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Murder, Mystery & Makeup
Billionaire Island: The Secret Predator Network That Escaped Justice
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Hi friends, how are you today? My name is Bailey Sarian and welcome to the Murder Mystery and Makeup podcast. Today I have an audio exclusive for you. It's about Brother Paul's Christian mission. Let me tell you, it's a lot. Okay, our story today. It takes us to a small secluded island in Lake Michigan, home to what appeared to be a summer camp for at risk boys. But beneath that veneer of good intentions lay something far more sinister. A predatory ring. Oh yes. At the center of this darkness was a man named Frank Duffield Sheldon, a multi millionaire who leveraged his immense privilege and even his private plane to commit unspeakable acts against young boys. And one of the most infuriating parts. He pretty much got away with it. Ugh. Listen, today, just a little quick heads up before we dive in. Today's story is incredibly dark and deals with very sensitive topics, specifically child abuse and exploitation. So, just a disclaimer for you, okay, so close your eyes. Imagine a place so beautiful, so isolated, it feels like it's straight from a postcard. Well, tucked away in the pristine, pristine waters of Lake Michigan is where North Fox island sits. It's about 839 acres of pure untouched wilderness. Thick forests, deer roaming free. The kind of place you picture for a perfect off the grid escape. Now today, it's a protected wildlife research area. Allegedly, I don't know. But back in the 1960s and 70s, this remote paradise held a very dark secret. So dark. And that's where we meet Francis D. Sheldon, who also went by the name Frank. So we're just going to call him Frank. Okay? Now, Frank wasn't just rich, he was old money rich. I'm talking Detroit elite, okay? Going back more than a century. His family tree is just money on money, on money, on money. Like money. Okay? A lot of money. Let me give you a quick rundown on the Sheldon dynasty because I think it's, it's important to understand the kind of privilege and power Frank was born into. His great grandfather, Alan Sheldon, came to Michigan from New York and built a dry goods empire. He ended up merging with a company whose founder, Zacharias Chandler. He, this guy was like a big shot politician who almost ran for president. So they kind of like started working together. Okay. Allen Sheldon's son, his name's Henry, married a woman whose family was also very well known and respected. The Alger family. The Alger family was well known because of this guy. His name was General Russell Alger. He was a US army hero. He was a governor of Michigan, Secretary of War during the Spanish American War, and later a US Senator. So the Alger family had connections. So Henry Sheldon, he ended up taking his dad's like the dry goods fortune and became a major land investor, building one of Detroit's swankiest subdivisions. And he did this in 1925, and it was called Rosedale Park. Now, the homes in Rosedale park were designed to impress, okay? They were only trying to attract the middle upper class people. It was designed to be desirable, stable, and an esthetically pleasing community, reflecting the wealth and aspirations of the residents. That's what said on Google. And I was like, oh, fancy. So Frank, he was born on September 5, 1928. And when he came into this world, he was practically royalty in Michigan. So it's safe to say that Frank grew up very privileged. He ended up going to Yale where he got his bachelor's. He even served in the Michigan Air Guard during the Korean War, then came back and got his master's in geology. I guess he almost got his PhD, but he never finished his dissertation. I think it's because at the age of 21, he inherited his trust fund. And let me tell you, it wasn't like a small allowance. I mean, he would never have to work a day in his life if he wanted to. So he's probably like, PhD. Nah, I'm good. But one of the first things he bought with that money, a Cessna 140 plane. And I guess he learned how to fly. I looked it up. This plane boop. Boop, boop. It's a cute little like two seater plane, High wing, tail dragger, sea single engine plane. That's how it's described. I was like, what does tail dragger mean? I don't know, but it's a plane. Okay? He got one. Frank even got to investing his money and struck it rich with oil drilling investments. I mean, this guy had it all. Intellect, family name, and endless money. So in 1960, Frank and his brother. His brother's name is Alger, which is named after the prominent Alger family Frank's grandfather married into. I know it's kind of confusing, but Frank and his brother, the two of them ended up purchasing North Fox island in Michigan for $20,000 at the time. And back then that was still a lot of money, but