Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 6, Episode 10 - Full Episode | Forensic Files

[Music] this program is about unsolved mysteries whenever possible the actual family
members and police officials have participated in recreating the events what you are about to see is not a news
broadcast at the close of the second world war a young woman entrusted her daughter to a safe returning home from
service overseas now 49 years later the smoker car baby has grown up and needs your help to find the mother's lectin
tea gave her away East Chicago Indiana 1981 it was politics as usual at a fundraiser from leading candidate for
mayor then a local mover and shaker named J Givens gunned down in the lobby of the Elks Club and the prime suspect
turned out to be a deputy police chief in 1982 Larry Kosta is gunned down at his ranch in Florida as same night his
girlfriend Melissa Joe sermons mysteriously vanished Joe's family fears that she too may have met with foul play
but police believe she may have been involved in Larry's death join breviary mister there is some knows the truth
perhaps you [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] East Chicago Indiana is a classic
industrial blue-collar community like his famous namesake in Illinois everyday life in East Chicago was four years
controlled by the local political machine for two decades one of the city's power brokers was an
attorney named J given given was a master fundraiser clever behind-the-scenes operator who traded on
favors to create strong political alliances my father was very powerful he understood how to win elections he was
intimately familiar with the politicians the people in power knew all the skeletons in their closet and that makes
you very powerful in a town like this but by the 1970s the political machines in the Midwest were beginning to come
apart in 1970 given it helped elect Bob passed me the city controller as mayor of East Chicago but within two years
they were on the outs and no longer allies on a number of issues my father and mr. pastor and split obviously my
father's attentions were starting to turn towards electing somebody else other than Bob pastor because mayor
la-15 1981 the local Elks Club was a scene of a Las Vegas style fundraiser for county commissioner and aderson
spanned expand the city's foremost black politician was considering a run for mayor J Givens appears at the fundraiser
was regarded by many as an attempt to solidify East Chicago's white and black power blocks against the growing
political strength of Hispanic Americans were backing Bob pass brick for reelection
John it's a pleasure to meet you Kevin worked the room for two hours shortly after 11:00 p.m.
he said his goodbyes and headed out of the club he never made it through the front door
[Music] [Applause] J given was shot once in the back of the head at point-blank range he died in the
entryway of the Elks Club with an earshot of 400 people incredibly no one ever admitted to witnessing the shooting
and 12 years later he said yet to charge a suspect but on the night of the murder
detectives thought the case might be wrapped up quickly especially after they found a shell casing in the fourier of
the club and a spent 45 caliber bullet in the street I was astonished at the remarkable condition that this evidence
was David forget to come through the front part of his forehead went through the glass doors hit the building across
the street brick building and bounced back into the street it was in perfect condition
with the exception of the nose of the projectile inspector did Shara marked the evidence and locked it in his desk
drawer rather than check it into the vault and which is not uncommon I've done what
other evidence My partner has done uh without their evidence I just wanted the other teams to look at
what we had as far as evidence I said this is unbelievable four days later inspector did Shara was
shocked when he opened his drawer and discovered that someone had tampered with the evidence in an apparent attempt
to prevent investigators from matching the bullet to a gun [Music] on the shell casing a hole was punched
through the primer the projectile someone had taken a sharp instrument and tried to cut the lands and grooves where
you could indentify the only people with access to the evidence drawer worked in
the police department the tampering had all the earmarks of an inside job the Charis have the altered bullet and shell
casing to the FBI for analysis despite the damage they identified the murder weapon as a rare handgun called it at
onyx the casing was eventually linked to one of only 58 de tonics with a specially modified ejecting mechanism
incredibly one of those guns was traced back to the East Chicago Police Department the weapon was once owned by
Deputy Chief John Cardona who was a prime suspect in the case Cardona had been a member of a Latino political club
that was at odds with J given and several eyewitnesses placed him at the Elks Club on the night of the shooting
