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00:00:02,228 --> 00:00:05,504
[narrator] Jan Canty always
had a deep fascination
with the human mind.
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00:00:05,506 --> 00:00:08,173
All my school counselors
were interested in
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00:00:08,175 --> 00:00:10,509
was telling me to be
a teacher or a nurse
or a housewife,
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00:00:10,511 --> 00:00:12,636
and I wasn't interested
in any of those occupations
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[narrator] And in psychiatri
Dr. Alan Canty,
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00:00:15,933 --> 00:00:18,517
she finds the perfect mento
and partner.
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[Lowell Cauffiel]
He was a a great therapist,
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very aware, very astute.
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00:00:22,097 --> 00:00:25,399
[Jan] He introduced me
to a prodigy of Freuds.
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I felt lucky to be with him
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00:00:27,478 --> 00:00:31,155
and very confident of that
we were gonna make it.
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[narrator] But behind
the pedigree lies
a dark secret
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that will captivate a city.
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A bizarre twist
to the disappearance
of Dr. Alan Canty.
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I walked into
his home office, frantic,
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00:00:42,877 --> 00:00:46,295
I looked in the mirror,
and I said out loud,
"He's not coming home."
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[narrator] Her husband's
hidden urges have led
him down a dark path.
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[Ti-Hua Chang]
He was supposed to be
a respected psychologist,
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while he was
actually feeding drugs
to a young prostitute.
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[Cauffiel] She said,
"Wait a minute,
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I don't even know
who my husband is anymore."
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[Gregory Osowski]
She says, "I want you
to be very careful."
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00:01:04,774 --> 00:01:06,607
And I said, "Why?
Does he carry a gun?"
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And she says,
"He doesn't need a gun."
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I felt as if I'd walked
into a movie set.
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Then I see blood
in the bathtub.
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Someone was murdered here.
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[Jan] I grew up
in Detroit in the 50s...
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...and it was perfect.
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I mean, that sounds
ridiculous maybe,
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but I wouldn't have traded
my childhood for anybody's.
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It was a wonderful time,
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and I felt very safe,
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and very happy, carefree.
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If there is one thing
I can fault my parents with
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it would be that
I couldn't have a serious
discussion with anybody
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about an occupation.
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Because all my school
counselors were interested in
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00:02:05,626 --> 00:02:09,586
was telling me to be
a teacher or a nurse
or a housewife.
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[narrator] Defying the odds
20 year old Jan Canty
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gets accepted into nearby
Wayne State University.
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Now she just has
to figure out a way
to pay for school.
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I arrived at Wayne State
around 1972 approximately.
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I looked at
the school catalogue,
and I just poured over it.
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Well, here in anthropology,
and here is psychology.
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It was exhilarating,
I loved it,
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I was challenged.
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But if you were to go
within half a mile
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to the east or the north,
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you were in one
of the highest crime
areas in the country.
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I lived on
West Grand Boulevard,
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my rent was $80 a months,
I was on the third floor,
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it was a tiny
studio apartment,
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my building had rats in it,
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and I put my mattress
on the floor below the windo
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because of all
the gunfire outside.
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[narrator] In search of a jo
to help pay tuition,
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Jan is given the name
of respected psychologist,
Dr. Alan Canty.
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[Cauffiel] He came out
of a very formal family,
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and he was bit of an odd duck.
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He was bit of an odd duck
in school,
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but he was a great therapist
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very aware, very astute,
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so he found his niche in,
in that.
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[Jan] I walked
into Al's office,
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and it wasn't at all
what I expected,
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he didn't have a suit on even.
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Didn't make good eye contact
kinda bumbling,
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but smiling and encouraging
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And I explained
what my goals were
and what I wanted,
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and why I was there,
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and he gave me the job.
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[narrator] Jan goes
to work for Alan,
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and finds herself intrigued
by the enigmatic psychologis
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00:04:02,409 --> 00:04:04,701
When he asks her
out on a date,
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00:04:04,745 --> 00:04:06,119
she says yes.
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00:04:06,121 --> 00:04:08,163
[Jan] He took me to dinner.
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00:04:08,165 --> 00:04:11,416
From the street,
it looked like
an abandoned building,
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00:04:11,418 --> 00:04:14,544
it was an old big, big house,
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00:04:14,546 --> 00:04:17,214
painted drab green
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with a yellow small sign
that said Lelli's.
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And it's the kind
of place that
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you would drive by thinking,
"Ooh, that looks
kinda creepy."
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00:04:26,883 --> 00:04:31,687
But when you drove
through the alley that led
to the back of the house,
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00:04:31,689 --> 00:04:34,398
men in tuxedos
parked your car.
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00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:38,652
He knew how to do this stuff
Like, how do you order
of a menu like that.
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00:04:38,729 --> 00:04:41,113
I was just amazed
how expensive it was.
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[narrator] The first date
leads to a budding
relationship
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based on shared
academic interests.
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00:04:49,197 --> 00:04:52,124
And he kept
telling her, "You know,
you're college material,
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00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:54,167
you're a lot smarter
than you think you are."
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00:04:54,169 --> 00:04:56,712
She saw him as almost
a bit of a cheerleader.
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00:04:56,788 --> 00:04:59,006
He introduced me
to Richard Sterba.
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00:04:59,008 --> 00:05:03,343
Richard Sterba was
a prodigy of Freuds.
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00:05:03,420 --> 00:05:06,805
And he said,
"If you want to
I can get you in.
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00:05:06,882 --> 00:05:09,182
You can come to one
of our seminars."
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00:05:09,184 --> 00:05:13,103
And here I'm
an undergraduate student,
and I'm, like, "Yeah."
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00:05:13,731 --> 00:05:15,856
It was my first time
on a plane.
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00:05:15,858 --> 00:05:17,399
First time I've been
to New York.
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00:05:18,319 --> 00:05:20,527
We stayed at The Plaza Hotel
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00:05:20,738 --> 00:05:22,228
That was phenomenal.
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I can't even describe
how magnificent that was.
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I had a chandelier
over my bed,
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they came with bathrobes,
it overlooked Central Park,
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it was, had doormen,
it was like a castle.
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I fell in love with him
because of the kind of perso
I viewed him to be.
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00:05:41,383 --> 00:05:44,426
I viewed him as having
the best qualities of my dad.
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That he was loyal and smart
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and funny and supportive,
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00:05:51,977 --> 00:05:54,311
and I felt lucky
to be with him
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00:05:54,355 --> 00:05:57,230
and very confident of that
we were gonna make it.
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[narrator] Jan is thrilled
when Alan decides
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00:06:02,946 --> 00:06:05,155
it's time for her
to meet his parents,
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00:06:05,157 --> 00:06:08,158
but her delight fades rapidl
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00:06:08,202 --> 00:06:11,286
[Jan] His parents
were stiff and formal,
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00:06:11,288 --> 00:06:15,332
and inquisitive to the,
to the nth degree.
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[Cauffiel] His mother
was the president
of Detroit School Board,
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00:06:18,337 --> 00:06:21,463
which is very lofty positio
in, in Detroit.
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Father was a bigger than
life self-trained psychologist
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00:06:26,512 --> 00:06:31,390
who headed the Criminal
Psychopathy Division
of the recorder's court.
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He used to love
to come home and tell storie
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about the criminals
that he was evaluating.
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They showed me to a chair,
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and they just,
particularly his mother,
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flared questions at me
one after the other.
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"Do you plan
on having children?"
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"Why are you in college?"
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00:06:49,243 --> 00:06:50,634
"What do you wanna
do with your degree?"
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00:06:50,636 --> 00:06:52,744
And I quickly looked over
in the corner,
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00:06:52,746 --> 00:06:56,039
and Al was sitting
in the corner biting
his nails.
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And I'm like,
"This is really weird."
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The subtle message being sen
to me at the time
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was how fortunate
I was to be there.
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00:07:03,841 --> 00:07:07,467
That this was
the Canty Family,
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00:07:07,469 --> 00:07:10,429
and we screen people carefully
to become one of us.
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We're out for breakfast
one morning,
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and I asked him to marry me
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'Cause I got to thinking,
"He's so shy and awkward,
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he'll never get around
to the point,
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so I better do it."
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I had a paper calendar on me
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And I had a fork
in my right hand
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and the calendar
in the my left hand.
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I just stuck it on a date,
and it was a Saturday,
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and I said, "How about that?
