"Mysteries at the Museum" Crime Fighters: Mysteries at the Museum Special

1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:04,160 New York City's guardian angels. 2 00:00:04,200 --> 00:00:06,100 GREENBERG: They were training 3 00:00:06,200 --> 00:00:08,440 to become subway superheroes. 4 00:00:08,540 --> 00:00:12,110 A crafty criminal with a creepy disguise. 5 00:00:12,170 --> 00:00:14,570 WEIGARTNER: He would leap over the counter 6 00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:17,280 in almost superhuman fashion. 7 00:00:17,310 --> 00:00:20,910 And a gang of thieves done in by a salami sandwich. 8 00:00:20,980 --> 00:00:23,780 WILDING: This had been the perfect crime... 9 00:00:23,920 --> 00:00:26,150 until now. 10 00:00:26,220 --> 00:00:28,520 These are the mysteries at the museum. 11 00:00:34,230 --> 00:00:37,400 Founded in 1565, St. Augustine, Florida, 12 00:00:37,400 --> 00:00:40,530 is the oldest continuously occupied city 13 00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:42,270 in the United States. 14 00:00:42,370 --> 00:00:44,540 Today, the city's Mediterranean-style 15 00:00:44,540 --> 00:00:46,070 architecture still shows 16 00:00:46,110 --> 00:00:48,880 the influence of its Spanish roots. 17 00:00:48,910 --> 00:00:51,550 But among these 19th-century structures 18 00:00:51,550 --> 00:00:53,350 is a deceptively simple-looking 19 00:00:53,380 --> 00:00:56,420 building that is filled with incredible artifacts. 20 00:00:58,690 --> 00:01:01,490 The Wolf's Museum of Mystery. 21 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:03,690 Inside this quirky institution 22 00:01:03,730 --> 00:01:06,690 is an array of offbeat treasures, 23 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:08,700 including a replica of an alien 24 00:01:08,700 --> 00:01:11,900 supposedly found in Area 51, 25 00:01:11,970 --> 00:01:16,040 casts of footprints said to be from the legendary Sasquatch, 26 00:01:16,140 --> 00:01:18,510 and a collection of tools from the 1890s 27 00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:21,410 that were sold as a vampire-killing kit. 28 00:01:24,210 --> 00:01:28,720 But alongside these strange wonders is a haunting visage. 29 00:01:28,850 --> 00:01:31,850 WEIGARTNER: The artifact is green and fleshy peach in color. 30 00:01:31,990 --> 00:01:35,220 It's 8 inches wide, 9 inches tall. 31 00:01:35,290 --> 00:01:36,660 It's made of latex. 32 00:01:36,690 --> 00:01:38,930 And it depicts a frightening face. 33 00:01:38,930 --> 00:01:41,060 WILDMAN: This menacing mask recalls 34 00:01:41,100 --> 00:01:43,400 one of the most prolific crime sprees 35 00:01:43,470 --> 00:01:46,170 in American history. 36 00:01:46,170 --> 00:01:49,070 WEIGARTNER: This mask speaks to the story of a crafty criminal 37 00:01:49,140 --> 00:01:50,600 and one man's mission to hunt him down. 38 00:01:50,670 --> 00:01:52,040 Get on the ground! 39 00:01:53,140 --> 00:01:55,680 Put it in there! 40 00:01:57,650 --> 00:02:01,280 WILDMAN: It's the year 2000 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 41 00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:04,020 FBI Agent Ray Carr specializes 42 00:02:04,150 --> 00:02:07,490 in cracking the country's toughest cold cases. 43 00:02:07,620 --> 00:02:09,760 WEIGARTNER: Ray Carr was a veteran FBI agent. 44 00:02:09,790 --> 00:02:12,930 And he had training in behavioral science. 45 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:18,900 WILDMAN: And he's just been handed his hardest assignment yet -- 46 00:02:18,900 --> 00:02:21,230 the disturbing case of a bank robber 47 00:02:21,300 --> 00:02:23,440 who's been holding up financial institutions 48 00:02:23,510 --> 00:02:26,370 along the East Coast since 1988, 49 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:29,610 all the while disguised in a Halloween mask. 50 00:02:31,950 --> 00:02:34,510 As Carr studies the file, he is amazed 51 00:02:34,580 --> 00:02:37,750 at the career criminal's ability to evade capture. 52 00:02:37,850 --> 00:02:39,450 WEIGARTNER: There were no fingerprints. 53 00:02:39,460 --> 00:02:40,790 He wore baggy clothes. 54 00:02:40,790 --> 00:02:42,460 His skin was completely covered. 55 00:02:42,530 --> 00:02:45,730 Never had a car. 56 00:02:45,760 --> 00:02:48,730 WILDMAN: But there's one detail that offers a clue. 57 00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:53,100 The masked man frequently strikes at the same time. 58 00:02:53,140 --> 00:02:56,100 Most of the bank robberies occurred on Friday night 59 00:02:56,240 --> 00:02:57,700 around closing time, 60 00:02:57,770 --> 00:03:00,970 when the employees were distracted. 61 00:03:02,310 --> 00:03:04,880 WILDMAN: Using his background in behavioral science, 62 00:03:04,950 --> 00:03:06,750 Special Agent Carr puts together 63 00:03:06,780 --> 00:03:08,150 a profile of the man, 64 00:03:08,150 --> 00:03:11,080 who's known only as The Friday Night Bank Robber. 65 00:03:11,150 --> 00:03:13,890 He would threaten the customers and the tellers at gunpoint. 66 00:03:13,890 --> 00:03:15,420 And then he would execute 67 00:03:15,420 --> 00:03:19,090 this Ninja-like flying leap over the counter, 68 00:03:19,160 --> 00:03:21,960 and then empty out the cash registers. 69 00:03:25,830 --> 00:03:27,730 Special Agent Carr was able to develop 70 00:03:27,770 --> 00:03:29,240 a profile of a man 71 00:03:29,270 --> 00:03:32,070 in his late 40s, early 50s, 72 00:03:32,140 --> 00:03:35,910 most likely a white male, loner, educated, 73 00:03:36,010 --> 00:03:38,980 obviously very athletic, from the way 74 00:03:39,010 --> 00:03:40,810 that he executed these crimes. 75 00:03:40,920 --> 00:03:43,320 WILDMAN: But these details aren't specific enough 76 00:03:43,390 --> 00:03:46,450 for Carr to identify a singular suspect. 77 00:03:51,330 --> 00:03:54,060 After months on the hunt for The Friday Night Bank Robber, 78 00:03:54,130 --> 00:03:57,460 Carr seems no closer to solving the case. 79 00:03:57,600 --> 00:04:01,130 And it looks like the trail has gone cold yet again. 80 00:04:09,210 --> 00:04:11,540 But then, in April of 2001, 81 00:04:11,610 --> 00:04:13,910 he gets a call from a police officer 82 00:04:13,980 --> 00:04:15,350 in Radnor, Pennsylvania, 83 00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:17,880 with a tip that will change everything. 84 00:04:18,020 --> 00:04:20,920 WEIGARTNER: He tells him, "I think we have found something. 85 00:04:21,060 --> 00:04:22,960 I think maybe you should come and take a look at it." 86 00:04:23,090 --> 00:04:25,260 WILDMAN: Carr races to the scene. 87 00:04:25,330 --> 00:04:27,630 And he sees evidence that seems to suggest 88 00:04:27,760 --> 00:04:30,630 The Friday Night Bank Robber is up to his old tricks. 89 00:04:30,630 --> 00:04:33,230 What had been found was very troubling. 90 00:04:33,340 --> 00:04:36,540 WILDMAN: According to police, two teenage boys stumbled 91 00:04:36,570 --> 00:04:39,070 on a stash of gear hidden in the woods -- 92 00:04:39,140 --> 00:04:41,780 guns, ammo, maps, and something 93 00:04:41,840 --> 00:04:44,110 that really gets Carr's attention. 94 00:04:44,110 --> 00:04:47,780 They found eight Halloween masks. 95 00:04:47,850 --> 00:04:49,250 WILDMAN: The masks are a match 96 00:04:49,320 --> 00:04:51,250 for those used by The Friday Night Robber. 97 00:04:53,020 --> 00:04:57,090 The special agent combs the area for any additional leads. 98 00:04:57,130 --> 00:04:58,260 And he finds a clue 99 00:04:58,360 --> 00:05:02,660 that he thinks will crack the case wide open -- 100 00:05:02,730 --> 00:05:04,460 a flyer from a karate school. 