mr. Cardona was very active in the Spanish organization and they were not welcome at this event I think he gave at
two or three different reasons why was there based on different conversations he at some point in time acknowledged
that he was there to watch J given according to investigators a witness claims the Cardona seemed to be
following given at one point during the evening given had made it clear that his
people came in power in the city there's gonna be some changes and Cardona was one of those changes a matter family
comment that was used that if he got in Cardona be walking the beat none of the witnesses saw Cardona when given made
his way towards the exit however one party goer says it shortly before the shooting he saw given engaged in a
discussion with a man in the lobby investigators believe the man could have been John Cardona just he described a
man that was talking with mister given as approximately 6 1 black wavy hair and a bluish gray suit that could have been
consistent with what mr. Cardona was wired at the time and his size he went into the washroom and as he was in the
washroom he heard a gunshot when he came out of the washroom immediately he saw mr. given lying face down on the floor
and the other person was gone Cardona said that he was in the bar when given was gunned down however according to
investigators several people said they did not remember seeing him there at the time witnesses who were seated at the
bar who know him could buy place on there the only person that puts John and the bar at the time of the shooting is
John himself did you tell the investigator to truth about this case yes over the next few weeks everyone in
the police department was asked to take a polygraph exam including deputy chief Cardona Cardona failed a test and later
he refused to take a second exam investigators believe the three key pieces of evidence pointed to John
Cardona he apparently fit the description of the man seen talking with given he own data tonics handgun even
though he said it had been stolen six months earlier and Cardona did have access to the drawer where the evidence
had been kept but when viewed in a different light what appears to be overwhelming
circumstantial evidence actually makes John Cardona an unlikely suspect why would a man as prominent as a Deputy
Police Chief make a very visible appearance at a fundraiser attended by 400 people why would he then shadow the
mootness unknown political rival for at least part of the evening is alleged by one witness and why would he murder that
rival with an ear shot of every guest at the party perhaps it was these very questions that kept prosecutors from
pressing charges in fact the case was never even brought before the grand jury I think the concern that the local
prosecutor had was that he could not afford to lose this case he wanted basically a case that was a locked tight
case and he'd think this case was tight enough I would like to see an indictment
I'd like to see a trial and if John Cardona didn't do it then fine let's let's put it to a jury and if he didn't
do it in the in the eyes of the jury beyond a reasonable doubt there you have it let's go after the
neck you know who else whoever did do it it's very frustrating to not have some closure on this who murdered J given at
this point police believe there are witnesses who may be able to help answer that question just prior to the shooting
five people were descending the stairway of the Elks Club three of them all lived
were approaching the foot of the steps at the precise moment that J if it was gunned down the three men have never
been identified the police hoped that one of them saw the killer and will now come forward with information
when we return a Florida rancher is murdered and his girl's 40 mysteriously vanishes Larry Castine was a southern
cowboy just before the turn of the century is great-great-grandfather at homestead at a stretch of harsh land in
Central Florida and near the city of Lakeland Larry took his ranching Heritage seriously he had spent his
entire 31 years working with horses and cattle Larry was riding a horse sometime
he was 2 years old he loved to work left rodeo he was stout husky stronger than you he
wasn't the type of person to get into trouble he stayed away from trouble become along he knows I'll take care of
himself Larry's Uncle Earl was the burn manager for the Cattlemen's livestock auction
market buona verlos employees was Melissa Joe sermon assume everyone called Joe unbeknownst even to Earl Oh Joe and
Larry were romantically involved they kept their relationship a secret because Larry had just split up with his wife
and Joe were their boyfriend the boyfriend often worked at the auction market - by all accounts he wasn't
taking the break-up well different occasions I've called him he would be following her watching her he was just
very upset at the fact that she had was left his house and and he wasn't a little by self again he fired her
