Unsolved Mysteries with Dennis Farina - Season 4, Episode 7 | Forensic Files

[Music] next on Unsolved Mysteries the notorious son of sand case six brutal murders by one serial killer
but a reporter has convincing evidence that David burwitz did not act alone he was a young man in love just trying to
be nice now he's [Applause] dead she survived the train crash that killed her mother now she desperately
wants to find her mother's family and a mysterious Carpenter builds a magical staircase for a chapel in New
Mexico then he disappears these are five fascinating cases just waiting to be solved and
maybe you hold the key I'm Dennis finina and this is unsolved [Music] [Music] Mysteries
[Music] in 1977 the country breathed a huge sigh of relief when police finally captured the
serial killer called the Son of Sam David burkowitz confessed to killing six people in New York City and injuring
seven others but now reporter Mori Terry has convincing evidence that there may have been others
involved son of Sam's reign of terror began on July 29th 1976 two young girls were hit by 44
caliber bullets one died this composite sketch of the gunman was created from the survivors
eyewitness description three months later a man from Queens was shot in the head with a
44 caliber gun a month after that again in Queens a man appeared from nowhere and shot two
girls both survived but one was left paralyzed and would be in a wheelchair for the rest of her
life eyewitnesses help police create a new composite of the gunman 6 months later two other women were
killed in separate shootings again a 44 caliber revolver was used eyewitnesses created these sketches
of the killer but these sketches didn't look anything like the earlier [Music] drawings almost 9 months after the first
murder there was a another shooting just three blocks from the scene of the first
attack this time a handprinted letter was left by the killer it read I am a monster I am the
Son of Sam I'm a little brat the city was paralyzed with fear the people in the local
neighborhoods particularly in the Bronx were petrified um I remember people yelling to people in the street get in
that nuts out there and this is an an early afternoon on Memorial Day Son of Sam sent another letter this one to
columus Jimmy Breslin It Was Written in the same distinctive style and contained
references to [Music] sanism finally in Late July Son of Sam struck for the last
time Stacy MTZ was killed her date Robert viilante was partial blinded no he just he just walked up to
them shot them 19-year-old Tommy Z witnessed the shooting that guy came over to to the
com blew those people away in less than 4 seconds like Tommy helped police with yet
another composite again there were more differences than similarities when compared to the earlier
sketches as the police were investigating the most recent murder they found that a car near the crime
scene had been issued a parking ticket the Ford Galaxy was owned by a postal worker named David burkowitz
the police traced the ticket to Burt's home as they approached his building they saw the Ford Galaxy inside they
found a duffel bag with a rifle sticking out of it and a letter signed by the son
of s man hey John look at this we got him the police staked out the area later that evening burkowitz walked
towards his car carrying a brown paper bag inside the bag was a 44 caliber revolver as detectives moved in to
arrest them burwitz sat quietly in his car what took you guys so long step out of the
David burwitz confessed to all the killings he told the police that his neighbors's Barking Dog told him to
commit the murders he pleaded guilty to all the charges and was sentenced to 25 years to
life but to reporter Mory Terry Burt's confession seemed too convenient after the arrest of burkowitz uh just through
fade or whatever I started poking around into the case uh because I had some suspicions that uh maybe there was more
to it than the public was being uh being led to believe Mori suspected that burkowitz didn't act alone but that he
was part of a gang of killers it was Stacy moscowitz killing that first made him suspicious well the very early
reports that um on the moscowitz killing had me concerned David burkwitz his features were widely different from the
sketches of the kill that had been done by the police artist started seeking out
Witnesses found Tommy Zeno who was a key witness in the to the shooting Tommy and his girlfriend were
parked in front of Stacy moscowitz and her boyfriend on the night of the murder was looking through the mayor at
a car and I see I noticed somebody you know standing in the park what I seen is he had long hair and it's hard to really
see the face but it was he was then he looked like like he was in pretty good shape he walked up to the car like as if
he was going to get in the car then he went into a St and he just shot and that was it he turned around and
ran I can't picture burit running like that that's the thing that confused me after they caught him if they seen him
is either he was he you know in a week he can't get that fat you know that's all I could say he's he's you know he
