All Episodes Discussion

[halgia]

Quote

Authorities investigate the disappearance of a man who had recently been having marriage problems, leaving everyone wondering if he had left to start a new life, or if he was in danger, and his sister pushes the authorities to continue searching.

[halgia]

Quote

When four young men from Canada and the United States set out to become the first people to row across the Atlantic from Africa to North America, their thrilling adventure soon becomes a nightmarish battle for their survival.

[Taylorh2]

What happened ?

[Lura]

This show has been running for so long that sometimes I can't remember how an earlier one turned out.

 

One of my most memorable episodes is one that still gives me the chills when I think about it.  It was the one in which the two old ladies befriended homeless men, took them in, then murdered them for their insurance.  Those women looked so ghoulish and were so sure they'd never be caught!  Along came a detective investigating old insurance claims, and when he learned how and when various homeless men had died, he contacted the LAPD (Los Angeles), and the unraveling of the mystery began.

 

I wrote to the LAPD twice in an attempt to find the insurance claims man, but no one there knew what had become of him.  The last I knew, Dateline was still running the episode on their website.  It was THAT good!

[spaceytraci1208]

One of my favorite episodes "Deadly Connection" came on last night. The story of a young college-aged woman from Colorado who had disappeared and weeks following, another woman was brutally assaulted and left for dead by the same man. It's a terribly sad story, particularly for the woman who disappeared (Kenia) as it turned out the man had murdered her; but the woman who survived (Lydia) the second attack always amazes me and I have to watch this every time it comes on. This woman was raped, beaten and set on fire...and she forgives this man because she wouldn't be able to heal otherwise. Brings me to tears just thinking about it

[LakeGal]

I watched this episode.  I wish they had explained how Lydia ran into the killer.  She was attacked in here home.  Did he follow her home and break in?  Did she let him in?  I wanted to know how she crossed paths with him.

[walnutqueen]

One of my favorites was about the guy who'd spent all those years in prison being a model citizen and travelling all over the state doing the prison rodeo.  He was probably framed by his wife, and finally got out of prison (having to cop to some BS plea, I think) so he could spend time with his son.  The man made quite an impression on me; he seemed to have dignity and integrity (and I loved the fancy western shirt he wore while doing his interview).

[yourbutt]

The most memorable episode for me was about a couple who faked the husband's death with a fiery car crash, complete with a body dug up from a graveyard. Soon after the husband's "passing", the wife had a new boyfriend, who turned out to just be the husband with a different name and hair color. They pretty much botched the whole thing, from an unconvincing car crash to a search history showing details on getting new identities. For some reason the picture they showed of the poor woman whose body they dug up to burn in the crash has always stuck with me.

 

Also, there's an episode that involves a box of sex toys being stolen, and I remember the woman they were taken from stating that she wasn't embarrassed about going to the police, but just didn't think it was a big deal at first (but then once it was obvious someone had been hiding in her house, she was rightly terrified, as he turned out to be a rapist and murderer). She seemed super frank and awesome, and Keith Morrison seemed delighted by her. It was a light point in what ended up being a pretty dark and disturbing episode.

[walnutqueen]

spinsterly - the sex toy one was about Russell Williams, the highly esteemed colonel in the Canadian Air Force.  He broke into houses and stole ladies underwear, and took lots of pictures of himself dressed in said underwear.  The murders were awful, but it's those damned pictures I can never erase from my memory.  Eeeew.

[smittykins]

The most memorable episode for me was about a couple who faked the husband's death with a fiery car crash, complete with a body dug up from a graveyard. Soon after the husband's "passing", the wife had a new boyfriend, who turned out to just be the husband with a different name and hair color. They pretty much botched the whole thing, from an unconvincing car crash to a search history showing details on getting new identities. For some reason the picture they showed of the poor woman whose body they dug up to burn in the crash has always stuck with me.

 

 

Oh man, those two were pieces of work, weren't they?  I remember the wife saying during her interview that they planned to get back together once they got out of prison. And her own mother had washed her hands of her.

IIRC, the lady whose grave they disturbed was intellectually challenged, and requested burial instead of cremation because she was afraid of fire. :(

[torqy]

One of my favorites was about the guy who'd spent all those years in prison being a model citizen and travelling all over the state doing the prison rodeo.  He was probably framed by his wife, and finally got out of prison (having to cop to some BS plea, I think) so he could spend time with his son.  The man made quite an impression on me; he seemed to have dignity and integrity (and I loved the fancy western shirt he wore while doing his interview).

