It was 1997 when I saw the NOVA documentary, “WANTED: Butch and Sundance." I was living with my mother in Provo, Utah. She was elderly and I was raising my last child on my own. I only found part-time work and I was very lost and longing for a better life. In the documentary, the DNA did not prove that the bodies from Bolivia were "Butch and Sundance." I had the thought, WHERE DID THEY GO?
People have asked me how I have stayed with hunting for "Sundance, Butch and Etta," for fourteen years. Why did I stick with it for so long, and why didn't anyone think to look for them in the United States?
When I was a senior in high school, I went to the fabric store and purchased some navy blue knit material so I could sew a new outfit. I showed my pattern and material to my mother and she said, “Oh, that is not the right material for that pattern, it will turn out awful.” I was crushed! I went to my room and sewed all night long. I showed my mother my new outfit in the morning and she was impressed. She admitted that she was wrong. My mother used to say, "Just make Marilyn mad and she will clean the whole house!" I like a challenge and when someone doubts that I can do something, I work even harder to prove them wrong. I think my mother made me mad on purpose because I cleaned our house a lot! In my home, I do not have any projects that are just sitting around. If I want to sew something, I stick with it until it is done. This is the only explanation for never giving up the search for "Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid." I always finish what I start!
I have been very upset while working on "The Sundance Kid Project," because people doubted we could solve the mystery. I have been up until 2 a.m. working on a problem and I just dig in. I have gone on-line, drawn maps, checked dates, gone over research, and the solution to the problem has come to me. Finding out what really happened to "The Wild Bunch," became fixed in my mind and I was not going to stop until I had the answers. I spent all of my spare time doing research and I would buy any book that I thought would give me a clue. My "WILD BUNCH" library grew and grew. . .
I have my vision board in a place where I can see the pictures of William Henry Long, “Sundance” and Robert Redford all day long. When I want to feel good, I hum the theme song to the movie, “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” Morning, noon and night, I am visualizing not only to complete books and documentaries on the subject, but to do another movie on what really happened to “Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid,” along with “Etta Place.” I knew if we found “Sundance,” it would lead to solving the whole mystery.
Robert Redford has been quoted as saying, “I owe my fortune to ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.’ Paul Newman and Joan Woodward helped me get the part, for which I am very grateful. We have become life-long friends!”
I knew they did not die in Bolivia! The last scene of the movie is all wrong, but how could I prove it? That is when I started to pull together our TEAM!
My favorite shows are MONK, NCIS, NUMBERS and BONES. I have gone to the library and checked out all the DVD's. I have watched nearly all of the series. I cannot get enough of solving crimes. The science used in solving crimes just fascinates me. You can have a theory as to what happened, but when you get the scientific analysis to verify your hypothesis, there is nothing better.
The photo analysis, name analysis, body analysis, examining the remains of Bill Long, as well as DNA, has been the most exciting time I have had in my life. I knew if we could solve the mystery, my life would improve! My life has changed dramatically! I went from living with my mother in Provo, Utah, to writing a book and creating a film on “The Sundance Kid.” Our TEAM has been on the news three times with John Hollenhorst of KSL 5 News. We have been interviewed by Geoff Liesik of the Deseret News and we made the front cover. The Deseret News doubled their readership the day they published “The Sundance Kid Story.”
It’s a WONDERFUL LIFE! My children are all grown and I spend all of my time working on the final clues. Writing this book with Dr. John McCullough has been so wonderful. I have loved every moment and I am excited to do more research for the next book.
This book is for YOU! The fact that you would be willing to read our research means that you are a “WILD BUNCH” enthusiast, just like the rest of our TEAM. I want this book to inspire you and affirm that anything you decide to do, you can achieve. You can live your PASSION!
So jump off a cliff like “Butch and Sundance!” I have had the time of my life! If YOU don't do it now, when do you plan on making your dreams come true?
Excerpt from the introduction of Finding “Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid” Solving the “Wild Bunch” Mystery with That “Darn” DNA
People have asked me how I have stayed with hunting for "Sundance, Butch and Etta," for fourteen years. Why did I stick with it for so long, and why didn't anyone think to look for them in the United States?
When I was a senior in high school, I went to the fabric store and purchased some navy blue knit material so I could sew a new outfit. I showed my pattern and material to my mother and she said, “Oh, that is not the right material for that pattern, it will turn out awful.” I was crushed! I went to my room and sewed all night long. I showed my mother my new outfit in the morning and she was impressed. She admitted that she was wrong. My mother used to say, "Just make Marilyn mad and she will clean the whole house!" I like a challenge and when someone doubts that I can do something, I work even harder to prove them wrong. I think my mother made me mad on purpose because I cleaned our house a lot! In my home, I do not have any projects that are just sitting around. If I want to sew something, I stick with it until it is done. This is the only explanation for never giving up the search for "Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid." I always finish what I start!
I have been very upset while working on "The Sundance Kid Project," because people doubted we could solve the mystery. I have been up until 2 a.m. working on a problem and I just dig in. I have gone on-line, drawn maps, checked dates, gone over research, and the solution to the problem has come to me. Finding out what really happened to "The Wild Bunch," became fixed in my mind and I was not going to stop until I had the answers. I spent all of my spare time doing research and I would buy any book that I thought would give me a clue. My "WILD BUNCH" library grew and grew. . .
I have my vision board in a place where I can see the pictures of William Henry Long, “Sundance” and Robert Redford all day long. When I want to feel good, I hum the theme song to the movie, “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” Morning, noon and night, I am visualizing not only to complete books and documentaries on the subject, but to do another movie on what really happened to “Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid,” along with “Etta Place.” I knew if we found “Sundance,” it would lead to solving the whole mystery.
Robert Redford has been quoted as saying, “I owe my fortune to ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.’ Paul Newman and Joan Woodward helped me get the part, for which I am very grateful. We have become life-long friends!”
I knew they did not die in Bolivia! The last scene of the movie is all wrong, but how could I prove it? That is when I started to pull together our TEAM!
My favorite shows are MONK, NCIS, NUMBERS and BONES. I have gone to the library and checked out all the DVD's. I have watched nearly all of the series. I cannot get enough of solving crimes. The science used in solving crimes just fascinates me. You can have a theory as to what happened, but when you get the scientific analysis to verify your hypothesis, there is nothing better.
The photo analysis, name analysis, body analysis, examining the remains of Bill Long, as well as DNA, has been the most exciting time I have had in my life. I knew if we could solve the mystery, my life would improve! My life has changed dramatically! I went from living with my mother in Provo, Utah, to writing a book and creating a film on “The Sundance Kid.” Our TEAM has been on the news three times with John Hollenhorst of KSL 5 News. We have been interviewed by Geoff Liesik of the Deseret News and we made the front cover. The Deseret News doubled their readership the day they published “The Sundance Kid Story.”
It’s a WONDERFUL LIFE! My children are all grown and I spend all of my time working on the final clues. Writing this book with Dr. John McCullough has been so wonderful. I have loved every moment and I am excited to do more research for the next book.
This book is for YOU! The fact that you would be willing to read our research means that you are a “WILD BUNCH” enthusiast, just like the rest of our TEAM. I want this book to inspire you and affirm that anything you decide to do, you can achieve. You can live your PASSION!
So jump off a cliff like “Butch and Sundance!” I have had the time of my life! If YOU don't do it now, when do you plan on making your dreams come true?
Excerpt from the introduction of Finding “Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid” Solving the “Wild Bunch” Mystery with That “Darn” DNA
