Unsolved
Mysteries and the Role of the
Victim
The goal of this paper is to describe the ways in
which the television real-life mystery series, Unsolved Mysteries, report on the victims of crime in relation to
scholarly data. Each victim and case in the show is individual and no two
stories are exactly alike, but on close examination there are general rules
that these cases follow. The main topics of discussion involve the emphasis on
the victim’s integrity, the way victims are addressed compared to their
assailants, and misleading information pertaining to the victim’s involvement
in the crime
Each year, nearly 30
million people in
The criminal justice
system’s recognition of the victim is a relatively new concept. “It is a
manifestation of a new cultural and political sensitivity to individuals’ and
groups’ subjective experiences of harm.” (Erez, 1999)
In this regard, many postindustrial societies have passed legislation
redefining the rights of victims, even according them a role in criminal
justice proceedings. (Erez, 1999).
It is hard to make any large definitions to define the term victim. It is even
difficult to define the typical victim because if the volatile nature of the
victim. Many crimes
remain unrecorded by official statistics; approximately 50% to 90% of violent
victimizations are not brought to the attention of the police (Bureau of
Justice Statistics, 1994; U.S. Department of Justice, 1998). A victim's
decision to notify the police of a crime is based on his or her calculation of
the benefits derived from reporting and the costs incurred. These costs and
benefits vary by type of crime, victim, and situation.(
Stroshine, 2002) To compound the situation, those who
are most likely to need victim
services may be those who have the least amount of trust in the system.
According to Sampson and Bartusch (1999), those most
likely to perceive the criminal justice system as unjust are persons living in
disadvantaged or impoverished areas, regardless of race or ethnicity.( Lauritsen, 2001)
When carefully
examining the description of the victims within the show Unsolved Mysteries,
however, it is almost surreal how ideal every one of the victim is and was and
how they seem to help categorize the uncategorizable.
It is the exception to find a case where there is not some kind of personal
trait or attribute linked to the victim, no matter how unrelated to the crime
it might be. There are even some extreme-cases such as the crime story of
Colleen Woods. In Colleen’s missing person report, Unsolved Mysteries finds it necessary
to include that Colleen is a “former high school homecoming queen.” One must
question the relevancy of this information to the case. Even further scutiny must be applied after learning that Colleen’s
current age at the time of her disappearance was 51.(Colleen Wood, 2003) This particular scenery, however, is not the
norm. After deciphering multiple cases,
three themes reoccur. These three themes most frequently describe victims in
the Unsolved Mysteries series and
also provide a window through which the viewer can view the victim. These
themes are: personality, education and family life. The following is a chart
showing the break down of 25 shows and how many fell into each category:
Personal traits assigned
to victims are always of an up beat nature. The instance of victims not having
positive personality traits leaves the victim embracing no traits at all.
Rather than listing information damaging to the victim or the victims friends
and family, Unsolved Mysteries applies
no traits. This also affects the support for the show. Viewers would more likely
to participate in a search for the killer of an outstanding, sweet, and
self-less little girl then they would a cold, reserved and somewhat cranky
young lady. In a write up of a missing person case the victim, Jill Berhman, “was often described as outgoing and athletic.”
The case does not delve into who gave such a complimentary statement nor any
proof to back it up, but the two adjectives, “outgoing and athletic” alone give
the story a different tone and urgency.(Jill
Berhman, 2003, para.1) In another story, a
missing mother and daughter both received rave reviews, again from an unknown
source. Janice Owen is “sweet [and] kind with a sunny disposition.” Her
daughter, Alyssa, “got along well with everyone.” These two were the model
citizens. (Janice and Alyssa Owen,
2003, para.1) By accentuating the positive in each victim, Unsolved Mysteries can hopefully bring about a swifter call to
justice. Ironically according to an article in Criminal Justice and Behavior, this same confident attitude that
seems to make the victims shine could have also lead to their demise. There
seems to be a strong correlation between the fear of crime and risk of crime. Early
studies claimed that older people and women are more fearful of crime than are
any other segment of society, yet they are the least likely to be victimized.
