Original subtitles

[creepy music playing]

NARRATOR: Tonight on "Unsolved Mysteries."

Married only three months, Michelle Witherell

died in this tragic fall.

Her husband said it was an accident.

Her family believes she was murdered.

It was a whirlwind romance with a bitter ironic twist--

the groom was a convicted killer serving life in prison

until he convinced his new wife to help him escape.

Now her children would like to find her,

and the police say she is free to come home

without fear of punishment.

Party time in Tijuana.

But for this college student, the revelry proved fatal.

Was Jason Ardas hit by a car, or did he

anger the Tijuana police?

Carl McWilliams is friendly and personable.

He is also a fugitive on the run from statutory rape charges.

Police need your help.

Experience a world of mystery, heartbreak, and intrigue.

Join me for "Unsolved Mysteries."

[creepy music playing]

NARRATOR: A cold winter night in a small town

near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The broken body of Michelle Witherell

lay sprawled on the asphalt outside her apartment.

Michelle was just 24 years old, a newlywed.

She and her husband Jeremy had been

living in Pittsburgh since their marriage three months earlier.

They had moved from their home in Denver

expecting to build a new life.

Now, Michelle was in critical condition--

bleeding heavily from severe head injuries.

POLICE OFFICER (VOICEOVER): Tell me what happened up there.

I don't know what happened.

NARRATOR: Jeremy Witherell told police

Michelle had fallen from their balcony three flights up.

He said he had been playing solitaire

in the living room of their apartment

when he heard a sound.

He stepped outside, looked over the railing,

and saw his wife's body on the ground below.

Paramedics rushed Michelle to the trauma unit

at a Pittsburgh hospital.

It was December 20th, 1992, just five days before Christmas.

Within hours, Michelle's parents claim Jeremy's mother

called them with the awful news and the second version

of his story.

She told me that there had been a terrible accident

and that Michelle had been out on the balcony

at their apartment, and that she'd

been putting up Christmas lights,

and that the balcony had collapsed--

causing her to fall.

[screams]

[glass shattering]

NARRATOR: Michelle and Jeremy Witherell

had planned to go home to Denver for the holidays.

We're looking for Michelle Witherell.

NARRATOR: Instead, Michelle's family flew to Pittsburgh

on the first flight out.

Hey, baby.

NARRATOR: The left side of Michelle's head was fractured,

and she was in a coma.

In addition, her jaw was broken.

But strangely, her nose and teeth

were unharmed by the three story fall.

My big strong girl.

NARRATOR: At that very moment, I think questions were beginning

to come into our thoughts.

How did she get her eye busted open

and her jaw broken with no damage in between?

NARRATOR: The [inaudible] believe

Michelle knew they were with her and tried

her best to let them know.

She's squeezing my hand.

FAMILY MEMBER (VOICEOVER): Hang in there, sweetheart.

We really think that her squeezing Ed's hand,

she was telling us good bye.

[heart rate monitor beeps]

And then the doctor walked in from the back

and said that, I'm sorry.

But you're going to have to leave.

Michelle has died.

NARRATOR: It would seem only two people in the world knew

how Michelle had been injured.

One of them was now gone.

Michelle's parents claim that, moments later, Jeremy Witherell

came up with another version, a third version, of how she fell.

What happened, Jeremy.

We'd just got home from dinner.

And I was playing a game of solitaire.

And Michelle and I--

we weren't even talking.

And then she went out to the balcony for something.

And when I looked up, there she was.

She was hanging.

And I should have got her.

She was just barely hanging there.

I could have got her.

NARRATOR: Jeremy Witherell declined to be interviewed.

However, he claims he gave just one version of Michelle's fall,

that he only discovered she had fallen when he saw

her body on the ground below.

The [inaudible] still insist they were

given three different stories.

Three stories or one?

Who was right?

According to detectives, the Witherells were having

trouble in their marriage.

They say Jeremy admitted arguing with Michelle

that evening while driving back from a restaurant.

An argument that continued at home.

MICHELLE (VOICEOVER): What do you mean?

I don't have to listen to you!

NARRATOR: Neighbors say Michelle and Jeremy had been fighting

frequently, fights so loud one neighbor complained repeatedly

to the building manager.

Violence is what she called it--

physically throwing each other around the apartment.

