Unsolved Mysteries with Dennis Farina - Season 4, Episode 15 - Updated Full Episode

Next on Unsolved Mysteries, a church secretary is savagely beaten and has no memory of the attack. Her husband denies being involved, but his mistress moves in just two weeks later. A daring con artist steals hundreds of thousands of dollars and then he disappears with his young wife. A killer's 15 years as a fugitive comes to an end when one of our viewers spots his photo on our website. And two co-eds disappear from different universities, leaving two devastated families and two baffling mysteries. Cunning, deceit, and lies. Maybe you can figure out who's telling the truth. I'm Dennis Farina, and this is Unsolved Mysteries. Winter Haven, Florida. Just before 1 PM, a church member stops in to buy tickets for an upcoming event. A woman finds 47-year-old Nancy Drake, the church secretary, close to death. She has been beaten so viciously that her skull split open. Nancy survives, but within two weeks, police discover that her husband, Thomas, has been cheating on her. While Nancy recovers in the hospital, he even moves his mistress into their home. There are two other potential suspects, but Thomas Drake is arrested for attempting to murder his wife. I did not beat Nancy. I could not beat Nancy. I'm not that type of a person. I never have been. I've never been one to fight anybody. I've always turned from fights. It's not me. Thomas Drake was convicted solely on circumstantial evidence. Nancy was the only witness, but the severe blows to her head erased all memory of the attack. The prosecution refused to participate in this story, but it maintains that Thomas Drake is guilty. When Nancy and Thomas Drake moved to Florida, one of the first things they did was to join the local church. Nancy sang in the choir and worked as the church secretary. Thomas was a truck driver who tape recorded the church services every Sunday. I just loved doing whatever I could at the church. It was not unusual for me to work 60 hours seven days a week, but I loved every moment of it. And the concert is on Saturday night at 8. Thomas says Nancy's devotion to the church was taking a toll on their nine-year marriage. They even talked about a separation. Nancy got so involved in everything, she thought everything that happened, it couldn't be done without her. I was very unhappy with our relationship at home. I didn't have a wife anymore. She wasn't there for me. The day of the attack, Nancy was busier than usual, selling tickets to a church concert. She didn't have time to break for lunch, so Thomas brought it to her. I arrived at the church approximately 15 after 12. There was a green station wagon parked there with a white-haired gentleman in it that I'd never seen before. But I didn't think too much about it because there was a lot of people attending the church that I didn't know. Hiya. Hi, Thomas. Brought you lunch. Thank you. I went inside, and Nancy said, I'll be right back, and went to the back of the church somewhere. You just missed Mary. Oh, I'll give her a call. Nancy returned to her office. At that point, I left the church, and it was right at 12.30 then. At 1.15, the pastor called Thomas at home. He said that Nancy had bumped her head and had gone to the hospital. But when Thomas got there, he learned that his wife was in intensive care. I just can't be very optimistic. When I finally got in to see her, her face was swollen so bad. Her eyes were shut. Her head was bigger than a basketball. You know, it was just humble. But he didn't look like a human being. And I couldn't believe that anybody could beat anybody that bad. At the church, police found the safe in Nancy's office open and empty. They later found the weapon used to beat her, a claw-tooth hammer. There were no fingerprints on it. Outside, an office window, they found a muddy footprint. And inside, they found a fingerprint on the door. It belonged to a local man. This person lived in the area, was a former mental patient, and had no explanation for why his fingerprints would have been on the door. Another possible suspect was a white-haired man one of the parishioners noticed at the church that morning. This may have been the same man that Thomas saw when he brought Nancy her lunch. The police came up with this composite sketch and issued an all-points bulletin. The police hoped that Nancy would be able to tell them who assaulted her. But after the attack, her memory and her ability to speak were severely impaired. Three weeks later, the Drakes had a conversation that would come back to haunt Thomas. I want to go home now. No, Nancy, you can't just leave the hospital without the doctor's permission. You don't care about me. You know that's not true. How would you like it if I hit you on your habit? The police officer on duty overheard the conversation. She thought it sounded like Nancy was accusing Thomas of attacking her. Her interpretation was that Nancy said I had hit her on the head. But at that point, she could not speak without getting her words all messed up. She would say one word for another. And she