Unsolved Mysteries - General Discussion

[Aliferously]

On the Rey Rivera case.

I was most fascinated with the fact that he pretty much corkscrewed into that building. If you jump, would you not sprawl your limbs and land in that position? Vertically going through a roof (straight through the upper layer, the insulation etc) seems rather physically impossible.

His boss must have held some sway over him to have him move across the country to write financial treatises without actually having the know how or the expertise.

Also, why weren't the police on the lookout for the car or the license plate? A car parked in a busy spot for eight days should have drawn someones attention sooner. 

[Surrealist]

7 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I lived where two of the crimes they talked about happened, and the short format in the original omitted a whole lot of information, and both crimes are technically unsolved still.    

I get that that can happen, but plenty of info gets left out of the "one case, per hour" format.

 

Disappeared, as much as I like the show, is guilty of leaving out information that could help elucidate the cases.

[ByaNose]

13 Minutes: Patrice.........like the old saying goes it’s usually the husband or boyfriend so I’ll go with her 59 year old husband. He seems creepy to me. It’s too bad there weren’t any surveillance cameras in the area (2005 was a long time ago though) just to track cars coming & going from the area. The salon being left intact leads me to believe she knew the person & maybe went willingly thus leaving behind her bag. Besides the bones there really isn’t much to go on but maybe this episode will jog someone’s memory. 

[North of Eden]

I will only comment on episode one as its all i have seen yet.

First and most importantly I assume I am not the only one who got chills when the ghostly image of Robert Stack appeared at the end of the credits as if he were still watching over the proceedings  from beyond the grave. Well done to the original producers for including that nod.

Okay-the new production model. It was odd to have the victims wife serve as a quasi narrator along with some on screen graphics to move the story along. I guess it was a case of damned if you do damned if you don't as there is no one with  the gravitas Robert Stack had...and yet it really felt like it needed a host. Plus more of the original music too please.

A curious LACK of many reinactments which helped make the original famous.

I think there should be at least two cases presented per hour.

As for the case:

The Belevedere looks beutiful and was that a 13th floor restaurant I was seeing? I'd love to dine there if so. Built when buildings were a thing of beauty and not featureless glass towers!

Wow the best friend is a suspicous tool but I am still leaning towards suicide. The wife claims it wasn't a note but why else would he write it that very day and tape it to the back of his desk. Looks like the hallmark of some mental breakdown.

Not sure why the wife was having her visit to the roof of the Belevedere documented in photographs. I found that bizarre.

For a struggling couple that was one damn fine looking house!

I hope his wife eventually found someone else and remarried. I imagine Re wouldn't want her chained to his ghost forever.

Edited July 12, 2020 by North of Eden

[ByaNose]

Missing Witness: Sandy.....sounds like Mother of Year here, doesn’t she? Good god! Those daughters didn’t stand a chance in life with that wacko hussy. Good grief. I’m pretty sure she killed her daughter Lena and now she has her (Grand) son. How in the hell was she able to do that and still have custody? The daughter was her young henchmen until she realized that her Mother was the devil but it was too late. I’m not sure what she did with the body but I guess she burned her and tossed her out the car window. The eldest daughter seem to be the most sensible and normal one. I’m assuming all the daughters are of age and have gotten away from her, right? Hopefully, the sisters can keep their nephew safe until he can make up his own mind about all of this. Simply crazy!

[Aliferously]

6 hours ago, North of Eden said:

As for the case:

The Belevedere looks beutiful and was that a 13th floor restaurant I was seeing? I'd love to dine there if so. Built when buildings were a thing of beauty and not featureless glass towers!

Wow the best friend is a suspicous tool but I am still leaning towards suicide. The wife claims it wasn't a note but why else would he write it that very day and tape it to the back of his desk. Looks like the hallmark of some mental breakdown.

Not sure why the wife was having her visit to the roof of the Belevedere documented in photographs. I found that bizarre.

 

That building did/does indeed look amazing. The perfect setting for weird shit to occur too.

Did he write the note the same day? I got the impression it had been there a while and his wife only found it after the initial investigation died down.

I think the rooftop visit was news footage, so perhaps not that odd that they would highlight the search efforts. I felt she and her family were very alone in that though. I know 24 or 48 hours have to pass before police can get involved but they made it seem like it took a long time before they got off their asses.

I still can't let go of that hole and how that worked. Even if he jumped/fell off one of those chimneys, he still wouldn't fall fast enough to go head or feet first down straight through the roof. Unless it was made of balsa wood and rice paper.

