Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 9, Episode 5 - Full Episode | Forensic Files

tonight on unsolved mysteries you've no doubt heard of a near-death experience where someone embraced by the
light as a premature glimpse of heaven tonight meet a man who says his near-death experience took him on a
tortuous journey to the depths of hell and changed his life forever rushing home after the birth of his
first child Steve Newton had a wet patch of Road that along came an unknown Good
Samaritan her Stephanie Booker and two friends a moonlight cruise on a lake in Texas
ended in a horrifying collision Stephanie's physical scars have begun to heal but the man who nearly killed her
is still at large he was a convicted bank robber she was an elementary school teacher who helped
him escape from prison see how one of our viewers helped track them down if you're a woman traveling alone beware
of this man police say he offers a helping hand on the highway as a prelude to kidnapping and murder
join me for these intriguing cases perhaps you may be able to help solve a mystery
[Music] be able to do the beautiful difficulties [Music] sometimes the incredible occurs when you
least expect it just a scoured storm in the summer of 1985 Howard spent three weeks touring Europe with his wife
Beverly in Paris on their last day abroad disaster struck the curtain was drawn on
a profound drama that would take Howard to the brink of death and launched him on a frightening journey to the
afterlife I thought I'd been shot it was the most serious we champagne in the center of my
abdomen I was just panicked and full of fear I couldn't think at all the doctor that came to the hotel and
the two doctors that examined me in the emergency room at the hospital all said the same thing that this was a very
critical situation and that if I didn't have the surgery within an hour I would die
Howard small intestine had ruptured he was transferred to another hospital with a staff spoke only French
now there were problems finding a surgeon they didn't give me any medication whatsoever no treatment whatsoever then
I was beginning to fear that I wasn't gonna make it after a few hours after six or seven hours I had a very strong
feeling that I wasn't gonna make it and after ten hours I knew I wasn't gonna make
and I said to my wife it's time for us to say goodbye when Howard lapsed into unconsciousness
it seemed like the end is very near [Music] in fact Howard's story was just beginning he was about to embark on what
is commonly referred to as a near-death experience thousands of people have described such
episodes as warm and comforting even heavenly Howard storm on the other hand believes his near-death experience took
him straight to the depths of hell what makes his story even more remarkable is that at the time Howard
wasn't about a theist who believed in nothing not God not heaven and certainly not hell
by his own admission Howard storm was a man with a dark side an accomplished artist turned professor Howard commanded
everyone around him with angry passion my wife and my children feared me sometimes I was fun sometimes that's
good but I also used a lot of threats I used a lot of rage and they used a lot of coercion to to get my way that was
that was the bottom line all the time was to get my way my will to prevail now that person lay in a Paris hospital
as he slipped closer to death our storms as he took the first step on a journey that was nothing short of terrifying I
[Music] looked at the bed and I saw myself lying in horrified me because I knew that
that's not possible because I didn't believe in life after death I didn't believe in God I didn't believe in
heaven hell I mean I really didn't believe I heard people calling me from outside the
room and they were saying Howard hurry up it's time come with me I am assumed that
they must be hospital personnel come to take me to have my surgery where's my doctor
this way and they didn't deny that although they didn't confirm it either we were waiting
as I walked with these people I became increasingly aware that something was very wrong everybody wants to help me
plant these people were getting more and more aggressive cruel to me we have to move along as I wanted to do
now much to get away from him he's getting darker and darker they kept leading me on extending the
circle around me and there was really no way to escape from them when they were scratching pushing and
pulling me and began biting at me so I was starting to yell and scream and howl with pain and they thought that was real
funny and they really liked that a lot and I'm more that they did the better they liked it
it was worse and worse and worse - totally tear me apart not only physically but psychologically
emotionally that place I heard a voice which sounded like my voice say pray to God and I
didn't believe in God said a second time pray to God and I tried to remember how
to pray [Music] [Applause] the mention of God pushed them away from me and pushed them back and back from
darkness so I just kept at it kept at it and since if it burned [Music] they simply retreated him to the
