"Mysteries at the Museum" Smoking Guns

1 00:00:01,536 --> 00:00:03,269 Throughout the history of America, 2 00:00:03,271 --> 00:00:05,204 there have been notorious crimes 3 00:00:05,206 --> 00:00:09,609 that have captivated the nation and confounded investigators. 4 00:00:09,611 --> 00:00:12,277 A controversial assassination... 5 00:00:12,279 --> 00:00:13,745 MAN: He might not be the one 6 00:00:13,747 --> 00:00:16,815 who actually pulled the trigger on that fatal shot. 7 00:00:18,753 --> 00:00:21,020 WILDMAN: ...an epic bank heist... 8 00:00:21,022 --> 00:00:22,755 MAN: Nobody gets hurt. Nobody gets shot. 9 00:00:22,757 --> 00:00:24,156 They just take the money and run. 10 00:00:24,158 --> 00:00:27,359 Who could have done this? 11 00:00:27,361 --> 00:00:30,229 WILDMAN: ...and a bizarre kidnapping. 12 00:00:30,231 --> 00:00:33,266 MAN: It's amazing. It's a severed ear in the mail 13 00:00:33,268 --> 00:00:38,437 that belongs to the grandson of the richest man in the world. 14 00:00:38,439 --> 00:00:40,973 WILDMAN: In all these cases, there are clues, 15 00:00:40,975 --> 00:00:43,909 conclusive pieces of evidence that shed light 16 00:00:43,911 --> 00:00:45,845 on what really happened... 17 00:00:45,847 --> 00:00:48,914 [ Gun loading ] 18 00:00:48,916 --> 00:00:50,783 "The Smoking Guns." 19 00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:54,653 The Gettys are one of the richest 20 00:00:54,655 --> 00:00:58,257 and most powerful families in the world. 21 00:00:58,259 --> 00:01:01,660 So when an heir to the Getty fortune is kidnapped, 22 00:01:01,662 --> 00:01:05,665 it instantly becomes a major global event. 23 00:01:05,667 --> 00:01:10,670 It was absolutely perfect -- perfect in terms of a story. 24 00:01:10,672 --> 00:01:14,006 It's got money, it's got family dysfunction, 25 00:01:14,008 --> 00:01:16,609 you know, you've got kidnapping, 26 00:01:16,611 --> 00:01:18,878 and you've got an oil tycoon in the middle of it. 27 00:01:21,282 --> 00:01:23,683 The abduction of John Paul Getty III 28 00:01:23,685 --> 00:01:26,552 is one of the most famous kidnappings of all time. 29 00:01:26,554 --> 00:01:29,287 There have been countless books written about it, 30 00:01:29,289 --> 00:01:32,624 a blockbuster Hollywood movie, even a TV series, 31 00:01:32,626 --> 00:01:35,761 but the real story of what occurred remains a mystery. 32 00:01:37,632 --> 00:01:40,566 Now, there's finally evidence that could reveal 33 00:01:40,568 --> 00:01:42,234 what actually happened. 34 00:01:48,376 --> 00:01:51,644 The Getty name is instantly recognizable. 35 00:01:51,646 --> 00:01:53,979 Patriarch John Paul Getty, Sr. 36 00:01:53,981 --> 00:01:57,315 took over his father's small Oklahoma oil well 37 00:01:57,317 --> 00:01:58,984 and turned it into Getty Oil, 38 00:01:58,986 --> 00:02:02,722 one of the largest petroleum companies in the world. 39 00:02:02,724 --> 00:02:03,990 I'm Colin Bertram. 40 00:02:03,992 --> 00:02:06,391 I'm a writer, a journalist, 41 00:02:06,393 --> 00:02:08,928 and I've written a number of stories on the Gettys. 42 00:02:08,930 --> 00:02:11,797 Getty Senior was very, very wealthy. 43 00:02:11,799 --> 00:02:14,066 He was a millionaire by the time he was 23, 44 00:02:14,068 --> 00:02:17,603 and we're talking about the early part of the 20th century. 45 00:02:17,605 --> 00:02:21,073 By 1957, "Fortune" magazine labeled him 46 00:02:21,075 --> 00:02:24,944 the richest man in America, and about a decade later, 47 00:02:24,946 --> 00:02:27,746 he was estimated to be worth well over a billion dollars. 48 00:02:29,751 --> 00:02:31,817 WILDMAN: At the height of his fame, 49 00:02:31,819 --> 00:02:34,420 Getty Senior emigrates to the U.K., 50 00:02:34,422 --> 00:02:36,889 buying a sprawling mansion outside London 51 00:02:36,891 --> 00:02:39,624 called Sutton Place. 52 00:02:39,626 --> 00:02:41,560 BERTRAM: That is supposedly the place Henry VIII 53 00:02:41,562 --> 00:02:42,895 first met Anne Boleyn. 54 00:02:42,897 --> 00:02:44,230 Absolutely massive house, 55 00:02:44,232 --> 00:02:47,700 which he then completely redecorated, 56 00:02:47,702 --> 00:02:50,369 filled it with Rembrandts, lots of art, 57 00:02:50,371 --> 00:02:54,306 lots of great masterpieces. 58 00:02:54,308 --> 00:02:57,976 WILDMAN: Getty Senior has 5 sons and 15 grandchildren. 59 00:02:57,978 --> 00:03:00,780 The youngest is John Paul Getty III, 60 00:03:00,782 --> 00:03:03,182 known to the family as Paul. 61 00:03:08,322 --> 00:03:10,723 July 12, 1973 -- 62 00:03:10,725 --> 00:03:13,192 Rome, Italy. 63 00:03:13,194 --> 00:03:16,528 The first person to notice Paul is missing is his mother, 64 00:03:16,530 --> 00:03:18,864 Gail Harris. 65 00:03:18,866 --> 00:03:21,801 My name's Amelia McDonell-Parry, and I am a journalist, 66 00:03:21,803 --> 00:03:23,936 and I've written about the Getty family. 67 00:03:23,938 --> 00:03:26,205 Gail didn't hear from him for a number of days. 68 00:03:26,207 --> 00:03:27,740 She started to get a little bit worried, 69 00:03:27,742 --> 00:03:29,074 so she started asking around, 70 00:03:29,076 --> 00:03:30,409 trying to track down his friends, 71 00:03:30,411 --> 00:03:32,278 see whether she could find where he was, 72 00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:34,880 and there was no sort of sign of him, 73 00:03:34,882 --> 00:03:36,215 and she started to get a little worried. 74 00:03:38,552 --> 00:03:40,619 And then she got a phone call one day from a guy 75 00:03:40,621 --> 00:03:42,487 who had, like, a kind of rough voice, 76 00:03:42,489 --> 00:03:44,823 who basically kind of made it clear to her 77 00:03:44,825 --> 00:03:47,226 that Paul had been taken. 78 00:03:47,228 --> 00:03:49,361 WILDMAN: After the mysterious phone call, 79 00:03:49,363 --> 00:03:52,297 Gail notifies the police. 80 00:03:52,299 --> 00:03:55,901 They start searching for Paul, asking around in cafes and bars 81 00:03:55,903 --> 00:03:58,637 he was known to frequent. 82 00:03:58,639 --> 00:04:00,973 But it's another week before there's finally 83 00:04:00,975 --> 00:04:03,041 a development in the case. 84 00:04:05,579 --> 00:04:10,449 Gail's lawyer receives a ransom demand for $17 million 85 00:04:10,451 --> 00:04:12,784 in exchange for Paul's release. 86 00:04:12,786 --> 00:04:13,986 And along with it, 87 00:04:13,988 --> 00:04:15,921 there's a handwritten note from Paul. 88 00:04:15,923 --> 00:04:17,590 So, to be clear, this is not the real letter, 89 00:04:17,592 --> 00:04:19,658 but it is the language. 90 00:04:19,660 --> 00:04:24,129 "Dear Mother, since Monday after midnight until 3:00 on Tuesday, 91 00:04:24,131 --> 00:04:26,465 "I have been in the hands of the kidnappers. 92 00:04:26,467 --> 00:04:29,668 "The telephone call that you received was real. 93 00:04:29,670 --> 00:04:31,470 "I beg you, do not have even 94 00:04:31,472 --> 00:04:33,138 "the most minimum intervention by the police, 95 00:04:33,140 --> 00:04:35,341 "because otherwise, they will kill me. 96 00:04:35,343 --> 00:04:37,876 I love you. "Paul." 97 00:04:43,750 --> 00:04:46,352 In any kidnapping case, the ransom note 98 00:04:46,354 --> 00:04:50,956 is the most critical piece of evidence the investigators have. 99 00:04:50,958 --> 00:04:53,225 Now they had a letter, they had an amount, 100 00:04:53,227 --> 00:04:56,828 so the police had to take it very seriously, 101 00:04:56,830 --> 00:05:01,166 as you would assume members of the Getty family would. 102 00:05:01,168 --> 00:05:04,236 WILDMAN: Gail doesn't have the money to pay the ransom, 103 00:05:04,238 --> 00:05:06,705 so she turns to someone who does -- 104 00:05:06,707 --> 00:05:09,975 her father-in-law, John Paul Getty, Sr. 105 00:05:09,977 --> 00:05:12,978 But his reaction isn't what you might expect. 