Original subtitles

NARRATOR: This program is about unsolved mysteries.

Whenever possible, the actual family members

and police officials have participated

in recreating the events.

What you are about to see is not a news broadcast.

[theme music]

ROBERT STACK: In 1986, a bank vault in Hollywood, California

was emptied by a cunning group of burglars.

The bandits tunnelled hundreds of feet underground

and escaped with $2 million.

The police call it, the crime of the century.

In 1982, a 46-year-old appliance repair man

was brutally murdered.

Three theories have surfaced.

Was this seemingly ordinary father of four

killed by angry drug runners?

Or by vengeful crime bosses against whom his brother

was called to testify?

Or was it a crime of passion, committed by a jealous husband?

In 1982, seven-year-old Kristle Merzlock drowned

in a swimming pool accident.

Crystal was clinically dead.

But after 15 minutes, doctors brought her back to life.

Crystal is one millions of Americans

who's undergone what psychologists

call a near-death experience.

An intriguing, mystifying phenomenon

in which they describe a peaceful journey

after death, which old friends lead

them towards a white light.

Proof of life after life or simply a mass hallucination?

ROBERT STACK: 8:00 P.m.

Friday, June 6th, 1986.

An alarm sounded at the First Interstate Bank

in Hollywood, California.

A police patrol was dispatched to investigate.

When they arrived, they found no evidence of a break in.

Good morning.

Hi, Gerald.

ROBERT STACK: On Monday morning, bank employees

arrived for work.

It was business as usual.

A few minutes later, when a bank officer opened up the vault,

she made a shocking discovery.

Incredibly, someone had tunneled 30 yards

from under a nearby street, ending up precisely

underneath the vault. Using hand tools,

they patiently sliced through the 18- inch thick, steel,

reinforced concrete floor.

Once inside, they made off with over $2 million

in cash, jewelry and rare coins Detective Dennis Pegankopp

was assigned to the case.

DENNIS PEGANKOPP: My initial feelings

that morning, when we first arrived at the scene,

was one of awe.

I realized the fact that these suspects

were excellent burglars.

They would be extremely difficult to catch.

They'd gone to a lot of work.

And it was awesome.

And you want to get this one out of here too--

DENNIS PEGANKOPP: We view this burglary, in the city,

as the crime of the century as far as burglaries go.

The method of attack and the fact they got $2 million

plus-- their ingenuity.

I had never seen a burglary like this in 27 years.

Let's work this one about 100 yards up.

ROBERT STACK: Underneath the streets

of Los Angeles, a subterranean highway of storm drains exists.

Detective Pegankopp discovered that the burglars

had used these drains to secretly travel to the bank.

Where they, then, could tunnel undetected to the vaults.

I don't see any dirt yet.

ROBERT STACK: They dug 95 feet from a drain to the bank.

The extraordinary tunnels were approximately 3 and 1/2 feet

wide by 4 and 1/2 feet high.

All dug by hand but finished with electric tools.

A remarkable feat of precision engineering.

DENNIS PEGANKOPP: The experts tell

us that the type of tunnels they dug were very safe runnels.

The size of the tunnels, the shapes of tunnels,

were extremely expertly done.

And the contour of the tunnels were

done as such to add extra strength and protection

to those digging.

ROBERT STACK: Police searched underground

in a three mile radius of the bank,

looking for signs of the robbers.

DENNIS PEGANKOPP: When we concluded our investigation

at First Interstate Bank, basically we

were left with no clues at all.

There was no physical evidence left.

The suspect's left us nothing to work with.

And we were basically handcuffed.

Police had run out of clues.

It seemed as if the perfect crime had been committed.

14 months later, the daring bandit struck again.

They must have known that their extraordinary tactics

were known to the authorities, but that didn't deter them.

What is more surprising, tunneling burglars came

within minutes of succeeding.

ROBERT STACK: On Saturday morning, August 22 1987

the alarm system went off at a Bank of America

in West Los Angeles.

Police were called in to investigate.

The assistant bank manager opened the vault.

They discover the vault had been broken into.

Apparently the burglars had fled while a robbery

was in progress.

On the floor, an 18 inch hole was cut through the concrete.