didn't look like the Tye a guy to run and do it this map shows the neighborhood where
the last killing took place Stacy and her boyfriend were parked here the Ford Galaxy owned by burkowitz was parked
here two blocks away when it got the parking ticket myy Terry says the events leading
up to the shooting began here at this entrance to the park it was about 1 a.m. Witnesses saw a yellow Volkswagen
pull up two men got out by 1:30 a.m. Tommy xano was sitting in his car he noticed the lovw pass by
more than once at 2:05 a.m. the parking ticket was put on Burt's Car Cecilia Davis a woman who lived in
the neighborhood pulled up in a friend's car near the the Ford Galaxy such we were triple packed and I
was looking in the in the back so in case a car comes up I saw that guy taking the summons off his
windshield and keep on looking watching the cops as they still gave tickets then he got in the car and he
came behind us so he couldn't pass because we were blocking the whole street and he blowed the horn at us
I gave him a dirty look what's the big crushing Mill in the night Cecilia says the man was
definitely David burkowitz 15 minutes after the parking ticket was issued Stacy and Robert went for a
stroll in the park they noticed a man standing next to a restroom watching them two blocks away
Cecilia was walking her dog by her apartment she saw David burkowitz the man who had honked earlier walking
straight towards her Cecilia says that about 1 minute later she heard the gunshots that killed Stacy moscowitz and
almost blinded Robert violante how could burkowitz have traveled from this spot where Cecilia
last Saw to this area where stac and Robert were shot in just 1 minute it takes at least 2 and 1/2 minutes to
quickly walk the two blocks from Bay 17th Street to the [Music] park just 15 seconds after the shooting
Witnesses saw a man wearing a light colored wig run from the park get into a yellow Volkswagen and speed away up 17th
Avenue he was in such a hurry that he ran a red light and almost hit another car
Mor Terry believes that at least three people including burkowitz were involved in Stacy's murder he claims they were
members of a satanic cult and were responsible for every one of the Son of Sam shootings David burwitz was selected to
be the Fall Guy on the Son of Sam killings um he was not a willing Fall Guy he wanted it to be another way but
burwitz knew that he had been involved in all of the shootings uh he had uh pulled the trigger definitely two times
responsible for three murders he's not an innocent man and was on the scene of all the others as a lookout of Wheelman
whatever no I didn't think it was David berits then and I don't think it's him now it's a strong opinion of mine that
David burkowitz was not the soul killer and was aided by other accomplishes next David Burt's
connection to a satanic cult is it possible that he did not act alone when David burkowitz confessed to
the Son of Sam murders it was believed that he had acted alone but a very disturbing Theory soon emerged that
burkowitz was a member of a satanic cult and it was this group that committed the
murders the general perception among the public for years had been that David burkowitz
was a lone gunman the facts and the evidence not speculation the facts and the evidence say
otherwise Mor says that cryptic references in one of the Son of Sam letters supports his theory one phrase
that raised his suspicions was quote John weedies rapist and suffocator of young girls another was wicked King
wicker Mory views them as clues that help identify an accomplice of David burkowitz the Son of
[Music] Sam berkowitch lived in a seventh floor apartment in Yankers down the hill was a street named
wicker could this be king wicker mentioned in the Brin letter Wicker Street was near the home of another
character mentioned in the letter John wedy I learned that the John wedy rapist and
suffocator Alias of the killer in the Bren letter was not really an alias at all but it was the name of a real person
that person was John Carr who was the real life Son of Sam Carr John Carr's nickname was weedies and I learned this
within a day of the arrest this is John Carr and these are two composite drawings of the 44 caliber Killers myy
Terry believes that there is a resemblance between these two and John Carr Mor Tracked Down John Carr to North
Dakota where he worked as a mechanic at a local Air Force Base this is where he lived during the mid-70s but he often
visited New York during the time of the Son of Sam attacks from my experience John Carr was a mixed up drug addict
many many months before burwitz was ever arrested he had talked about his friend
berky to his friends out in Min not North Dakota John Carr was a friend of a confidant of and an associate of
David burkowitz just 6 months after burkowitz was arrested John K was found dead in his girlfriend's apartment when
I first walked in the room it was a ghastly sight my first interview with his live-in girlfriend at the time she
