Friends spared nothing to solve adventurer's disappearance

David Breidenthal — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 15:39:55 GMT

Why do people travel to locations known to be dangerous. The State Dept has a list of Countries and locations to avoid. I don't feel sorry for religious groups or any one who insists on violating safe principles. Same with mountain climbers who fall to their deaths. Speeding motorcyclists, parashutists. These are all usless stunts which can predictably cause injury or death. Same with foreign travel in dangerous locations. I know let's go to Mogadishu, Samalia for lunch and take in the sights.

Friends spared nothing to solve adventurer's disappearance

Beverly Bowen, Punta Gorda, Florida — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 15:50:21 GMT

Your article says "I'm not sure the mystery of Elwin's whereabouts would have been solved if it hadn't been for the efforts of..." So does that mean he was found? Dead? Do they think the New People's Army killed him? What was he doing there? Your article does not tell the full story.

Friends spared nothing to solve adventurer's disappearance

A S — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 16:34:41 GMT

so where is the date that viewers can see this Dateline special.

Friends spared nothing to solve adventurer's disappearance

mark hare, boston, ma — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 17:26:37 GMT

what is the point? where was he found?

Friends spared nothing to solve adventurer's disappearance

WAnda Robinson-Edwards Pikesvile Md — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 18:27:27 GMT

I had e-mail a Linda Balogh regarding of a Briard. I was e-mailed back that one of her customers had a Briard that he wanted to give up for adoption for a fee of $350.00 (the cost to ship from Africa) I asked for a picture and right away knew whose puppies they were. I was told to send $350.00 to a Mr.James Moore 142 Victoria Island Rd zip code 23401 Lagos Nigeria

Friends spared nothing to solve adventurer's disappearance

Mary - Westmoreland City, PA — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 19:19:54 GMT

Sounds like an absolute "must watch". I enjoy all of the Dateline feature stories.

Friends spared nothing to solve adventurer's disappearance

Colleen, Las Vegas, NV — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 19:46:55 GMT

So did they find him?

Friends spared nothing to solve adventurer's disappearance

VERONICA BURGESS, LAKE ELSINORE, CALIF. — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 22:29:34 GMT

I AM SO GLAD THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT FINALLY CAUGHT THAT SCUM HE HAS CREATED HEART ACHE IN OUR FAMILY AND HE DESERVES EVERYTHING HE GETS. KRISTEN IS MY COUSIN AND SHE IS HOLDING UP QUITE WELL. MAYBE AIRING THIS WE WILL FINALLY FIND THE OTHER TWO MEN MISSING.

Friends spared nothing to solve adventurer's disappearance

Barbra, Kauai — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 08:21:07 GMT

Dear Luis and Kristen,
Hugs to you both,
and many mahalo's for all you've done!

Friends spared nothing to solve adventurer's disappearance

Scott Doublisky — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 09:08:54 GMT

I fell asleep last night before I saw how it ended... What happened? Is everyone ok?

Friends spared nothing to solve adventurer's disappearance

PETER CHEESE, INDIANPOLIS, IN — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 13:09:49 GMT

I THINK THE COLTS ARE GONNA BEAT ALL OVER THE REST OF THE LEAGUE, TAKE THAT, TAKE THAT, TAKE THAT. GO HORSE!

Friends spared nothing to solve adventurer's disappearance

j suda, goldsboro, north carolina — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 13:58:14 GMT

The article doesn't metion what actually happend to Mr. Elwin. I am really proud of anyone that sticks with something to find someone they love and pleased he had those who love him. What did happen to Mr. Elwin?

Friends spared nothing to solve adventurer's disappearance

Kyle Kirchhevel, Jacksonville, FL — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 14:51:33 GMT

I can't believe the first commenter could so completely miss the point of the story. It's not about going to a "dangerous foreign country". It that this man was swindled by his friend, then lured to to the side of a road and shot. Or more likely, shot first, then had all his property signed over post-mortem. Elwin met and was befriended Jacinto in Hawaii at a polo club, not the Philippinnes, and had been his friend for a decade. As the disappearances of Jacinto's 2 earlier friends show, poor Elwin's fate was already decided when he mwt Jacinto.

Friends spared nothing to solve adventurer's disappearance

Jenn, Great Mills, MD — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 14:56:37 GMT

Why do I only see part of this story? I want to know what happened and what they found out.

Friends spared nothing to solve adventurer's disappearance

Sharon Willen O'Fallon Missouri 63366 — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 15:20:24 GMT

Although the outcome was still a tragedy, at least the family & friends have closure.
I receive up-dates from the FBI website daily and the faces of those missing people featured, haunt me continuously. Where are you?

Friends spared nothing to solve adventurer's disappearance

Carie Pelle, Staten Island, NY — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 20:20:00 GMT

This story was heartbreaking to read.......I cannot imagine the heartache, pain and frustration that the friends and family have gone through to have lost a wonderful person to a senseless crime...But thanks to their tremendous efforts- at least John can rest in peace a little better ....lets hope they catch the rest of the scum involved.....

Friends spared nothing to solve adventurer's disappearance

Jennifer P,Sunrise,FL — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 22:43:48 GMT

I watched this story last night & was disturbed how someone could do this to another person. I was very touched by Luis Soltren. It was unfortunate that John was killed by someone for money.People need to get jobs like everybody else instead of stealing from hard working people.

Friends spared nothing to solve adventurer's disappearance

anonymous — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 06:11:04 GMT

my family is sending our prayer to john's family and friends.i'm happy that his friend was found guilty with the fraud,and i'm hoping him to get charged with murder.it's obvious he did it.what a friend he is? i'm a filipino myself and embarassed for what this guy did,but i guess it doesn't matter what race you are,if you let greed rules your life.i hope the investigators will find more evidence about this guy and get charged for what he did.