[ByaNose]

3 hours ago, Aliferously said:

That building did/does indeed look amazing. The perfect setting for weird shit to occur too.

Did he write the note the same day? I got the impression it had been there a while and his wife only found it after the initial investigation died down.

I think the rooftop visit was news footage, so perhaps not that odd that they would highlight the search efforts. I felt she and her family were very alone in that though. I know 24 or 48 hours have to pass before police can get involved but they made it seem like it took a long time before they got off their asses.

I still can't let go of that hole and how that worked. Even if he jumped/fell off one of those chimneys, he still wouldn't fall fast enough to go head or feet first down straight through the roof. Unless it was made of balsa wood and rice paper.

And, that he “landed” body intact in an office conference room without anyone hearing anything. Very odd.

[North of Eden]

4 hours ago, Aliferously said:

That building did/does indeed look amazing. The perfect setting for weird shit to occur too.

Did he write the note the same day? I got the impression it had been there a while and his wife only found it after the initial investigation died down.

I think the rooftop visit was news footage, so perhaps not that odd that they would highlight the search efforts. I felt she and her family were very alone in that though. I know 24 or 48 hours have to pass before police can get involved but they made it seem like it took a long time before they got off their asses.

I still can't let go of that hole and how that worked. Even if he jumped/fell off one of those chimneys, he still wouldn't fall fast enough to go head or feet first down straight through the roof. Unless it was made of balsa wood and rice paper.

The wife said something about finding scraps in the waste basket that came from the rest of the note...implying same day. The fall is indeed perplexing. I saw some posts on here suggesting a helicopter drop but somoene would have had noticed a helicopter hovering so close to their luxury apartment generating a hell of a lot of noise so I am not buying that.

[iMonrey]

19 hours ago, North of Eden said:

A curious LACK of many reinactments which helped make the original famous.

Every episode had re-enactments. They were perhaps less cheesy than in the original show but they were used where appropriate and/or needed. It's probably a credit to the show that the were worked in so seamlessly  people didn't seem to notice them.

Quote

The eldest daughter seem to be the most sensible and normal one. I’m assuming all the daughters are of age and have gotten away from her, right?

There were at least 2 other younger daughters than the one featured. Either they are still supporting their mother (yikes!) or they are still underage and weren't interviewed (or both).

[cpcathy]

I was always so dismayed when my husband would watch reruns of the original series, why did everyone’s interviews always look like they were done in the 70’s? How bad was the film they were using? I do, however, really like this version. It’s a creepiest, right from the theme music. 
I think Rey’s friend had something to do with his death, there are just too many oddities for a suicide. And didn’t they mention Russians? I don’t doubt certain baddie Russians wouldn’t hesitate to throw someone off a roof. 
I also think Patrice’s husband is Very strange and not a good guy, so I wouldn’t put it past him to be a part of her death. Poor Pistol. 

[ByaNose]

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Every episode had re-enactments. They were perhaps less cheesy than in the original show but they were used where appropriate and/or needed. It's probably a credit to the show that the were worked in so seamlessly  people didn't seem to notice them.

There were at least 2 other younger daughters than the one featured. Either they are still supporting their mother (yikes!) or they are still underage and weren't interviewed (or both).

Yeah, there so many girls I couldn’t recall how old the younger ones were at the time or currently. They didn’t really seem to delve into that part. It went from the elder daughters, the one that went missing & the little boy. They also said the mother & stepfather declined to be interviewed. 

[Shermie]

Quote

in a tiny little sundown town

I've seen the phrase "sundown town" a few times in this thread referring to the racist little town where Alonzo vanished.

What does the phrase mean? Where did it originate?

[Ellaria]

On 7/7/2020 at 7:27 AM, truthaboutluv said:

It was actually worse than that. He locked him out literally a day after Patrice went missing, when there was no proof yet that she was dead and definitely never coming back. What man that supposedly loved a woman so much, changes the locks literally a day after she goes missing, as if he's certain she's never coming back. Like shouldn't his focus had been on finding his wife?

On 7/7/2020 at 1:49 PM, iMonrey said:

The argument against someone random is that Patrice had been acting out of sorts all morning long. All her customers reported that she was short with them or distracted and not her usual self. So something had happened that morning to put her in a mood, and I think it's likely a fight or even a threat from her husband. 

On 7/7/2020 at 10:29 PM, WendyCR72 said:

Considering the jealousy he displayed because she dared to love her own damned son and his wacko statements, I still do not discount - even if he did not do the actual murder - that he had Patrice killed. Because a jealous guy like that typically does not take rejection well. And I seriously doubt the intent to divorce him was "new information", as he put it...