it was like nothing for them, you know. Frank saw himself as a private investor and started developing his new kingdom on the island. He built his own airstrip and he stocked the island with deer for hunting. And even had a special breeder permit that let him and his buddies hunt out of season. So, you know, he would have guests come to the island all the time. And his guests were like some pretty influential people. One was this guy named Don Berlage. I think that's how he say it. But he was an assistant Charlevoix county prosecutor who later on would actually represent Frank. Frank in some legal matters. And also the Charlevoix chief of police. Yeah, his name was Jack Mole. The chief of police. Charlevoix is a city right next to North Fox island in Michigan. So, yeah, just. Okay, you get it, you get it, you get it. But I came across this quote from Frank that is unsettling. Okay, Frank said, quote, unquote, I just personally don't enjoy hunting. I guess I'm the world's biggest hypocrite. I plan their destruction. End quote. I was like, red flag. Hello. I don't know, it's kind of like, creepy. I plan their destruction. The. Oh, yeah, you hear that? Ooh, that's the sound of me cracking open a Coles one. But not like that. I'm talking about Olipop. What's Olipop? Oh, I don't know. Let me tell you. I grew up loving soda, especially root beer. Root beer. I frickin love root beer. I don't know what it is, okay, but it's my favorite. But eventually, you know, I realized I had to break up with soda. All the sugar, the questionable ingredients, the tummy issues. Ugh. You know, it was like I had to end the relationship. Then along came Olipop, and I was like, wait, what? It tastes just like soda, but it's kind of like, actually good for me. Olipop has only 2 to 5 grams of sugar per can. No crazy chemicals, no crash, and it's packed with nine grams of prebiotic fiber to help support your gut, gut health. My personal favorite right now, the strawberry vanilla. Mm. It tastes like a creamsicle in, like, summer all wrapped into one. But they also have some, you know, nostalgic bangers like vintage cola. They've got root beer, they got cherry cola, and even a dupe called Dr. Goodwin that's even better than the original that rhymes with schmachter schmepper. Did you get it? Okay, you got it. Anyways, it's really good. So if you're looking to break up with soda this summer, now is your chance. And guess what? Olipop is even giving you one on the house. Here's the deal. When you try Olipop for yourself, you can get a free can. Buy any two cans in store, and Olipop will pay you back for one. Any flavor, any retailer. Just go to drinkolipop.com makeup to redeem. Olipop is sold online at drinkollipop.com and Amazon and available in almost 50,000 retailers nationwide, including Costco, Walmart, Target, Publix, Whole Foods, Kroger, and H e B. Before 1976, the biggest public kerfuffle Frank had been involved in was an environmental lawsuit. He tried to dam Monroe Creek, which is near Charlevoix, and he wanted to build 1300 vacation homes. So he was essentially trying to create a 400 acre lake. But environmentalists, led by, like, an eye doctor, his name was John Tanton, sued him. Frank arguing that it would destroy a trout stream and harm the environment. So they go through this whole, like, legal battle, and Frank actually won the lawsuit. But luckily, I guess, the project fell through after his business partner passed away. I mean, glad it didn't happen, but just gross how the system works. And honestly, Frank knew how to navigate the system. But Frank wasn't just a wealthy land developer or a board member for prestigious schools like Cranbrook. He was also reportedly very involved with the local Big Brother program, which is a youth mentoring organization focused on helping kids succeed and avoid raising risky behaviors. Sadly, it would later tragically come to play a significant role in the scandal, because on June 18, 1975, in Port Huron, Michigan, which is in southeast Michigan, a charitable wonderful. I'm saying that sarcastically. Mission started it was called Brother Paul's Christian Mission. Now, its stated purpose was to, quote, provide remedial tutoring, counseling, temporary lodging, boarding retreats, and emergency care for runaways. Their mission statement even declared, our mission is dedicated to the prevention and control of juvenile delinquency. End quote. So essentially, it was a place to send your troubled young boys to go and, like, hopefully get some support for the community. It sounded like a great option for the troubled youth. You know, a place where vulnerable kids could hopefully find guidance and safety and set them up for a better future. So the organization would be utilizing Frank's North Fox island and have the boys, like, go there, learn about the outdoors, stuff like that. But the reality, as