A case I saw on Unsolved Mysteries..

[georgiagirl]

I cannot find any info about wether it has been solved or not.

A man and a woman are driving home at night and they are in separate cars following each other and they stop off somewhere for some reason and a strange man pulls up behind them and just sits there staring at them. They pull off and get on the highway and the man follows them and tails them the whole way so then they pull off and the man (Dick Hanson) gets out to confront the man and the strange man points at the back of the woman's car and says something and Dick Hanson says "Get the hell outta here!' and the stranger pulls out a gun and shoots and kills him. After the shots are fired the woman jumps out of her car and looks back at the man and he just sat and stared at her and then drove off.

Does anyone remember this case? I want to say it was in Seattle, maybe...and the victim was a former pro football player and newly divorced.

[Cambria]

I just saw it on UM yesterday too!!! I googled it but to no avail...I looked under Dick Hanson and Dick Hansen, football player, California..the only thing I came up with was the UM episode we just saw and they spelled it Hansen. I would love to read more about this too...very strange case

[georgiagirl]

I just saw it on UM yesterday too!!! I googled it but to no avail...I looked under Dick Hanson and Dick Hansen, football player, California..the only thing I came up with was the UM episode we just saw and they spelled it Hansen. I would love to read more about this too...very strange case
That is funny! I did the exact same thing! Tried both spellings of that name and everything. Odd that it is not anywhere!

[bykerladi]

Could you please post the UM link? I couldn't find it on the website...

[Cambria]

Could you please post the UM link? I couldn't find it on the website...
I went back and looked at it again it wasn't exactly a link to the show...it was a link to the show listing on the Internet Movie Database, or the IMDB. When I googled Dick Hansen murder on Unsolved Mysteries, I only got one hit and that's where it took me.

Here's the link but it really doesn't mention that episode except to list every show each season..and I looked through some but not all of them. I think all it would do would be to give a description of the episode.

Sorry! I wish there was more info on it! It evidently never got solved even after that episode because I could find nothing more than this link:

http://unisolthereturn.imdb.com/title/tt0094574/

[welder 79]

i think i remember that.. didn't that woman have a rear license plate with 49's hugs or something like that on it. and they though that maybe what that guy was mad over a blame football team...What a reason to shoot some one over

[brink]

There is a website for the Unsolved Mysteries Program

http://www.tv.com/unsolved-mysteries/show/4540/episode_listings.html?tag=tabs;episodes

I don't know what year this particular episode aired (this is all by original airdates)

On the Lifetime website it doesn't list the recent episode, possibly after they update.

http://www.unsolved.com/home.html

hope you can find it.

[lilsister]

I saw that episode the other day and I has been on my mind...why did he follow her car? The license plate...Not a fan of the fact that she liked a different team than he did...that was a pretty weak reason for killing but who knows!

[Amy Noel]

This is the only info I could find from UM IMBb boards....
http://unisolthereturn.imdb.com/title/tt0094574/board/thread/42794569

If the link doesn't work.....


Anyone remember this case?

Dick Hansen, a former college football player in San Jose (Calif) was out on a date with a woman when suddenly this guy in a Camaro began to follow Dick's girlfriend and she was following behind Dick b/c she was bad with directions. That being said, when Dick & his girlfriend pulled over, so did the stalker, and when Dick confronted the guy, Dick was shot 2 times fatally. That being said, cops believe the killing could be related to the license plate of Dick's girlfriend which read something like "49R HUGZ" and perhaps it was a fan who was angry because Dick fit the bill of a football player. This case happened around 1993 if my memory serves me correct.

Any updates?

[Dr. Doogie]

That being said, cops believe the killing could be related to the license plate of Dick's girlfriend which read something like "49R HUGZ" and perhaps it was a fan who was angry because Dick fit the bill of a football player. Sounds like it could have been an Oakland Raiders fan.

[Angels_Not_Forgotten]

ok so he was pointing to her car, why assume that it was the plate? I mean, it could be anything, like did she get the car at an auction? Could a drug dealer have stashed drugs in the car and was trying to get her to pull over? Could she have known the culprit, I mean, its just strange that out of all the cars with something football related he picks this car? I dont know...strange all right!

[Angels_Not_Forgotten]

ok now im going become slightly obsessed with this case. I cant even find the link to the unsolved mysteries but I did see the link about someone asking about the case. Does anyone know if dick was maybe a nick name? Tried richard but didnt work. also, where was he murdered, in san jose?

