Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 6, Episode 8 - 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 in California a deadly fire ravaged is a house trailer one sixteen-year-old girl dies at the scene
her injured twin sister succumbs four weeks later then the family suffers another cool blow when the girl's old
half-brother becomes a chief suspect in a bizarre scenario of murder and arson 1955 was a
summer of romance for Maria Bauer and Michael Sabol while working at a resort near Chicago
they felt passionately in love but when Maria returned to her native Germany she
returned alone and pregnant nearly 40 years later her son Christophe needs your help to find his birth father
Michael Sata when Bank executive John Bruno arrived at work on November 19th 1990 he became the target of a most
bizarre kidnapping his abductor was overweight oddly dressed and clumsy but he wielded what appeared to be a
homemade bomb demanded three million dollars in cash nearly three years this unlikely criminals managed to elude
authorities perhaps someone watching tonight will be able to identify him join me for another intriguing edition
unsolved mysteries [Music] [Applause] [Music] in 1990 the FBI was called in to investigate one of the most bizarre
kidnappings they have ever encountered a perpetrator was an overweight middle-aged man who wore thick glasses
and a floppy rain hat hardly the profile of a dangerous criminal yet that is exactly what he was made more dangerous
by the fact that his scheme was flawed from the outset and bungled it nearly every step along the way
Minneapolis Minnesota member 19th 1990 at 8:10 a.m. John groom Hoffa a wealthy hard-nosed business executive was
approaching his office [Music] Bruno fur was chairman and president of First Bank system appointed in 1989 with
a directive to trim the fat he had saved the bank millions by eliminating more than 2,000 jobs Grund offer was a man
used to scrutiny but as he arrived at work that morning he had no idea that his every move was being watched
[Music] John you're gonna have to go with me what do you mean just get back in the
car oh there must be some mistake I have no business with you I think this is Carl and you are going with me
what do you want Bruno ever kept his crew in fact he was about to spring a surprise of his own
[Music] the commotion soon drew the attention of a witness I heard shouting and I looked
over and saw two men rolling on the ground it was at that point I thought there was a mugging going on so I
started to run over there to help whoever was being mugged and I got about half way there when the gentlemen had
both gotten up and started to act like they knew each other and so I'd slowed to a walk what's wrong
is somebody sick you need some help look [Music] you better get out of here at first it
seemed so unreal that I I almost laughed at the gentleman and then I realized I was real and I wasn't danger and at that
point I was terrified that I was gonna be shot and I then ran to the elevator [Music]
just back up and get us out of this garage the gunman ordered goon Hoffer into the car it was 8:13 a.m. just three
minutes had passed since crude Hoffer drove into the parking garage [Music] now where you want me to drive just
Hetty he's just head towards Wisconsin [Music] and give me your arm well buddy want one
give me your left arm and shut up see to avoiding further difficulties I'm gonna attach this dynamite to you that
way if you give me any other problems all I've got to do is push up the button I think his intention was to frighten
mr. grunt offer sufficiently enough that he would be very compliant and do what he was told to do that virtually that
same woman a passerby in the garage found what the FBI believes was a cheat sheet for the kidnap reminding him
exactly what he was going to order Grund offer to do I believe that the kidnapper
is not really a professional criminal it would seem to me that if you're going to
commit that kind of a crime that you could basically do it off the top of your head if you will that around 8:45
Bruns Hoffa and the gun we're crossing the state line into Wisconsin 35 miles from Minneapolis it was clear that the
abductor had done his homework who takes charge when you're not around probably be some vice-president Scott
Taylor take over in what Scott Taylor at 8:57 but kidnapper ordered drooled offered to
pull into a secluded resident they were now 46 miles from Minneapolis when they arrived at the wayside the kidnapper
handed mr. grunt offer a note mr. grunt offer then made a phone call to his secretary who transcribed the ransom
demands I am a hostage of a group called parents against drugs the demand was for 3
million dollars in various denominations one hundred five hundred and even one thousand dollar bills
once again a kidnapper had tipped his hand about his own inexperience 1 million and five hundred and 1 million
fessional criminal would would never ask for a thousand dollars you don't exactly
take a thousand-dollar bill and go to a convenience store buy a cup of coffee and ask for change there are too many
people that that carry thousand dollar bills with him officials at First Bank system began