we're about to discover, was horrifying. I don't even know how to put into words. Well, I'm about to, but. Oh, my God. And the beautiful North Fox Island. Well, it was not a retreat. It was a trap. On December 11, 1976, the Traverse City Record Eagle. It was a long standing and, like, very significant newspaper in northern Michigan. They actually broke the story that would send shockwaves through Michigan. They reported that police had made a very dark connection. North Fox island was connected to a nationwide child pornography ring. Yeah. What? Yeah. So this whole revelation came from two main sources. Now, the first source, and arguably, like the most crucial, was by a man named Gerald Richards. Gerald was a physical fitness teacher from Port Huron, and. But before that, he was the camp director at Brother Paul's Christian Mission. Gerald had been arrested earlier in July of 1976 in connection with pedophilia. He ended up pleading guilty to criminal sexual conduct and received a two year sentence. I know, don't even get me started. I was like, two years. Freaking joke. Two years. Okay. Yeah, that's gonna really do something. Well, I guess he only got two years because Gerald had a very powerful bargaining chip. He decided to, like, work out some kind of trade, you know? So he's like, look, I'll give you guys some information on, like, a much bigger situation going on if I can get a lighter sentence, you know. Well, he did. And what he provided was the smoking gun. It was crucial evidence of a child pornography ring happening on North Fox and more. Oh, and it went deep. Gerald made, like, this whole diagram. You can look it up. This is the one time I'm like, I do wish it was visual so you could see it, but he made this whole, like, diagram of, like, all the connections. Whatever, I'll get into it. Listen, Gerald wasn't just doing terrible things. He was Filming them. So he was gathering up young boys for sexual misconduct and then documenting all of it. And in his confession, Gerald just didn't implicate himself. He identified both Frank Sheldon and Dyer Grossman, Frank's accomplice, as being complicit in these like, awful activities. Well, Gerald had a bunch of videos and photos in his possession and these were like concrete proof. So like there was no avoiding it. Okay. And the evidence led authorities to investigate another suspicious location, a boy's home in Alto, Tennessee. So Gerald came forward, gave his information, and then there was a second source that came forward and it was an incredibly brave 14 year old boy who shared his experience on the island and everything. His statement gave several other South Michigan young victims the courage to come forward as well and speak up. I won't go into details about what they said, but it was all bad, okay? It was all bad. So the victims later went public and they described how they were persuaded, how they were made to, you know, take their clothes off and how they were quote, unquote, sexually assaulted. I say quote unquote because like, let's be real, it's called, it's rape, but the Internet doesn't like that word for some reason. But yeah, they all came forward and shared their, their stories. State records are graphic and the warrants that were eventually issued for Frank and his partner Dyer Grossman pointed to charges of sodomy and fellatio with underage children. Brother Paul's Christian mission, the supposed beacon of hope, quickly became one of the central focuses of the investigations incorporated just a year and a half prior on June 18, 1975, with its headquarters in Port Huron, Michigan. On the outside again, it appeared to be a legitimate charity. The directors of this so called camp were listed as Frank Sheldon, his partner Dyer Grossman, that guy Gerald Richards and his wife Judith Richards. There were also two other names originally listed but then crossed off. So the other two names were Arthur Banda from San Francisco and Reverend Daniel Famola from New Jersey. There was another individual who had like a leadership role and one that it's a name that's going to become very important. It was the name Adam Starchild. So the camp claimed it didn't charge a fee though they were operating a six day retreat. Supposedly it had cost about $85 per boy, but it was all designed to appear like, you know, they were doing the noble, the right thing. They were just, they weren't charging these families. But shortly after the news broke about what was really going on, you know, and Frank Sheldon being wanted for these crimes, the camp, all of a sudden, conveniently, it shut down. Well, North Fox island wasn't the only piece of this horrifying puzzle. Gerald Richards testimony also led investigators to another suspicious location. It was called the Boys Farm, Inc. Also known as Father Bud's Boys Camp. This is the one that was in Alto, Tennessee. Now, this