101 00:05:04,530 --> 00:05:06,730 WEIGARTNER: This would've been a huge deal. 102 00:05:06,840 --> 00:05:09,940 For the first time in the case, they had a physical place 103 00:05:09,940 --> 00:05:13,370 that they could go to and ask someone questions. 104 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:20,410 WILDMAN: Special Agent Carr heads directly to the karate school. 105 00:05:20,520 --> 00:05:23,280 There, he asks the owner if any of the students 106 00:05:23,420 --> 00:05:25,820 matched the profile of the robber. 107 00:05:25,890 --> 00:05:29,020 WEIGARTNER: They immediately said, "Sure. There's a guy here. 108 00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:33,030 His name is Carl, and it sounds just like him." 109 00:05:33,160 --> 00:05:35,500 WILDMAN: Carl is Carl Gugasian, 110 00:05:35,600 --> 00:05:39,430 a black belt who works as a self-employed statistician. 111 00:05:39,470 --> 00:05:41,840 Carl Gugasian was in his early 50s. 112 00:05:41,840 --> 00:05:44,040 He's in fantastic shape. 113 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:47,440 He's a loner -- fit the profile to a tee. 114 00:05:47,580 --> 00:05:52,080 WILDMAN: Agent Carr realizes that he's on the brink of solving the case. 115 00:05:52,150 --> 00:05:53,980 WEIGARTNER: He had kind of a eureka moment -- 116 00:05:54,050 --> 00:05:55,950 "This is The Friday Night Robber." 117 00:05:58,950 --> 00:06:02,590 WILDMAN: Then on February 7, 2002, they move in. 118 00:06:02,660 --> 00:06:06,030 Special Agent Carr arrests Carl Gugasian 119 00:06:06,030 --> 00:06:07,890 and brings him in for questioning. 120 00:06:10,370 --> 00:06:13,200 WILDMAN: Gugasian confesses to 50 robberies, 121 00:06:13,340 --> 00:06:17,840 a crime spree which netted him over $2 million. 122 00:06:17,870 --> 00:06:22,410 He's put on trial, convicted, and sentenced to prison. 123 00:06:22,510 --> 00:06:23,740 WEIGARTNER: The Friday Night Bank Robber 124 00:06:23,850 --> 00:06:26,350 is perhaps the most prolific bank robber in history. 125 00:06:26,450 --> 00:06:29,450 But even the smartest criminal makes mistakes. 126 00:06:34,290 --> 00:06:37,020 WILDMAN: Today, this mask stares at visitors 127 00:06:37,090 --> 00:06:40,360 to Wolf's Museum of Mystery in St. Augustine, Florida. 128 00:06:40,430 --> 00:06:42,400 It recalls the wily bank robber 129 00:06:42,430 --> 00:06:45,800 who ruined a lot of Friday nights. 130 00:06:49,610 --> 00:06:53,710 New York City, the oldest public park in the Big Apple 131 00:06:53,780 --> 00:06:56,780 was established in 1733 by the Dutch, 132 00:06:56,780 --> 00:06:59,750 who used the small teardrop-shaped green 133 00:06:59,750 --> 00:07:02,150 to play the game of lawn bowls, 134 00:07:02,180 --> 00:07:05,320 giving it the name Bowling Green. 135 00:07:05,320 --> 00:07:07,850 Today, the area is known for a very different 136 00:07:07,960 --> 00:07:10,220 kind of activity, making money. 137 00:07:10,290 --> 00:07:13,230 So it's only fitting it should be home 138 00:07:13,300 --> 00:07:15,460 to the Museum of American Finance. 139 00:07:19,330 --> 00:07:23,600 On display is a prototype of an Edison telegraph from 1890 140 00:07:23,740 --> 00:07:26,740 that was used to send ticker-tape messages, 141 00:07:26,880 --> 00:07:32,380 a mechanical cash register dating back to 1913, 142 00:07:32,380 --> 00:07:35,480 and a vintage radio used to transmit stock reports 143 00:07:35,620 --> 00:07:37,450 in the 1920s. 144 00:07:41,020 --> 00:07:43,820 But among these vintage antique machines 145 00:07:43,930 --> 00:07:47,360 is one extremely delicate artifact. 146 00:07:47,360 --> 00:07:51,360 YOUNG: The object is flat and is made of a paper material. 147 00:07:51,370 --> 00:07:55,040 It is 2 1/2 inches tall by 6 inches wide. 148 00:07:55,140 --> 00:07:58,600 It is over 1 century old and features a picture 149 00:07:58,640 --> 00:08:00,240 of President William McKinley. 150 00:08:04,680 --> 00:08:06,380 WILDMAN: This rare $10 bill 151 00:08:06,510 --> 00:08:09,080 tells the tale of a brazen crime. 152 00:08:12,390 --> 00:08:15,520 This is the story of a bank heist, undercover skills, 153 00:08:15,590 --> 00:08:17,590 and an unlikely detective. 154 00:08:21,860 --> 00:08:26,130 WILDMAN: It's February 15th, 1912 in New York City. 155 00:08:26,170 --> 00:08:28,940 Deputy Police Commissioner George S. Dougherty 156 00:08:29,070 --> 00:08:32,470 has been called to the scene of a daring robbery. 157 00:08:32,540 --> 00:08:36,440 According to witnesses, two men have just held up a taxi cab 158 00:08:36,550 --> 00:08:38,780 being used to transport cash 159 00:08:38,810 --> 00:08:40,950 for the East River National Bank 160 00:08:41,020 --> 00:08:44,550 and made off with a gigantic haul. 161 00:08:44,690 --> 00:08:46,150 Dougherty was a renowned detective 162 00:08:46,290 --> 00:08:47,820 and quite trustworthy, 163 00:08:47,890 --> 00:08:50,360 and he had a sterling reputation. 164 00:08:50,390 --> 00:08:53,290 WILDMAN: But he is new to the New York Police Force 165 00:08:53,300 --> 00:08:55,090 and wants to uphold his standing 166 00:08:55,160 --> 00:08:58,560 by coming down hard on this boldfaced crime. 167 00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:04,540 The heat was on for Dougherty to solve this case. 168 00:09:04,670 --> 00:09:08,710 WILDMAN: Dougherty starts by combing the scene for clues. 169 00:09:08,780 --> 00:09:12,050 He even used his fingerprint expert here 170 00:09:12,110 --> 00:09:13,780 to dust around the taxi cab 171 00:09:13,820 --> 00:09:16,620 to see if they had left any clues behind. 172 00:09:16,690 --> 00:09:19,850 Unfortunately for Dougherty and the detectives, 173 00:09:19,860 --> 00:09:23,320 they found nothing. 174 00:09:23,390 --> 00:09:25,520 WILDMAN: So he pulls in a crack squad 175 00:09:25,560 --> 00:09:27,260 of the best investigators 176 00:09:27,300 --> 00:09:30,200 from around the city but to no avail. 177 00:09:30,330 --> 00:09:32,930 After 2 days with no leads, 178 00:09:32,940 --> 00:09:36,140 it looks like the thieves may have bested him. 179 00:09:36,200 --> 00:09:40,070 For Dougherty, it meant his job could be on the line. 180 00:09:40,140 --> 00:09:42,410 WILDMAN: But then, Dougherty gets a tip 181 00:09:42,480 --> 00:09:45,150 that may crack the case wide open. 182 00:09:45,250 --> 00:09:46,810 An eyewitness comes forward, 183 00:09:46,880 --> 00:09:49,350 saying that he recognized one of the suspects 184 00:09:49,350 --> 00:09:53,350 as an aspiring prize fighter named Ed Kinsman. 185 00:09:53,420 --> 00:09:54,550 Dougherty was thrilled. 186 00:09:54,590 --> 00:09:57,160 Finally, this was, like, a scrap of information 187 00:09:57,190 --> 00:10:00,160 that he could actually dig deeper into. 188 00:10:00,260 --> 00:10:02,360 WILDMAN: When police go to Kinsman's house, 189 00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:03,560 he's nowhere to be found. 190 00:10:03,600 --> 00:10:07,900 Dougherty fears his only lead is on the lam. 191 00:10:08,040 --> 00:10:11,500 But as he digs deeper, he learns that the boxer has a girlfriend 192 00:10:11,570 --> 00:10:15,010 who may be able to help. 193 00:10:15,010 --> 00:10:20,710 He discovered the girlfriend was actually still in New York. 194 00:10:20,820 --> 00:10:23,850 WILDMAN: The lady in question is holed up at a women's only 195 00:10:23,990 --> 00:10:26,120 boarding house in the city. 196 00:10:26,120 --> 00:10:28,820 Dougherty knows that it's unlikely that the girlfriend 197 00:10:28,960 --> 00:10:31,260 will betray her lover on purpose, 198 00:10:31,330 --> 00:10:34,860 but if he can get someone on the inside to befriend her, 199 00:10:34,960 --> 00:10:36,260 she might inadvertently 200 00:10:36,330 --> 00:10:39,470 let a vital piece of information slip. 201 00:10:39,530 --> 00:10:43,600 YOUNG: The problem being is that all of his detectives were men. 202 00:10:43,670 --> 00:10:46,270 He obviously couldn't send men 203 00:10:46,310 --> 00:10:49,080 into the all-women's boarding house. 