And he goes, "Okay."
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So we did.
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I asked my mom
if I could wear
her wedding dress,
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00:07:40,744 --> 00:07:42,878
she said yes.
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I asked my best friend
to stand up for me,
and she said she would.
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And he had a best man.
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We didn't go on a honeymoon.
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I had a lot of stuff
to do for school,
so I couldn't get away.
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It wasn't important.
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What was more important
to me is a commitment.
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And I thought, he was the ma
that could keep a commitment
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00:08:03,192 --> 00:08:06,234
that he was honest
and supportive,
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00:08:06,311 --> 00:08:09,154
and genuine.
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We were house hunting,
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and all I told him
I cared about was
having an old house.
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He took me to Grosse Point.
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I mean,
I knew it was a nice area,
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but beyond that
I didn't know much about it
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I'm looking
at this house and I'm like,
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00:08:30,010 --> 00:08:32,802
"This looks like
a public building, it's huge."
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Six bedrooms, six bathrooms
and a carriage house.
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And I'm thinking to myself,
"Why would anybody want
this much space?"
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It represented he'd made it,
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that his parents
could be proud of him.
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Living under those parents had
to be very difficult for him.
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They were, you know,
high achievers,
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00:08:50,155 --> 00:08:53,949
and his father rarely ever
complimented him, if ever.
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[Jan] His dad died
of a heart attack abruptly.
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And I remember
him just sobbing,
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and he put his head in my la
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00:09:04,795 --> 00:09:08,630
and I'd never seen him
that vulnerable.
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He kept saying thing like,
"I'm so glad I have you,
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and thank God, you're here,
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00:09:12,794 --> 00:09:14,844
and what would
I've done without you."
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I didn't need the big house
I didn't need all that.
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That was enough, just to be...
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00:09:21,144 --> 00:09:22,468
...vulnerable
with one another,
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needing each other,
and have each other's back.
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[narrator] Flushed with
wealth and status
she never really craved,
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00:09:33,481 --> 00:09:37,534
Jan is surprised
when the support she desire
from Alan starts to fade.
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00:09:38,996 --> 00:09:42,622
When I wanted to go
on for my doctorate,
I was surprised,
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00:09:42,699 --> 00:09:45,000
'cause up to that point
of time he's been
very supportive.
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And he was withdrawn,
he was pouty almost.
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I'm like,
"Well, this is weird."
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I thought he'd be
fine with it.
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I said, "Look--" I said,
"It's, it's important to me,
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00:10:00,759 --> 00:10:04,603
I think it does make sense
financially to continue,
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00:10:04,679 --> 00:10:09,524
and I can do so much more with
a doctorate than a masters."
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00:10:09,526 --> 00:10:13,278
And he said, "Fine, whatever."
And he got up and left.
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00:10:13,355 --> 00:10:16,865
[Cauffiel] He liked to be
in the roll were
you needed him.
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As Jan matured
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00:10:18,935 --> 00:10:23,288
and learned more
about psychology,
he was adrift.
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00:10:23,365 --> 00:10:27,792
She no longer needed him
the way she had early
in the relationship.
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00:10:27,794 --> 00:10:34,007
[Jan] He increasingly
got more edgy,
more easily irritated.
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00:10:34,084 --> 00:10:37,719
I felt we were drifting apart,
I didn't know why.
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00:10:38,263 --> 00:10:39,971
[narrator] In November 1983
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00:10:40,048 --> 00:10:43,058
Jan comes down
with mononucleosis,
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00:10:43,060 --> 00:10:46,394
and she considers going
to her parents
in Arizona to recoup.
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00:10:47,272 --> 00:10:49,372
[Cauffiel] It was
his 50th birthday,
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00:10:49,374 --> 00:10:53,610
and she asked him would,
you know, "Would that
bother you if I went there?"
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00:10:53,612 --> 00:10:55,236
He goes, "Oh, absolutely not."
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00:10:55,364 --> 00:10:56,821
In fact, he insisted
that she go.
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00:10:56,898 --> 00:10:59,157
[narrator] Jan's happy
to get away,
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00:10:59,159 --> 00:11:02,911
but she make sure
not to forget
her husband's birthday.
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00:11:02,913 --> 00:11:05,664
[Jan] I set my timer
and I woke up
and I called him,
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00:11:05,740 --> 00:11:10,085
and it was difficult
to talk 'cause my throat
was so raw.
211
00:11:10,087 --> 00:11:13,213
And I started singing
"Happy Birthday" to him
over the phone,
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00:11:13,382 --> 00:11:15,840
and he started crying.
213
00:11:15,842 --> 00:11:20,637
And I said, "I don't have
the plague, it's just mono,
I'll be fine."
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00:11:20,639 --> 00:11:24,015
I said, "I hope you did
something special
for your birthday."
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00:11:24,017 --> 00:11:26,768
And he said, "Oh, yes,
I went down to,
to Chung's Restaurant."
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00:11:26,770 --> 00:11:29,813
Which I hated,
it was in a lousy
neighborhood.
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00:11:29,815 --> 00:11:33,817
[narrator] The birthday
marks a terrible
turning point for Alan.
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00:11:33,860 --> 00:11:39,072
Soon, Jan will learn
that she'd never really
knew her husband.
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00:11:39,074 --> 00:11:42,575
This rich, white psychologist
from Grosse Point,
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00:11:42,652 --> 00:11:44,260
was leading a double life.
221
00:11:45,205 --> 00:11:50,250
He was the kinda guy
who wanted to play
on the dark side.
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00:11:50,252 --> 00:11:52,627
[Chang] He wanted
the excitement
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00:11:52,713 --> 00:11:56,297
of hanging out with bikers
and prostitutes.
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00:11:56,374 --> 00:11:58,341
Unfortunately, it,
it came up short for him.
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00:11:58,343 --> 00:12:01,511
It was a chain of events
that got out of control.
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00:12:05,183 --> 00:12:06,516
[narrator] A fully
recovered Jan Canty
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00:12:06,518 --> 00:12:08,893
returns home from Arizona,
228
00:12:08,895 --> 00:12:11,938
but she's noticing odd chang
in her husband.
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00:12:11,940 --> 00:12:14,274
He started dressing better.
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00:12:14,350 --> 00:12:16,693
He'd never taken much interest
in his appearance,
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00:12:16,695 --> 00:12:20,613
and one day he came home
in a pretty nice suede jacket.
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00:12:20,615 --> 00:12:23,199
"What do you think of this?
And I'm like, "Whoa!
That's really nice."
233
00:12:23,201 --> 00:12:25,493
He never spent any money
on his clothes.
234
00:12:25,495 --> 00:12:27,328
He seemed
really happy about it.
235
00:12:28,081 --> 00:12:29,897
I was surprised, but...
236
00:12:30,959 --> 00:12:34,210
...I didn't take it
as meaning anything
more than what it was,
237
00:12:34,212 --> 00:12:35,670
'cause he's not a ladies man
238
00:12:35,747 --> 00:12:37,881
he's kinda bashful
and awkward,
239
00:12:37,924 --> 00:12:40,633
and he was working
all the time.
240
00:12:40,635 --> 00:12:42,576
[narrator] Over the next yea
241
00:12:42,578 --> 00:12:45,847
Alan becomes
even more withdrawn
and focused on his work.
242
00:12:46,850 --> 00:12:49,893
And he'd see the patients
in the evening at his home,
243
00:12:49,895 --> 00:12:51,978
and he'd see patients
on Saturday,
244
00:12:52,055 --> 00:12:55,857
and then he told her
that he was spending
his lunch hours
245
00:12:55,934 --> 00:12:59,027
evaluating criminals
at the jail.
246
00:12:59,029 --> 00:13:01,571
Then there was no time
for me basically.
247
00:13:01,573 --> 00:13:05,658
She thought he was
working himself to death
and drinking too much coffee,
248
00:13:05,693 --> 00:13:09,746
and was, uh, actually
suffering from
249
00:13:09,748 --> 00:13:12,916
some anxiety disorders from
all the work he was doing.
250
00:13:12,918 --> 00:13:15,418
[narrator] But Alan refuses
to slow down,
251
00:13:15,420 --> 00:13:20,423
and then in April 1984,
Jan gets frantic phone call
252
00:13:21,384 --> 00:13:23,426
His mother would
call him at work
253
00:13:23,428 --> 00:13:24,844
and he'd pick up and hang up.