camp was founded by an Episcopal priest. Oh, yeah. Oh, God. Right? Now, this guy's name. Here I go. Look. They called him Bud for short, but he was Reverend Claudis Ira Vermeil Jr. But he went by Bud for short. That helps me out. But Bud, This Bud guy, Reverend Bud would be charged with a staggering 16 counts, including crime against nature, contributing to the delinquency of minors, and using minors to make pornographic materials. Now, he pleaded not guilty. And it was like, bitch, shut up. They have proof, okay? They had video, they had photos. They had everything. But he was, like, not guilty. But at this point, like, links were forming. Now, here's where it, like, truly gets insidious. Brother Paul's Christian Mission and the Boys Farm were connected to something called the Church of the New Revelation. Now, this quote unquote church originally started out of Delaware, but also incorporated in Michigan. So, like, technically, it started in Michigan. Okay? It became incorporated on June 18, 1975, which was the exact same day as Brother Paul's Christian Mission. Now, this church, their headquarters is in Port Huron, Michigan. And it was like, okay, all of this crap seems to be connected. So, you know, investigators are digging around, but same with this newspaper. After four months of digging the newspaper, Traverse City Record Eagle made the link from this quote, unquote church to the bigger horrifying ring. They also discovered because it was listed as a church, they had been granted tax exempt status by the irs. You know, because if you're a church, you get that. So, yep. And this combined with three other shell corporations, it essentially, like, insulated the finances of the pornography ring, allowing them to produce and distribute this awful material without getting caught. Now, to them, they thought this was like a perfectly designed system for their ring. Now, this whole web started to unravel, all thanks to Gerald Richards testimony and a sketch that he drew for authorities outlining the entire horrifying structure. Hey, listen. Oh, you are? Because you're listening right now. Hey, you've been listening to the show. So you know that life insurance is important. You know, so I started looking into life insurance for myself because it's. Something unexpected does happen to me. I want to make sure that the right people are taken care of and you should too, you know. 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And save more than 50%@SelectQuote.com makeup save more than 50% on term life insurance@SelectQuote.com makeup today to get started, that's SelectQuote.com makeup in addition to Brother Paul's and the Boys Farm, there were other groups that emerged that were responsible for sourcing boys. All connected through this church. Oh, my God. Yeah. It led investigators to Boy Scout Troop 137 in New Orleans. Yes. A Boy Scout troop. Yeah. When I was reading all this, like, going down this rabbit hole, I was like, what, dog? Just blow it up. Death to all of them. Not the boys, to these sickos. It didn't stop there. No, it didn't. Of course not. Two more organizations were pinpointed as being part of, you know, the structure for the ring. There was one called the Ocean Living Institute of New Jersey and the Educational foundation for Youth of Illinois. They sound vague, right? Yeah, that's usually intentional. I was trying to figure out, like, the Ocean Living Institute of New Jersey. Listen, their whole belief is that, like, no one owns the ocean. So they support the idea of, like, building homes and, like, living out in the ocean, kind of like pirates and. It sounds very cartoony. I know. I don't. I don't know. But essentially all of these groups were working together and trafficking young boys to different locations and getting video footage, photos. They were taking advantage of them, like it was all connected. And one of the key figures that kept coming up during the investigation into the Church of the New Revelation, the man that seemed to be pulling many of these strings was Adam Starchild. Now, reporters, they, like, located this person, Adam Starchild, and he denied any involvement with the church and with this ring. And he tried. He tried to pass it off, saying, oh, my God, this is so disgusting. Like, how dare you attach me to this he was like, it may be possible that, like, things were going on, but I didn't know about it. I don't know. Like, don't bring me into this. But he could deny, deny, deny all he wanted. But it was clear that this Adam Starchild guy was connected to each of the three major organizations that were involved with the ring. He was also an original incorporator, like on the business documents. A Brother Paul's Christian Mission. I know. Who isn't? What? Huh? Huh? So when reporters were, like, pushing further for more questions, like, why are you on the business