darkness gone and I was all along that place left in light physical pain emotional pain self-pity
and in considering my whole life was sort of like what was the point of ever living
to end up like this I never really accomplished anything very significant now I end up in this place of torment
why was I ever born in that state of like complete hopelessness I recalled myself as a
little child [Music] and what was so especially powerful about it was that that child whom I had
been thirty years before believed in something other than himself believed in something greater members
and in that complete despair the pain and hopelessness a small light appeared and got brighter and brighter and
brighter and for the first time in that light I could see myself and I was horrible it's
like I look like roadkill and it's just all mangled and gore and her and I felt this brightness reached down and picked
me up and I was like all healed Paul and full of the most wonderful physical ecstasy I
[Music] was being carried by my new friend this person of light I'm aware that there's a tangible
feeling of light and loving us coming from the direction that we're moving towards he called a number of angels
around us and they showed me the effects that I had on other people how it hurt other people and I think to myself I'm
scum I don't belong here they made a mistake and then for the first time he spoke to me and said we don't make
mistakes you do belong howard storms journey to the other side was over he says a mysterious figure
instructed him to return to earth and live with love in his heart I can't I can't you can
[Music] soon after Howard regained consciousness a surgeon arrived the operation saved
Howard's life but not without a price you remain hospitalized for two months suffering from hepatitis double
pneumonia a collapsed lung and minimal liver function Howard storm would eventually make a
full recovery you would also undergo a dramatic transformation the Lord be with you
lift up your hearts let us pray in 1988 Howard left teaching and attended a Methodist Seminary today
he is pastor of Zion United Church of Christ in southern Ohio I'm thankful for the whole experience
because it gave me a whole second chance at life I feel like I died and was born
again my wife said that on that day I died and she the person that came out of that experience was a complete stranger
to her and I feel that way that I've been given a new life there's no doubt in my mind that I went
to hell I know what I experienced and I know it wasn't a dream and I know that there is
a conscious existence beyond this world outside this world if you might call another dimension or you want to call it
the supernatural world or you want to call it Heaven and Hell there is a life beyond this life and we will reap the
reward or suffer the consequence of what we've done with this life next a stranger's helping hand becomes a
fist of death woman in Virginia [Music] as children were taught never to get into a car with a stranger as adults we
sometimes forget that lesson even though it's a lesson that might save your life
I'm going right to the mall call you when I get there how are you getting it four ninety five to sixty six to twenty
nine straight to Charlotte's belt which got a full time guys on March 2nd 1996 Alysia Showalter
Reynolds said goodbye to her husband and left her home in Baltimore Maryland it was a Saturday about 7:30 in the morning
Alysia planned to drive more than 150 miles to spend the day shopping with her mother in Charlottesville Virginia
[Music] she left early giving us a plenty of time to be at the mall by 10:30 [Music]
Alicia's mother arrived on schedule expecting her daughter at any moment but what elisha was late Sadie Showalter
became worried right about 11 o'clock she wasn't there and I said this is not like Alicia
I wonder what's going on but I made myself wait till 11:15 and I then finally called her husband called
mark have you heard from Alicia no I've been waiting it's over a half hour at that point I said you know the weather
is kind of bad this morning you know there was a little fog that was a little drizzle it could have been some slick
roads maybe she just slowed down a little bit or you know give her a little while and give me a call back
Sadie continued to wait an hour past then to Alesia never showed up as six o'clock that evening a Virginia
State Trooper found Alicia's car abandoned along a highway near Culpepper Virginia 50 miles from Alicia's
destination a white paper napkin had been tucked under the windshield wiper the commonly used
signal of car trouble when the car was examined however there were no mechanical problems my gut reaction that
immediately was that she was gone that somebody had abducted her and taken her I feared the worst but we were told by
many many folks to hope for the best we have an update on our top story tonight as we told you 25 year old Alicia
Reynolds disappeared this weekend her abandoned car was the next day the local news media began broadcasting reports of