As for poor Pistol Black, I hope he has found a measure of peace somehow. Thankful that he still had his father (and grandfather).

Agree with all of these comments that Rob is an absolute creep. Something is seriously "off" with him and his odd display of emotions. He has no sympathy for Pistol - a young boy that lost his mother - but prefers to pontificate about the possibilty of her being a "toy" for her murderer. I found him as disturbing as the two killers interviewed in prison. He seemed almost delighted that he was being interviewed for this show.

Based on what we were told, he doesn't seem to be a prime suspect. His timeline - in his opinion - eliminates him. I wish we had further corroboration about what he did that day. As we know, there is information that isn't being shared. Since Patrice's demeanor was noticeably different in the hours before her death, it is probably safe to say that her home life wasn't great (confirming Pistol's statement).

However, that doesn't mean that creepy Rob is her killer. The truth may lie with the blue car and with whomever may have been seen outside her shop. I know that the investigators do not believe that robbery was the motive but I'm not convinced of that.

 

On 7/10/2020 at 8:22 PM, methodwriter85 said:

I can see that, but wasn't Xavier supposed to be broke? How would he have gotten the kind of money he would have needed for a plastic surgeon unless he was calling in some kind of favor?

If he is alive - and I think that he is - he most certainly had help: money, fake ID, safe house. Xavier had no intention of killing himself or going into the woods and living off the grid. His intent was to turn the page on his family life and start over as the aristrocrat that he wanted to be. He was calculating and methodical. He had a life planned out for himself and, in order to do it, he had to have access to money. Someone helped him.

Quote

He may have had serious financial troubles that prevented him and his family from living the life they were used to but that doesn't mean he was penniless. He probably planned this thing meticulously and squirreled money away for weeks/months so he could make his escape. I believe that is why he is on a series that is otherwise based entirely in the US. He could be living next door to us for all we know.  

@Andyourlittledog2 makes a great point above. Financial trouble doesn't mean zero money. He cleaned out the family's bank accounts and he also paid the school tution for Anne and Benoit. Clearly, there was some money. An article about Xavier and the murders mentioned that the family had attempted to move to Florida a few years earlier but it didn't work out. Maybe he always intended to come to the US, with or without his family. 

Edited July 14, 2020 by Ellaria Sand

[North of Eden]

All right then...just saw Episode 2 and can now comment.

I tried not to read the threads above mentioning it so as not to be spoiled but I saw bits and snatches about Rob being horrible and now I understand...oh do I understand.

What a despicable human being. The boy's mother is  missing and you lock him out? Then years later after she is found I was dumbfounded at the shocking twist in the last 10 minutes that Rob is some kind of insane ghoul walking around with her skull and sleeping with her ashes making Norman Bates look sane in comparison. When this airs and Pistol learns these things if he is as bad as Rob was making him out to be then he's liable to deservedly beat his ass. Give the boy back his mom's ashes you creep! How could it be no one interceded on Pistols behalf to get them?!

Also disheartening was the segment with the list of possible suspects. It's disturbing how many monsters there are out there right now walking among us.

Lastly not that this has any bearing on anything but was Patrice bi-racial? With every picture they showed of her I kept going back and forth on the matter. Sometimes I was 100% convinced and then I wasn't. Her sister did not appear to be but we never saw her mother. So that to me was another side mystery as I was trying to suss out her ethnicity.

 

Edited July 14, 2020 by North of Eden

[azshadowwalker]

8 hours ago, Shermie said:

I've seen the phrase "sundown town" a few times in this thread referring to the racist little town where Alonzo vanished.

What does the phrase mean? Where did it originate?

A sundown town comes from the practice of racist law enforcement and citizens telling Black people to be out of the all-white town by sundown (or suffer the consequences). Here's the wiki: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sundown_town

On the topic of Rey, they kept saying that he went through the roof, but one person said it was steel. How does a body pierce a steel roof at all? 

[CrystalBlue]

1 hour ago, North of Eden said:

Lastly not that this has any bearing on anything but was Patrice bi-racial? With every picture they showed of her I kept going back and forth on the matter. Sometimes I was 100% convinced and then I wasn't. Her sister did not appear to be but we never saw her mother. So that to me was another side mystery as I was trying to suss out her ethnicity.