documents? Adam Starchild, of course, had a convenient excuse. He said he was unaware of Brother Paul's Christian Mission's existence until he read about it in the papers. He said he signed the incorporation papers and never heard anything about it again. Right, Right, Sure. So investigators and reporters were digging deeper into Adam Starchild, and then they realized that, like, the name Adam Starchild didn't actually exist as, like, a public, traceable person. It was an alias. But the phone number that was attached to the name Adam Starchild was the exact same phone number as the Ocean Living Institute. So it's like, who was the real Adam Starchild? Like, who. What was his real name? That there's theories. A lot of. There's a lot of. There's so many names. I was like, we don't even know. Adam Starchild said that both the church and the institute were relatively inactive. He described the church as small, local, and private. They would meet in members homes with, like, an annual budget under $100. And they. There were only about two dozen members. Adam Starchild said that Ocean Living was related to underwater exploration. That's it. And they had a mailing list of around 2,000 people. He's like, why are you looking at us like we're just interested in water? Leave us alone. He even tried to explain away Dyer Grossman's connection. Now, Dyer Grossman was Frank Sheldon's, like, key partner. But Adam said that Dyer Grossman was trying to create a summer camp for children in California through the institute. But it didn't get off the ground. Well, despite, like, these initial denials and obviously this flimsy story, it would become clear that Adam Starchild was much, much more entangled than he was letting on. In fact, he was about to play a pivotal role in helping Frank Sheldon and his accomplice Dyer Grossman, vanish into thin air. Okay, so police, they know about what's going on. They know about this, like, nightmare. It's awful. Gerald Richards spilled the beans A brave young boy had spoken up. And the full sickening scope of Brother Paul's Christian mission and its nationwide network was becoming exposed. Warrants were out for Frank Sheldon and Dyer Grossman, and it seemed like, okay, you know, justice was going to come knocking on their door. But when justice came, a knock in, no one was home. So at this point, Gerald Richards and that Reverend Bud guy, they had been arrested. Okay, so they got arrested. So, of course, Frank got word that they had been arrested and was like, oh, no, okay, I need to, like, do something, right? So with his resources and connections, he was prepared. When authorities tried to serve Frank his warrant on December 7, 1976, they couldn't find him anywhere. At least in Michigan, they could not find him. So then they're putting some pieces together, and they learned that Frank had a winter home in Aspen, Colorado. So they tried to get local police to go there and, like, get him there, but no luck. He was gone. By December 16, the Traverse City Record Eagle managed to contact Frank's housekeeper in Aspen. So the housekeeper was like, I think he might be in Majorca, Spain, because I guess he had a place there. Okay. So I was like, what? Okay? But then there was a letter that was received by the housekeeper, and it was from Frank Sheldon, but it was postmarked from Miami, Florida. It was clear that Frank was on the run. And eventually we learned he went from Miami to a family property in Antigua before making his way to Europe. I mean, it wasn't just, like, he wasn't panicking. This obviously was a planned disappearance. Okay? So I was like, okay, where the fuck is Frank? We don't know. So Dyer Grossman was also just as hard to find. Initially, police thought he'd gone to his home in Walnut Creek, California. But by that same December 16, he apparently relocated to Washington State. And he left, like, no forwarding address. So the trails for both men had gone cold by February 8, 1977. That's when the Michigan State Police got the FBI to assist with the manhunt. And I was thinking to myself, shouldn't. Shouldn't the FBI. Shouldn't they have been involved from the beginning? No. No. So now. Now they're involved. So these men are just on the run. They're moving and grooving. No one could seem to find them. But then on February 11, there was, like, a little. A little break in the case. A plane with the same tail number as Frank's showed up in Provo, Utah. Now, I guess it had been sold to a man back in December. It wasn't just a random sale. Okay. It became clear to investigators that the sale of Frank's plane had been brokered by none other than Adam Starchild. Yeah, Remember Adam Starchild, the man who didn't exist and, like, didn't know anything about anything? Yeah. Well, this revelation, like, solidified his deep, active involvement. It appeared that this Adam Starchild was actively help.