254
00:13:25,347 --> 00:13:26,763
He wouldn't talk.
255
00:13:26,807 --> 00:13:29,557
And this happened
multiple times within an hour,
256
00:13:29,559 --> 00:13:32,060
so she asked me
to go downtown,
see what was up.
257
00:13:33,563 --> 00:13:37,106
The office was unlocked,
I walked in,
all the lights were off.
258
00:13:37,818 --> 00:13:39,526
He was in,
sitting in his chair,
259
00:13:39,528 --> 00:13:44,864
mute, and looking like
he had a 10,000 mile stare,
260
00:13:45,826 --> 00:13:48,618
and kinda mumbling at times
but real soft.
261
00:13:49,204 --> 00:13:51,621
He was saying, "Snow,
262
00:13:52,082 --> 00:13:53,414
I've been bad."
263
00:13:54,668 --> 00:13:57,335
"Am I a good boy,
am I standing tall?"
264
00:13:58,129 --> 00:14:00,463
"Birthday, Cass."
265
00:14:00,465 --> 00:14:02,006
Just this jumble.
266
00:14:04,010 --> 00:14:05,635
I couldn't make
heads or tails of it.
267
00:14:05,637 --> 00:14:08,263
I don't even he recognized
I was in front of him.
268
00:14:08,265 --> 00:14:10,598
And I'm like, "What the heck?"
269
00:14:10,600 --> 00:14:13,017
So I called my mentor
at the medical center,
270
00:14:13,019 --> 00:14:15,270
which was very close,
maybe 10 minutes away,
271
00:14:15,272 --> 00:14:17,313
and I asked him
if could bring Alan,
272
00:14:17,315 --> 00:14:19,340
and I said, "I don't know
what's going on."
273
00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:23,736
It was like
leading out a mannequin,
he was, just came with me.
274
00:14:24,656 --> 00:14:26,422
They did some blood work,
275
00:14:26,424 --> 00:14:30,118
and agreed with me
he was having
a psychotic break.
276
00:14:30,120 --> 00:14:34,998
I mean, we've been together
10 years, almost 11
at that point.
277
00:14:36,334 --> 00:14:38,418
I had never
seen him like that.
278
00:14:38,420 --> 00:14:40,211
I hadn't ever seen
anybody like that.
279
00:14:44,259 --> 00:14:45,842
[narrator]
Alan is hospitalized
280
00:14:45,844 --> 00:14:48,344
at the University of Michiga
in Ann Arbor.
281
00:14:49,973 --> 00:14:52,140
She wanted him to slow down.
282
00:14:52,142 --> 00:14:54,642
And so when he did have
that psychotic break,
283
00:14:54,644 --> 00:14:57,729
it was easy for her
to attribute that
284
00:14:57,805 --> 00:15:00,565
to the fact that
he had been working so hard
285
00:15:02,444 --> 00:15:04,444
[narrator] But as Jan
digs deeper,
286
00:15:04,446 --> 00:15:05,945
she starts uncovering thing
287
00:15:06,022 --> 00:15:08,448
that are not so easy
to explain.
288
00:15:09,451 --> 00:15:12,785
I found out that
the admitting psychiatrist
and his mother
289
00:15:12,862 --> 00:15:15,163
talked separately
without me around,
290
00:15:15,239 --> 00:15:19,626
and he had been hospitalized
twice before, psychiatrically.
291
00:15:20,837 --> 00:15:24,422
One occurred while
he was in basic training,
292
00:15:24,424 --> 00:15:27,008
he couldn't take
the military life,
so to speak.
293
00:15:28,553 --> 00:15:31,554
The next time was at the tim
of his divorce.
294
00:15:32,349 --> 00:15:34,490
I was angry.
295
00:15:34,492 --> 00:15:37,185
I wouldn't have thought les
of the family or her
or him or anybody.
296
00:15:37,187 --> 00:15:39,729
It's just information that
was critically important.
297
00:15:41,524 --> 00:15:43,274
[narrator] Alan's previous
breakdowns had been
298
00:15:43,351 --> 00:15:45,735
triggered by
major life events,
299
00:15:45,737 --> 00:15:48,947
prompting Jan to question
the cause of this one.
300
00:15:53,870 --> 00:15:55,411
[Jan] So I made it
a project of mine
301
00:15:55,413 --> 00:15:57,789
to go to his office
and to straighten it up.
302
00:15:57,865 --> 00:16:01,876
I found a receipt
with my forged name
303
00:16:01,878 --> 00:16:06,130
on an account paying rent
for some person
I had never heard of.
304
00:16:06,207 --> 00:16:08,049
Then I found unpaid bills.
305
00:16:08,051 --> 00:16:11,177
Handfuls of unpaid bills.
306
00:16:11,179 --> 00:16:12,720
And I'm like,
"He's working night and day
307
00:16:12,722 --> 00:16:14,555
there shouldn't be
any unpaid bills."
308
00:16:14,557 --> 00:16:18,059
I totaled it up,
and it came to $6,000,
309
00:16:18,061 --> 00:16:20,812
which is in 1985 dollars,
310
00:16:20,814 --> 00:16:23,606
so I got the bills organized
311
00:16:23,608 --> 00:16:26,484
and paid for with
the help of his mother,
312
00:16:26,486 --> 00:16:28,820
and then I decided
to clean up his office.
313
00:16:28,822 --> 00:16:31,155
I went to his
appointment book,
314
00:16:31,157 --> 00:16:34,701
and he had all these names
that he's written in.
315
00:16:34,777 --> 00:16:36,411
Sometimes five times a day.
316
00:16:36,413 --> 00:16:38,871
One o'clock, three o'clock,
it'd be the same name.
317
00:16:38,873 --> 00:16:41,207
They were made up,
it was silly names,
318
00:16:41,209 --> 00:16:44,794
like, Peter Pan
and Willy the Goose and--
319
00:16:46,047 --> 00:16:48,172
I'm like--
And it was his handwriting.
320
00:16:48,174 --> 00:16:50,717
That was the turning point.
321
00:16:50,793 --> 00:16:54,721
I felt cut of at the knees,
I felt I had been overwhelme
322
00:16:55,640 --> 00:16:57,932
I didn't know that
it was gonna get worse.
323
00:17:00,270 --> 00:17:02,895
[narrator] After six weeks
of uncovering evidence
324
00:17:02,897 --> 00:17:05,648
that suggests Alan
is suffering from
mental illness,
325
00:17:05,650 --> 00:17:08,609
Jan picks her husband up
from the hospital.
326
00:17:09,529 --> 00:17:10,945
[Jan] He was real quite.
327
00:17:11,781 --> 00:17:13,364
And he says,
"What have you done
328
00:17:13,366 --> 00:17:15,616
or what have you been
doing since I left?"
329
00:17:15,693 --> 00:17:18,619
And I told him I started
cleaning up his office.
330
00:17:18,621 --> 00:17:21,456
I wasn't ready yet to get
into what I'd found.
331
00:17:21,532 --> 00:17:23,332
"What do you mean,
you're cleaning
up the office?"
332
00:17:23,334 --> 00:17:25,293
I said, "It was a pigsty."
333
00:17:25,295 --> 00:17:27,795
I said I went
through the paper--
Oh, he was not happy,
334
00:17:27,797 --> 00:17:30,131
I didn't even get
to finish the sentence.
335
00:17:30,208 --> 00:17:33,051
He was incensed,
he wouldn't talk
the rest of the way.
336
00:17:35,972 --> 00:17:37,296
We didn't talk that night.
337
00:17:37,298 --> 00:17:40,224
There's more going on here
that I can't figure out.
338
00:17:41,394 --> 00:17:44,520
But never in a million
years did I imagine
what would happen.
339
00:17:46,191 --> 00:17:48,900
Last time I saw him
was July 13th.
340
00:17:49,778 --> 00:17:52,403
He left, and I didn't say
anything to him.
341
00:17:53,531 --> 00:17:55,031
[Cauffiel] When he left
in the morning,
342
00:17:55,075 --> 00:17:56,949
he was dressed
a little different,
343
00:17:57,026 --> 00:17:59,160
he looked like a person
344
00:17:59,162 --> 00:18:02,497
that was determined and sur
as, as to what he was doing
345
00:18:03,458 --> 00:18:05,083
[Jan] That day was awful,
346
00:18:05,159 --> 00:18:09,462
high winds, rain, hail, slee
in the middle of summer.