preparing the 3 million dollar ransom at around that same time a gunman was discovering that he had made a crucial
mistake he had lost his cheat sheet have you got the note what no the notes from the parking
garage I don't know what you're talking about he used a note before written a few
things down are you sure you didn't take it I haven't seen this note the gunman became more agitated shut up about it
let's just go he forced Grund offer to hike down a steep slope in a remote wooded area
[Music] got arrested the kidnapper was apparently so out of shape that he struggled to make the descent eventually
the two men reached a spot for a plastic sack containing a sleeping bag had been
left wait wait a minute right there the gunmen moved quickly he removed the bomb he bound Grund hoppers hands with a
nylon rope forced him into the sleeping bag taped his mouth shut Gurudwara worked for 20 minutes to free
himself when he realized that no one was watching he went for help at 10:25 Rudolph recalled his office
from a nearby farm house the ransom was never paid the kidnapping made headlines
throughout the Midwest ten days later the FBI set up a hotline and published this composite drawing the response was
immediate a man named John Henderson who bore a striking resemblance to the composite
was identified as the kidnapper by two different callers Anderson was a maintenance worker who live 25 miles
outside of Minneapolis he had never worked at First Bank system and had no apparent connection to Grund offer I was
stunned when they stared questions anything about a kidnapping case they wanted to search and I told him to go
ahead I had nothing to hide and they searched my car and my garage and the house the
FBI requested that Henderson participate in a lie even though they had found no physical evidence that connected him to
a crime step forward and say the line again this is Carl and you are coming with me
do you see the man who kidnapped you in the lineup it's number three I know worried about
the lineup because I know I didn't do it and you know he identified me I know I didn't do it
despite grunt offers positive identification Jeff Rasmus the eyewitness in the garage
did not pick Henderson out of the lineup nevertheless the FBI continued to look for evidence a handwriting sample was
taken it did not match the note however the FBI felt that Henderson's alibi was less than airtight later he became the
target of a grand jury investigation but in the end no charges were find the so far the FBI hasn't found anything and
they won't find anything because I didn't do it [Music] [Music] [Music] next the family is torn apart by
accusations of arson and murder the story you're about to see involves a brutal double homicide which took place
several years ago to this day the case remains unsolved and a family has been ripped apart by accusations of arson and
murder time may never heal the wounds of this complex case but perhaps someone watching may have some small clue that
could help bring the perpetrator or perpetrators to justice when Oak Creek California population
1000 is situated in the heart of the state's timber country some 250 miles north of San Francisco hands and Betty
Hanson moved to this quiet community in 1971 three years after they were married
hands operated logging supply business in a warehouse next to the couple's mobile home the Hanson family grew to
include four children Donnie and Becky from Betty's prior marriage and twin girls Jill and Julie Gil Julie were good
sensible kids they were a little shy to you got to know him if they had real good sense they would kind of be more
friendly to underdog people then they were real popular girls in school so if a new person came to school or something
it wasn't taken in so much by the other people they they would befriend him they
seemed to view people from the inside it didn't matter what they look like or how
much money they had or who they were they were kind to everyone her Betty enhance life was close to perfect until
the night of November 14th 1986 at around 11:00 p.m. the 16 year old twins were in their room preparing for bed
their half-brother Donny aged 21 was visiting from the town of Fortuna 70 miles away he would sleep on a couch in
the family room [Music] at around 3 a.m. Betty Hansen suddenly awoke get the kids
cut Oh No [Music] - right today hands and Betty's memories are a blur of fragmented images but that night
they was stripped by several things even the limits to the chaos didn't quite make sense I shot that fire extinguisher
down the hall vapor right back up there was a strip in the middle that hallway burning I remember that going through my
mind that that's realized that coming back in a strip like that and still no I got no response from anybody I was
yelling all three of their names and then exited the house because I ran out the door I kicked the gas can out of the
way not really thinking much of it till I got a few steps away thinking that gas
can shouldn't bionaire it was empty because I felt how it was empty when I kicked it I went up the little hallway
and the first person I saw was Donnie and he was standing at the end of the couch where I think he had slept that
night but he didn't see me and he's screaming in a horrible voice he screaming get out of here