said, how would you like for me to be hit on your habit? They interpreted it as me hitting her. Police put Drake under 24-hour surveillance. What is this kid? I didn't see anything in the report about a kid. Atta boy. Come on, back at me. Hi, guys. Hi, honey. Police learned that Thomas had been having an affair for almost a year. And investigators were shocked to discover that only two weeks after his wife was attacked, Thomas invited his girlfriend and her child to move into his home. He had met the woman, we'll call her Judy, on one of his trucking runs to Fort Lauderdale. Police stopped following other leads. Thomas Drake became their prime suspect. I was trying to help this lady out. She was coming up here to live there. I needed somebody to stay at the house, somebody to care for it. I said, you do it. Looking back, I can see how it looked. At the time, I didn't think anything about it. At that point, the only thing I could care about was Nancy getting well and getting out of the hospital. I didn't even think about it. I really didn't. Thomas Drake? Yeah. I'm Detective Kirkland. Yeah, this is Officer Kirkland. How are you doing this evening? We'd like to take you down to the station, please. Yeah, sure. What for? We're placing you under arrest for the attempted murder of my wife. What's going on here? Under arrest? No, it's just a mistake. In addition to arresting Thomas, police took his girlfriend Judy and her son to the police station. Thomas agreed to be questioned without an attorney present. That was a mistake. I've already hurt Nancy. I don't want to hurt Judy. I just don't want to drag Judy into this mess. And he said, then you cooperate with us and you tell us how you beat Nancy. I said, I didn't beat Nancy. He said, well, you just said you hurt her. I said, yes, but I'm telling you, by getting a divorce and us splitting up, I said that was enough hurt for her. I said, I've done her enough harm. I mean, I said, I didn't physically hurt her. And I couldn't. I couldn't do that to anybody. Woke up the other night screaming. Thomas said that he had dreamed of Nancy calling out to him, saying no, Tom, no. Also, he admitted that he agreed, in theory, with a police hypothesis that it was possible for him to have attacked his wife and then blocked all memory of it. Police felt that both statements suggested Thomas was guilty. I don't know why. There was a portion of the tape recorded statement that Tom gave to the police when Tom's denial sounds like a hypothetical one. And it was only after the detectives took him to hypothetical questions that they got him to say, I don't believe I could have committed this crime. How long have you known Tom? Police also questioned Thomas's mistress, Judy. You were planning on living with Tom? Yes. Did you know he's married? No. He told me he was divorced. Judy would eventually become a witness for the prosecution. Thomas was charged with robbery and attempted murder. And then his attorney brought an offer from the prosecutor. He's agreed to drop the charges of attempted He said, the only reason they offered this, they know they don't have any evidence against you. And they're hunting a way out. I said, well, I'm not going to plead guilty to something I didn't do. He said, that's all I need to hear. And that was it. I turned it down. Coming up, Nancy's memory returns and she thinks that she can identify her attacker. Was it Thomas? Thomas Drake was about to go on trial for attacking his wife, Nancy. And it was known that Thomas had been having an affair. Yet, Nancy stood by him. She even visited him in jail. I'm happy that you came. I wasn't sure that you would. Don't be silly. I'm here because I want to be. The Tom that I knew did not do it. And that's the reason why I wanted to go visit him. Because that side of Tom, yes, I loved him. The other side of Tom that was having an affair, I didn't know him. And like any other human being, I can honestly say that side of him I hated. Did you ever tell him where they were? At the trial, Nancy didn't testify because she had no memory of the attack. The prosecution's case was based primarily on circumstantial evidence. I've already hurt Nancy. The jury heard the tape of Thomas's interrogation. They also learned that the day before the attack, Thomas had been in the church equipment room working with the same hammer that was later used to bludgeon Nancy. But the most damaging testimony came from Judy, his former mistress. And could you tell the jury the progress of your relationship? It began gradually, like, friendly, and then became more personal. According to Thomas, Judy's testimony was not given freely. You could be charged as his accomplice. Why? I haven't been involved in anything. When she was taken to the police station the night of my arrest, they told her, if you don't cooperate with us and testify against him, we will take your son. If not, I can't guarantee when you're going to see your son. I said, you haven't done anything. She said, but they threatened. They said, if I don't cooperate with them, they're going to take my son and arrest me. And