[Cambria]

I've been looking everywhere too and can't find it. I know he was a football player but can't remember if they said he actually played for the 49ers. I found this site below and went through their rosters from 1950 to 1996 and couldn't find his name. Maybe he played for someone else. But I do remember watching the UM episode last week and during the reenactment they showed Dick Hansen getting out of his car and going back to ask the guy why he was following them. The guy said something to him and pointed to the license plate on the back of the car which said something 49ers. At that point Mr. Hansen threw his hands up in the air in disbelief at what the guy said and then told him to get out of there. That's when he got shot. I even looked in the San Jose Mercury News archives, as far back as the online archives go, and there was nothing. I went to Newspaperarchive.com but there is no San Jose newspaper on there at all. I THOUGHT they said on UM that it happened in San Jose but not sure. It's so baffling not to be able to find ANYTHING about it at all!

http://www.jt-sw.com/football/pro/teams.nsf/histories/49ers/

[Amy Noel]

I've been looking everywhere too and can't find it. I know he was a football player but can't remember if they said he actually played for the 49ers. I found this site below and went through their rosters from 1950 to 1996 and couldn't find his name. Maybe he played for someone else. But I do remember watching the UM episode last week and during the reenactment they showed Dick Hansen getting out of his car and going back to ask the guy why he was following them. The guy said something to him and pointed to the license plate on the back of the car which said something 49ers. At that point Mr. Hansen threw his hands up in the air in disbelief at what the guy said and then told him to get out of there. That's when he got shot. I even looked in the San Jose Mercury News archives, as far back as the online archives go, and there was nothing. I went to Newspaperarchive.com but there is no San Jose newspaper on there at all. I THOUGHT they said on UM that it happened in San Jose but not sure. It's so baffling not to be able to find ANYTHING about it at all!

http://www.jt-sw.com/football/pro/teams.nsf/histories/49ers/
no, he was not a pro player....Dick Hansen,was a former college football player in San Jose (Calif) and I believe it happened in Calif... going to do a search @ colleges and/or universities in San Jose...

[Amy Noel]

I found a website http://www.newspaperarchive.com/adspecific.aspx?ad=murder&gclid=CMScuN39w4UCFQ0BHgod2Sduvg but you must pay to play...
if anyone is a member of this news archive or if you know anyone who is, this may be a good place to look for Hansen's murder. I have been looking... no luck so far! But I'm not giving up yet!!!

[Angels_Not_Forgotten]

I did a search of death records and the CLOSEST thing I could come up with was a william hansen (for some reason people go by dick but still no even close to sure if its him) at age 49 anyone know an approx age?

[LinetteH]

I have to tell you--you have stumped me!! I can usually find anything on the internet and cannot find a singel thing on this!! I just e-mailed "The Best Damn Sports Show" asking them for help! LOL

[Cambria]

no, he was not a pro player....Dick Hansen,was a former college football player in San Jose (Calif) and I believe it happened in Calif... going to do a search @ colleges and/or universities in San Jose...
Sorry, I misunderstood or didn't read the previous posts carefully enough! I did find a good place to search for college football history. But I clicked under the WAC Conference under San Jose State and there was no info there. There may be other colleges in San Jose he could have played for but that one made the most sense to me. There is just NOTHING out there on this one! :banghead:

http://www.collegefootballhistory.com/

[Cambria]

I have to tell you--you have stumped me!! I can usually find anything on the internet and cannot find a singel thing on this!! I just e-mailed "The Best Damn Sports Show" asking them for help! LOL
That's a good idea!! There has to be somewhere out there where there is info on this!

[reportertype]

I posted a thread on another board for UM fans because it's full of people who keep up with various cases, but all I've gotten back so far is that no one seems to know anything. I'll keep checking. (I saw this last week too and began googling.)

[LinetteH]

I posted a thread on another board for UM fans because it's full of people who keep up with various cases, but all I've gotten back so far is that no one seems to know anything. I'll keep checking. (I saw this last week too and began googling.)
LOL! I am glad I am not the only one! I was starting to think I was grossly obssessed! :)

[georgiagirl]

Thank you for replying to this thread guys! This case has always bugged me and I have been searching for a couple of weeks but had not seen the episode in awhile so I was thrilled when it came on the other day. I wish I would have taken notes on what kind of car. For some reason I am thinking it was a junky car that was part primer and part blue. There is not one thing online about this and it just seems strange. Someone had to have heard something like gunshots or screaming. :banghead:

[Cambria]

Thank you for replying to this thread guys! This case has always bugged me and I have been searching for a couple of weeks but had not seen the episode in awhile so I was thrilled when it came on the other day. I wish I would have taken notes on what kind of car. For some reason I am thinking it was a junky car that was part primer and part blue. There is not one thing online about this and it just seems strange. Someone had to have heard something like gunshots or screaming. :banghead:
Well, it's bugged me too since I saw it last week. I wish now I would have paid more attention to details or even taped the episode. But I, like you, thought I would just get online and google it and find SOMETHING on it!!

