Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 10, Episode 4 - Full Episode | Forensic Files

[Music] tonight on unsolved mysteries hope drove Kentucky had a dirty little secret a
house of ill-repute which allegedly operated with a full knowledge and protection of the police then two
prostitutes were murdered and the brewing scandal boiled over 24 years old blonde pretty an Olympic hopeful and
missing for 18 months cut her husband have masterminded Amy Bechtel disappearance Mississippi River
1947 Mary green piloted the riverboat Delta Queen for two years before she passed away some crew members are
convinced that she never left her post when she was only 14 Margie Hamilton was forced to marry a
man four times her age then forced to give up the firstborn for adoption perhaps you can help create a mother and
son William R every mystery there is someone somewhere who knows the truth perhaps that's you
join me for another edition unsolved mysteries [Applause] [Music] a brutal double murder allegations of
police corruption a house of ill-repute and a madam who refuses to keep quiet it
has all the elements it's a kind of case guaranteed to rip a small town apart September 20th 1994 3:00 a.m. it was
called a new light massage parlor but everyone in Oak Grove Kentucky knew the girls were prostitutes this night
customers were scarce and then Mary not gonna grab some drinks you want to go with us no thanks you sure uh yeah I
think I just 22-year old candy belt was a single mother working to support two young children
eighteen-year-old Gloria Ross had been married less than a year and had a six week old daughter two young women
perhaps a bit desperate just trying to pay the bills within the hour both of them would be dead shot execution-style
their throats slashed I felt some responsibility for their deaths at least Tammy poplar around the
new life massage parlor you know it's kind of like I'm I'm like their mom and I'm responsible and I'm supposed to see
this through almost three years went by in the case remained unsung then Tammy pepper what public was stunning
accusations about the police department's accusations that have been widely disputed I don't think the
murders were ever meant to be solved and they thought if it got solved it would be a really big embarrassment to have
two police officers arrested for killing two prostitutes bring somebody the proof
and the evidence needed for indictments or convictions I will assist any agency and their apprehension until then I'm
not gonna point fingers at anybody [Music] Tammy pepper opened the new life massage
parlor in 1992 like the tiny town of Oak Grove his main business was serving the
soldiers at the Army's Fort Campbell a half mile down the road a coating the Tammy pepper the police didn't shut her
down because they stood to benefit in a big way she says new light massage parlor became City Hall's golden goose
the police department would pick out specific things for us to buy and they would order them I know there were
lights for just about every car shoes uniforms k9 t-shirts Christmas parties Christmas bonuses they get basically
what they want little seven or eight police officers in the mayor run the whole town
pepper says one Oak Grove police officer took excessive advantage a patrolman named Ed Carter Carter has
denied the accusations you're about to hear edy Carter would ask a lot more than the other officers would she wanted
services and it was like y know what's going on you know I'm a police officer who were they gonna believe you or me he
had the gun I didn't someone asked me for money and they have a gun I'm gonna give it especially one that I know can
put me in jail and that's that's exactly how everything got started a coating a Tammi pepper once Carter got started he
didn't stop he insisted that she contract with him for janitorial services services that he reportedly
intended his own wife to perform Patrick claims Carter soon became a fixture at new life when she went on vacation
pepper says edy Carter virtually took control of the massage parlor it was like he was the madam I wasn't the madam
anymore it was actually like he was he was the one it was in charge of the parlor he was running it I was furious
with him I didn't want him around my business anymore I didn't want him around the girls I informed the girls
you keep the door locked if he comes in you just shake your head no don't allow him to come inside this business yeah
I told him don't ever come around here again you stay away and I made sure we had had a meeting and I informed each
and every one of him with this you do not allow him around here anymore it's the end of it a few weeks later the
murders Oak Grove police were on the scene minutes after the bodies were discovered by the time major Billy
gloried of the Christian County Sheriff's Department was called in to assist the crime scene had been severely
compromised the Oak Grove officer in charge was detective Leslie Duncan according to Tammy pepper he was well
known to her Duncan was also Ed Carter's former roommate I feel like ed Carter killed them
I honestly do I feel like he is the one who actually pulled the trigger mr. Carter's never run
he's never fled the area he's never left the area whenever he was questioned he always cooperated and I find it
