WEBVTT - Short Stuff: The Death of Charles Morgan

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<v Speaker 1>Hey, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Josh, and there's Chuck.

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<v Speaker 1>He's older and fifty it turns out, and there's Jerry,

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<v Speaker 1>and this is short stuff and let's go.

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<v Speaker 2>That's right.

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<v Speaker 3>This is the case of a sort of a lesser known,

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<v Speaker 3>unsolved true crime murder. In fact, yeah, I hope that

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<v Speaker 3>didn't spoil anything. I don't think in this thing you

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<v Speaker 3>put together called it bizarre. I take issue with that.

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<v Speaker 3>I don't think it's bizarre at all. But it is

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<v Speaker 3>unsolved and interesting.

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<v Speaker 1>Okay, I think when you yes, you're right, No, it's

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<v Speaker 1>not bizarre, but it.

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<v Speaker 2>Had the episode of the Sopranos.

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<v Speaker 1>To me, it is unsung in that it doesn't even

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<v Speaker 1>have a Wikipedia page, no mention whatsoever on all of Wikipedia,

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<v Speaker 1>which is very surprising. But we're talking about the death

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<v Speaker 1>of a man named Charles C. Morgan who died in

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<v Speaker 1>May of nineteen seventy seven in the desert outside of Tucson, Arizona,

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<v Speaker 1>and his death was, like you said, almost certainly a murder,

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<v Speaker 1>but it was pronounced suicide by the local sheriff, even

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<v Speaker 1>though the coroner was like, I don't know what this was.

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<v Speaker 1>Everyone else on the planet will tell you it's a murder,

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<v Speaker 1>especially once you know the details, which we're going to

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<v Speaker 1>get into right now.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, well, let's just describe the crime scene. This guy

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<v Speaker 3>was found deceased at the scene wearing a bulletproof vest

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<v Speaker 3>from a gunshot wound from his own handgun to the

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<v Speaker 3>back of his head, and it did not have his

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<v Speaker 3>fingerprints on his own gun.

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<v Speaker 1>And it was laid beside his body.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah. So the sheriff was like, well, it looks like

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<v Speaker 2>a suicide to me.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, the guy put on surgical gloves and you know,

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<v Speaker 3>shot himself in the back of the head, as one does,

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<v Speaker 3>and then managed somehow to take those gloves off and hide.

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<v Speaker 1>Them exactly before me. He said, let's go get lunch.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah.

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<v Speaker 3>His wife said, no, there's no way that this was

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<v Speaker 3>a suicide.

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<v Speaker 2>That's impossible.

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<v Speaker 3>And now we're going to tell you a little bit

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<v Speaker 3>about Charles Morgan and things will become pretty clear as

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<v Speaker 3>we do.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah. So he was an Escro agent, and the Escro agent,

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<v Speaker 1>as anyone who's ever bought a house knows, is the

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<v Speaker 1>person who holds the money. Yeah, they're this impartial third

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<v Speaker 1>party who follows a set of rules about keeping and

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<v Speaker 1>dispersing money. And basically once the sale of some high

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<v Speaker 1>value thing, almost always real estate, but sometimes things like

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<v Speaker 1>if you're buying a bunch of gold or you're buying

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<v Speaker 1>a private jet or something like that, there's going to

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<v Speaker 1>be an Escro agent involved because you don't just hand

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<v Speaker 1>over the money and hope for the best. And then

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<v Speaker 1>once everybody's signed and all the stuff is legal and set,

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<v Speaker 1>then the money gets sent out, but they hold it

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<v Speaker 1>in escrow. And by being an Escro agent, not just

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<v Speaker 1>Charles Morgan, but any escrow agent, I think even still

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<v Speaker 1>today is in a really good position to help organize crime,

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<v Speaker 1>launder money.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, like just putting money in escrow all of a sudden,

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<v Speaker 3>it's got a little bit more legitimacy to it. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 3>it's not the most regulated industry, so it's a little

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<v Speaker 3>easier to get away with something like that, probably as

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<v Speaker 3>an escrow agent, or at least certainly it was in

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<v Speaker 3>nineteen seventy seven. Yeah, and that's what he was doing.

