Teen Lovers' Pursuit of Grateful Dead Yields Mystery | Mitchel Weiser & Bonnie Bickwit Case Analysis

[@Surge_LaChance]

The Susquehanna is a big river and rivers don't always look the same after a long time. It's understandable that he wouldn't remember or recognize the exact spot.

[@michaelperez9966]

He was also high at the time.

[@cassandragee6589]

Good point. Also, unlike Dr. G I DO believe it’s VERY possible the young couple “Just happened to encounter not 1, but 2 people who wouldn’t bother contacting police after witnessing a drowning” Especially back in the ‘70s

[@GrumpyMeow-Meow]

The Susquehanna River is notorious for dangerous currents. I would never jump into it, and I honestly don’t blame Alan for not jumping in. It would be suicide.

[@MamaMOB]

So a guy who's hitchhiking and stoned not knowing where he is is unbelievable to you? As a person who's bad with directions I get lost within 5 minutes of leaving anywhere I know. So if I were to hitchhike while stoned I'm definitely not going to know where I'm at. And back in the '70s no one called the police. It just wasn't a thing people did. I had to say it but that guy story is 100% believable. An accidental drowning that no one reported.

[@Angelamb1987]

You're not alone. I thought the accidental drowning was the most believable as well.

[@irenebertoni]

I agree. I was shocked that Dr Grande thought the couple running away was a more plausible story than the witness's very plausible drowning story.

[@dianemorton2222]

I agree. I think they drowned.

[@dianemorton2222]

600,000 teenagers is a wild situation. They got lost and probably died. Crazy situation. Sad.

[@Angelamb1987]

@@MOMO41837 how many times are you going to repeat that? I'm pretty sure you're the high one.

[@iricandescence]

The fact that Alan had told multiple people about the drowning really lends credence to his story, plus the effort he put in to contact authorities after seeing the couple on TV. Of course he didn't remember the exact spot after so much time had passed. I would not have ranked that theory as the least plausible.

[@fernfreeman1729]

I know I would have a hard time remembering the area unless I was from there. River banks all look the same after a while.

[@parsleypalace3272]

I once tried to find a river swimming hole we used when I was a child, and when I finally did, the area looked entirely different. And I think my timeline was shorter than the individual's who witnessed the drowning. I found that story quite plausible. Plus young people do things that don't make sense. The VW van guys probably rethought contacting the police not wanting to be embroiled in the whole thing or blamed for their deaths. They were, after all, complete strangers.

[@vonrein4812]

Same that's the most plausible to me. People do really weird things, especially high on *very illegal at the time* marijuana, and way before social media.

[@elco2737]

I tend to agree. I think the drowning theory sounds like the most plausible but the two guys in the van were high and afraid to contact the police, and so they didn't. It also stands to reason that after so much time, and admittedly being stoned, he did not remember the exact location where they drowned.

[@pnwlady]

Two bodies not being found is what I find incredible. Weird story.

[@grumpyoldlady_rants]

I can’t imagine having one of my kids go missing and never know what happened to them. It would be so heartbreaking.

[@vicvega3614]

​@spiderpig1029yea it would be soul crushing, i cant even imagine what that would be like to just have no idea what happened, im not sure how the parents would even go on

[@grumpyoldlady_rants]

@spiderpig1029 - I don’t either.

[@Baysidemom2]

as a parent myself I think it would be worse than knowing your child was murdered... because at least if you know there's closure...if they disappear you can never let go of that faint hope

[@grumpyoldlady_rants]

@@Baysidemom2 - exactly. My late mother-in-law had a brother leave home (intentionally) when she was a teen and he never was heard from again. It was hard on the family.

[@lf9341]

Poor kids. I bet he was murdered for his camera or drowned saving his gf. Stupid cops. So sad the families never had closure.....:(

[@earthn1447]

This is so sad. I think they drowned, the other kids were scared and figured there was nothing to be done. They weren’t heartless, just young and probably high. This is so sad.

[@celesteshenas2155]

Or maybe scared of jumping into moving water that two others were actively drowning in.

[@muttlee9195]

What happened to their belongings gear??

[@adriel7229]

If Alex's story is true I could understand him being afraid to jump in the river while high or contact police in the same condition.

[@muttlee9195]

@@adriel7229 yes and it’s likely he may have shared/ given the weed to the couple or maybe they were on acid or something they would not want the blame. Both looked like they may have experimented with drugs like many young people. Dr Grande doubts this story though. It is hard to imagine witnessing such a tragedy and walking away from it without any action. If the van owner gave them drugs this might explain his reluctance to report to the police as intended as he would be culpable. The police were not popular amongst the counter culture. Anyway it’s a tragically sad story. Such beautiful young people.

[@nhmooytis7058]

Young and high is not an excuse.

[@marlene56-143]

I was at the Watkins Glen Summer Jam. Attended with a girlfriend, got a ride home from some sailors who were on leave from Norfolk. I had no idea that anything like this happened.