347
00:18:09,464 --> 00:18:13,049
I was watching Live Aid,
which is a three hour special,
348
00:18:13,468 --> 00:18:14,984
so I lost track of time,
349
00:18:14,986 --> 00:18:17,261
and I look up,
and all of a sudden
it's, like,
350
00:18:17,263 --> 00:18:21,099
he's way overdue,
he was never one to be late.
351
00:18:21,810 --> 00:18:22,725
I'm like, "That's odd."
352
00:18:22,727 --> 00:18:24,751
[telephone ringing]
353
00:18:24,829 --> 00:18:27,730
So I called his office,
his answering service said
they had no information.
354
00:18:29,067 --> 00:18:32,318
And, um, there's no cellphones
in this time,
355
00:18:32,320 --> 00:18:33,361
so I couldn't reach him
that way.
356
00:18:33,363 --> 00:18:36,197
I was frantic.
357
00:18:36,274 --> 00:18:39,700
The storm was raging,
there was lightening,
it was awful outside.
358
00:18:40,662 --> 00:18:42,620
And I walked
into his home office,
359
00:18:43,915 --> 00:18:45,123
I looked in the mirror,
360
00:18:47,127 --> 00:18:48,626
and I said out loud,
361
00:18:49,254 --> 00:18:50,795
"He's not coming home."
362
00:18:51,798 --> 00:18:55,341
I finally, very reluctantly,
called my neighbor next door,
363
00:18:55,418 --> 00:18:57,635
and I said,
"Jim, could you take me
down to his office?
364
00:18:57,712 --> 00:18:59,262
He hasn't come home."
365
00:18:59,264 --> 00:19:02,557
Al wasn't there,
and he had signed out at 6:3
366
00:19:04,352 --> 00:19:06,460
[narrator] Alan is missing.
367
00:19:06,462 --> 00:19:10,398
Soon his absence
will become the subject
of macabre speculation.
368
00:19:11,568 --> 00:19:13,776
[Chang] I got a call
from a source,
369
00:19:13,778 --> 00:19:16,946
and the source said,
go to this address.
370
00:19:16,948 --> 00:19:20,741
And it turned out to be
2518, Casper Street,
in the Cass Corridor.
371
00:19:20,818 --> 00:19:22,910
It was as if I'd walked
into a movie set.
372
00:19:23,788 --> 00:19:25,746
You realize
it's not like the movies.
373
00:19:25,823 --> 00:19:27,373
They were arrested by
a next door neighbor.
374
00:19:27,375 --> 00:19:28,916
Someone was murdered here.
375
00:19:33,214 --> 00:19:35,673
[narrator] Alone in her
Grosse Point home,
376
00:19:35,675 --> 00:19:39,886
Jan Canty still has no idea
where Alan is gone.
377
00:19:39,888 --> 00:19:41,921
[Jan] I didn't sleep
that night.
378
00:19:41,997 --> 00:19:45,224
The next morning,
I went down to the police
to report him missing.
379
00:19:45,301 --> 00:19:48,603
And so they took a report,
nothing happened,
nothing came of it.
380
00:19:48,605 --> 00:19:50,521
Oh, I called his mom
and told her,
381
00:19:50,523 --> 00:19:53,107
and she, of course,
was understandably
frightened and frantic.
382
00:19:53,193 --> 00:19:55,584
And I told her,
383
00:19:55,586 --> 00:19:58,196
"If you have any connection
in the police department,
would you call somebody?
384
00:19:58,198 --> 00:20:00,198
'Cause I can't get them
to do much."
385
00:20:00,867 --> 00:20:02,925
She said, "I'm on it."
386
00:20:02,927 --> 00:20:05,077
[narrator] The political
connections held
by the Canty Family
387
00:20:05,154 --> 00:20:07,596
trigger a quick
police response.
388
00:20:09,834 --> 00:20:13,586
[Osowski] The very first da
of the investigation,
I went to the Fisher Buildin
389
00:20:13,663 --> 00:20:17,256
and I'm saying to myself,
"If a person is overworked
as he is,
390
00:20:17,258 --> 00:20:19,842
how does he relax
if he's not home,
391
00:20:19,844 --> 00:20:21,761
if he's always working?"
392
00:20:21,837 --> 00:20:24,847
A person must find
something to unwind with.
393
00:20:26,267 --> 00:20:27,975
And I happened
to look outside,
394
00:20:27,977 --> 00:20:29,936
and I saw that Second's Aven
395
00:20:30,012 --> 00:20:33,648
and it was going south,
goes right towards
the Cass Corridor.
396
00:20:33,650 --> 00:20:35,399
And I said to myself,
"Well, it wouldn't hurt
397
00:20:35,476 --> 00:20:38,069
to go down and see
if there's a guy that fits
398
00:20:38,145 --> 00:20:40,696
the description, a john
in the neighborhood.
399
00:20:41,908 --> 00:20:45,618
Detroit's the most
stratified city
400
00:20:45,695 --> 00:20:47,662
that you'll find anywhere
in America.
401
00:20:47,664 --> 00:20:50,665
Back in the early 80s,
it still is.
402
00:20:50,667 --> 00:20:53,417
The very bottom
even beyond poverty,
403
00:20:53,494 --> 00:20:55,795
'cause you mix poverty
and criminality,
404
00:20:56,172 --> 00:20:58,089
was the Cass Corridor.
405
00:20:58,091 --> 00:21:01,717
This sort of no man's land
where there's
a lot of empty lots,
406
00:21:02,470 --> 00:21:06,430
skid row hotels,
tenement housing,
407
00:21:06,432 --> 00:21:09,058
hookers on the street,
dope fiends,
408
00:21:11,437 --> 00:21:14,313
[Osowski] So,
I went over there.
409
00:21:14,390 --> 00:21:18,317
and I was very fortunate
that I ran into a couple
of my informants.
410
00:21:18,736 --> 00:21:20,569
One of them was Suzie Q.
411
00:21:20,571 --> 00:21:23,030
Since I didn't have a pictur
of Dr. Canty At that time,
412
00:21:23,032 --> 00:21:25,157
I just had
a description of the car.
413
00:21:25,159 --> 00:21:27,743
She says, "There's a guy
that's driving around
414
00:21:27,787 --> 00:21:29,537
and when he saw us,
he would always ask,
415
00:21:29,539 --> 00:21:31,080
"Have you see Dawn?
Have you seen Dawn?'"
416
00:21:31,124 --> 00:21:33,624
I says, "Dawn, Dawn who?"
and she says, "Dawn Spens."
417
00:21:36,337 --> 00:21:40,006
Suzie Q told me that John Fr
was Dawn's pimp.
418
00:21:40,633 --> 00:21:42,341
So I says,
"Where can I find John?"
419
00:21:42,343 --> 00:21:44,093
She says,
"They live on Casper."
420
00:21:44,095 --> 00:21:46,512
"Just a few blocks from here
She says, "Yeah."
421
00:21:46,589 --> 00:21:50,808
She says, "I want you
to be very careful,
John's very violent."
422
00:21:50,810 --> 00:21:52,560
And I said, "Well,
does he carry a gun?"
423
00:21:52,562 --> 00:21:54,812
And she says,
"He doesn't need a gun."
424
00:21:57,900 --> 00:22:01,610
[Cauffiel] John "Lucky" Fry
was kind of
a funny guy, actually.
425
00:22:01,654 --> 00:22:03,863
Charming, like a lot
of psychopaths are.
426
00:22:03,865 --> 00:22:06,615
Also, seemingly very fearles
427
00:22:06,659 --> 00:22:09,368
[Osowski] He had, uh,
a small stable
of young ladies
428
00:22:09,370 --> 00:22:12,330
that eventually, uh,
dwindled down
to one person,
429
00:22:12,832 --> 00:22:14,874
which was Dawn Spens.
430
00:22:14,876 --> 00:22:18,169
[Cauffiel] Dawn was
horribly addicted to drugs,
to opiates.
431
00:22:18,171 --> 00:22:23,215
She seemed to have
the kind of eyes
that said, "Help me."
432
00:22:23,217 --> 00:22:26,552
In the context with Al,
of the guy who needs
to be needed,
433
00:22:26,554 --> 00:22:30,181
she was the perfect
match for that.