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<v Speaker 3>It seems like it, you know, from all accounts, it

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<v Speaker 3>didn't seem like he was a bad dude. It seems

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<v Speaker 3>like somebody maybe like in a Sopranos episode where he

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<v Speaker 3>got in a little over his head, maybe ended up

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<v Speaker 3>feeling like he had to do certain things once the

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<v Speaker 3>mafia got their you know, their finger in his pie.

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<v Speaker 1>What good one, man, I love that. That's the best

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<v Speaker 1>one since sniff them off the case.

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<v Speaker 2>Oh man, that's wonderful.

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<v Speaker 3>As it was coming out of my mouth, I knew

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<v Speaker 3>that it was not right.

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<v Speaker 1>Seventeen years in and you're still you're still doing it. Man.

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<v Speaker 2>I appreciate that. But he was doing this for the mafia.

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<v Speaker 3>And there's a a journalist for Unsolved Mysteries at the

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<v Speaker 3>time named Don Devereaux who basically was like, this guy

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<v Speaker 3>was helping the mafia launder money through Arizona as an

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<v Speaker 3>ESCRO agent, like by buying and selling platinum and gold

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<v Speaker 3>is how they were doing it.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, because again, like you said, just taking tainted money

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<v Speaker 1>made from selling drugs, you put it in an escrow account.

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<v Speaker 1>It gives it legitimacy if the Escro agent isn't asking

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<v Speaker 1>where it came from from that point forward. Once it's

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<v Speaker 1>in the Escro account, that's when the paper trail really

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<v Speaker 1>kind of starts. So if they use that money to

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<v Speaker 1>buy legitimately buy legal gold and platinum and then turn

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<v Speaker 1>around and sell that that illicit drug money just became

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<v Speaker 1>legitimate in the eyes of everybody, thanks again in part

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<v Speaker 1>with the help of Charles C. Morgan. And did you

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<v Speaker 1>say he oversaw a billion dollars with the transactions in

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<v Speaker 1>the few years he was doing this. I did not

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<v Speaker 1>a billion dollars. That's what Don Devereux estimated that journalists

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<v Speaker 1>for unsolved mysteries. And like you said, he was a

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<v Speaker 1>good guy. That's the sad part of all of this.

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<v Speaker 1>He wasn't some scumbagg he wasn't a scale He seems

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<v Speaker 1>to have gotten in over his head. He was definitely

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<v Speaker 1>helping the mafia launder their money or organize crime. But

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<v Speaker 1>he was also a dedicated family man who cared very

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<v Speaker 1>much about the safety of his family. And I say

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<v Speaker 1>we take a break and come back and really kind

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<v Speaker 1>of get into the sad story of Charles Morgan's death.

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<v Speaker 2>Let's do it.

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<v Speaker 1>Okay, So surely there's other people out there who know

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<v Speaker 1>much more about this and the chain of events that

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<v Speaker 1>led to this. But if you take it from the

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<v Speaker 1>the story of Ruth Morgan, Charles Morgan's wife, the whole

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<v Speaker 1>thing starts in March of nineteen seventy seven, when all

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<v Speaker 1>of a sudden, one day, Charles Morgan goes missing, and

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<v Speaker 1>he's missing for three days, and he finally turns back up.

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<v Speaker 1>But when he turns back up, he's not carrying like

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<v Speaker 1>flowers and chocolate to apologize. He shows up missing a shoe,

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<v Speaker 1>among other things.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, he's missing a shoe, his hands or zip tied together.

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<v Speaker 2>There are another.

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<v Speaker 3>Set of zip ties that I guess he got out

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<v Speaker 3>of but on one of his ankles. And she immediately

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<v Speaker 3>is like, oh my god, the mafia has their.

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<v Speaker 2>Fingers in your pie.

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<v Speaker 1>That's right.

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<v Speaker 2>I know what this means.