106 00:05:12,980 --> 00:05:15,113 BERTRAM: They get the ransom note. 107 00:05:15,115 --> 00:05:16,916 He says, "I am not going to pay the ransom. 108 00:05:16,918 --> 00:05:21,186 "I have 14 other grandchildren, and if I pay this one ransom, 109 00:05:21,188 --> 00:05:24,056 then I'm going to have 14 more grandchildren kidnapped." 110 00:05:24,058 --> 00:05:25,858 WILDMAN: For the next 4 months, 111 00:05:25,860 --> 00:05:30,061 the investigation into Paul's disappearance is at an impasse. 112 00:05:34,068 --> 00:05:36,735 Then, in November 1973, 113 00:05:36,737 --> 00:05:40,038 Gail is alerted to a parcel addressed to her, 114 00:05:40,040 --> 00:05:42,208 but delivered to a local newspaper. 115 00:05:42,210 --> 00:05:45,878 Here's a mother getting this package. 116 00:05:45,880 --> 00:05:50,415 She's opening it up, wondering what could possibly be in there. 117 00:05:52,353 --> 00:05:55,754 And realizing slowly 118 00:05:55,756 --> 00:05:58,424 it's an ear -- a human ear. 119 00:05:58,426 --> 00:06:02,895 And it's not just a human ear, it's the ear of her son. 120 00:06:02,897 --> 00:06:05,030 WILDMAN: In addition to the severed ear, 121 00:06:05,032 --> 00:06:07,232 a few days later, the paper receives 122 00:06:07,234 --> 00:06:11,103 a photo of Paul, bandaged and bleeding in a cave. 123 00:06:13,173 --> 00:06:16,842 The photo reportedly showing Paul in a cave 124 00:06:16,844 --> 00:06:19,844 was distributed to newspapers around the world. 125 00:06:19,846 --> 00:06:22,848 Now, many of them ran it right on the front page. 126 00:06:22,850 --> 00:06:25,517 It was a brutal act. 127 00:06:25,519 --> 00:06:29,154 But who could be capable of doing something so heinous? 128 00:06:32,727 --> 00:06:34,593 McDONELL-PARRY: Paul's kidnapping was already 129 00:06:34,595 --> 00:06:36,261 getting plenty of media attention 130 00:06:36,263 --> 00:06:38,063 for the months and months it sort of went on, 131 00:06:38,065 --> 00:06:40,465 but when the ear situation happened -- 132 00:06:40,467 --> 00:06:42,201 and when the ear arrived in the mail, 133 00:06:42,203 --> 00:06:44,670 and came with it pictures of Paul in this cave, 134 00:06:44,672 --> 00:06:46,605 like, bleeding profusely -- 135 00:06:46,607 --> 00:06:48,673 those were splashed all over the newspapers. 136 00:06:48,675 --> 00:06:50,208 And so all of a sudden, 137 00:06:50,210 --> 00:06:54,079 this publicity that the family was already receiving -- 138 00:06:54,081 --> 00:06:57,016 that wasn't necessarily good publicity -- 139 00:06:57,018 --> 00:06:59,484 was suddenly so much worse. 140 00:06:59,486 --> 00:07:01,486 WILDMAN: News of the kidnappers' demands 141 00:07:01,488 --> 00:07:04,823 and the threat to Paul reaches Getty Senior, 142 00:07:04,825 --> 00:07:07,159 and this time, he relents. 143 00:07:07,161 --> 00:07:10,763 But the oil tycoon is notoriously frugal. 144 00:07:10,765 --> 00:07:13,165 This is suddenly very real for everybody, 145 00:07:13,167 --> 00:07:14,967 including Getty Senior. 146 00:07:14,969 --> 00:07:20,572 That said, he's still not going to cough up $17 million. 147 00:07:20,574 --> 00:07:23,175 WILDMAN: Getty Senior dispatches an aide to Italy, 148 00:07:23,177 --> 00:07:25,711 who negotiates the kidnappers' demands down 149 00:07:25,713 --> 00:07:29,114 to just over $3 million. 150 00:07:29,116 --> 00:07:32,318 But Getty Senior still won't pay the full amount. 151 00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:34,920 Getty Senior put in only as much as he knew 152 00:07:34,922 --> 00:07:36,388 that he could write off on his taxes, 153 00:07:36,390 --> 00:07:38,924 and that was it, which I just think is just an amazing detail. 154 00:07:41,195 --> 00:07:43,796 WILDMAN: On December 12, 1973, 155 00:07:43,798 --> 00:07:48,733 the police carefully microfilm each note of the ransom money, 156 00:07:48,735 --> 00:07:51,803 then Getty's aide drives to a pre-arranged point 157 00:07:51,805 --> 00:07:53,472 on a rural highway, 158 00:07:53,474 --> 00:07:55,874 where a car pulls up alongside him, 159 00:07:55,876 --> 00:07:58,210 and the aide hands over the money. 160 00:07:58,212 --> 00:08:01,013 And then, in return, the kidnappers would deposit 161 00:08:01,015 --> 00:08:03,148 Paul somewhere. 162 00:08:03,150 --> 00:08:06,018 WILDMAN: On December 15, 1973, 163 00:08:06,020 --> 00:08:08,353 Paul is finally released. 164 00:08:08,355 --> 00:08:10,289 The identity of the men who kidnapped him 165 00:08:10,291 --> 00:08:11,589 is still a mystery, 166 00:08:11,591 --> 00:08:14,960 but police do have a critical piece of evidence. 167 00:08:14,962 --> 00:08:17,695 A bill from the ransom money surfaces. 168 00:08:17,697 --> 00:08:21,567 Police are able to trace it and finally make an arrest. 169 00:08:21,569 --> 00:08:24,570 Nine kidnappers were apprehended by the police. 170 00:08:24,572 --> 00:08:26,571 Amongst them there was an olive oil dealer, 171 00:08:26,573 --> 00:08:29,707 there was a carpenter, there was a hospital orderly. 172 00:08:29,709 --> 00:08:32,444 WILDMAN: Of the nine, only two men are charged, 173 00:08:32,446 --> 00:08:37,116 and neither seems capable of carrying out such a brutal plot. 174 00:08:37,118 --> 00:08:39,184 McDONELL-PARRY: So, it really sort of seems like 175 00:08:39,186 --> 00:08:41,320 whoever actually orchestrated 176 00:08:41,322 --> 00:08:43,322 this kidnapping was never caught, 177 00:08:43,324 --> 00:08:45,857 and that the people who were ultimately caught 178 00:08:45,859 --> 00:08:50,328 and held responsible were just a couple of hired hands. 179 00:08:53,700 --> 00:08:55,801 There are things about this kidnapping 180 00:08:55,803 --> 00:08:57,669 that just don't add up. 181 00:08:57,671 --> 00:09:02,407 Like, how did a bunch of small-time crooks 182 00:09:02,409 --> 00:09:07,679 keep a hostage hidden for 5 months? 183 00:09:07,681 --> 00:09:10,615 Was there something about Getty Senior's 184 00:09:10,617 --> 00:09:13,018 reluctance to pay ransom? 185 00:09:15,622 --> 00:09:20,692 And what do we really know about John Paul Getty III's life? 186 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:28,074 Watch Online Movies and Series for FREE www.osdb.link/lm 187 00:09:39,513 --> 00:09:42,847 WILDMAN: To investigate the kidnapping of John Paul Getty III, 188 00:09:42,849 --> 00:09:45,184 police used microfilms of the ransom money 189 00:09:45,186 --> 00:09:47,586 to track down the kidnappers. 190 00:09:47,588 --> 00:09:49,521 But could the people responsible 191 00:09:49,523 --> 00:09:52,991 and the real smoking gun actually lie elsewhere? 192 00:09:58,865 --> 00:10:01,800 Looking at the Getty family -- the money, the stately home, 193 00:10:01,802 --> 00:10:05,137 the fine art -- might give you certain expectations. 194 00:10:05,139 --> 00:10:07,539 But Paul was different. 195 00:10:07,541 --> 00:10:09,608 CATLIN: A picture begins to emerge 196 00:10:09,610 --> 00:10:12,677 about Paul's life with his friends, 197 00:10:12,679 --> 00:10:18,150 and one of partying and drug use. 198 00:10:18,152 --> 00:10:21,086 BERTRAM: Paul was brought up amongst great wealth, 199 00:10:21,088 --> 00:10:23,088 great privilege in Rome. 200 00:10:23,090 --> 00:10:25,824 Yet, it was the '60s into the '70s, 201 00:10:25,826 --> 00:10:28,560 and as a teenager, he very much embraced 202 00:10:28,562 --> 00:10:32,030 that kind of hippie lifestyle, that very bohemian -- 203 00:10:32,032 --> 00:10:33,565 I think it was the media who dubbed him -- 204 00:10:33,567 --> 00:10:34,633 the Italian media -- 205 00:10:34,635 --> 00:10:36,635 who dubbed him "the Golden Hippie." 