Alicia's disappearance police set up a traffic block where Alicia's car was found and tracked down
witnesses would seen her on route 29 the day she disappeared at least three people saw Alicia talking
to a clean-cut white man with a dark-colored pickup truck the traffic block also produced
witnesses who had been approached by a man fitting that exact description police began to realize that whatever it
happened to Alicia might have been the final act in a nightmare ii scenario that had been
evolving for weeks there were approximately 20 women who came forward after mrs. Reynolds disappearance who
indicated that they too had been stopped along the route 29 corridor most of the witnesses talked about a man
who would come up behind them or beside them in a dark small pickup truck flashing his headlights honking his horn
looking in any way he could to attract the attention [Music] most of the women did have some concern
for their vehicle did manage to pull off to the side of the road he immediately jumps underneath the
vehicle conducts an examination comes out and it engages them in a conversation a very polite conversation
about the mechanical difficulties that he has allegedly uncovered at that point the helpful stranger
usually offered to drive the woman to the nearest phone okay in at least two cases the women accepted
and came to no harm other women found the stranger to be anything but kind and courteous
some of the women would not pull over for him but merely went to the next exit or to their destination and had someone
else look at their vehicle the only instances where we have found that the individual became agitated were
those instances where women either refused his assistance or refused to pull over for him and in those instances
there was a display of anger by him such as pounding fists on steering wheel or normally things under his breath
looking at all of the stops I think we pretty much all agree that he was getting his courage up if you will he
was practicing getting comfortable and what he was doing was stopping these ladies until he
found someone that trusted him enough for him to carry forward what he intended to do
one week before Alesia Rendell's disappeared a woman driving through a neighboring County apparently fell for
the same ploy I didn't mean to scare you but there's something wrong with your car there sparks coming on the back of
your car Sark's yes mark said so I think there's a gas there's about a mile up the road if you want me to give you left
up there I'll be happy to help you she said from the first moment she met him he was soft-spoken she's seen he seemed
to be trustworthy she had no problem with it at all and she knew that she needed a ride home she didn't know how
to get home so she she accepted the ride hey no problem glad to help I just can't see anything on this
windshield at the Frost as they're going along the road he would slow down and he
would make the excuse that there was bright lights behind him or he couldn't see because of the vehicles behind and
he pulled off the road he did this three times we believe that he was trying to establish a place to do something
very frightened she fought him and he decided he didn't going to fight with him so he pushed her away
when he pushed her out he took off and the shoulder belt was still caught on her arm
the woman broke her ankle but she got away seven days later Alesia rebels would not
be so fortunate but two months the search for Alisha approved fruitless then on May 7th 1996
a passerby found her body in a wooded area 15 miles southeast of Culpepper Alisha had been murdered probably on the
day she disappeared I don't want it to happen to somebody else I think that's that's really my main
concern for the capture of the guy is so that I don't want to hear about another
husband who lost his wife or another father another who lost their daughter that's that's too much
[Music] the stalker may have begun his rehearsals in February of 1996 he apparently stopped operating in the
Culpeper area shortly after Alesia was abducted on March 2nd no context had been reported since
there is a likelihood that the individual has fled this area possibly the state and may be in another
community now where he may be preparing to start the same type of behavior again
this entire incident was based upon the perpetrator having a fantasy and then living this fantasy in his mind over and
over and over and then going out and living it with a real person getting a little closer and a little closer and
finally with Alicia he found the perfect victim she got in the car with him and if we don't catch him there will be
another perfect victim out there that will get in his car again [Music] next when a motorcyclist loses control
of his bike disaster is averted thanks to an unknown Good Samaritan also an escaped convict and his wife are
finally in custody after 11 years on the run [Music] this quiet neighborhood in st. Paul
Minnesota is a quintessential American community tree-lined streets quaint churches cozy homes the kind of place