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<v Speaker 3>He was refusing to speak and wrote down on a

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<v Speaker 3>piece of paper. And this is the part that I

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<v Speaker 3>just find interesting and I don't take issue with it,

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<v Speaker 3>but I'll tell you what I mean. He wrote down

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<v Speaker 3>that his throat had been painted with a hallucinogenic drug

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<v Speaker 3>that could either drive him insane or his word, or

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<v Speaker 3>destroy his nervous system and kill him. So don't call

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<v Speaker 3>the cops, and don't say anything out loud, and move

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<v Speaker 3>my car, go hide my car, because I don't want

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<v Speaker 3>them to know I'm back.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah. So I get the impression that he wasn't just

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<v Speaker 1>telling his wife that because they didn't feel like talking

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<v Speaker 1>to her. I think he was naive enough that somebody

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<v Speaker 1>told him that they did that. Yeah, he was really

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<v Speaker 1>worried it was true.

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<v Speaker 3>All right, we're in agreement then, because I don't think

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<v Speaker 3>that's a thing.

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<v Speaker 1>Is it. No? I mean you would still absorb whatever

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<v Speaker 1>drug through the mucous membranes of your mouth.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah.

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<v Speaker 3>What I really tried to dig up, and again there's

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<v Speaker 3>just not a lot. Is like, did he experience any

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<v Speaker 3>you know, drug effects?

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<v Speaker 1>I don't know, but I did see that Ruth nursed

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<v Speaker 1>him back to health from different sources, so I don't

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<v Speaker 1>know what any deal was. He also was handcuffed, so

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<v Speaker 1>it could have been you know, trauma from that, who knows.

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<v Speaker 1>But he didn't want her to call the cops because,

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<v Speaker 1>like I said, he was dedicated to his family, and

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<v Speaker 1>he did not. He was so up against the wall

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<v Speaker 1>that he could not involve the cops. He had to

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<v Speaker 1>figure out how to do this himself. I mean, like

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<v Speaker 1>people write entire books about this few week segment of

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<v Speaker 1>Charles C. Morgan's life. That was the kind of trouble

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<v Speaker 1>he found himself in.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, for sure, super scary stuff. Obviously, after about a week,

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<v Speaker 3>like you said, Ruth had nursed him back to health,

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<v Speaker 3>and things sort of returned to normal in his life,

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<v Speaker 3>except that he started wearing a bulletproof vest. He started

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<v Speaker 3>he grew a beard out to try and kind of

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<v Speaker 3>disguise himself. He started driving his daughters to and from

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<v Speaker 3>school every day when they used to walk, because he

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<v Speaker 3>was worried for their safety.

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<v Speaker 2>And he wouldn't tell his wife what was going on.

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<v Speaker 2>He was just like business as usual.

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<v Speaker 3>And the excuse was like, Hey, I can't tell you

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<v Speaker 3>what's going on because I had to keep you safe.

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<v Speaker 3>He might have hinted that he was a government agent,

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<v Speaker 3>but basically Ruth don't.

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<v Speaker 1>Ask yeah pretty much. So things kind of, like you said,

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<v Speaker 1>get back to normal a little bit. But that was

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<v Speaker 1>March of nineteen seventy seven. In May, a few weeks later,

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<v Speaker 1>he suddenly went missing again. And this time, I mean,

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<v Speaker 1>I can't imagine the dread Ruth experience. Like the first time,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm sure she was like where is that Charles, And

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<v Speaker 1>she had like a rolling pin in her hand or

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<v Speaker 1>something like that, waiting for him to come home. This time,

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<v Speaker 1>after he showed up the way that he did, after

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<v Speaker 1>he started wearing a bulletproof vest as scared as he was,

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<v Speaker 1>and then also not letting her in on anything. Him

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<v Speaker 1>disappearing as second time had to be torture for her.

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<v Speaker 1>I think he was gone nine full days before she

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<v Speaker 1>got a phone call from an anonymous woman, and it

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<v Speaker 1>was a bizarre phone call. So let's say that if

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<v Speaker 1>the whole case wasn't bizarre, Chuck, there's bizarre elements, and

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<v Speaker 1>this is definitely one of them.

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<v Speaker 2>No, no, for sure.

