(dramatic music) - [Narrator] What is up EWHU crew? Recently, more cold cases
than ever are being solved, but sometimes the long awaited
conclusion of these cases can take surprising and bewildering turns. (suspenseful music) Today, we are taking a deep dive into three solved cold cases that have shocking and unexpected twists. (suspenseful music) Today's first case is rather unusual and begins with a mystery
that seems so strange it could be straight out of a movie. But first, we must set the stage. (suspenseful music)
(reel spinning) Likely born in 1937, Dorian Corey was a drag
performer and renowned dressmaker who graduated from
Parsons School of Design. (suspenseful music) During the 1960s to 90s, Dorian created a name for herself in the Harlem drag ball scene. Dorian had a difficult life, struggling with acceptance
while living in near poverty. But after years as a veteran drag queen, Dorian began mentoring younger performers and offering her support
to her drag family through what she called
the House of Corey, a haven where all were
accepted and cared for. (suspenseful music) Dorian and eventually appeared
in the 1990 documentary titled "Paris is Burning" where she spoke about
the Harlem drag scene and appeared in interviews as a witty and unflappable character. In the film, Dorian remarks, "Everybody wants to make an impression, some mark upon the world. Then you think, you've
made a mark on the world if you just get through it, and a few people remember your name." (suspenseful music) Little did Dorian know her
name would be remembered, but likely not in any way she expected. (suspenseful music) Tragically, in August of 1993, Dorian passed away from
complications due to AIDS at the age of 56. (suspenseful music) Her friend, Lois Taylor,
had taken care of Dorian during her final days, but Lois had no idea that her close friend and pillar in the drag community was hiding a dark and disturbing secret. (suspenseful music) Despite being dead, Dorian's story was about
to take a shocking twist. In October 1993, Lois and two friends went in search of the
perfect Halloween costume as Lois I'd been planning on selling some of Dorian's famed clothing from her years of performances. The extensive wardrobe in
Dorian's Harlem apartment seemed to be the perfect
place to look for costumes. Hunting through Dorian's closet they found countless feathers and sequins, but also something hidden
behind the racks of clothes. (suspenseful music) Within Lois discovered a
green and plaid garment bag folded and abandoned on the floor. Intrigued by what could be hidden within, she tried to pull the
garment bag from the closet, but found that her 135
pounds couldn't lift whatever was within the bag. (suspenseful music) Undeterred, Lois sought out scissors and began to cut into the material. It isn't clear what Lois
thought she would find, but when a fowl smelling puff of air escaped from the garment bag, she deserted her efforts
to see what was within and called the police. (suspenseful music) Investigators collected the
heavy and stinking garment bag and slowly peeled back multiple layers. Below the zipper were wrapped
layers of a faux-leather, which when cut away revealed
another layer of plastic. Tucked into the layers were pull tabs from the tops of beer cans that had been used in the 1960s and 70s. When it was all finally cut away police were met with a gruesome sight, a mummified corpse. (suspenseful music) The mummified body was curled
into the fetal position wearing only the tattered remains of blue and white boxer shorts. (suspenseful music) The skin of the corpse had turned splotchy purple and yellow, the ears completely disintegrated, and there was a hole in the head from a bullet.