And somewhere in the area of one to three weeks before Michele's

death, she came into my office and said

in no uncertain terms-- she said,

someone's going to get killed out there.

And she was very frightened.

She was scared.

And then I ran up to the balcony.

I looked over, and there was Michelle.

NARRATOR: The Melinas became more and more suspicious.

They began questioning the police investigation.

That's the whole story?

When the detectives would start out by saying,

well, Jeremy says--

our thought was, well, you guys are homicide detectives.

You were called into this, evidently, for a reason.

Now, if all you're telling us is what Jeremy says,

what's the point?

If this man is a suspect in a homicide,

and by his own admission he said he was the only one there,

then why would you take his word?

NARRATOR: The Melinas found troubling inconsistencies

in Jeremy's account.

One.

Michelle's wrists were broken, but her palms

were completely unscratched.

If she fractured her wrists trying to break her fall,

her palms should have been cut.

Two.

One of Michelle's shoes was discovered

26 feet from her body.

The other shoe was never found.

And finally, Jeremy Witherell took the time

to double lock his apartment before allegedly

racing to his wife's side.

Unscathed palms.

A missing shoe.

A locked door.

The Melinas wondered why.

According to the police, Jeremy Witherell took not one

but two polygraph tests.

They say he passed both.

The Allegheny County coroner officially

labeled the cause of Michele's death as undetermined.

Homicide, accident, or suicide.

The Melina insist it couldn't have been suicide.

Michelle had a high regard for life.

Michelle was a happy person.

Michelle had so many goals in life.

And when she had made this statement to me

about separating from Jeremy, she

had dealt with the situations in her marriage

that she was not pleased with.

And she had also made her plan on how

to remedy those situations, and that

was to separate and ask that Jeremy get professional help.

NARRATOR: The Melinas also believe the accident

theory was unlikely.

The balcony was 48 inches, chest high for Michelle.

The wall was too high for anybody to lose their balance.

It wasn't a poorly constructed balcony.

It was very adequate in height to prevent something like that

from happening.

NARRATOR: Michelle's parents sent

her medical records to three board certified

forensic pathologists.

Their unanimous verdict?

Michelle was murdered, but possibly not by a fall.

According to forensic experts, if Michelle had fallen three

stories she should have had injuries

on both sides of her brain.

The head injuries that Michelle

Witherell demonstrated at autopsy were quite extensive.

But these were all left sided.

These injuries are what we call coups-- direct impact

injuries-- as from a blow.

NARRATOR: Wecht says Michelle's other injuries also

indicated an assault. In addition, what wasn't harmed

is significant.

Her pelvis was unbroken, and her internal organs were damaged.

That is extremely inconsistent--

very atypical-- of the kinds of injuries

that we would find in a fall.

NARRATOR: Another red flag.

Michelle's body was allegedly found more than nine feet

from the building.

If I had to pick one single physical factor in this case

that leads me to the conclusion that it

was not an accidental fall or a suicidal fall,

it would be that.

Somebody can dive in a suicidal attempt

and leap several feet away from the building,

or you can be thrown and wind up several feet from the building.

You do not accidentally fall and wind up nine feet.

The body doesn't bounce.

NARRATOR: Finally, the Allegheny County

Coroner's Office opened the first official

inquiry into the case.

The verdict was quick and clear.

We will amend the original from undetermined to homicide.

We're thankful for the outcome of the hearing today.

NARRATOR: The coroner's ruling didn't

specify how Michelle died, but her parents

feel certain they know.

Don't you raise your voice to me.

Don't you talk to me like that.

If you keep that up, I'm leaving you.

I think that night, she made the mistake of telling Jeremy

she was going to leave him.

We think she ran from the apartment, fleeing for her life

at that point.

And the assault-- you know, she was then found and assaulted

outside of the apartment.

NARRATOR: The Melinas believe the balcony story was

a quickly improvised cover up.

A safe way for Jeremy Witherell to explain Michelle's injuries.

While no one on Jeremy's side was willing to be interviewed,

they emphasized that despite the Melinas' suspicions,

Jeremy did pass a police polygraph twice.

We told Jeremy, from the day Michelle died, that we want

to find out and we plan to find out

everything there is to find out about what

happened to Michelle.

And we will pursue justice in this case,

no matter where it takes us.