[@InanaNinsianna]

The drowning story sounds kind of likely. As far as not remembering the place, I lived in a house, not too far from that area for over a year. One day we decided to drive by the house and see what it looked like because we were in the area. We drove up and down the road in the area where we knew it was and couldn’t figure out if the house had burned down and was no longer there or if we just didn’t recognize the house. Either way we couldn’t figure out where we had lived for over a year, so finding a stretch of river years later, is not at all far-fetched. Also, the fact that he didn’t want to jump in to the river to save two people he didn’t know while he was high, and possibly not just on marijuana (I remember Watkins, Glen - through a haze) is also not impossible. Depending upon the time of the year, the river is up, there can be raging torrents with a lot of rocks and rapids, so the bodies might have been caught underneath the water, and subsequently decomposed and/or eaten by wildlife, the fact that the guy went through that much trouble does say a lot in my opinion. Also back then everybody hitchhiked everywhere and you never remembered who picked you up

[@adriel7229]

Good point about the rocks. In college I went floating down a creek in western NY (west of Watkins Glen). We got pulled into a rough spot and one of the girls in my group got trapped under a rock at the bottom and drowned. A friend risked going back in twice to pull her out but couldn't because she was pinned by the force of the water. A rescue team had to go in the next day to recover her body. Also, I can tell you this happened in Cattaraugus Creek but if you took me there there's no way I could locate the exact spot 25 years later.

[@MyRuno]

No reason a third person would drown as well. That river is quite treacherous. I believe this guy Alan saw two people drown, probably Mitchel and Bonnie

[@j3suisd3]

Yes ... i swim in rivers & a single flood can change a place so much ... some rivers flood twice a year or more. 😪😪

[@bunberrier]

Dont be so quick to dismiss the drowning report. Its easy to believe a doper along for the ride could not locate where they had stopped many years ago. Also easy to believe they didnt want to go to police at the time.

[@DeviledAdvocate]

I definitely wouldn't call Dr. Grande an expert on drug culture 😂

[@OSuzieQBabyILuvU]

Agreed. Makes sense to me that the kids went for a swim, but they underestimated the current. And the vet was smart enough to know that, despite his strength, he would be swept away, too, especially being stoned

[@nunyabisniss1179]

A doper😂 My grandfather used that term. I'm laughing because I could hear him yelling, "God damned dopers!" You couldn't eat a Twinkie after midnight unless you were smoking "refer." 😅

[@bunberrier]

@@nunyabisniss1179You caught me. Not a grandpa yet ( hopefully soon ) but old enough to be one.

[@Thinksso-ej8so]

People drowned in the Delaware so often that at one time they decided to stop allowing people to swim there. I used to swim there a lot but people not used to the currents had difficulty

[@elainecampbell4277]

That's very sad that these young teens never returned home. You're right that the crowd was twice that of Woodstock and for only 3 bands (from memory) was really ridiculous and of course the concert was very hyped-up, given that Woodstock (actually held in the town of Bethel, NY), was only 4 years prior. It was certainly the culture of those times. The parking lot was loaded with RVs, camper-vans, cars, as you can imagine. So many people partying on top of RVs that didn't even belong to them and some with cars actually got in the trunk of their car to 'be alone' and emerging 20 minutes later. At one point, it poured rain like crazy and it was a disgusting mess when walking out. I don't miss those days one bit... not even the music. My favorite part of it all was the drive out of there, a beautiful day with beautiful hilly pastures and cows grazing. Anything could have happened to those poor kids. God bless them and their families. To never have the answers has got to be incredibly unbearable, year after year, decade after decade.

[@catsordogs_lh]

Thank you for sharing your memories, that helps add context. ❤❤

[@vicvega3614]

You didn't like the show at all? I wouldve loved it, were you on any substances?

[@elainecampbell4277]

@@vicvega3614 No substances for me, but, many of those who I knew and those I knew from Long Island and upstate NY did, sadly. I was very into the music scene back then and I really only was looking forward to the Allman Bros. at the time. It was packed and uncomfortable... have to be honest. Glad I thought to bring a lot of big plastic garbage bags and some of us wore them to protect from the pouring rain. At my age, all I really care to listen to anymore are the old gospel hymns that glorify my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

[@Tony_Cardoza]

Where did all those people defecate while at that overcrowded concert? And Elaine, happy to hear that you're so into Jesus Christ! God bless!!

[@jeffrey501green]

Amen brother...​@@elainecampbell4277

[@lichen420]

As a teen I followed the Grateful Dead back and forth across the country from 1990-1995, it is a good way to see the country.

[@pageribe2399]

I did that with a few folk & country artists that I followed back in the seventies. There was no endless partying, but I still got to attend a few subdued gatherings. I also got to meet a lot of really cool people and did get to see a lot of places that I otherwise would have missed. Good memories.

[@debrastarr5083]

I know a guy still doing that

[@shannonEGBOK]

❤

[@buschovski1]

Me and a friend went down to Miami in '87 and saw them. we camped out. I mean, those campgrounds were something

[@jackedkerouac4414]

Were you at the Mountainview, CA show in 95’? Jerry died soon after

[@IdeologieUK]

I’m going for theory number 1. Dr Grande has clearly never been so stoned that he couldn’t find a location, or even know what state he’s in. 🌸

[@simonw1313]

And being stoned out your box would make swimming a low priority particularly if two people have already been swept away.