When I got a phone call from the officer at the bank

and he explained to me a hole in the floor.

All I could think of was, they're back.

They've done it again.

And how much money did they get this time.

ROBERT STACK: Because they were interrupted,

the thieves are only able to steal $90,000.

They left behind their tools and some work clothes.

Chisel.

This is the diamond-tipped drill.

ROBERT STACK: The robbers also left an 18 inch core bit,

a cutting tool used in construction to bore

large holes through cement.

Lay it down and we'll roll it.

DENNIS PEGANKOPP: This was purchased in the San Francisco

Bay Area, by a construction company using a fictitious name

and address in San Diego and they paid cash.

So basically we knew that it was probably

a white male that purchased it, but no other information.

There's a buildup of dirt on this side.

That's it?

ROBERT STACK: Again detectives searched miles of storm

drains for some clue as to the identity of the bandits.

Approximately three miles from the bike,

they found a four wheel vehicle called a quad runner, just

inside a storm drain entrance.

Detective Pegankopp believes the tunnels

were dug by just two men.

Apparently they used their vehicles

to carry their heavy equipment underground.

Their core bit and drill alone required

a drill press that weighed an excess of 100 pounds.

DENNIS PEGANKOPP: We came to the conclusion

that the suspects were very close friends, possibly army

buddies, able to work together for long periods

of time in very confined areas.

Taking up three to six weeks, probably,

to dig that one tunnel.

ROBERT STACK: Detective Pegankopp also

believes a third man was involved,

since clearly the burglars must have been warned

by someone outside the bank.

MAN: (ON PHONE) It's time to move.

ROBBER 1: Cops? - I don't know.

I gotta go. .

ROBERT STACK: In their escape, footprints

indicated that the burglars ran through the tunnel, one

barefoot, one in stocking feet.

They abandoned one of their vehicles

and apparently escaped on foot.

For all of their labors, $90,000 must have

been a disappointing reward.

DENNIS PEGANKOPP: Of all the evidence we recovered.

The tools, ladders, clothing, we had developed

no fingerprints whatsoever.

The only fingerprint we developed

was on the quad runner itself.

We got one latent print from that vehicle.

That print has been run through and compared with all arrestees

and it's our opinion that this individual

has never been arrested.

ROBERT STACK: Police again went underground,

looking for more evidence.

I don't know what that is.

POLICE OFFICER 1: That's hollow, isn't it?

POLICE OFFICER 2: That's hollow.

ROBERT STACK: About a mile and a half from the Bank of America,

they found another tunnel, completely finished.

This 102 foot tunnel ended beneath a Beverly Hills bank

and the mounding bolts for the drill

were already in place under the vault.

DENNIS PEGANKOPP: If they'd have been able to accomplish

both burglaries that week, it's told to me,

by the people in the banking industry,

that they probably would have gotten away with between $10

and $20 million.

ROBERT STACK: Police learned that the quad runner was

purchased by a man using the name David

Spaulding, his only known address

a post office box in Hollywood.

One or two people using this name,

apparently purchased five of these distinctive vehicles.

Salespeople created two composites of the same man.

He is a male Caucasian around 35 years of age.

He's about six feet in height and rugged

looking, as if used to outdoor labor.

Next, the story of two people who

have been pronounced clinically dead and brought back to life.

The experience has profoundly changed their lives.

The stories they tell may suggest

what lies ahead after death.

[theme music]

ROBERT STACK: Seven years ago on March 13th, 1982,

a just girl named Kristle Merzlock was

attending a children's birthday party

held at a local swimming pool.

Though she had just recently learned to swim,

Kristle felt comfortable in the water.

KRISTLE MERZLOCK: We went into the pool

and we were just playing down at the shallow end for a while.

And then, I don't know why, but for some reason

I went out to the deep end where a group of boys pushed me in.

But they didn't know it.

And I just started swallowing water, gasping for air,

trying to grab on to the top of the water.

I couldn't get any air.

And so I just fell unconscious.

And then I was just in darkness.

DOCTOR: Can we get some breath sounds here, please?

[interposing voices]

DOCTOR: How are the breath sounds?

MAN: OK, she has breath sounds on the right side.