 

 

I found this about Patrice Tamber Endres from The Charley Project website

http://charleyproject.org/case/patrice-tamber-endres

and this from a missing persons website

http://www.angelfire.com/jazz/jazzyrose/PatriceEndres.html

 

Edited July 14, 2020 by CrystalBlue

[North of Eden]

36 minutes ago, CrystalBlue said:

I found this about Patrice Tamber Endres from The Charley Project website

http://charleyproject.org/case/patrice-tamber-endres

and this from a missing persons website

http://www.angelfire.com/jazz/jazzyrose/PatriceEndres.html

 

Wow thanks for that. So it seems neither organization agree. I guess if she is mixed then they both can be right but for now it remains a mystery too.

[Cheezwiz]

4 hours ago, North of Eden said:

Also disheartening was the segment with the list of possible suspects. It's disturbing how many monsters there are out there right now walking among us.

That little corner of Georgia certainly seemed to be serial killer central at that point in time didn't it? And frankly, I think I'd lump Rob in with them, 'cause he's just THAT creepy!

[iMonrey]

Quote

On the topic of Rey, they kept saying that he went through the roof, but one person said it was steel. How does a body pierce a steel roof at all? 

If a body falls (or is thrown) from a great enough height, the force of the impact would be strong enough to smash a hole through a metal roof if it's fairly thin to begin with. I don't remember them going into any great detail about the roof's composition though.

[ByaNose]

On 7/15/2020 at 10:00 AM, iMonrey said:

If a body falls (or is thrown) from a great enough height, the force of the impact would be strong enough to smash a hole through a metal roof if it's fairly thin to begin with. I don't remember them going into any great detail about the roof's composition though.

I don’t recall hearing that either about the roofs makeup. I’ll have to watch it again. I will say the hole in the roof is either the biggest mystery or myth. I’m beginning to think he was just placed in the conference room and the hole is from something else that no one had noticed before. Just a theory. 

[Cheezwiz]

5 hours ago, ByaNose said:

I will say the hole in the roof is either the biggest mystery or myth. I’m beginning to think he was just placed in the conference room and the hole is from something else that no one had noticed before. Just a theory. 

The hole could very well be a red herring!

[Ellaria]

16 hours ago, ByaNose said:

 I will say the hole in the roof is either the biggest mystery or myth. I’m beginning to think he was just placed in the conference room and the hole is from something else that no one had noticed before. Just a theory. 

I think it is possible that he didn't go thru the roof. There is a lot that went "unnoticed" in this case:

• Rey's car in the parking lot near Stansbury's office for six days. Didn't his friends find it?
• No surveillance or eye witnesses to indicate where Rey went after leaving home
• No eye witnesses that saw Rey in the hotel on the day that he went missing
• A dead body in an "unused" room in the hotel for days 
• A large hole in the roof of the hotel 

Perhaps the police are not revealing all that they know. Perhaps they made an early judgement that it was a suicide and didn't ask a lot of important follow-up questions.

If Rey did not fall thru the roof, then he was brutally beaten and dumped in that room. There is a lot that still needs to be explained if that is a viable possibility such as how/why his flip flops, cell phone and glasses ended up on the roof.

 

[starri]

On 7/13/2020 at 9:50 PM, azshadowwalker said:

On the topic of Rey, they kept saying that he went through the roof, but one person said it was steel. How does a body pierce a steel roof at all? 

My back of the envelope math says his terminal velocity would have been around 75mph and would hit with about 750 pounds of force.  That's pretty significant.  That's assuming he weighed 200 lbs, but given how tall he was, I'm probably lowballing it.

[North of Eden]

Yep, 100% Zo ran afoul of a bunch of good old boys that didn't like him interacting with a white girl. It's a story told many times down through the history of this land, Emmet Till being one of the more famous examples.

I don't get dumping his shoes and hat to be found nor the wisdom of hiding the body and putting it out later to be found which in a common sense world would draw tighter scrutiny rather than having the case close. I guess the killers fell to the ground and came up with a four leaf clover in one hand and horseshoe in the other.

I don't know how much Justin really thinks about Zo but the fact remains leaving him behind was not cool especially when I understand his story that he would have to have passed back by the farm after getting lost going in the right direction in order to get home. Why not stop and get him.

Zo's friend English, the snoop dog looking guy though I suspect has a lot of jealousy and perhaps a touch of racism in his own right that Zo had white friends so I didn't put much stock in his attitude.

 

P.S. can anyone tell me if the whole Dupont episode was in French? I gave up on it after ten minutes. Why would they do that? I know it took place in France but people don't like subtitles..its a proven fact and I bet it will be the least watched ep of the revival.