206 00:10:36,637 --> 00:10:41,706 There was rumors, certainly, as the kidnapping case went on 207 00:10:41,708 --> 00:10:45,377 that he had gotten himself into debt, 208 00:10:45,379 --> 00:10:50,915 that he owed money to some not-so-savory characters. 209 00:10:50,917 --> 00:10:53,785 WILDMAN: One line of inquiry the Italian police consider 210 00:10:53,787 --> 00:10:56,788 was whether Paul was abducted by someone he knew. 211 00:10:56,790 --> 00:11:00,859 But perhaps the real mastermind is closer to home. 212 00:11:04,198 --> 00:11:06,598 I think when the police first heard from Gail 213 00:11:06,600 --> 00:11:09,735 that Paul was missing, they did start an investigation. 214 00:11:09,737 --> 00:11:12,403 They ended up speaking to his girlfriend, Martine, 215 00:11:12,405 --> 00:11:15,006 where, supposedly, she gave a statement 216 00:11:15,008 --> 00:11:17,676 where she talked about how Paul had told her in confidence 217 00:11:17,678 --> 00:11:20,945 once that he had no money, that he was basically penniless, 218 00:11:20,947 --> 00:11:23,949 and the only way to get any money out of his family 219 00:11:23,951 --> 00:11:25,951 would be to basically have -- 220 00:11:25,953 --> 00:11:29,554 be kidnapped and collect the ransom money. 221 00:11:29,556 --> 00:11:33,024 WILDMAN: Could this testimony be the smoking gun? 222 00:11:34,895 --> 00:11:39,030 Italian police certainly took Martine's statement seriously, 223 00:11:39,032 --> 00:11:41,833 but what about Paul's severed ear? 224 00:11:41,835 --> 00:11:45,837 It appears to be conclusive proof the kidnapping was real. 225 00:11:45,839 --> 00:11:48,907 One intriguing theory is that after being cut off 226 00:11:48,909 --> 00:11:50,309 from the Getty fortune, 227 00:11:50,311 --> 00:11:52,810 Paul hatched a fake kidnapping plot 228 00:11:52,812 --> 00:11:55,580 to extort money from his grandfather. 229 00:11:55,582 --> 00:11:59,050 The thinking goes that at some point, his plan went awry. 230 00:11:59,052 --> 00:12:02,654 Paul was sold out, fell into the hands of the Italian Mafia, 231 00:12:02,656 --> 00:12:05,256 and what started as a money-making scheme 232 00:12:05,258 --> 00:12:09,328 became the most high-profile kidnapping case of all time. 233 00:12:13,667 --> 00:12:16,602 CATLIN: After the kidnapping, Paul's a bigger celebrity 234 00:12:16,604 --> 00:12:18,136 than he ever was, I guess, 235 00:12:18,138 --> 00:12:20,939 but manages to have a somewhat normal life. 236 00:12:20,941 --> 00:12:24,475 He goes to college, he gets married, he has a child. 237 00:12:24,477 --> 00:12:26,345 BERTRAM: Paul would then go on 238 00:12:26,347 --> 00:12:28,680 to spend a large part of the rest of his life 239 00:12:28,682 --> 00:12:31,216 trying to escape this story. 240 00:12:31,218 --> 00:12:33,918 But within a decade, he'd had a -- 241 00:12:33,920 --> 00:12:35,553 due to substance abuse -- 242 00:12:35,555 --> 00:12:37,789 he had a stroke, he had liver failure, 243 00:12:37,791 --> 00:12:40,292 it left him partially blind, 244 00:12:40,294 --> 00:12:42,961 he was in a wheelchair for the rest of his life, 245 00:12:42,963 --> 00:12:45,630 and Gail ended up stepping back in 246 00:12:45,632 --> 00:12:48,500 and looking after him yet again. 247 00:12:48,502 --> 00:12:51,169 CATLIN: Kind of a big reflection on the era in a way 248 00:12:51,171 --> 00:12:55,640 and its excesses, but it's also about greed 249 00:12:55,642 --> 00:13:01,046 and brutality and stubbornness, essentially. 250 00:13:12,259 --> 00:13:14,259 WILDMAN: Robert F. Kennedy 251 00:13:14,261 --> 00:13:17,929 is one of the most iconic figures in American history. 252 00:13:17,931 --> 00:13:20,666 A key member of the Kennedy political dynasty, 253 00:13:20,668 --> 00:13:24,403 Robert shared a strong bond with his older brother, John. 254 00:13:24,405 --> 00:13:26,672 And following in his brother's footsteps, 255 00:13:26,674 --> 00:13:30,742 Robert Kennedy was on the verge of becoming President 256 00:13:30,744 --> 00:13:33,412 when he was tragically gunned down. 257 00:13:33,414 --> 00:13:36,748 It's one of the most pivotal moments in our nation's history. 258 00:13:36,750 --> 00:13:38,884 It's also one of the most contentious. 259 00:13:41,422 --> 00:13:43,087 The murder of Robert Kennedy 260 00:13:43,089 --> 00:13:45,423 seemed like an open-and-shut case. 261 00:13:45,425 --> 00:13:47,358 His assassin was caught at the scene 262 00:13:47,360 --> 00:13:50,696 with what appeared to be the murder weapon in his hand. 263 00:13:50,698 --> 00:13:53,765 But, in the years since, contradictory evidence 264 00:13:53,767 --> 00:13:56,501 and inconsistent witnesses 265 00:13:56,503 --> 00:13:58,970 have left some suggesting a conspiracy. 266 00:13:58,972 --> 00:14:03,041 So what really happened, and was anyone else involved? 267 00:14:11,385 --> 00:14:15,320 June 4, 1968 -- the Ambassador Hotel, 268 00:14:15,322 --> 00:14:18,056 Los Angeles, California. 269 00:14:18,058 --> 00:14:20,926 [ Crowd chanting ] 270 00:14:20,928 --> 00:14:23,528 Hundreds have gathered to hear Senator Robert F. Kennedy's 271 00:14:23,530 --> 00:14:27,299 victory speech in the California primary. 272 00:14:27,301 --> 00:14:30,602 I'm Joseph A. Palermo, and I've written two books 273 00:14:30,604 --> 00:14:34,539 and many articles on Robert F. Kennedy. 274 00:14:34,541 --> 00:14:37,075 I was always interested in the life of Kennedy, 275 00:14:37,077 --> 00:14:41,145 I think going back to when I was a child. 276 00:14:41,147 --> 00:14:45,617 He had the ability to challenge people morally, 277 00:14:45,619 --> 00:14:49,354 to make people feel guilty if they weren't living up 278 00:14:49,356 --> 00:14:52,824 to the highest standards of being an American citizen 279 00:14:52,826 --> 00:14:56,894 and being active in taking part in public life. 280 00:14:56,896 --> 00:14:58,363 Robert Kennedy's victory speech 281 00:14:58,365 --> 00:15:01,566 was really an encapsulation of everything that he stood for 282 00:15:01,568 --> 00:15:02,834 and what the campaign stood for. 283 00:15:02,836 --> 00:15:06,571 He was trying to give a message of solidarity. 284 00:15:06,573 --> 00:15:09,641 So, my thanks to all of you, 285 00:15:09,643 --> 00:15:11,843 and now it's on to Chicago, and let's win this. 286 00:15:11,845 --> 00:15:12,977 Thank you very much. 287 00:15:12,979 --> 00:15:15,980 [ Cheering ] 288 00:15:15,982 --> 00:15:18,517 WILDMAN: But in the moments after, 289 00:15:18,519 --> 00:15:19,918 everything changes. 290 00:15:19,920 --> 00:15:24,856 [ Crowd screaming, shouting ] 291 00:15:24,858 --> 00:15:28,860 PALERMO: As the news that Robert Kennedy has been shot 292 00:15:28,862 --> 00:15:31,396 starts to spread through the crowd, 293 00:15:31,398 --> 00:15:34,265 it's like a wave of just shrieks. 294 00:15:34,267 --> 00:15:36,267 [ Panicked shouting ] 295 00:15:36,269 --> 00:15:40,138 WILDMAN: Within minutes, Los Angeles police are on the scene. 296 00:15:40,140 --> 00:15:42,106 They discover Robert Kennedy 297 00:15:42,108 --> 00:15:46,211 lying stricken on the kitchen pantry floor. 298 00:15:46,213 --> 00:15:48,613 PALMERO: The crime scene is probably among 299 00:15:48,615 --> 00:15:51,283 the most chaotic you'll ever find. 300 00:15:51,285 --> 00:15:55,153 You have over 70 people in this cramped corridor. 