that was the last conversation I'd had with her. Did he ever tell you that he'd gotten a divorce? Yes. What were your plans? That he was going to take care of us from now on, and I wouldn't have to work. I could stay home and raise my son. It's very difficult for the jury not to see Tom Drake in the context of all of his sins living two lives while Nancy was in the hospital, not just having an affair, but bringing the woman home to their home. The jury found Thomas Drake guilty. But a few days later, his attorney got a surprise phone call from Nancy. Her memory of the attack had returned. A white man with white hair and thick glasses. He was a tall, slender person who Yeah, more than I like a couple of the tickets. They are $5 each, so that would be $10. Just go down. Nancy said the man wanted to pay for the tickets with a $100 bill, but she didn't have enough change. He convinced her to go to the equipment room and open the safe. I went down to the safe, and I opened it. And just after I'd done that, he came back and hit me. What's the last thing you remember? The last thing I remember is that I should have never opened the safe. Nancy told the judge her story, and he agreed to give Thomas a new trial. Once again, Thomas was offered a plea bargain. And once again, he rejected it. Thomas believed that Nancy's testimony would clear his name. Nancy Drake, Tom Drake's wife, says that Tom did not attack her. And I expect her to come before you and testify as to her memory of these events. I don't know if I can do this. However, just moments before she was due to take the stand, Nancy's memory suddenly failed. Her medication had been changed the day before, and she couldn't tell the difference between what she had been told and what she actually remembered. The pressure she felt of Tom's fate, her husband's fate, being on her shoulder was such that, emotionally, she was not capable, able to testify. Call your next witness, please. The defense rests, Your Honor. Thomas's lawyer was forced to rest this case without calling Nancy to the stand. And without Nancy's testimony, the jury had every reason to believe that Thomas was guilty. Count one. We, the jury, find as to the defendant, Thomas Eugene Drake, guilty of attempted second degree murder with a weapon. It was just unbelievable that, with no evidence, they could return a verdict that way. But they did. The jury, the state played totally upon their emotions of this affair I was having with another woman. And that's the only thing they convicted me of. The guilty verdict came as a major shock to Thomas. But even a bigger shock came the day he was sentenced. The sentencing guidelines called for a five-year sentence. And the judge decided that five years wasn't enough. He then gave me life with no parole, plus 30 years to run consecutive, which means I will never get out of prison. Nancy returned to her hometown in Indiana and remarried. It's been over 25 years since the attack, and she still can't work and doesn't remember anything about that day. I don't know whether he's guilty or not. Don't rightfully give a darn, either. He deserves to be where he is, not for trying to kill me. Because I honestly don't know whether he did or not. But just for everything he had done previously. Today, Thomas Drake lives behind the razor wire at a prison in Florida. While he serves his life sentence, he has filed a number of appeals. So far, all have been denied. Coming up, he's been hired to manage a company's finances. What they don't know is that he's a master con man. In Rouge, Louisiana, when Brent Trouth decided to sell his Nissan sports car, he found the perfect buyer, John Maggio. All Maggio needed to seal the deal was a cashier's check, and Brent agreed to drive him to the bank. During the short trip, the conversation was friendly. Yeah, and the bank should be right over here. And then, without warning, Brent suddenly found himself on the wrong end of a gun, fighting for his life. He had the meanest look on his face. Cold-blooded killer. He pulled the gun to the right, and it went on the side of my leg. The bullet went on the side of my leg and came out on the corner of my kneecap. And that's when I bit him on the shoulder. And he let go of the gun, and I threw the gun out the car. Stop the car! I said, stop the car! Maggio drove out the passenger side door, and Brent drove himself to the hospital. He nearly lost his leg. The next day, police arrested John Maggio and charged him with attempted murder. To those who knew him, the attack came as no big surprise. Maggio had always been trouble. John Maggio spent five years in prison and was released on parole. He immediately went to Mobile, Alabama, where Family Connections helped him land a job. In a typical display of bravado, Maggio had listed his prison jobs on his resume, failing, of course, to mention that he was behind bars at the time. Bring your knees. Morning, John. At his new job, Maggio processed payroll accounts for ships in dock, a job that involved handling large amounts of cash. The owners of the vessel would wire us the money that the