real loud and running chasing and so right away I was afraid for him what was happening who he was chasing out
Betty ran to the shop for a number of fire extinguishers were stored she was met first by Donna then by hands when I
got to the shop I got a ladder and came into Jill's room and just shoved that ladder right
through the window totally inflames totally engulfed in flame and I didn't get any response or
see anybody hands Betty and Donnie continuously returned to the warehouse for fire extinguishers I remember asking
Donnie as we were chasing back and forth for fire extinguished did you see anybody and he said no he didn't see
anything fire trucks rode to the scene within 15 minutes but four hands and Betty assuming that Jill and Julie were
still inside the trailer it was an eternity menace later the Hansel's are both shocked and relieved the neighbor
noticed a crumpled figure in a vacant lot across the road it's Julie Hansen Julie was nearly dead
bleeding profusely from a gaping wound in her stomach I heard somebody yell from across the street with you we found
one of them or something like that then the next thing Donnie came running up on
the deck and he said we found Julie Julie's out I got her out and I my first question in him was how bad is she burnt
and he didn't give me an answer of course I didn't stand around hands claims that it was only after Julie was
discovered that Donnie took credit for having pulled her from the fire but that apparent discrepancy was quickly
overshadowed by concern for Julie when I saw Julie I thought there was no way she
could live her stomach was just open blown open and so I ran back across the street and I just went from one fireman
to the other room begging him to please go in and find Jill where's Jill and then I'd run back across the street
and to see how Julie was doing and each time I went back across the street I was
surprised she was still alive emergency personnel rushed Julie to the hospital believing her stomach injury had been
caused by some kind of fire related explosion but in surgery doctors made an incredible discovery
Julie's traumatic wound had absolutely nothing to do with the fire Julie Hansen had been shot in the abdomen virtually
at point-blank range with a 12-gauge well I about fell off my chair then because that was the first I had known
anything about any shooting at all and I still couldn't figure out why who who could have hated is this much to make an
attack on our house like this the emerging facts seemed too shocking to be true unknown and unseen someone had
apparently torched the Hanson home and gunned down Juli daylight brought still more unbearable news
Jill's body was found in the ruins an autopsy would later confirm that Jill had also been wounded by shotgun fire
unable to flee she had perished in the flames authorities recovered three shotgun shells in the second five gallon
gas can from the ashes mounting evidence of arson and murder the Hansons warehouse is untouched by the fire and
investigators examined every square inch for clues hey George shove behind some boxes they found a
12-gauge shotgun ballistic tests were later proved it was the weapon used to shoot Jill and Julie Hanson
the entire Hanson property was cordoned off and kept under round-the-clock surveillance two days after the fire in
the early morning the officer on duty caught a prowler outside the warehouse [Music]
what are you doing that dad's name aunt Sansa you didn't see the hands and Betty's son Donny what's the light just
stand right there detective George Garrow was called to the scene Donnie told Gatto
that he had come to feed the family dog looking in a window looking in the window what are you looking at son I
just came out to feed my dog that was the truth Donnie no he knew the dog had been taken to our neighbors okay
he knew the dog was not there and that's when the figure did read he was there he
was there to get the shot again cuz he didn't know we had found it yet the case had taken an incredible turn late
Donnie was about to become the prime suspect in the murder of his own sister investigators soon uncovered
circumstantial evidence that implicated Donnie in the crime three days before the fire Donnie had borrowed the shotgun
from a friend Donnie admitted keeping it in his car unspent shells found in the car matched
those used in the attack Donnie had purchased the ammunition the very evening Jill and Julie were shot
this credit card statement verified the two days before the fire Donnie had purchased five gallons of gas at a local
station witnesses confirmed that the container Donnie filled was identical to one of
those found at the scene he said there was only one person who might be able to confirm the growing suspicions Julie
Henson approximately two weeks after the fire she had recovered enough to tell her Paris what had happened at first
Judy's memories were sketchy she recalled being shot but not seeing anyone she said she crawled over her
sister which source sister was still asleep in the bed beside her and stepped out of her bedroom door and bang the
that she saw the flash and she thought a bomb went off and she said she reached down and felt her belly it was like a