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Off terms applying with Frank's Escape. By February 25th, formal felony warrants for fleeing were issued for both Frank Sheldon and Dyer Grossman, and they were officially federal fugitives. As the investigation continued, more pieces of Frank's exit strategy started to come to light. He had managed to sell his Ann Arbor home. He rented out his Aspen property. He even sent a letter resigning from the Board of Trustees for the prestigious Cranbrook Institute. The letter, it was dated December 6, 1976. Now, this was the day before the warrant was issued. So this letter had been postmarked in Kearney, New Jersey. So, to investigators, this confirmed Frank's flight path. He went from Michigan to New Jersey, then Miami, before finally disappearing across the Atlantic to Antigua and then Europe. Dyer, Grossman. Yeah, he managed to also kind of like, button everything up after being tracked to Washington state. Authorities found a motel in Tacoma where a man fitting his description was spotted. Right. So they go to the motel and they look. They look this guy up, I guess. He was registered as Ed Grossman, and he had stayed at this hotel for about a month. He even had PO Boxes rented in Washington and California. But both of them went expired and they were not renewed. So authorities believed that he had skipped the country entirely. Just like Frank. It was always like they were kind of like two steps behind, you know, the authorities, that is. So by around 1978, the trail for both men had gone cold. Detective Joel Gorzen, who eventually became the chief of Police for St. Clair County. He was the lead investigator on the North Fox island case. And upon his retirement in 1989, more than a decade later, he publicly listed his inability to catch Frank Sheldon and Dyer Grossman as a major failing. Yeah. Yeah, I think that's fair to say, sir. In an interview with the Times Herald in Port Huron, he said, and I quote, the men are in their 60s. Now, we know Sheldon Frank is somewhere in Europe, but we still don't know where Grossman Dyer is. I hope one day they will be arrested and this case can be closed. End quote. Yeah. While the warrants remained valid until at least 1997, neither Frank Sheldon nor Dyer Grossman were ever arrested and the case officially became inactive. Years later, some pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place regarding their whereabouts. Meaning, like Frank's. It turned out he was living off his trust fund, established using the very same shell companies that had shielded Brother Paul's Christian mission. So he had a fund, right, this fund. And it was named the Francis D. Sheldon Revocable Inter Vivos Trust. You think, though he used his name, that they would be able to find it? Like he used his name, Francis D. Shelton. Anyways, this was set up in the British Virgin Islands, and. Okay, well, who was controlling this trust company or whatever? Who. Who was the entity administering the trust? It was Adam Starchild. What the fuck is going on? Yeah, so whoever this Adam Starchild guy is, because, again, no one really knew, like, what his real name was. This was just one of his aliases. He, it was believed, had relocated to Puerto Rico, again, you know, probably to avoid his own legal issues. From there, he was administering Frank's trust money, funneling him the money. But in, I guess, a bizarre twist of irony. Sure. Like, Frank, it's kind of. Well, it's kind of funny. It's petty. It's funny. Not really, but. Okay. Frank actually filed a lawsuit against Adam Starchild from abroad in 1982, alleging mismanagement of the trust. Yeah, I guess the man who was helping him evade justice was allegedly taking a little money, a little extra money for himself. So this lawsuit provided more clarity on, like, Frank's whereabouts. So, okay, it became clear, okay, he's now. He had moved to France. He was now in France. And In March of 1979, he became a citizen of the Republic of France after marrying a French citizen, I guess, you know. Investigators would reveal this person that he married was a sex worker named Aline Giselle Gobi. So marrying a French national was his golden ticket to European citizenship. It was a shield against extradition. At some point after that, Frank made his way to Holland. And despite authorities knowing exactly where he was, at this point, there was absolutely nothing they could do. Prior to 1983, Franklin, the US did not have an extradition treaty with Holland, which is so annoying. You think they could just, like, go there and grab him, but they