All Episodes Discussion

[Annber03]

Detective:"Where's your ID?

Duncan: *Gestures to his friends* "It's right here! These two guys are gonna identify me!"

*Blinks, drops head on desk* Wow. 

Seriously, though, man, did this Duncan guy get enough breaks and squeak-bys or what? It's maddening that he always somehow seems to find a way to slip away at some point, and that he can put all the blame on everyone else and pretend to be the totally innocent one who was "manipulated" and "shocked" into being tied to the crime. How weird that his potential time of release could be in June-I imagine Ron's family has probably come to loathe that particular month. 

And stealing a deceased baby's identity to try and get a passport...that's pretty fucking low. Poor Mr. Miller. 

I could venture one particular, rather obvious theory as to why Duncan got very different treatment than Nathan did in regards to this crime.

[iMonrey]

I could not follow the thread on Night of the Summer Solstice. What was the motive? Something to do with Dragnet? Yeesh. Yeah it's horrifying this guy is going to get out on parole.

RE: The Grudge:

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I thought it was rather offensive when Andrea Canning asked her something to the effect of... "as your son lay there dying, did you say any final words to him?" 

She's the worst. I defended her for a long time but ugh, talk about leading questions.

Quote

I was side-eyeing the whole male discrimination thing throughout as well. Especially the one guy who kept trying to insist that his site was not anti-women ("We have women who post there!" Okay, and? Doesn't mean you can't still be anti-women).

Yeah - not to mention the fact that plenty of women are anti-women too. 

[saber5055]

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I could not follow the thread on Night of the Summer Solstice. What was the motive? Something to do with Dragnet? Yeesh. Yeah it's horrifying this guy is going to get out on parole.

I didn't get the Dragnet connection either, unless some episode had two guys murdering their friend. I don't know why they went to the tunnel or what any of the motive was. The episode went on so long and kept bringing up so many things about the Duncan guy, I sort of lost the fact about Ron's murder.

But yeah, this episode was a good example of why lifers in prison w/o parole shouldn't just be set free because of "good behavior." Does that mean they didn't kill a guard or tear up a prison library book? And anyone can say anything, that they're "remorseful" when they just want to get out of jail free. What a depressing end to this episode.

I haven't watched Dateline for a long time, so much "other" bad going on. Not sure this one was a good one to start with again.

[JudyObscure]

1 hour ago, saber5055 said:

I didn't get the Dragnet connection either, unless some episode had two guys murdering their friend. I don't know why they went to the tunnel or what any of the motive was. The episode went on so long and kept bringing up so many things about the Duncan guy, I sort of lost the fact about Ron's murder.

But yeah, this episode was a good example of why lifers in prison w/o parole shouldn't just be set free because of "good behavior." Does that mean they didn't kill a guard or tear up a prison library book? And anyone can say anything, that they're "remorseful" when they just want to get out of jail free. What a depressing end to this episode.

I haven't watched Dateline for a long time, so much "other" bad going on. Not sure this one was a good one to start with again.

The lack of Dragnet plot summary bothered me even more than the lack of motive for poor Ron's murder.  They did say the Dragnet episode was about kidnapping, so maybe they originally hoped to get money from Ron's parents?

Why, when Duncan was blabbing stuff to the nice girl at Utah State, didn't that  count as breaking the rules of the King for a Day? Why did they have to wait until he talked to Nathan about it?  

The French term for the evil two people can do together reminded me of  the two teen girls in Star West Virginia who murdered their friend to impress the internet invented Slender Man.  I never thought either girl would have done it if the other wasn't there egging her on.

 

This is my first Dateline in a long time, too.  I had Covid for a while and didn't want to watch anything darker than Helen Crump getting mad at Andy  on The Andy Griffith Show.

[saber5055]

1 hour ago, JudyObscure said:

This is my first Dateline in a long time, too.  I had Covid for a while and didn't want to watch anything darker than Helen Crump getting mad at Andy  on The Andy Griffith Show.

Holy cow Judy, I hope you are okay now. I would have sent you a virtual bouquet if I had known you were ill. I'm all in with Helen and Andy too, so I'm with you there. That show never gets old.