[@michaelconrad4445]

I was at the show, best party of my life. And yeah likely Mr grande has lived a sheltered life. He’s about as straight as they come which means his experiences in life are safe, controlled and restricted. The complete opposite of the theme of those events.

[@aumike66]

Also some people are just very bad at finding places. And the place has probably changed a lot in almost 30 years due to tree growth and whatnot.

[@brookesurlet9753]

And how else do you explain the fact that people said he told them about it back then?

[@IdeologieUK]

@@brookesurlet9753 spot on!

[@kittitaskid]

Imagine how many times things like this happenned in the 60's and 70's.

[@Thinksso-ej8so]

Yes

[@pipermccool]

They were born under a dark star, and deserved one more Saturday night, and much more, after truckin’ down that golden road. Truly a story of US blues.

[@marilynmcmahon5932]

It is tragic to loss young people and I am sure they families never got over it.

[@jaqueitch]

Stupidity reigned supreme back then, when people hitched rides from strangers. The peak of serial killer activity. Stupid is as stupid does

[@donnamariedavidson5065]

Yes I agree, it's truly heartbreaking for their families.

[@sondragramse1770]

In those days, people could get away with criminal acts against hitch hikers ... no cctv , etc.

[@vicvega3614]

They still do

[@jhozthron4415]

Yeah i mean goes for most crimes, nowadays you cant really get away with anything anymore.. just take a look at the amount of door bell camera's.. everyone is being filmed 24/7 while in public.

[@MIKECNW]

Oh really?

[@vicvega3614]

@@jhozthron4415 you sound disappointed, what were ur younger years like ? Lol jk

[@Veruska75]

@@jhozthron4415That’s very recent though and only in the States to that extent. And only 10 years ago the situation was totally different. Hell, only 5 years ago!

[@terrioestreich4007]

I think that the times were very different back then, the rejection of authority. I also remember that there seemed to be a lot of serial killers back then. And those kids were probably pretty vulnerable, and probably more than a little unsophisticated.

[@grumpyoldlady_rants]

I’m a year older than Mitchel - only I grew up on the west coast. The 70s were some wild times. I hitchhiked quite a bit in my teens. I had a few close calls but always managed to tell the man no and get out of their vehicle. My best friend and roommate wasn’t so lucky. After she was sexually assaulted by two men who picked her up hitchhiking, I pretty much stopped thumbing rides.

[@michaelconrad4445]

I was born in 1956 and attended Watkins Glenn, most outrageous event I’ve ever witnessed. So much fun. Absolutely mind blowing. Dr grande is a square from academia and likely has little concept of those things that don’t fit excepted conventions, though I do enjoy is occasional point of view. He does have his insights relevant or not

[@robertgiles9124]

Plenty of serial killers out there now. Look it up. FBI keeps track and last time I heard there were plenty in the US. .There are dozens who have not been caught and some go dormant. New ones born all the time.

[@troy3456789]

@@michaelconrad4445 Can it be possible that the concert was great and also that Dr Grande is not your enemy square?

[@debishaw9355]

We hitch hiked in the early 70’s. Such idiots we were.

[@VarsityBookworm]

"The Grateful Dead are not the best at what they do -- they are the only ones who do what they do"

[@blazingstar9638]

Yess

[@michaelconrad4445]

I was at the Watkins Glenn show. Best party I’ve ever attended. More fun than a barrel of monkeys !😂

[@sadiestoltzfus9798]

What exactly does the Grateful Dead do. I personally never cared for the band.

[@JerryLeeHowell2]

The Grateful Dead just knocked it out of the park with merchandising. You put on Franklin's Tower and 3/4 of them would tell you to turn that folkey shit down.

[@stephanietino10]

@@sadiestoltzfus9798it's a 'family' of fellow music followers. They have similar values and sometimes grooves to acid and other drugs. It was a very friendly and safe place to just be and meet people, dance, etc. I saw them in the 70's in San Bernardino CA. Best concert, besides Pink Floyd and Van Halen. The music scene was rich and textured.

[@Jfladager]

Sometimes if I'm driving around and, just for a minute, I forget where I am or where I'm going? I find the practice of accepting this and not panicking and not trying to "figure out" where you are exactly. Be ok with NOT knowing and suspend that for a long as you can....and if you never do, you really *are* living in the moment!

[@trentbrownstone1481]

Psh

[@blk5124]

So sad for kids to do stuff before they're able to keep themselves safe. Traveling without enough money or your own transportation . . . not great ideas. How awful for them to have realized they weren't going to see their families again. I pray the families can get closure.

[@hatuletoh]

I always hoped they made it to the show.

[@eadweard.]

Why's that?

[@lorettaprice8167]

Me too 😢

[@hatuletoh]

@@eadweard. Because they went to a lot of effort to get to that concert, and however it happened, they were almost certainly dead not long after it ended. So I hope that at least they got to see the show they paid so dearly for.