434
00:22:30,257 --> 00:22:36,354
[narrator] The next day,
Detective Osowski's informan
calls him with startling new
435
00:22:36,356 --> 00:22:38,314
[Osowski] She said, "I hear
on the street that maybe
436
00:22:38,316 --> 00:22:42,485
Dr. Canty's car was
toasted already,
which means arson.
437
00:22:42,487 --> 00:22:46,030
Somebody tried to get rid
of his car for a reason.
438
00:22:46,032 --> 00:22:50,159
The reason is simply that
I think that something bad
had happened to Dr. Canty.
439
00:22:50,203 --> 00:22:52,912
[newscaster] There's still
a lot of unknowns
in this case.
440
00:22:52,914 --> 00:22:55,706
For example, police still
aren't sure exactly
what happened
441
00:22:55,783 --> 00:22:58,542
after Canty left
his downtown Detroit office.
442
00:22:58,619 --> 00:23:01,629
[Jan] It was not long
after that the news
starting breaking.
443
00:23:01,631 --> 00:23:04,298
And I refused to watch it.
444
00:23:08,096 --> 00:23:11,263
[narrator] Police get
a search warrant for
the Casper Street location
445
00:23:11,265 --> 00:23:13,432
where John Fry
and Dawn Spens live,
446
00:23:13,509 --> 00:23:16,602
and find evidence pointing
to a crime scene.
447
00:23:16,604 --> 00:23:18,521
After they process
the location,
448
00:23:18,523 --> 00:23:22,358
reporter Ti-Hua Chang
gets a tip about the case.
449
00:23:24,153 --> 00:23:27,071
[Chang] Thursday, July 18,
I was in the newsroom
450
00:23:27,073 --> 00:23:30,491
and I got a call
from a source within
the Detroit City Government.
451
00:23:30,568 --> 00:23:33,661
And the source said,
"Go to this address."
452
00:23:33,663 --> 00:23:37,706
And it turned out to be
2518 Casper Street
in the Cass Corridor.
453
00:23:37,750 --> 00:23:40,209
"The house is still open,
but you gotta get there soon
454
00:23:40,211 --> 00:23:41,752
otherwise the police
are gonna close it up."
455
00:23:41,754 --> 00:23:43,003
So, I ran to
the assignment desk
456
00:23:43,005 --> 00:23:44,571
and I said,
"Give me a crew, now."
457
00:23:46,676 --> 00:23:49,218
I went to the back door,
the back door was open.
458
00:23:49,929 --> 00:23:53,514
And it was a surreal scene.
459
00:23:53,516 --> 00:23:56,350
I felt as if I'd walked
onto the movie set.
460
00:23:56,352 --> 00:23:58,811
Except a more
realistic movie set.
461
00:23:58,813 --> 00:24:01,605
The house was a mess.
Beat up old couch.
462
00:24:02,567 --> 00:24:04,483
And then I saw a blood trail
463
00:24:04,560 --> 00:24:08,028
from the bedroom that went
all the way to the bathroom
464
00:24:08,406 --> 00:24:10,739
Then I see blood
in the bathtub.
465
00:24:10,741 --> 00:24:14,285
Little specs of blood,
'cause it had, someone had
apparently tried to wash it.
466
00:24:14,287 --> 00:24:15,703
And there was
a search warrant.
467
00:24:15,705 --> 00:24:18,831
It had all the basics
of the story.
468
00:24:18,949 --> 00:24:21,292
The missing psychologist,
Dr. Alan Canty,
469
00:24:21,294 --> 00:24:24,044
the suspect they were
looking for, John Fry,
470
00:24:24,121 --> 00:24:26,589
and a prostitute
named Dawn Spens.
471
00:24:26,591 --> 00:24:28,340
All that was on
the search warrant.
472
00:24:34,432 --> 00:24:38,642
So, he was missing
and there was worry
that there was foul play,
473
00:24:38,644 --> 00:24:41,979
but there's no ransom
that's been issued.
474
00:24:41,981 --> 00:24:45,524
It unnerved me, I felt scared.
475
00:24:45,526 --> 00:24:48,360
And I got a call
from Officer Landeros.
476
00:24:48,437 --> 00:24:52,406
She asked me to meet her
down at police headquarters.
477
00:24:52,483 --> 00:24:56,535
So, we get up there
and we got off on Floor 5
and it says, "Homicide."
478
00:24:56,537 --> 00:24:58,370
This is becoming very real.
479
00:24:58,372 --> 00:25:02,291
[narrator] Waiting for them
is inspector
Gil Hill.
480
00:25:02,293 --> 00:25:06,378
So, I went into,
with my parents,
to the waiting room
481
00:25:06,455 --> 00:25:11,675
to meet with Gil Hill
and he's just like he was
in Beverly Hills Cop.
482
00:25:11,752 --> 00:25:14,470
He played Eddie Murphy's bos
Inspector Todd.
483
00:25:14,472 --> 00:25:18,807
He sat me down and he started
asking questions which
made no sense to me.
484
00:25:18,851 --> 00:25:21,602
He asked, "Have you felt
followed lately?"
485
00:25:21,604 --> 00:25:24,563
I had been followed twice
coming home from work.
486
00:25:24,565 --> 00:25:28,025
He also asked me,
"How's your finances?"
And I'm like...
487
00:25:29,403 --> 00:25:31,153
Has he been listening
in our kitchen window?
488
00:25:31,155 --> 00:25:34,406
And I said, "Matter
of fact, yes."
489
00:25:34,483 --> 00:25:36,534
I said, "I can't get him
to open up about it."
490
00:25:36,536 --> 00:25:40,829
And he's, why? What does
this got to do with
my missing husband?
491
00:25:40,831 --> 00:25:44,375
He said, "We know
he's been seen multiple time
492
00:25:44,451 --> 00:25:48,295
on Casper Street
handing out lots of money."
493
00:25:49,173 --> 00:25:50,923
I didn't even know where
Casper Street was.
494
00:25:53,010 --> 00:25:57,429
"And he's been seen
in the company of
a pimp and a prostitute."
495
00:25:57,506 --> 00:26:00,099
I'm like, "He's got
the wrong guy."
496
00:26:00,601 --> 00:26:02,059
That doesn't make any sense.
497
00:26:09,277 --> 00:26:12,403
So, by the time we get home
my dad is frantic.
498
00:26:13,239 --> 00:26:15,406
And I had never
seen him like that.
499
00:26:15,741 --> 00:26:18,617
He's a very Steady Eddie guy.
500
00:26:18,694 --> 00:26:22,288
He went into action.
He said, "We don't know
what's going on,
501
00:26:22,290 --> 00:26:24,373
so you and your mom
are gonna sleep upstairs,
502
00:26:24,417 --> 00:26:26,750
I'm gonna sleep downstairs
with the dog."
503
00:26:26,827 --> 00:26:29,003
And I said, "Dad,
you're scaring me."
504
00:26:29,005 --> 00:26:31,130
And he goes, "I'm scared."
505
00:26:32,216 --> 00:26:34,091
[newscaster] And tonight,
reporter Ti-Hua Chang
506
00:26:34,093 --> 00:26:36,510
has exclusive details
on allegations
507
00:26:36,512 --> 00:26:40,306
that Dr. Canty led
a double life that
ended in violence.
508
00:26:41,309 --> 00:26:44,768
[Chang] We waited till
6 o'clock to break the story
509
00:26:44,845 --> 00:26:47,146
'cause we had a bigger
audience at 6 o'clock.
510
00:26:47,148 --> 00:26:49,648
[newscaster] And now
police are releasing
photographs of the pair.
511
00:26:49,650 --> 00:26:53,944
Detectives believe this man
John Fry, probably
killed Dr. Canty.
512
00:26:54,021 --> 00:26:56,572
He was reportedly sworn
he won't be taken alive.
513
00:26:56,616 --> 00:26:58,657
His companion, Dawn Spens,
514
00:26:58,659 --> 00:27:01,452
described by authorities
as a known drug addict
and prostitute.
515
00:27:01,454 --> 00:27:04,163
Heavy blood stains were foun
in their home yesterday.
516
00:27:04,239 --> 00:27:06,874
It's believed to be where
Dr. Canty was killed.
517
00:27:06,876 --> 00:27:09,543
My dad said, "I know
it frightens you,
518
00:27:10,504 --> 00:27:12,713
but information is power."