I too thought of the Slender Man teen girl killers during this Dateline. I can't even begin to comprehend why someone, anyone, would murder a friend, much less set up a best friend to be offed just kinda for fun.

[Annber03]

3 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

The French term for the evil two people can do together reminded me of  the two teen girls in Star West Virginia who murdered their friend to impress the internet invented Slender Man.  I never thought either girl would have done it if the other wasn't there egging her on.

Oh, god, that case. Such a creepy story. 

I first heard of the term on an episode of "Criminal Minds". And then I remember hearing about it again on a show about twin sisters that both struggled with serious mental issues. One tried to kill her children and herself, but they all thankfully survived, and then a few years later, eerily enough, her sister killed her own children and then herself. 

I hope you're feeling better now!

1 hour ago, saber5055 said:

I can't even begin to comprehend why someone, anyone, would murder a friend, much less set up a best friend to be offed just kinda for fun.

I don't get it, either. I feel like there's more to the motive behind this crime than what was revealed here. 

I was also amused by the discussions about Wicca and how it was seen back then as this scary thing that the media liked to hype up. I remember back in the late '90s, after Columbine especially, there were a lot of people who seemed to think that if you were Wiccan/wore black/were into the goth scene/etc. that you were a devil worshipper and/or school shooter waiting to happen. 

[TVbitch]

I believe the idea was to kill Ron, then extort money from the family as if he was kidnapped. Of course, they were never going to actually kidnap him and then let him go if the ransom was paid, because Ron could identify both of them. 

I think both of them should serve out their life sentences, but Duncan is an even a greater danger to the public than Nathan, cuz Duncan is much better with the charm and manipulation. A true sociopath. 

[BusyOctober]

6 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

This is my first Dateline in a long time, too.  I had Covid for a while and didn't want to watch anything darker than Helen Crump getting mad at Andy  on The Andy Griffith Show.

I didn’t have COVID, but with all the political BS and COVID news, I stopped watching almost all network tv around April.  I have been keeping up with Dateline (as long as it was not about politics or COVID). But my tv watching has mostly included Andy Griffith, and  rewatching every season of: Schitts Creek (twice), Parks and Recreation, The Office and The Good Place. Quite a few old  BBC and Masterpiece period dramas too.  

As for those two assholes who murdered their friend for no other reason than just for kicks should both serve their life sentences.  Duncan is a true sociopath.  He and Nathan were both “bad seeds” since they both committed  other crimes after killing Ron. With Duncan out on parole, it won’t  surprise me if we see a future ep of Dateline where this “charming” manipulative prick has permanently damaged another family.  

[EtheltoTillie]

On 1/23/2021 at 3:23 PM, JudyObscure said:

 

Why, when Duncan was blabbing stuff to the nice girl at Utah State, didn't that  count as breaking the rules of the King for a Day? Why did they have to wait until he talked to Nathan about it?  

I thought of this too but he didn’t reveal much of anything. It’s not clear. 

Edited January 24, 2021 by GussieK

[Josiemae]

On 1/23/2021 at 2:23 PM, JudyObscure said:

Why, when Duncan was blabbing stuff to the nice girl at Utah State, didn't that  count as breaking the rules of the King for a Day? Why did they have to wait until he talked to Nathan about it?  

 

 

The L.A. detectives probably didn't know anything about that conversation until later.

[PQ76]

First time posting. Just found this page. Yay! I love all crime shows but like some of you have said, with the state of the world it has been hard and I've found myself watching The Office, The Good Place, and many BBC/PBS Masterpiece period programs. Also, I recently canceled my cable and have been trying to find anything free online. Just discovered I can watch Dateline and 48 Hours free online. Yay!

With that said,  there was something very minor that bothered me about this episode (Night of the Summer Solstice).  

While discussing the report card submitted by Duncan under the stolen name, the passport official said he knew it was fraudulent because the school on the transcript was in Massachusetts but had California Achievement Test (CAT) at the bottom. I grew up in Pennsylvania and we took the CAT regularly when I was growing up. It's just the name of the test and not an indication of where the student or school is located. Just had to put that out there. Anyone else take the test in the 80's/90's? Lol. 