continuously Joe and my other daughter went to the store he would follow them midnight she'd say we even caught him
sneaking down under the kitchen window listening to their conversation one night we asked him what he's done he
said oh I just I thought I heard something out here and I was just looking but he was eavesdropping on
Saturday May 2nd 1992 Larry and Joe were in Dade City Florida for the weekly rodeo the events got underway around
10:00 p.m. Larry and Joe never missed the rodeo Larry was one of the local stars and his
favorite event was teamwork ooh that night Joe stuck by Larry sign right up to the minute he and his partner were
called into the box [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause]
Larry and his partners put a 350 dollar purse the rodeo finished late that night
around 2:00 a.m. Larry and Joe adopt a breakfast with a friend they dropped him off at 4:00 a.m. it is believed Joe and
Larry arrived back at his trailer around 4:15 Sunday morning no one knows exactly
what happened after that [Music] when Joe didn't come home that night her mother called her locusts time for the
first time you learned of Joan Larry's relationship her loco Larry's trailer but Larry didn't answer the next morning
when Joe didn't show up for work her load drove to Larry's trailer he found Larry's truck in the driveway and heard
a radio on inside the trailer Earl's frantic knocks at the door went unanswered as soon as I got to the trailer and
seemed a situation I immediately called back to my wife and told her to call the
Sheriff's Department get them out there and I just a feeling came to me that I knew in my mind that something bad was
wrong I really appreciate this I'm Merlo cos time pleasures worry death not my my my nephew Larry have you tried
to go inside the house yet no no I haven't I I'm afraid to be honest about it um does
anybody have a key to it and I got heat Sheriff's Office is anybody home [Music]
mr. Coston is anybody home protector but I got [Music] when the deputy put the key in and open
a door here for me the smell was unreal and I knew then that Larry was dead but I felt like that both of them would be
there when we opened the door being both of them was missing at a time as soon as
they told earlier there was only one body he called us and told us at that time my daughter was missing they did
not know where she's at [Music] Larry Caston had been found nude on his bedroom floor shot through their head
four times with a handgun his bed had not been slept in there was no sign of a struggle or robbery and one
of Larry's guns was missing the Polk County Sheriff's Department launched an all-out investigation at first suspicion
focused on Jo's ex-boyfriend we interviewed him he was able to give us an alibi for his particular time and
location when the actual murder occurred I don't feel that the ex-boyfriend at this time has any involvement I have no
evidence to indicate that soon Joel herself became a suspect but Erlich Osteen is convinced that Joe's sermons
did not murder his nephew I feel like that somebody watch Larry knew Larry was that are open knew Joe was with Larry
followed Larry home or knew when he was coming home and we're waiting for word [Music]
just personally I feel like it was somebody real jealous of his actions that particular night
being with jokes better than I would joke Joe was probably taken at gunpoint and and at a later time murdered I think
Jose did if we want to look at Jo's ex-boyfriend as a suspect in this case I think that he would have probably
committed the offense in a different situation I don't think that it would have happened in the residence I don't
think he would have allowed Joe and Larry to spend time in a residence alone and also the fact that of course there's
no struggle the authorities believe Joe sermons may be the only person who could
have gotten close enough to Larry Costin to kill him without a struggle is it possible as something happened in
the trailer that night something that provoked Joe to violence I think Larry could have made her mad he can make
anybody mad in a split second he'll push and push and push until he does make you
mad they might have got in an argument and it led into one thing or another I mean she could have been joking but it
just led to in my heart I strongly believe that she is life and that she is hiding based on
everything that I've learned at this time I feel that Jo is in some way involved in the murder Either actually
committing the murder or possibly a witness to it but she has some type of involvement and/or knowledge about it
I think her ex-boyfriends kidnapped her I hope she I would like to think she's still alive but I really don't believe
that they can hold her this long I believe she's dead I've come to terms with God I just want him to help me
settle this case to find out who did it and let them pay the penalty that they should pay ever since the night Larry