troubling that after three years that there they are no closer to making an arrest of of the anybody much less mr.
Carter three years is a long time memories fade evidence disappears and the only thing that's the same here is
these bear unsupported allegations that are being made by the tech paddlers and I just I just questioned the motive I
questioned their interest in this thing according to the sheriff's department Edie Carter freely admitted he stopped
by the massage parlor that night but claimed he went home to his wife at 3:00 a.m. before the murders occurred
Carter and his wife has since gone through a divorce she disputes her ex-husband's alleged account he came in
a few minutes after 4:00 I made it a habit of looking up at the clock when he came in the two women were shot with a
small-caliber gun the police say ed Carter told them he owned no such weapon again his ex-wife disagrees Edie did own
a small caliber God he kept it under the mattress for my protection it was not there that night I had not seen it from
the Christmas before the shootings ed Carter voluntarily took a polygraph exam a few weeks after the murders I can't
tell you whether or not he passed or failed his polygraph the only thing I can tell you is that he did resign from
a police department and that he did secure an attorney after the polygraph soon after ed Carter moved to another
part of Kentucky a year later Leslie Duncan also voluntarily resigned despite Tammy peppers efforts the murder
investigation languished finally claiming she was fed up Tammy decided to make a public stink
state your name please Tammy poplar she chose a City Council meeting on July 15th 1997 there were two
girls killed in the massage parlor I feel like they don't think these lives were important that these girls were as
important as if I don't know maybe if there was a deputy's daughter or a mayor's daughter but I just feel like
they felt they didn't have to investigate it because no one's gonna ask any questions they're just two dead
prostitutes and no one's gonna care about it I have returned but at least one person at City Hall did care the one
person who said she could verify some aspects of peper story at her City Councilwoman patty Balu once known as
Harley one of Tammy's girls announced everybody that her allegations of police corruption and thinks if that nature
were true known about him about him coming in the parlor and the reason I know about that's because I used to work
there patty Beaulieu had worked at the new light massage parlor for two years she
claims she knew had Carter and some of his friends I always felt that the police officers were involved they were
there all the time they knew the routine they knew everything they knew the ins and the
outs about the place just just so many things that just kept pointing towards them Eric Carter did not commit these
murders yes ed Carter did work at this facility as a janitor but ed Carter did not commit these murders he wants to
have this matter as far as he's concerned brought to closure he wants to see the final chapter written where it
can be stated without a doubt that Ed Carter had absolutely nothing to do with the murders that occurred in the city of
Oak Grove two young women dead two families destroyed and a killer walking free the
controversy makes it all too easy to forget I hope that justice will be served I hope that they charge the police
officers I hope they clean up the corruption and I hope they start the town hall on you because that's the only
way that it can honestly be cleaned up and brought but most of all I want glory and candy to know that we fought for
them and that we're gonna see justice is served when coming up in Wyoming a marathon runner mysteriously disappears
could her husband have been involved late afternoon late summer a runner moves easily along the mountain
switchbacks high above the small town of Lander Wyoming her stride is strong smooth that of a dedicated athlete an
Olympic hopeful her name is Amy Wroe Bechtel she is 24 years old on this day she runs into the tall trees of the
Shoshone National Forest and disappears Sam and I are going to do boys earlier that same day it was a typical day for
Amy and her husband Steve I'm gonna have the phone turned on in the new place today bye
Steve was going rock climbing with a friend and Amy was going to teach a fitness class
Amy and Steve Bechtel had been married for a little more than a year both were competitive athletes running
for Amy climbing for Steve they moved to Lander because it's rugged terrain made it a
perfect training ground Amy's I was really fond of saying you know let's retire now and then we'll
work when we're old yeah we you have some debts and we have have to work some odd jobs and things like that but
basically every day we live the way we want to you Amy and Steve had recently bought a home of their own they plan to
move in over the next few days the night before Amy disappeared I went over with
Steve and Amy to see their new house and to help him move a load of stuff over there and Amy showed me where she was
gonna have her sewing room and where Steve was gonna have her his gym and they were just really excited about the
house Amy had a long list of errands that day call the phone company get the gas turned on by home insurance once
those tests were done she turned to something fun planning a route for a 10k Mountain running