519
00:27:12,715 --> 00:27:14,923
"I want you to know
what John Fry looks like.
520
00:27:14,967 --> 00:27:17,117
I want you to know
what Dawn looks like.
521
00:27:17,119 --> 00:27:22,514
'Cause if you ever see them,
you call 911 and then
you call me, in that order."
522
00:27:22,516 --> 00:27:24,642
I was so tired
and I was so frightened.
523
00:27:24,802 --> 00:27:26,960
I was numb.
524
00:27:31,817 --> 00:27:35,444
[narrator reading] Six days
after Dr. Alan Canty
is reported missing,
525
00:27:35,446 --> 00:27:38,197
lead investigator
Marlyss Landeros
526
00:27:38,199 --> 00:27:43,160
gets a surprise visit
from an informant
named Frank McMaster.
527
00:27:43,162 --> 00:27:46,538
Frank McMaster.
was this trucker
up in Northern Michigan
528
00:27:46,615 --> 00:27:48,457
who knows John "Lucky" Fry
529
00:27:48,459 --> 00:27:50,417
and he and Dawn
come in and says,
530
00:27:50,419 --> 00:27:52,294
"Frank, I gotta
get rid of something."
531
00:27:52,880 --> 00:27:55,005
"I was cutting
these bad checks,
532
00:27:55,007 --> 00:27:57,383
and there's some evidence
I gotta get rid of.
533
00:27:57,459 --> 00:27:58,825
Is there some place
we can go?"
534
00:28:01,430 --> 00:28:03,722
So, they got back
on this old logging trail
535
00:28:03,724 --> 00:28:06,642
and, uh, Lucky's
got this, this bag.
536
00:28:06,644 --> 00:28:08,811
Lucky admits to Frank.
He says, "You know,
537
00:28:08,813 --> 00:28:10,854
I, I killed somebody
last night."
538
00:28:13,526 --> 00:28:17,611
So, because Lucky was always
bragging about, "I killed
somebody, I did this."
539
00:28:17,688 --> 00:28:19,029
You know, he had all these
big stories all the time.
540
00:28:19,031 --> 00:28:21,514
He doesn't believe him.
541
00:28:21,516 --> 00:28:24,410
But he's got this bag and he
still thinking there's,
like, bad cheques in there.
542
00:28:25,371 --> 00:28:28,038
And Frank digs this hole
and Lucky takes the bag
543
00:28:28,040 --> 00:28:30,916
and drops it in the hole
and goes, "Bye-bye, Al."
544
00:28:34,463 --> 00:28:39,425
[narrator] Investigators hea
to Northern Michigan to
check out the bizarre story
545
00:28:39,460 --> 00:28:43,595
Less than 24 hours later,
Jan is called down
to the morgue.
546
00:28:44,932 --> 00:28:48,350
[Jan] So, we got to
the morgue and it
[scoffs] reeked in there.
547
00:28:49,061 --> 00:28:50,894
And then we walk
into the chamber,
548
00:28:51,689 --> 00:28:54,273
and I close my eyes.
549
00:28:54,275 --> 00:28:57,693
My dad on one side,
Detective Landeros
is on the other side.
550
00:28:57,737 --> 00:28:59,987
And so I open my eyes
and I saw what I saw.
551
00:28:59,989 --> 00:29:01,029
[gasps]
552
00:29:01,031 --> 00:29:02,364
[Jan] A head.
553
00:29:02,408 --> 00:29:03,323
His head.
554
00:29:03,909 --> 00:29:05,058
On a table.
555
00:29:05,578 --> 00:29:07,453
With a sheet wrapped
around its neck.
556
00:29:08,706 --> 00:29:11,123
I thought I was gonna
heave at that point.
557
00:29:13,002 --> 00:29:15,544
And we walked to the,
towards the front exit.
558
00:29:16,297 --> 00:29:18,172
And like I said,
I was kinda out of it,
559
00:29:18,248 --> 00:29:22,217
and I saw these herd
of reporters outside the door.
560
00:29:22,261 --> 00:29:24,470
But Officer Landeros
was on top of it
561
00:29:24,472 --> 00:29:26,638
and she twisted me around
and we went out the back
562
00:29:26,715 --> 00:29:30,392
and she had me lay down
in her squat car
and we went out that way.
563
00:29:30,394 --> 00:29:33,061
But that was just
the beginning of
my nightmare with the media.
564
00:29:34,231 --> 00:29:37,107
When Al was missing,
565
00:29:37,184 --> 00:29:40,944
the reporters, the media,
the daily media
was your friend.
566
00:29:40,946 --> 00:29:45,657
You wanted to get
the word out, the police did,
uh, her family did.
567
00:29:45,659 --> 00:29:49,036
But once the missing
loved one is found,
568
00:29:49,038 --> 00:29:54,875
and if they happen to be
murdered in a very strange
situation as her husband was
569
00:29:54,952 --> 00:29:58,796
now suddenly, the media
is an inquisitor.
570
00:30:01,592 --> 00:30:04,843
[Jan] I went through
the funeral like a robot.
571
00:30:04,920 --> 00:30:09,765
And the media showed up
and intruded to the point
where arguments broke out.
572
00:30:09,809 --> 00:30:11,975
Calling 'em bastards,
and get outta here.
573
00:30:11,977 --> 00:30:13,435
[scoffs] Oh, my.
574
00:30:13,771 --> 00:30:16,438
Whose life did I step into?
575
00:30:16,482 --> 00:30:21,401
[narrator] Early on
the morning of July 22,
there's a break in the case
576
00:30:21,478 --> 00:30:23,695
[Chang] Fry and Spens
were arrested
just after midnight
577
00:30:23,697 --> 00:30:25,781
in front of this house
in Northwest Detroit.
578
00:30:25,783 --> 00:30:27,491
Fry's aunt lives here.
579
00:30:27,493 --> 00:30:29,910
They were arrested by
a next-door neighbor,
who's a policeman.
580
00:30:29,995 --> 00:30:32,037
Sergeant Ray Brewer says
a neighborhood resident
581
00:30:32,039 --> 00:30:34,289
recognized Fry
from the media reports
582
00:30:34,291 --> 00:30:36,875
and told the policeman
Fry was on their block.
583
00:30:36,877 --> 00:30:38,210
And at that time,
I pulled my revolver
584
00:30:38,212 --> 00:30:40,228
and told him that he'd
have to stay there.
585
00:30:40,230 --> 00:30:42,589
And when I would allow him
to move around,
he wasn't giving no resistance
586
00:30:42,591 --> 00:30:44,099
that if he was trying
to run or anything,
587
00:30:44,101 --> 00:30:46,134
like he was just about ready
to give up, that's all.
588
00:30:46,178 --> 00:30:48,595
[Chang] A grim-faced John Fr
walked to court this afternoon
589
00:30:48,672 --> 00:30:50,556
to be charged with
the first degree murder
590
00:30:50,632 --> 00:30:53,517
of Grosse Pointe Park
psychologist Alan Canty.
591
00:30:53,594 --> 00:30:55,310
It was all over
the news at that point.
592
00:30:55,312 --> 00:30:56,928
I could not escape.
593
00:30:57,982 --> 00:31:01,608
I had nightmares
for a long time,
very vivid nightmares.
594
00:31:01,610 --> 00:31:04,444
I thought, it could have
been worse, I could have
died along with him.
595
00:31:04,521 --> 00:31:06,738
Because Fry knew
where we lived.
596
00:31:06,815 --> 00:31:10,951
[narrator] Lucky Fry's tria
is held on December 3, 1985
597
00:31:10,953 --> 00:31:15,873
but a mentally exhausted Ja
chooses not to attend.
598
00:31:15,949 --> 00:31:22,337
It was probably one of
the most crowded trials
I've ever been to in Detroit.
599
00:31:22,339 --> 00:31:25,257
The courtroom was packed
and, and you had to
get there early
600
00:31:25,259 --> 00:31:27,342
otherwise you wouldn't
get a good seat.
601
00:31:27,344 --> 00:31:30,762
So the reporters, you know,
all lined up early and...
602
00:31:30,764 --> 00:31:34,558
To make sure that we
could get close enough
to see the, uh, defendants.
603
00:31:36,478 --> 00:31:38,544
I got in the front row.
604
00:31:38,546 --> 00:31:42,065
And I was able to, you know
get a close-up look
at Dawn Spens.