[intense music playing]

NARRATOR: Next.

He was a convicted murderer.

She was a lonely widow.

Together, they staged a daring prison break.

[creepy music playing]

All right.

Make a wish and blow those candles out.

[applause]

NARRATOR: Sherry Nickerson's fifteenth birthday

was hardly a joyous event.

She was living with her uncle's family,

and though they did their best it was impossible to pretend

anyone was happy.

I was numb.

I didn't feel anything.

I wasn't happy.

It was the worst birthday of my life.

NARRATOR: Small wonder.

Sherry's party included a number of uninvited guests,

Oklahoma state troopers stationed inside the house

and out.

They were there because of a crime

involving Sherry's mother--

a crime committed nine days earlier.

[laughing] Let's go.

Let's go.

NARRATOR: Two lifers had escaped from a nearby Oklahoma prison.

Sherry's mother, Donna Moses Brown,

had driven the getaway car.

Sherry's mom has been on the run ever since.

However, she has never been charged with any crime

because both her family and the authorities

view her as a victim.

A lonely widow, so desperate for love

that she could be manipulated by a convicted killer

named Michael Wayne Brown.

Hi.

Hi.

I'm Michael.

I know.

I'm Donna.

NARRATOR: Ironically, it was a good deed that introduced

Donna to Brown's world.

Her church groups started writing letters

to convicts to help them find spiritual comfort.

But these pen pals quickly became more.

You know, I don't know if I could make it in this place

if it wasn't for those letters that I get from you.

/

You know, whatever we can do to help.

You do. I mean, you do so much.

You're always so supportive.

You know, you write real sweet letters too.

I cannot get over how beautiful you are.

Oh.

NARRATOR: She was lonely.

She hadn't had anybody for a very long time,

and she needed that companionship.

You know, someone-- someone, you know, to talk to about things

and show her love and affection.

And that's what she got from him.

How you doing?

I'm OK.

It's hard.

He spoke with her.

And I think that that's pretty much all that mattered.

He wrote her.

It was somebody new in her life.

And I think that it probably could have been anybody to him,

but she was the victim that fell into the line of fire I guess.

Look what I brought you.

Oh wow!

These are great!

Michael Wayne Brown, like a lot

of the men who are incarcerated for long periods of time,

they really don't have any concern for other people's

rights or lives.

They've got all the time in the world

to scam, to scheme on people.

And they get quite good at it.

They could sell you a chainsaw in the desert.

She wrote him every day.

She talked to him on the phone every day.

It kind of started and went full force.

And there was no slowing down.

LT. SHAMBLIN (VOICEOVER): I think Donna Brown was

under the misconception that Michael Wayne Brown was just

a misunderstood young man who, through unfortunate

circumstances, was doing time.

NARRATOR: But Michael Wayne Brown was hardly misunderstood.

Everyone but Donna knew what he was,

and what he was was a cold blooded killer.

Nine years earlier, when brown was only

18, he and another teenager--

Dennis Woodward-- burglarized an insurance office

in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.

What are you doing here?

Huh?

What are you doing here?

Shut up!

Insurance investigator Richard Sullivan picked the wrong time

to stop by for a file.

Turn around.

Turn around and face the wall.

Give me the gun.

Turn around.

[gunshot]

Brown was very, very hyper after that event.

He said, I killed him.

I killed him.

Almost bragging about it.

He looks over at Woodward and he said, if I had one more bullet,

I would have shot his eyes out.

And thereafter, they went off to have breakfast

at a local restaurant.

NARRATOR: While Brown was eating his bacon and eggs,

41-year-old Richard Sullivan bled

to death on his office floor.

He left behind a wife and a young daughter.

Michael Wayne Brown was put on death row

for murdering Richard Sullivan.

However, that sentence was later commuted

to life without parole.

By the time brown met Donna Moses in 1984,

he had spent nine years in prison.

Meanwhile, Donna has served a different kind of time.

She had been married twice, and widowed twice.

Both husbands had been murdered.

Raising two children on her own was a constant struggle.

Perhaps it was just another ironic twist

in Donna's hard luck life that she

now found herself in love with a murderer 10 years her junior.

It was consuming her too much.

You know, she didn't have time for anything else but him.

I mean, she could visit him every weekend.