Friends spared nothing to solve adventurer's disappearance

Filipinos, Jersey, New Jersey — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 11:56:15 GMT

I was just dismayed about the last person who made a comment before the end of the show that Philippines is not safe for foreign nationals. People were kidnapped there for ransom. Hopefully, those kinds of people should not judged any country as a whole. There are few areas in the Philippines which can be considered as isolated places, but there are lots of other places also where foreign nationals live happily there. Please remember that there is no SAFE place in this world.

Friends spared nothing to solve adventurer's disappearance

Kyle (Jacksonville, FL) — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 16:44:38 GMT

For those who apparently weren't paying attention to the story, Elwin WAS found, dead by the side of a road in the Philippines. He had no ID on him, and was first mistakenly presumed to be a Norwegian. Once Elwin's friends got their investigation taken up by the prosecutor's office, the body was compared to Elwin's dental records, and that proved it was him.

Jacinto was never charged with the murder because they couldn't tie him to that... he was convicted on 8 felony counts of ID theft and fraud.

Friends spared nothing to solve adventurer's disappearance

Luis Soltren — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 05:50:56 GMT

Hi I'm Luis Soltren
Thank you for your prayers and remember.
This is not a Filipino crime.
this was a crime by a man who happens to be filipino.
remember that when they found John's body he was still wearing his expensive watch and nobody took it.
thats because the people there while poor have honor.

John and all of us are lucky that the lady came out when she did and scared them off.
they would have thrown John's body over the hill.
we would have never know it not about color or race there is good and bad in every race.
John was and will alway be my brother.

Aloha
Luis Soltren

Friends spared nothing to solve adventurer's disappearance

Sandra Crane, Mexico Beach, Florida — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 18:56:27 GMT

Any of us could count our selves lucky to have friends like these people. Thank you for showing what loving friends can do.

Friends spared nothing to solve adventurer's disappearance

Amy, Sacramento — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 20:50:52 GMT

Colleen, Mark, Beverly, etc; please read the entire story and you will find out what happened to John Elwin and how it ended. I'm confused as to how many of you are asking these questions when you didn't read or view the entire story.

Friends spared nothing to solve adventurer's disappearance

Jeannie, Bronx — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 15:46:29 GMT

Mr Elwin considered Hank his "friend", it is so sad that this happened to John Elwin. My heartfelt prayers go out to his family and friends.It was through John's friends that at least they got the scum (Hank) carted off to jail, May he burn in hell.

Friends spared nothing to solve adventurer's disappearance

Lucy Marilyn Smith,,Brandon,,,Manitoba,,Canada — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 16:32:16 GMT

John was my long time friend,,,and sadly I just found out about this incident on TV,,,,I have going thru many things myself but he was always in my thoughts and in my heart,,,,,sadly I wanted to phone him many times and now I can't,,,,I just could not afford to phone him from Manitoba as I have been needy since I last spoke with John on the phone approx. 6-7 years ago,,,I miss him tremendously,,,and that evil man who victimized John also victimized those who love him,,,I have been remembering the words John spoke to me when I first met him 28 years,,he loved to visit me because he said that my place was always peaceful,,,and I started reading John in the Bible a few weeks ago,,,John 14:27 says what he said to me,,,also in John 10;10 talks about how an enemy plots to steal,kill,destroy,,,,that is what Hank did to John,,,John 16:20 describes what everyday has been like ,,,,Book of Revelation,,Last book of the Bible are messages from God to Saint John when he was exiled on the island of Patmos,,,,,I still have a difficult time accepting that John died because for many I was praying for him to be safe in Hawaii,I told my friend here that it must be the end of the world,,,and it feels like hell on earth because John was a good man that made the world a better place,,,he is irreplaceable

Friends spared nothing to solve adventurer's disappearance

Judy — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 04:49:57 GMT

The love of money was the root of this incomprehensible evil. The killer was not imprisoned for murder per se, but there is a justice higher than any court on earth and someday this cold hearted killer will face that justice for those he murdered.

Friends spared nothing to solve adventurer's disappearance

jim potts — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 21:22:09 GMT

i still cant believe john is not with us no more. he worked so hard, for so many years, to retire and then lose his life to someone who dose not deserve to live. it is so sad. thanks luis, i met you in john paint store and john always said you were his best friend. god bless.

Friends spared nothing to solve adventurer's disappearance

Sherry Jackson, Olympia WA — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 23:02:13 GMT

My brother, Law (Larry) Risken Jr, was murdered in the Philippines on April 18, 2006. He was the second American husband of Sonia Risken who was shot in the head while visiting her family in the Philippines. My brother and his wife (the black widow) resided in Lomita California; however, Larry was raised in Olympia WA. Sonia did not accompany either husband to the Philippines. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out Sonia arranged for the killings to obtain insurance $$$ I know how hard it must have been for Mr. Elwin's family and friends to communicate or obtain information from the Philippine National Police. The lanuage barrier is extremly frustrating, law enforcement and the Embassy are not willing to provide information. I'm glad Mr. Elwin's murder case has been solved and his family and friends can have some closure. Unfortunately for my family and the family of Sonia's first husband, Earl Bourdea, we do not have closure because both cases remain unsolved. Not only have the families of Sonia's husbands lost thier loved ones, but we also have to deal with the fact both husbands bodies remain in the Philippines at the request of Sonia. Since she was the wife, she was allowed to make the decision in spite of the families wishes to have the bodies returned to the United States for proper burial. There is no way my brother, a retired Navy Commander, would want his remains in the Philippines. I agree with the postings that the Philippines is a very dangerous and corrupt place and my brother's Filipino wife was well aware of that as evident in the murders of her two husbands.