At last I can tell you about the secret project. It began with something I wrote a year and half ago, that you’ll find here at this link, about the unsolved murder of Dr. Linda Goudey.
Last February, a producer at CBS News, Nancy Kramer, contacted me. Her program is 48 Hours|Mystery, which is on Saturday nights at 10. Nancy asked if I could help her research the Goudey story. I can’t take much credit for what happened next, because the extent of my involvement was telling Carol about Nancy’s request, and exchanging some follow-up messages.
By coincidence, the day before Ms. Kramer contacted me, I’d received a message from a woman who had spotted the same post. She ran a bulletin board about the now-defunct Boston Regional Medical Center, formerly New England Memorial Hospital. I replied to the woman and I gave her address to Nancy. I have no idea if anything came out of their correspondence. Two things I realized very quickly about Nancy Kramer are that she is a true professional in every way, and she is always working.
Carol and Nancy exchanged messages and they talked on the phone. Then Carol contacted some friends and former colleagues who she felt would be able to help. She also gave Nancy the name of a psychiatrist from the hospital who knew Dr. Goudey. He’s now a novelist, and is something of a regular on daytime TV, but I won’t name him because I don’t know if CBS used him as a source.
I was sworn to secrecy, that I wouldn’t blog anything about CBS producing a show on the Goudey murder. I agreed, and in a very nice gesture of thanks Nancy sent a DVD of a program she had produced about Walter Cronkite. I used it as the source for this Beatles-related post.
For a time it wasn’t certain the show would go into production, but then a couple of months ago there was a break in the case, when the primary “person of interest,” Goudey’s boyfriend Dr. Timothy Stryker, was arrested — not for the murder, but for perjury. This video is from New England Cable News.
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There’s more NECN video, including a 1997 interview with Stryker, at this link.
Yesterday, we received a gift box of fancy foods from CBS, with this note:
We’re pleased the show is now real, and is going to be aired. Linda Goudey was a highly respected physician, who happened to be in the same specialty as my oldest sister, high-risk obstetrics. I hope the show brings the case closer to being solved, and Goudey’s murderer, whoever that may be, will be brought to justice. Being involved to the extent we have been has been very exciting, and without this blog it wouldn’t have happened.
48 Hours|Mystery, Saturday, October 25, 10 pm ET, on CBS. Don’t miss it! If there’s a change in the schedule I’ll let you know.
Of course I’ll post reminders. Needless to say, we’re very curious how the story will be presented. I remember quite vividly Carol calling me at work, telling me they’d found Goudey’s body. The prior afternoon Carol had said, “What’s Dr. Goudey’s car doing down here, instead of the doctors’ lot?”
Tape??? What’s that? 🙂
Doug, I assume that you won’t just update if the schedule changes; I’m counting on you to post a reminder close to the actual event.
I knew it! That wasn’t hard to figure out. I hope the creep gets nailed. Lawrie, I see you are big into “connections” like I am. I prefer to call them “synchronicities.” Say! When are you going to send us a picture of your nephew, and better yet, Morley at the wedding? 😉
Of course, I can’t WAIT to see this! I’m buying a brand-new tape for this! Of course, Doug will post it here, as well.
Thanks, Lawrie.
BTW, Lawrie is my father’s cousin, and her niece is married to Morley Safer’s nephew. Nancy said that makes me part of the CBS family.
The introduction to “The Book of Lies” was written by Grant Morrison, who’s a comic book writer. I’ll add it to the list.
I’m setting my schedule around this!
It is amazing how connected we’ve all become via people like you who blog!
If you haven’t already read “The Book Of Lies” by Brad Meltzer, you must do so. One of the most important things we can give to future generations is the gift of our stories.
WTG Doug and Carol!