couldn't because he was a citizen. Like, okay, I mean. Okay, okay, whatever. It's complicated, right? Yeah. Okay. But he knew what he was doing, obviously. And then in 1983, just before the US and Netherlands, they finally, like, signed an extradition treaty, Frank applied for and was granted Dutch citizenship. So it's complicated, huh? Yeah. He's a Dutch citizen at this point. He reportedly lied on the application, saying that there were no outstanding warrants for him. And at the time, they just didn't have, like, the technology to just, like, look him up, you know, Google him or something, you know? So that really sucks. The worst part. Well, it's not even the worst part, because it's all bad. But in this new treaty that was signed, essentially, they were not retroactive, Meaning because Frank got his citizenship before the treaty took place, he could not be extradited under its terms. Does that make sense? It means he was untouchable. That's what it means. Okay. Interpol, the international police organization, they still conveyed the warrant for his arrest, noting that if he traveled to any one of 108 different countries, he would be arrested. But he knew the rules, and he never did. He stayed put. He lived comfortably in Amsterdam, shielded by his money and his perfectly timed little citizenship maneuver. So what about that Dyer Grossman guy? So, you know, Frank Sheldon's whereabouts were known. At this point, Dyer Grossman truly vanished. There were occasional little, like, moments of hope where people swore that they spotted him. Like, In August of 1989, authorities had received tips that Dyer Grossman might be living in Wisconsin. Wisconsin. Under one of his many, many fake names. Like all these guys that were involved had numerous names. I'm talking anywhere from like 15 to 20 names. He went by Ed Grossman, Alicia Grossman, Michael Grossman, Elliot Crossman, Michael Ross, Dale Osterman. He many, many names. The local newspaper wasa Daily Herald. They ran a story. It said, FBI wanton man may be an area, but just like every other lead, nothing ever came of it. No arrests were ever made. To this day, no one knows what truly happened to Dyer Grossman. If he's still alive, he'd be in his 80s, living obviously somewhere under a false identity. Just like a ghost, a shadow, a piece of shit, you know. And Frank Sheldon, the alleged mastermind behind this horrific empire of exploitation. Well, this little shit died in Amsterdam on July 9, 1996 at the age of 67. Now on his death certificate there's no cause of death listed. So my ass was like, is he really dead though? Is he really dead? I went down some rabbit holes that believe like he faked the death and that, that they all did. But investigators believe that he's, he's dead. So Frank, he lived out his days in comfort, unpunished. And most likely, I am going to assume here, this is my own personal thoughts. He probably continued doing what he was doing. There's no way. You just stop, right? Let me tell you, he never received the justice that he deserved. I know it's an incredibly unsatisfying ending. And this story was, is just an awful reminder that sometimes the absolute worst people get away with it. And I hate that. Right. For most true crime cases, this is where the story ends. The credits roll. We're left with like a clear picture of what happened. Ideally, justice is served, but with Brother Paul's Christian mission, no, it's not that neat. This case didn't just go cold. It became a decades long source of frustration for those who tried to pursue it. While the warrants for Frank Sheldon and Dyer Grossman remained technically valid until at least 1997, by that point, Frank Sheldon was allegedly dead and Dyer Grossman's fate was completely unknown. Neither man was ever arrested. The official designation of the Brother Paul's Christian Mission case remains inactive. For Dyer Grossman, many believe that he fled the country. Authorities would occasionally get tips that he was still somewhere in the Midwest. In August of 1989, there was a potential break. It was believed that Dyer Grossman again was like spotted in Wisconsin, specifically in Marathon, Wisconsin or Lincoln County, Wisconsin. The press even noted that again, he might be Using the these fake names. Ed Grossman, Alicia Grossman, Michael Grossman, Elliot Crossman, Michael Ross, or Dale Osterman. But no arrests were ever made as of today. What happened to Dyer? Grossman remains one. One of those mysteries. I mean, if he's still alive, he'd be in his 80s. Where are you? We're gonna find you. I'm looking for you, Dire Grossman. I'm