where everyone knows their neighbor or so they think for eight years Thomas Leo Langstone and his wife lived
in the small nondescript bungalow no one ever suspected that Langston was in fact Richard Sep aloneness an escaped
convict with a long criminal record [Music] in 1973 sepp aloneness and two accomplices robbed a bank in new bern
Massachusetts made off with more than seventeen thousand dollars in cash in fleeing they almost killed an innocent
bystander [Music] Sep aloneness was convicted of bank robbery and armed assault his sentence
58 to 82 years in prison then he met Karen Wolters Karen was an aspiring teacher whose class assignment
involve writing letters to inmates eventually she visited Richard and the relationship intensified
for Karen it was loved persepolis that may have been something different perhaps nothing more than a means to an
end a typical inmate in in prison I find takes advantage of people on the community
oftentimes they'll latch on to women who are lonely want some attention and they take advantage of them and I
think the women have beguiled by the all that attention eight years after they met Richard SEP
aloneness and Karen Wolters married in the prison chaplain several months later zat bellona's escaped a couple
disappeared 11 years would pass before anyone knew where Richard Sep aloneness and Karen
Wolters were hiding let's go to Keeley Shay Smith to find out what happened after a recent broadcast a viewer in
Minneapolis who had done business with a couple recognized Karen's photograph a taskforce which included the local
police and FBI was mobilized and the house was staked out on October 1st 1996 officers observed
Richard Sepp aloneness leave his residence and drive to a nearby convenience store
as soon as he pulled into the parking lot and got out of the vehicle one of the task force members was right
there with him so he jumped out drew his weapon ordered Sekulow honest not to move and at that point other task force
members got there jumped out and assisted in the arrest Karen Wolters was picked up 20 minutes
later for eight years she and SEP aloneness had completely fooled their neighbors
when I found out that they were who they were I was shocked I couldn't believe it
my mouth fell to the floor I never would imagine in a million years that these two people would be that would do
anything wrong a bag of robbery paraphernalia found inside the hideout gave authorities a
much different impression the discovery of the bag with the facemask the gun the rubber gloves the
large amount of cash and small bills we think that perhaps he's been back in the bank robbery or robbery business
again [Music] [Music] August 27th 1995 was a joyous day of her Steven Sharon Newton that morning their
first child Virginia was born at Naples Community Hospital in Naples Florida it was the most incredible thing I ever
seen before my life to watch this child being born especially knowing that it was my child
that's what I always wanted to be was a father and I just that she was my world that's pretty much how I felt with my
wife and you know I just they couldn't they couldn't gotten any better at that point
Steve had come to the hospital straight from work the night before at around 2:00 p.m. he headed home to pick up the
family car the ride to the small town of Immokalee would take about an hour and a
half over the previous week rainstorms had blanketed the area Steve says it had cleared by that afternoon but up ahead
disaster loomed a deep pool of water and covered the road creating a treacherous
hazard it looked like a mirage at first but it wasn't a mirage it was water I remember
thinking this is it I'm gonna die [Music] I just remember coming straight down on my
head as I hit I saw poof this big bright light and that was it then I was just completely out
Steve ended up in a drainage ditch faced down at unconscious death was just a whisper away
[Music] I woke up and there's this lady staring me in the face I remember thinking that
this woman was like an angel of some sort she was just so peaceful so quiet so pretty
the woman apparently a passing motorist had turned Steve over in the water and saved him from drowning she pulled him
to his feet led him from the drainage ditch and over to her car in a car she was talking to me and after
a while her voice started to fade out I remember that and then I remember seeing
these lights coming up the street when paramedics arrived Steve was in a precarious state
he appeared slightly confused and he was hyperventilating where are you hurt my back
the woman was there initially and since his answers were somewhat disoriented I asked her what she had found on the
scene and she said that he was facedown in the water at the roadside and when she initially went up to him he was
unconscious at that time he wasn't answering her at all he easily could have drown if she had
not pulled him from the water the stranger stayed at the scene until Steve was taken away she gave a
statement to police then disappeared without leaving her name do you remember your name
see 120 minutes later Steve was brought into the same hospital where his daughter had been born just hours