Edited July 20, 2020 by North of Eden

[cpcathy]

The entire episode was in French. I took French, but I could only pluck out certain words, and having the subtitles certainly helped.

[CrystalBlue]

They had to interview the French people speaking their native language because not everyone is fluent in English or proficient enough to run a commentary on camera.  I didn't find it as annoying as starting a movie or TV show series only to find out the whole thing's dubbed!  (Netflix, I'm looking at you.)  I give UM a pass because they couldn't have brought the story to us otherwise without the townspeople's input.

Agree that Zo was a victim of racism-motivated murder.  The best I can say about Alonzo's friends is that perhaps they underestimated the danger he was in by just mixing with white people and proceeded with partying down as per usual.  Yep, the whole town by now must know who killed Alonzo but aren't talking because justice for a black man is just as elusive as falling down and coming back up holding a four-leaf clover and a horseshoe.

[MerBearStare]

5 minutes ago, CrystalBlue said:

The best I can say about Alonzo's friends is that perhaps they underestimated the danger he was in by just mixing with white people and proceeded with partying down as per usual.

And this is why white people being like, "I don't see race," is so dangerous. You don't see race...good for you I guess. But those people at that party did and that may have gotten Alonzo killed. And I don't want to come down hard on the friends because they are young and I can't even imagine the hurt and the guilt they still feel, but when you go to a party with friends, no one gets left behind! Especially not if that person is BIPOC or female or LGBTQ+.

[iMonrey]

Quote

I don't know how much Justin really thinks about Zo but the fact remains leaving him behind was not cool especially when I understand his story that he would have to have passed back by the farm after getting lost going in the right direction in order to get home. Why not stop and get him.

Justin told another friend to give Alonzo a ride. So Justin didn't think he needed to go back and pick up Alonzo. Which is fair enough. I can't really blame Justin for this. But the other friend, the one Justin asked to give Alonzo a ride? They sort of glossed over that. Justin didn't elaborate on why THAT friend left without Alonzo, and that friend was not interviewed for this episode. 

[Enero]

On 7/20/2020 at 2:56 PM, iMonrey said:

Justin told another friend to give Alonzo a ride. So Justin didn't think he needed to go back and pick up Alonzo. Which is fair enough. I can't really blame Justin for this. But the other friend, the one Justin asked to give Alonzo a ride? They sort of glossed over that. Justin didn't elaborate on why THAT friend left without Alonzo, and that friend was not interviewed for this episode. 

The way Justin told the story it sounded like he asked someone to ask another someone to give Alonzo a ride home. So who knows if the other someone got the request or even agreed to it. 
 

Another update on this case:

Federal Authorities Exhume Body of Alonzo Brooks, Whose 2004 Death May Have Been Racially Motivated

I don’t know how much evidence can be found with his body after so much time, but I’m glad authorities are still working to solve this. I hope the family eventually gets some answers about what happened. 

[CrystalBlue]

5 hours ago, Enero said:

The way Justin told the story it sounded like he asked someone to ask another someone to give Alonzo a ride home. So who knows if the other someone got the request or even agreed to it. 
 

Another update on this case:

Federal Authorities Exhume Body of Alonzo Brooks, Whose 2004 Death May Have Been Racially Motivated

I don’t know how much evidence can be found with his body after so much time, but I’m glad authorities are still working to solve this. I hope the family eventually gets some answers about what happened. 

Maybe the publicity of the exhumation of Alonzo's remains, which should be resting in peace, will prompt some tongues to wag in Sundown City.  Confessors and gossip have solved cases before.  Let's hope that Alonzo and his family do get justice, eventually.

[AheadofStraight]

We live in CT not too far from the Berkshires and we love covered bridges so we took a ride to the Sheffield Covered Bridge featured in the UFO episode. Interesting signage up around it. Turns out it is also the oldest covered bridge in Massachusetts.

 

[Ashforth]

I watched two and a half of the UM episodes yesterday.

Rey Rivera: fascinating mystery and heartbreaking for his wife Alison. The video of their wedding when she burst into delighted laughter after putting the ring on his finger captured a moment of pure joy that was just beautiful. She is one of the most compelling and sympathetic family members I've ever seen in a story like this. But something was going on with Rey that she didn't know. There wasn't a mention of forensic investigations of his computer or his phone (other than identifying that last phone call). No mention of whether the family has hired private investigators to try to get more information about his employer or from his colleagues. And there is the possibility that he had an undiagnosed/emerging mental illness. However, the phone call, him rushing out to apparently meet someone, the circumstances of where his body was found and its condition sure don't seem to support the suicide theory.