Most important take away---Duncan and Nathan are both horrible people. I will never understand how people can be so cruel. 

 

[Ellee]

Lauren’s Promise. 

Just not supposed to happen that way.   SMH.   With the world the way it is now, it’s hard to believe her cries for help weren’t treated more aggressively.  (Not sure that’s the best word to use here.)

Wonder how many times her parents said ‘We should have made her leave school and come home.’   

I know that I would be saying that.  I’d be blaming myself for not protecting her more.  

[LakeGal]

I had seen this case before.  But I got just as upset this time about the non-reaction from the police.  How could they act like this was no big deal and not even look the guy up?  She did everything she could to get help.  I always get upset when the real police say it is up to the campus cops.  They know that the campus cops don't have the staff and training to go after the really bad cases.  They are more about breaking up drinking parties.  Sad that her parents thought this was going to be a safe college for her to go to.  

[MsJamieDornan]

Lauren's Promise

Everyone let this poor girl down. This is the 2nd time I've seen this case and I was even more mad and frustrated this time.

[MsJamieDornan]

2 minutes ago, MsJamieDornan said:

Lauren's Promise

Everyone let this poor girl down. This is the 2nd time I've seen this case and I was even more mad and frustrated this time.

And the shitty campus cop that showed her x-rated picture to other people....shoot him.  Loser

[Court]

When will police begin to take women seriously? This easily could have been prevented.

[CrazyInAlabama]

Sadly, I've found that the campus police have the main mission in mind at all times, and it's to keep everything quiet, and out of the papers.  CYA for campus police, and for the administrators of whatever school it is.     Often times, the local police don't pursue crimes the way they should around a campus, and with students either.    

[Annber03]

1 hour ago, MsJamieDornan said:

Lauren's Promise

Everyone let this poor girl down. This is the 2nd time I've seen this case and I was even more mad and frustrated this time.

And she did all the things they advise women to do in situations like this. She cut off contact with the guy. She reported her concerns to the police and other higher ups. She had an escort with her at one point when she needed to go somewhere. She took all the necessary precautions.

And yet it still wasn't enough. 

[BusyOctober]

15 hours ago, Annber03 said:

she did all the things they advise women to do in situations like this. She cut off contact with the guy. She reported her concerns to the police and other higher ups. She had an escort with her at one point when she needed to go somewhere. She took all the necessary precautions.

And yet it still wasn't enough. 

So sad for her family and friends.  But Lauren’s story made me angry.  Were  those campus cops living in a bubble frozen in 1918 instead of 2018?  Were all of the officers 60-70-80 years old, so “wimmins” problems and those fancy high tech thingymajiggies scaled  “cellular phones” were foreign to them? They seemed to think Lauren was some silly female who was just having a spat with her boyfriend.  After they hung up, I wonder if they rolled their eyes and blamed “that time of the month” for her “hysteria”. Did not one of the idiots taking Lauren’s calls ever hear of stalking, cyber bullying, or sexploitation plots? Did any of those officers receive training in sexual harassment or domestic abuse? A bright, well spoken, respected student athlete calls for help or to report concerns MULTIPLE times about the same guy, and no one takes it seriously?  Lauren and her mom had to request the escort to get the car, the Kampus Keystone Kops didn’t offer first after hearing the details.

 Why wouldn’t the cops check him out or run a warrant search or verify his fucking name or confirm he was a student?  It just seems odd that in 2018, the school’s police dpt had autonomy and separate authority from the local city police.  I think they said there were approx 30 campus officers for the entire 30k student population.  The entire university let that poor woman be murdered and it all could have been prevented. Easily prevented with a few simple calls, checks, interviews with the asshole imposter, Lauren’s friends and Lauren herself.

I am in no way blaming the friends, but I wish one of them had reported that asshole was basically living in Lauren’s dorm.  Maybe things have changed, but when I was in college, even if your BF/ GF was a student at the school, having an extra person “squatting” in the room ( beyond the occasional weekend visit)  was not allowed.  You could lose your own housing as a consequence.  

I am glad the dimwit University president stepped down after her outrageous behavior.  I am thrilled the school was successfully sued and had to pay millions for their gross negligence.