(Gordon, 2003) Research also indicates that those who are the most likely to be
victimized, young Black men, are also the least fearful of crime (Furstenberg,
1971; Parker, McMorris, Smith, & Murty, 1993). If these findings are correct than it would
be logical to link the victim’s nativity might have led to the actual
victimization.
Education seemed most applicable when referring to
young people (under the age of 30). Twelve year old murder victim Ashley Pond
is described as a “popular student – a member of both the swimming and dance
teams.” (Ashley Pond and Amanda Gaddis, 2003, para.
1) The story of Wil Hetrick,
a 25 year old missing person, dripped with praise of education and
accomplishment. “Wil Hendrick
seemed to have it all. He was a well-liked senior in the theatre department,
had a good job on campus and had recently landed a small part in a
Family life is also shown to be a great social factor
in the portrayal of the victims “worth.” Being an affectionate spouse and
committed parent are the highest for of flattery according to Unsolved Mysteries writers. Statements
of undying love of family are not taken lightly and are lavishly bestowed. In
the case of Dale Williams, a missing person, the first two lines read, “devoted
husband and doting father of two teenaged daughters.” (Dale Williams, 2003, para. 1) Family is almost the ticket to innocents as is
demonstrated by the case of Cindy Wismiller, who is
suspected of stealing a large amount of money and running away to a future in
seclusion. The paragraph in her defense reads, “Even the police think of Cindy as
a family woman.” (Cindy Wismiller, 2003, para. 3) Obviously
this was a deliberately placed statement.
Whatever
terms are used to personify the victim, Unsolved
Mysteries tires to make the victim real. The victim is a down-to earth average person; someone
who could be a relative or friend. According to statistics, this could be one
of the main factors that lead to the downfall of the victims. In a recent study, it was found that more
than valuables and items of worth, a steady consistent routine was what
burglary victims had. “Work, leisure, community group, meetings, shopping, and
social activities are examples of typical sustenance activities that
characterize people’s lives. According to the systemic model, systemic control
emerges from social order characteristics that are manifest in every day life.
Various strengths of social order result in different levels of control, which
in turn affect the risk of victimization.”(Capowich,
2003)
The second major topic found in the way Unsolved Mysteries describes victims of
crime is in the way the victims are address compared to the perpetrator. After
the initial introduction, the victim is always referred to by their first name.
The few acceptations are when their full name is used for dramatic emphasis or
in an interview with a public official who only knows the victim by their last
name. This rule seems virtually unbreakable. This premise may have gone
undetected except for the stark contrast between victim’s and suspect’s names.
Where the victim is address by their first names, the assaulter is almost
always address by either their full name or their last name. I compared two
stories side by side; one of a serial child molester and the other of a
possible murder victim. Both cases hope to find the main character and are of
approximately the same length of time. Both cases also contain about the same
number of witnesses. The difference in the way the information is communicated,
however, is amazing. Immediately there start to be differences in the way both
missing persons are addressed. The serial child molester is first introduced
with his full and middle and last name. For the rest of the show he is
addressed only by his last name. (Meurer, 1988d) At
the conclusion of the program his full name is stated again. The possible
murder victim is very different. Her first and last name is promptly stated and
then her last name is not heard or seen again until the end of the program. (Leah
Roberts, 2003) It is almost like chatting about an old friend or comrade.
The last and most
controversial topic contained in the Unsolved
Mysteries series pertaining to victims is the victim’s involvement in their
own victimization. This subject is one for hot debate as no one close to a
victim is likely to admit that a victim could have brought it upon themselves. Bearing
the truth is also complicated due to the amount of information available. Victims
assume the fear of their stories not being taken seriously or being ignored. A
study on college rape cases published in Criminal
Justice and Behavior shows that “incidents were more likely to be reported
to the police when they had characteristics that made them more “believable” (e.g.,
presence of a weapon or assailant who was a stranger).The use of alcohol and/or
drugs by offenders and/or victims had a unique effect, causing students to be
more likely to disclose their victimization to friends but not to campus
authorities.” (Daigle, 2003) There were, however, several distinct cases which
encompass the different ways Unsolved
Mysteries admits the victim’s involvement without directly accusing them.