The French aristocrat episode: too long and dragged out. It could have easily been told and been far more engaging in half the time.

Alonzo: I'm sad to say that this one, again, was too drawn out and just plain boring. I didn't finish the episode.

This series needs to look back at what made the original such a success, pick up the pace, and do multiple stories (even just two) in each episode. Add a narrator. I hate to use this word in connection with people's personal tragedies, but make it entertaining.

[Klaw]

On 7/20/2020 at 7:16 PM, MerBearStare said:

And this is why white people being like, "I don't see race," is so dangerous. You don't see race...good for you I guess. But those people at that party did and that may have gotten Alonzo killed. 

OMG This! So much this! Because they could never fathom something like that happening to them, they did not think it could happen to their friend. They loved him and he happened to be black/biracial and they saw his humanity. But way too many white Americans only see race and that's the reality of Alonzo's life and death. Their blindness to their own privilege (being able to go anywhere and do anything) and probably Alonzo's feeling that he was young and invincible, well .... heartbreaking.

Regarding Rey Rivera: the only reason I hesitate to say he committed suicide (i.e., jumped off the roof) was where he was found ... If he had jumped ... even if he had run... would he have gone through the roof? I am absolutely not a physics expert but it just doesn't look right and as someone noted, how did he get up there and how did he happen to "fall" into a room that was unused? Suicides are usually found pretty quickly... It was like he thought "hmm, let me jump off the Belvedere and I will hit the roof and or fall through the roof and so no one will find me..." That's just ... I don't buy it. I do not even think he jumped or was pushed off ... I think someone or someones killed him and planted him in that room.  

Regarding Xavier: I do not believe for one second he offed himself. No way. And I think "broke" meant he would not be able to take care of a family of of 6 in the style in which he was accustomed to going forward ... so he chose himself and he chose carefully. He had had that gun since the death of his father and I think he saw the money running out he had about 3+ months to plan things out. I bet he had a nice chunk of change left that he stashed in a Swiss or foreign bank account and paid for documents and a new identity. Enough to start over somewhere and get an unassuming job. I think his pilgrimage with a big show of him using credit cards and whatnot in his real name was just that, a big show. It was creepy how he seemed to look into the camera before disappearing. I think he killed them after he had his plans in place and not before... this was not sudden. As for his "bad back"  making it impossible to do what he did (dig the graves) like his friend was saying.... meh. Adrenaline, wine, and painkillers can help with that. I would imagine once you have committed to murdering your entire family and your 2 dogs stuff like back pain and finding someone to dummy up documents for you is no big deal.  He could have rented another car and stashed it somewhere else in that town and drove himself out of there, leaving behind his car,  or had bribed a cargo ship or jumped on a train ...  The producer announced they had a promising tip saying he was spotted in Chicago... If he is still alive, and i think he is, I hope they find that rat bastard.

Regarding the show ... I really like it and I do not mind the 1 story per episode format. I was a HUGE fan of UM back in the 80s/early 90s so I was wary about the reboot but I appreciate that they did not try to keep it too similar and I screeched when I saw GHOST ROBERT STACK in the opening credits. To this GenXer, I thought it was well done. But I do agree I wouldn't mind some more paranormal stories ...the UFO one was not super interesting to me as was the last episode about that poor daughter. Only because, as others have said, it's so obvious it was her sicko mother that did her in. But there will be 6 more eps coming so I can't wait!

[Cheezwiz]

2 hours ago, Klaw said:

ut there will be 6 more eps coming so I can't wait!

Same! I'm already anxious for more! MORE!!! Can't get enough! But they aren't saying when the next six will be released - just sometime this year.

[iMonrey]

Quote

 I am absolutely not a physics expert but it just doesn't look right and as someone noted, how did he get up there and how did he happen to "fall" into a room that was unused? Suicides are usually found pretty quickly... It was like he thought "hmm, let me jump off the Belvedere and I will hit the roof and or fall through the roof and so no one will find me..." That's just ... I don't buy it. I do not even think he jumped or was pushed off ... I think someone or someones killed him and planted him in that room.  

On the other hand . . . if someone staged the scene to make it look like Rey fell through the roof, how would they have created that massive hole in the ceiling without anyone noticing? And even if he was thrown off the roof of the hotel (rather than having jumped himself) the trajectory is still problematic. Which makes jumping versus throwing a wash, as far as that goes.

I do think the whole thing is sketchy as hell but I just can't rule out the possibility that this guy had some mental health issue the episode sort of glossed over out of deference to his family. I can't get past that weird little note taped to the back of his computer and I think his interest in writing screenplays is also a potential factor.