hey hey John found a nice friction climb when Steve returned from his all day climbing trip
Amy wasn't home yet I couldn't do it today here just talk to you casually and he asked about Amy and that's I said I
don't know if she's up somewhere she goes okay no problem hey guys early evening Steve stopped by the neighbors
Todd and his wife Amy were making dinner Amy Bechtel still wasn't home I think he
was getting more and more worried at this time she just leaves a note I'm sure she'll be back soon
he wasn't panicking by any means because of still light and still you know she could have been out doing something it
was it was not an an ordinary day for Amy so we didn't think it was unusual that she was gone but when we got back
from the movie I was really worried Amy's not back yet I called the police they're out looking for Todd and Amy
searched Rose where Amy Bechtel most likely went running Steve stayed behind hoping his wife would call Todd and I
had been driving on the loop road for about an hour or so and right around one o'clock we a glimpse to Amy's car pulled
off the side of the road we saw her car there and it was like you know we were relieved it's like home and we thought
we'd found her so I walked up it's completely expecting for her to be in the car she's not in there like in had
run out of gas or not been able to start it or a dead battery or who knows what the heck at that point it was relief you
know and concerned because you know her car's still up there and it's it's you know after midnight and you know she's
probably cold and maybe has a twisted ankle but Amy was nowhere to be found not in a
few minutes not even a few hours by morning the search for Amy had expanded dramatically soon dozens of volunteers
were scouring the mountains eventually more than 500 people covered a 20-mile radius not a single clue was found we
should have found Amy Bechtel if she were a runner up there and nothing else entered the picture could she still be
there yes but given the circumstance it's the lack of clues I think she is after eight days the massive search was
called off where was Amy Bechtel her sunglasses car keys and to-do lists from the seat of
her car apparently just as she had left them only her wallet was missing if she wasn't injured as something terrible
happened to her had she been kidnapped even murdered sheriff's investigators soon tested a theory some found shocking
no this is evidence that ties you directly to Amy's disappearance I can't believe this is happening I was pretty
blown away you know I turned today that's like you know Dave what's going on here and then this is this is not
cool he was floored basically he slumped down in the chair we have some serious questions about you and your wife's
relationship the best thing you can do right now is cooperate the guy says look if you take a polygraph test we'll get
this cleared up right now and I was like wait a minute you know a few guys are accusing me of something I didn't do
I'm gonna want to talk to legal counsel here it wouldn't let any client take a lie-detector test they're completely
inaccurate they come in about 1/3 of the time as a false positive and it would be
a terrible injustice to Steve if he fell within that 1/3 false positive and it was used wrongly against him so Steve
Bechtel did not take a lie-detector test deputies armed with a warrant searched his home among the items they
confiscated or a series of journals Steve had been keeping since high school journals investigators found potentially
incriminating we've obtained many pages of writings journals if you will of Steve Bechdel's those are somewhat
disturbing there are song lyrics in there and there are writings about power and death some
about killing people sheriff's investigators asked Amy's family and friends to read excerpts I was floored
at that point my wife and I we both you know there are some things that we've seen in the past that you know maybe
somebody should be aware of there was one night for instance uh Nels Rowe and his wife had a me and Steve over for
dinner just a broom just a bruise sometimes Amy just laughed it off it would not look me in the eye and I said
that is not a normal reaction it's particularly for Amy deputies also found a camper who claimed
that on the day Amy disappeared she had seen a blue pickup driving fast on the mountain roads near her Amy's car was
found a man was at the wheel a blonde woman in the passenger seat the next day the campers saw the same truck at the
search site based on that information we showed her pictures of Steve Beckles truck and she concluded that that wasn't
the same truck she had seen evidence seemed to be mounting against Dee Bechtel but was that evidence accurate
statistically he did it and don't misunderstand me I'm not saying he did the first person we have to eliminate in
a case where there may be a foul play involved and once disappearance is the person closest to that person sheriff's
investigators believe there were vital gaps in Steve's activities that day time when he could have harmed Amy he was
with people all that afternoon and evening so I don't I don't have any question about about that he just didn't
have the time but what about the camper who said she saw what might have been Steve's truck according to phone records