[@tdoran]

Summer Jam 1976; I was 14. My mom took me and my friend and caught us smoking weed LOL. Good times.

[@Obladgolated]

In 1973, NY State was under the "Rockefeller Drug Laws," which could generate a lengthy prison term for possession of just a small quantity of pot; these laws went into effect in May of 1973. Young people were quite paranoid about them at that time. Any kid who looked high, or who was anywhere around drugs, would not have wanted to become involved with the police in any way. Once you crossed into Pennsylvania, you would no longer be subject to these penalties, of course.

[@judytaylor3099]

I’m in my 80’s and my best friend and I used to hitchhike often back in the 50’s. We were oblivious to the dangers. Yikes!

[@hateeternalmaver]

I'm usually not greatly interested in the cases themselves (the recent 'submersible' -one brought me here) nor the technical "mental" side of things but I just can't stop listening to Dr. Grande analyzing _what could happen in situations like_ the ones mentioned...^^ *thaaanks*

[@LDiamondz]

So glad I got here early for once. Now, on with the Dr.Grande show! Love it! ❤

[@globes179]

The drowning story sounds like the kind of tale a killer makes up to separate himself from guilt. Other killers have been caught doing exactly that.

[@markmike7933]

And he gets attention and it's way past any chance they're gonna find out he killed them....bodies are long gone. Could be.

[@Thinksso-ej8so]

Could be.

[@LifeisaHorrorMovie]

Yes. It sounds to me like he's going for the oldest trick in the killer's testimony playbook, viz., "the most convincing lies are made up of half-truths and omissions". I think if he was involved in their disappearance (which I have a feeling he was), he probably disposed of their bodies in the river. So technically, he is telling the truth as far as them ending up in the water, except he's omitting the part that they were already dead when they went in because he put them there. The account about there being another person (the bus driver) could also be partly rooted in fact, in that he had an accomplice, and that accomplice did bring a vehicle (Volvo or not) to assist in either the actual killing and/or just the body disposal. Then there's the fact that he claims to remember the specific make and color of the vehicle, but has forgotten the more significant details, like the site of the actual drowning? Doesn't track. I think he specified that it was an "orange Volvo" because it was NOT in fact, orange or a Volvo. That was clearly an attempt at misdirection by supplying descriptions that are inaccurate, yet not entirely false. As far as their bodies not being found.. an accidental drowning, again, more likely than not should have led to eventual discovery of the remains. Since they will have gone in with limbs intact, becoming more buoyant and resurfacing naturally in time. Meanwhile, an active disposal of the bodies in the water post-mortem will obviously be done in a manner consistent with preventing resurfacing and discovery, either by way of dismemberment and/or use of weights to reduce buoyancy and chances of eventual floating. That is to say, when someone puts you in the water (as opposed to you putting yourself in there), your remains will have already been dealt with in a manner that will reduce chances of floating to the surface and, in turn, facilitate the likelihood of them settling at the bottom, leading to complete and eventual disintegration through decomposition and consumption. So, even with that theory, if they did end up in the water, the fact that their bodies never floated up to the surface so as to be discovered (as is the case with the bodies of almost all victims of accidental drowning, because intact corpses become incredibly buoyant and bloated with the gases that rise up inside over the next few days, effectively making them float to the surface almost certainly in time) makes it that much less likely that they went in alive and whole, or at the very least without any external intervention.

[@nataliamartinez6834]

The drowning story is believable, and just because they didn’t jump in to save them doesn’t mean that wasn’t the right move. Mother Nature is ruthless and sometimes water looks friendly but it’s not and it can carry you away in a riptide situation. Too much time passed as well 16:02 to be able to find their bodies in nature too, most likely the wildlife claimed them. This is so sad and heartbreaking, they had their whole lives ahead of them. 😢💔

[@suzimonkey345]

When we were their age my friend & I hitched to a large rock concert! I only told my parents when I was a middle aged mother myself. They would have been so worried!

[@buschovski1]

He didnt jump in because they were getting swept away in a strong current. not remembering the location is no surprise either. That would be much more difficult then one thinks. And sometimes bodies disappear under water never to be found. this is what I think anyway.

[@tanyaedwards4574]

This story brings home that I really have angels watching over me- I used to hitch-hike with friends all of the time, and one night, got into the wrong car/driver. We ended up in a brothel, escaped by using my ( yes, *my*) intelligence, almost got killed on the way home by the taxi driver once he knew that we weren't his normal custmers. Another time a friend and I accepted lifts from bikers who took us out for drinks, and then dropped us off at home safely. Another time, a friend and I got a lift home from a man who decicded to expose himself once he dropped us off. Unfortunately, their untimely deaths was ordained. I wish their families peace. At no time were any of my friends or I were looking for a "good time" , we innocently wanted to go out. Just like this young couple did.

[@Tony_Cardoza]

That was me who gave you and your friend that lift. I remember doing that to yall.