earlier I kept telling him the whole time that you know tell my wife I'm sorry and they didn't understand what I
was getting that but I just I was really getting at the fact that if I died I was
really sorry that you know it shouldn't happen like this more than a year is passed in Steve
Newton's brush with death he is now on disability because he suffers from occasional seizures but if not for the
mysterious Good Samaritan Steve Newton wouldn't be here at all she helped him stay around to be a
father to her daughter I mean if she wouldn't helped him you might have died and then then my baby wouldn't have a
father you know that's basically why I want to find her I just want to thank her
I'm just glad to be alive now I never thought about life before you know I'm here and I'm always gonna be here now I
just thank God for each day I always knew tomorrow was coming I always knew that next week was coming and now I
don't take that for granted no more because they could just end just like that [Music]
if she could just see my daughter she'll know that she did me that the greatest favor or gift that anybody can give and
that's to give me about my life and I'd like to say thank you for that [Music] with the help of our viewers Steve
Newton recently had a chance to do just that here's Keeley Shay Smith with the details
Bob a woman in Florida recognized the story as when she had heard from a co-worker named Tammy Dodson after the
broadcast Tammy's boyfriend discussed the case with one of his co-workers who happened to be Steve Newton's
father-in-law it soon became perfectly clear that Steve's mysterious Good Samaritan was in fact Tammy Dobson
on January 31st 1997 Steve and Tammy met face to face for the first time since the near-fatal accident
[Music] as a special treat Steve brought along Virginia now one and a half years old
nobody's ever gone that far to come to thank me and he kept saying that I was his angel I've never been called an
angel before far from it but it just I mean it made me feel good inside to know that I done I've done
something that's helped somebody so much Steve and his wife Sharon now expecting
their second child were finally able to express their gratitude to the woman who
had saved Steve's life I owe her everything and there's nothing that I have I can give to you know to say thank
you right through here it started for the day was out Tammy and Steve returned to
the scene of the accident all too aware that Tammy's simple act of kindness had changed both of them forever it makes me
want to do more for other people no ice if someone's in trouble I would go that extra mile you know today that extra
just to help that person I just wanted to hug him I was so glad to see that he was okay and the baby and
everything I was just just thrilled that he was fine [Music] next a hit and run boating accident
leaves a young woman fighting for her life [Music] this is Stefanie Booker of Dallas Texas
as she appeared in 1995 before this happened Stephenie Booker 1995 Stephenie Booker
today the change may seem slight to you but to Stephanie her new face is that of a
stranger artfully created by plastic surgeons in that horrific hit and run accident the other Stephanie was
destroyed [Music] it happened on Lewisville Lake 20 miles north of Dallas Stephenie Booker and two friends Sabra
Scott and Kim Colvin spent a great deal of time on the lake swimming sailing whatever appeal to them June 17 1995 was
a typical owie until night after a break for dinner the three friends decided to take one last cruise
beyond the breakwater near midnight the young women headed back to the slip can it's really dark
can you help me they slowed down as they entered the marina maneuvering through a no-wake
zone that prohibits boaters from going more than 5 miles an hour then a hundred yards away a speedboat
raced out of the darkness Stephanie and her friends never had a chance [Music] for a moment only silence stunned
disbelief still screaming I could feel someone tugging on the back of my shirt and it
was Stephanie and that point I got on my knees and I could see that she was in serious
condition I tried to speak and no words would come out It was as if my mouth felt SunShot and
so I had to brace myself with my hands to push my body up and then I felt this terrible weight hanging off of my face
as if dough was hanging off of my face and I reached up and realized that my face was in my hand
the speedboats propellers rushed across Stephanie's face literally slicing it from the world
her lips were detached from her face I couldn't see any gums her teeth there was skin hanging down from her eye so I
was seeing her exposed face and I could tell she was having a hard time breathing
all the other books a young woman appeared at the driver's side they stared neither said a word
he stood there as if contemplating the pros and the cons I'm sure he thought he already killed someone by looking at the
damage on our boat I remember when one of the individuals making the other person to kind of like be silent don't