Kos teen was murdered there have been sightings of Melissa Jo sermons at truckstops in Florida Texas and Kansas
the authorities believe the sightings are reliable early locust tine does not feel like you by now that she made us I
moved to come back or see her mother and her sisters I just I can't believe that
anybody's ever really seen her they've seen people that they thought maybe it was her
the authorities continue to investigate this case on the assumption that Jo's sermons are still alive
Joe holds a license to operate a tractor-trailer two witnesses have claimed they saw her behind the wheel of
a big rig hauling livestock [Music] nearly 50 years ago a young mother barely able to support herself
electively gave up her baby perhaps you could help reunite them next [Music] [Applause]
August 14th 1945 the end of the Second World War all across the country people spontaneously took to the streets joyous
celebration there would be no more fighting the troops were coming home life would return to home in November of
that year seaman first class Donald Caffrey boarded a train in Seattle heading home to his wife in Omaha
Nebraska after almost two years at sea in the smoker car Donal ran into a young woman named Dorothy Johnson separated
from her husband in just 17 Northy was traveling to Utica New York with her 11 month old daughter Yvonne no no not at
all Donald was delighted to hold Yvonne and before long he became her unofficial
babysitter that evening as a train proceeded east Dorothy sat with Donald and slowly
revealed the details of her life Dorothy was in dire financial straits and had no
way of supporting her baby I'm sorry I talked quite a bit to her yeah as we started getting closer to him
how I I asked if she'd like to have me take the baby home with me until she got settled and could send for the baby or
maybe I could bring it to her and she agreed on that I thought I'd better get something on paper to prove that I
wasn't kidnapping the child so I thought of this idea of writing up this agreement
the agreement stated that Dorothy had willingly entrusted Yvonne to Donald's care and that if she did not call for
the child within 60 days Donald and his wife could begin adoption proceedings I feel at that time she was at her last
rope she didn't know what to do with this child I think that she picked him because she could see that he cared and
he has compassion for people and he has a very good heart and I I feel like she knew that she knew that when she said
will you take this child that she could trust him at 2:00 p.m. on November 16th the train pulled into Omaha
Donald's wife Barbara and his parents were there to give him a hero's welcome I got off the train and hugged and
kissed and then I told her the good news well a woman on the train asked me to keep her that kind of shocked her set
her back on her heels I tried to explain this you know the whole thing to my wife
and she didn't really believe it at first she thought it was probably some of my
scouting around Barbara soon got over her initial shock within days both of the Caffrey's were completely in love
with Yvonne however when county officials caught wind of the unusual arrangement Donald
and Barbara became fearful that Yvonne would be taken from them they decided to file for legal custody
before they agreed upon 60 days a few days later Donald received a wire from Dorothy Johnson arrived home Tuesday and
I want Yvonne very much how is she anyway Dorothy Johnson Donnell was Anna quandary a very next
day he and Barbara were due in court for the custody hearing Donnell decided to proceed believing it was an Yvonne's
best interests what is the word from the child's natural mother Dorothy Johnson she has not appeared on the judge said
that before making a decision he would need to speak personally with Dorothy Johnson the Chavez Hall a new court date
was scheduled Yvonne was placed in temporary foster care and became an overnight syllabi newspapers throughout
the country seized upon the story they dubbed Eve on the smoker car baby Dorothy Johnson was summoned to Omaha to
explain her actions otherwise she might be charged with parental neglect Dorothy
never appeared in court but a witness did show him to challenge the Caffrey's custody suit your honor
Dorothy is afraid to come to Omaha herself as she faces charges of neglect she fears going to jail I'm Dorothy
Johnson's sister I've come from New York in hopes of adopting the baby myself I feel I can provide a good and decent
home for the child and I'm sure in time the baby would respond to me as her own mother request denied I never seen
anybody nobody ever showed up on my doorstep or called me or asked me for the baby back or a thing so we just go
in ahead and decided after in light of your ongoing commitment to the child in June of 1947 hundred after a two-year
struggle a juvenile court judge awarded the Caffrey sole custody custody of the child to Donald and Barb