Domestic abuse is the
most recognizable avoidable crime verified in my analyzation.
This is not surprising when acknowledging the home can be a dangerous place for
women. The majority of the 1.5 to 2.1 million women per year affected by
domestic violence are battered by the men with whom they live or are otherwise
romantically involved (Langan &Innes, 1986; Straus &Gelles,
1986; Straus, Gelles, &Steinmetz, 1980). In one
case, a man named Mike Riemer is thought to be a
possible victim in his girlfriend’s murder. Unsolved
Mysteries makes this obvious by interviewing his girlfriend’s mother who proceeds
to choke out between sobs, “Diana had told me that Mike has threatened to kill
her and that he could get away with it. And I told her to be careful and that I
didn’t really . . . uh. . . I told her that he couldn’t, he wouldn’t
. . . couldn’t get away with something like that and he was just saying
things to scare her.” Diana’s story is one of the many that tell of domestic
abuse which goes too far. Of course there is always the other side of the
story. If Diana’s mother was so concerned, why did she not say something months
before the murder ever took place. (Meurer, 1988a)
Several other incidences of victim ignorance
involve a priest who was murdered after he agreed to meet an unidentified man
at night, at a truck stop alone. (Meurer, 1988b)
Another story is about a young man who goes to use the ATM machine alone at
Perhaps, what is
noticeable might not be what is in the context of the program, but what is not
in the context. The fairly high correlation between drinking and aggression
make any person more at risk of injury or harm. Not in one of the Unsolved Mystery cases examined was
there any mention of substance abuse. (Graham, 2002) It has also been found
that the risk of violent victimization was increased by individual exposure to
dangerous activities outside the home. (Capowich,
2003) This can also mean association with dangerous persons or persons likely
to cause harm, even if this fact is not known to the victim prior to the incident.
“Victims also have a variety of different relationships to offenders. In many
instances, victims know their offenders well. Violence against women is primarily
partner violence committed by a current or former husband, cohabiting, partner,
or date (Tjaden & Thoennes,
1998). In 1999, almost 7 out of 10 rapes or sexual assaults were committed by
an intimate, relative, friend, or acquaintance. About 40% of the victims of
nonfatal violence in the work-place reported that they knew their offender
(Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2001b). Statistics on violent crime against
juveniles show that in 80% of cases, victims know their perpetrators because
the offender is a family member or an acquaintance (Finkelhor
& Ormrod, 2000).”(Herman, 2001)
After examining scholarly literature as it pertains to
the role of the victims in crime a few points filter to the surface. Some of
the new findings among criminological researchers have been facilitated by the
crime show, Unsolved Mysteries, some
have not. While Unsolved Mysteries
does portray a wide variety of crimes, perpetrators, and victims, it does not
cover its shows based strictly on the crime statistics. For example, a young,
single, poor, African American man living in an urban area is at greatest risk
of becoming a victim of violent crime, yet that is one story Unsolved Mysteries does not seem likely
to air. (Herman, 2001) Unsolved Mysteries also does not acknowledge the lack of
victim truthfulness and completeness when telling their story. This also
assumes that the victim will report at all, which according to statistics, may
never occur. Almost every scholarly source cited emphasizes the potential risk
a person takes when participating in certain activities, yet Unsolved Mysteries
never applies this risk to the programs and instead focuses on the victim’s
total innocence.
Through emphasis on the victims inspiring attributes,
distinguishing the victim from the perpetrator by name and specifying how the
victim was involved in a crime, Unsolved
Mysteries tells an intriguing story. Every story contains a different twist
that keeps viewers coming back and the victim’s as happy as can be expected. It
is the viewer’s job to keep informed and to seek out the valuable data which
bring a new dimension to the show. After so many years of experience it is
clear that Unsolved Mysteries will
remain in the forefront of crime dramas.
Works Cited
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