captain requested, and then we would make out the receipts, bring the cash down to the captain. He would sit there and count it out, and then sign the receipt, and you'd be done. Maggio fit in right away and got along with everybody. He just went overboard, to be nice. He was just super. He was outgoing. When you talked to him, you felt like you'd known him forever. That's just how he made you feel. Molly Perez was charmed by Maggio. After a whirlwind romance, the couple decided to get married. You sure my aunt will show up? It's still early. Molly had a four-year-old daughter from a previous marriage, and Maggio appeared to love her like his own. But according to Molly's mother, the relationship was rocky and sometimes violent. Molly never told me that he was abusive, but her daughter did. And she was terrified of John, terrified. In front of us, he acted like the doting stepfather. But when he was away from us, it was a different story. It turned out that Maggio had a lot of people fooled, including this bank officer, who asked not to be identified. He called to inquire how long it would take me to get $197,000. You know, and I told him I need to know by Tuesday to have it in towards the end of the week. Police believe Maggio snuck back into his office after hours, unlocked the filing cabinet, then walked out with a blank check. Morning, Ms. Henderson. He then showed up at the bank with a forged check for $197,000. It was a well-established account. He was a well-known person to be responsible for picking up and calling in the orders, and the signature was a match. The bank officer said Maggio was friendly, but nervous. Maggio explained his behavior by saying that a co-worker had been killed doing a similar job. Moments later, Maggio calmly walked out of the bank and simply disappeared. Back green shipping. Hello. The next day, Maggio's office received a disturbing phone call from company headquarters. The accountant that manages all the money, he asked me if we had written any big checks, and of course I said no. So he said, look for this check number. So I went and looked, and the check was missing. So I went back to the phone, and I said, yes, the check is gone. And I said, how much money is gone? And he said, $197,000. And I said, God. Meanwhile, Molly left her daughter with her mother and prepared to leave town. She was protecting us and her daughter, because I know now that Molly knew just how evil he was. And he is. Police say Molly left with Maggio in a brand new SUV, which he bought with some of the stolen money. Four months later, the couple turned up in New York. Using the names Rick and Sarah Parker, they rented a small apartment from Nanette Cano. Molly and Maggio came off to be the sweetest people to everyone, not only to my husband and myself and my family members, but to the neighbors as well. Over the next year, Maggio bounced from one job to another before landing a sales position with a rare autograph dealer in Manhattan. But it wasn't long before Maggio was up to his old tricks. May I help you? Yes, you may. Maggio had attempted to cash a $1,500 check. And the place where he was trying to cash it contacted the employer. And he said, no, he does not have the authority to cash a check in that amount. I cash checks here all the time. Sir, for this amount, I need an authorization. Maggio never showed back up at that company. The individual had an audit done of his records and determined that Maggio, on 14 different occasions, had written $1,000 checks which were forged and which were basically embezzlements from the company. By the time the police were notified, Maggio and Molly were long gone. Early in the morning, it must have been like 6.30 in the morning, I suddenly get a phone call from Maggio. Hello? Hey, Nanette, it's Rick. And he was like, oh, I'm taking Molly to the hospital. She's very sick. Watch the dog. I left the key underneath the mat. Nanette was surprised and concerned for Molly. But before she could ask any questions, Maggio hung up the phone. I'll give you a call later. Bye. Right there, all the cards started falling right into place. Something is very fishy. Nanette was suspicious, so she went down to check on her tenants. The apartment was trashed and the Maggios were gone. Detectives later discovered that Molly had bought two airline tickets for a flight from New York to Los Angeles. You got him? We got him. On our way. Update. John Maggio had been on the run for two years when a co-worker recognized him from a photo at the local post office and called police. Maggio was arrested and charged with federal bank fraud and parole violation. He served 24 months and was released. His wife, Molly, was never charged with any crime. Coming up, the Vietnam War separates a fighter pilot from his daughter. In the late 1960s, the United States trained hundreds of South Vietnamese jet pilots at an Air Force base in Louisiana. One of these pilots was Suong Van Nguyen, and he ended up with especially close ties to America. Suong Van Nguyen was 2,000 miles from home. He recalls feeling lonely and displaced until a