William Macumber, who lived in Phoenix. At one time, he owned a gas station in the hood I lived in as a kid. I think the wife framed him, too.

[JudyObscure]

Last night was a repeat of "Something Wicked," about the two popular, West Virginia, high school girls who stabbed their friend Skylar to death because they decided they didn't like her anymore. They planned it for months but then hurried to get it done, "before church camp." One of them was still grinning and tossing her long blonde hair in the court room. Shudder.

[ridethemaverick]

spinsterly - the sex toy one was about Russell Williams, the highly esteemed colonel in the Canadian Air Force. He broke into houses and stole ladies underwear, and took lots of pictures of himself dressed in said underwear. The murders were awful, but it's those damned pictures I can never erase from my memory. Eeeew.

I will never forget this one. It was truly chilling. I've been watching true from for a long time but this particular Dateline episode was one of best and creepiest I've ever seen.

[JudyObscure]

I agree the Colonel was one of the creepiest ever. There's something so frightening about a person who can show two entirely different faces to the world.

[emily842752]

One memorable episode, IMO, was the one about Mark Twitchell.  He was (ultimately) convicted of murder in the death of Johnny Altinger, but the episode centered on his attack on Gilles Tetreault. The episode focused on how Tetreault was lured  to Twitchell's house by using the website PlentyofFish (expecting a date with a woman), then was attacked by a Twitchell in a mask with a stun baton. And then the police discovered a document, entitled "SKConfessions," which detailed Twitchell's planning, first attempt, and successful second attempt at murdering a man by luring him to his garage using fake online profiles (complete with the process of dismembering the victim's body). And the fact that Keith Morrison did this story made it even creepier.

Edited June 7, 2014 by emily842752

[walnutqueen]

emily842752 - I remember that story - the perp claimed he was making a slasher movie or something like that.  I think there was some mention of the show Dexter, too - but can't for the life of me recall if the perp was a Dexter fan, or if it was something else.  I DO remember the perp wore a hockey mask - creepy!

 

ETA - I just watched last night's episode  "A Bronx Tale".  Yet another story of wrongful conviction and 6 people spent almost 2 decades in prison, largely due to police incompetence and malfeasance. 

Edited June 7, 2014 by walnutqueen

[zxy556575]

One memorable episode, IMO, was the one about Mark Twitchell.  He was (ultimately) convicted of murder in the death of Johnny Altinger, but the episode centered on his attack on Gilles Tetreault. The episode focused on how Tetreault was lured  to Twitchell's house by using the website PlentyofFish (expecting a date with a woman), then was attacked by a Twitchell in a mask with a stun baton.

 

The craziest part of that to me was that Gilles never said anything to the police about his attack! His version made it sound like he was just so stunned: "Did that actually happen?" that he was unable to fully process it. But Altinger would likely still be alive if Gilles hadn't opted to whimper in a corner by himself. But then, I have a special grievance against people who know about or witness crimes (especially teenagers) and blithely go their way.

[torqy]

I need to add to my post above about William Macumber. Seems he was arrested in Colorado, accused of doing something inappropriate to his granddaughters. The story just gets stranger. I'm waiting for 48 Hours or Dateline to do an update to this whole mess.

[ButterQueen]

Last night was a repeat of "Something Wicked," about the two popular, West Virginia, high school girls who stabbed their friend Skylar to death because they decided they didn't like her anymore. They planned it for months but then hurried to get it done, "before church camp." One of them was still grinning and tossing her long blonde hair in the court room. Shudder.

This story scares me to the core. So crazy!

[applecrisp]

I too saw A Bronx Tale,  just how many people are in prison who have been wrongfully convicted.  And how do these cops and prosecutors sleep at night?  Liked the little nun, Grandma.

[zxy556575]

And how do these cops and prosecutors sleep at night?

 

I sometimes wonder along the same lines -- like, the cops will have arrested/detained someone and they're positive he/she committed the crime, then they're proven wrong by DNA or an alibi or whatever. The cop invariably states how "disappointing" or "frustrating" it was. Really? Isn't ruling someone out progress? Isn't part of their jobs to make sure innocent people aren't wrongly arrested?

 

The personal drive, especially for the attorneys, to be right and "win" is ultimately destructive to the judicial process, I think.