ROBERT STACK: Paramedics rushed Kristle to a local hospital,

where a team led by Dr. Melvin Morse feverishly

worked to save her life.

DOCTOR: Go ahead and draw up again.

MELVIN MORSE: When she came in, her pupils

were fixed and dilated.

I mean, she probably had no brain activity.

She had none of the normal reflexes

that we associate with surviving.

She had what's called a Glasgow Coma Score of three,

which very few people survive if they have such a profound coma.

She's not coming around.

She's not coming around.

MELVIN MORSE: I did not think that she would survive.

MICHAEL MERZLOCK: Dr. Morse said that she

was so close to death that-- to prepare

yourself for her demise.

That she could expire at any time.

There wasn't much chance given to her for prolonged

life after that event.

DOCTOR: OK, did you check her blood pressure?

ROBERT STACK: At 3:30 p.m.

Kristle Merzlock was clinically dead.

20 minutes later, she was brought back to life.

During the period of time she was being revived,

Kristle shared a common experience with thousands

of other Americans.

A near-death experience or NDE.

Almost, without exception, these people describe a journey

to a land with beautiful light.

A trip accompanied by an overwhelming sense

of well-being.

Is this experience an hallucination or evidence

of a life after death.

ROBERT STACK: As Kristle lay near death,

she found herself moving into darkness.

Then her eyes opened.

And she beheld a wondrous sight.

KRISTLE MERZLOCK: I didn't really know where I was.

It's just, I looked up and I saw this bright light

at the end of the tunnel.

And there were colored bricks on the walls of the tunnel.

The light, kind of, pulled me toward it.

It was just the most loving light I've ever seen.

And then I saw this lady.

She came toward me really soft and really slow

and she took my hand and she said, "I'm Elizabeth

and I will help you."

She just led me into the light and through the light.

And into heaven.

I just felt that this was the place I wanted to be.

ROBERT STACK: Kristle senses she was floating over her body,

observing the medical team as they

attempted to save her life.

KRISTLE MERZLOCK: When I was up there, I saw the doctors.

They were working on me.

They were sticking things on my arm

and up my nose to help me breathe.

And I didn't like it.

That was one of the reasons I wanted to stay up there.

[beeping]

KRISTLE MERZLOCK: But--

[flat line]

KRISTLE MERZLOCK: When I got thinking

about how I wouldn't be able to really hug my mom again.

Or anybody I really loved and I said, "No, I want to go back. "

And then I was back in my body.

I wasn't dead.

I was still alive.

There was still a part of me, like my soul

my spirit, was still alive.

I wasn't dead at all.

ROBERT STACK: For at least 20 minutes,

Kristle was, for all intents and purposes, dead.

Even after she was revived, the child

was in a coma for three days.

Fortunately, once she returned home,

Kristle completely regained her health.

Kristle had never met Dr. Morse, the man who saved her life,

but when they were introduced he seemed familiar.

MELVIN MORSE: The last time I had seen her,

she was profoundly comatose.

She could not have been in a deeper coma and still be alive.

And then I saw her at follow up two weeks later.

I said, you know, Hi I'm Dr. Morse.

You probably don't remember me, but I sure know you, Kristle.

Because I spent a grueling four hours trying to bring

you back to life.

And then she turned to her mother and said,

well, no I have seen him before.

She stated that she remembered seeing

me from the emergency room.

KATHY MERZLOCK: She said, oh yes I've met you.

I saw you.

You were putting something in my throat,

you were working with my neck.

And she scowled at him.

I saw his face and I knew him.

It was just, like, I'd never seen him before.

And I knew him.

She also described other elements of her resuscitation.

She described us pushing on her chest

and putting various lines in her.

She described that-- she told me,

first you worked on me in the emergency room.

And then you took me to another room.

You know, which was, in fact, true.

And when you see a seven-year-old talk like that

and say things like that, there is no reason

for you not to believe it.

You know, it comes straight from the heart.

ROBERT STACK: Dr. Gabbard has studied

these near-death experiences and believes

they may be physical, not metaphysical, phenomena.

GLEN O. GABBARD: The near-death experience

can be understood as deriving from

a fundamental, psychological need

to deny the reality of death.