204 00:10:49,140 --> 00:10:51,750 WILDMAN: So Dougherty devises a cunning plan. 205 00:10:51,880 --> 00:10:54,350 He had one final trick up his sleeve. 206 00:11:00,920 --> 00:11:03,590 It's 1912 in New York City. 207 00:11:03,690 --> 00:11:06,190 Deputy Police Commissioner, George Dougherty, 208 00:11:06,290 --> 00:11:08,900 is on the trail of a notorious bank robber. 209 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:12,130 He's managed to track down the suspect's girlfriend, 210 00:11:12,130 --> 00:11:15,200 but whether she'll talk is another matter altogether. 211 00:11:15,270 --> 00:11:20,810 So will this gangster's moll help crack the case? 212 00:11:20,810 --> 00:11:24,140 Dougherty decides to send in a spy, 213 00:11:24,210 --> 00:11:29,450 a longtime prison janitor named Isabella Goodwin. 214 00:11:29,520 --> 00:11:32,420 She had a very kind, innocent face, 215 00:11:32,420 --> 00:11:37,360 so no one suspected her of working for the police. 216 00:11:37,360 --> 00:11:39,830 WILDMAN: Goodwin goes undercover as the cleaning lady 217 00:11:39,960 --> 00:11:41,390 in the boarding house. 218 00:11:41,500 --> 00:11:45,230 Her mission is to eavesdrop on Ed Kinsman's girlfriend 219 00:11:45,300 --> 00:11:48,170 and note any information that she might glean. 220 00:11:48,170 --> 00:11:51,100 She could go in and out of rooms, 221 00:11:51,170 --> 00:11:53,540 and people would just talk right in front of her 222 00:11:53,580 --> 00:11:54,970 without anyone suspecting 223 00:11:54,980 --> 00:11:58,710 that she was working for the detectives. 224 00:11:58,710 --> 00:12:03,450 WILDMAN: Finally, she picks up on a crucial snippet of intel. 225 00:12:03,490 --> 00:12:05,280 The girlfriend is meeting up 226 00:12:05,350 --> 00:12:07,790 with her criminal boyfriend in New York, 227 00:12:07,790 --> 00:12:10,320 and then they're going to flee town. 228 00:12:10,430 --> 00:12:12,530 WILDMAN: According to Goodwin, the couple is planning 229 00:12:12,590 --> 00:12:16,360 to head west on a train from Grand Central Terminal. 230 00:12:16,360 --> 00:12:18,800 On hearing this news, Deputy Commissioner Dougherty 231 00:12:18,930 --> 00:12:21,530 instructs his men to stake out the terminal, 232 00:12:21,600 --> 00:12:25,340 and when the pair of crooks shows up, they nab them. 233 00:12:25,410 --> 00:12:28,010 In their possession, police find the stolen bank notes 234 00:12:28,110 --> 00:12:30,140 from the East River National Bank, 235 00:12:30,250 --> 00:12:32,480 just like this one now on display 236 00:12:32,550 --> 00:12:35,980 at the Museum of American Finance. 237 00:12:36,050 --> 00:12:38,750 Isabella Goodwin is hailed as a heroine 238 00:12:38,750 --> 00:12:41,020 for unlocking the case. 239 00:12:41,090 --> 00:12:44,220 Dougherty was indebted to Goodwin. 240 00:12:44,230 --> 00:12:46,830 She had solved the case and saved his reputation. 241 00:12:52,170 --> 00:12:55,030 WILDMAN: Dougherty rewards Goodwin's super sleuthing 242 00:12:55,040 --> 00:12:57,370 with an unprecedented position. 243 00:12:57,470 --> 00:13:00,570 Because of her great job on this particular case, 244 00:13:00,610 --> 00:13:02,380 she became the first female 245 00:13:02,510 --> 00:13:06,580 detective of the New York Police Department. 246 00:13:06,650 --> 00:13:09,980 WILDMAN: Goodwin goes on to have a long and successful career 247 00:13:09,990 --> 00:13:11,250 as a detective, 248 00:13:11,390 --> 00:13:13,450 paving the way for female officers 249 00:13:13,460 --> 00:13:17,120 to fill the ranks of the NYPD. 250 00:13:17,160 --> 00:13:20,460 Today, this East River National Bank note on display 251 00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:23,400 at the Museum of American Finance in New York 252 00:13:23,530 --> 00:13:25,460 pays tribute to a police pioneer 253 00:13:25,500 --> 00:13:29,140 who went from cleaning floors to catching criminals. 254 00:13:32,270 --> 00:13:35,140 Along a back alley in Seattle, Washington, 255 00:13:35,210 --> 00:13:37,410 stands one of the oddest attractions 256 00:13:37,550 --> 00:13:39,010 in the United States -- 257 00:13:39,050 --> 00:13:43,650 a 50-foot-long wall covered top to bottom in chewing gum. 258 00:13:43,790 --> 00:13:46,820 This is the Market Theater gum wall. 259 00:13:46,890 --> 00:13:50,620 This popular curiosity dates back to 1993, 260 00:13:50,760 --> 00:13:52,830 when show-goers would stick their gum 261 00:13:52,830 --> 00:13:55,830 to the building's exterior before going inside. 262 00:13:55,900 --> 00:13:58,630 Sticky situations of a different sort 263 00:13:58,730 --> 00:14:00,430 can be found nearby 264 00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:02,670 at the Seattle Metropolitan Police Museum. 265 00:14:05,540 --> 00:14:07,770 Chronicling the history of law enforcement, 266 00:14:07,840 --> 00:14:09,740 the institution houses 267 00:14:09,780 --> 00:14:13,350 a selection of police badges from the 1800s, 268 00:14:13,380 --> 00:14:16,620 a sergeant's wool coat from the 1950s, 269 00:14:16,690 --> 00:14:21,450 and firearms and night sticks from the past two centuries. 270 00:14:24,390 --> 00:14:26,460 But one set of objects represents 271 00:14:26,460 --> 00:14:28,930 perhaps the most important development 272 00:14:28,960 --> 00:14:31,930 in the history of criminal investigations. 273 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:35,000 LINEHAN: The artifact dates back to the 1920s. 274 00:14:35,070 --> 00:14:37,170 It is comprised of six individual items. 275 00:14:37,240 --> 00:14:39,740 These items are made of glass, 276 00:14:39,810 --> 00:14:44,240 metal, bird's quill, wood, and horse hair. 277 00:14:47,920 --> 00:14:51,050 WILDMAN: These items recall a stunning innovation 278 00:14:51,120 --> 00:14:53,890 that changed crime fighting forever. 279 00:14:53,960 --> 00:14:56,490 LINEHAN: This is a story about a criminal, 280 00:14:56,490 --> 00:14:58,360 a palm print, and justice. 281 00:15:02,560 --> 00:15:07,130 WILDMAN: It's December 5, 1916, in Jarbidge, Nevada. 282 00:15:07,240 --> 00:15:10,770 Police have been called to a bizarre scene. 283 00:15:10,770 --> 00:15:14,140 A postal wagon has been discovered on a quiet lane. 284 00:15:14,140 --> 00:15:18,180 Its driver, mailman Fred Searcy, is dead. 285 00:15:18,280 --> 00:15:22,280 LINEHAN: They found Searcy and his wagon and his horses, 286 00:15:22,350 --> 00:15:24,850 and at first, they thought that maybe Searcy had fallen asleep, 287 00:15:24,890 --> 00:15:26,320 driven off the road. 288 00:15:26,350 --> 00:15:28,050 But when they tried to wake up Searcy, 289 00:15:28,190 --> 00:15:29,920 they find out that he's been shot in the head. 290 00:15:29,990 --> 00:15:33,190 WILDMAN: It's clear this is no road accident. 291 00:15:33,260 --> 00:15:34,790 It's murder. 292 00:15:34,830 --> 00:15:36,730 As they examine the scene, 293 00:15:36,830 --> 00:15:39,530 they discover that the wagon has been ransacked. 294 00:15:39,600 --> 00:15:42,070 Bags of cash containing the payroll 295 00:15:42,140 --> 00:15:44,340 for the people in the town are missing. 296 00:15:44,440 --> 00:15:48,680 There was about $3,000, which in today's money, is about $70,000. 297 00:15:51,280 --> 00:15:53,350 WILDMAN: Among the evidence collected by the police 298 00:15:53,450 --> 00:15:58,080 is a black overcoat and a letter stained with a bloody handprint. 