605
00:31:42,067 --> 00:31:45,277
I saw her lips,
they were moist and pouty
606
00:31:45,279 --> 00:31:48,488
and actually quivering
a little bit in court.
607
00:31:48,490 --> 00:31:54,036
And I could imagine how
Dr. Canty, when he
saw her and met her,
608
00:31:54,038 --> 00:31:57,414
you know, would have
seen that, and would have
been obsessed with her.
609
00:31:57,491 --> 00:32:00,208
[Cauffiel] She's much
better looking than
many of the prostitutes
610
00:32:00,210 --> 00:32:04,046
in that area who are
badly addicted to drugs.
611
00:32:04,089 --> 00:32:06,381
She's fresh, you know,
she's young.
612
00:32:06,383 --> 00:32:10,218
[Chang] Dawn Spens had this
wounded bird quality.
613
00:32:11,138 --> 00:32:13,305
It's more than just
a damsel in distress.
614
00:32:13,382 --> 00:32:16,099
It's more like
a siren in distress.
615
00:32:18,312 --> 00:32:20,604
[narrator] As the trial
moves forward,
616
00:32:20,606 --> 00:32:25,317
the extent of Alan's obsessi
with the young prostitute
becomes clear.
617
00:32:25,319 --> 00:32:30,030
He paid regular visits
to Dawn Spens
for over a year and a half.
618
00:32:30,032 --> 00:32:32,157
He was
a respected psychologist,
619
00:32:32,159 --> 00:32:35,118
you know, working in Detroit,
living in the suburbs,
620
00:32:35,195 --> 00:32:37,788
while he was actually
spending most of his time
621
00:32:37,864 --> 00:32:41,541
in the Cass Corridor, feeding
drugs to a young prostitute
and her pimp.
622
00:32:41,543 --> 00:32:44,920
I think he got well over
his head with all the money
623
00:32:44,964 --> 00:32:49,633
that he had, that supported
Dawn Spens with over
the time that he knew her.
624
00:32:49,635 --> 00:32:53,136
She knew how to play Al,
you know, she knew how
to play him for money.
625
00:32:53,138 --> 00:32:55,347
She was very much in
love with John "Lucky" Fry,
626
00:32:55,349 --> 00:32:59,518
because he was almost like
a father figure,
a protector for her.
627
00:32:59,520 --> 00:33:03,605
But while he was in
the middle of his addiction,
628
00:33:03,607 --> 00:33:05,832
they needed to
have that money.
629
00:33:05,834 --> 00:33:10,612
And so, he was always
looking for possible ways
to get money from Al.
630
00:33:10,614 --> 00:33:14,032
Al was the, the golden goose
that laid the golden eff.
631
00:33:14,109 --> 00:33:17,369
The question that has puzzled
police from the outset
of the investigation,
632
00:33:17,446 --> 00:33:22,040
is why would Spens and Fry
kill the man who, reportedly,
over the last year and half
633
00:33:22,042 --> 00:33:26,003
had given them as much as
$150,000 for what
police describe as
634
00:33:26,005 --> 00:33:28,672
a social relationship that
included sexual favors?
635
00:33:28,749 --> 00:33:33,093
"Why," one policeman asked,
"Why would they kill the goose
that laid the golden egg?"
636
00:33:36,348 --> 00:33:38,557
In Grosse Pointe,
he's Alan Canty,
637
00:33:38,633 --> 00:33:40,892
but then he goes into
the inner city of Detroit,
638
00:33:40,894 --> 00:33:44,771
and he's Dr. Al Miller
and he's copping
drugs for her,
639
00:33:44,773 --> 00:33:49,693
he's, he's become as dark
as they are, in a sense,
you know, morally dark.
640
00:33:49,695 --> 00:33:52,112
[Osowski] It's, it's,
very easy to integrate
641
00:33:52,114 --> 00:33:57,075
into this, uh, subculture
in, uh, Cass Corridor,
but it's so hard to get out.
642
00:33:57,152 --> 00:34:02,205
And I really think that
Dr. Canty got in over his head
643
00:34:02,282 --> 00:34:05,542
and as he's trying to control,
he was being controlled.
644
00:34:05,619 --> 00:34:08,045
[narrator] Dawn has become
an addiction for Alan,
645
00:34:08,047 --> 00:34:10,839
even though he hasn't
been using drugs himself,
646
00:34:10,841 --> 00:34:14,342
he's drained his bank accoun
to fund her habit.
647
00:34:14,344 --> 00:34:19,181
His plan that evening was
that was going to be
the last night.
648
00:34:19,183 --> 00:34:21,141
That he wasn't going
to see them anymore.
649
00:34:22,394 --> 00:34:25,270
Meanwhile, Lucky Fry's
got another plan going.
650
00:34:25,272 --> 00:34:31,651
And that is, "Okay, Al,
you're gonna give me
5,000, 10,000, 20,000."
651
00:34:31,653 --> 00:34:34,946
We're not quite sure
what the amount was.
652
00:34:34,948 --> 00:34:39,117
"And I'm going to
leave Dawn to you
653
00:34:39,194 --> 00:34:43,872
and I get that
and a plane ticket to
Venice, California to live.
654
00:34:43,874 --> 00:34:46,583
So, Al leaves
the Fisher Building at 6:35
655
00:34:46,660 --> 00:34:49,961
and he goes over to see
Dawn and Lucky
656
00:34:49,963 --> 00:34:54,466
on the Southwest side,
the bungalow on Casper.
657
00:34:54,468 --> 00:35:00,847
And Dawn wants drugs,
so he buys drugs for her.
658
00:35:02,392 --> 00:35:07,604
According to Lucky, he came
home and saw what was going
659
00:35:07,606 --> 00:35:10,941
and he said, "Can't you see
we're trying to get clean?
660
00:35:10,943 --> 00:35:13,443
And now you're buying
her more drugs?"
661
00:35:13,445 --> 00:35:19,199
And Al said, "It's my money,
I don't have to justify
anything I do to you."
662
00:35:19,276 --> 00:35:22,369
And pushed him out of the way.
663
00:35:22,445 --> 00:35:24,287
Nobody laid hands
on Lucky Fry.
664
00:35:24,289 --> 00:35:28,834
If you laid hands on him,
he would explode
into a rage.
665
00:35:28,910 --> 00:35:31,545
John picked up
the baseball bat that
happened to be there
666
00:35:31,547 --> 00:35:32,337
and hit him on the head.
667
00:35:32,339 --> 00:35:34,172
[gasps]
668
00:35:34,249 --> 00:35:37,592
And even after Al fell down
he screamed at him,
669
00:35:37,636 --> 00:35:39,845
"Get up mother [bleep],
get up."
670
00:35:43,892 --> 00:35:46,601
[narrator] At a crowded
courthouse in Detroit,
671
00:35:46,603 --> 00:35:51,148
the story of Dr. Alan Canty'
downfall and demise
is being revealed.
672
00:35:51,183 --> 00:35:56,111
The most shocking testimony
comes from the killer himsel
673
00:35:56,113 --> 00:35:58,697
[Chang] Probably
the thing I remember
the most about the trial,
674
00:35:59,533 --> 00:36:02,534
was when John Fry
took the stand.
675
00:36:02,611 --> 00:36:06,121
The first question
his defense attorney
asked him was,
676
00:36:06,123 --> 00:36:08,665
"Did you kill Dr. Canty?"
677
00:36:08,667 --> 00:36:13,170
"Yes."
"Did you cut off the head
of Dr. Canty?"
678
00:36:13,172 --> 00:36:16,089
"Yes." Fry should have
stopped right there.
679
00:36:16,166 --> 00:36:17,924
But right after that,
680
00:36:18,677 --> 00:36:21,303
with a little smirk
on his face,
681
00:36:21,305 --> 00:36:25,140
John Fry said, "Yeah,
I used that Ginsu knife.
682
00:36:25,142 --> 00:36:28,560
You know, the one where
you buy one,
get two for free."
683
00:36:28,562 --> 00:36:34,024
And when he said it,
it was so cavalier and cold.
684
00:36:34,026 --> 00:36:37,235
Here's a guy that cut off
the head of somebody
685
00:36:37,237 --> 00:36:41,489
and all he can remember or add
is that it's funny,
686
00:36:41,533 --> 00:36:44,326
"I used a Ginsu knife
like in the TV commercial."