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<v Speaker 3>I mean this stuff is a little weird. She got

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<v Speaker 3>the call from a woman who said he's okay, Charles,

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<v Speaker 3>or I think she called him chuckyman. Chuck is okay,

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<v Speaker 3>He's all right. She also mentioned Ecclesiastes from the Bible,

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<v Speaker 3>chapter twelve, verses one through eight. This would pop up

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<v Speaker 3>again in a second, but I'm sure you went and

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<v Speaker 3>read Ecclesiastes twelve one through eight as I did.

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<v Speaker 1>Weird.

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<v Speaker 3>The only thing I can sum up is that it

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<v Speaker 3>sounded like some Sam Jackson kind of.

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<v Speaker 2>Stuff in pulp fiction.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, kind of like just sort of a scary, ominous

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<v Speaker 3>Biblical passage as how I interpreted that.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I mean yeah, but it was also really odd.

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, I'm sure if I had read much more

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<v Speaker 1>around it, it would have made a little more sense.

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<v Speaker 1>But the end of it being just the way that

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<v Speaker 1>it did. I think somebody said, like lies, these are

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<v Speaker 1>all lies at the end, yeah, which is not you know,

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<v Speaker 1>it was just really strange. So yes, I find that

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<v Speaker 1>bizarre that that was even mentioned. And it also comes

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<v Speaker 1>up again after that. Right, So, this Ecclesiastes twelve cooling

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<v Speaker 1>verses one through eighth is also mentioned on a two

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<v Speaker 1>dollars bill that was found on Charles's body. Chuck's body,

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<v Speaker 1>not you, Chuck. I hate to even say that out loud,

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<v Speaker 1>just the thought is happening to you. Yeah, I appreciate

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<v Speaker 1>it was on this two dollar bill. He had written

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<v Speaker 1>Ecclesiastes twelve, and then he circled a one and an

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<v Speaker 1>eight that were in the serial number of this two

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<v Speaker 1>dollar bill to show reference that this was in verses

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<v Speaker 1>one through eight.

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<v Speaker 2>That's right. Did you say that was in his underwear?

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<v Speaker 1>I didn't. I was leaving that for you.

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<v Speaker 3>It was clipped to the inside of his underwear. The

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<v Speaker 3>bill also had seven Hispanic last names written on it.

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<v Speaker 3>There was a map showing a known drug smuggling route

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<v Speaker 3>between Mexico and Tucson. Yeah, and then the founders on

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<v Speaker 3>that bill, the founders are signing the Declaration of Independence.

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<v Speaker 3>They numbered them one through seven, and then the biblical stuff.

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<v Speaker 3>They also found one of his teeth wrapped up in

0:12:04.640 --> 0:12:07.360
<v Speaker 3>a handkerchief in the car, So there was a piece

0:12:07.360 --> 0:12:10.000
<v Speaker 3>of paper with directions of where he was buried in hand,

0:12:10.200 --> 0:12:13.440
<v Speaker 3>you know, handwritten handwriting, and someone else's sunglasses were in

0:12:13.480 --> 0:12:13.839
<v Speaker 3>the car.

0:12:14.600 --> 0:12:17.760
<v Speaker 1>I've never seen any explanation for what his tooth was

0:12:17.800 --> 0:12:19.319
<v Speaker 1>doing wrapped up in a handkerchief.

0:12:20.720 --> 0:12:21.120
<v Speaker 2>I don't know.

0:12:21.120 --> 0:12:23.480
<v Speaker 3>Maybe they intended to send it as like you would

0:12:24.040 --> 0:12:26.320
<v Speaker 3>a lopped finger, as a warning, and they have never

0:12:26.360 --> 0:12:27.000
<v Speaker 3>got around to it.

0:12:27.000 --> 0:12:28.120
<v Speaker 2>That'd be what I would say.

0:12:28.600 --> 0:12:29.839
<v Speaker 1>But why did he have it?

0:12:31.520 --> 0:12:32.400
<v Speaker 2>Well, that's what I'm saying.

0:12:32.440 --> 0:12:34.079
<v Speaker 3>I mean, clear someone clearly was out there in the

0:12:34.120 --> 0:12:35.319
<v Speaker 3>desert with him in that car.