local family, the Gautiers, befriended him. They had six children, and their eldest son was stationed in Vietnam. Mrs. Gautier was thinking about her son being a foreigner in Vietnam. Because of that, she helped us on the weekends so that we feel comfortable, just like we were in our own country. Gwendolyn, one of the Gautiers' daughters, was the same age as Suong. Before long, they had fallen in love. After seven months, Suong's training was complete. He and Gwendolyn shared one final night together before saying goodbye. I don't want you to go. We could go to Canada or something. Gwen. Why not? Because of my honor as an officer in the Air Force, I could not desert my countrymen. And so I said to Gwen, I have to go back. But I hope that someday we would see each other again. Within weeks, Suong was flying combat missions in Vietnam. He received many letters from Gwendolyn, but one would forever change his life. Gwen was pregnant with their child. Coming back from a tense mission and hearing the good news, I was so happy at that moment. Late in August, Gwendolyn gave birth to a healthy baby girl and named her Kimberly Karen. More than five years passed with Suong unable to see his daughter. Finally, his luck changed. Suong was sent back to the base in Louisiana for more training. He was uncertain how the Gautiers would react to his arrival. I don't believe it. Suong? Hello, Mrs. Gautier. Mrs. Gautier arranged for Suong to visit Gwendolyn, who was now married and living in Houston, Texas. Emotions were running high. I really wanted to hug my child, this child I had waited so long to see. But the situation simply did not allow it. Gwendolyn and Kimberly returned to Louisiana for the rest of Suong's assignment. For nearly a month, Kimberly lived with her grandmother and Suong spent every free moment with his daughter. Suong did not know that Mrs. Gautier had told Kimberly that he was her father. What did you say? Daddy? Why you call me that? Because you are. How do you know that? Then Kim said, because her hair was black, her eyes were black, and her skin was dark skin. And she was especially proud to point out that she had a flat nose, an Asian nose. Finally, the day came that Suong dreaded. Gwendolyn had to take Kimberly back to Houston. Suong knew he might never see his daughter again. We got to go. I didn't know if I would ever see my daughter again. I couldn't control myself. I broke down and cried. And that's the truth. Shortly after, Suong returned to the war. When Saigon fell, he was incarcerated at a communist re-education camp for the next 10 years. After his release, Suong remarried, had two children, and eventually immigrated to the United States. He immediately started to look for Kimberly. Because of that time we had, we have a beautiful memory in common. I believe it is possible that beautiful memory Kim and I share has engraved itself on her mind. So whenever Kim thinks of her father, she knows that I wish only the best for her. I care about her. She understands me and knows that I really love her. Update, the night this story aired, we received calls from Kimberly's friends and family. They told us that Kimberly lived in Pineville, Louisiana, and that she was thrilled to learn that her dad was looking for her. A few days later, Suong traveled to Louisiana for a reunion with Kimberly. They had not seen each other for 20 years. Hi. When in Vietnam, I never, I never think I can not, I can't meet her. But now it's my dream come true. I'm very, very happy. Sure. Yeah. It was just, you can't describe the feeling. It was just like, nice. It doesn't do the feeling justice, but it was just incredible. Fantastic, wonderful, great. Later that day, Suong celebrated with Kimberly's family, including her mother, Wendell. To see them together is just a dream come true. A fairy tale that had had some bad detours, but it came to a happy ending. I knew that wherever he was, that he loved me. And I was always certain in my heart that one day we would be back together. Oh, this is a big day, a happy day. And I think I cannot forget it. Two young coeds on opposite sides of the country mysteriously vanish. On a previous broadcast, we asked for your help in finding Michael Wayne Brown, a ruthless killer who escaped from an Oklahoma prison. What are you doing here? Brown, then 18 years old, was committing a burglary with another teenager when an employee stopped by to pick up a file. Brown was put on Oklahoma's death row for murdering Richard Sullivan. However, the sentence was later commuted to life without parole. Nine years into Brown's sentence, a lonely widow named Donna Moses began writing him letters as part of her church group's attempt to help convicts find spiritual comfort. They quickly became more than just pen pals. I know. She was lonely. And she needed that companionship, someone, you know, to talk to her about things and show her love and affection. And that's what she got from him. You, Michael Wayne Brown, pick this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife. Three months later, they were married. I do. Brown was transferred