301 00:15:55,155 --> 00:15:56,821 People are coming in and out. 302 00:15:56,823 --> 00:15:58,890 The crime scene was not sealed off. 303 00:16:02,695 --> 00:16:05,030 WILDMAN: Kennedy has been shot multiple times, 304 00:16:05,032 --> 00:16:08,099 including a mortal wound to his head. 305 00:16:08,101 --> 00:16:09,834 He's rushed to the hospital, 306 00:16:09,836 --> 00:16:12,837 but the next day, June 6th, he dies. 307 00:16:17,978 --> 00:16:21,046 At the crime scene, police arrest the gunman. 308 00:16:21,048 --> 00:16:24,249 He's later identified as Sirhan B. Sirhan, 309 00:16:24,251 --> 00:16:26,784 a Palestinian who emigrated to the U.S. 310 00:16:26,786 --> 00:16:29,721 with his family when he was 12 years old. 311 00:16:29,723 --> 00:16:32,990 Inside Sirhan's house, the police find notebooks 312 00:16:32,992 --> 00:16:37,796 filled with the phrase "RFK must die." 313 00:16:37,798 --> 00:16:39,130 Local law enforcement 314 00:16:39,132 --> 00:16:42,199 saw this as a completely open-and-shut case 315 00:16:42,201 --> 00:16:46,471 where you have a young man who fired his weapon, 316 00:16:46,473 --> 00:16:47,872 everybody saw him. 317 00:16:52,546 --> 00:16:54,613 WILDMAN: In April 1969, 318 00:16:54,615 --> 00:16:59,083 Sirhan Sirhan is found guilty of the murder of Robert Kennedy. 319 00:16:59,085 --> 00:17:02,687 The evidence is stacked against him. 320 00:17:02,689 --> 00:17:05,490 But is any of it really the smoking gun? 321 00:17:22,910 --> 00:17:24,976 WILDMAN: The assassination of Robert F. Kennedy 322 00:17:24,978 --> 00:17:27,779 looked like an open-and-shut case, 323 00:17:27,781 --> 00:17:31,382 but in the years since, new evidence has come to light. 324 00:17:31,384 --> 00:17:32,984 So, what really happened? 325 00:17:36,523 --> 00:17:38,122 The first puzzling detail 326 00:17:38,124 --> 00:17:42,994 emerges in the minutes after Kennedy is shot. 327 00:17:42,996 --> 00:17:44,662 PALERMO: This young woman, Sandra Serrano -- 328 00:17:44,664 --> 00:17:46,598 I believe she was 19 at the time -- 329 00:17:46,600 --> 00:17:48,799 she was sitting, getting some fresh air 330 00:17:48,801 --> 00:17:50,801 on the -- on one of the exits, 331 00:17:50,803 --> 00:17:53,805 and where she saw this woman 332 00:17:53,807 --> 00:17:57,475 in a polka-dot dress and accompanied by a male, 333 00:17:57,477 --> 00:18:00,612 and they were fleeing out the back exit right past her 334 00:18:00,614 --> 00:18:02,279 and they said, "We shot him." 335 00:18:02,281 --> 00:18:03,615 And she said, "Who did you shot?" 336 00:18:03,617 --> 00:18:06,283 "We shot Kennedy." 337 00:18:06,285 --> 00:18:08,086 Now, there are other people that saw that same woman 338 00:18:08,088 --> 00:18:10,221 with Sirhan earlier in the evening, 339 00:18:10,223 --> 00:18:12,624 not just Sandra Serrano. 340 00:18:12,626 --> 00:18:16,428 And she was identified -- dark brunette hair 341 00:18:16,430 --> 00:18:19,430 and wearing a white dress with polka dots. 342 00:18:19,432 --> 00:18:21,766 Her story was considered credible enough 343 00:18:21,768 --> 00:18:24,769 to put out an all-points bulletin for this young woman 344 00:18:24,771 --> 00:18:26,972 in the polka-dot dress at the time, 345 00:18:26,974 --> 00:18:29,574 so that's just a historical fact. 346 00:18:29,576 --> 00:18:32,510 WILDMAN: Taken at face value, Serrano's testimony 347 00:18:32,512 --> 00:18:37,048 is evidence that Sirhan had help. 348 00:18:37,050 --> 00:18:38,449 One of the central mysteries 349 00:18:38,451 --> 00:18:40,986 of the assassination of Robert Kennedy 350 00:18:40,988 --> 00:18:44,455 is the identity of the woman in the polka-dot dress. 351 00:18:44,457 --> 00:18:45,990 Who was she? 352 00:18:45,992 --> 00:18:48,393 Was she with Sirhan before he shot Kennedy? 353 00:18:48,395 --> 00:18:51,195 And if so, why? 354 00:18:55,802 --> 00:18:58,870 Sandra Serrano is interviewed by the Los Angeles Police, 355 00:18:58,872 --> 00:19:01,272 but then drops her statement. 356 00:19:01,274 --> 00:19:02,807 Years later, however, 357 00:19:02,809 --> 00:19:06,277 Serrano claims she was intimidated by the police, 358 00:19:06,279 --> 00:19:11,216 and reiterates her original version of events. 359 00:19:11,218 --> 00:19:13,751 I think Sandra Serrano was kind of browbeaten 360 00:19:13,753 --> 00:19:16,688 as a young woman by the police, and here she was in this -- 361 00:19:16,690 --> 00:19:19,624 a high-profile witness in the most high-profile, 362 00:19:19,626 --> 00:19:23,828 you know, assassination in her lifetime. 363 00:19:23,830 --> 00:19:26,431 WILDMAN: To this day, no one has identified 364 00:19:26,433 --> 00:19:28,099 the woman Sandra Serrano saw 365 00:19:28,101 --> 00:19:31,636 on the night of Kennedy's assassination. 366 00:19:31,638 --> 00:19:36,107 I'm curious, 50 years later, who is this woman? 367 00:19:36,109 --> 00:19:37,909 Maybe we should have a new investigation, 368 00:19:37,911 --> 00:19:40,778 just to find out who that woman is or if she's alive. 369 00:19:42,249 --> 00:19:44,315 WILDMAN: Sandra Serrano's testimony contradicts 370 00:19:44,317 --> 00:19:47,118 the official police version of events, 371 00:19:47,120 --> 00:19:51,522 which is that Sirhan Sirhan acted alone. 372 00:19:51,524 --> 00:19:53,591 But digging deeper into the evidence, 373 00:19:53,593 --> 00:19:57,929 there are clues that point to a second gunman. 374 00:19:57,931 --> 00:20:02,200 Karl Uecker is the maître d' of the Ambassador Hotel. 375 00:20:02,202 --> 00:20:05,136 He is leading Kennedy by the arm through the pantry 376 00:20:05,138 --> 00:20:08,740 when Sirhan appears in front of them. 377 00:20:08,742 --> 00:20:12,309 Uecker describes Sirhan as being directly in front 378 00:20:12,311 --> 00:20:15,346 of Robert F. Kennedy, maybe 2 or 3 feet away. 379 00:20:15,348 --> 00:20:18,282 He sees Sirhan get off a couple shots, 380 00:20:18,284 --> 00:20:21,419 but Uecker will testify repeatedly, 381 00:20:21,421 --> 00:20:22,887 without his story changing, 382 00:20:22,889 --> 00:20:25,489 that Sirhan was always shooting from the front. 383 00:20:28,961 --> 00:20:33,031 So, this is a section of the Ambassador Hotel floor plan. 384 00:20:33,033 --> 00:20:34,232 And you can see right off the bat, 385 00:20:34,234 --> 00:20:35,500 this is the Embassy Room, 386 00:20:35,502 --> 00:20:39,237 where Robert Kennedy is speaking right on the stage here. 387 00:20:39,239 --> 00:20:41,840 So, after he's finished speaking, 388 00:20:41,842 --> 00:20:44,375 he exits the stage and heads to the right. 389 00:20:44,377 --> 00:20:47,645 He's following Uecker into the kitchen pantry. 390 00:20:47,647 --> 00:20:50,248 Now, at this point, Uecker is adamant -- 391 00:20:50,250 --> 00:20:53,050 and he's backed up by several witnesses -- 392 00:20:53,052 --> 00:20:57,288 that this is when Sirhan appears beside the ice machine 393 00:20:57,290 --> 00:21:00,324 in front of them and starts firing. 394 00:21:00,326 --> 00:21:03,661 At that point, Uecker and several others restrain Sirhan 395 00:21:03,663 --> 00:21:07,732 and wrestle him to the steam table to the side. 396 00:21:07,734 --> 00:21:10,535 Uecker's statement that Sirhan is in front of Kennedy 397 00:21:10,537 --> 00:21:14,205 when he fires is backed up by over 20 witnesses 398 00:21:14,207 --> 00:21:16,407 who were in the pantry at the time. 399 00:21:16,409 --> 00:21:17,876 GRAWL: Everybody puts their hand in front, 400 00:21:17,878 --> 00:21:20,477 and those eyewitness accounts come from football player 401 00:21:20,479 --> 00:21:22,814 Rosey Grier and author George Plimpton -- 402 00:21:22,816 --> 00:21:24,882 all of these people who are in the room 403 00:21:24,884 --> 00:21:27,284 and helped tackle Sirhan down. 404 00:21:27,286 --> 00:21:29,954 WILDMAN: But the testimony of the eyewitnesses contradicts 405 00:21:29,956 --> 00:21:34,826 one of the major pieces of scientific evidence in the case. 406 00:21:34,828 --> 00:21:38,162 So, this is a copy of the autopsy report. 