Steve made a call from his house at 4:43 that afternoon that's about the same time the camper saw what she alleged was
his truck on the Mountain Road a 45-minute drive from the Bechdel's home I don't see how Steve ever had the time
to get up to where Amy's car was and back and what about motive investigators believe Steve's journals show a desire
for power and control that may have led to murder Steve and Amy's friend Todd Skinner strongly disagrees he thinks
Steve is innocent a psychologist can read anything into any writing that you can ever wish to put in there and to me
I've never seen more innocuous writing taking taken out of context more heavily to you know to a worse result this year
runners competed in the run for Amy in her hometown of Douglas Wyoming Amy's family and friends were there to honor
her memory but they still want answers they want Steve to take a polygraph test I don't feel like me going in and
getting attacked is going to solve any problems I feel like you know I went and I tried to work with Dave and it didn't
work out and you know things need to get solved a different way now the see Bechtel murder his wife Steve and his
family believe a stranger could have kidnapped Laura motorist could have accidentally struck Amy and then a panic
disposed of her body next meet a young man and woman whose lives have been changed forever by a riverboat captain
who some called a matchmaker ghost [Music] the Delta Queen a national treasure was
built in the 1820s during World War two she transported wounded soldiers to hospitals then the vessel was
refurbished to carry vacationers she is one of the last living monuments of the Romantic era when steamboats plied the
Mississippi but there is another side to the Delta Queen a rather scary side [Music]
it was a stormy December night in New Orleans the Delta Queen rested impatiently for repairs her first mate a
single man named Mike Williams was the only person on board that was quite exhausted and was sleeping a very deep
solid sleep when I was awakened by a sound as if someone had sensed next to my ear I was quite startled
because I was couldn't understand how someone could have gotten in my ruin out so quickly without me hearing the door
open and closed there was a very loud slamming of a door back in the after cabin lounge area I had personally made
sure that every one of those doors was locked before I had retired there was not supposed to be anyone on
the vessel I proceeded down several doors until I arrived at cabin 109 and it swung open in my hand I was a little
frightened and too intimidated I took a flashlight looked in the room there was no one there
Mike had heard stories that the steamboat was haunted he had always brushed them off but how
could a door that was locked suddenly slammed shut that's what drew him to cabin 109 that moment for The Skeptical
Mike Williams is clearly frightening indeed it would be the first incident in a chain of events that would change him
forever two women would soon come into his life one was a co-worker on the Delta Queen
the other was also a worker on the ship but had died 40 years earlier Mary green
had been one of a handful of women to ever pilot a steamboat she was in charge of the Delta Queen from the time it was
purchased in 1947 Mary was 79 she oversaw a lot of the day-to-day operations financial even navigating the
boat managing deckhands painting the paddle wheel supervising food preparations and everything she really
doted on this boat she loved it sadly after only two years of piloting the boat Mary died where where else cabin
109 the same cabin that was mysteriously unlocked that night much of what Marygreen did when she was
alive Mike Williams does now but Mike had no idea that Mary's unearthly connection to
him would transform his life in a very surprising way another night on the Delta Queen this one in June 1985 an
attractive young woman named IRA frou Jae a new Delta Queen employee was working late I received a call from an
elderly lady in a cabin and she stated that she was cold and she was very uncomfortable and could I please send
someone at this particular evening Mike Williams was the mate and I called up there and he answered and I told him the
situation [Music] Myra had sent him to cabin 109 the beds were made little mints on the
pillows the room was obviously unoccupied that cruise it was around this time that had this feeling that
somebody was behind me or looking at me and certainly through the window I saw this little round benevolent face but
something was eerie about it I thought well perhaps that's the lady who needs assistance so I walked out of the
Purser's office to see if I could catch up with her and talk to her and she wasn't there there was no one outside on
the decks I was you know a little shook up and I went back into the purchase office I just came from room 109 there's
nobody there you're sure it was 109 absolutely no passenger was registered for cabin 109 Mike held his tongue about
who had once occupied the room but Myra told him about her odd experience she was so upset by it that Mike offered to
walk her back to her cabin wait that's the woman I saw the woman in the portrait was Mary green it was very very
scary at first surprising too because I just saw her on the deck but for me it was kind of