299 00:15:58,190 --> 00:16:00,020 LINEHAN: Knowing a killer was on the loose, 300 00:16:00,150 --> 00:16:02,560 the search was immediately on to find the culprit 301 00:16:02,560 --> 00:16:04,960 and bring them to justice before they struck again. 302 00:16:05,030 --> 00:16:07,760 WILDMAN: The police quickly connect the black coat 303 00:16:07,860 --> 00:16:10,560 to a drifter that locals have seen in town, 304 00:16:10,670 --> 00:16:13,170 a man named Ben Kuhl. 305 00:16:15,640 --> 00:16:17,400 The Jarbidge authorities are determined 306 00:16:17,470 --> 00:16:19,710 to find this criminal and bring them to justice. 307 00:16:19,770 --> 00:16:23,740 WILDMAN: Kuhl is tracked down, and when a gun is found in his tent, 308 00:16:23,850 --> 00:16:26,510 he is arrested and brought before the courts. 309 00:16:26,550 --> 00:16:29,310 Tasked with building a case against him 310 00:16:29,350 --> 00:16:32,050 is District Attorney Ed Carville. 311 00:16:32,120 --> 00:16:37,320 LINEHAN: Edward P. Carville is the young, ambitious district attorney, 312 00:16:37,460 --> 00:16:39,990 and he is determined to put Kuhl behind bars. 313 00:16:39,990 --> 00:16:44,600 WILDMAN: Carville believes he has an open-and-shut case against Kuhl. 314 00:16:44,670 --> 00:16:46,800 But, when the trial begins, 315 00:16:46,930 --> 00:16:49,230 it isn't as easy as the prosecutor hoped. 316 00:16:49,270 --> 00:16:52,270 LINEHAN: Even with all the evidence stacked up against him, 317 00:16:52,310 --> 00:16:55,240 putting Kuhl behind bars might be trickier than they thought. 318 00:16:55,310 --> 00:16:58,880 WILDMAN: Carville presents the drifter's black coat and gun 319 00:16:58,950 --> 00:17:01,010 as evidence of the man's guilt, 320 00:17:01,080 --> 00:17:03,750 but amazingly, it's not enough. 321 00:17:06,390 --> 00:17:10,560 LINEHAN: Even though it seemed like this was all damning evidence, 322 00:17:10,590 --> 00:17:13,060 the defense argued that is was all circumstantial. 323 00:17:13,060 --> 00:17:15,530 I'm sure it was frustrating for the prosecution. 324 00:17:15,630 --> 00:17:18,660 WILDMAN: So, he introduces another piece of evidence -- 325 00:17:18,730 --> 00:17:20,530 the bloody palm print. 326 00:17:20,570 --> 00:17:23,200 Palm prints have never been used in court, 327 00:17:23,300 --> 00:17:26,170 and the defense argues they are unreliable. 328 00:17:26,240 --> 00:17:28,310 LINEHAN: At this time in history, 329 00:17:28,410 --> 00:17:31,310 palm printing is a brand-new technology, 330 00:17:31,380 --> 00:17:32,440 it's a new field, 331 00:17:32,480 --> 00:17:35,110 and it had never been used forensically 332 00:17:35,150 --> 00:17:37,450 in an American court. 333 00:17:37,450 --> 00:17:41,250 WILDMAN: Despite the coat, gun, and bloody handprint, 334 00:17:41,390 --> 00:17:44,560 Carville's case is falling apart at the seams. 335 00:17:44,590 --> 00:17:46,690 LINEHAN: Kuhl had been caught red-handed, 336 00:17:46,690 --> 00:17:50,060 but now, authorities had to find a way to keep him behind bars. 337 00:17:50,130 --> 00:17:52,900 WILDMAN: So, how will justice be served? 338 00:17:58,120 --> 00:18:01,520 It's 1916, in Jarbidge, Nevada. 339 00:18:01,630 --> 00:18:04,160 Authorities have apprehended an armed bandit 340 00:18:04,230 --> 00:18:07,100 who held up a stagecoach, shot the driver, 341 00:18:07,100 --> 00:18:09,570 and made off with more than $3,000. 342 00:18:09,570 --> 00:18:11,530 The court case is in jeopardy, 343 00:18:11,670 --> 00:18:15,770 until the prosecution employs a revolutionary form of evidence 344 00:18:15,840 --> 00:18:19,440 that will change crime fighting forever. 345 00:18:19,540 --> 00:18:22,150 With his case in danger of falling apart, 346 00:18:22,280 --> 00:18:25,650 District Attorney Ed Carville must prove to the court 347 00:18:25,780 --> 00:18:28,850 that the bloody palm print belongs to Kuhl. 348 00:18:28,890 --> 00:18:31,590 So, he offers the court a demonstration. 349 00:18:34,190 --> 00:18:36,530 He makes a new print of Kuhl's hand 350 00:18:36,590 --> 00:18:38,390 and has police officers compare it 351 00:18:38,400 --> 00:18:40,660 to the one found at the crime scene. 352 00:18:40,730 --> 00:18:43,300 They're a perfect match. 353 00:18:43,430 --> 00:18:45,900 LINEHAN: The experts were actually able to find 354 00:18:45,970 --> 00:18:49,840 an impressive 18 points of likeness between the two prints. 355 00:18:49,910 --> 00:18:51,910 By today's standards, 356 00:18:51,910 --> 00:18:55,750 18 points is more than enough to establish a positive I.D. 357 00:18:55,750 --> 00:18:58,450 WILDMAN: To assure the court that the analysis 358 00:18:58,450 --> 00:19:01,380 is based on science and not opinion, 359 00:19:01,450 --> 00:19:04,750 Carville asks the experts to go one step further. 360 00:19:04,860 --> 00:19:08,320 They take several palm prints from people in the courtroom, 361 00:19:08,390 --> 00:19:10,460 including members of the jury. 362 00:19:10,600 --> 00:19:12,530 LINEHAN: Then they tried to identify the people 363 00:19:12,600 --> 00:19:14,530 based solely on their palm prints. 364 00:19:14,600 --> 00:19:17,200 And the experts identified every one they tested 365 00:19:17,240 --> 00:19:19,340 with a 100% success rate. 366 00:19:21,110 --> 00:19:23,040 WILDMAN: After this impressive display, 367 00:19:23,040 --> 00:19:27,810 the trial wraps up, and the jury swiftly reaches its verdict. 368 00:19:27,810 --> 00:19:30,450 LINEHAN: And after only two hours, 369 00:19:30,450 --> 00:19:32,950 they found Kuhl guilty of murder. 370 00:19:32,950 --> 00:19:36,990 WILDMAN: Kuhl is sentenced to nearly three decades in prison. 371 00:19:37,020 --> 00:19:41,360 LINEHAN: It was the first time print evidence of any kind 372 00:19:41,490 --> 00:19:44,090 was used to convict a criminal in America. 373 00:19:44,160 --> 00:19:47,930 WILDMAN: Although the stolen money is never recovered, 374 00:19:47,930 --> 00:19:51,570 this groundbreaking case has a lasting effect. 375 00:19:51,570 --> 00:19:55,370 LINEHAN: This was a huge advancement in the field of forensics. 376 00:19:55,510 --> 00:19:58,710 Palm and fingerprinting went on to become 377 00:19:58,740 --> 00:20:01,910 a cornerstone of the criminal justice system. 378 00:20:06,580 --> 00:20:11,450 WILDMAN: Today, this 1920s fingerprinting kit remains in the collection 379 00:20:11,460 --> 00:20:14,260 at the Seattle Metropolitan Police Museum. 380 00:20:14,260 --> 00:20:16,890 It serves as a reminder of a grizzly crime 381 00:20:17,030 --> 00:20:20,230 that left its prints all over the courtroom. 382 00:20:23,400 --> 00:20:26,400 The Dutch city of Amsterdam has more than 60 miles 383 00:20:26,470 --> 00:20:29,040 of canals that are lined with buildings, 384 00:20:29,110 --> 00:20:31,510 which are propped up on wooden poles 385 00:20:31,510 --> 00:20:34,110 set into a bed of shifting silt. 386 00:20:34,210 --> 00:20:36,950 Because of the soft soil, some of these structures 387 00:20:37,020 --> 00:20:39,350 have sunk and leaned, giving them the name, 388 00:20:39,420 --> 00:20:41,620 "The Dancing Houses," 389 00:20:41,690 --> 00:20:44,290 and just steps away from some of these quirky 390 00:20:44,360 --> 00:20:47,760 architectural gems is a glittering institution -- 391 00:20:47,760 --> 00:20:50,560 the Diamond Museum Amsterdam. 392 00:20:50,560 --> 00:20:54,530 Dedicated to the history and art 393 00:20:54,600 --> 00:20:56,570 of the world's most precious stone, 394 00:20:56,630 --> 00:20:59,840 the collection includes a dazzlingly decorated 395 00:20:59,970 --> 00:21:02,100 skull of an ape, 396 00:21:02,170 --> 00:21:04,710 a sparkling tennis racquet, 397 00:21:04,780 --> 00:21:08,280 and a glitzy glass sword encrusted with jewels. 