[georgiagirl]

Well, it's bugged me too since I saw it last week. I wish now I would have paid more attention to details or even taped the episode. But I, like you, thought I would just get online and google it and find SOMETHING on it!!

Liz- I wonder if we could find out what police department investigated this case and contact them? But then, that would require information more than what we have from the UM episode.

[Angels_Not_Forgotten]

ive tried to find out where it occured then could call that area police maybe that would help? San Jose, im not familiar at all with, is it a large place?

[reportertype]

I keep trying to remember the car type. I think it was gray or light blue, but I can't remember what kind, other than it looked like a 70s type car. I don't think it was a Camaro. I'm going to google it and will report back.

[Amy Noel]

This case is no where? I have tried all the San Jose colleges/ Universities that I could find @ http://www.uscollegesearch.org/san-jose-california-colleges.html ,and all the San Jose papers that I could find @ http://newslink.org/canews.html. I did find a San Jose Alumni blogring @ http://www.xanga.com/groups/group.aspx?id=63184 but I didn't see anything useful I am thinking maybe If I could join, I could put a post up for the other members... surely If he truely was from San Jose and a former football player from one of the colleges or universities and he was murdered... they would remember! Atleast you would think, huh? Well let me know what you guys think!

[Amy Noel]

Okay I just joined and put a blog up asking for anyone's help... hopefully I will hear something!

[reportertype]

OK. There are articles in the San Jose Mercury News archives and I downloaded a couple. There are more, but they're $3 a piece so maybe later. Couldn't find a description of the car. AARGH.

But apparently, Dick is Richard G. Hansen, son of Gerald and Barbara. The killing actually took place in Sunnyvale. He played ball at Santa Clara State U. According to the story I downloaded, the two were followed from downtown San Jose to Sunnyvale. Gerald is apparently a well-known attorney in San Jose and the family is fairly well-known.

"Gerald Hansen was a U.S. court commissioner and he managed John Fitzgerald Kennedy's presidential campaign in Santa Clara County."

The killing occurred in 1991. Hansen was 36 and had two daughters, 13 and 11.

[Amy Noel]

OK. There are articles in the San Jose Mercury News archives and I downloaded a couple. There are more, but they're $3 a piece so maybe later. Couldn't find a description of the car. AARGH.

But apparently, Dick is Richard G. Hansen, son of Gerald and Barbara. The killing actually took place in Sunnyvale. He played ball at Santa Clara State U. According to the story I downloaded, the two were followed from downtown San Jose to Sunnyvale. Gerald is apparently a well-known attorney in San Jose and the family is fairly well-known.

"Gerald Hansen was a U.S. court commissioner and he managed John Fitzgerald Kennedy's presidential campaign in Santa Clara County."

The killing occurred in 1991. Hansen was 36 and had two daughters, 13 and 11.
good work!!!

[Cambria]

OK. There are articles in the San Jose Mercury News archives and I downloaded a couple. There are more, but they're $3 a piece so maybe later. Couldn't find a description of the car. AARGH.

But apparently, Dick is Richard G. Hansen, son of Gerald and Barbara. The killing actually took place in Sunnyvale. He played ball at Santa Clara State U. According to the story I downloaded, the two were followed from downtown San Jose to Sunnyvale. Gerald is apparently a well-known attorney in San Jose and the family is fairly well-known.

"Gerald Hansen was a U.S. court commissioner and he managed John Fitzgerald Kennedy's presidential campaign in Santa Clara County."

The killing occurred in 1991. Hansen was 36 and had two daughters, 13 and 11.
FINALLY there's some info on this. I looked online yesterday at the Mercury News website under Dick Hansen in the archives and nothing came up. I also looked on newspaperarchives.com and could find no San Jose newspaper listed. I must not have been looking under the right thing...oh well. Thanks for the info!

[Angels_Not_Forgotten]

thank you SO SO much!