told me that he must have just taken his own life the next day same person new interview whole new
story John Carr had to have been murdered he was wanted by the police in New York for
the Son of Sam killings he was afraid for his life and I fully believe that John Carr
was murdered through interviews with uh car's friends and the police officials in North Dakota uh the picture emerged
of John Carr being heavily involved in satanic cult activity both in Minot North Dakota and in Westchester County
New York where he spent part of his time uh it involved blood drinking urine drinking the ritualistic sacrifice of
animals specifically German Shepherds the satanic symbol that was found on the letter sent to Brin was
also found written on Carr's phone [Music] book one of Carr's acquaintances was a
man named Phil Falon Falcon claimed he accidentally walked in on car and a friend performing a SAT
ritual Phil Falcon told us that he walked into his own house one night in North Dakota and found John Carr and
another friend of Carrs part of the circle in the act of ritualistically sacrificing an animal right into
Falcon's house sry we out here and Phil Falcon also told us that John Carr belonged to a very very
violent satanic cult in Westchester County Prison sources who knew burkowitz told myy Terry that burkowitz had been
introduced to the cult by John Carr's brother Michael in the 70s Michael Carr ended up inviting
burwitz to attend what he call a floating coven party and uh burkwitz came in and attended the party and
symbolically not literally but symbolically the 44 was put into his hand that night that's how he got in to
the into the cult scene over 2 years after burwitz was arrested Michael Carr was killed in a
car accident on a New York Highway he died just 18 months after his brother how many members of this
devilish C burwitz admitted during two different Court depositions that he knew both John and Michael Carr and that they
were part of a satanic cult and he said the brothers were killed to keep them from
talking my Terry believes the deaths of the car Brothers may have been organized
by the quote 22 Disciples of hell that were mentioned in the brein letter he also says this satanic group performed
the rituals in a local park just one mile from Burt's apartment I got a call from a young boy
in yers wanted to know if I knew that there was a satanic cult that was meeting uh in antoy park in Yonkers and
killing dogs and so I met him down there showed me where the cult was meeting we saw all the satanic rafiti
saw the remains of probably two or three German Shepherds was a very significant
development in the case was a satanic group responsible for the Son of Sam attacks burkowitz himself
seems to support the theory he ended one of his letters to the media by stating there are other Sons out there God help
the world if you have any information about this case please log on to our website
at unsolved.com [Music] next a beautiful young con artist goes on a crazy spending spree the problem is
be careful it's not her money [Music] Las Vegas Nevada Liza Montgomery shopped all
weekend always paying with cashiers checks she made a big impression and started to raise big
suspicions it began at the home of a man named Mark Husby who was selling a mink
coat and a Two karat diamond ring Montgomery who was dressed to the nins said that she was responding to his
newspaper r hi Ela how are you come on in oh thank you the license personality was like
that of a excited school girl me here is your cashier's check my god there it is
and there's the ring I told you to bring cash I know but the bank was closing and
anyway that's just as good I mean don't worry about it I me it's a good check well can I see your ID please oh sure I
asked to see her identification cuz I had told her when she came to the home here that I did want cash but uh I
settled with the cashier check well let me walk you to the car oh all right thank you as I was saying goodbye to Lia
uh and I walked her out to her car uh it seemed very unusual to me that she how she treated the main coat she just uh
literally shoved it in the car as if it meant nothing to her Montgomery shopping Marathon was
just beginning that same night she bought two rings with a cashier's check for $39,000 that's great your cash check and
here are your rings Liza had been coming to us for about 3 months she was always
well-dressed so we never had a problem believing whether or not she could actually afford anything she wanted
to here's your cashier's check great the next day Mont gory continued her shopping spree she was wearing her new
mink coat and she was driving an old beat up moving van she bought $223,000 worth of furniture that she
called a surprise gift for her husband Montgomery shopped all weekend always paying with cashier checks she
made a big impression and started to raise suspicions shortly after selling Montgomery the Mt coat and the ring Mark
Husby began to wonder whether her check was good he drove to an exclusive gated community looking for the address