407 00:21:38,164 --> 00:21:43,033 And you can see, it shows that Kennedy was shot 3 times. 408 00:21:43,035 --> 00:21:45,770 Now, two of the bullets actually entered 409 00:21:45,772 --> 00:21:50,107 into the right armpit area, one of them exiting the chest, 410 00:21:50,109 --> 00:21:52,043 and the other lodging in his neck. 411 00:21:52,045 --> 00:21:54,378 The fatal bullet -- the one that killed him -- 412 00:21:54,380 --> 00:21:56,648 entered from behind the right ear, 413 00:21:56,650 --> 00:21:59,651 and was fired at point-blank range. 414 00:21:59,653 --> 00:22:01,118 Now, that's the weird thing. 415 00:22:01,120 --> 00:22:04,656 All the witnesses saw Sirhan standing in front of Kennedy 416 00:22:04,658 --> 00:22:07,124 when he was firing. 417 00:22:07,126 --> 00:22:10,662 The facts just don't add up. 418 00:22:10,664 --> 00:22:12,997 Taken together, the eyewitness statements 419 00:22:12,999 --> 00:22:14,531 and the autopsy suggest 420 00:22:14,533 --> 00:22:18,336 Sirhan may not have fired the shot that killed Kennedy. 421 00:22:18,338 --> 00:22:22,473 It leads to one obvious question -- who did? 422 00:22:38,424 --> 00:22:40,892 WILDMAN: On June 4, 1968, 423 00:22:40,894 --> 00:22:44,629 Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated. 424 00:22:44,631 --> 00:22:47,364 His attacker, Sirhan B. Sirhan, 425 00:22:47,366 --> 00:22:49,967 was arrested a few feet away. 426 00:22:49,969 --> 00:22:52,336 It seemed like a straightforward case, 427 00:22:52,338 --> 00:22:54,772 but now scientific evidence suggests 428 00:22:54,774 --> 00:22:57,976 Sirhan may not have fired the fatal shot. 429 00:23:01,715 --> 00:23:04,582 One of the puzzling aspects of this case 430 00:23:04,584 --> 00:23:07,986 was where the fatal shot that hit Kennedy came from. 431 00:23:07,988 --> 00:23:10,187 The autopsy revealed that Kennedy was killed 432 00:23:10,189 --> 00:23:11,922 by a shot to the head. 433 00:23:11,924 --> 00:23:16,127 The gun that fired that shot was a .22 caliber. 434 00:23:16,129 --> 00:23:19,730 It's a fact that on the night Robert Kennedy is assassinated, 435 00:23:19,732 --> 00:23:24,268 Sirhan Sirhan is carrying a .22-caliber revolver. 436 00:23:24,270 --> 00:23:26,671 But what many people don't realize 437 00:23:26,673 --> 00:23:28,806 is that he may not have been the only one. 438 00:23:32,345 --> 00:23:35,346 A local TV news assistant named Don Schulman 439 00:23:35,348 --> 00:23:38,215 claims that immediately after Sirhan fires, 440 00:23:38,217 --> 00:23:40,618 he sees a security guard pull a gun. 441 00:23:40,620 --> 00:23:42,286 Don Schulman potentially could have been 442 00:23:42,288 --> 00:23:47,691 a very important witness because he claimed that he saw 443 00:23:47,693 --> 00:23:50,695 the security guard draw his weapon and fire back. 444 00:23:50,697 --> 00:23:52,964 It was like a shoot-out is how he described it. 445 00:23:52,966 --> 00:23:56,367 What makes that so important is that that security guard 446 00:23:56,369 --> 00:24:00,705 was standing exactly in the spot where the fatal wound 447 00:24:00,707 --> 00:24:03,307 could have been delivered to Robert Kennedy. 448 00:24:03,309 --> 00:24:06,377 WILDMAN: The Los Angeles Police interview the guard. 449 00:24:06,379 --> 00:24:08,312 PALERMO: He says he drew his weapon, 450 00:24:08,314 --> 00:24:11,516 but he fell down in the crush of the crowd, 451 00:24:11,518 --> 00:24:13,384 and that he had a .38 anyway. 452 00:24:13,386 --> 00:24:17,789 WILDMAN: But as it happens, the security guard is mistaken. 453 00:24:17,791 --> 00:24:22,593 It turned out that he also owned a .22-caliber weapon, pistol. 454 00:24:22,595 --> 00:24:24,862 If there's a shooting in a room 455 00:24:24,864 --> 00:24:27,065 and there's somebody else in the room that has a gun, 456 00:24:27,067 --> 00:24:28,866 law enforcement's supposed to take that gun 457 00:24:28,868 --> 00:24:32,737 and look at it and process it and make sure that this gun 458 00:24:32,739 --> 00:24:35,206 wasn't also discharged or whatnot, you know? 459 00:24:35,208 --> 00:24:37,074 And so, I mean, that's something to look at. 460 00:24:37,076 --> 00:24:41,078 Don Schulman might have been a key witness of the person 461 00:24:41,080 --> 00:24:43,414 who actually leveled the fatal shot 462 00:24:43,416 --> 00:24:46,350 against Robert F. Kennedy. 463 00:24:46,352 --> 00:24:47,952 WILDMAN: If it can ever be proven 464 00:24:47,954 --> 00:24:50,488 that there was a second .22-caliber weapon 465 00:24:50,490 --> 00:24:52,223 in the pantry that night, 466 00:24:52,225 --> 00:24:56,094 it could be the smoking gun that breaks this case wide open. 467 00:24:56,096 --> 00:24:59,897 But for now, investigators have been unable to track it down. 468 00:24:59,899 --> 00:25:03,101 And to make matters worse, months after Kennedy's murder, 469 00:25:03,103 --> 00:25:05,970 the Los Angeles Police destroy key evidence 470 00:25:05,972 --> 00:25:09,106 that might have proved the second gunman theory. 471 00:25:09,108 --> 00:25:12,910 PALERMO: The other problem the LAPD really kind of made for itself 472 00:25:12,912 --> 00:25:16,713 was somebody decided to destroy the door jambs 473 00:25:16,715 --> 00:25:19,317 and the ceiling tiles in the case. 474 00:25:19,319 --> 00:25:22,653 There are photographs of police officers holding 475 00:25:22,655 --> 00:25:25,390 rulers up to these holes in the door jambs 476 00:25:25,392 --> 00:25:26,791 and pointing to them 477 00:25:26,793 --> 00:25:29,593 and identifying them as bullet holes. 478 00:25:29,595 --> 00:25:31,863 And the problem would be if there are more bullets 479 00:25:31,865 --> 00:25:34,332 retrieved at the scene than 8, 480 00:25:34,334 --> 00:25:38,402 which is all Sirhan could fire and did fire, 481 00:25:38,404 --> 00:25:40,805 then that would be evidence of a second gunman. 482 00:25:40,807 --> 00:25:42,339 It would be evidence that LAPD 483 00:25:42,341 --> 00:25:43,941 didn't follow up on all the leads. 484 00:25:43,943 --> 00:25:48,612 It would be evidence that would make LAPD look bad. 485 00:25:48,614 --> 00:25:51,949 WILDMAN: In recent years, an independent investigator 486 00:25:51,951 --> 00:25:55,018 has given the security guard a polygraph test, 487 00:25:55,020 --> 00:25:57,088 which he passed. 488 00:25:57,090 --> 00:25:59,490 But because evidence was destroyed, 489 00:25:59,492 --> 00:26:03,361 we may never know how many guns were fired that night. 490 00:26:06,966 --> 00:26:08,932 While the search for answers continues, 491 00:26:08,934 --> 00:26:13,571 there is one new idea that could explain away the controversy 492 00:26:13,573 --> 00:26:16,507 and support the idea that Sirhan Sirhan 493 00:26:16,509 --> 00:26:19,376 was the lone shooter. 494 00:26:19,378 --> 00:26:23,914 Now, there is a theory that somehow, in all the struggle, 495 00:26:23,916 --> 00:26:27,185 Sirhan worked himself into a position behind RFK 496 00:26:27,187 --> 00:26:30,588 and started firing from that direction. 497 00:26:30,590 --> 00:26:34,525 Perhaps reexamining the circumstances of Kennedy's death 498 00:26:34,527 --> 00:26:36,661 might solve the mystery. 499 00:26:36,663 --> 00:26:39,863 PALERMO: I don't think that having a new investigation 500 00:26:39,865 --> 00:26:42,333 into the Kennedy assassination, 501 00:26:42,335 --> 00:26:44,869 even 50 years later, is necessarily a bad thing. 