[iMonrey]

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Lauren’s Promise. 

Wonder how many times her parents said ‘We should have made her leave school and come home.’ 

I was struck by the parents' amazing composure during their interview segments. They were positively serene. Made me wonder if they had been sedated or something.

First and foremost, the campus police were woefully negligent, but as stated above, are probably not equipped to deal with anything more complicated than breaking up unruly parties. They probably also get inundated with calls from students who are hysterical over things like losing their cell phones or missing a class so I can see where they might tend to underreact. That said, the state police should have stepped in and I blame them more for throwing it back to a force they must have known was inadequate.

Finally, you never want to victim blame, but Lauren must have had blinders on when it came to this guy. When your friends start telling you the guy's bad news, listen. Everything about him screamed "creep."

[druzy]

Regarding The Woman at the Bar episode, I wonder if Lois went to her friend's (or acquittance's) house in Florida thinking it would be vacant. I feel horrible for the victim's families. 

[MsJamieDornan]

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 I wonder if Lois went to her friend's (or acquittance's) house in Florida thinking it would be vacant. I feel horrible for the victim's families. 

I didnt think of that. I bet you're right.   I kept wondering why she stopped there but took off.

[basiltherat]

The friend called the police of both Florida and Minnesota, but nobody would believe she saw Lois and there seemed to be no APB out for her for a "person of interest" in the murder of her husband.  The show never really followed up on this miscue by the cops and if they could have prevented the murder of the Florida woman and the subsequent multi-state fleeing.  Man, Lois was some piece of work and her new girlfriends sure were gullible!  Kudos to the eagle-eyed man at the bar in Padre!  Lois looked so damn ordinary but she was so cool and clever . . . and evil!

[Ohmo]

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What a depressing end to this episode.

Am I the only one who thinks Dateline aired this to give people the opportunity to write Gov. Newsom in CA so that Duncan stays in prison? The parole board recommended him, but the governor's got to sign off on it.

[Ohmo]

Lois belongs in jail, but I wonder if she had a bipolar episode.  The show said there was mental illness in her family, compulsive behaviors like gambling can be a symptom (that can manifest itself years before a break, and you can have a break much later in life.

I wonder what her children think?  They obviously didn't wish o participate.

I liked both of Pam's cousins and thought it was lovely of them to be Pam's voice in all of this.

[stonehaven]

I loved the bartender not buying Lois as all sugar and sweet but a bit pushy and bitchy. I loved that she kept the $100 on the bar. She earned it.. Lesson learned, never piss off service staff...

[TVbitch]

How long were she and her husband married? It was a long time, I think. To up and shoot him dead one day cuz he won't let you piss all your money away gambling is stone cold. She probably does have some kind of mental illness, but even if that was her first manic episode or something, not many people with bipolar or even more severe mental illness just up and go on a killing spree! 

[EtheltoTillie]

13 hours ago, stonehaven said:

I loved the bartender not buying Lois as all sugar and sweet but a bit pushy and bitchy. I loved that she kept the $100 on the bar. She earned it.. Lesson learned, never piss off service staff...

Hubby and I found that among the most interesting parts of the episode. She was obviously able to turn on the charm for the targets for her con. That woman in Texas narrowly escaped disaster. Maybe because she had cameras all over. Can you imagine letting a stranger sleep over?  I know people do that with one night stands but I personally never did.

[EtheltoTillie]

15 hours ago, basiltherat said:

le!  Kudos to the eagle-eyed man at the bar in Padre!  Lois looked so damn ordinary but she was so cool and clever . . . and evil!

Kudos indeed.  We said we would never recognize someone like that unless we had seen the TV news item a hundred times. 

[Ashforth]

On 1/29/2021 at 6:52 PM, Annber03 said:

And she did all the things they advise women to do in situations like this. She cut off contact with the guy. She reported her concerns to the police and other higher ups. She had an escort with her at one point when she needed to go somewhere. She took all the necessary precautions.

And yet it still wasn't enough. 

This is what enrages me: it's up to women to prevent men from stalking and murdering them. The men have no responsibility whatsoever to not stalk and kill women.

[itsadryheat]

Yikes!