printed on her ID hi do you have a li Montgomery living here at 2901 raler Drive no sir that address doesn't even
exist Mark drove home immediately and called the police I explained to him that unless or until the bank received
that check and officially notified him that it was counterfeit or somehow forged there was really nothing we could
do at that point even if we were able to find her we'd have no authority to detain her simply because the address on
a cashier's check was somehow an error be careful with that meanwhile at the furniture store Montgomery was having
trouble squeezing everything she bought into the van I don't care what you have to do just get it in there just just get
it in okay the store owner didn't like Montgomery's attitude so once the van was
loaded he decided to follow just to see where she would go before leaving he gave his wife a
walkie-talkie and he took one for himself she's turning away from Rancho Bair I knew she was lying call the
police I'm going to keep following her okay we learned from dispatch that the check had already been passed at the
furniture store and that it was in the name of Liza Montgomery which was the exact same name that Mark Husby had
given us based on that information we felt that there was enough corroboration now since there were two checks floating
around that she needed to at least be stopped and identified the store owner followed Montgomery's van to a
residential neighborhood 5 miles away she just pulled over on a residential street and met up with a man
standing next to a red convertible now he's getting into the truck she's getting into the
car okay my husband says that the woman made contact the store owner's wife tried to keep authorities informed of
her husband's location A store owner to try and keep up with the vehicle if he can and we'll be there momentarily
within 2 3 minutes he continued to follow the van and read convertible when the vehicles got to an
intersection outside of town the van made an illegal right turn and sped away she stopped her car well I better get
out of here the store owner was afraid that Montgomery might be armed so he took off
She chased after him after 3 miles he pulled over to the side of the road Montgomery whizzed by
and disappeared the police were just minutes behind but it was too late in summary she hit at least 12
places that we're aware of and uh the amount of loss to all of those in total was over
$150,000 the last of the places she hit uh was a gaming supply store at which time she bought three slot machines
almost as if she wanted to take a souvenir of Las Vegas with her out of town eventually the van and convertible
were found Montgomery had rented both vehicles at local agencies and persuaded the rental agent to accept a $500 cash
deposit instead of a credit card usually we only find this type of skill amongst
people who are going to uh get involved in a scam that's worth thousands upon thousands of dollars if they're going to
get away with it they're going to have to be very good and lies was one of the best but even the best make mistakes
when Montgomery rent at the van she left behind this ID card and there was her picture for all to
see update thanks to a viewer tip authorities identified Liza Montgomery as Ellen Christine Hua they tracked her
to Hollywood California where she was arrested Ellen Hua later pleaded guilty to burglary and theft char chares she
served time in the Nevada State Penitentiary and has since been released coming up love turns deadly
when a young man gets involved with a [Music] killer Chicago Illinois a fire blazes in a bacon lot at
the edge of the city smoldering deep in the Flames is the burnt body of 22-year-old Oscar
vasqu at the county morg Oscar's parents are faced with the most difficult task of their lives identifying the remains
of their oldest son I never thought we would find him there he was a good kid he never got
into trouble he didn't drink he didn't smoke he was different from the other kids in the
neighborhood Oscar had managed to avoid the local gangs and held a steady job as
a truck driver he had just started dating an attractive 18-year-old named Regina D
Francisco this is D Francisco would you have a seat please and your two days after Oscar's body was found Regina's
mother and sister went to the police they reported that Regina was missing she's been gone for two days so this is
the first time the same detectives that were investigating Oscar's murder visited Regina's
house while searching for Clues they discovered a key piece of evidence linking Regina to
Oscar detective lo and behold to our surprise there was the matching pillowcases to
the sheet that was used to wrap Oscar's body up in and that's when our focus of our
investigation switched to Regina herself hey Oscar oh hey what up how you doing everyone agreed that Oscar's life took a
bad turn when he met Regina you look beautiful too thank you a in the short period of time
approximately 3 weeks they only had had maybe three or four dates and I think Oscar was blinded by Regina's good
looks but behind those good looks lurked a dangerous woman Regina apparently had another