bowl of jell-o as hands and betty asked more questions Judy had a chilling recollection so what did she see
anything else did you see anybody see anybody Donnie's face in the flesh sorry brother Donnie's face
however Judy statement contradicted what she told her doctor I never found out why she said that she's still dying in
the flash he definitely did not tell me that she told me she saw nobody specifically when I questioned her about
that situation I said who who did you see or did you see anything she said I saw nobody I never mentioned seeing
Donnie on December 2nd two weeks after the fire Darley Hansen was met by his mother and sister at the County
Courthouse he had come in voluntarily for further questioning one of the shells the shells riad trapshooting and
I picked some more as his stool was on the way home don't you think it's kind of funny that you bought the shells
right before the murder what about the gun why did you try to hide the gun look I
just got scared you know I panicked it try to hide the gun in the warehouse because I figured it we found the gun in
my car that you're just gonna assume that I did it I don't have a right to assume that I'm
having trouble believing this whole story he kept saying he was innocent he failed the polygraph twice and when I
interviewed him completely new Johnny could be nine everything why don't you believe I could ever tell there's a
different story with us [Music] the interrogation lasted two hours when Donny emerged he was in handcuffs facing
trial on charges of arson and murder he's under arrest George we are trying to co-op that was a
pretty low point in my life to see my son arrested for the murder of my daughter it was just unbelievable and I
kept thinking when am I gonna wake up what's this going to end it was just I can't describe it there's
just no words the nightmare was far from over on December 19th Julie suddenly died in
a freak medical accident an air bubble had entered her bloodstream through an intravenous tube and stopped her heart
Julie's death was another devastating blow to her grieving parents it was also a crippling setback to the prosecutors
Julie's eyewitness statements would now be inadmissible as evidence so she could
not be cross-examined by defense attorneys when we return Donnie Hanson tells his story in April
of 1988 Donnie Hanson went on trial for the murder of his half-sisters Jill and Julie the district attorney was
confident enough to ask for the death penalty the defendant Donald Hanson brought the gun that was the murder
weapon to the scene he brought the shotgun shells that killed those two girls he hid the murder weapon he lied
about all of those things that was strong evidence however the defense introduced eyewitness testimony from the
Hansons neighbors across the street they claimed to have seen two unidentified men near the trailer while it was on
fire their sighting became the cornerstone of a defense theory designed to show that Donnie Hanson was innocent
there were a tremendous number of unanswered facts and occurrences that that happened that night that the
prosecution couldn't explain and which were not consistent with Donnie having been involved I was able to come up with
at least a suggested scenario that tied all of the unanswered or the majority of
the unanswered factual questions together the defense contented that around 3:00 a.m. two intruders identity
and motive unknown approached the henson's trailer the person had found Donnie's shotgun outside and for
whatever reason decided to bring it inside with some shells picked bilac came through the sliding glass door
[Music] they just spread the gasoline around the living room area at the front of the
trailer the the kitchen he certainly didn't seem to care that people were asleep in the trailer they went
throughout the trailer and spread the gasoline [Music] at some point during the activities of
the perpetrator Julie was awakened she comes down the hallway and walks in on the perpetrator who then at that
particular point apparently was to the left of Donnie as he was lying on the couch and somewhat behind him and he
shoots her as she's coming out of the hallway and she goes down that's what wakes Donnie up Donnie picks Julie up
takes her out onto the front porch posits are there some unnamed unknown masked intruders are in your house
killing people and burning the place down and you're standing right next to them that they'd shoot you too wouldn't
you they didn't according to the defense theory at least one of the assailants was still in the trailer after hands
betty and Donnie escaped it was only then that Jill was shot and the perpetrator then exited the
trailer that person was put the gun back in the the car threw it back in the car
as he was going on and by and those persons ran to their car jumped in and off it went you're gonna
commit a murder don't you bring the instruments to do that job don't you bring the gun if you're gonna burn down
the house don't you bring the gas how convenient for them that both of these items just happen to be provided by
Donald Hanson makes no sense however the jury believed it did make sense and they
found Donnie Hanson not guilty when I first heard the verdict my initial reaction it was I was really happy to
