that's a house of Cs eventually it has to fall look what do we need to do to turn this thing
around thanks for sticking one Friday Eugene Richmond told his employees that he and Cox would be out of town on
business through Monday that weekend Cox cleaned out their office safe taking over
$200,000 in gold silver jewelry and cash he also took the financial records then Cox and his wife emptied
their house and packed their belongings into a rented truck along with Eugene Richmond they
snuck out of Medford 10 months later the police had a surprised visitor Steven Cox's wife
Deborah returned to Medford and agreed to cooperate with the police what was your position with SD Cox's investment
she wasn't actually wanted as far as being a fugitive we did want to talk to her but there were no criminal charges
pending within a week Eugene Richmond also surrendered but he revealed nothing helpful to the investigation how much
money did you have to live on and how much did you take with you Sergeant Sweeney concerning that matter we're not
answering those questions today the police had enough evidence to charge Eugene Richmond with racketeering he
pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 15 years he was released on parole Less Than 3 years
later Steven Cox however was still missing Steve every day has to wonder if somebody's going to see him it's a small
world update after 4 years on the Run Steven Cox was finally arrested in Lake me
Nevada 25 Mi southeast of Las Vegas he had settled in Boise Idaho using an alias after a story aired on Unsolved
Mysteries he took off 5 days later Cox checked into the lake me Lodge Motel he was not a normal guest he
stayed in his room all day long he would only leave at night very seldom did he leave in the
daytime and we noticed that the license plates were not the same as he had put down on his registration
card one day when I was out on the grounds I saw the guest come out of his room instead of putting his trash and B
in front of his room he took it up to number 35 which was several doors away and when I went to empty the trash out
of that Ben I found the crumpled up letter and like any curious female I read the
letter when I read the letter I saw the part that said something about the Unsolved Mystery Show being a
bombshell I showed the letter to my husband Harold and between the two of us we decided it was time definitely to
call the Rangers and tell them about the guest the next morning Park Rangers spotted Cox's car and pulled them over
in the parking lot of a casino after we made the traffic stop he produced identification a driver's
license issued to a Robert Davis and we checked that name and uh date of birth through the ncic computer and found that
it was an alias used by one Steven Cox and that there was a warrant for Mr Cox at that point we placed him under arrest
when we looked in the passenger compartment of the vehicle and in the trunk we found luggage filled with
jewelry rings necklaces collector type baseball cards some gold coins silver coins and I was really very curious to
know why he had it in the vehicle and if in fact this was the stuff that he was wanted for taking in the first
place Steven Cox was exteded back to Oregon where he was sentenced to 20 years for racketeering and securities
fraud the valuables in his possession were found to be worth close to a million they were used by the courts to
pay back part of what he had stolen from his investors in meton he was Paro after
serving 2 years next at the age of five a World War II Refugee gets a new life in
America will he ever see his family again Plymouth England after World War II refugees from
the Eastern Europe searched for a better life in the west a Polish couple Helena and a poiner
Kowski sent their sent Christopher off to America to live with another family Christopher was only 5 years
old he would never see his parents again Helena had spent 6 years in a German p camp
near the end of the war she escaped she was crossing the border into Austria and
then would you like a ride to the town you look very tired she decided that she would let this man help her and
he took her to where all the Polish people were looked after her did things for her that nobody had done for her
since the war had been going on her heart was beginning to to come alive again something it hadn't done since the war
had happened I am apoll Helena and he asked her to marry him and so she said yes Helena began a new life with
apolinary Kowski they stayed on in Austria even after the war was over there they adopted an infant and named
him Christopher within a month the Kowski joined thousands of War survivors in refugee
camps in England their daughter Michelle was born Christopher finally had a sister to play
with my only memory of Christopher is uh a real happy memory he would run around
me hide behind me and all of a sudden he'd come around to the front and he go boo and I'd laugh and I'd laugh and I
can still remember to this day the giggles next please like so many other refugees
Helena and apollinary dreamed of a better life for themselves and their children they applied for visas to the
United States but faced a long wait another polish family living in the camp had just gotten their visas oh
congratulations my they offered to take Christopher with them he will play with my children and he will go to school and
soon you will be going to America yourself the decision was made Christopher would go on ahead of his
family so he could start the first grade in the United States I'm missing Mama I
miss you too Christopher my mother didn't really want to send him with somebody else but my father kept saying
you know education education he's going to get a good education he's going to be
able to start school so it was easier for him you are but my mother I guess being
a woman it just tore at her [Music] heart eventually Helena and apollinary chose not to move to America but the
family who had taken Christopher refused to send him back to England yes they are
don't they don't send Christopher back my parents got a letter back from the family uh in the United States saying
that uh Christopher had already settled in school had made friends and they weren't going to send him back I do
something I do something Helena and a poiner immediately went to the refugee Camp's polish Council they cannot do
this to us he was sympathetic but all of Christopher's adoption records had gone
to the United States that made it nearly impossible to bring the boy back Michelle moved to the United States
as an adult after apollinary died Helena finally came to America herself Helena's dying wish was that her
children would someday be reunited update the night of our broadcast millions of viewers watched Unsolved
Mysteries one of them was Christopher's sister from his American Family she called Christopher and he called
us a month later Christopher traveled from his home in New York to Michelle's home in
Texas as I was waiting for Christ for to come and I was looking out in the window
I was wanting my mom to be here and wishing that she was here because she had dreamed of
this hi a long time you did it I can't believe it I can't describe it it's it's too
much for words all these years wondering hoping and it's finally come true is I never expected it to really
happen but I always dreamed that maybe one day my turn will come and I would find my brother but dreams I guess they
do come true D how you doing after 44 years Michelle and Christopher were finally reunited
they also experienced the joy of meeting each other's children and grandchildren Helena's dying wish was
fulfilled [Music] [Music]

Brief Summary

The episode covers a tragic airline disaster, a miraculous rescue, a murder case, and a Ponzi scheme.

Key points

Tragic Mistake: USS Vincennes Incident. The USS Vincennes mistakenly shoots down an Iranian airliner, killing 290 civilians.
Sharon Rogers' Nightmare. After the USS Vincennes incident, Sharon Rogers receives a threatening phone call.
Millie McGregor's Harrowing Ordeal. Lost in the Sierra Nevada, Millie faces life or death as rescuers search for her.
Randy Spears' Vision. A cowboy, guided by a vision, finds Millie McGregor after days of searching.
Dennis Dew's Brutal Crime. Dennis Dew murders his ex-wife and goes on the run, later revealed during a broadcast.
A Long-Awaited Reunion. After 44 years apart, Michelle and Christopher finally meet, fulfilling their mother's dying wish.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

My worst nightmare was coming true.

Sharon Rogers reacts to a threatening phone call.

5:29WatchMar 9, 2017

Tension

75/ 100High tension

More from True Crime Files

Solve the Crime

Read a real case one clue at a time, then see how your call held up against the investigators.