398 00:21:10,510 --> 00:21:12,420 But among these ornate displays 399 00:21:12,550 --> 00:21:14,980 is the museum's most brilliant exhibit. 400 00:21:15,120 --> 00:21:17,390 The artifact has 11 pieces 401 00:21:17,460 --> 00:21:19,860 and is incredibly hard. 402 00:21:19,920 --> 00:21:21,520 It sparkles, 403 00:21:21,590 --> 00:21:25,190 and it's worth over half a million dollars. 404 00:21:27,200 --> 00:21:29,470 WILDMAN: Loose diamonds like these were part 405 00:21:29,600 --> 00:21:31,800 of a daring caper and the oddest 406 00:21:31,900 --> 00:21:35,200 burglary investigation the world may have ever known. 407 00:21:35,270 --> 00:21:37,440 This is a story of precious jewels, 408 00:21:37,580 --> 00:21:40,540 a cunning heist, and a salami sandwich. 409 00:21:44,350 --> 00:21:48,020 WILDMAN: It's the morning of February 17, 2003. 410 00:21:48,150 --> 00:21:51,620 Police in the Belgian city of Antwerp 411 00:21:51,690 --> 00:21:54,660 receive a frantic call-- hordes of gems, 412 00:21:54,730 --> 00:21:57,860 precious metals, and cash have been stolen 413 00:21:57,900 --> 00:21:59,760 from the Diamond Center. 414 00:21:59,800 --> 00:22:02,130 Located in the city's famed Diamond District, 415 00:22:02,170 --> 00:22:05,830 it boasts some of the most advanced security systems in the world. 416 00:22:05,900 --> 00:22:08,870 It's their version of Fort Knox. 417 00:22:12,180 --> 00:22:15,410 WILDMAN: But despite the police checkpoints, closed circuit 418 00:22:15,410 --> 00:22:18,080 television monitoring, and motion detectors, 419 00:22:18,150 --> 00:22:22,150 someone was able to breach this seemingly impenetrable facility. 420 00:22:24,460 --> 00:22:26,720 WILDING: There were over 100 safe deposit boxes 421 00:22:26,860 --> 00:22:30,060 that had been ripped open and thrown across the floor. 422 00:22:30,060 --> 00:22:32,530 It was utter carnage. 423 00:22:32,600 --> 00:22:34,330 WILDMAN: When the losses are added up, 424 00:22:34,470 --> 00:22:36,700 the total is staggering. 425 00:22:36,770 --> 00:22:39,540 WILDING: There was believed to be more than $100 million 426 00:22:39,640 --> 00:22:42,440 worth of cash, diamonds, and jewelry 427 00:22:42,510 --> 00:22:44,970 that had been stolen. 428 00:22:47,880 --> 00:22:51,480 WILDMAN: Assigned to the case are detectives Patrick Peys and Agim De Bruycker. 429 00:22:51,550 --> 00:22:54,680 The detectives start with a thorough examination 430 00:22:54,820 --> 00:22:56,850 of the crime scene. 431 00:22:56,920 --> 00:22:59,060 It's not long before they figure out how 432 00:22:59,190 --> 00:23:02,690 the robbers got past the facility's extensive security. 433 00:23:02,690 --> 00:23:06,160 The motion and heat sensors had been covered with something 434 00:23:06,230 --> 00:23:08,960 to disable it-- they then realized 435 00:23:08,970 --> 00:23:11,500 it was actually hairspray. 436 00:23:11,570 --> 00:23:14,240 WILDMAN: The sticky residue blocked the sensors 437 00:23:14,370 --> 00:23:17,040 enough to render them useless. 438 00:23:17,110 --> 00:23:19,840 Next, the detectives examine 439 00:23:19,880 --> 00:23:22,650 the one-foot-thick vault door. 440 00:23:22,750 --> 00:23:25,150 The door to the vault had an alarm system, 441 00:23:25,280 --> 00:23:27,180 one which worked with magnets. 442 00:23:27,250 --> 00:23:29,320 When the door was shut, the magnets were together. 443 00:23:29,450 --> 00:23:31,790 If the door was opened, the magnets would be apart, 444 00:23:31,860 --> 00:23:33,560 and the alarm would sound. 445 00:23:33,590 --> 00:23:35,420 WILDMAN: The thieves got around this system 446 00:23:35,490 --> 00:23:37,860 by unscrewing the bolts on one magnet, 447 00:23:37,900 --> 00:23:41,000 detaching it from the door, but keeping it in connection 448 00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:43,530 with the other magnet-- when they open the door, 449 00:23:43,600 --> 00:23:45,800 the magnets never broke contact, 450 00:23:45,870 --> 00:23:48,270 and the alarm never sounded. 451 00:23:48,310 --> 00:23:51,570 WILDING: Basically, for $25 452 00:23:51,610 --> 00:23:53,540 and a trip to your local hardware store, 453 00:23:53,680 --> 00:23:55,740 you can pull off one of the biggest heists 454 00:23:55,780 --> 00:23:57,680 of the century. 455 00:23:57,780 --> 00:24:00,220 WILDMAN: With a clear understanding of how the crime 456 00:24:00,280 --> 00:24:02,690 was carried out, the detectives turn 457 00:24:02,690 --> 00:24:05,020 their attention to who committed it. 458 00:24:05,090 --> 00:24:08,660 It's here that the trail goes cold. 459 00:24:08,730 --> 00:24:12,160 Peys and De Bruycker were worried they would never 460 00:24:12,300 --> 00:24:14,600 find out who pulled this off. 461 00:24:14,730 --> 00:24:18,230 WILDMAN: But they're about to get a tip that will crack the case wide open. 462 00:24:20,940 --> 00:24:23,840 While Peys and De Bruycker comb the crime scene for clues, 463 00:24:23,970 --> 00:24:26,910 a man walks through some woods outside Antwerp, 464 00:24:26,910 --> 00:24:29,340 where he notices something unusual-- 465 00:24:29,410 --> 00:24:32,520 trash is strewn everywhere, including papers 466 00:24:32,620 --> 00:24:35,480 bearing the words "The Diamond Center." 467 00:24:35,550 --> 00:24:38,190 Having heard about the burglary on the news, 468 00:24:38,220 --> 00:24:40,560 the man calls the police. 469 00:24:40,560 --> 00:24:43,990 And when Peys and De Bruycker arrive on the scene, 470 00:24:44,100 --> 00:24:47,060 they find some loose diamonds that were taken in the heist 471 00:24:47,060 --> 00:24:50,400 and something completely unexpected. 472 00:24:50,400 --> 00:24:53,570 They found a half-eaten salami sandwich. 473 00:24:53,570 --> 00:24:57,510 This had been the perfect crime until now. 474 00:25:04,050 --> 00:25:06,110 It's 2003 in Antwerp. 475 00:25:06,180 --> 00:25:09,180 Belgian police are investigating a diamond heist 476 00:25:09,250 --> 00:25:12,720 of monumental proportions-- $100 million 477 00:25:12,860 --> 00:25:15,560 worth of gems have been stolen, 478 00:25:15,690 --> 00:25:18,460 and their only clue-- a pile of strewn garbage 479 00:25:18,560 --> 00:25:21,860 that includes a half-eaten salami sandwich. 480 00:25:21,870 --> 00:25:25,130 Among the debris, 481 00:25:25,240 --> 00:25:28,470 Peys and De Bruycker find another intriguing clue, 482 00:25:28,570 --> 00:25:31,410 an invoice for a surveillance system. 483 00:25:31,440 --> 00:25:33,380 This would have been perfect 484 00:25:33,440 --> 00:25:37,210 to set up and scope out a potential target property. 485 00:25:37,320 --> 00:25:40,880 WILDMAN: The invoice is made out to a man named 486 00:25:40,990 --> 00:25:42,990 Leonardo Notarbartolo. 487 00:25:43,090 --> 00:25:46,860 Leonardo Notarbartolo was a known thief 488 00:25:46,990 --> 00:25:49,020 from Turin, Italy. 489 00:25:49,090 --> 00:25:51,230 He was very suave and was known 490 00:25:51,300 --> 00:25:53,760 to be able to charm anyone. 491 00:25:53,830 --> 00:25:56,770 WILDMAN: The police soon find out that Notarbartolo 492 00:25:56,900 --> 00:25:59,640 is also known to the staff of the Diamond Center. 493 00:25:59,700 --> 00:26:01,970 Two years earlier, 494 00:26:02,010 --> 00:26:03,970 he had sweet-talked the building manager 495 00:26:04,010 --> 00:26:06,380 into renting him a safety deposit box in the vault 496 00:26:06,510 --> 00:26:09,110 without conducting a background check. 497 00:26:09,180 --> 00:26:12,110 Every so often, he would ask to see 498 00:26:12,150 --> 00:26:15,320 the contents of his box, but police now suspect 499 00:26:15,350 --> 00:26:19,050 he only did it to case out the building's security systems. 