boyfriend a gang member nicknamed locco and she needed $1,000 to bail him out of
jail Regina decided to get the money from Oscar and she asked her sister Margaret for
help detectives believe that Margaret told Oscar that it was Regina who was in jail
and needed to be bailed out can you get us the money I got $1,000 is that enough
Oscar being the loyal and true boyfriend that he thought he was I'll get it back
to you I promise didn't hesitate at all Oscar gives Margaret the $1,000 Margaret tells Oscar as soon as
she bails Regina out of jail that Regina will call him Regina did call Oscar and the two
went out on another date thank you so much baby for helping me it's all right you know I love you you do do anything
for you apparently Oscar asked Regina when she was going to pay him back and that's when she came up with the idea to
kill him mayy I don't have the money right now I just got out of jail Regina says hey you know I'm sorry I'm willing
to pay you back give you a little extra um Margaret really likes you too you know how about coming over and I'll give
you your money and uh the three of us will have a little fun are you serious and that's when uh Regina offered the
the threesome the sexual encounter and Oscar was pretty willing to turn around and oblige
Witnesses say Oscar arrived at Regina's home at around 8:00 p.m. Margaret greeted him at the
door hey hi what are you doing here um I don't I'm I don't know Regina's downstairs waiting for
you A friend of the D Francisco sisters was also at the [Music] house come down here baby I'm in the
basement Oscar went ahead of Margaret walked down the steps and when he made it to the last step in the
basement Margaret took the semi-automatic shot him one time in the back of the head come on let's
go investigators believe that the girls took Oscar's necklace car keys and six $100 in
cash next they wrapped his body in a bed sheet and a [Music] tarp the sisters then cleaned up the
crime scene and dragged Oscar's body up the basement stairs and dumped it into the trunk of his
car then they drive around i' say for approximately 40 minutes looking for a spot to dump the body until they
happened upon this vacant lot okay pour it on in there one of the girls take a large
bottle of nail polish remover they ignite the the body get back and drive away 2 Days Later police discovered
Oscar's Camaro near where his body was found it also had been torched the case broke wide
open Margaret and Regina's friend came forward and gave police a detailed account of what she witnessed on the
night of Oscar's murder come on let's go arrest warrants were issued for Regina and Margaret D Francisco but by now both
had disappeared update almost 2 years after Oscar's murder authorities received the tip
saying that Margaret was living with a relative in Illinois she was arrested and charged with first-degree murder
armed robbery and concealing a homicide 7 months after her sister was arrested Regina D Francisco was captured
in Dallas and charged with murder the police were called after Regina was accused of stealing a car from a
friend both sisters were convicted of murder Regina was sentenced to 35 years in prison and Margaret 46
years next a tragic accident claims the life of a young mother now her grown daughter wants to
find her mother's family Dallas Texas a train rumbles out of town headed west ready 200 M down the line in
abalene Darlene alfano and a friend gather up their children for a trip into town the train and the Alano car reach
aene at the same time no one knows why but the car suddenly stops on the tracks at the railroad
crossing the accident killed three of the children and one of the [Music] mothers US Army Sergeant Fred Alano lost
his wife and two of his daughters his third child Ladon suffered massive head injuries happened to
Mommy over the years Ladonna underwent a number of operations that gradually restored her face but of course nothing
could bring back her sisters or her mother Darlene I have no memories of my mother
at all I look at pictures of her and I try to remember something and it's like looking at a a magazine article of a
woman my father has told me stories about us as children children with my mom and it doesn't bring back any
memories whatsoever none whatsoever this photo of Lana's Aunt Patricia Heins was her only hope for
finding her mother's [Music] family update as a result of our broadcast ladonna's search came to an emotional
end she found her aunt Patricia a few weeks later ladana was pulling up to her aunt Pat's house house
in soue Falls hello hi hello hi hi oh it's been good oh you're just cranking don't cry I'm I'm thank you so
do you it's totally changed my life do you believe it yeah I believe it it's just finding them then they're great
people and they're beautiful I just I'm I just feel totally my that hole that empty
hole is totally filled she lost her mother I lost my sister and it's just like she found a another mother and I
found a new sister and I just feel like I just feel like we're just connected I really