And it was like the whole week was preparing to see him.

This is your

copy.

- There she is. - Hi.

Hi.

NARRATOR: Less than three months after Brown first met Donna,

he performed a brief transformation

from shackled prisoner to eager bridegroom.

Ready?

Yes, sir.

Do you, Michael Wayne Brown, take this woman to be

your lawfully wedded wife?

To love her and to cherish her as long as you both might live?

I do.

And do you, Donna Moses, take this man to be

your lawfully wedded husband?

To love and to cherish him from this day forward,

as long as you both shall live? - I do.

I love you.

I love you.

NARRATOR: Moments after the ceremony, the honeymoon

was over.

Brown, back in shackles and prison orange,

was returned to his cell.

Donna sent her children to stay with relatives

and followed Brown as he was transferred

from prison to prison, sometimes living out of her car.

Between visiting days, she wrote letters.

Michael Wayne Brown became Donna's whole world.

In November of 1984, Brown was transferred

to a minimum security prison.

It was a perfect opportunity, and Brown wasted little time.

Less than three weeks later, Michael Wayne Brown

and another inmate jumped a 4 foot fence

and raced for freedom.

By the time guards discovered them missing, it was too late.

Let's go.

Let's go!

NARRATOR: Police have remained a step or two behind Brown

ever since.

A few days after the escape, they

tracked him to Paris, Texas, but missed

him by a matter of minutes.

Since then, brown is known to have lived in Kentucky, New

Jersey, Texas, and Virginia.

For three years, Donna's family had no word from her.

No idea if she was alive or dead.

Finally, in 1987, Donna Brown made an unexpected call

to her daughter.

Hello?

Hi, Sherry?

- Yeah? - Hi.

It's me.

Mom.

Mom?

Are you OK? - Yeah.

I'm OK.

I'm out of Oklahoma.

But I want to come home.

Michael and I broke up.

You know, it was just kind of a quick thing and that's all.

She told me she loved me, and that was it.

NARRATOR: Though Donna had said she wanted to come home,

she never did.

Four years went by.

Donna called again, asking if she had grandchildren.

At that time, she didn't.

[baby talking]

Since then, however, Donna's children--

Sherry and David-- have each had a son.

Both would like nothing more than to introduce the boys

to their long lost grandmother.

I'm afraid that she's afraid that we don't want her back.

I'm afraid that my mom feels like she

did something really bad, and that she can't face us anymore.

How are we going to act to her?

And what I say to her is, it's OK.

NARRATOR: There is nothing to stop Donna brown from rejoining

her family, except Donna Brown.

She can come home at any time.

There's no arrest warrant either issued

by the state of Oklahoma or by the federal government for her.

She's not wanted on any charges.

And in fact, we would encourage her,

if she's no longer with Brown, or if, in fact, she

is with Brown, to immediately contact the authorities.

[intense music playing]

NARRATOR: Coming up.

A college student clashed with Tijuana police.

His family believes the police retaliated.

[creepy music playing]

Tijuana.

It's been one of Mexico's most popular border towns

for decades, especially for college students.

Hundreds hit nightclubs every weekend, hunting

big fun at bargain rates.

But a good time doesn't always come cheap.

It can cost you your life.

1:30 a.m., Tijuana time.

Steven Thomas was looking for his brother Jason in the crowds

partying on Avenida Revolucion.

They'd become separated while heading back to their car.

I looked to the right of me.

I turned around.

My brother wasn't there.

I mean, it was like that.

NARRATOR: An hour and a half after Jason disappeared,

a Tijuana police officer discovered

his battered body in the road.

Jason was drinking, and he was loud and obnoxious

and maybe out of control.

That night, I believe, that Jason was

murdered by the Tijuana police.

20-year-old Jason Ardas had moved

from Virginia to Los Angeles one year earlier to go to college.

A week before his death, he brought his younger

brother Steven out for a visit.

They spent a week touring the top tourist

spots in Los Angeles.

Then, Jason decided he couldn't let Steven

go back home without showing him a good time

south of the border.

[rock music playing]

[chatter]

Saturday night, August 1, 1998.

Tijuana's main drag, Avenida Revolucion,

was packed with party people.

The feel of fiesta was part of the draw.

But for many, the loose drinking laws

were the biggest attraction.