502 00:26:44,871 --> 00:26:47,204 I don't see the downside to it at all. 503 00:26:47,206 --> 00:26:49,473 I'd like to learn why the autopsy report 504 00:26:49,475 --> 00:26:51,209 really doesn't match a lot of the eyewitnesses, 505 00:26:51,211 --> 00:26:52,676 particularly Karl Uecker, 506 00:26:52,678 --> 00:26:56,280 who was the one closest to Kennedy at the time. 507 00:26:56,282 --> 00:26:59,750 Why not open up that can of worms and give it a look? 508 00:27:09,162 --> 00:27:11,429 WILDMAN: The Great Brink's Robbery. 509 00:27:11,431 --> 00:27:14,565 It was the largest bank heist in American history. 510 00:27:14,567 --> 00:27:17,968 Thieves broke into the Brink's Armored Car depot in Boston, 511 00:27:17,970 --> 00:27:20,638 a building that was supposedly impregnable, 512 00:27:20,640 --> 00:27:23,708 and then, under the noses of heavily-armed guards, 513 00:27:23,710 --> 00:27:25,909 stole more than $2 million 514 00:27:25,911 --> 00:27:28,779 from one of the world's most secure vaults. 515 00:27:28,781 --> 00:27:32,850 In the 1950s, Brink's was the company you could count on 516 00:27:32,852 --> 00:27:35,519 to keep your money and valuables safe. 517 00:27:35,521 --> 00:27:41,058 No one could crack the Brink's, until someone did. 518 00:27:41,060 --> 00:27:44,795 The Great Brink's Robbery seems like the perfect crime, 519 00:27:44,797 --> 00:27:47,064 but digging deeper, there are clues, 520 00:27:47,066 --> 00:27:51,202 pieces of evidence that could crack the case, 521 00:27:51,204 --> 00:27:53,404 and one of them is the smoking gun. 522 00:27:59,412 --> 00:28:02,879 On January 17th, 1950, 523 00:28:02,881 --> 00:28:06,617 Boston Police are alerted to a commotion at the Brink's depot. 524 00:28:06,619 --> 00:28:10,287 Something that no one would have predicted has happened -- 525 00:28:10,289 --> 00:28:12,190 the Brink's has been robbed. 526 00:28:14,227 --> 00:28:19,429 Since 1859, Brink's has safely transported vast sums of cash 527 00:28:19,431 --> 00:28:21,899 in heavily armored vehicles. 528 00:28:21,901 --> 00:28:23,768 By the 1950s, the company 529 00:28:23,770 --> 00:28:27,572 is moving around $1 billion every day. 530 00:28:27,574 --> 00:28:31,375 The Brink's brand is synonymous with safety and security. 531 00:28:35,180 --> 00:28:36,780 My name is Stephanie Schorow, 532 00:28:36,782 --> 00:28:38,716 and I've written a number of books about Boston history, 533 00:28:38,718 --> 00:28:43,854 and one of them was about the famous Brink's Robbery of 1950. 534 00:28:43,856 --> 00:28:45,856 WILDMAN: As soon as police learn about the break-in, 535 00:28:45,858 --> 00:28:48,325 they rush to the Brink's. 536 00:28:48,327 --> 00:28:52,196 When they got up into the vault room, 537 00:28:52,198 --> 00:28:54,665 they found a scene of chaos. 538 00:28:54,667 --> 00:28:57,200 There was money all over the floor everywhere. 539 00:28:57,202 --> 00:29:00,071 The guards were frantic. 540 00:29:00,073 --> 00:29:03,807 WILDMAN: Curiously, the robbers struck at exactly 7:00 PM, 541 00:29:03,809 --> 00:29:05,876 the precise moment that guards were counting 542 00:29:05,878 --> 00:29:08,479 the last load of money from the armored trucks. 543 00:29:08,481 --> 00:29:11,415 The guards heard a sound, and when they looked around, 544 00:29:11,417 --> 00:29:13,951 there were 5, 6, 7 -- they couldn't tell -- 545 00:29:13,953 --> 00:29:16,020 men, dressed all alike. 546 00:29:16,022 --> 00:29:21,692 They had Navy-style peacoats on, they had chauffeur's caps on, 547 00:29:21,694 --> 00:29:23,894 and they had these grotesque masks 548 00:29:23,896 --> 00:29:25,696 that covered their entire face. 549 00:29:25,698 --> 00:29:28,299 One guy said, "I thought it was a Halloween prank." 550 00:29:28,301 --> 00:29:31,435 But these guys were deadly serious, and they had guns. 551 00:29:31,437 --> 00:29:32,703 WILDMAN: The guards explain 552 00:29:32,705 --> 00:29:34,304 they were forced to lie on the floor 553 00:29:34,306 --> 00:29:36,374 while the robbers tied them up. 554 00:29:36,376 --> 00:29:39,577 The men, very methodically, taped up their mouths, 555 00:29:39,579 --> 00:29:41,312 took their glasses, took their guns, 556 00:29:41,314 --> 00:29:44,315 and then proceeded to take the money. 557 00:29:44,317 --> 00:29:47,384 15, 20 minutes, and they were out of there. 558 00:29:50,055 --> 00:29:52,790 WILDMAN: The Brink's Robbery is the biggest cash heist 559 00:29:52,792 --> 00:29:54,525 in U.S. history. 560 00:29:54,527 --> 00:29:58,462 Over $2 million has been stolen, 561 00:29:58,464 --> 00:30:02,866 and the press quickly dubs it "the perfect crime." 562 00:30:02,868 --> 00:30:05,202 My name is Michael Pingree. 563 00:30:05,204 --> 00:30:08,272 I was an editor at the "Boston Herald" for 30 years. 564 00:30:08,274 --> 00:30:10,474 The thing that would stand out to me as a newspaper man 565 00:30:10,476 --> 00:30:14,278 about this story is precision and the lightning speed 566 00:30:14,280 --> 00:30:15,879 with which they carried this off. 567 00:30:15,881 --> 00:30:18,782 And, in addition, nobody gets hurt, nobody gets shot. 568 00:30:18,784 --> 00:30:21,485 They tie these guys up, they take the money and run. 569 00:30:21,487 --> 00:30:23,954 Who could have done this? 570 00:30:23,956 --> 00:30:25,889 WILDMAN: The pressure is on the Boston Police 571 00:30:25,891 --> 00:30:27,824 to crack the case, 572 00:30:27,826 --> 00:30:30,027 and one of the first puzzles facing them 573 00:30:30,029 --> 00:30:33,563 is the ease with which the thieves access the vault. 574 00:30:33,565 --> 00:30:35,900 SCHOROW: I mean, the Brink's was supposed to be impregnable, 575 00:30:35,902 --> 00:30:38,302 and it was, you know, more than a hundred years old. 576 00:30:38,304 --> 00:30:42,039 The idea was that it was the best. 577 00:30:42,041 --> 00:30:43,974 It was the Brink's. 578 00:30:47,714 --> 00:30:50,848 This is so interesting. Take a look at this. 579 00:30:50,850 --> 00:30:54,384 This is a sketch of the interior of the Brink's Building, 580 00:30:54,386 --> 00:30:57,254 and you can see that's the vault right here. 581 00:30:57,256 --> 00:30:59,123 Now, look. This is key. 582 00:30:59,125 --> 00:31:03,861 There are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 locked doors 583 00:31:03,863 --> 00:31:08,132 the thieves had to pass through to access the vault. 584 00:31:08,134 --> 00:31:09,734 Now, how did they get in there, 585 00:31:09,736 --> 00:31:12,603 and why was there no sign of any break-in? 586 00:31:12,605 --> 00:31:15,206 And how did they know exactly when to strike 587 00:31:15,208 --> 00:31:17,475 when the vault was open? 588 00:31:22,081 --> 00:31:23,747 My name is Margaret Sullivan. 589 00:31:23,749 --> 00:31:25,216 I'm the records manager and archivist 590 00:31:25,218 --> 00:31:26,817 for the Boston Police Department. 591 00:31:26,819 --> 00:31:31,222 The police were trying to figure out how the thieves 592 00:31:31,224 --> 00:31:33,157 gained entry to the money area, 593 00:31:33,159 --> 00:31:36,693 the counting area on the second floor at the Brink's Building. 594 00:31:36,695 --> 00:31:38,896 Did somebody cooperate with them? 595 00:31:38,898 --> 00:31:40,698 Had they used a file? 596 00:31:40,700 --> 00:31:43,099 But there were no tool marks on the locks. 597 00:31:43,101 --> 00:31:46,437 So that was a big mystery, was, "How did these thieves get in?" 598 00:31:46,439 --> 00:31:49,306 WILDMAN: Boston Police interview the Brink's employees, 599 00:31:49,308 --> 00:31:52,843 but find nothing to suggest any of them was in on the robbery. 600 00:31:54,714 --> 00:31:57,181 The investigation is back to square one. 601 00:32:00,653 --> 00:32:04,454 So, police turn their attention to the physical clues. 