Capri by now Yvonne had been renamed sand relieved the smoker car baby ceased to be headline material when Sandra was
9 prepared separate she spent most of her time with her grandmother when Sandra was 18 her adopted mother finally
told her the truth about her past when I found out that I was adopted I was really surprised I came back home
and I said grandmother was I adopted and my grandmother said yes with tears in her eyes because I really don't think
she ever really wanted me to know a few months later sandra received an unusual letter in the mail or the first
time she saw the face of her natural mother when that picture came in this envelope
there was no address no note it could have been my mother that sent the article and maybe she was afraid to come
out maybe she just wanted to be in the background but let me be able to see it it's a mystery it's a mystery
the letter was postmarked Omaha Nebraska only later did Sandra discover that an anonymous woman had phoned her
grandmother and asked if she could send Sandra clippings about the smoker car baby today armed little more than faded
clippings on a single photograph of Dorothy Johnson Sandra is more determined than ever to reunite with a
mother who reluctantly gave her away nearly 50 years ago I think she got scared I think she wanted me but I don't
think she had any help maybe from her family to help her try to get get back to me
there's a void in my life I know in her life there's that void too and there's lots of hurt on the night of our
broadcast Sandra Lee Nelson's long search came to a bittersweet end a viewer called our phone center with a
sad news at Dorothy Johnson had passed away in 1968 however Sandra was overjoyed to learn that she had an uncle
Mickey and two aunts Jan and Alice who had always wondered about Sandra and were anxious to meet her a month later
on December 28th 1993 Sandra and her husband Chet arrived in Syracuse New York to receive a most remarkable
Christmas gift a house full of relatives waiting to meet Sondra for the very first time
[Music] I didn't think I'd ever find anyone it just gave me chills it just it just made
me feel real warm like all gee what a nice family this is dirty Sandra a new family began
to compare notes on Dorothy Johnson's life although Sandra was unable to learn the identity of her birth father she did
discover that in the early 1950s Dorothy had married a man named Wayne Rogers Sandra now would like to find Wayne
Rogers in the hope that she can fill in the remaining gaps in her past I'm getting little bits and pieces from
friends you know it is telling me a little bit about her and which you know these little things mean a great deal to
me I have found a family a wonderful family that I never thought I'd ever have this is the best holiday this time
in my life when we return authorities need your help in the case of a vicious unknown assailant who targets young
girls the neighborhood Park in a perfect world refuge from the realities of urban life
filled with the sounds of children at play but on May 26 1992 a park in Edmonton Alberta Canada
became the backdrop for a Paris worst nightmare across the street from the park a three year old girl named Mandy
lived with her aunt Mandy had spent most of the afternoon in the playground which
was almost like her own backyard as 6:00 p.m. she returned to retrieve her shoes
[Music] [Music] okay [Music] I got worried and I went out to go and find her and when I did get out to the
park there was a guy out there playing ball hockey with his kids he said he had just seen Mandy about five minutes
earlier getting her shoes but he didn't see what's waiting Mandy went Audrey combed the neighborhood for two solid
hours finally she called the police they launched their own search but also came
up empty-handed [Applause] 19 hours later a group of horseback riders came across mandy in a remote
field nine miles from her home daryl just a minute mr. MacMurray she had a one-inch welt on her neck from
being choked and had been sexually assaulted she was partially clothed both of her shoes were missing but amazing
Mandy was still alive it was quite obvious to everyone involved that she had been left for dead she was injured
to such an extent that that the perpetrator definitely wanted her to be dead I wouldn't have believed that she
could have made it out there where they found her but then when when I thought about it after I she's she's she was a
miracle it wasn't miracle that she lived through that apparently the assailant had driven
into the field and thrown Mandy from the car without stopping but he had left nothing in the way of evidence Mandy
initially wasn't able to tell us an awful lot the sheet was only three and a half years old however as time
progresses she is giving us more and more information she is actually a very bright young girl in my opinion she sees
the person or persons responsible she will be able to identify them I think we have something over here
[Music] within five miles of the spot for Mandy was found the police chanced upon