That night, Jason, Steve, and their friend Michael Justin

started barhopping about 9, mostly

hitting places that offered all you

could drink for less than $5.

Jason was usually friendly and easygoing,

but he had a reputation as a rowdy drinker.

By the time he ran into a tequila vendor,

he was already a little drunk.

He didn't realize that tequila cost extra--

$6 a shot.

[whistle] - Go!

Go!

Go!

Now you owe me $12.

$12?

You crazy, man.

Jason didn't want to give up the money.

So I just said, Jason, give him the money.

Just give him the money and let's get out of here.

You know what I'm saying?

This ain't the spot we need to be in.

NARRATOR: Jason and Steven left Michael at the bar

and went back out on the strip.

My strategy was to hurry up and find the car,

so we could go sit down.

We're kind of drunk.

You know what I'm saying?

Walking around Tijuana.

Walking down the street.

And that's when my brother accidentally

bumped into a female officer.

Excuse me. Did you just hit me?

You just hit me?

You just hit me?

Forget it!

NARRATOR: According to Steven, another Tijuana police officer

had tried to shake them down earlier that evening,

demanding cash or jewelry.

Jason was still angry.

We're American citizens.

We just trying to get home.

Tell her, we ain't got no money.

We have no money.

I swear.

We have no money on us. - Go ahead.

I was kind of frustrated at my brother

for the simple fact of being that drunk.

My feelings were just, I'm ready to go home.

I'm ready to get back to Van Nuys.

You acting crazy, man.

This ain't our country.

I told him, walk behind me.

Come on, let's hurry up and try to find this car.

Go check for the car.

So just keep moving all right?

Yeah. All right.

I'll keep moving. OK?

All right.

Go and find the car.

He's like three or four yards behind me at first.

That's when I walked up some more to another block.

So I walked up.

I looked to the right.

I looked behind me, and my brother wasnn't there.

My first reaction was probably that he's sitting down

on the curb somewhere, or sitting up against a building,

anything like that.

You know what I'm saying?

Because we were kind of intoxicated.

NARRATOR: Soon after Steven lost sight of Jason,

Michael Justin claims he spotted him

in the back of a police car.

I looked and I see-- what is he doing

in the back of a police car?

They were the last people I saw Jason with.

I saw Jason, with my own eyes, in the back of a police car

like I knew my hand.

NARRATOR: Michael and Steven never saw Jason again.

Two days later, the American consulate

sent word that Jason was dead.

His aunt, Tina Martin Smith, went to Tijuana

to identify the body.

I remember thinking, this is not Jason there.

Jason is somewhere in a jail in Tijuana,

and someone has robbed him and they've taken his ID.

And this person is in the morgue.

And I looked down.

And it was Jason.

It was Jason.

NARRATOR: Tijuana authorities told

Jason's family he must have gotten

lost trying to make his way back to the border.

[car swerves]

[car horn]

The authorities called it a tragic hit and run accident.

But there were a number of unanswered questions.

I believe that it had something

to do with the police.

I feel that for a fact.

After Michael told me that he seen my brother

in the back of a police car, there's

gotta be something on that.

NARRATOR: Tijuana police deny that allegation.

They say they never had Jason Ardas in custody.

We check and double check almost

the whole month of August.

And there is no retention with that name.

Sometimes it happens that they miswrite

the name in our computer, so we ran it with the three names.

We found nothing.

NARRATOR: Jason's family got a copy of the autopsy report

through the American consulate, and had it

translated into English.

Nothing was adding up.

First of all, they stated that Jason was hit by a car.

And we had these conflicting things.

[camera clicks]

We had the photos of him with no injuries

to his lower extremities with these unexplained five

inch marks all over his body and chest area, and then his face.

NARRATOR: At the request of "Unsolved

Mysteries," three forensic pathologists

reviewed the autopsy report.

One said Jason's death did indeed appear to be the result

of a simple hit and run.

Two others, however, agreed that the inconsistencies

were puzzling.

I would be very skeptical of one, the autopsy findings,

and the assertion that this was simply a hit and run accident.

One has to apply a high degree of skepticism

to the entire autopsy, in my view.

NARRATOR: For instance, the Tijuana coroner

claimed the car had hit Jason in the chest hard enough

to rupture his heart.