Because it's too horrible to face the prospect

that, when the body goes, that it.

It's very tempting, of course, to suppose

that these experiences are explainable by some sort

of physiological events or biochemical events going on

in the brain at the point of death.

Or perhaps, by psychological principles, that this is just

wish fulfillment.

That the mind is unable to accept final death so

makes up this beautiful fantasy.

But, in fact, when you look carefully look at the reports,

I think we've all concluded that something very different

is going on.

One reason for this is that the patients are able to tell us

things about the resuscitation attempt

that they wouldn't have any way of knowing.

My own subjective feeling, after 23 years

of working with these patients, is

that, I have no doubt whatsoever,

that they had a glimpse of the life hereafter.

[music playing]

ROBERT STACK: Kristle has been to a place

where her friends and family have never gone.

She is certain that this experience will stay

with her the rest of her life.

KRISTLE MERZLOCK: I have remembered

this for seven years.

I cannot forget it.

It's always there.

It's always been very real to me.

And it's always very clear to me.

When we return, the story of a man who may

have passed through death to the other side.

Today his life has been transformed.

He believes that life after death

is a very real possibility.

[theme muisic]

Many thousands of people have died

and lived to tell the tale.

An overwhelming number describe the same phenomena,

a tunnel of light and a sense of floating over their body.

One of the strangest stories connected

with a near-death experience was told by a New

York man named Thomas Sawyer.

10 years ago, his life was transformed by an accident

that occurred in his garage.

Today, Tom Sawyer is, literally, a new man.

[music playing]

ROBERT STACK: Tom Sawyer lives in upstate New York

and works as a snowplow operator.

For 33 years he lived a normal, uneventful life.

THOMAS SAWYER: I'd have to describe myself as, pretty

much, an All-American boy.

You know, with a name like Tom Sawyer

you have one of two choices.

You can become a comedian and outgoing

or end up being an introvert.

ROBERT STACK: Tom turned to athletics during high school

and that propelled him to popularity.

However his academic record was lackluster for good reason.

THOMAS SAWYER: From seventh grade

in grammar school, right through age 33,

I never read a book cover to cover.

I just dislike reading immensely and I read nothing.

ROBERT STACK: In his late teens, Tom raced bicycles.

And, in 1968, qualified for the Olympic team.

In 1967, he married Elaine and they

had two sons, Tim and Todd.

Tom was a family man.

A blue collar worker who prided himself on his practicality.

Prior to this experience, I had thought about such things

as religion and so on and I thought that it was

just a bunch of foolishness.

I would describe myself as an agnostic.

What I had figured out was that when you die, you die.

The show was over.

Everything goes black and that's it.

Just bring the whole box and sort some of the tools out.

Hand me the needle nose pliers.

Hold on.

THOMAS SAWYER: When I had this experience,

I was repairing my pickup truck.

I had the front wheels off it and was lying on my back.

And the truck suddenly started to move.

Oh my God!

Dad!

THOMAS SAWYER: When Todd ran in and made the phone call,

I heard it very clearly and vividly.

Hello.

My name is Todd Sawyer--

THOMAS SAWYER: There are other things

that I was able to hear that were impossible for me

to hear with my ears and others with my normal hearing.

Such as, the conversation of the paramedics

getting into the ambulance 3 and 1/2 miles away.

ROBERT STACK: His wife's screams brought the neighbors

and they worked desperately to free him.

Lift, lift.

One, two, three!

THOMAS SAWYER: As I went unconscious,

I then, experienced a sensation or a feeling

of absolutely waking up.

It wasn't anything at all like waking up from a sleep state.

It was like being unconscious or absolutely asleep and then,

like a click of the fingernail, absolutely awake.

The only problem with this feeling of waking up

was that all I saw was darkness.

That darkness gradually took the shape of a tunnel.

And way off, absolutely, positively to infinity,

appeared this little speck of white light.

This was the most beautiful thing that I had

ever experienced in my life.

It was just extraordinary.

All the pressure of the trunk being

on me and the horrendous pain, that was gone.

And I felt very comfortable.

The next thing that I realized was

that I was motionless at the end of the tunnel.

Confronted by the light of God.

I was confronted by heaven.

That light included absolutely everything.