tattered pieces of her skirt and one of her sneakers the police believed the items were discarded by the assailant
shortly after adult Mandy by the sight of the remember by dint of their location the shoe is - the laces were
still missing at this time her left shoe the person responsible may be saving these items as a bit of a trophy
keepsake and were hopeful as well that perhaps somebody may have seen the shoe or perhaps a part of that jeans Kirk in
the init persons vehicle the investigation soon stalled four months later on September 4th a local newspaper
reported that the police had uncovered no further clues essentially the case was at a dead end two days later a
six-year-old girl and her 5 year old friend were playing outside their apartment building just four miles from
where Mandy live [Music] minutes later an eleven-year-old boy looked out his window and saw a man
getting into a blue van the little girl the abducted girl was six year old Corinne Gustafson who was nicknamed
punky the police immediately set up a command post and aided by dozens of volunteers launched the widespread
search Punky's parents Karen and Raymond could do little more they'll sit at home wait
wait was this family sick and worried what could happen to her and what can you be doing turned her ever find her
three days passed then on September 8th at a truck yard in the southeast section
of Edmonton the driver noticed what he thought was a rag doll punky Gustafson had been murdered
[Music] Punkie had been raped and smothered her death bought Mandy's assault back into
the public eye however unlike Mandy's case clues had been left at the scene we were able to
obtain footprints and tire prints tire prints indicated that the suspect drove a mid-sized North American front-wheel
drive vehicle with Goodyear Invicta GL's on the back with approximately 20% wear
and ball tires on the front the footprints indicated that he wore a mitre type baseball cleat size five and
a half to seven this is a patented tread design manufactured in Canada we were able to determine that Kareem was in
fact killed in another location and dumped in the truck yard much the same as what happened to Mandy being dumped
in the field the distance the victims were transported after abduction what was done to the victims by the offender
all facts of the case lead me to believe that both crimes were committed by the same individual Ron Mackay is Canada's
foremost criminal profiler he has developed a detailed personality portrait of the assailant in my opinion
this offender is in his late teens to early 20s it probably doesn't have a girlfriend there's somewhat of a loner
he's a fantasy motivated individual and his fantasy is only satisfied temporarily so therefore after he
regains some confidence and if the fantasy continues untreated then the probability of him reoffending in a
similar fashion is a very real probability since Punky's death the Edmonton Police have launched their
largest media campaign ever someone out there knows this guy be it their next-door neighbor
their schoolmate their fellow employee or the little paper boy that lived down the block our bad guy doesn't have to
look like any kind of a monster he could just look like your boy next-door gotta
be seven to do this trick yeah seven seven hallelujah this whole video was taken two months before Corrine died the
police have not ruled out the possibility that the same man who murdered Corrine may have also attacked
Mandy I know it would give our family a sense of relief knowing that he's he's behind bars and they're not somebody
else isn't gonna have to go through it what we're going through and some poor little kid isn't gonna have to suffer
like like Corrine must've and as long as he's out on the streets every little kid
is in jeopardy [Music] [Music] [Music] join me next time for another intriguing edition unsolved mysteries
[Music] [Applause] [Music] you [Music]

Brief Summary

Unsolved murders and a search for a long-lost mother intertwine in this episode.

Key points

The Murder of J Givens. J Givens was shot in front of 400 witnesses, yet no one saw anything.
Larry Kosta's Mysterious Death. Larry Kosta was found murdered, and his girlfriend Jo vanished without a trace.
The Unusual Adoption Agreement. Donald Caffrey took in a baby from a struggling mother, leading to a custody battle.
Sandra's Search for Her Mother. Sandra Lee Nelson embarks on a quest to reunite with her birth mother after decades.
A Bittersweet Reunion. Sandra discovers her family but learns of her mother's passing, leading to mixed emotions.
The Hunt for a Child Predator. Authorities launch a massive search after the abduction of a young girl, revealing a sinister pattern.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

I just wanted the other teams to look at what we had.

Inspector's thoughts on evidence

0:34WatchMay 23, 2019

Tension

55/ 100Some tension

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