500 00:26:19,190 --> 00:26:22,190 Finally, the police had a suspect. 501 00:26:22,330 --> 00:26:24,860 It's a real eureka moment. 502 00:26:24,930 --> 00:26:28,600 WILDMAN: The detectives track down 503 00:26:28,600 --> 00:26:32,170 Notarbartolo in the city, and when they search his apartment, 504 00:26:32,270 --> 00:26:35,500 they find more evidence that ties him to the crime. 505 00:26:35,610 --> 00:26:38,910 WILDING: The police found a receipt for the exact same 506 00:26:38,980 --> 00:26:42,850 Italian salami that was discovered in that sandwich. 507 00:26:42,950 --> 00:26:46,950 WILDMAN: Investigators arrest Notarbartolo and three other suspects. 508 00:26:48,620 --> 00:26:51,350 Though very few of the stolen diamonds are ever recovered, 509 00:26:51,420 --> 00:26:53,590 Peys and De Bruycker are lauded 510 00:26:53,720 --> 00:26:56,290 for bringing the crooks to justice. 511 00:26:56,330 --> 00:26:58,760 Notarbartolo was tried and sentenced 512 00:26:58,830 --> 00:27:01,460 to ten years in prison for his crime. 513 00:27:05,240 --> 00:27:08,170 WILDMAN: Today, these precious jewels, just like the ones 514 00:27:08,240 --> 00:27:11,270 stolen from The Diamond Center, are on display 515 00:27:11,340 --> 00:27:13,710 at The Diamond Museum Amsterdam. 516 00:27:13,780 --> 00:27:16,040 They're a glittering reminder of a thief 517 00:27:16,080 --> 00:27:19,550 whose hunger for riches was left unsatisfied. 518 00:27:22,720 --> 00:27:25,420 Brooklyn, New York. 519 00:27:25,520 --> 00:27:27,520 The neighborhood of Williamsburg 520 00:27:27,530 --> 00:27:30,930 was once a hub of manufacturing and industry. 521 00:27:31,030 --> 00:27:33,660 Today, it's filled with colorful street art, 522 00:27:33,700 --> 00:27:36,330 innovative restaurants, and trendy shops, 523 00:27:36,400 --> 00:27:39,030 making it one of the hippest places in America. 524 00:27:39,140 --> 00:27:42,670 Celebrating this metamorphosis and more 525 00:27:42,770 --> 00:27:45,010 is the City Reliquary Museum. 526 00:27:48,280 --> 00:27:49,810 As its name suggests, 527 00:27:49,850 --> 00:27:53,310 this institution contains an eclectic mix of relics 528 00:27:53,350 --> 00:27:55,620 from the Big Apple's past and present, 529 00:27:55,620 --> 00:27:59,720 such as handrails from New York's first subway cars, 530 00:27:59,790 --> 00:28:03,230 a 20th century newsstand from Canal Street, 531 00:28:03,290 --> 00:28:05,390 and memorabilia from the Statue of Liberty. 532 00:28:07,470 --> 00:28:09,430 But one item here symbolizes 533 00:28:09,470 --> 00:28:12,900 a very different bite of Big Apple history. 534 00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:14,570 It's circular in shape, 535 00:28:14,570 --> 00:28:17,740 red in color, made of felt and leather, 536 00:28:17,740 --> 00:28:20,980 and adorned with pins. 537 00:28:21,110 --> 00:28:24,510 WILDMAN: This beret recalls a band of unlikely heroes 538 00:28:24,580 --> 00:28:27,980 who stepped up to protect their fellow citizens. 539 00:28:28,050 --> 00:28:30,790 This is the story about a group of street kids 540 00:28:30,820 --> 00:28:34,420 who anointed themselves the peoples' Guardian Angels. 541 00:28:38,800 --> 00:28:41,130 WILDMAN: It's the late 1970s. 542 00:28:41,200 --> 00:28:42,530 New York City is in the midst 543 00:28:42,630 --> 00:28:45,870 of a seemingly unstoppable crime wave. 544 00:28:45,940 --> 00:28:47,500 Throughout the city, 545 00:28:47,640 --> 00:28:49,540 crooks, hoodlums, and thieves roam the streets, 546 00:28:49,540 --> 00:28:53,080 robbing innocent people of their hard-earned cash. 547 00:28:53,080 --> 00:28:57,080 And the most dangerous place in the metropolis is the subway. 548 00:28:57,150 --> 00:29:00,880 The New York City subway system back in the late '70s 549 00:29:00,990 --> 00:29:03,020 was known as the "Muggers Express," 550 00:29:03,020 --> 00:29:04,820 because people could all but guarantee 551 00:29:04,960 --> 00:29:06,890 they were gonna be robbed when they went on there. 552 00:29:10,460 --> 00:29:12,960 WILDMAN: Budget cuts mean there aren't enough cops 553 00:29:13,000 --> 00:29:14,760 to contain the epidemic. 554 00:29:16,830 --> 00:29:19,030 But one concerned citizen vows 555 00:29:19,040 --> 00:29:21,670 to take matters into his own hands -- 556 00:29:21,710 --> 00:29:25,540 a 25-year-old restaurant manager named Curtis Sliwa. 557 00:29:25,680 --> 00:29:28,810 Curtis was as real a New Yorker as you're ever gonna find. 558 00:29:28,950 --> 00:29:31,850 He was tough, extremely determined, 559 00:29:31,850 --> 00:29:34,580 and he felt he had a higher calling. 560 00:29:37,590 --> 00:29:41,360 WILDMAN: Curtis decides to form a league of unarmed citizens 561 00:29:41,430 --> 00:29:42,990 who will patrol the subways 562 00:29:43,130 --> 00:29:45,530 and watch over their fellow New Yorkers. 563 00:29:45,600 --> 00:29:49,200 And there's no shortage of like-minded volunteers. 564 00:29:49,300 --> 00:29:52,570 Curtis recruited kids from poor neighborhoods. 565 00:29:52,670 --> 00:29:54,270 Tough kids, but kids who wanted 566 00:29:54,400 --> 00:29:56,970 to make a difference in the city. 567 00:29:56,970 --> 00:30:00,010 WILDMAN: Curtis trains his crew on how to break up fights 568 00:30:00,010 --> 00:30:01,810 and make citizen arrests. 569 00:30:01,880 --> 00:30:05,710 They were training to become subway superheroes. 570 00:30:05,820 --> 00:30:08,550 WILDMAN: And just like every great team of superheroes, 571 00:30:08,620 --> 00:30:10,020 they need a costume. 572 00:30:10,090 --> 00:30:13,290 Curtis dresses his recruits in red zip-up jackets 573 00:30:13,390 --> 00:30:15,620 and matching red berets, 574 00:30:15,690 --> 00:30:19,230 like this one on display at the City Reliquary Museum. 575 00:30:21,970 --> 00:30:24,700 Finally, in January 1979, 576 00:30:24,740 --> 00:30:28,640 Curtis and his crime-fighting crew are ready for action. 577 00:30:28,670 --> 00:30:29,910 They begin by patrolling 578 00:30:30,010 --> 00:30:32,740 some of the subway's most dangerous lines... 579 00:30:34,550 --> 00:30:37,480 ...and the effect is immediate. 580 00:30:37,520 --> 00:30:41,580 Their presence alone is enough to deter would-be thieves. 581 00:30:41,690 --> 00:30:43,650 They were an intimidating presence. 582 00:30:43,720 --> 00:30:46,720 Those red berets let it be known, 583 00:30:46,860 --> 00:30:49,220 these are the people fighting for the good guys. 584 00:30:51,600 --> 00:30:53,260 WILDMAN: Emboldened by the success, 585 00:30:53,330 --> 00:30:57,400 Curtis and his team even expand their ranks. 586 00:30:57,500 --> 00:31:01,340 The group swells to a staggering 600 members. 587 00:31:01,470 --> 00:31:04,470 They even give themselves a heroic sounding nickname -- 588 00:31:04,540 --> 00:31:08,280 the Guardian Angels. 589 00:31:08,310 --> 00:31:11,610 But not everyone likes the Guardian Angels. 590 00:31:11,720 --> 00:31:15,820 Their chief opponent is New York City Mayor Ed Koch. 591 00:31:15,920 --> 00:31:17,150 Mayor Koch believes 592 00:31:17,290 --> 00:31:18,950 that having a band of volunteer crime-fighters 593 00:31:19,090 --> 00:31:22,820 roaming the subways is a recipe for disaster. 594 00:31:22,890 --> 00:31:24,230 GREENBERG: Ed Koch was appalled 595 00:31:24,360 --> 00:31:26,090 by the notion of the Guardian Angels. 596 00:31:26,100 --> 00:31:29,700 These were not trained New York City police officers 597 00:31:29,700 --> 00:31:31,600 on city salaries. 598 00:31:33,240 --> 00:31:36,570 WILDMAN: Mayor Koch vows to shut the Angels down, 599 00:31:36,640 --> 00:31:38,370 but he can't just have them arrested 600 00:31:38,440 --> 00:31:42,380 because the group's actions aren't technically illegal. 