It was the entire universe.

It was absolute total knowledge.

I had the opportunity to ask any question at all

and the absolute, unequivocal, correct answer

would be emanated to me.

I then experienced a complete, total life review.

It was every day, every event, every minute and second.

In other words, I relived the Olympic trials,

my marriage, all of these things at the same time.

I was then given a choice.

To return to normal life or stay and become part of this light.

I chose to stay and become part of that light.

But I then had a feeling of going exactly

reversal through the tunnel.

And slamming back into my body.

ROBERT STACK: Finally as paramedics arrived,

the truck was lifted off.

And Sawyer was taken to the hospital.

- You'll be all right, Tom. - On three.

One, two, three.

THOMAS SAWYER: Well I'm probably the only one

you'll ever meet that's been kicked out heaven.

Because, since I chose to stay and become part of that light,

and I am back here without any explanation at all.

One of the logical, deductive things that you could assume

was that I got kicked out for some reason or another.

ROBERT STACK: Surprisingly Sawyer left the hospital,

the same day of his accident.

He had no broken bones, though he suffered

from some internal bleeding.

According to medical reports, Tom had been deprived

of oxygen for 15 minutes.

I vaguely recall the ride home.

I was in extreme pain, of course.

And I was just sitting in the back seat, by myself,

moaning and groaning from the pain.

But, apparently, when I was riding home, all of a sudden,

I blurted out and said--

Oh, it was so beautiful.

THOMAS SAWYER: And Elaine turned around and said,

what was so beautiful?

What are you talking about?

Well I didn't answer her at all.

And I just continued to moan and groan

for the rest of the ride home.

Elaine said to me, don't you know what's happened?

Don't you know what you've had?

That's called a near-death experience.

Whereupon my response was, well, I don't believe in any

of that hocus pocus baloney.

But, shortly after I recuperated from the injuries

from this accident, I started saying things

that I didn't understand.

And my wife Elaine didn't understand.

And one particular day, I was watching television

and I kind of blurted out--

Max Planck.

THOMAS SAWYER: And I said it just like that.

Who? Who's that?

THOMAS SAWYER: So, of course, I asked my family

if they knew who that was.

And Elaine said, no, I don't know who it is.

And then she asked me, do you know who it is?

And my answer was, well, no, but you'll be hearing more

about him in the near future.

I don't understand that.

ROBERT STACK: Elaine encouraged him to write down his thoughts.

Tom began to jot down complex equations.

Equations that could only have been understood

by a master of quantum physics.

Tom also drew symbols like the Greek letter, psi.

THOMAS SAWYER: Sometimes I would write something

down and know that it was correct

but have no idea what it was.

In other words, I would write down a mathematical equation.

Well I had geometry and some algebra in high school.

But this had symbols, like triangles,

and things like that in it.

ROBERT STACK: In an attempt to find out

the meaning of these arcane symbols,

Sawyer went to the Rochester library.

He was directed to the physics section and asked for guidance

from a man he met at the stacks.

The man suggested a textbook that contained information

on quantum physics and biographies

of its pioneering founders.

Well, yeah I think, possibly, you might

find this one interesting.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

THOMAS SAWYER: When I opened it, there were two things

that stood out on that page.

There was the symbol, psi, in the middle of the paragraph.

And there was a title, just underneath a picture of a man.

And it said Max Planck.

BRUCE GREYSON: The most common things

we hear from people who have had near death experiences are

that they have a much greater sense

now of being part of something larger than themselves.

They become interested in, what can be called,

the spiritual aspects of their lives.

They are no longer invested in things,

like, individual fame, fortune, material

rewards, competitiveness.

They're much more involved in cooperation, in helping others,

than they were before.

ELAINE SAWYER: He started being a more loving person.

He started caring about myself and a lot of strangers, a lot

of people he helped a lot.

Anybody that needed help, he would help.

These people have undergone profound and dramatic changes

in their personality.

And their lifestyle.

And their values.

All of them talk about the importance

of interpersonal relationships, learning how to love others.

A great sense of the importance of wisdom and understanding.

And, certainly, a renewed appreciation of life.

This is a genuine spiritual experience

which profoundly and dramatically changes the way

they are from then on out.