to a minimum security prison where he and another inmate jumped a four-foot fence and escaped. Let's go. Let's go. Donna. For 15 years, authorities investigated tips until finally one paid off. Update. An Unsolved Mysteries viewer saw Brown's photograph on our website. I couldn't believe it. It looked like him, but my mind said it's not him. But the picture said it was him. Greg knew Donna and Michael Brown as Linda and Kenneth Ginter. They owned a local video store in the quiet suburb of Kettering, Ohio. In fact, Greg's wife worked there. You'd never know he was a murderer. He was like an icon in the community. Everybody liked him. The kids would come in here and high five him. He'd give them candy. And super nice guy. A few minutes after seeing the photo, Greg got a call from Kenneth Ginter. The phone rings, and it was him. And he was asking my wife to work that night. I told him that I'd seen a guy on the computer that looked like him. And I said, Michael Wayne Brown. And he kind of got quiet for a minute. And he says, well, Greg, everybody has a twin. So I left it at that. Michael Wayne Brown surrendered to authorities when he realized that he had been identified. He was returned to prison to serve out his life term, plus additional time for the escape. Donna wasn't charged with any crime. Authorities believe that she was a victim of Brown's clever manipulation. 18-year-old April Gregory and 19-year-old Kristen Smart never met. They were enrolled at different universities on opposite sides of the country. Yet within the same five-hour period, they were both suddenly gone. No warning, no explanation. Syracuse University. April Gregory took her schoolwork very seriously. When she finished her freshman year, she immediately enrolled in the summer session. On an ordinary spring night, April's brother, Lamar, dropped her off at her dorm. I helped her with her bags to the front of the dormitory. And that was the last I saw her. April walked up these steps, entered these doors under the watchful eyes of dorm officials, and went to her seventh floor room. That's all anyone knows. A short time later, police searched April's room. They discovered that when she disappeared, she had not finished unpacking, and in the closet, only one clue. Her work uniform was missing. This was the path that April normally took to her job at a local restaurant. But that night, she never arrived at work. Rarely did she miss work, very rarely. I just knew something bad had happened to my baby. And almost at the same moment that April Gregory disappeared, another young woman mysteriously vanished 3,000 miles away. 19-year-old Kristen Smart was a freshman at Cal Poly State University in San Luis Obispo. About the same time April should have been heading to work in New York, Kristen was walking along this road in California. She was returning to her dorm after a party. She was not alone. 19-year-old Paul Flores was also a freshman at Cal Poly. He had offered to walk Kristen home after the party. An eyewitness saw Paul and Kristen at this corner. Paul told police that Kristen went to her dorm, and he crossed the street to his. Kristen phoned home every Sunday, religiously. And when that Sunday passed and she hadn't phoned, I knew something was wrong. Police and volunteers searched the campus for Kristen, but they didn't find a clue. Then cadaver search dogs were taken through the dorms. Those dogs hit on this room, room 128 at the Cal Poly campus, and specifically came into this room and hit on this mattress and the corner of this mattress. This room was occupied by the male subject that was last seen with Kristen Smart. That male subject was Paul Flores. Authorities became suspicious of Flores' statement that he and Kristen had gone home separately. When they got to approximately here, he says he continued into his dorm, which is up the hill. And she left and went up between the two dorms to her dorm. However, we believe that based on what we've learned from the search dogs, she actually continued into his dorm with him. At this time, Kristen Smart is still considered a missing person. We never give up hope that Kristen will be found. But as any parent can imagine, the longer that it goes on, the dimmer the light. And you can only hope. April Gregory's family feels the same way. There's a neighbor girl. She resembles April a lot. And I'd be in the kitchen sometimes and she walks in the house with my heart fluttered because I'd be hoping it's my April. Everything brings people to my mind. I don't cry as much as I used to. But the pain's still there. I really miss our daughter. Update, there are new developments in this case. And here's one of our staff with details. More than a year later, April Gregory's former boyfriend, Terrence Evans, was charged with her murder. Evans is currently in prison serving 25 years to life. In the case of Kristen Smart, Paul Flores was ultimately arrested in 2021 and charged with Kristen's murder. His father, Reuben Flores, was also arrested and charged as an accessory after the fact. They have both pleaded not guilty and await trial.