think that he didn't do it but when I thought back to everything I knew that Donnie's involved that Donnie knew what
happened and and he knew what went on that night and he has all the answers this has been a real tragedy yes because
we have lost three of our four children out of this two of them are dead and Donnie's dead to me because I do feel he
was a hundred percent responsible for this whether he pulled it off 100% himself or not if I know who had would
have Dennis I would not have put my life on the line through a jury trial through
a death penalty case that covered him up for someone that killed my sisters that
I loved you know a statement like that is absolutely ludicrous because of the notoriety surrounding the trial Donnie
has changed his name he asked that we alter his voice and obscure his face during this exclusive interview no I
realized nothing has been done or has been done since my acquittal to take steps to solve this case I think the
only way this case will ever be solved as if someone's conscience gets to him Donnie's account is still the subject of
debate although his attorney claimed Donnie was awakened by the shotgun blast donnie now says he never heard the shot
told it was a vet rather than at night heard he blasts so III don't know how I didn't hear it I don't know how any of
us didn't hear it as a group but we're all fairly consistent none of us heard anything
another nagging question is why Donnie removed the shotgun from his car before anyone knew that his shotgun had been
involved or even that a crime had been committed I don't really know why I moved it other than I you know I didn't
want began to know someone steal it someone find a gun and blame think you know I did this
you know if it was used in the commission of this car at that time I didn't know if it had been or not
a third incident was also difficult to reconcile Donny's 5:00 a.m. visit to the warehouse and the explanation he gave
police it was one of those things the old you know store with one lie leads into another and they just start rolling
in and I supplies to maybe check on my god which I wasn't really checking on the dog and I was going back there to
get your gun and that's the story that I told them I think that I acted out of ignorance not stupidity in this without
me trust in me I now has it you pay accusations that I know what went on that matter absolutely ludicrous because
I had absolutely everything to lose and nothing to gain you know and the fact that to let someone get away with what
they did to children she wait tears me up it's just makes my life I guess you could say the whole truth about this
hideous crime may never be known a jury has acquitted Donnie Hanson but his mother and stepfather
I believe that insurance policy was part of the motive the insurance was on me if
the dawnie came home that night to wipe our family out he brought a gun with him
he had the gasoline that he'd bought two nights previous and I believe that motive was money whether he was by
himself or not I don't know you go on but life is never the same and you can build a new house or buy a new car but
you can't you can't bring back the girls and all we have left is memories and it's it's really rough
Jill and Julie Hanson were 15 years old when these home movies were taken the parents have never gotten over the
brutal crime that tore their family apart [Music] when we return we'll aging love-letters
lead to a long-lost father perhaps with your help [Music] it was a summer of 1955 Maria Hoffman a
20 year old exchange student from Germany found work at the hotel Marais an elegant lakeside resort 26 miles from
a Chicago Maria just finished a year of study in the United States I needed money for the passage home I'm sorry to
you hey wait a minute we both saying the same thing yes yes he surprised me so much I forgot my English I'm sorry I
didn't mean to the young man introduced himself as Michael same Oh like Maria he was in his
early twenties here let me help you haven't seen you here before are you new the chance encounter quickly
blossomed into my summer romance but it was a relationship Maria would keep secret for nearly 30 years welcome until
the spring 1983 in the ensuing years Maria had returned to Germany Mary become a mother and a grandmother her
oldest son Christa was a lieutenant in the German air force during a weekend visit with Maria made a stunning
confession okay so there's something I want to talk to you about or listen this is very
difficult Chris your father is not your real father but as a man who raised you is
not your real father are you serious your real father is a man I met four novels in the United States
why haven't you told me this sooner when my mother first told me this I felt a little bit anger about her not telling
me before I'm your son I have a right to know I made a decision right there that I need to find him that I need to
find out what kind of man he is that I want to see him and make my own decision whether I like him or not and what I
want to stay in contact with him or not how did it happen it was the year after I was in school in America over the next
hour Kristof learned more about his biological father and the long secret romance
for Maria and Michael the attraction had been instant an all-consuming together they spent an enchanted summer