[Angels_Not_Forgotten]

ok I have no clue how to link pages but I came across this story on newslibrary.com. I didnt buy the story yet so its just an introducation:

"It could be anybody" --Gerald B. Hansen, victims father
A big man's killing leaves a bigger "WHY"

Richard G. Hansen was a big man who was not the sort to be intimiadated by a car following him up the freeway and onto the streets of sunnyvale in the middle of the night. For one thing, he was a former Santa Clara University football player who stayed and shape and weighed 255 lbs. for another, friends say he had a knack for reasoning with unreasonable people. But neither quality saved Hansen, 36, early Tuesday morning when he was gunned down after he stopped to confront a driver who....

and thats all it gave me without paying.

[reportertype]

That's the same story I found. I think there are a couple of others, maybe I can find one the day or two after the murder, it's likely to have a description of the car and maybe some other details. I do have a copy of the entire story and I can PM it to anyone who wants it, just let me know!!!

It's on my home computer so I could do that tonight.

[Angels_Not_Forgotten]

I would love to have the whole copy if you dont mind pming it to me, thanks a ton!

[Yaya]

I read through some of the other little clips available at Newslibrary.com and found this...

San Jose Mercury News (CA) - May 1, 1991
His father, Gerald B. Hansen, said he was told a motorist had upbraided his son and a friend for blocking a mailbox and then followed them onto Interstate 280.

[iconoclast]

Not so baffling when you realize that a lot of media just passes along hearsay and urban legend. Perhaps this incident never happened or is only partly true, but was passed around the local high school, thence to the parents, until it became "truth" in the popular view. Think how many urban legends we believe without asking. The classic is the young woman whose mother, hotel room and belongings allegedly disappeared while visiting the World's Fair (some versions of the story say Paris, others St. Louis). Google that one and you'll find dozens of variations, and a movie on that theme in the 1940s cemented it into popular culture.


Bottom line: we are a society that often accepts truthiness (http://en.wikipedia.org/Truthiness) over fact. The Internet is a major distributor of questionable information, which is why obsessed folk like us have such an important place online—we do our homework.

[Angels_Not_Forgotten]

we've found a few things to back it up, and it was on Unsolved mysteries (not that that makes it true)...its just strange. maybe with his father being so respected in his community that everyone respected their privacy in the matter?

[Angels_Not_Forgotten]

Just another thought, with the ROdney King trial going on and the riots in 92, maybe this case was just lost, ya know what i mean?

[reportertype]

I'm sure we could find proof that this man was murdered as opposed to a figment of someone's imagination.

[reportertype]

I just checked in at the UM site and one of the posters there believes the car was a 1970s gray-colored Pontiac. I looked up some pictures and the best match as to what I remember the car looking like was a 1972 Pontiac Ventura. It may not be the exact car or year, but it's the same basic shape as I remember seeing.

They have several theories going there, most of which involve football, such as an angry Oakland fan or an angry 49ers fan who mistakenly though Hansen played for the team.

I dismiss the Oakland theory, simply because there were no Oakland Raiders in 1991; they were still in LA at the time.

[Angels_Not_Forgotten]

They have several theories going there, most of which involve football, such as an angry Oakland fan or an angry 49ers fan who mistakenly though Hansen played for the team.

I dismiss the Oakland theory, simply because there were no Oakland Raiders in 1991; they were still in LA at the time.I still dont get this, people are saying that because the girl had a football tag? I mean from what I see, it seems the guy said something (that she could not hear) and thats it. I dont know, I just dont put to much in stock of the football theroy.

[reportertype]

I think people are talking about that because of the woman's license plate and the fact that Hansen played college ball. It seems crazy to stalk someone down a freeway and kill them over a license plate.

I can't remember where I saw this, earlier here or over on another forum, but someone mentioned that at some point, there was a chance that the man who followed them was angry because when the pair were parked at a restaurant, they'd been blocking a mailbox?? I don't if that's true; the segment on UM mentioned that the woman brought it up, but the other driver never approached.

[Angels_Not_Forgotten]

oh Yeah ok I was thinking for some reason that it was talking about way earlier but I guess not ok just reread that part. That seems more reasonable then just not liking someones tag. So sad that nothing was ever solved :(

[lilsister]

I had posted the info regarding the possible license plate and rival sport fan connection. I was just quoting from the Unsolved Mysteries episode and this is what the police investigating the case thought up--this was not my own conjecture.

[reportertype]

I had posted the info regarding the possible license plate and rival sport fan connection. I was just quoting from the Unsolved Mysteries episode and this is what the police investigating the case thought up--this was not my own conjecture.

Sorry, I was referring to the posters on the UN board, not this one. That's cool, that seemed to be the main theory of the police according to everything I've seen.