One of the real dangers of all the attention that near-death

experience is getting in the media is that

it might romanticize death.

It might lead people who are contemplating

suicide to think that death is a wonderful experience.

I suppose the near-death experience does romanticize

death in that regard.

But if you listen to what near-death experiences

are saying, they're saying it also romanticizes life.

It makes life so much more meaningful, more purposeful,

more beautiful than it was before.

That suicide just becomes not an option anymore.

People have asked me, if death is so wonderful and so

sensational and you want to be part of that light,

why don't you kill yourself?

It's very important to me to state to everybody

that suicide is an absolute impossibility for me.

You know, it's not only a social and legal no no.

It's a moral and spiritual no no also.

To even think of or consider suicide.

I think the way these people respond to the experience

and the degree of change that they

experience after it, points to a tremendously powerful force.

The types of changes they experience afterwards,

the unusual abilities they have afterwards,

point to something far greater than we're aware of now.

Our usual explanations of the way the brain,

the way the mind works, in terms of physiology,

just don't explain what's going on.

Something larger at work here than we're aware of yet.

[music playing]

ROBERT STACK: Are these strange journeys only a prelude

to a life after death?

Or are they hallucinations?

Religions around the world have grappled

with metaphysical aspects of these questions.

And scientists have tried to explain it in physical terms.

Clearly death, and what comes after,

is the most profound unsolved mystery of them all.

[theme music]

ROBERT STACK: On a previous broadcast,

we examined the story of Dan Willains,

a mysterious prospector who spent

his life searching for gold in the Canadian wilderness.

We asked our audience to help locate his unknown heirs.

In 1926, Willains was panting at Red Lake

in the province of Ontario, when he found gold.

He and his partner staked their claim

and established one of the most profitable small gold mines

in Canadian history.

In 1936, Dan Willains set out into the wilderness

to do some solitary prospecting.

He was never seen again.

Willains left behind an estate of almost $100,000,

which today may be worth as much as $3.5 million dollars.

It has remained unclaimed for more than 50 years.

Update.

Within days of our broadcast, Davey Willains, a New York

businessman, called our 800 number,

claiming he might be one of the heirs to Dan Willains' fortune.

DAVEY WILLAINS: My grandfather, we have determined,

came from the UK to Ontario in 1895.

At that time, he was 11 years of age.

We believe he traveled with another family member.

And we also have been told that there was a cousin someplace

up in the outback of Ontario.

But there was never any contact with that individual

through the years.

So when this Unsolved Mysteries program aired and this Dan

Willains a bushmen from Ontario, was disclosed,

it certainly was an exciting possible link

for our family-tree searching.

ROBERT STACK: Davey Willains flew to Toronto

to meet Joe Perkins, one of Dan Willains

last surviving friends.

He brought along photographs of his grandfather, Harold

Willains, and his great-grandfather,

John Willains, to see if there was a family resemblance.

JOE PERKINS: It was uncanny.

I couldn't believe it.

The similarity of the face, the nose, the spacing of the eyes,

forehead, and, I think if you took the beard off the old man,

they'd look like twins.

ROBERT STACK: Indeed there does seem

to be a strong resemblance.

Our great grandfather, John, grandfather,

Harold, and prospector, Dan Willains, all blood relatives.

Is Davey an heir to Dan Willains' fortune?

DAVEY WILLAINS: Certainly money is important to everybody.

And if the Ontario government is holding considerable assets

that could rightfully be claimed by a Willains,

then I'd like to see that happen.

I don't know if it'll be me and my cousins or not.

But maybe now we can get some Willains to come forward.

And maybe we do have a strong case to be made.

And certainly we are going to take the next steps

to pursue that possibility

[music playing]

ROBERT STACK: In a moment, the story

of a 46-year-old repairman who was brutally murdered

in a quiet town in rural Ohio.

Police have three bizarre theories, but no suspects.

[theme music]

ROBERT STACK: May the 23rd, 1982.

In the small town of Hammersville, Ohio,

a 15-year-old boy riding his parents lawn

mower back home after a mowing job made a terrible discovery.

It was a man's body, nude and beaten.