602 00:32:04,456 --> 00:32:07,858 There was very little evidence left at the scene, 603 00:32:07,860 --> 00:32:09,393 and this is it basically. 604 00:32:09,395 --> 00:32:11,928 You got the rope 605 00:32:11,930 --> 00:32:15,732 with the tape used to gag the guards' mouths, 606 00:32:15,734 --> 00:32:18,335 and this single chauffeur's cap. 607 00:32:22,275 --> 00:32:26,143 For police, the cap is a critical piece of evidence -- 608 00:32:26,145 --> 00:32:29,480 a potential smoking gun that could solve the case. 609 00:32:31,417 --> 00:32:35,219 SCHOROW: And this was an object of great interest 610 00:32:35,221 --> 00:32:37,354 to the police and to the public. 611 00:32:37,356 --> 00:32:40,624 Why was this hat left at the scene? 612 00:32:40,626 --> 00:32:42,293 Was it left as a sign? 613 00:32:42,295 --> 00:32:44,428 Was it an accident? 614 00:32:44,430 --> 00:32:46,096 What did it mean? 615 00:33:03,382 --> 00:33:04,982 WILDMAN: The Great Brink's Robbery 616 00:33:04,984 --> 00:33:07,451 was almost the perfect crime. 617 00:33:07,453 --> 00:33:11,856 Thieves stole millions in cash and left little evidence behind. 618 00:33:11,858 --> 00:33:14,258 But police do have one clue to go on. 619 00:33:18,597 --> 00:33:20,464 Stephanie Schorow has spent years 620 00:33:20,466 --> 00:33:21,932 studying the Brink's Robbery, 621 00:33:21,934 --> 00:33:25,735 and has built up an extensive collection of artifacts. 622 00:33:25,737 --> 00:33:27,671 There's very little evidence that's left at the scene, 623 00:33:27,673 --> 00:33:29,873 and this is it, basically. 624 00:33:29,875 --> 00:33:34,544 The rope, the tape that was used to tape up the mouths 625 00:33:34,546 --> 00:33:38,549 of the guards, and the one chauffeur's hat. 626 00:33:38,551 --> 00:33:41,351 The police looked into where the rope was purchased, 627 00:33:41,353 --> 00:33:43,354 and they could not find anything. 628 00:33:43,356 --> 00:33:45,088 This is not the hat at the scene, 629 00:33:45,090 --> 00:33:47,758 but it would have been something like this that they wore -- 630 00:33:47,760 --> 00:33:49,960 just a basic chauffeur's cap. 631 00:33:49,962 --> 00:33:52,029 They really did some work trying to figure out 632 00:33:52,031 --> 00:33:53,497 where this came from, 633 00:33:53,499 --> 00:33:55,833 but they really didn't get very far with that. 634 00:33:55,835 --> 00:33:58,636 WILDMAN: The police comb through local stores in hopes 635 00:33:58,638 --> 00:34:01,838 the hat was bought in Boston, but they find nothing. 636 00:34:01,840 --> 00:34:05,508 The robbers had been really good to buy the stuff in ways 637 00:34:05,510 --> 00:34:08,245 that could not be traced and not be noticed. 638 00:34:08,247 --> 00:34:10,648 WILDMAN: However, the investigators do make 639 00:34:10,650 --> 00:34:12,182 one small breakthrough. 640 00:34:12,184 --> 00:34:17,253 The police were able to figure out fairly quickly 641 00:34:17,255 --> 00:34:21,525 what were the grotesque masks that the robbers were using. 642 00:34:21,527 --> 00:34:25,062 And they figured out that -- and this is from the FBI -- 643 00:34:25,064 --> 00:34:28,699 picture of Captain Marvel and Captain Marvel, Jr. 644 00:34:28,701 --> 00:34:30,267 were these masks. 645 00:34:34,874 --> 00:34:37,807 WILDMAN: In an attempt to find out where the masks were bought, 646 00:34:37,809 --> 00:34:42,613 a police officer poses in one outside the Brink's Building. 647 00:34:42,615 --> 00:34:46,550 But it doesn't generate any leads. 648 00:34:46,552 --> 00:34:49,153 Hitting a dead end with the physical evidence, 649 00:34:49,155 --> 00:34:52,823 police start drawing up a list of possible suspects -- 650 00:34:52,825 --> 00:34:55,626 some well-known local criminals, 651 00:34:55,628 --> 00:34:58,628 but others from as far away as New York. 652 00:34:58,630 --> 00:35:01,565 There was some theory that it couldn't have been someone local 653 00:35:01,567 --> 00:35:03,500 because it was too sophisticated. 654 00:35:05,037 --> 00:35:06,437 WILDMAN: Then, on March 4th, 655 00:35:06,439 --> 00:35:09,306 police make a discovery. 656 00:35:09,308 --> 00:35:13,644 In a dump in Stoughton, on the outskirts of Boston, 657 00:35:13,646 --> 00:35:16,046 they find pieces of a chopped-up truck, 658 00:35:16,048 --> 00:35:21,318 later identified as a 1949 green Ford pickup. 659 00:35:21,320 --> 00:35:23,787 The truck matches the description of a vehicle 660 00:35:23,789 --> 00:35:26,190 last seen near the Brink's Building 661 00:35:26,192 --> 00:35:28,192 on the night of the robbery. 662 00:35:28,194 --> 00:35:30,727 They had one witness that saw the truck drive away, 663 00:35:30,729 --> 00:35:32,729 and they were able to determine, this is probably the truck 664 00:35:32,731 --> 00:35:35,065 that was used as the getaway. 665 00:35:35,067 --> 00:35:36,133 Basically, they found it, 666 00:35:36,135 --> 00:35:37,801 but there were no fingerprints on it. 667 00:35:37,803 --> 00:35:40,337 They couldn't trace it to anyone who owned it, 668 00:35:40,339 --> 00:35:41,872 who bought it, 'cause it had been stolen 669 00:35:41,874 --> 00:35:44,074 and then modified and then taken apart. 670 00:35:49,281 --> 00:35:54,218 This is a map of the Boston area at the time of the robbery. 671 00:35:54,220 --> 00:35:57,221 So the Brink's Building is right about here, 672 00:35:57,223 --> 00:36:00,024 and Stoughton is down here. 673 00:36:00,026 --> 00:36:02,425 And so, you got to think like the Boston Police. 674 00:36:02,427 --> 00:36:05,829 I mean, they have hit a series of dead-ends 675 00:36:05,831 --> 00:36:07,231 with the physical evidence, 676 00:36:07,233 --> 00:36:10,100 and it doesn't look like this was an inside job. 677 00:36:10,102 --> 00:36:14,704 So, with little else to go on, could the pieces of the truck 678 00:36:14,706 --> 00:36:17,373 found in the dump 679 00:36:17,375 --> 00:36:19,776 be the big break they're looking for? 680 00:36:28,120 --> 00:36:31,387 The Boston Police aren't able to pull prints from the truck, 681 00:36:31,389 --> 00:36:34,191 but they do make an important connection. 682 00:36:34,193 --> 00:36:37,060 They return to their list of known local criminals, 683 00:36:37,062 --> 00:36:39,796 and notice that two of them live near the dump. 684 00:36:39,798 --> 00:36:42,733 Their names are Joseph "Specky" O'Keefe 685 00:36:42,735 --> 00:36:45,936 and Stanley Albert Gusciora. 686 00:36:45,938 --> 00:36:48,738 SCHOROW: Specky O'Keefe had served time in jail. 687 00:36:48,740 --> 00:36:50,607 He was known for a lot of robberies. 688 00:36:50,609 --> 00:36:52,476 And then when they found the truck in Stoughton -- 689 00:36:52,478 --> 00:36:54,878 he lives in Stoughton, so did Gusciora -- 690 00:36:54,880 --> 00:36:57,414 there was this feeling that they must be involved. 691 00:36:59,485 --> 00:37:02,553 WILDMAN: Police bring O'Keefe in for questioning, 692 00:37:02,555 --> 00:37:04,688 and while they doubt he's the mastermind 693 00:37:04,690 --> 00:37:07,491 of the biggest heist in American history, 694 00:37:07,493 --> 00:37:10,560 they push him to reveal what he knows. 695 00:37:10,562 --> 00:37:13,096 And the question was, "Could any of these small-time hoods 696 00:37:13,098 --> 00:37:14,898 have pulled this off?" 697 00:37:14,900 --> 00:37:17,634 WILDMAN: Initially, O'Keefe refuses to talk. 698 00:37:17,636 --> 00:37:19,436 But police keep pressuring him, 699 00:37:19,438 --> 00:37:22,239 and eventually, he cracks. 700 00:37:22,241 --> 00:37:25,576 Finally, he said, "Okay, guys, what do you want to know?" 701 00:37:25,578 --> 00:37:28,712 WILDMAN: Quickly, the police suspicions are confirmed. 