"During the preliminary investigation, authorities learned that Lois Riess had a substantial gambling problem, and that she had lost a $500,000 inheritance due to her demons."

https://www.distractify.com/p/lois-riess-now

"in 2016, “Riess stole over $100,000 from her sister. She was ordered to pay it back, but never did.”

https://heavy.com/news/2018/04/lois-riess-blooming-prairie-mn-minnesota-david/

 

Edited January 31, 2021 by itsadryheat

[Ohmo]

Quote

She probably does have some kind of mental illness, but even if that was her first manic episode or something, not many people with bipolar or even more severe mental illness just up and go on a killing spree! 

Personal experience from within my own family makes me think there were signs going back years that weren't attributed to mental illness. Lois's gambling was one sign, but I'm guessing there were others (likely many). You're right, not everyone who has bipolar disorder becomes violent.  My family member doesn't. However, one incident can set off the accumulation of everything leading up to the break, and I'm guessing the fight with her husband did that. We also don't know that Lois didn't have bipolar disorder in combination with another type of mental illness.

[LakeGal]

Lois must of had charm that I didn't see.  I suppose females let their guard down more with other females.  They know to be suspicious of new men they meet in a bar.  But another female makes them feel safer.  Lois probably sensed which women were lonely and easy to approach and befriend.  That woman in Texas was very lucky she mentioned all her security cameras around her place.  It probably saved her life.

[UsernameFatigue]

On 1/30/2021 at 3:01 PM, stonehaven said:

I loved the bartender not buying Lois as all sugar and sweet but a bit pushy and bitchy. I loved that she kept the $100 on the bar. She earned it.. Lesson learned, never piss off service staff...

I loved Lori the bartender! The phrase "yes ma'am customer" is priceless. Dennis did say that Lori paid the $36 tab and kept the rest as a tip. And so she should. 

Wow, those other ladies Lois befriended may have dodged bullets. They didn't resemble her (not that Pam did either) but who knows if Lois was looking for another target and would for example dye her hair a darker colour, etc. to change her look. Thank goodness for the manager of the restaurant recognizing her. 

Edited February 1, 2021 by UsernameFatigue

[EtheltoTillie]

I also like seeing how the marshals carefully planned the arrest so as to avoid danger to other customers and startling the suspect into running. That always happens on cop show, where the suspect runs away and the cop has to run after him and climb over fences. 

[Kelly]

On 1/30/2021 at 2:26 PM, druzy said:

Regarding The Woman at the Bar episode, I wonder if Lois went to her friend's (or acquittance's) house in Florida thinking it would be vacant. I feel horrible for the victim's families. 

I thought maybe she went there because she knew her friend would let her in and she could kill her easily (take her car, her identity etc) and then she chickened out at the last minute and drove off after her friend recognized her.

[EtheltoTillie]

3 hours ago, Kelly said:

I thought maybe she went there because she knew her friend would let her in and she could kill her easily (take her car, her identity etc) and then she chickened out at the last minute and drove off after her friend recognized her.

Too bad she didn’t allocute all of this during her guilty plea. 

[Ohmo]

Lori Daybell’s attorney says she should be given a cell phone so they can communicate

No way would I let her have access to a cell phone. Other articles on the East Idaho News website say trials are set for July.

[EtheltoTillie]

On 2/1/2021 at 3:01 AM, GussieK said:

I also like seeing how the marshals carefully planned the arrest so as to avoid danger to other customers and startling the suspect into running. That always happens on cop show, where the suspect runs away and the cop has to run after him and climb over fences. 

After writing the above post the other day I felt so terrible to hear about how the FBI was so badly ambushed during that attempted warrant this week. They obviously did not plan for danger in this case. I imagine they will change their protocols now?  

[MsJamieDornan]

On 2/1/2021 at 2:01 AM, GussieK said:

I also like seeing how the marshals carefully planned the arrest so as to avoid danger to other customers and startling the suspect into running. That always happens on cop show, where the suspect runs away and the cop has to run after him and climb over fences. 

That made me laugh. I can't see her jumping over any fences. Or running for that matter. lol

[iMonrey]

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This is what enrages me: it's up to women to prevent men from stalking and murdering them. The men have no responsibility whatsoever to not stalk and kill women.