That night the man would be identified as 46-year-old

Perman Gilbert, an appliance repairman

who lived just seven miles from the place his body was found.

The most puzzling thing about Perman Gilbert's murder

is that he appeared, to those who know him,

to lead such a normal, non-controversial life.

Yet some believe that just beneath a comforting small town

facade, dark forces swirled.

As the citizens of Clermont County,

Ohio discussed Perman Gilbert's murder,

phrases like organized crime, drug

trafficking, and jealous husband began to surface.

Gilbert was a beloved husband and father of four.

He and his family belong to the Church of Christ

and participated in the civic life of the rural Ohio county

where they had lived their whole lives.

Perman Gilbert remained close to his siblings, especially

his youngest brother who was always in and out of trouble

with the law.

Perman's hobby was flying, but he was employed

as an appliance repairman.

Assigned by a nationally known company

as their troubleshooter.

He worked for the large firm during the week,

but on Saturdays Perman made independent service calls,

answering only to himself.

JOANN GILBERT: When he left that Saturday morning,

it was probably 8:30.

And he said he didn't want to go.

And it just, now it bothers me.

That's what I remember about him leaving that morning.

ROBERT STACK: Perman Gilbert's service

appointments that Saturday morning

took him to Mount Orab, Ohio.

And also further south to Georgetown and Aberdeen, Ohio.

Hi, Mr Gilbert, how are you?

Fine, just call me Perm.

Perm, I keep smelling gas in my kitchen.

I think it's my pilot light.

ROBERT STACK: Gilbert's service calls

had put him at the southernmost tip of Ohio.

When the calls were completed, he crossed the Simon Kenton

bridge into Maysville, Kentucky and stopped in

at a large market and variety store.

Ann Breeze, who works at the market checkout counter,

remembers his visit that Saturday.

- Hi, Ann, how are you today? - Just fine, how are you?

He was tall.

A nice looking man, he was always very neat.

Greeted you, you know, very friendly

every time you saw him.

I never saw the man down or act like he

had a care in the world.

You going to have lunch with me today?

No, I can't have lunch with you.

Well I guess I have to eat that bologna

and cheese by myself.

ANN BREEZE: He would usually say that to me.

And he knew that I wouldn't go to lunch with him.

You know, just usual chit chatter.

ROBERT STACK: When Perman left the market checkout counter,

he walked into the flower shop next door.

DONNA PHIPPS: He pushed the buzzer.

And I came from the back.

And I asked if I could help him.

He said he'd like to know if another employee was here.

And I said no she doesn't come until 4.

And if I could help him, anyway.

And he said, no, he wanted to order some flowers.

And they knew what he wanted and everything.

And he said he would come back later.

She knows what I wanted.

OK.

Thank you.

There was nothing unusual about him.

He was just a normal customer.

He wasn't nervous or anything when I met him.

ROBERT STACK: No one can account for Perman Gilbert's movements

after he left the flower shop.

He had told his wife he'd be back home around 3:00 PM,

but he did not arrive.

Then it got to be dark and he wasn't here.

Then it got to be midnight.

And I was scared.

And I was afraid to go out, even.

I had a small child and I was afraid to put her in the car

and go out looking.

And then, I think, about 3:00 in the morning,

I called one of our friends.

And, you know, have you seen Perman?

Do you know where he's at?

Anything like that.

And they didn't.

ROBERT STACK: Joann Gilbert called the police.

They were unable to turn up any leads

until late the next afternoon when

her husband's body was found.

He was completely nude.

He didn't have any clothes on.

That bothered me.

I would like to know why that was done.

I've heard it's to humiliate the family.

I don't know that's why it was done.

Maybe it was done to make it longer to identify him.

ROBERT STACK: Because no clothes fibers were found in the two

bullet wounds, Clermont County police

believe that Perman had been naked above the waist

at the time he was shot.

Perman's billfold, carrying the symbol of the Masons,

was missing, along with his clothes.

So was the Masonic belt buckle he always wore.

Although Perman's clothes were never found,

his van was located the next day.

22 miles away from the spot where

his body had been discovered.

JOHN VAN CAMP: Perman Gilbert's watch was still

hanging on the gearshift lever.

His toolbox was in there.

Parts and supplies was in place in the van.