exhilarating I began to suspect that someone was trying to introduce me to this young lady wire and I became very
close we just clicked each one of us had something that the other needed captain
Marion life had become matchmaker Mary in death Mike and Myra fell in love and got married we stayed together a newly
Wed couple in a tiny cabin on board the vessel and that is where our beautiful daughter Heather was conceived I
certainly believe in am very thankful you know for that nice Spirit in our life Mary green who brought us together
I believe sincerely that so long as I care for this vessel in some way that the captain Mary green spirit will
protect our family and guide us as she has Myra and Mike are living happily ever after Mary meanwhile lives happily
in the Hereafter watching over them and the Delta Queen [Music] [Applause] [Music]
America's highways are becoming a war zone forget to signal when you switch lanes or dare to play the radio too loud
you could find yourself under attack it's a modern madness road rage people have been upset on the
highway as long as they've been highways the problem today's we got more crowdedness we got more cars and less
room and we're little impatient today than we were in the past the smallest thing can get us going you're in my way
I'm trying to get to my destination I feel frustrated and frustration leads to aggression
February 5th 1997 it started as a minor fender bender hardly worth reporting [Music]
now you pull this crap you piece of garbage hey you have got the right to talk to me
like that let me see your license yeah you want to see my license yes I 47 year-old Richard aderson had been
shot once in the chest what you're about to hear is a desperate plea for help State Police second that one what's your
name sir okay we have a name but anyway I couldn't believe that he had been shot
you live in an area that you think is safe um we came from New York City we moved north I couldn't believe that
something like that could happen here when I heard the nine one one tape I had an overwhelming sense of Richards pain
and his fear I think his fear was for his family and his children Richard aderson beloved family man
respected educator died less than an hour after making his feudal call to 911 the incident occurred during a rush-hour
accident on eastbound i-80 4 in Fishkill New York about two miles past the Newburgh beacon toll plaza evidence
indicates Richard Addison was sideswiped by the other driver and both men pulled
over to the shoulder I have never come across another crime that parallels this one we're speaking here about a minor
property damage automobile accident that escalates into an argument and results in the death of one of the individuals
though no one saw the accident or the shooting there were witnesses to the argument a gunman was middle-aged
balding and wore glasses Richard Anderson added another detail his assailant had a beard
the gunman drove a green 1997 jeep cherokee with New Hampshire plates though the shooting occurred in Fishkill
New York state troopers are naturally tracing all such vehicles registered in New Hampshire in the meantime Richard
Addison's family and friends mourn his passing still unable to understand why I don't think we you are dealing with it I
don't think that she can deal with this my youngest son this morning told me when I came here how long are you going
to be you have to be really careful in the car something could happen to you those are the fears that he has because
I'm his only parent that that's left my two older daughters can't even speak about this it's unfathomable to have to
experience this next to family search for their long-lost children perhaps your help can lead to a reunion like
this in this next segment we hope you'll be able to reunite two more families both
lost loved ones many years ago their most cherished hope is to find them before it is too late I take thee as my
wedded husband I take thee as my wedded husband to have and to hold to have imagined you were a young girl barely 14
your mother is dying in desperation she begs you to marry a man she hopes will care for you a man more than four times
your age may kiss the bride that's exactly what happened - Margie Elizabeth Hamilton in May of 1932 this couple
husband over the years she told the story to her daughter many times the pain as vivid as if it had happened
yesterday my mother didn't really want to marry because she was a child and she wasn't happy about it and she
told her mother that she didn't want to marry him but my grandmother was afraid that there wouldn't be anyone to take
care of her and she'd be left in there alone Margie's new husband was James Austin Baker a lumberyard worker in
Atlanta Georgia within a year or so of their marriage Margie gave birth to a son Benjamin Austin Baker Bennie for
short to her liveth he was a doll you know was her doll and she just was really really happy with him because you
know she's a very loving mother her husband however was not pleased he already had three grown children from a
previous marriage he didn't want more [Music] when penny was 18 months old he became
ill so ill that Margie had to leave him in the hospital for three days when she returned her baby was gone she was
hysterical and trying to find out where to go to try to get him back and no one would give her any information behind