0:12:36.280 --> 0:12:39.439
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I guess, but I mean left. There's not really

0:12:39.480 --> 0:12:42.480
<v Speaker 1>any bigger message that you could send. Rather than leaving

0:12:42.480 --> 0:12:45.000
<v Speaker 1>his dead, murdered body right by the car, why would

0:12:45.000 --> 0:12:47.640
<v Speaker 1>you put his tooth and a handkerchief in the car.

0:12:47.720 --> 0:12:50.240
<v Speaker 1>It's just strange to me, you know, I would even

0:12:50.280 --> 0:12:51.720
<v Speaker 1>go so far as you call it bizarre.

0:12:52.080 --> 0:12:56.200
<v Speaker 3>Here's here's the scene, the two the two mafia guys

0:12:56.760 --> 0:12:59.600
<v Speaker 3>are driving away and they were like, hey, nobody's ever

0:12:59.600 --> 0:13:01.920
<v Speaker 3>gonna find this body right, not out here, they're not.

0:13:02.320 --> 0:13:06.560
<v Speaker 3>And you got the tooth to mail to the broad right, Oh, Vinnie,

0:13:06.559 --> 0:13:07.440
<v Speaker 3>I left the tooth.

0:13:07.760 --> 0:13:08.520
<v Speaker 2>You left the.

0:13:08.559 --> 0:13:11.800
<v Speaker 1>Tooth right, He said, I thought you said leave the

0:13:11.840 --> 0:13:13.120
<v Speaker 1>tooth grabbed the canoli.

0:13:15.280 --> 0:13:17.480
<v Speaker 3>So that's what I think happened. But yeah, that that

0:13:17.559 --> 0:13:19.720
<v Speaker 3>doesn't make a lot of sense. A couple of days

0:13:19.720 --> 0:13:22.160
<v Speaker 3>after the body was discovered, a woman called the Sheriff's

0:13:22.160 --> 0:13:25.720
<v Speaker 3>department said, I am the person who called Ruth Morgan

0:13:25.760 --> 0:13:29.200
<v Speaker 3>a few days earlier. My name is green Eyes. And

0:13:29.240 --> 0:13:33.920
<v Speaker 3>they said how pretty and she said thank you, and

0:13:34.000 --> 0:13:36.240
<v Speaker 3>they said are your ice green? She said, they're actually

0:13:36.280 --> 0:13:37.120
<v Speaker 3>a shade of blue.

0:13:37.320 --> 0:13:39.040
<v Speaker 1>She said maybe, she.

0:13:39.000 --> 0:13:40.600
<v Speaker 2>Said, but that's not important. She said.

0:13:40.640 --> 0:13:43.880
<v Speaker 3>I met with Chuck at a local motel recently. He

0:13:43.880 --> 0:13:46.040
<v Speaker 3>had been hiding out there for about a week and

0:13:46.160 --> 0:13:48.680
<v Speaker 3>he was on the run. He had a briefcase, like

0:13:48.760 --> 0:13:50.400
<v Speaker 3>had a ton of money. He said that someone put

0:13:50.400 --> 0:13:52.360
<v Speaker 3>a hit out on him and he was getting in

0:13:52.400 --> 0:13:54.920
<v Speaker 3>touch with the hitman to buy back that contract.

0:13:55.800 --> 0:13:57.600
<v Speaker 2>Obviously that did not happen.

0:13:58.600 --> 0:14:02.679
<v Speaker 1>No, And it's that's really just such a sad twist too,

0:14:02.720 --> 0:14:05.400
<v Speaker 1>because he seems to have spent the last week of

0:14:05.440 --> 0:14:09.120
<v Speaker 1>his life on the run under the idea that he

0:14:09.200 --> 0:14:12.240
<v Speaker 1>had some hope. He had hoped that maybe, just maybe

0:14:12.280 --> 0:14:14.960
<v Speaker 1>he could get out of this by buying that contract

0:14:15.000 --> 0:14:19.280
<v Speaker 1>back and maybe this would all go away. But it

0:14:19.320 --> 0:14:21.880
<v Speaker 1>does seem that he did have a contract out in

0:14:21.920 --> 0:14:25.720
<v Speaker 1>his life for real, that it was because he was

0:14:25.800 --> 0:14:30.520
<v Speaker 1>informing on the mafia to the FEDS, the Treasury Department specifically,

0:14:30.520 --> 0:14:32.600
<v Speaker 1>so that does seem to have been true. And then

0:14:32.640 --> 0:14:36.720
<v Speaker 1>that journalist for Unsolved Mysteries, Don Devereaux, he posits, and

0:14:36.760 --> 0:14:38.840
<v Speaker 1>this makes a lot of sense that the hitman did

0:14:38.880 --> 0:14:42.440
<v Speaker 1>get in touch with Chuck Morgan and said, I'm afraid

0:14:42.440 --> 0:14:43.840
<v Speaker 1>to tell you this, but I'm coming to kill you.