601 00:31:42,480 --> 00:31:44,380 So Koch targets the one thing 602 00:31:44,450 --> 00:31:46,780 that's keeping the Guardian Angels going -- 603 00:31:46,780 --> 00:31:48,580 public support. 604 00:31:48,720 --> 00:31:53,660 Curtis Sliwa needed the public to keep the Angels functioning. 605 00:31:56,860 --> 00:32:00,230 In a series of blistering newspaper articles, 606 00:32:00,300 --> 00:32:02,460 Koch suggests that the Guardian Angels 607 00:32:02,530 --> 00:32:04,830 are a group of rogue paramilitaries 608 00:32:04,970 --> 00:32:06,540 who are above the law. 609 00:32:06,640 --> 00:32:12,870 Mayor Koch branded the Guardian Angels vigilantes. 610 00:32:12,980 --> 00:32:15,810 This was a turning point for the Guardian Angels. 611 00:32:15,850 --> 00:32:19,610 Were they going to survive or were they going to disappear? 612 00:32:19,680 --> 00:32:21,480 WILDMAN: So is this end of the line 613 00:32:21,550 --> 00:32:24,720 for the so-called subway superheroes? 614 00:32:28,240 --> 00:32:30,640 It's 1981 in New York. 615 00:32:30,740 --> 00:32:34,250 With the Big Apple in the midst of a devastating crime wave, 616 00:32:34,350 --> 00:32:38,520 a brave group of volunteers steps up to patrol the subways. 617 00:32:38,620 --> 00:32:42,590 These regular Joes call themselves the Guardian Angels. 618 00:32:42,690 --> 00:32:44,520 But the mayor isn't happy. 619 00:32:44,590 --> 00:32:47,390 He thinks the Guardian Angels are mere vigilantes 620 00:32:47,490 --> 00:32:49,730 and vows to shut them down. 621 00:32:49,730 --> 00:32:54,200 So what will become of these subway superheroes? 622 00:32:56,800 --> 00:32:58,740 Facing mounting bad press, 623 00:32:58,870 --> 00:33:02,070 Curtis come up with a plan to save the Guardian Angels. 624 00:33:02,180 --> 00:33:04,010 He decides to put his group's fate 625 00:33:04,080 --> 00:33:06,040 in the hands of the people. 626 00:33:06,110 --> 00:33:07,680 In February 1981, 627 00:33:07,810 --> 00:33:11,120 Curtis writes a petition and takes it to the streets. 628 00:33:13,720 --> 00:33:16,620 Curtis Sliwa wrote a petition to Grand Central Station. 629 00:33:16,660 --> 00:33:18,290 He said to New Yorkers, 630 00:33:18,290 --> 00:33:22,290 "If you want the Guardian Angels to stay on the subways, sign it." 631 00:33:24,600 --> 00:33:28,270 WILDMAN: And his fellow citizens don't disappoint. 632 00:33:28,370 --> 00:33:31,170 GREENBERG: New Yorkers came by the thousands to sign it. 633 00:33:31,210 --> 00:33:34,510 General public was pretty much unanimously behind 634 00:33:34,580 --> 00:33:37,140 the Guardian Angels. 635 00:33:37,180 --> 00:33:40,210 WILDMAN: Curtis proudly presents his petition to the Mayor. 636 00:33:40,280 --> 00:33:43,050 In the face of such overwhelming public support, 637 00:33:43,120 --> 00:33:45,450 Koch has no choice but to back off, 638 00:33:45,520 --> 00:33:47,990 and the two eventually reach a compromise. 639 00:33:50,120 --> 00:33:53,860 The NYPD develops a program to train the Guardian Angels, 640 00:33:53,990 --> 00:33:58,460 issuing them identity cards and even free subway passes. 641 00:33:58,470 --> 00:34:03,030 Curtis felt that his victory was a victory for all New Yorkers. 642 00:34:03,070 --> 00:34:06,670 WILDMAN: In time, the NYPD's budget is increased, 643 00:34:06,710 --> 00:34:08,470 allowing them to put more officers 644 00:34:08,510 --> 00:34:11,210 on the street and underground. 645 00:34:11,280 --> 00:34:13,510 And the turnaround of the New York City subway system 646 00:34:13,510 --> 00:34:15,980 is hailed as one of the biggest urban success stories 647 00:34:16,080 --> 00:34:17,620 in the nation. 648 00:34:17,680 --> 00:34:20,690 I think the moral of the story is, "We're all in it together." 649 00:34:20,690 --> 00:34:22,950 If you see something, you can do something, 650 00:34:23,020 --> 00:34:25,690 and there's other people who'll help you. 651 00:34:25,830 --> 00:34:29,030 WILDMAN: Today, the City Reliquary Museum in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, 652 00:34:29,060 --> 00:34:31,160 proudly displays this red beret 653 00:34:31,270 --> 00:34:34,170 worn by one of the Guardian Angels. 654 00:34:34,170 --> 00:34:36,500 It recalls a group of regular guys 655 00:34:36,500 --> 00:34:39,470 who helped tame an urban jungle. 656 00:34:42,180 --> 00:34:46,780 A set of heads illustrating various forms of tragic death... 657 00:34:46,910 --> 00:34:51,520 a pair of sneakers worn by a victim of a lightning strike... 658 00:34:51,590 --> 00:34:53,350 and a watch frozen in time 659 00:34:53,350 --> 00:34:55,850 at the moment of a head-on collision. 660 00:34:55,990 --> 00:34:59,260 These are just part of the unsettling collection 661 00:34:59,330 --> 00:35:03,200 at Baltimore, Maryland's Office of the Medical Examiner -- 662 00:35:03,330 --> 00:35:04,860 an institution favored 663 00:35:05,000 --> 00:35:08,400 by those with a taste for mystery and the macabre. 664 00:35:08,540 --> 00:35:11,540 But the most entrancing artifacts on display 665 00:35:11,670 --> 00:35:13,170 at first glance 666 00:35:13,170 --> 00:35:16,710 give off a confounding air of childlike innocence. 667 00:35:17,680 --> 00:35:22,510 GOLDFARB: It's a collection of 18 miniature models -- handcrafted. 668 00:35:22,650 --> 00:35:25,950 Most of them fit within about one cubic foot. 669 00:35:26,020 --> 00:35:29,490 WILDMAN: These objects were never intended for child's play. 670 00:35:29,490 --> 00:35:33,930 GOLDFARB: They represent fairly ordinary, everyday scenes, 671 00:35:33,990 --> 00:35:35,290 except for this body 672 00:35:35,430 --> 00:35:37,200 that's laying in the middle of the floor. 673 00:35:38,830 --> 00:35:43,570 WILDMAN: So, who created these dollhouse versions of death? 674 00:35:43,700 --> 00:35:47,910 And how did they change forensic science forever? 675 00:35:48,010 --> 00:35:52,240 1912 -- Chicago, Illinois. 676 00:35:52,280 --> 00:35:55,850 34-year-old heiress Frances Glessner Lee 677 00:35:55,980 --> 00:35:57,920 is living a life of privilege. 678 00:35:57,990 --> 00:36:00,790 But the intelligent and quick-witted Frances 679 00:36:00,890 --> 00:36:02,520 is increasingly frustrated 680 00:36:02,620 --> 00:36:05,460 by the limited roles seen fit for a lady. 681 00:36:05,460 --> 00:36:07,390 GOLDFARB: She wasn't allowed to go to college. 682 00:36:07,460 --> 00:36:08,930 Frances grew up in a time 683 00:36:08,960 --> 00:36:11,860 when women didn't have a whole lot of options. 684 00:36:11,900 --> 00:36:16,100 WILDMAN: With time and resources on her hands, 685 00:36:16,170 --> 00:36:17,740 Frances pours her focus 686 00:36:17,770 --> 00:36:20,670 into an acceptable, new artistic pursuit -- 687 00:36:20,710 --> 00:36:22,670 the making of miniatures. 688 00:36:22,710 --> 00:36:26,080 And soon, she embarks on an epic project. 689 00:36:26,080 --> 00:36:28,210 GOLDFARB: She created miniature models 690 00:36:28,280 --> 00:36:31,550 of the entire Chicago Symphony Orchestra, 691 00:36:31,690 --> 00:36:34,220 down to the point of decorating each figure 692 00:36:34,220 --> 00:36:36,690 as that person in the orchestra. 693 00:36:36,720 --> 00:36:40,890 WILDMAN: Family and friends are astounded by her intricate creation. 694 00:36:40,960 --> 00:36:43,960 But with no real outlet for her talent, 695 00:36:44,030 --> 00:36:48,300 Frances' active imagination seizes upon a new interest -- 696 00:36:48,340 --> 00:36:50,030 crime novels. 697 00:36:50,100 --> 00:36:52,570 GOLDFARB: She was a fan of Sherlock Holmes stories, 698 00:36:52,610 --> 00:36:54,310 where the smallest detail 699 00:36:54,370 --> 00:36:56,470 could be significant in solving the crime. 