do I can't believe Lana's first visit with her grandparents in more than 30 years made the reunion complete this is
your mother I present that to you oh thank you so much I'm your mother she made this I can't even express it I just
really cannot express how I feel there's just too many emotions going on here and
it's just a wonderful wonderful feeling it's just it's great I just feel like I'm I just feel really like I'm at home
it's really [Music] great more than a century ago a mysterious Carpenter arrived at a tiny
Chapel in Santa Fe New Mexico what he left behind became legendary was he just a talented Craftsman or
someone infinitely more special Santa Fe New Mexico in 1852 this was the last outpost along the
Santa Fe Trail a Haven for outlaws gamblers Mavericks and renegades the sisters of Loretto a
religious order in Kentucky sent 7 the nuns to bring religion and order to the town this isn't a once they arrived the
sister's first job was to build a school and a chapel they call it the Chapel of
Our Lady of Light and it still stands today wouldn't it be Lov the sisters were thrilled with their new church
except for one small detail there was no staircase leading up to the choir loft many of The Lofts of churches early
churches in New Mexico had no staircases they simply leaned a ladder up and climbed the ladder and sang but the
sisters couldn't climb a ladder in their long robes so they they needed a staircase some Carpenters had come in
and looked the situation over but shook their heads in dismay and said there was
just no way and so they decided they would not do anything until they made an noena to
St Joseph the patron of Carpenters a novena is 9 days of meditation and regular prayer in
heaven for eight days the sisters prayed nothing happened but on the ninth and final day
of the Novena a stranger arrived at the chapel come in sir Mother Superior I'm seeking work and what is
your trade sir I'm a carpenter we do have need of a Stairway to be built in our Chapel Legend says the carpenter Only
Had a Hammer a saw and a t-square with them when he was finished he called the nuns together and said you have your
staircase the sisters gazed with Wonder at what he had built the carpenter obviously had to be
a very fine Carpenter he had to be a master Carpenter because you see there's no Center support it rests by its own
geometric balance and design it's very steep 22 ft there's a certain springiness when you walk up it and you
realize you're climbing a very very special staircase the sisters planned A Feast
for the carpenter when he didn't show up they searched the town the mysterious stranger was gone around nobody had seen
him thank you nobody knew where he slept nobody ever fed him they made an arena to St Joseph the
patron of Carpenters so it's understandable that they would believe St Joseph did
it the chapel is now a tourist attraction through the years the mystery surrounding the staircase has
continued in 1965 Oscar hadwiger a third generation Master Carpenter visited the
chapel he went in and he saw the staircase and of course he was overwhelmed being a builder any Builder
is overwhelmed when they see This Magnificent piece of carpentry and he remembered a story in
the family that his Grand father had come to this country and and had built a staircase Oscar's grandfather Johan
hadwiger was a famous European Carpenter and he had worked in the Santa Fe area when the staircase was
built Oscar told the sisters that he thought his grandfather had built the staircase but they were
skeptical they have nothing except they word of mou that he did it I don't buy it
Oscar finally found what he said was proof in a storage room he came across his father's
toolbox inside was a faded sketch of a spiral staircase the drawing was an overhead
view with 33 steps all that exists today is this photo copy who was the stranger who answered the
sister's prayer was it Johan hadwiger the European Builder or as the sisters of Loretto believe was it St Joseph
[Music] himself [Music] [Music]

Brief Summary

Mori Terry questions David Berkowitz's sole involvement in the Son of Sam murders while other stories cover a con artist, a deadly love triangle, and a mysterious carpenter.

Key points

The Son of Sam's Capture. In 1977, David Burkowitz was arrested for a series of brutal murders in New York City.
Mori Terry's Investigation. Reporter Mori Terry believes Burkowitz didn't act alone and suspects a gang of killers.
The Satanic Cult Theory. Terry uncovers a disturbing theory that Burkowitz was part of a satanic cult.
Oscar's Tragic End. Oscar Vasquez, a promising young man, is found dead in a vacant lot.
Ladonna's Emotional Reunion. After years of searching, Ladonna finds her aunt and feels a sense of belonging.
The Mysterious Carpenter. A stranger builds a miraculous staircase for the Sisters of Loretto, leaving a legacy.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

I am a monster. I am the Son of Sam.

A chilling letter from the killer.

3:38WatchMar 9, 2017

Tension

70/ 100High tension

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