0:14:43.880 --> 0:14:46.240
<v Speaker 1>But you can get out of this if you buy

0:14:46.520 --> 0:14:49.720
<v Speaker 1>the contract. So you pay me what the mob's paying

0:14:49.720 --> 0:14:52.880
<v Speaker 1>me to kill you, you pay me to not kill you,

0:14:53.200 --> 0:14:56.280
<v Speaker 1>and we'll just call it even. And not only was

0:14:56.320 --> 0:14:59.480
<v Speaker 1>that a way for this scumbag of a killer to

0:14:59.640 --> 0:15:04.360
<v Speaker 1>make double the amount on the contract by basically duping

0:15:04.560 --> 0:15:06.640
<v Speaker 1>Charles Morgan into thinking he could buy his way out

0:15:06.680 --> 0:15:10.080
<v Speaker 1>of it, it also was a great excuse to get

0:15:10.160 --> 0:15:13.000
<v Speaker 1>him to an isolated spot to hand over the money,

0:15:13.080 --> 0:15:15.120
<v Speaker 1>as it were, but really to murder him out there

0:15:15.120 --> 0:15:18.160
<v Speaker 1>in the desert. Like that's if you look at it

0:15:18.240 --> 0:15:20.840
<v Speaker 1>like that, this guy was so in over his head

0:15:21.280 --> 0:15:23.760
<v Speaker 1>and he was trying so hard to save himself. It's

0:15:23.880 --> 0:15:27.560
<v Speaker 1>so sad this this is just for some reason, this

0:15:27.600 --> 0:15:29.560
<v Speaker 1>one really gets me. I don't know if it's because

0:15:29.600 --> 0:15:33.200
<v Speaker 1>it was recent enough or what, but there's there's just

0:15:33.240 --> 0:15:35.200
<v Speaker 1>a lot to it that really makes me sad for

0:15:35.320 --> 0:15:36.120
<v Speaker 1>him and his family.

0:15:36.720 --> 0:15:40.520
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, and also like I feel so bad that that

0:15:40.600 --> 0:15:43.600
<v Speaker 3>he had that hope that he thought, like, wait a minute,

0:15:43.600 --> 0:15:46.000
<v Speaker 3>so you'll you'll betray the mafia if I just buy

0:15:46.040 --> 0:15:48.560
<v Speaker 3>you out of this thing, and they go, right, yeah, totally,

0:15:48.640 --> 0:15:51.480
<v Speaker 3>that's no big deal, right, and then he actually believed that.

0:15:51.760 --> 0:15:54.280
<v Speaker 3>I mean, what a what a awful way to die

0:15:54.320 --> 0:15:57.080
<v Speaker 3>desperate and also hopeful at the same time.

0:15:57.320 --> 0:16:00.640
<v Speaker 1>I agreed, there's some other weird stuff to this case.

0:16:00.680 --> 0:16:03.360
<v Speaker 1>So I would suggest that anybody who is interested go

0:16:03.760 --> 0:16:06.400
<v Speaker 1>check it out. You can read a lot about it.

0:16:06.840 --> 0:16:11.160
<v Speaker 1>And in the meantime, Rip Chuck Morgan and short Stuff

0:16:11.240 --> 0:16:11.400
<v Speaker 1>is that.

0:16:13.960 --> 0:16:17.160
<v Speaker 2>You Stuff You Should Know is a production of iHeartRadio.

0:16:17.640 --> 0:16:20.840
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0:16:21.040 --> 0:16:22.000
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0:16:22.120 --> 0:16:23.960
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