[@wendiwonderly1419]

It was a more innocent time, one that’s hard to remember. Young people did hitchhike and sometimes crash at strangers homes. Things we wouldn’t do today or allow our grandchildren to do. I grew up in a rural farming community in Pennsylvania. I remember running through the neighbors fields and climbing trees in the wooded area. It was great to grow up that way but those days are over

[@MaddieTheZombie]

they literally died what the hell do you mean it was great 😂

[@wendiwonderly1419]

Great memories for me but not safe by any standards. And tragic for these two young people and their families. That kind of naïveté was exploited by people like Charles Manson and Ted bundy. The good old days weren’t always so good @@MaddieTheZombie

[@Tony_Cardoza]

​​@@wendiwonderly1419The good old days were the late 40s thru the early 60s. By 1967, the good old days were gone and we first entered clown world times, where leftist communists infiltrated several powerful institutions in the Western world and have been weakening the West ever since. That's how we got to where we are today, where men think they're women, women think they're men, and we put men who prey on women physically in prison with vulnerable women.

[@lastpme]

May they Rest in Peace and pray for the families 🙏🏾

[@EllisHCN]

Haven’t commented in awhile but just wanted to thank you again for your time and effort Dr. Grande! Your videos are so insightful and enjoyable. I really appreciate all your hard work and hope you and your family are doing great!

[@DrDemented9885]

I don’t care how physically fit you are you go off on someone/in and screaming in the river odds are they’re gonna bring you down with them and drowned you. That’s why they teach you and lifeguard school to swim in approach the person but call them first before you make any kind of contact. Plus the dude was high so that might’ve been a big factor in his motivation and Dr. grande I don’t mean this is any kind of insult. I really love your videos and I think they’re amazing but some people are just cowards, who cleaned the idea of self preservation over helping. And we really don’t know how fast this all happened happened in a matter of a minute.

[@Tony_Cardoza]

I think that guy made the whole drowning story up to sound interesting to his dumb friends. Then, he involved himself in this case of missing teens all those years later because he was a loser who didn't have anything else going on in his life, and he wanted to be on tv.

[@fernfreeman1729]

​@tonyc.7538 It's too far-fetched to be false. When he said the two had turned back, many did as roads were clogged, that's when I started believing him. You don't invent a story like that.

[@c.r.k.7162]

Yeah, I don't think Dr. G has much experience with river sports, judging by this video.

[@DrDemented9885]

I give Dr. G a pass. He makes 2 HQ vids a day. No time for river sports lol. Your reply made me laugh thanks i needed it today!

[@troy3456789]

My parents often told me no, but with no explanation for their answer "no". Later I find out the whys for many different restrictions placed upon me. I lived for explanations that made sense as a child growing up. I always asked "why?" for many assertions that annoyed the grownups in my life. It turns out that explanations for different things are nothing more than theory that make sense of an observed phenomena. Their parents both told them no, and should of probably explained why to them. We do not know if they would have listened or not, because it was never attempted.

[@tinameyer7080]

"Because I SAID so, THAT'S why."

[@troy3456789]

@@tinameyer7080 I know right? It just made me curiouser.

[@tinameyer7080]

@troy3456789 Yeah. I hear you. It just made me frustrated. I was like you, I thought I just wanted to understand the "why/why not". If I'm being honest though, even as a child, I had my entire argument laid out in my head, whose parent was going to drop off/pick up, how much money I had or needed, why I REALLY needed to go- prepared to argue any and all points that they made.....their reply left NO opportunity for that kind of debate. Now that I'm almost sixty and raised my own kids- I see how TOTALLY BRILLIANT my parents actually were 😀 Have a blessed day!

[@troy3456789]

@@tinameyer7080 I understand you. I believe you are saying that it was better overall that they did not entertain any discussion about their "no" decision. I am not sure I am totally onboard with it, and here's why. The parent-child relationship is special. I can see telling the child to do something, or not do something in a hurry with the promise of better explanation afterwards. In the case of "Go outside because there's a fire!" There's really no time for explanation. There's no time for 20 questions. The explanation & evidence will be obvious with the arrival of fire trucks and smoke billowing out. Even in such cases mutual trust is crystalized if a parent takes the time, after the hubbub when it is safe, to explain why they did what they did, and why they commanded immediate action. In this case there was likely already a lack of mutual trust from previous actions and commands with no known explanations. We observe the results of that here.

[@GoGreen1977]

I graduated from high school in 1973. There is no way I would have even thought about going to a "jam" like this one described. Sounded like hell on earth back then and just as awful now. I could never understand why so many of my peers wanted to be in those crowds, mud, and trash.

[@trentbrownstone1481]

To feel cool

[@Flamsterette]

Thanks for the upload, Dr. Grande! I look forward to your humour!

[@duvessa2003]

The camp had Bonnie working 16 hrs days and would not give her time off to attend a special event. I can understand her quitting on the spot. I just wish things had turned out better and whichever camp administrator made the decision to refuse a simple request from a teenager they were actively exploiting, would think twice before doing it again.

[@Tony_Cardoza]

That's how those people do one another. She was working "the Borscht belt" so connect the dots.

[@tonyducks1121]

​@@Tony_CardozaYour comment is spot on. They definitely do each other when they can . They're equal opportunity shysters.