(gun firing) (suspenseful music) Residue on the corpse indicated
that it had been covered in baking soda, likely to help disguise the smell of the putrefying body before
being wrapped within layers and then shoved into the garment bag. (suspenseful music) The body appeared to have been hidden in the recesses of Dorian's
closet for a couple of decades, at least 15 years, but likely over 20. (suspenseful music) Even though the corpse was
decomposed beyond recognition, the layers of plastic and faux-leather had actually managed to preserve
the body's fingerprints. Luckily for investigators the victim had an
extensive criminal record and they soon had a name for the mummy in the drag queens' closet, Robert Bobby Worley. (suspenseful music) Bobby had been born in December of 1938, not much is known about Bobby's life except for his crimes, including his arrest in 1963 for assault which he served three years in prison for. (suspenseful music) Soon after his release, his
family lost contact with him and hadn't heard from him
at all since the late 1960s. Because of his past, they weren't even sure
that he was missing, but he seemed to have
vanished into thin air. Any investigation into
Bobby's whereabouts went cold. (suspenseful music) By all accounts, there
was no plausible reason for Dorian and Bobby to
have known each other, never mind a way to logically explain how Bobby ended up dead
and mummified in the closet of a stalwart drag performer. Though the evidence
appeared that it was likely that Dorian had been the one to kill Bobby as she presumably lived with his body in her closet for decades, no one around the drag performer would have thought she was
capable of such a heinous crime. (suspenseful music) Theories about what happened
between the two swirled and some who knew Dorian claimed that she couldn't
have been the one to kill him, but was actually
protecting the real killer. (suspenseful music) This theory includes the fact that Dorian moved apartments in 1988 during the period when Bobby's body would have already been mummified. Rather than lugging a corpse
undetected between apartments, this theory maintains that
Dorian moved into an apartment where the body already was and rather than call the police, she kept it a secret. (suspenseful music) Another theory, one
that is more believable, but still purely speculation is that Bobby may have
attempted to rob Dorian and she could have ended up
killing him in self-defense during the ensuing struggle. Allegedly, Dorian had
attached a note to the body saying that, "This poor
man broke into my home and was trying to rob me." But the existence of this
note was never verified. (suspenseful music) However, there is one
detail of Bobby's body that may be the hint to the true nature of how Bobby and Dorian knew each other. (suspenseful music) His body was found
wearing only boxer shorts, and the way that he was
shoved into the garment bag led investigators to believe that he hadn't been wearing other clothing at the time of his death. Ruling out the chance that
he had tried to rob Dorian in only his underwear, investigators came to the conclusion that the two could have been
in a tumultuous relationship, one that reportedly ended
in a crime of passion and Bobby being shot. (gun firing)
(suspenseful music) There is other evidence
towards this theory such as Dorian's
semi-autobiographical story about a transgender woman
who killed her lover, which was possibly written
about her and Bobby. As well before he vanished, Bobby had reportedly called
his brother while drunk and complained about a fight
with someone named Dorian. (suspenseful music) Though, we may never know
exactly what could have motivated Dorian to allegedly kill Bobby and decide to live with his
mummified corpse for decades, many theorists believe that
Dorian had been the one to take Bobby's life, and got away with it
undetected during her lifetime. (suspenseful music) Our next case is no less tragic, but filled with even
more unexpected twists. Jerry Michael Williams, who went by Mike was born October 16th, 1969 to dedicated and self-sacrificing parents. (suspenseful music) Mike's father was a Greyhound bus driver while his mother worked at a daycare, rather than save their
money to buy a house and move their family out of
the trailer where they lived, Mike's parents saved all of their money for him and his brother to attend a North Florida's Christian High School in the hopes that it would help secure their successful futures. Mike excelled in school and went on to get an
urban planning degree from Florida State University. He was hired as a property appraiser where he reportedly made $200,000 a year and married a woman named
Denise Merrell in 1994. (suspenseful music) The two had a daughter in 1999, seeming to fulfill his parents' dreams for his prosperous future. In 2000, the couple was planning more of their future together, discussing having another child and even looking to take a