[Music] a mother told me that he was from Canada that it was a very gentle man and that
she fell in love with this man and she had an affair with him [Music] but the carefree love affair was
eventually clouded by a very real concern Maria Hoffman was pregnant she was very
worried about the future because she was in a foreign country was basically no fixed income and her friend the man she
was in love was obviously didn't have a very high income job either so they would have had to struggle a lot I also
know that they were in love and that she wanted to be with him in October of 1955
Maria made agonizing decision she would return to Germany to have her baby without Michael Savior
they separated not in anger they separated in a good phase I'm planning on getting together again they wrong
[Music] and I went to say Maria - I it's also confusing I know that I'll miss you it wasn't an
easy way for her but it was the best way because she could go to the security of
her family and had all the support that she needed [Music] Maria would never again see Michael same
or Christophe was born in Germany on May 22nd 1956 the following year Maria married a college professor a man
Christoph had come to know as his father Christa sit down there is something I have for you I have been saving all
these years these are letters from your father perhaps it will help you to understand or at least to have more
information in all there were four letters alas written in 1958 included were two snapshots of Michael's same or
Christophe bomber at the age of 27 suddenly found himself staring into the face of his birth father
[Music] Christophe immediately followed up the few clues he had he wrote to the four
different return addresses on the envelopes he got no response government agencies
both in Canada and the United States had no records of say more and the hotel more rain or Christoph's
mother and say more had met at long ago burned to the ground but there was one ray of hope a cousin
of Maria's who lived in Chicago said that Michaels same or had periodically phoned her after Maria returned to
Germany have you heard from Maria do you know how she's been doing to Christoph's
amazement Michael say mores occasional calls had continued for nearly 20 years and when I learned that he had checked
on me and that he still was interested in me I felt supported in my decision to find him 1976 this relative moved and
that was the end of the contact these are letters one year after her dramatic confession maria bauer died she was 49
years old the aging letter she left to krista paint a bittersweet picture of youthful love
[Music] I feel any child of yours would be somebody worthwhile I'm happy to be joined to you through it one way or
another even if by now or in time to come that is all we have between us I also want some kind of closer
relationship with our son Christopher I think he is the cutest thing I've ever seen
I received your last letter with the two pictures of him on the bicycle and with
yourself I really treasure them [Music] today Christophe Bower is a captain in the German air force since 1991 he has
lived with his family in the United States or his training helicopter POTUS for the US Army Christoph and his family
will be returning to Germany next year perhaps Michels say more can be found before they leave so he could meet his
son and three grandchildren for the first time recently Christoph was surprised to learn that the name
Michaels say more is an alias say mores real name is Walter Joseph Anthony seaman he was born October 4th 1930 in
Pembroke Ontario Canada and lived in Evanston Illinois until at least 1970 on our next unsolved mysteries the
harrowing tale of three young men who escaped from an Oklahoma Jail and took to the road armed with a truckload of
weapons after a wild 150 mile chase state troopers cornered the fugitives but one of them managed to slip away the
Mona Lisa one of Leonardo da Vinci's greatest works the identity of the model is a
mystery that has intrigued and baffled historians for 500 years now an unorthodox new theory is sparked a
heated debate could the model have been Leonardo himself join me next time for another edition unsolved the streets
[Music] [Applause] [Music] you [Music]

Brief Summary

Three unsolved mysteries: a bizarre kidnapping, a double homicide, and a search for a long-lost father.

Key points

A Deadly Fire in California. A deadly fire claims the lives of a teenage girl and her twin sister, leading to shocking family revelations.
Bizarre Kidnapping Case. John Bruno becomes the target of a bizarre kidnapping by an unlikely criminal.
The Tragic Fate of the Hansons. A family is torn apart by accusations of arson and murder after a tragic fire.
The Defense's Theory. The defense proposed a theory involving masked intruders to explain the crime.
The Verdict. The jury acquitted Donnie Hanson, leaving many questions unanswered.
A Mother's Pain. A mother grapples with the loss of her children and her son’s alleged involvement.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

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0:12WatchMay 23, 2019

Tension

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