I don't think anybody says men have no responsibility. We just watch too much Dateline. The fact is that everyone needs to be discerning about who they go out with. Women do and men do too. Just because most of these shows have female victims and male perps doesn't mean the opposite isn't true sometimes. Maybe get to know someone a little better before getting involved with them. Google is your friend. You can start there rather than wait until things start getting sketchy, y'know?

[Melina22]

So I'm in shock from watching a show about the Staudte murders, which were new to me. I was as shocked as I was by the Daybell murders, perhaps because they both involved an outwardly normal wife and mother deliberately killing her family with no apparent remorse. Fortunately she was stopped before completing the entire job. 

Has this case been on Dateline? If not I'm surprised. It was so complicated and twisted and almost impossible to believe. If there were a book about it, I'd definitely read it. 

 

 

[Ellee]

On 2/3/2021 at 8:58 PM, Ohmo said:

Lori Daybell’s attorney says she should be given a cell phone so they can communicate

No way would I let her have access to a cell phone. Other articles on the East Idaho News website say trials are set for July.

I agree.  Other inmates find ways to communicate with their lawyers.  Maybe the way to solve all their issues is to just tell the truth. 
 

I just can’t believe the number of babies that have been in the headlines that have been murdered.   By family too.  Scares the hell out of me. So many people go through so much to have a child and yet these ‘idiots’ kill their’s.   (Would prefer to use another word for ‘idiots’ but I just can’t type it.)
 

Vallow/Daybell.  This should be further along I would think.  

[Ellee]

First article I see this morning ... ‘Neighbors  reported child,3, screaming before death, mom’s boyfriend is accused’.   SMFH.  I hear screaming I’m breaking the door down ...  

How could you not????

Cutest little boy ever!  In PA.  Aiden was his name. 
 

ETA. I’m ancient.  Did all this shit happen before and we only know now because of the internet or has this world truly changed

Edited February 5, 2021 by Ellee

[kieyra]

2 hours ago, Ellee said:

ETA. I’m ancient.  Did all this shit happen before and we only know now because of the internet or has this world truly changed

It's the 'internet' part. Violent crime has been declining for decades.

[TVbitch]

Re: Thursday night's episode. Dude only gets a few years for his first kidnapping/sexual assault, then gets possible parole after only 7 years for murder? WTF!

Seems to me sexual crimes perpetrators are extremely likely to re-offend/escalate and sentences should take this into account. 

[iMonrey]

Shannon's Story: I'm a little tired of the obligatory testimonials from friends and family, extolling the virtues of the murder victim. "She was so beloved, everyone loved her, everyone just wanted to be around her, she lit up a room," etc. Nobody ever goes "Yeah she was a real bitch, nobody liked her. It's a wonder she wasn't murdered sooner."

Quote

Re: Thursday night's episode. Dude only gets a few years for his first kidnapping/sexual assault, then gets possible parole after only 7 years for murder? WTF!

That's really the shocking part. He kidnapped, hogtied and raped that girl and got out in less that two years. There are non-violent drug offenders serving ten times that sentence.

[Lsk02]

On 2/5/2021 at 7:28 AM, Ellee said:

ETA. I’m ancient.  Did all this shit happen before and we only know now because of the internet or has this world truly changed

A friend of mine’s mother and 3 youngest siblings (she’s the second oldest of 8 ) were killed by murder-suicide in the late 60s. She and the other siblings survived because they were in school. That was long before postpartum psychosis was even heard of, but is definitely what happened. Hearing her story taught me a lot, but this kind of thing has definitely been happening for a long time. 

[iMonrey]

Hometown Hero could easily have been an hour, but then that's true of most of the two hour episodes. I knew about five minutes in it was the ex-wife. Isn't it always? Pretty much, whenever an ex is mentioned up front, that's the perp. And yet another case of head-smacking injustice, she'll probably only serve ten years for having her ex-husband killed just so she could buy more jewelry and fancy clothes. Yeesh.

[Melina22]

I'm confused by The Black Box. I didn't think the evidence was very compelling, and didn't expect the husband to be found guilty. I wonder if there was something they left out.