family trip on a Hawaiian cruise. (suspenseful music) However, not everything was as it seemed, and soon Mike's idyllic
life came crashing down. (suspenseful music) On Saturday December 16th, 2000, Mike woke up early to go duck
hunting on Lake Seminole, a reservoir between Florida and Georgia. Mike told his wife he would be back midday so that the two could celebrate their 6th wedding
anniversary later that night. However, when Mike didn't return by noon Denise became worried
and called her father. (suspenseful music) She also called Mike's best
friend, Brian Winchester, a man who had initially been
Denise's childhood friend before he later became
close with her husband. (suspenseful music) Brian and his own father
went and searched for Mike, and after hours of driving
around Lake Seminole they believed they located his Ford Bronco at a remote boat launch at Jackson County. (suspenseful music) Mike's boat was confirmed to be found by the Florida Fish and
Wildlife Conservation Commission 225 feet from the boat launch, (suspenseful music) but there was no sign of Mike. (suspenseful music) In the boat, they found
Mike's abandoned shotgun, but nothing that suggested foul play. It was concluded that Mike's boat must have hit a stump
hidden below the water level causing him to lose his balance and fall out of the
boat and into the water. (suspenseful music) Search and Rescue were deployed, but it was quickly assumed
that Mike had drowned when he fell from the boat. (suspenseful music) When Mike's body never
floated to the lake's surface, as is typical for drowning victims, a search was conducted
to retrieve his remains from where it was believed
to have been caught along the lake bed. But his body was never found. (suspenseful music) Investigators were forced
to reevaluate their theory and they concluded that Mike must have been eaten by alligators with turtles and catfish eating
whatever remains were left. Lake Seminole was known to be a site with at least 80 other deaths where the bodies were never found. And so Mike was believed
to be another victim of the mysterious alligator filled depths. (suspenseful music) During the search Denise
avoided the media, but six months after Mike vanished, she had him declared a legally dead through a court petition. (suspenseful music) It was assumed that Mike's
body would never be found after his unfortunate accident. After five years following
her husband's tragic demise, Denise appeared to have
moved on when she remarried none other than her and
Mike's mutual friend, Brian Winchester. (suspenseful music) The two claimed that they had grown close after Mike's death. (suspenseful music) Despite the fact that
most of Mike's loved ones had come to terms with his passing, Mike's mother, Cheryl, was unconvinced that her son
had simply fallen from his boat and been eaten by alligators. Her biggest clue was the fact that Mike's hunting license had been found and bore no markings of alligator teeth. Cheryl campaigned to have
her son's case reopened, and with the help of officers who agreed that Mike's
death appeared suspicious despite the lack of evidence of foul play, his missing persons case
was opened again in 2004. The alligator theory was
eventually thrown out once it was realized that
alligators rarely hunt during cold months. And as Mike vanished in December, they wouldn't have been active
to eat his drowned remains. (suspenseful music) So where was Mike's body? (suspenseful music) Even though investigators agreed that it seemed like Mike
hadn't died at Lake Seminole, they had no evidence to say what had actually happened to him. His case was closed in
2007 and declared cold, but Cheryl refused to give up. For years she campaigned, wrote letters, and lobbied to have Mike's
case once again reopened. During this same time, Denise's life was once again tumultuous as she and Brian were separating in 2012 and divorced in 2015. (suspenseful music) The year following their divorce there was a shocking incident when Brian snuck into Denise's car and threatened her with a gun. (suspenseful music) Brian kidnapped her, claiming that she was ignoring his calls and that he had never
wanted to get divorced. (suspenseful music) Luckily, Denise managed to
calm him down and escape, immediately heading to the police to report what had happened. (suspenseful music) When Brian was brought in for questioning, a shocking twist was revealed. (suspenseful music) According to his friend, Brian had been concerned
that after the divorce Denise would start talking about quote, "This guy who died 10
or 12 or 15 years ago." (suspenseful music) It was then revealed in court documents that before Mike died, he and Denise had taken out a $1 million
life insurance policy through none other than Brian, whose occupation was
as an insurance agent. (suspenseful music) Brian was soon sentenced to 20
years for kidnapping Denise, but the very next day it was announced that Mike's remains had been
discovered by search dogs buried at the end of Gardner