[@Tony_Cardoza]

@@tonyducks1121 Yeah, they're just like blacks in that sense. But they'll never admit it and blame others for doing the same to them, but never each other.

[@13donstalos]

It wouldn't have changed the outcome of the story

[@Byzmax]

Dr Grande. Attempting to apply logic to a situation that occurred 50 years ago is like trying to understand the behaviour of people in a foreign country, That world is a very different place. The way you described their behaviour is like it's the behaviour of another species. The description that guy gave of the drowning, (whilst not a great advert for humanity) is in fact entirely believable to me. If i saw one person in trouble in a river I would not jump in unless I was absolutely certain of getting out alive with them but I would try to save them if possible. You stated her boyfriend attempted to help her and got swept away. Why would you then do the same? This actually goes against the advice for dealing with a person in difficulty in water. I actually think that not being able to understand this situation shows the limitations of counselling and psychoanalysis because, like all people that have not truly experienced something you can't grasp the forces driving emotions and events from text books.

[@dianecripps204]

This story really takes me back to how different life was back in the summer of 1973, when I was 17. For example, the 911 system had only been established in a minority of locations. "Notifying the police" was not as simple. Maybe the van driver did notify the police, and they dismissed it, just the way the police ignored the parents at first.

[@frankieoz8350]

Awww, this hurts. Two young people just wanted to go to a concert that meant everything to them

[@chelwesch68]

I can't believe you did this. This story really affected me. Just recently read about it and now that I have sons older then they where, I can't imagine what their family went through.

[@danielosmon]

The chaotic concert was a cascade of commotion containing colossal crowds and curious characters. Perhaps a pernicious predator, plied pandemonium, to persue a pairless plot of pain.

[@GenXfrom75]

Such a sad loss of two young people. Not getting answers (or justice, if applicable) would be torturous for their loved ones 😢

[@CarolH2]

Excellent use of alliteration Dr.!!!

[@williamtruitt3346]

Thanks Dr. Grande for examining this case, I can't imagine what the families went through.

[@sylviaross5722]

I love it when you do the alliteration.

[@renee1961]

I've lost my Auntie to Murder. We got Justice. As Heart Shattering as it was, and still is,, not knowing Anything is Unimaginable!! My heart goes out to Bonnie, and Mitchell, and their Families. Prayers for Answers.💔💔💔💔🙏🙏🙏🙏🥀🥀🥀🥀

[@lenymitchell]

You are the best. I love the way you relay the stories. You are funny and it still doesn't take away from the serious nature of the stories. 😊

[@gabe-po9yi]

I’m not surprised the police took no interest in the case at the time. So many kids ran off from home during those days and were very mobile, with hitchhiking a major mode of transportation, and there was much disapproval from the govt, agencies and adults, in general, about the tone of this cultural revolution, with much hostility toward the young people who participated in it, even if it was just a guy who all he did was let his hair grow out. I think the van hitchhike, swept away while swimming scenario is very plausible. Because police were so hostile, if young people had adopted any of the looks, the lingo, etc. they were automatically thought of as druggies and were hassled, so I’m not surprised it wasn’t reported if that’s what occurred.

[@Tony_Cardoza]

If I knew a certain haircut or fashion style would get me hassled by the police, I certainly wouldn't adopt that style. I know teenagers are stupid but thats a little too stupid. "Yeah, let me dress like a drug addict and a criminal. That look is sure to take me far in life."

[@fourfurrypotatoes]

Doctor! I love your videos!

[@blazingstar9638]

I always hope Dr Grande will have an opportunity to make a New Jersey joke in his videos

[@wendybond2848]

Kids never think about the impact on their family, should things go terribly wrong.

[@kens2328]

Dr. Grande’s alliterative efforts = C+

[@marigoldpluss]

Very sad story. I think they drowned. The man did not want to get implicated originally by reporting it. The driver never reported it either. May their souls RIP.

[@Zzyzzyx]

Shame on the police. If not for their incompetence, the families would not have gone 50 years or forever without answers.

[@eadweard.]

What are you basing that on?

[@Zzyzzyx]

@@eadweard. Well, I shouldn't have said "would not" - I should have said "may well not have."

[@dissidentfairy4264]

I agree! Another thought I had could it have been an inside job? I say this because they lost the dental records and evidence the family had provided. It seems unbelievably incompetent to me to lose it. Maybe it wasn't lost at all. Maybe it was deliberately gotten rid of by an unscrupulous officer who may have been involved in the crime. A corrupt cop could have seen two young vulnerable kids in need. They think he will help them and he sees an opportunity to rape the girl and kill them believing he can get away with it. No one will ever suspect him. Then he steals the evidence from the precinct and discards it. It may be a crazy theory but stranger things have happened. I still think the "eye-witness" may be the #1 suspect, but I don't see theory #2 as too far fetched, or it could have been a random killer. I'm still betting on theory #1.

[@texasrefugee7888]

Back then cops hated "hippies" They still do

[@Zzyzzyx]

@@texasrefugee7888 Ohhh, that's a good explanation. Man, how sad.