[ButterQueen]

I believe they all survived, but the eppy bored me.

[Hava]

Does anyone remember an episode from years ago about the JonBenet Ramsey murder? I vividly remember a cop/detective who worked on the case saying that she knew who did it and it was someone in that house that night, but that she would not say who it was because she felt that she was disrespected during the investigation. Does anyone remember this??? Or am I crazy, because I can't find the episode online! 

[walnutqueen]

I need to add to my post above about William Macumber. Seems he was arrested in Colorado, accused of doing something inappropriate to his granddaughters. The story just gets stranger. I'm waiting for 48 Hours or Dateline to do an update to this whole mess.

 

Oh, noes!  Yet again I fall for the cowboy, only to be bitterly disappointed.  :-( 

[applecrisp]

Lura, I have seen the story of the two old bats and it was really awful.  I have seen it on a lot of the ID shows.   The German lady took them in and fed and cared for them.  She did the heavy lifting(so to speak).  New info came out in each presentation but the stunner for me was that two detectives that sat by each other happened to compare notes.  Bingo,a winner.

 

It was a long con taking about two years for each guy.  The cop was saying he really didn't know which old women was worse.  He decided on the one who spent so much time with the victims.  There is also really good video on them in an interrogation room arguing.  Each saying the other was greedy.

[Lostinthehouse]

Last night's episode was about the young camp supervisor who fell in love with the loathsome, unattractive woman who was 20 years his senior.  Strangely, I'd never seen this episode, I thought I'd watched them all.  The young guy killed the kind, loving husband to keep the woman's love. 

I just didn't get the whole "I love her so much I'll do anything for her - even kill" thing.  Both the husband and the young boyfriend.  What did this woman have?  She's really not attractive at all, had a loathsome family, obviously took these men for their vulnerability, and almost got away with murder.

I think the woman's name was Patty, the young guy's name was Hispanic.  I may not have a great memory for names, but I'll never forget this episode. 

[walnutqueen]

Jaime Ramos was the young man's name - he really did come across as a horribly naïve killer.  What a bizarre story. 

 

I had never seen this story, either, so it was nice to finally see something new.

[Taylorh2]

Also my first time seeing this one. To the very end Jaime was still saying that he loved her. I don't think that he was just niave, I think that he had a psychological disorder.

[walnutqueen]

Well, yes, he obviously had some issues - not many 21 year olds date married women 26 years their senior.

[Taylorh2]

Jaime said that when he was murdering Patty's husband, he said to him something like......

 

'how dare you beat my wife' and shes my wife not your wife' 

[torqy]

I have seen other stories such as this, and I always wonder how seemingly rational guys end up falling for such a woman. Then I remember a quote from a co-worker: "He must have been thinking with the little head instead of the big one."

[photo fox]

A mother of three and wife to a missionary is found dead in her own home on Valentines Day, and as the authorities begin piecing together what happened, they soon realized that the questions that arise seem to hit a little too close to home.

[Ohwell]

Has there ever been an episode of Datelline where the husband wasn't the one who murdered his wife?  This is so predictable and I knew from the get go that he did it.

[applecrisp]

I know "what a surprise."  This good, religious man actually killed his wife.  He was so smarmy in his interview.  How could anyone who devoted their life to Christ do such a thing?? He planned it out for quite some time.    

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     At the end, he just could not understand what kind of mind could think the murder was a Valentine's Day present for his cold girlfriend was worse than the murder itself.

[walnutqueen]

At the end, he just could not understand what kind of mind could think the murder was a Valentine's Day present for his cold girlfriend was worse than the murder itself.

 

 

Yes, and he also said something to the effect that he lived in a "decent" world, not the Jerry Springer world where men have affairs and kill their wives.  Dude, that's the Dateline world we all live in.

 

I'm sorry to say this, but the minute I hear "preacher" or "missionary", I know who did it.  ;-)

[Greecelover]

The minute I saw his eyes, I knew he did it.

Beyond creepy.

[BengalKitty]

Was there an update about the girlfriend/exchange student? Did shd return to Lithuania?,

[tobeannounced]

I honestly thought they were going to say the exchange student did it.  I guess she had an alibi?

[zxy556575]

Ah, the delusional believers.

 

I know my dad/friend/mother/sibling/daughter/uncle didn't do it.

Why?

Because he/she is a good person and could never do something like that!