700 00:36:58,080 --> 00:36:59,380 WILDMAN: In 1922, 701 00:36:59,480 --> 00:37:03,450 Frances' brother introduces her to a real-life man of mystery -- 702 00:37:03,550 --> 00:37:07,190 a forensic investigator named George Magrath. 703 00:37:07,190 --> 00:37:10,920 GOLDFARB: And through Magrath, Frances learned about 704 00:37:10,920 --> 00:37:13,430 this emerging field of forensic science. 705 00:37:14,930 --> 00:37:16,060 WILDMAN: And soon, 706 00:37:16,200 --> 00:37:19,200 Magrath offers his unlikely protégé a firsthand look 707 00:37:19,270 --> 00:37:23,800 at cutting-edge crime-scene investigative techniques. 708 00:37:23,940 --> 00:37:25,270 He points out the importance 709 00:37:25,410 --> 00:37:27,540 of visually sweeping the scene for clues 710 00:37:27,640 --> 00:37:29,210 before jumping to conclusions. 711 00:37:29,280 --> 00:37:33,850 The middle-aged heiress is mesmerized by the process. 712 00:37:33,910 --> 00:37:36,080 GOLDFARB: You wouldn't expect that she would be the kind of person 713 00:37:36,180 --> 00:37:38,220 who would roll up her sleeves, so to speak, 714 00:37:38,250 --> 00:37:41,350 skulking around sidewalks and looking for clues. 715 00:37:41,420 --> 00:37:45,120 WILDMAN: Then Magrath confides some disturbing news. 716 00:37:45,190 --> 00:37:47,990 Police departments across the country 717 00:37:48,100 --> 00:37:51,560 aren't properly trained to examine crime scenes. 718 00:37:51,700 --> 00:37:55,770 In turn, critical evidence is being overlooked or destroyed, 719 00:37:55,770 --> 00:37:58,840 causing millions of cases to go unsolved every year. 720 00:37:59,940 --> 00:38:02,270 People were literally getting away with murder. 721 00:38:02,410 --> 00:38:04,980 WILDMAN: Frances is shocked. 722 00:38:05,050 --> 00:38:06,580 She felt we could do better. 723 00:38:06,650 --> 00:38:07,910 Here it is the 20th century -- 724 00:38:07,910 --> 00:38:09,450 we should be able to do something. 725 00:38:09,480 --> 00:38:10,980 WILDMAN: Little does she know, 726 00:38:11,050 --> 00:38:13,380 she's about to piece together a puzzle 727 00:38:13,390 --> 00:38:16,290 that will change forensic science forever. 728 00:38:22,180 --> 00:38:25,180 It's the 1930s in Chicago, Illinois. 729 00:38:25,250 --> 00:38:28,580 52-year-old heiress Frances Glessner Lee 730 00:38:28,720 --> 00:38:32,690 is fascinated by the emerging field of forensic science. 731 00:38:32,690 --> 00:38:35,260 And when she learns that thousands of crimes 732 00:38:35,290 --> 00:38:38,460 go unsolved every year because of sloppy police work, 733 00:38:38,560 --> 00:38:40,900 she vows to do something about it. 734 00:38:40,960 --> 00:38:43,400 What she comes up with will change the world 735 00:38:43,400 --> 00:38:45,930 of criminal investigation forever. 736 00:38:47,870 --> 00:38:51,410 Desperate to find a way to improve police training, 737 00:38:51,480 --> 00:38:54,380 Frances is struck by a brilliant idea. 738 00:38:54,380 --> 00:38:57,110 What if she marries her love of forensic science 739 00:38:57,110 --> 00:38:59,380 with her interest in making miniatures? 740 00:38:59,380 --> 00:39:02,720 She reasons that if she creates detailed dioramas 741 00:39:02,790 --> 00:39:04,650 based on actual crime scenes, 742 00:39:04,720 --> 00:39:07,320 they can be used to teach investigators 743 00:39:07,420 --> 00:39:10,330 how to systematically search for evidence. 744 00:39:10,330 --> 00:39:11,930 The purpose of it, she said, 745 00:39:11,930 --> 00:39:14,160 was to learn the truth in a nutshell. 746 00:39:14,160 --> 00:39:18,230 The idea was to create a testable, repeatable system 747 00:39:18,270 --> 00:39:21,870 to evaluate somebody's power of observation. 748 00:39:21,870 --> 00:39:23,770 WILDMAN: In 1943, 749 00:39:23,810 --> 00:39:27,440 armed with actual crime-scene photos and witness statements, 750 00:39:27,440 --> 00:39:31,110 Frances gets to work crafting scenes of death. 751 00:39:31,210 --> 00:39:34,850 And over the course of a year, Frances and a team of carpenters 752 00:39:34,890 --> 00:39:38,090 construct three models to exacting detail. 753 00:39:38,220 --> 00:39:39,320 She calls them 754 00:39:39,390 --> 00:39:42,090 "The Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death." 755 00:39:42,130 --> 00:39:45,330 GOLDFARB: And they reflect all manners of death -- 756 00:39:45,330 --> 00:39:49,530 homicide, suicide, natural causes, accidental. 757 00:39:49,570 --> 00:39:51,930 WILDMAN: With a half dozen vignettes completed, 758 00:39:52,070 --> 00:39:55,740 Frances decides it is time to put her nutshells to the test. 759 00:39:55,810 --> 00:40:00,010 With her vast wealth, she finances a forensic seminar 760 00:40:00,080 --> 00:40:03,480 and invites beat cops, coroners, detectives, 761 00:40:03,480 --> 00:40:06,180 and even crime writers. 762 00:40:06,250 --> 00:40:08,220 They roll out the nutshells -- 763 00:40:08,350 --> 00:40:09,920 the same ones that are on display 764 00:40:09,990 --> 00:40:12,690 at Baltimore's Office of the Medical Examiner. 765 00:40:12,790 --> 00:40:16,760 And Frances gives the students some unusual instructions. 766 00:40:16,890 --> 00:40:19,290 GOLDFARB: You can't ask questions. 767 00:40:19,330 --> 00:40:22,360 Just using your eyes, what can you figure out from that? 768 00:40:22,500 --> 00:40:24,300 WILDMAN: Transfixed by the miniature scene 769 00:40:24,370 --> 00:40:26,700 called "The Unpapered Bedroom," 770 00:40:26,740 --> 00:40:28,970 students attempt to unlock the mystery 771 00:40:28,970 --> 00:40:32,170 of how the woman depicted met her end. 772 00:40:32,180 --> 00:40:34,710 GOLDFARB: One of the most important clues 773 00:40:34,780 --> 00:40:36,980 is one of the smallest, subtlest ones. 774 00:40:36,980 --> 00:40:38,850 If you look very, very closely 775 00:40:38,920 --> 00:40:41,350 there's a very small smudge of lipstick. 776 00:40:41,380 --> 00:40:43,650 It's on the bottom side of the pillow. 777 00:40:43,720 --> 00:40:45,090 She was suffocated. 778 00:40:48,190 --> 00:40:51,060 WILDMAN: Law-enforcement officials are blown away 779 00:40:51,190 --> 00:40:53,060 by how effective the nutshells are 780 00:40:53,200 --> 00:40:56,530 as both a teaching and an evaluation tool. 781 00:40:56,670 --> 00:41:00,870 Soon, states around the country adopt the Nutshell Studies 782 00:41:00,870 --> 00:41:04,070 to teach their own law-enforcement officers. 783 00:41:04,070 --> 00:41:07,640 The way things are done today is because of Frances Glessner Lee. 784 00:41:07,640 --> 00:41:09,280 She's a giant in the field. 785 00:41:09,310 --> 00:41:13,080 She's the mother of modern forensic investigation. 786 00:41:14,820 --> 00:41:17,090 WILDMAN: And the legacy of Frances Glessner Lee 787 00:41:17,220 --> 00:41:19,620 does not stop with the Nutshell Studies. 788 00:41:19,660 --> 00:41:22,420 Today, she is also remembered for endowing 789 00:41:22,560 --> 00:41:25,890 Harvard University's Department of Legal Medicine -- 790 00:41:25,930 --> 00:41:30,230 the first academic forensic pathology program in the nation. 791 00:41:30,330 --> 00:41:34,640 And this collection of 18 remaining Nutshell Studies 792 00:41:34,700 --> 00:41:37,370 at Baltimore's Office of the Medical Examiner 793 00:41:37,410 --> 00:41:41,780 serve as a steadfast witness to the power of big ideas 794 00:41:41,810 --> 00:41:44,310 that come in small packages. 795 00:41:47,080 --> 00:41:48,950 From a masked marauder 796 00:41:49,050 --> 00:41:50,950 to subway superheroes. 797 00:41:51,090 --> 00:41:53,590 A crime-solving salami sandwich 798 00:41:53,660 --> 00:41:56,220 to the mother of forensic science. 799 00:41:56,260 --> 00:41:58,330 I'm Don Wildman, and these 800 00:41:58,430 --> 00:42:00,230 are the mysteries at the museum.