Road in northern Leon County, only five miles from
where he had grown up. On May 8th, 2018, Denise was arrested and charged with first degree murder, conspiracy to commit first degree murder, and accessory after the fact. (suspenseful music) During an extensive trial, it was revealed that Brian and Denise had reportedly been having an affair through much of her marriage to Mike. Online reports detailed
their secretive romance, they had apparently attended
a Sister Hazel concert in 1997 and made their first step across the line by sharing a kiss while
both of their loyal and oblivious spouses were
out in the parking lot. In the following years, Brian explained in his
testimony at his trial that the two would sneak away to have private meetings and getaways. (suspenseful music) Reportedly, the reason Brian
eventually left his wife was to pursue a committed relationship with his new lover, Denise. (suspenseful music) In this clip from his testimony, Brian recounts a chilling incident during a hunting trip which
planted a seed in his mind that he could get Mike out of the picture. (suspenseful music) - [Judge] Denise could be together? - Yes, sir. - [Judge] How did that get initiated? (suspenseful music) - I think it even started prior to that as I've thought about this and had plenty of time
alone to think about it. One thing that I have
remembered is the prior year, Mike and I were on a hunting trip together and it was at a lake that was dry and we had to walk across the mud and there were places in the mud where I don't know how to describe it, but basically you could
fall through the mud and there was nothing underneath, it was like it was basically I guess people would
call it like quick sand. (suspenseful music) And Mike fell into one of
those mud holes at one time and it was just he and I out there. And I helped him out of it, and he had dropped his
gun in there as well and he ended up going
back in it after his gun. But anyways, I remember telling Denise about that and how if I hadn't been there, or if I hadn't helped him out that you know, it's very likely
he would have disappeared and nobody would have
known what happened to him. The more we were together, the more we wanted to be together. And the more we griped
about Kathy and Mike, the more we wanted to be together. - [Narrator] During his trial, Brian discussed the allegation that he and Denise had
conspired Mike's death so that the two of them could get married. (suspenseful music) As part of his testimony, Brian emotionally
confessed to the following. (suspenseful music) On the day Mike died, Brian had gone with him to Lake Seminole where he pushed him off of the boat, but when he didn't drown, Brian shot him with his own shotgun. Brian also claimed that it was allegedly
at Denise's insistence that he later bury Mike's body. (suspenseful music) In February of 2019, Denise was sentenced to life in prison for the death of her husband, which was overruled in January, 2020, as there was no physical evidence linking her to Mike's death. Her conspiracy to commit murder
charge was upheld however, and so she will be in prison for 30 years. Though, Brian confessed
to killing Mike in court, it has been reported that he
did so in exchange for immunity in this case. This means that although
he is serving his sentence for the kidnapping, it is reported that once
those 20 years are completed, he will walk free. Despite this, it seems that
Cheryl's mother's instinct was right all along, and she has finally seen
some justice for her son. (suspenseful music) Today's last case is a chilling story filled with mystery and
unanswered questions. (suspenseful music) Born on November 14th, 1974 in Hawkinsville, Georgia, Tara Faye Grinstead grew up to be regarded as a beautiful and loving
person by all who knew her. (suspenseful music) She was known for her huge radiant smile and being a committed friend. At age 25, Tara competed in a pageant and won the title of Miss Tifton in 1999 as well as the chance to compete in the Miss Georgia beauty pageant. More than just a pretty face, Tara used her winnings from pageants to pay for her college degree where she pursued her
passion in education. (suspenseful music) After completing a master's
degree studying education, Tara became a history teacher at Irwin County High
School in Ocilla in 1998. (suspenseful music) It was in this position
that Tara flourished, she loved her students and was committed to helping
them achieve their dreams. (suspenseful music) Her students were said to love her back as they could feel that she
sincerely cared for them. (suspenseful music) But sometimes, it seems
that tragedy strike against those who deserve it the least. (suspenseful music) 30 year old Tara spent the afternoon of October 22nd, 2005, helping the young girl she mentored to get ready for an
upcoming beauty pageant as she often did. (suspenseful music) Later that afternoon,