In order for a blunt blow to get through the sternum

and rupture of the heart, it would have

to virtually crush the chest.

And it's quite evident from the autopsy

that that chest is not badly mashed.

There are no bruises on it.

There are no big hematomas.

So that becomes incredible.

The autopsy report becomes incredible.

NARRATOR: Another point.

Jason's injuries included head wounds that might easily have

been the result of a beating.

Certainly, the lesions around the head and the skull--

which were severe--

certainly consistent with the butt

of a rifle or any other sharp or even blunt object

that could be used on an individual.

I believe that he was beaten.

And after he was beaten, perhaps in an attempt

to destroy the evidence, that they perhaps

ran over and/or drug him.

And I believe that, when he was run

over, that he was already dead.

NARRATOR: Though Tijuana authorities say the case is

still under investigation, they also believe Jason's

family may be overreacting.

We have had responses from the families in conflict

with the saying of the autopsy and the statement

from our department.

Even then, sometimes, where there are witnesses

of an accident and there is a driver

responsible for the accident, there

have been some families stating that they are not accepting

that it was an accident.

Maybe he should have gone to jail for the night.

But he didn't-- nobody--

nobody deserves to die that way.

NARRATOR: Next.

Tara Roy was losing her battle with cancer

until she touched the headstone of a little girl who died

over three decades earlier.

[creepy music playing]

NARRATOR: Lourdes, France.

Fatima, Portugal.

And Medjugorje in the former Yugoslavia.

Every year, they come by the millions.

The dying, the disabled, the sick at heart.

They come in the hope of being miraculously healed,

in the hope of being touched by God.

Now, many are making a pilgrimage

to a new mecca for miracles--

the tomb of a young girl buried in a small graveyard in

a tiny town in rural Louisiana.

Her name was Charlene Richard.

Many people say that, even from the grave,

she has the power to heal.

One of those was Nicole Price.

When Nicole was two years old, she was

diagnosed with a lethal cancer.

She was expected to die within months, perhaps less.

She and her family prayed for Charlene's help.

They believe that, thanks to Charlene Richard,

Nicole lived not just a few months but nine more years.

I feel that Charlene's intervention in Nicole's life

gave us the nine extra years we had with her.

I feel somehow God reached out, through Charlene,

and touched Nicole.

NARRATOR: Donald Ledger also believes

in Charlene's healing power.

In 1979, Donald-- a Sergeant in the United States Army--

had an accidental fall that injured his feet,

shattering both heels.

Doctors doubted he would ever walk again.

Donald started praying to Charlene.

To everyone's surprise, he didn't just walk.

He even started running.

Without the intercession of Charlene,

I feel that I would not be able to walk.

I truly believe this.

I believe in miracles.

I do.

NARRATOR: But who was Charlene Richard?

It was 1959.

Charlene had leukemia and was suffering great pain.

Yet when Father Brennan found the courage

to tell her she was dying, it was she who comforted him.

Father Brennan, when I see the blessed mother,

I'll tell her that you said hello.

NARRATOR: During her last days, Charlene

thought often of others.

She believed in the Catholic idea

that one person's suffering can save another.

Though she was dying, she selflessly

offered her pain as redemption for other patients

in the hospital.

When the sickness came and the pain came, she grew in crisis.

She became great.

NARRATOR: Charlene prayed for others every day for two weeks,

even as her own time was running out.

I will be gone tomorrow.

I want to say goodbye.

I will be praying for you.

NARRATOR: The next day, Charlene died.

I felt a presence in that room of the divine.

There was an aura of peace in that room.

NARRATOR: Charlene's death deeply

touched her small community.

Over the years, word spread of her courage and saintly ways.

People started praying to her, asking her

to intercede for them with God.

Now, thousands gather each year for a memorial mass.

More and more say they've experienced

Charlene's power to heal firsthand.

In 1994, 21-year-old Tara Roy developed colon cancer.

She was diagnosed with a Dukes Class C Stage 3 carcinoma.

And I've done enough research and reading

about it to where I know that you don't come back from those.

NARRATOR: Tara started heavy doses of chemotherapy.

Despite its debilitating side effects,

she was determined not to give in to the disease.

I didn't want this to interfere with my life.

I didn't want it to totally take over,

you know, and dictate what I would do and how I would do it.