Edited September 15, 2014 by lordonia

[applecrisp]

I thought there was a lot of evidence against him.  He did it.  He researched ways and then ended up killing her with his gun.  Did I mention he was also stupid.

[Ohwell]

Took the jury 90 minutes to come back with the guilty verdict.  Dumbass.

[ChristmasJones]

I hope we are in for a string of new episodes now..... gotta have my Dateline fix. Even though they are often predictable, I like the way Dateline tries to make each case a true mystery in the way they tell the story.

[jenkait]

I was wondering if this was a new episode...  I'm pretty up on my Datelines but I hadn't seen this one before.

 

I thought it was odd that the focus seemed to be on, "WAS he having an affair with the Lithunian exchange student?"  I think that was kind of irrelevant to whether or not he murdered his wife.  I think it was just as likely he was secretly in love with her and hoping to move her into the new-wife role.  Maybe she didn't even know, maybe she just thought he was reallyyyyy dedicated to her.

Edited September 18, 2014 by jenkait

[imjagain]

That guy was creepy!

My god the word waxed has never bothered me so much, lol. Between the cop saying "he was getting her waxed up" and every other mentioning the 20 yr old getting waxed. Arhhh! Make it stop!

I knew he did it. I did not need 2 hrs of this show.

I wish the reporter would have asked him or his lawyer, why he was still speaking to the student while he was in jail on trial for his wife's murder. And was suspected of having an affair with the young woman?

Edited September 19, 2014 by imjagain

[photo fox]

A week before a wealthy banker's divorce was set to reach a settlement, an ex-con says he was hired to murder someone in the family.

[papillon rouge]

Even though it was predictable, I enjoyed this story. It's hard to believe there are people out there who would think nothing of hiring someone to kill their ex-wife. I'm not a big fan of Keith Morrison's narration. It isn't because he's creepy, it's that I feel he takes way too long to get to the point. Of course, there was also this doozy: "He lied like a sidewalk." There was at least one more pun or inappropriate word he used but now I can't remember. As far as who was "the mastermind" behind the plan? I say it was mutual. Those two deserve each other.

[JudyObscure]

Oh I enjoyed that one, too. I watch for the opportunity to visit other towns and snoop around in other's lives a bit -- I really don't want to see children hurt or gruesome torture -- so this tale where no one was murdered but bad people got punished was perfect for me.

I loved the way Morrison was slyly ridiculing the secretary/mistress. Criminals who attempt to use the name of Jesus as a, literal, get out of jail free card, irritate me.

What better revenge for the wife than a stand-up career making fun of the cheating, murdering, buffoon of an ex-husband?

[applecrisp]

I loved the way Morrison was slyly ridiculing the secretary/mistress. Criminals who attempt to use the name of Jesus as a, literal, get out of jail free card, irritate me.

What better revenge for the wife than a stand-up career making fun of the cheating, murdering, buffoon of an ex-husband?

Agree with both of you.  At first was not sure how to take the wife, but that scenario would be hard to fathom.  Glad she got to thank the guy who ratted out the plan.  This"lowlife" who actually valued peoples' lives, over the respected banker.  He got off easy.

The girlfriend and banker should also thank him as this would be an easy plan to solve. They would have done a lot longer in prison.

[imjagain]

I forgot about the wife starting a stand up career. That's great, lol.

The mistress and her religious BS irritated me too. .

Who did the mistress's husband kill? I heard about the fire but missed who he killed. And why was he not in prison?

I did enjoy this episode.

Edited September 21, 2014 by imjagain

[ChristmasJones]

I found myself wondering who initially proposed the idea to kill off the ex-wife. I think a good argument could be made for either the husband or the mistress. I can't really decide which I think would have come up with the idea initially, because I think they both had very strong, but different, motivations to have her dead.

 

I've realized that I like the way Dateline takes a crime and turns it into a good mystery. There are many other true crime shows on the air now, but I find the overall quality of Dateline to be superior to many of them. In this particular episode, I like how they started the story focused on a person who was involved in the crime, but wasn't one of the main characters (the husband and wife who were divorcing). This made the story intriguing because you didn't know where it was going to lead. Had they started the show by telling us that someone took a hit out on this woman who was going through an acrimonious divorce, this episode would not have been as interesting, IMO.

 

And to me, that is what makes this a good show. The cases they cover are generally pretty interesting, and then the way they produce the show and tell the story makes it even better.