[@petercollin5670]

The Susquehanna does not flow through a wilderness. I doubt two bodies that drowned there would not be recovered somehow.

[@vicvega3614]

It was 1973 it looked different and ill have to look up the susquehanna river, it doesn't flow through any wilderness? I know the Allegheny does

[@petercollin5670]

@@vicvega3614 it is used by canoers and fishermen, flows through many towns along the way.

[@vicvega3614]

@@petercollin5670 its actually the oldest river on earth, did not know that, but it definitely flows through a lot of farms and rural areas, and it says the speed and currents are brutal in spots

[@petercollin5670]

@@vicvega3614 farmers are the kind of folks who would notice a flock of buzzards swarming on a dead body.

[@vicvega3614]

@@petercollin5670 unless bigger animals got the bodies idk but its sad

[@sngray11]

I remember watching a documentary on this case. It is heartbreaking that Mitchel’s and Bonnie’s families and loved ones have never received answers, justice, or even being able to lay Mitchel and Bonnie to rest in a cemetery where their families and loved ones can pay them respect.

[@rejaneoliveira5019]

This is a heartbreaking case. I tend to believe that foul play was the reason for their disappearance. Thank you for covering this case, Dr. Grande.❤

[@lorenfulghum2393]

I lived in Sullivan County for a year or so. Beautiful countryside. LOTS of summer camps.

[@markmike7933]

I leave this one to folks who were in their teens or 20s during that era. I heard it was kind of wild.

[@holidayhansel]

Imagine being related to someone in one of these stories and hearing the doctor break into goofy alliteration lol

[@Tony_Cardoza]

I would laugh about it.

[@ea8269]

They were probably robbed and killed for their expensive camera.

[@rundbaum]

this sounds like an unfortunate unfolding of events through time . . .

[@btetschner]

"A different kind of summer jam" - Love it! Alan's story is hard to believe, though it is so unusual that it might have actually happened. I am curious where a couple like that would go if they ran away.

[@AbeBSea]

Quitting my menial job to see a '73 Dead show? FUCK. YES.

[@MelEveritt]

Thanks Doc, always great videos. Us Aussies tune in as we love and get your sense of humour. 😅

[@dissidentfairy4264]

I think Mitchell and Bonnie fell victim to foul play. It's very sad. The so-called eye-witness might even have been involved in their demise. Perpetrators often go back to the scene of the crime. They can't seem to resist re-involving themselves. 🧚‍♀

[@dissidentfairy4264]

So the witness didn't have enough concern and compassion to call the police over two drowning victims but he has enough concern to pop up 50 years later to help look for them? I don't believe they drown unless they were deliberately thrown into the water after being injured or killed.

[@tombreckinridge6218]

@@dissidentfairy4264it’s called guilt. He didn’t report it then and feels bad about it now.

[@irenebertoni]

@@tombreckinridge6218 Absolutely! And it was also explained that he was stoned and didn't want contact with the police. And he had the driver's word that he would contact police at the next gas station.

[@dissidentfairy4264]

Maybe, maybe not. @@tombreckinridge6218

[@Tony_Cardoza]

​@@irenebertoniYou don't stay stoned for 10 hours. They were in the middle of nowhere, he knows he would have sobered up by the time they got somewhere to contact the police. I think the guy who claimed he saw them drown was a loser who wanted to get on television and pretend he was helping. He was just as credible as those psychics the chick's mother contacted.

[@thegatesofdawn...1386]

Something happened to them, that's for sure. Imagine the anguish their parents went through. 😳 Hitch hiking is risky.

[@Mandrake591]

Yes it is. It used to be so much more common, especially around that time. It’d be great if it wasn’t so risky.

[@muttlee9195]

So sad for Bonny and Mitchell such a lovely couple poor family they sound good people.

[@MIKECNW]

What is it with some PD's that can't help people when they need it?

[@bungalobill7941]

If the guy was just making up the story then why didn't he just claim a certain location? This adds to his credibility it doesn't take it away. Also unless the guy has some history of being a pathological liar or wanting attention he had nothing to gain from the story.

[@dandrummond9154]

OK, in the guy's defense, they were stoned hippies. He wouldn't want to talk to police, like...ever. People that are stoned and then asked to find a location again 30 years later have remarkably little in common with a homing pigeon. Slow reaction time is up there with red eyes, cotton mouth, giggling, being confused, and being lazy as an iconic symptom of marijuana use. The most likely explanation is that he was telling the truth, but there was no van driver. He was simply saying this to diminish responsibility.

[@jamesbowman6925]

I would like to know about Alan Smith's original account of witnessing a drowning as told to his friends. Did he mention the names of the victims at the times? Did he describe them accurately? If he was high on marijuana, that could easily explain why he didn't contact the police; he may have simply been too stoned to care. The driver may have been stoned as well.

[@elizabethblane201]

And in those days, if you were caught with one joint, you could go to prison for 20 years, so it's understandable why he did not go to the police at the time.