coming for you bare sleep with one eye open, bitch. Just kidding. But, like, not really. If he's still out there, we don't. He's just living a quiet life under another fake name, having gotten away with some unimaginable crimes. Or maybe he's dead now. This is where the story takes another turn. It's more speculative theories. You know, people have a lot of theories in recent years, people kind of were asking the question, could the North Fox island ring be connected to one of Michigan's most infamous and still unsolved true crime cases? The Oakland county child killer. I know. It's like, what? For those unfamiliar, the Oakland county child child killer. This case involved four children, two boys and two girls between the ages of 10 and 12, who went missing between February 15, 1976, and March 16, 1977. Their names were Mark Stebbins, Jill Robinson, Kristen Mihalik, and Timothy King. And they were all tragically killed. The details of their deaths are awful. Apparently, they were held for some time. They were fed, they were cared for. They were even made to bathe before being brutally killed. The boys were believed to have been sexually assaulted, but not the girls. The investigation became the largest of its kind at the time with, like, a massive special task force assembled to find whoever was responsible. So with both of these cases, the targeting of children, the overlapping timelines. Remember, Brother Paul's was incorporated in June 1975, and Gerald was arrested in July 1976, right in the middle of the Oakland county child killer abduction window. So it made a lot of people kind of wonder if there was a connection at all. I mean, Gerald Richards, when he gave a detailed description about how deep this pedophile ring went, I mean, it could be, at this point, anything could go. There were so many people and companies involved, it's hard to even just focus on Dyer, Grossman and Frank Sheldon because it ran so deep. Most investigators today don't believe that Frank Sheldon and Dyer Grossman, or like any of the known accomplices for brother Paul's Christian mission were directly responsible for the Oakland county child killer murders. Now, it's speculation. There's no hard Evidence that, you know, it is linked at all. It's just a theory that's been out there and I thought I would, I would mention it. I don't know. Well, listen, this isn't a story of good winning over evil in the courtroom at all. Instead, it's like a brutal account of how power, privilege, and a carefully constructed web of deceit allowed heinous crimes to be committed and the men in charge escaped accountability. I guess, I don't know. It kind of forces us to confront the uncomfortable truth that sometimes, a lot of the times, the systems designed to protect us can be manipulated to instead protect the guilty. That's what I hate about, like, the super powerful rich people, because nothing applies to them. Huh? Nothing but the truth of North Fox island, the bravery of the victims, and the tireless work of those who, like, tried to expose it. They shouldn't be forgotten. And I sat here for a long time. I'm laughing because I'm uncomfortable. Thank you. I sat here for a long time trying to think like, how do you really end a story like this? Because it's awful and it's deep and I hate that the wealthy get away with shit like this. And it makes me angry. And I was like, how do I end this? I don't know. I don't know. This story had been recommended throughout the years. A handful of times I've seen it, it always sends you down a really dark rabbit hole because of how deep it goes and how many people were involved and how many of these companies that were set up back then are actually still running today? Oh, yes, there are some of these companies that are still running today. And using the front. We don't know. Or they're claiming that they're there to help young boys, like protect them, rehabilitate them from abuse or being homeless and get them on the right path. And it's like, shit, is it still going? I don't know. Anyways, thanks for hanging out with me today. Sorry I couldn't give you any type of closure. I don't like doing stories like this because it's like, damn, now what? You know, now what? I don't know. I hope you have a good rest of your day as best as you can. You make good choices and I'll be talking to you guys later. Bye. Sorry. I know. I don't know how to end this. I'm like, okay, just cut and bye. Thank you. Sorry. Have a good day.
- [48:56]
B
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- [49:54]
A
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