687
00:36:47,998 --> 00:36:49,864
[Cauffiel] Lucky doesn't
wanna get any blood
on his clothes
688
00:36:49,866 --> 00:36:55,545
and he ends up naked
in the bathtub with Al
and dismembers him.
689
00:36:55,547 --> 00:36:59,049
He puts him in garbage bags
they get in the car,
690
00:36:59,051 --> 00:37:00,967
and they head to
Northern Michigan,
691
00:37:00,969 --> 00:37:03,428
where Lucky's former
girlfriend is living
692
00:37:03,430 --> 00:37:05,847
with, uh, this guy,
Frank McMaster.
693
00:37:09,311 --> 00:37:12,229
[narrator] At the end of Fry
trial on December 11,
694
00:37:12,231 --> 00:37:17,359
it takes the all-female jur
less than two hours
to decide his fate.
695
00:37:18,111 --> 00:37:20,528
51-year-old John Fry
was found guilty
696
00:37:20,572 --> 00:37:23,114
of beating Dr. Alan Canty
to death with a baseball bat,
697
00:37:23,116 --> 00:37:25,450
then cutting the doctor's
body into pieces.
698
00:37:25,452 --> 00:37:27,744
Fry was sentenced
to life in prison
for the killing.
699
00:37:27,746 --> 00:37:31,414
He will never be eligible
for parole, ever.
700
00:37:31,416 --> 00:37:35,835
I don't believe that Lucky Fry
killed Alan Canty
701
00:37:35,837 --> 00:37:39,631
in a planned, first-degree,
premeditated murder kinda way.
702
00:37:39,633 --> 00:37:42,175
I believed it was
a fit of rage.
703
00:37:42,252 --> 00:37:44,803
[narrator] Five days later
in a separate trial,
704
00:37:44,805 --> 00:37:49,516
Dawn Spens is found guilty
of being an accessory
after the murder.
705
00:37:49,518 --> 00:37:51,643
But she's awarded
a much different sentence.
706
00:37:51,720 --> 00:37:54,854
The judge went easy on Spens,
she could have
gotten five years in jail,
707
00:37:54,856 --> 00:37:57,816
instead she got
ten months in jail
with three years' probation.
708
00:37:58,610 --> 00:38:00,193
[Chang] I'm glad she
didn't go to prison.
709
00:38:00,195 --> 00:38:04,406
She's a participant,
but also a victim.
710
00:38:04,408 --> 00:38:08,493
And if she had gone to prison,
I think she would have been
brutalized in prison.
711
00:38:08,495 --> 00:38:11,329
So, the fact that
she went to rehab,
712
00:38:11,406 --> 00:38:14,499
and I've heard that she's,
you know, turned
her life around.
713
00:38:14,501 --> 00:38:17,252
So, I guess it turned out
to be the right decision.
714
00:38:22,968 --> 00:38:27,846
[Jan] I just decided
I gotta leave.
I gotta start over.
715
00:38:27,922 --> 00:38:32,100
The media was not
gonna let me go.
They were on me all the time.
716
00:38:32,644 --> 00:38:36,104
And I was tired of being
"the widow."
717
00:38:36,148 --> 00:38:38,940
I loved Detroit, there was
many things about
the city I loved.
718
00:38:39,401 --> 00:38:41,818
But it wasn't home anymore.
719
00:38:42,738 --> 00:38:44,404
About eighteen months
after the murder,
720
00:38:44,481 --> 00:38:47,282
I met with Lowell Cauffiel,
who was writing a book.
721
00:38:48,076 --> 00:38:51,786
When I contacted her,
she was pretty traumatized.
722
00:38:51,830 --> 00:38:54,247
[Jan] At first, I didn't
want to meet with him.
723
00:38:54,249 --> 00:38:57,459
But my attorney said to me,
"This is the only way
you're gonna find out.
724
00:38:57,461 --> 00:39:00,587
You said you don't
understand it, well, here's
your golden opportunity."
725
00:39:00,663 --> 00:39:03,048
He filled in so many
of the blanks.
726
00:39:03,124 --> 00:39:07,302
I would never have
pieced it together
had it not been for him.
727
00:39:07,304 --> 00:39:10,889
[narrator] For Jan,
Lowell's research
provides a clear picture
728
00:39:10,891 --> 00:39:15,352
of Alan's double life that
all began when Jan was
at her parents' in Arizona,
729
00:39:15,354 --> 00:39:19,022
recovering from mono in 1983
730
00:39:19,024 --> 00:39:21,608
So, here he is on
his 50th birthday
and he's alone
731
00:39:21,610 --> 00:39:25,528
and on his lunch hour,
he takes that drive
732
00:39:25,605 --> 00:39:28,615
from the Fisher Building
towards downtown
into the Cass Corridor,
733
00:39:28,691 --> 00:39:31,034
and he sees Dawn Spens.
734
00:39:34,081 --> 00:39:39,292
They went to a seedy motel
and that's where they had
their first sexual encounter
735
00:39:39,294 --> 00:39:43,296
He paid her a hundred dollars,
which was a lot of money
in 1985.
736
00:39:44,466 --> 00:39:48,051
And then he called Jan
in Arizona
737
00:39:48,053 --> 00:39:50,345
and they chatted a little bi
on the telephone.
738
00:39:52,474 --> 00:39:54,132
That's how he spent
his 50th birthday.
739
00:39:54,134 --> 00:39:58,395
And that is what initiated
this relationship
with Dawn Spens.
740
00:40:00,690 --> 00:40:03,858
It's no coincidence that
he meets Dawn Spens,
741
00:40:03,860 --> 00:40:08,988
who's, like, 19 years old,
approximately Jan's age
when he met Jan.
742
00:40:08,990 --> 00:40:12,409
And he's telling Dawn
the same things,
"You're college material."
743
00:40:12,411 --> 00:40:16,121
"I'll put you up
in an apartment, you'll
be able to go to college."
744
00:40:16,197 --> 00:40:22,502
So, Dawn Spens is almost
like a David Lynch-ian
version of Jan.
745
00:40:25,048 --> 00:40:29,050
I didn't have a name
for it then, but it's called
conflicted grief.
746
00:40:29,094 --> 00:40:31,511
There was a part of me
that was glad he was gone.
747
00:40:31,513 --> 00:40:34,472
Had he not died,
I would have left him
in a heartbeat, I know that
748
00:40:34,474 --> 00:40:37,058
But on the other hand,
it's still a loss,
it's still a...
749
00:40:37,060 --> 00:40:39,853
...a murder,
it's still a terrible death.
750
00:40:39,929 --> 00:40:42,897
Of somebody that was
my companion for ten years.
751
00:40:42,941 --> 00:40:44,858
You don't walk away
from that easily
752
00:40:44,934 --> 00:40:47,819
without feeling loss
and sadness.
753
00:40:54,744 --> 00:40:57,162
My life feels
very different now.
754
00:40:57,164 --> 00:40:59,914
Um, of course I'm a lot older,
that makes a difference.
755
00:40:59,916 --> 00:41:03,418
After 30 years of trying
to piece it all together
and make sense of it,
756
00:41:03,420 --> 00:41:05,837
I adopted two daughters.
757
00:41:05,914 --> 00:41:08,631
It was a new role as a mom
and it gave me new purpose.
758
00:41:08,708 --> 00:41:10,633
They're full
biological sisters.
759
00:41:10,635 --> 00:41:13,511
Then I met Rich and...
760
00:41:13,588 --> 00:41:18,558
...let him in slowly. I was
very much at arm's length.
761
00:41:18,560 --> 00:41:21,227
We dated for a year
and he proposed to me
and I didn't answer him.
762
00:41:21,304 --> 00:41:23,438
I just stared at him.
763
00:41:24,983 --> 00:41:27,275
I'm not retired yet.
764
00:41:27,277 --> 00:41:30,528
I've written a book,
I've got one on the way,
I've got a podcast.
765
00:41:31,114 --> 00:41:33,615
And I do public lectures.
766
00:41:35,452 --> 00:41:37,243
And I'm trying to take
all that I've learned
767
00:41:37,245 --> 00:41:40,580
and use it to the benefit
of other homicide survivors,
768
00:41:40,657 --> 00:41:44,209
because there is still
so few resources out there.
769
00:41:44,285 --> 00:41:48,129
And so little understanding
of what people go through.
770
00:41:49,299 --> 00:41:51,007
So, they need all
the help they can get.