At any rate, this was definitely the biggest head scratcher out of the six episodes.

Edited July 29, 2020 by iMonrey

[BookWitch]

They do mention that he had major fractures of both legs as if he'd landed hard or was jumping through something. I've  read that if you're conscious and thrown off something, you'll reactively  put your arms out to try to catch yourself. But if he was already dead and thrown off the building I can't see him falling straight down either.  Definitely weird.

[Ellaria]

18 hours ago, iMonrey said:

On the other hand . . . if someone staged the scene to make it look like Rey fell through the roof, how would they have created that massive hole in the ceiling without anyone noticing? And even if he was thrown off the roof of the hotel (rather than having jumped himself) the trajectory is still problematic. Which makes jumping versus throwing a wash, as far as that goes.

I do think the whole thing is sketchy as hell but I just can't rule out the possibility that this guy had some mental health issue the episode sort of glossed over out of deference to his family. I can't get past that weird little note taped to the back of his computer and I think his interest in writing screenplays is also a potential factor.

At any rate, this was definitely the biggest head scratcher out of the six episodes.

Agree that it is sketchy. There is a lot that can't be explained, regardless of which theory one may favor. As with any sort of mystery/crime, the physical evidence may suggest one thing while testimony/observation suggests something else. A mental health issue cannot be discounted, regardless of what his family may say. However, even if that is the case, the trajectory off the roof is still a problem. 

IMO, this mystery is more perplexing than the others in the series. We know that Rey received a phone call and left the house. A few days later he is found dead. Everything else is a guess.

Edit: has there been any attempt to confirm when Rey wrote the note? Does Alison claim that he wrote the note the day he went missing because she found "scraps in the trash can?" 

Edited July 30, 2020 by Ellaria Sand

[iMonrey]

Quote

IMO, this mystery is more perplexing than the others in the series.

By far. The others weren't really mysteries so much, in fact. I mean, there isn't much of a mystery about what happened to Patrice Endres, IMO, or to Alonzo Brooks except for the "who" part. Nor was there any mystery about what happened to Lena Chapin. I suppose there's a mystery to what ultimately became of Xavier Dupont, and the UFO story isn't ever going to be "solved." But the story about Rey Rivera is really strange and baffling.

[CrystalBlue]

I'm confused about what note we're discussing in the Rey case.  I thought the questionable note was the typewritten list of movies found taped to the inside of his computer or hidden somewhere.  I can't recall what the note was that Alison found torn up in the trash.

[Ellaria]

3 hours ago, CrystalBlue said:

I'm confused about what note we're discussing in the Rey case.  I thought the questionable note was the typewritten list of movies found taped to the inside of his computer or hidden somewhere.  I can't recall what the note was that Alison found torn up in the trash.

Apologies - by note I meant the paper(s) taped to his computer so yes, the typewritten list of movies, as you call it. I was asking someone to confirm that Alison believed it was written the day of his disappearance because she found scraps in the trash. Did she empty the trash in his office daily? I was wondering if he had written it days before his disappearance.

 

5 hours ago, iMonrey said:

By far. The others weren't really mysteries so much, in fact. I mean, there isn't much of a mystery about what happened to Patrice Endres, IMO, or to Alonzo Brooks except for the "who" part. Nor was there any mystery about what happened to Lena Chapin. I suppose there's a mystery to what ultimately became of Xavier Dupont, and the UFO story isn't ever going to be "solved." But the story about Rey Rivera is really strange and baffling.

Right - the Rey Rivera story is the only true mystery. There isn't even consensus about what happened to him. There is nothing to 100% support one conclusion or another. It is disturbing.

The mystery about the Dupont de Ligonnès story is the whereabouts of Xavier. I think it is safe to say that he, his family and their dogs aren't living under assumed names in the US.

Edited July 30, 2020 by Ellaria Sand

[iMonrey]

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I thought the questionable note was the typewritten list of movies found taped to the inside of his computer or hidden somewhere. 

It was more than just a list of movies - it was a bizarre collection of random lists, words and phrases, all shrunk down into a miniature typeface. Then folded up and completely wrapped in tape and hidden on the back of the computer. Weird.

[WendyCR72]

I recall, in the Rey Rivera case, something was mentioned about, perhaps, those involved trying to access the home for something. (Hence the alarms?) We know Rey had a houseguest, but between the time he went missing and the guest may have left, could it be at all possible that the note was not even written by Rey? (I know, sounds conspiracy theory-ish!) But with everything else so strange, it just makes me wonder.