I just wanted to be a college student and go to class

and do my job.

NARRATOR: But Tara's determination wasn't

enough to make her better.

Every day, she felt worse.

She soon felt she needed more than medicine.

Tara and her parents started making frequent trips

to Charlene's grave.

On their last trip, however, Tara was so sick they thought

she might die within weeks.

With the cumulative chemotherapy kicking in real

strong, we almost didn't-- we almost

turned around and came home.

I didn't want to go. I felt terrible.

It's probably one of those days I just

didn't want to do anything.

Laying in bed was a challenge.

Deep down I wanted to go to the grave

that day, I just didn't physically

feel up to it at all.

NARRATOR: Tara knelt by Charlene's grave as usual.

Then, some impulse inspired her to do something

she had never done before.

With her fingers, she traced the letters of Charlene's name.

And in about 20 seconds, she turned around

and she was transformed.

And when I saw her, I was stunned.

I felt like a lot had been lifted right then.

Like, just a weight off my shoulder was lifted right then.

Pop, I'm going to be OK.

[laughing]

I just felt that I definitely would be healthy again,

and I would--

I would beat this.

NARRATOR: Tara did beat it.

Both the cancer and the effects of the chemotherapy.

She is now back to being a healthy and happy young woman.

She finished college, went on to get

a master's degree in social work,

and is engaged to be married.

I saw the hand of God.

I saw what I needed to see that day.

We saw a miracle.

No doubt.

Does the spirit of Charlene Richard

reach out from her grave to help those

who send her their prayers?

Skeptics aren't convinced.

Yet for the thousands who visit Charlene's grave,

the answer is an unwavering yes.

Next.

Help authorities catch Carl McWilliams,

wanted by State College police for child molestation.

[creepy music playing]

Recently, authorities in Pennsylvania

contacted us with a request to profile

a fugitive considered to be very manipulative and dangerous.

Please watch closely.

You may be able to help put this individual behind bars.

State College, Pennsylvania.

A young mother struggling to raise her three young children

alone met Carl McWilliams in the fall of 1992.

He lived only a few doors away and they

were both students at Pennsylvania State University.

The two became friends, and eventually Carl McWilliams

became like family.

For the sake of her children, their mother--

who we will call Sarah--

asked that we not reveal her identity.

Carl was a very personable man.

He was friendly.

He got along beautifully with my children.

They adored him.

He was, to me, like the perfect father figure for my children.

NARRATOR: The fact was, Carl McWilliams

was a convicted child molester.

He had spent six years in prison for molesting

his 8-year-old daughter.

One day, Sarah came home from work early

to find Carl McWilliams had become her worst nightmare.

He was allegedly locked in a bedroom

with her young daughter.

He opened the door, and he was as pale as a ghost.

And he had broken out into a real cold sweat.

And even to this day, it's something so vile

that I could never even put a handle on it.

I couldn't imagine someone doing to a five year old child.

NARRATOR: Sarah and her children moved away from the area.

And for seven years, she anguished

about whether to report the incident to police.

I felt that, if I expose them to the police and agencies,

that it would be worse for the girls.

And I felt it was better for me as their mother

to try to handle it.

NARRATOR: Finally, Sarah realized

the police needed to know about McWilliams's behavior.

Authorities found Carl McWilliams living

with another woman and her children

just two miles from the neighborhood Sarah

and her children had fled.

Carl McWilliams was ordered to leave the house,

and relocated to a nearby motel while police investigated

the allegations against him.

He stayed there one night and checked out the next morning.

And that's the last indication of any specific location

that we knew he possibly could have been.

NARRATOR: Carl McWilliams has been charged with rape,

statutory rape, aggravated indecent assault,

and indecent assault. He is most likely

working in the logging industry in the United States or Canada.

Carl has, on occasion, changed his appearance.

He's changed his hairstyle.

He's changed his glasses style.

Or maybe lost a little weight, gained a little weight.

It wouldn't surprise me right now if he is somewhere living

with another woman who has little girls,

because that's what he does.

I think it's important that he's

caught so that he doesn't have the opportunity

to do this to other children.

No one has that right-- to violate a child like that.

[intense music playing]

[creepy music playing]

Join me for the next fascinating edition

of "Unsolved Mysteries."

[creepy music playing]