her but her husband had given Benny up for adoption there was nothing she could do then he was gone and I said to her
mama why did you stay with him after he did this and she said he always promised
me that he would sign the papers so that I could get Benny back and that's the reason that I stayed with him three
years later Margie gave birth to a daughter and Naomi three years after that our second
daughter Louis he tried the same thing to get rid of us - my sister and myself and we were in California at the time
and the laws are different and that was in the 40s so he couldn't and by that time my mother had learned to read and
write so they didn't take us away from her in 1944 James Baker died finally Margie was free to search for Benny but
when she went back to the orphanage in Atlanta she was given only a photo taken when Benny was about seven years old
they told her the Wreckers were sealed to forget she had ever had a son she gave up at that point
that she just figured that she would never see him again but she her main thing was she always wanted him to know
that she didn't give him away that he was literally stolen from her Louis knows there may not be much time left
for a reunion but she clings to the hope that she can give her mother now 81 last
precious gift it would be so wonderful to be able to you know say mama here's spinning here's your son mama
here's your son hopefully Louis will get a chance to say those words another family is also eager
to have that opportunity and their search is equally heart-wrenching this time for two sons January 23rd 1950 twin
boys Jerry and Terry were born to the Robinson family in upstate New York they were the youngest of six children
welcomed and well-loved but terry had health problems and their father was out of work times were very hard Gale
Robinson the oldest child still remembers how they struggled to make ends meet I don't think there was enough
thought to go around for for all of us that's for certain and so I think that's that's when it became apparent they had
to do something the twins were just eight months old Gail was six honey I know this is gonna be hard for you to
understand but the babies are gonna go away today they're gonna go live with another family and Terry he's gonna see
the doctor the doctor is gonna make him all better and we'll get to see him again one day
promise okay a local minister said he would find the twins a good home he also promised that the boys will be kept
together and would be given college education and at the age of eighteen they would be told about their birth
parents I'll see you again after that day the Robinsons never heard another word about their twin boys they never
knew if the conditions had been kept if they had ever been told that their birth
family still mourn their loss [Music] nine years later Gail's father became fatally ill when the twins
[Music] my mother is now 76 years of age that it really would be something that would
would give her some peace of mind if if she knew what what happened to them that's the twins page over the years the
Robinsons tried their best but all Lee's turned out to be dead ends they have now
built a website that features photos of the twins as babies and their siblings at various ages both boys may bear a
strong resemblance to their brothers Alan and Ron part of the genetic history that it runs in our family is that my
father and his three sisters all died of colon cancer and colon cancer is very high rated in males and my brother and I
have to take care of herself and be checked up for that and we feel very strongly that our brothers should know
that as well Jerry and Terry Robinson would now be 48 years old they were adopted in upstate
New York in 1950 Terry may have had operations on his ears and feet update within minutes of our broadcast a viewer
contacted our phone center to tell us at Benjamin Austin Baker once lived as a foster child in his home for this
information Lois Baker Lane was able to locate her long-lost brother in Everett in
Washington we will bring you the emotional reunion of Bennie Baker with his long-lost mother and sister on a
future program join me next time perhaps you may be able to help solve the mystery
[Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music]

Brief Summary

This episode covers two murders linked to police corruption, Amy Bechtel's disappearance, and haunting tales from the Delta Queen riverboat.

Key points

A Town's Dark Secret. Kentucky's police corruption and a double murder shake a small town.
Tammy's Accusation. Tammy Pepper publicly accuses police of corruption related to the murders.
The Disappearance of Amy Bechtel. An Olympic hopeful vanishes during a run, raising suspicions about her husband.
Evidence Against Steve Bechtel. Investigators find disturbing journals belonging to Amy's husband, raising questions.
The Haunted Delta Queen. A riverboat captain experiences eerie occurrences on a stormy night.
Mike's Haunting Encounter. Mike Williams experiences a series of eerie events linked to a ghost named Mary Green.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

I feel like Ed Carter killed them.

Tammy suspects Ed Carter's involvement in the murders.

7:31WatchMay 23, 2019

Tension

75/ 100High tension

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