she attended a barbecue before heading home around 11:00 PM. (suspenseful music) No one heard from Tara after this, but as she lived alone no one thought too much of it, that is until she didn't
show up on Monday morning to teach her history class. (suspenseful music) Because of her dedication to her job, this was highly strange. It was well-known that Tara would always
show up for her students, and that if she couldn't be in class she would have at least
contacted a substitute. (suspenseful music) Her concerned friends went
in search of her at her home, her car was found in the driveway and cell phone in the house, but her purse and keys
were nowhere to be found. There were no signs of
what had happened to Tara beyond her alarm clock
being thrown under the bed, and her bedside lamp was
broken and knocked over. (suspenseful music) Investigators discovered a latex glove near Tara's front stoop and collected DNA evidence from the item. And though they could
tell it had been a man who wore the glove, they couldn't match a
name to the DNA sample. (suspenseful music) Hundreds tips came in
about Tara's whereabouts, but none ever led to finding her, it appeared that Tara had simply vanished. (suspenseful music) The small community was rocked
by Tara's disappearance, and for years, no one could
explain what had happened to the caring teacher, and none could understand
who would want to hurt her. In 2008, three whole
years after Tara vanished, her case was featured
on "48 Hours Mystery" where it was speculated
that her disappearance was similar to another
womans, Jennifer Kesse, who went missing in Orlando, Florida. It was later ruled that
the two weren't connected. (suspenseful music) In 2009, a video surfaced where a man proclaimed himself the Catch Me Killer, a serial killer who claimed to have killed 16 women including Tara. (suspenseful music) It was revealed to be an elaborate hoax created by Andrew Haley,
who lied about everything in the video in a bid for fame. (suspenseful music) Tara was officially declared dead in 2010. (suspenseful music) Even after years without a single lead, Tara's case was called the
case that has never gone cold because tips continued to
come in for over a decade. But the reality was the case had been cold since the day she vanished. (suspenseful music) It wasn't until 2017 that the first real lead was uncovered, a woman named the Brooke Sheridan went to the police and told them that she thought her
boyfriend had a dark secret. It took her months of pestering him to tell her what he was hiding from her before he finally confessed. (suspenseful music) Brooke's boyfriend, Bo Dukes, apparently admitted to
her that his roommate, a man named Ryan Duke, no relation between them, had woken up one morning and
told him something shocking. (suspenseful music) Bo alleged that Bryan had told him that he had accidentally
killed Tara Grinstead. (suspenseful music) In a shocking twist, the two boys had actually attended the high school where Tara taught and Bo had even been Tara's student. Bo reportedly told his girlfriend that Ryan had allegedly been
burglarizing Tara's home on the night that she vanished. And it is said that when she returned, she surprised him in the act. (suspenseful music) Bo reportedly claimed that
Ryan told him he was startled and that he had then purportedly
strangled her on her bed. Interestingly, other reports claimed that Ryan simply broke in and found Tara already on her bed before he allegedly
proceeded to attack her. (suspenseful music) Regardless, he reportedly
told Bo he had used Bo's truck to move her body to a pecan
orchard that Bo's family owned. (suspenseful music) Supposedly, Ryan had used Bo's
truck and family's orchard in order to implicate
him in his alleged crime. It is reported that after
telling Bo what he'd done, Ryan asked for help. According to court documents, others overheard them
claiming they had purportedly burned a Tara's body in a fire pit in order to get rid of the evidence. (suspenseful music) It apparently took two days for her body to burn
enough to be unrecognizable before they are believed
to have buried her remains in the orchard. (suspenseful music) Online sources report that bone fragments were indeed later found
when this area was searched. (suspenseful music) To this day, there is some speculation that Bo may have been part of
the robbery at Tara's house and that he possibly played a
much bigger role in her death than being only an
accessory after the fact. (suspenseful music) But for now, there is no
evidence to support this theory. (suspenseful music) Ryan Duke was charged with Tara's murder, and Bo was charged with
helping to cover up a murder and sentenced to 25 years in prison. Ryan Duke is currently awaiting his trial after it was initially delayed and has not yet been convicted. (suspenseful music) These three cold cases serve as reminders that
sometimes the passage of time is all that is needed to
reveal long hidden secrets. (suspenseful music) And that sometimes when cold
cases are finally solved they can have shocking twists.