702 00:37:28,714 --> 00:37:31,447 O'Keefe does know something about the robbery. 703 00:37:31,449 --> 00:37:34,451 In fact, he knows everything. 704 00:37:34,453 --> 00:37:36,453 It turns out that what the small-time, 705 00:37:36,455 --> 00:37:39,122 low-level crook says next 706 00:37:39,124 --> 00:37:41,058 will unlock the criminal masterpiece 707 00:37:41,060 --> 00:37:43,260 that is the Brink's heist. 708 00:37:59,344 --> 00:38:01,744 WILDMAN: Boston Police have been struggling to crack 709 00:38:01,746 --> 00:38:04,814 the largest robbery ever on U.S. soil. 710 00:38:04,816 --> 00:38:07,618 But known local criminal Joseph O'Keefe 711 00:38:07,620 --> 00:38:10,153 is about to explain what went down 712 00:38:10,155 --> 00:38:12,555 and the identities of the men responsible. 713 00:38:15,094 --> 00:38:18,428 SCHOROW: You had Tony Pino. 714 00:38:18,430 --> 00:38:21,631 Tony Pino planned -- or is reputed to have planned -- 715 00:38:21,633 --> 00:38:23,099 most of this robbery. 716 00:38:23,101 --> 00:38:25,769 You had his brother-in-law, Vinnie Costa. 717 00:38:25,771 --> 00:38:28,572 Stanley Gusciora, who was the youngest member of the gang. 718 00:38:28,574 --> 00:38:30,840 And, of course, Specky O'Keefe, 719 00:38:30,842 --> 00:38:34,444 who was the guy who brought the entire gang down. 720 00:38:34,446 --> 00:38:36,379 They couldn't figure out how these crooks they knew 721 00:38:36,381 --> 00:38:38,715 to be kind of bumblers, kind of small-time -- 722 00:38:38,717 --> 00:38:40,383 how did they pull this off? 723 00:38:40,385 --> 00:38:42,853 And here's where Specs was able to fill them in. 724 00:38:46,591 --> 00:38:49,192 WILDMAN: O'Keefe explains that the plot to rob Brink's 725 00:38:49,194 --> 00:38:50,994 started 2 years earlier, 726 00:38:50,996 --> 00:38:54,397 with the gang meticulously staking out the building, 727 00:38:54,399 --> 00:38:56,600 which is still standing today. 728 00:38:56,602 --> 00:39:00,737 Now, you can see that the building still looks pretty much 729 00:39:00,739 --> 00:39:03,407 as it did at the time of the robbery. 730 00:39:03,409 --> 00:39:05,075 For example, we can count in -- 731 00:39:05,077 --> 00:39:07,944 There's the vault room, so that's on the second floor, 732 00:39:07,946 --> 00:39:09,479 kind of straight ahead, it's kind of hidden 733 00:39:09,481 --> 00:39:10,948 by those trees now. 734 00:39:10,950 --> 00:39:13,951 WILDMAN: The Brink's Building was supposedly impregnable, 735 00:39:13,953 --> 00:39:17,287 but in reality, it had one fatal flaw. 736 00:39:17,289 --> 00:39:20,023 SCHOROW: They were kind of stupid... [Chuckles] 737 00:39:20,025 --> 00:39:21,692 ...in the way that they set it up 738 00:39:21,694 --> 00:39:23,293 right near these big windows. 739 00:39:23,295 --> 00:39:25,228 I guess they weren't thinking of someone looking in, 740 00:39:25,230 --> 00:39:27,163 but really, you have a bird's-eye view 741 00:39:27,165 --> 00:39:30,099 right into their entire office space. 742 00:39:30,101 --> 00:39:32,569 WILDMAN: Realizing the vault was on display, 743 00:39:32,571 --> 00:39:33,904 for the next few months, 744 00:39:33,906 --> 00:39:37,107 Tony Pino posted regular lookouts to monitor 745 00:39:37,109 --> 00:39:40,043 when money was being moved in and out of the building. 746 00:39:40,045 --> 00:39:42,312 So, the lookouts were over this way, 747 00:39:42,314 --> 00:39:44,581 at the top of that building right there. 748 00:39:48,720 --> 00:39:50,921 WILDMAN: One puzzling detail of the crime 749 00:39:50,923 --> 00:39:55,859 was how the robbers got through five locked doors undetected. 750 00:39:55,861 --> 00:39:58,328 Tony Pino, on successive nights, 751 00:39:58,330 --> 00:40:01,264 had taken out the whole cylinder of the lock, 752 00:40:01,266 --> 00:40:05,068 put in a dummy, rushed over to the key shop, 753 00:40:05,070 --> 00:40:07,337 had a key made for the cylinder, 754 00:40:07,339 --> 00:40:11,008 then he rushed back and he reinstalled the cylinder. 755 00:40:11,010 --> 00:40:14,945 So he had a key to the door, but nobody knew that. 756 00:40:14,947 --> 00:40:16,413 He could get in and out. 757 00:40:16,415 --> 00:40:18,215 And he did this for this door right here, 758 00:40:18,217 --> 00:40:21,952 and he did it for two, three, four more doors. 759 00:40:21,954 --> 00:40:23,286 WILDMAN: On the night of the robbery, 760 00:40:23,288 --> 00:40:25,689 Pino gave each of the robbers a chauffeur's cap 761 00:40:25,691 --> 00:40:28,158 to disguise themselves 762 00:40:28,160 --> 00:40:31,094 and masks to hide their faces. 763 00:40:31,096 --> 00:40:34,097 Then, armed with rope and tape, 764 00:40:34,099 --> 00:40:37,233 the robbers piled into the pickup truck 765 00:40:37,235 --> 00:40:39,102 and headed to the Brink's. 766 00:40:39,104 --> 00:40:40,704 So, the robbers started out -- 767 00:40:40,706 --> 00:40:42,505 Well, they were dropped off in the truck 768 00:40:42,507 --> 00:40:44,374 right at the top of that hill there, 769 00:40:44,376 --> 00:40:47,778 and then they slowly made their way down the stairs -- 770 00:40:47,780 --> 00:40:49,779 which were still there in those days -- 771 00:40:49,781 --> 00:40:54,584 and then came down and stopped right about 772 00:40:54,586 --> 00:40:58,388 in the white part of the flag over there. 773 00:40:58,390 --> 00:41:00,524 WILDMAN: When the gang got the signal 774 00:41:00,526 --> 00:41:03,126 from the lookouts, they made their move. 775 00:41:03,128 --> 00:41:05,462 So, this is the door that the robbers 776 00:41:05,464 --> 00:41:07,597 went through the night of the robbery. 777 00:41:07,599 --> 00:41:10,600 WILDMAN: Using Tony Pino's secret set of keys, 778 00:41:10,602 --> 00:41:13,603 the gang snuck into the Brink's Building, 779 00:41:13,605 --> 00:41:16,540 crept up the stairs to the second floor, 780 00:41:16,542 --> 00:41:19,409 opened the four remaining locked doors, 781 00:41:19,411 --> 00:41:22,212 and made their way into the vault. 782 00:41:22,214 --> 00:41:25,015 SCHOROW: It was right about in this area here. 783 00:41:25,017 --> 00:41:26,816 Now, you can see something here. 784 00:41:26,818 --> 00:41:28,552 If you look straight out the window, 785 00:41:28,554 --> 00:41:31,822 you have a straight line of sight to the lookout, 786 00:41:31,824 --> 00:41:34,424 which is on top of that building straight ahead. 787 00:41:39,097 --> 00:41:41,431 WILDMAN: In August 1956, 788 00:41:41,433 --> 00:41:44,835 the Brink's gang stands trial. 789 00:41:44,837 --> 00:41:46,770 In court, the prosecution presents 790 00:41:46,772 --> 00:41:48,972 all the evidence against them. 791 00:41:48,974 --> 00:41:53,910 The clue that seals their guilt is the chopped-up truck. 792 00:41:53,912 --> 00:41:57,380 The chauffeur's cap that was so much speculation -- 793 00:41:57,382 --> 00:42:00,183 it turns out it was Specky O'Keefe's hat, 794 00:42:00,185 --> 00:42:02,319 and he accidentally dropped it. 795 00:42:02,321 --> 00:42:04,388 What people thought was a smoking gun 796 00:42:04,390 --> 00:42:07,524 was actually just something dropped by accident. 797 00:42:08,994 --> 00:42:12,395 WILDMAN: Whether it's pieces of a getaway vehicle, 798 00:42:12,397 --> 00:42:15,398 a key witness, 799 00:42:15,400 --> 00:42:18,134 or a second gun, 800 00:42:18,136 --> 00:42:21,271 in every crime, there's always a clue -- 801 00:42:21,273 --> 00:42:23,006 one that, above all others, 802 00:42:23,008 --> 00:42:25,542 sheds light on what really happened. 803 00:42:25,544 --> 00:42:27,410 [ Gun loading ] 803 00:42:28,305 --> 00:43:28,327 Watch Online Movies and Series for FREE 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