[@JinJinDoe]

Navy veteran? Was he a Vietnam navy veteran? So the psychic was right? 😮

[@michelleloveday6929]

Wow, what a creepy situation. I like the way you explained his murder because I was confused about that. Why both? But, you have had shows where this exact thing happens. It's usually because they know the other person will contact the authorities. That also makes you wonder if someone did it out of anger.

[@NatBKyiv]

Both driver and witness were high and didn’t want to contact the police. And that’s also the reason why they couldn’t help the couple

[@jimcronin2043]

I was 16 yo in 1968, not many years removed from this incident. Young people hitchhiking in those days were common sights. Young people were incredibly naive and received false confirmation of their naive attitudes because there were countless hitchhiking miles logged without incident. I believe that many incidents were never reported. Young people believed in "peace and love" and thought that other young people also believed in that.

[@jasonfield3903]

HORRIFICALLY SAD.😰💔😰.

[@coffeeisgood102]

In my younger naive years I used to hitch hike. Got picked up by all sorts of people. A drunk driver with one arm in a cast speeding 120 mph down a country road and then a fellow who told me he would take me to his farm to live. He told me he takes other boys and they are happy there. Thankfully I was able to get out of the car and not become another kidnap victim. That ride is what woke me up to the dangers of hitch hiking.

[@jean-marcknight8816]

Oh boy, the Allman brothers and the Dead 🤤

[@theresabromar5415]

My thoughts exactly!!! Keep on trucking... & Eat a peach.

[@elizabethwarman9028]

Good afternoon Dr Grande, excellent analysis . As always I learn something new from your videos. The 70s was the decade to hitchhike. Not always a great idea. Have a great evening.

[@azulgaia7782]

Poor kids. My brother and a friend hitchhiked to Woodstock, back when he was a teen. I'm sure it was dangerous back then too, but, imagine the feeling of freedom. As a female, I've never known that opportunity. And, even though I'm not one to believe the crime rate is really worse these days, it seems obvious that we live in more fear now.

[@Tony_Cardoza]

The crime rate is Wayyyyyy worse now. Just look at the FBI statistics.

[@davidveloske279]

Thanks Dr.

[@mrazik131]

i believe that the being high on marihuana could make someone not help and just watch and then be like dude what was that... and just pass out...being stoned is not state of being responsible... Yes they could just drown and got swept by the river, animals could finish them off...

[@michaelconrad4445]

Ridicules theory, ha ha you’ve seen to many Beemis and Butt head cartoons you silly fool 😂

[@vicvega3614]

Marijuana * and yes ur right i believe they drowned in the river

[@oubliette862]

Dr.Grande, I seen your anniversary short, its belated but congratulations. It pleases me to know that people I like are fortunate in life. very good....or people that I believe I would like if I actually knew them in this case. the grateful dead remind me of the doomed engineer because of the song. which makes me think of the guy that had a powder tamping rod blasted through his head while putting train track down and survived for a few years after. of course, he wasn't the same man anymore after that accident.

[@tommays56]

I worked with a women who’s son ditched law school to become a dead head which broke her ❤

[@WyldFyreFli]

I'm a recovered drug addict and my number 1 fear was I would go missing and no one would look for me. It was wildly out of character for me to disappear but I figured no one would bother anyway.

[@pipermccool]

They were born under a dark star, and deserved one more Saturday night, and much more, after heading down that golden road. Truly a story of US blues.

[@Tony_Cardoza]

Vomits

[@traildoggy]

I too quit a job to go to Grateful Dead concerts. I don''t regret it at all. 😎🧡✌

[@debrastarr5083]

Priorities!

[@suzimonkey345]

😡 Psychics are emotional & financial vampires! I wish they would leave vulnerable people alone! 🤬

[@clootscalhoun9481]

Not sure why Dr Grande is so eager to dismiss the drowning story. Them starting a new life unbeknownst to anyone else is MORE likely? No way.

[@AxelordSMIJES]

I wonder what decade was truly the last one in which a human being could successfully "disappear"? Probably the 90s, possibly even the 80s.

[@jesperkjaer8268]

It's still possible. Personal experience. Some intel services use it as a practice/training. For six months I lived in a backpack - always ready to move at a moments notice. Had no real ID - took odd jobs around southern Europe while accomplishing tasks given over burner phones. Not even my employers knew my "new" name or where I lived. I've slept the most weird places, also outside, and worked shitty jobs.

[@Zzyzzyx]

4:09 Where's Waldo?

[@MarioDSLife]

Can you analyze the case of Andrew Gosden who disappeared from London Kings Cross railway station?

[@lbeggs1764]

Please consider analyzing Gigi Jordan.

[@naomilasby7744]

The alliteration. Be still my heart 💗💗💗 .

[@bboppppppppppppp]

watkins glen is a beautiful area. getting lost in the woods there is like heaven

[@bboppppppppppppp]

i miss new york so bad, i want to be able to live in the state again one day.

[@marigoldpluss]

​@@bboppppppppppppp Same

[@catholicactionbibleonlyist1813]

use to live not far from Narrowsburg, New York

[@ttrainor70]

Watkins Glen was a legendary show