We did do an inspection of the van

and recover fingerprints and hair samples.

And, at this time, we have not been

able to match the fingerprints and hair samples to anyone.

ROBERT STACK: In the investigation

that followed Perman Gilbert's death, three theories evolved.

I think that whatever happened to him

had something to do with drugs.

ROBERT STACK: Perman was a licensed pilot.

He owned a small plane which he flew out of a makeshift landing

strip on his farm.

Perman told me that he had been approached to fly drugs.

How's it going?

OK, What's happening?

Well we had a little favor we'd like you

to do for us if you don't mind. - No.

It's just a little trip.

JOANN GILBERT: And all he had to do was to take the airplane

and fly it to a certain airport.

Go in and have a cup of coffee, come back out,

and there'd be money laying on the seat or under the seat.

I don't want nothing to do with it.

Just forget it. - It's good money.

No, that's all right.

If these guys don't quit bugging me,

I'm going to call the authorities.

And it would have been easy money,

but that's against the law and it was against everything

that we believed in.

I believe that he knew too much about what

was going on as far as who was involved

with drugs and who wasn't.

Because he would not go along with their plan,

that he was beaten and killed because of it.

ROBERT STACK: The second theory revolves

around Perman Gilbert's youngest brother, Vernon.

Vernon was 12 years younger than Perman

and they were devoted to one another.

You sure you can't stay the night then?

ROBERT STACK: No, I want to be getting back.

ROBERT STACK: In February of 1982,

when Vernon was called to testify in an organized crime

case, Perman stood by him.

--from there, it'll take a little while.

OK, it should be about an hour or so.

OK? - About an hour?

OK. I'll be around.

See you in an hour. Good luck to you.

Thanks

ROBERT STACK: The actual hearings

were closed to the public.

And Perman had to kill time while his brother

was testifying.

He began to suspect that he was being followed.

JOHN VAN CAMP: Perman Gilbert had told acquaintances

that he felt at the day at the federal court building,

that a man was following him around.

I don't know of any person that might have

been following Perman Gilbert and it

was not any of our personnel.

ROBERT STACK: Perhaps Perman Gilbert had become

a target of organized crime.

JOANN GILBERT: Maybe my husband knew too much.

Maybe Perman was killed who to lure his brother back

to the funeral.

And because they were after him, really.

But then his brother didn't come to the funeral.

ROBERT STACK: The third theory is

that Perman Gilbert may have been

involved in a crime of passion.

Oh.

Hi, Perm.

Thanks for coming over right away.

Hi. It's no problem.

How you been?

What's your problem?

The washing machine is making this grinding noise.

The very nature of Perman Gilbert's home appliance repair

business placed him into many, many households,

alone with a family member.

Yes, I thought he was very attractive.

And I know other women were very attracted to him too.

He was tall, about six, two.

Well-built. Had nice hair, pretty eyes.

And a nice looking man.

I really didn't know about his death

until someone from in his home area

came through and said there was one or two theories.

But one was that they thought a jealous boyfriend

or husband had killed him.

I feel that the crime of passion theory doesn't hold up.

Because that's supposed to be something that's very swift.

And they beat around on him like someone

was trying to get information out of him or something.

What we need now is for someone

to come forward and help us trace Perman

Gilbert from that flower shop.

Anyone that has seen him around the flower shop

or in the parking lot with his cream and brown van,

at that time or later in the day.

We'd like to hear from.

And I feel like there are people

out there, in the community, that know

what happened to my father.

And for fear of their own lives, or other people,

they're afraid to speak up.

I wish that they would come forward and fill in those bits

and pieces for us.

[theme music]

ROBERT STACK: Next week on Unsolved Mysteries,

an examination of the legend of Billy

the Kid that suggests history may have to be rewritten.

Most historians and Hollywood screen versions

claim that Billy was dramatically

gunned down by his friend Sheriff Pat Garrett in 1881.

But the people of tiny Hico, Texas say that's all bunk.

That one of their own citizens, a man

named Brushy Bill Roberts, was the real Billy the Kid.

And that he died in 1950, 69 years

after the famous gunfight.

We'll examine the evidence next week on Unsolved Mysteries.

[theme music]