South of Coldwater, near the Michigan border, stands an old abandoned school built in 1908. I would like to be able to tell you the story of one of its pupils that went on to do something inspiring, but unfortunately, I do not know of such a story. I only know the tragic and sad story of what happened here after the death of a Coldwater High School counselor. On Easter of 1990, Marilyn DePue and her husband Dennis got into a fight. After beating her he coaxed her into his van and then shot her in the head. He dumped her body behind an old church that has since been demolished, then drove down the road passing a brother and sister on an afternoon drive. The pair of siblings went past the old school and noticed the van that had passed them. They also saw a man hiding a bloody sheet behind the abandoned building. Afterward, Dennis fled and the police were not able to arrest him. Robert Stack featured the story on an episode of Unsolved Mysteries. Several tips came in saying a man by the name of Hank Queen living in Dallas Texas fit the description. After a high-speed police chase, Dennis DePue committed suicide before he could be taken into custody.
The story of Marilyn DePue’s murder is thought to be the inspiration for the opening scene of the movie Jeepers Creepers. The director and writer said it was not, but the similarities are uncanny. I found this video on Youtube showing the original Unsolved Mysteries show and the beginning of the movie.
P.S. I wonder how many people who read this even know who Robert Stack was. I was born in 1970 and I only knew him because of Unsolved Mysteries. I am thinking anyone younger than me probably never heard of him.
Oh, and one last thing. I hope my next post will be more inspirational than tragic. I hope you will subscribe to email updates so you won’t miss any new posts or giveaways,
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