[lilsister]

No problem, what is the UN board?...sorry to say that I don't know. Thanks for your response. :doh:

[reportertype]

Arrgh. UM board, I meant to type. It's just a site for fans of the Unsolved Mysteries show. Some of them are very hardcore and know every episode by heart and they search for updates, etc. Interesting and handy both.

[lilsister]

Thanks for the reply ... I'll have to check that out!

[georgiagirl]

someone just sent me an email on my personal myspace page about Dick Hansen. I will post the message once I get permission!

[georgiagirl]

RE: Dick Hansen Murder- A Little Help
Body:
Yes you can post what I told you. I just ask that if you hear anything interesting if you can let me know. It is an extremely interesting case because the facts surrounding the incident are so vague and seem almost "random." I saw the idea that maybe he was a Raider fan was floated on the website, I do not put any faith in that conclusion. I think in reality either that was a sick and crazy man or the murder had something to do with Dick's drug problem. Dick's parents are wealthy but I have never heard any illegal business dealings that would lead to a revenge killing.

----------------- Original Message -----------------
From: ♥Lisa♥
Date: Nov 12, 2008 4:46 PM


hi. thank you for sharing this information with me! I am assuming you found my page through my post about this case on Websleuths. This case has always bothered me.... I understand your desire to stay anonymous. Would you mind if I copied your message to share with the Websleuths members to discuss. If you don't will understand. Let me know!

----------------- Original Message -----------------
From: Jon
Date: Nov 12, 2008 12:25 AM


Hello,
I realize this sounds random but I do have some knowledge about the Dick Hansen murder. He was one of my Dad's best friends at Santa Clara so I know bits and pieces of the real story. First of all, the episode did not point out that Dick had in fact had a recurring drug problem (I was surprised the Detective did not mention it) and although some posts on the thread said he was mild tempered he had been a "hothead" in the past. My Dad told me a story in college where he had made fun of Dick and Dick got so mad that he threw a shotput ball right by my Dad's head. Not meaning to hit him but to scare him (obviously getting hit in the head with a shotput could be deadly). So the idea that this man could have had something to do with Dick and his drug problem is pretty likely. In addition, it seems odd the way the girlfriend handled the situation. She was actually not that cooperative to the detectives right after the crime and changed her story a few times. It is obviously a tragic story and I am sorry I cannot be much help to what you already know.
I would ask one thing of you, if you post any of the information I have mention can you please not include my name. Obviously I share the same name as my father and I would rather not drag him into this.
Hopefully I have been a little help.

[Cambria]

Thanks for posting this, georgiagirl. I remember when we were discussing it on here before but I had completely forgotten about the case. Interesting observations from the guy who replied on your myspace page. I can't remember the whole UM episode but I do remember drugs were not mentioned. I wonder why they leave stuff out of shows like that, about Dick Hansen possibly being involved in drugs and having a hot temper. Things like that could maybe explain the reason he was shot. But with the drugs, maybe they didn't say anything because they didn't want to impede any ongoing investigations. Still...it would have given us a possibility of WHY he was killed had they mentioned it. Now I want to see the episode again though!

[georgiagirl]

here it is.....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bcsiZGGFNo

[MeoW333]

I find it strange his girlfriend wasn't shot for witnessing the whole thing. Instead the killer and her just stared at each other. You would think he would have shot her as well just so she wouldn't get his license plate number. He would have no way of knowing she didn't memorize part of the plate at least; as there were license plates on the front and back of the vehicles. IMO i would think the killer may have been aware that Dick had a confrontation personality and would stop and get out of his truck to confront the killer. It just seems weird he would shoot him in front of a witness..

[Cambria]

Thanks for posting the link to the episode, georgiagirl. I'm going to watch it tonight.

[OilPainter]

It does get a little frustrating with shows like UM. They pick and choose what they want to show - and while it's their right - it seems to really muck up the waters when it comes to developing clues.

Just say if for petesakes. With all the hidden information UM seems to be more of an entertainment show than one trying to find all the bad people in the world. I'm not talking about the hidden clues police keep from the general public - I'm talking about personality traits that might tip the scales when it comes to solving mysteries.

How are we supposed to do "our" job when they won't give us the necessary information?

[reportertype]

I've wondered about the girlfriend escaping as well. This new info makes me suspicious of her.

[OilPainter]

This morning on the UM marathon they showed the Hanson murder once again.

Despite trying to be optimistic, I think this is another murder that will never be solved.

[UMfanforever]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wrq9RXkkvGQ

[thefragile7393]

Thank you for the link to the episode, I remember it scared me so much when I was younger and I first saw it. I don't know what to make of it...and I don't know if what's been said about the girlfriend is true or not. Not much info out there.