say anything so it was total silence with me yelling and screaming at him they made no motions to say one word or
make any actions towards to come to help us when the driver finally did do something
it was to save himself he gunned his engine and took off [Music] him turned her attention back to
Stephanie a Sabra got the boat started and made for sure I'm thinking to myself that Stephanie is
going to quit breathing any any minute now and so the trip was seemed like it lasted forever long enough for me to
think I can't give her mouth-to-mouth because I'm afraid if I put any pressure it'll cave in any facial structure she
has and also I didn't think there was a airway big enough to get any air in her looking at Kim not being able to breathe
very well I felt a very conscious decision to either live or die and so at that moment instead of freaking out
looking at Kim's face I decided to just remain calm and it was as if a power overcame me and gave me this incredible
strength to take control of my life as Stephanie was being rushed to surgery police started looking for the driver of
the other boat or anyone who might have seen it right after the accident we have two witnesses
that were there they heard the screaming they heard the noise coming from the accident and then about 15 or 20 seconds
such of that I saw a boat fitting this description just just come hauling but five minutes later another eyewitness
saw two people load the same boat onto a trailer towed by a white 4x4 pickup truck without even bothering to tie down
the boat they sped off into the night they remain unidentified the community was outraged our local
businesses raised reward money stephanie suffered through her own private ordeal
seven reconstructive surgeries done and five more scheduled to rebuild her internal facial structure
I'm not able to breathe very well I'm not able to smell as well nor can I taste the way I used to be able to and
my teeth that I have are very much for aesthetics for looks memory concentration skills the ability
to do more than one task at a time all the things that I used to do and take for granted are gone and I walk by a
mirror after I've had one of my many surgeries and look at myself and just wonder why did someone do this why did
they not come forward why don't they care at least one person did seem to care police have heard from the same
anonymous caller on three occasions he stated emphatically that he knew that it was and he was going to talk to the
person and try to get them and turned himself in from just the tone of his voice and the way he was talking we
think that he does know who it is and we would like for him to at least contact us it frightens me that these people are
still out there it really does they've proven that they place absolutely no value whatsoever on human life that was
shown the night of our accident when they chose to leave us there to die these people being brought to justice
has a huge impact on me emotionally as well as my family my feelings towards the people in the
other vote was I felt very sorry for them it had to be devastating to cause an accident like this however they do
need to do the right thing and come forward so that I can move on and try to work on myself emotionally and get back
as close to normal as possible the suspects boat is a Miami Vice style speedboat the single-engine mercury
Cruiser out drive similar to these that is 25 to 30 feet long painted white the teal green markings the fiberglass shell
was probably damaged on the starboard side about five feet from the stern the motor would have had damage to the
outdoor gear Kings skeg or gimble wing it might have been brought in for repairs were sold sometime after June
17th 1995 the driver of the speedboat was a stocky muscular clean-shaven white male with
light hair his companion was an athletic looking woman with very long dark hair they drove a white 4x4 pickup truck
join me next time for another compelling our unsolved mysteries [Music] [Music]

Brief Summary

Howard Storm shares his hellish near-death experience, while Steve Newton thanks his Good Samaritan after a near-drowning incident.

Key points

Howard Storm's Near-Death Experience. Howard Storm recounts a harrowing journey to the depths of hell and back, transforming his life forever.
Alycia Reynolds Disappearance. Alycia Reynolds goes missing during a trip, leading to a desperate search and tragic discovery.
Capture of Richard Sep Aloneness. After 11 years on the run, escaped convict Richard Sep Aloneness and his wife are finally caught.
A Near-Fatal Accident. Steve's life hangs by a thread after a car accident, but a stranger saves him.
Gratitude and New Beginnings. Steve expresses his gratitude for life and the chance to be a father.
Finding the Good Samaritan. After a year, Steve finally meets the woman who saved his life.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

I feel like I died and was born again.

Howard Storm reflects on his near-death experience.

11:44WatchMay 23, 2019

Tension

65/ 100Some tension

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