Been a few weeks since I saw this, so I may be way off base.

Either way, sad to say, I don't see this ever being solved.

[Mrs. Hanson]

On 7/5/2020 at 2:36 PM, CrystalBlue said:

Given the fact that Pistol didn't name himself and he is just a normal young man who had something terrible happen to him (losing his mother to murder, not just getting locked out of the house), I don't see the need to make fun of his name.  Rappers have unusual names too.  Does anyone remember Remington Steele?

Someone on an UM site found him and his given name is Wade, Pistol is a nickname.

Edited August 2, 2020 by Mrs. Hanson

[North of Eden]

Okay finally saw the Lena episode. Not seeing a lot of love for this episode based on lack of comments.

What the older sister went through in that truck was absolutely terrifying. She is so lucky to be alive. Some people are just monsters,plain and simple.

I knew the ground penetrating radar was going to be a waste of time...its already been proven that the mother and her husband are EXPERTS when it comes to body disposal=reducing it to ash and then spreading it far and wide. It's not like they are going to  leave Lena intact and somewhere that she could be found.

Colter is SO going to turn on his "mom" when he's old enough to realize this woman killed is real mother.

So what is the point of a civil judgment of 7 million if the defendants can just thumb their noses at it and never pay a red cent?

 

Edited August 3, 2020 by North of Eden

[iMonrey]

Quote

We know Rey had a houseguest, but between the time he went missing and the guest may have left, could it be at all possible that the note was not even written by Rey?

The houseguest was the wife's though. Also, I'd have to go back and watch it again, but the houseguest who heard him on the phone and then run out of the house also said she never heard the phone ring. That's another thing that made me wonder if Rey was just sort of "play-acting" some sort of scenario for a screenplay he was writing.

[WendyCR72]

10 hours ago, iMonrey said:

The houseguest was the wife's though. Also, I'd have to go back and watch it again, but the houseguest who heard him on the phone and then run out of the house also said she never heard the phone ring. That's another thing that made me wonder if Rey was just sort of "play-acting" some sort of scenario for a screenplay he was writing.

If I recall, the guest said they DID hear the phone ring. Then Rey taking off... ETA: I just checked. Allison, the wife, spoke of her colleague, Claudia, who was staying at her home. And Claudia told her (Allison) that she had heard a phone call come in around 6:30 p.m. It was short, then Rey rushed out.

[WendyCR72]

Speaking of the show's site, is anyone else getting a Trojan virus warning? Tried the address and Malwarebytes stopped me.

[Aliferously]

Quote

Based on what we were told, he doesn't seem to be a prime suspect. His timeline - in his opinion - eliminates him. I wish we had further corroboration about what he did that day. As we know, there is information that isn't being shared. Since Patrice's demeanor was noticeably different in the hours before her death, it is probably safe to say that her home life wasn't great (confirming Pistol's statement).

How someone else called her in those 13 minutes, saying come help out because I forgot my wallet and I can't pay the gas.

It would explain the unsteadiness the friend talked about. Perhaps the blue car blocked her way out, someone passing through asking for directions. Perhaps the old lady offered her a ride if she seemed out of sorts. She didn't have to be dropped off at the gas station, she could have walked. 

I think the investigators might be biding their time with the husband, see if he eventually slips up. 

I'm glad the son isn't actually named Pistol.

[Ellaria]

The Baltimore Sun ran an article on August 5th about Rey Rivera's death and the Unsolved Mysteries episode. Here is a link:

Rey Rivera’s friend, former Baltimore employer pushes back on Netflix’s ‘Unsolved Mysteries'

I do not believe that Porter had anything to do with Rey's death. However, his public stance, at that time and again in this article, reflects poorly on him. As someone who has been in marketing communications for over 30 years, there is/was a better way to handle this situation. 

However, this article raises questions about what information was left out of the episode or may have been misrepresented (intentionally or otherwise).

[Ashforth]

That is a fascinating article and raises a lot of questions about the current fad of "true" independent investigations into mysterious deaths and murders. Let us not forget that these podcasts and so-called documentaries and mainstream media shows like 48 Hours and Dateline are for-profit enterprises. They all leave some things out, embellish others, often have a point of view instead of being unbiased, and have the power of editing the information before presenting it to the consumer.

I feel for Rey's widow Allison, and I respect her pain, but I had a nagging feeling when watching this UM episode that he had a mental illness issue. This article, if accurate, seems to indicate that as well.